Stampede Patio Party - 2013

The new complex we live in, Mission Crossing, throws an annual Stampede party that I'm sure is the envy of the neighbourhood! Folks donned in their best cowboy duds came out for the BBQ/Circus on the patio Sunday evening. Delicious Alberta steaks were provided by our hosts Wayne and Dayna McNeil. Everyone else brought side dishes and helped decorate the patio in Stampede style. We were entertained with a roping demonstration as well as hula-hooping and head-standing. Boy, what a talented bunch of people! Jim and I will have to "step up our game" for next year. YAHOO! It was great to meet everybody! 

 Susan and Kate gettin' things started!

 Gold Medal Winner's - Chris (Hula Hoop) and Wayne (Headstand)

 Dayna (our GREAT event planner) and Iain

 Wayne, Marianna, & Me

 Jim & I in our Stampede finest!

Grub master, Jim

 Delicious steaks courtesy of Wayne & Dayna McNeil!

Mission Crossing Cowpokes! Left to right. Toby, Jim, Candy, Bill, Wayne,

Dayna, Sgt McNeil, Janet, Susan, Iain, Kate, Ken, & Chris.  Lowy, where are you?

Last but not least, our Stampede mascot, Sophie!

Calgary Stampede 2013

"Come Hell or High Water!" was the theme of this year's Stampede. A very appropriate theme considering the Stampede grounds were under water only two weeks prior.  With thousands of volunteers working around the clock, the Stampede grounds were opened on schedule, Friday, July 5. The events run for ten days and the rodeo is billed as the "Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth." The rodeo purse has the richest payout of all rodeos with a prize of $100,000 to the winner of each major discipline and $1,000,000 total on championship day. YAHOO!

Friends from Houston, Toby & Janet and Marc & Stacy, joined us for five days of partying and rodeo fun. We spent a day of hiking and sightseeing in Banff, and we also found time to celebrate Jim's and friend Roy's birthdays with THREE big birthday bashes! We attended our first outdoor rodeo and avoided rain for four days straight! All in all, it was a smashing week of Stampede fun! Y'all come back now, ya hear?

Hiking to the Lake Agnes Tea House.

Enjoying a spot of tea at the tea house.

Yoginis in front of Lake Agnes.

I've always told Jim his head was full of rocks......

Toby and Janet with Banff Springs Lodge in background.

Me and Jim.

Bag pipes, my favorite part of the parade!

Beautiful girls, Jim's favorite part of the parade...

Me, Stacy and Janet at the parade.

Me and Jim at the parade.

Stacy, me, Suzanne, Janet, Alaina, and Cory at the Palomino.

Alaina, Suzanne, Guy and Cory at Palomino.

Jim and Marc the Palomino.

Beer Slinger, Stacy at Palomino.

Suzanne and Alaina at the Palomino.

Melissa and Marc at the Palomino.

Jim and Roy at Deb and Les' house.

Me and Roy at Mercato. Does he look 60 to you?

Another birthday celebration at Mercato.

Jim, me, Janet and Toby at Roy's surprise birthday party.

Deb and Roy at his surprise birthday party. The two most photogenic people I know!

Jim, me and Sheriff Les at the birthday party.

Sheila and Stacy at Roy's party.

Susan, Barrie, and Peter at Roy's birthday party.

Sheila and Gordy with matching shirts.

Lauren, Roy's daughter, leading the a rousing rendition of "Happy Birthday"

Stacy, Robert, Roy and me. Check out those boots!

Oh No! The Big Six O!

Bye, bye, friends!

Bull Bustin' Calgary Style!

We kicked off Stampede by attending the annual Bull Bustin' event at the Ranchman last night. Friends Guy and Suzanne joined us for some "up close and personal" views of the bulls (and the cowboys) .

The event was sponsored in part by Mammoet Canada, and we were lucky enough to sit in their section right over the bull pens. Thanks, Mammoet and Russ Watters! I am used to watching the bull riders on the Jumbotron in the Astrodome, so getting to watch the event this close was a real treat. Enjoy the pictures!

My Bull Bustin' outfit.

Me and Suzanne on our way to the Bull Bustin'

These are the bull riders.

The bull chute was right below us, where all the cowboys are...

Bulls exit right....

I love this picture. After the rider jumped off or was bucked off, this cowboy would lasso the bulls horns and try and drag them towards the exit gate. Sometimes the bulls did not comply....

Howdy, Pardner!

This Caddy must be from Texas! They wouldn't let me drive it....

Same car different cowboy..

Two cute cowgirls "living large!"

Oh Canada!

Canada Day, celebrated on July 1, is a federal statutory holiday celebrating the anniversary of the enactment of the British North America Act 1867, which united three colonies into a single country called Canada within the British Empire. 

We celebrated Canada Day this year by hiking the Plain of Six Glaciers and Lake Agnes Tea House loop. The hike starts at the Chateau Lake Louise. We hiked the trail in the opposite direction of the most popular route (naturally) to miss most of the crowds. By the time we made it to the Lake Agnes Tea House, most of the tourists were hiking back to their cars. The loop starts at Lake Louise and climbs along the the glacial moraine (rocks and debris left over from formerly glaciated regions) between Mt.Lefroy and Mt. Victoria. We had views of Lake Louise most of the way as we hiked higher and higher into the mountains. The views of the Victoria Glacier as it flows down Abbot Pass are spectacular. We heard and saw four avalanches that day. The avalanches are preceded by a loud "boom" and then you see what looks like a waterfall of snow coming off nearby Mt. Victoria. We were not in any danger, but I think I saw Jim jump a time or two. Then we headed up to Big Beehive and on to the Lake Agnes Tea House. The loop took us 6.5 hours and covered 18 km (11 miles). We were pretty pooped and ready for a cold beverage by the time we got down the mountain. Happy Canada Day everyone!

This is the loop!

The start of the hike.

Lake Louise in background.

Lake Louise in the background, Big Red in the foreground. 

A view of the moraine between Mounts Lefroy and Victoria.

Wide angle of same view.

Trails are still covered in snow in some places....what month is this? Oh yeah, July..

Getting closer to the Victoria Glacier and Abbot Pass.

End of the trail, Plain of Six Glaciers.

View of Victoria Glacier.

Victoria Glacier and Abbot Pass on the left side.

My handsome husband having tea at the Plain of Six Glaciers Tea House.

This man does yoga!

View of Lake Agnes from the Big Beehive.

The Lake Agnes Tea House is at the far end of the lake on the left side.

View of Lake Agnes from the opposite end near the tea house.

Lake Agnes Tea House.

The end of our hike and still smiling!