Healing the Heart

July 24, 2016

I was hesitant. Worried that it was too soon to love another dog or that I would be trying to make the dog into another Max. Wondering whether to risk heartbreak again. This week I gathered up all that negative thinking and shoved it away. A wise friend told me that if I could get past those emotional burdens, a new furry friend would find their way into my heart and help it to heal. We met that furry friend this week and adopted him into the Ostwald family. It took us forever to come up with a name but settled on what popped into my head when I first met him....Bear. His face looks like a little bear cub. He is a tiny and round little boy who loves food and chews on everything! Yes my heart is filling back up again with love for this new little one and at the same time reinforcing the special place that I will always have in my heart for Max. Bear definitely has his own unique personality and is starting to feel right at home at casa Ostwald,which is in turn feeling a little more joyful! Welcome Little Bear!

Gridless was Gleeful

July 20, 2016

We returned last night from a five day camping trip in the Snowy Range mountains in Wyoming. We were totally off the grid which fell under the category of "ignorance is bliss!" We go to this area every year and we camp off road which technically we are not supposed to do in the "Taj-mahaul". This year our friends who we have been doing this trip with for 20 years (!) said goodbye to their tent and brought up their new camper! We finally converted them to the "dark side" and they loved it! 

Unfortunately, we experienced a few glitches on our way to our favorite camping spots.  The first was the road down to our spot was closed for logging but we were able to gain access a different way. When we came upon the spot we wanted, we found it blocked by several fallen trees. It looked like there was a major blowdown since last year. Out came the chain saws and Don and our friend made a clear path for our campers. 

This year we had a smaller group: 14 people, 4 dogs, 2 campers, 3 tents. The fishermen had a tougher time do to the downed trees but my friend and I broke major crafting records! Knitting, button bouquets, bark incense burners were some of our accomplishments but the most ambitious were the river rock door mats. They didn't turn out exactly like the pictures on Pinterest but it was fun and we have special, albeit heavy, souvenirs from our cherished French Creek! Everyone had fun with the Cornhole games that my friend constructed. We were so impressed with his work the last time we camped together that my kids and I comissioned him  to make CSU Cornholes for Don for his birthday. They turned out beautifully and he fashioned them after the gym floor in Moby Gym on campus. We presented them to Don early so that we could play with his new toy! 

Our great adventure turned to the "not so great" yesterday as we started our trip home. A rock slashed a tire on the Taj-mahaul not too far from where we camped, reminding us of why we really shouldn't be 4 wheel driving with 36 feet of camping luxury! Fortunately, Alex was a very helpful assistant and even more fortunate were the wonderful citizens from Kansas who happened to stop with an additional jack. The reason we love camping in that area is the isolation. Our dogs run free and often there are days when we don't see one car drive by. But isolation is not what you need in a situation like this. We were in luck yesterday that there was a truck with handy fishermen that passed by just when we needed them!

We can't wait to plan for next year!

Nifty ISTE

June 29, 2016

The past 3 days have been a whirlwind. The International Society for Technology in Education Conference (ISTE) was in town and I was one of the 16,000 attendees! There were educators from around the world - teachers, teacher librarians, administrators, and other school professionals who all spoke the same language- technology. There were hundreds of sessions offered every day and it was a struggle to decide which ones to go to. Of course there was a nifty app that the conference provided that helped me locate the sessions, favorite them, and even save presentations and electronic handouts in a virtual toolbox. My toolbox is packed full! It was very overwhelming, humbling and exciting to learn about all the innovative ways educators are engaging students and helping them achieve with the assistance of technology. I hope that I can implement a fraction of what I learned!

On a whim (and possibly because it involved some free schwag) I decided to volunteer at the conference. I was assigned to the perfect job for me, the people pleaser. For two hours today I passed out free ice cream in the lobby! You can imagine the wonderfully warm smiles that I received while passing out delicious frozen treats!

I could go on and on about the great experience I had and some of the people, that I met. Don't even get me started on the Exhibit Hall! All of the companies that specialize in technology or education that you can imagine were there. However, the more booths there are, the more free schwag there was to be had! 

I feel recharged and enthusiastic about the school year ahead and will hopefully reach into that toolbox and create some great ways to help kids learn. Don't get me wrong...I still need a little more summer vacation to really get revved up! But when I do report back to work in August, I will accept the challenge that the closing speaker, Michelle Cordy -an awesome 3rd grade teacher from Ontario brought forward. I will "Show up and refuse to leave!"  

Almost Home Day 8

Saturday, June 25, 2016

Don and I took a vote. We unanimously decided that instead of another 9 hour driving day in order to get home today, we would extend our trip one more day. One deciding factor, a strong one, was that our campsite was right on the Yellowstone river with public fishing access. This, along with Don having to pass up many prime fishing holes throughout our trip, added up to us allowing time for Don to fish this morning. Oh and did I mention that there were two quilting/yarn stores in town? While Don was angling, Maggie and I were shopping. I don't drive his truck often, but I can because the seat will rise up enough for me to see over the dash. I find that other drivers usually keep their distance when it looks like no one is driving! We were successful in finding some treasures and we were back before our prearranged meeting time.

We made our way to Bar Nunn which is just outside Casper, Wyoming....not the most scenic part of our trip! Tomorrow we definitely will be back to reality but I guess it's time...we're out of wine!

Don fishing the mighty Yellowstone River

Back in the USA Day 7

Friday, June 24, 2016

We drove back into the United States today. Going across the border from Canada into the US was a little more intimidating with lots of cameras, barriers, and questions....but there wasn't a wall(!)

We - as in Don - drove 9 hours today. It amazes me that he doesn't get tired but I guess I doze off enough for both of us! We saw a lot of farmland and experienced a few downpours. The rain had already passed by our KOA in Livingston, Montana by the time we pulled in tonight and we were fortunate to see a full rainbow! It was fun to see everyone in the campground stop what they were doing and admire this beautiful gift from Mother Nature.

"Oh Canada" Day 6

Thursday, June 23, 2016

Today is our last full day in Banff so we decided to head up the Icefield Parkway - "the road to the clouds." This famous scenic highway takes you past many glaciers and lakes on your way to Jasper. 

Our first stop was Crowfoot Glacier. It was named for its three claw like formation. Crowfoot Mountain overlooked our next stop at Bow lake. At this stop I realized that I left Maggie's leash in the trailer but fortunately we had a Wheat Ridge Animal Hospital leash in the truck so I guess we'll do a little marketing today!

Along the way we also enjoyed seeing Peyto lake and glacier. All of the rivers and lakes are bright blue because of the glaciers. Fine rock particles called rock flour float in the water, reflecting blue and green light. Canadians must find our lakes and rivers rather boring!

By far the coolest rock formations that we saw today was at Mistaya Canyon. The Mistaya river has carved the limestone over the years to create a valley. This site also has created idiot tourists who like to tempt their fate. I get nervous for these people and their children who walk out to the very edges to take pictures without thinking about their safety. I had to look away when I saw a woman edging her way on the cliff so her husband could take her picture from the bridge. I told him that she was braver than me. He said they were recreating a photo that he took 13 years ago when they were dating but he was more nervous this time because he had more invested!

On our way back to Banff we took the more scenic Bow Valley Parkway. This took us past Castle Mountain and then to Johnston Canyon. We took the short hike through the canyon to the lower falls. Unfortunately we didn't have enough time to hike to the upper falls. 

We ended the day with dinner in Banff and shopping- the stores stay open until 10! Tomorrow, sadly, we have to head home but I will say "see ya later" to Alberta because I would like to come back and explore some more!

Note: Due to the large number of parking lots and restrooms that we saw at the popular attractions, I suspect that they get thousands of tourists in the summer. We lucked out and visited before the rush so if you are thinking of visiting, come in June.

Crowfoot Glacier

Bow Lake

Glacier feeding into Peyto Lake

Mistaya Canyon

Mistaya Canyon

Castle Mountain

Johnston Canyon

Lower falls

I call these "nature's window boxes"

"Oh Canada" Day 5

IWednesday, June 22, 2016

Hiking was the activity of the day....lots of it! We drove to the amazing Lake Louise which is spectacular due to its surrounding mountains but also because it is a beautiful blue turquoise color. There  is a huge parking lot because it is a main attraction. You can get away from most of the crowd by hiking the trails nearby and we picked the Plain of the Six Glaciers trail (3.4 miles).This took us above Lake Louise, through the dense forest, and then farther up into the glacial ravine near the glaciers. The very best part was that at the top is a tea house. Yes! This small little tea house was built in 1927 for the Swiss mountaineering guides and their clients that they took up there. We enjoyed sandwiches made on homemade bread and a pot of tea. All of their supplies are flown in by helicopter, brought up on horseback or carried up by staff. The customers are asked to pack out their own trash. The staff all looked pretty young and I think the reason why is that they have to hike up to work, work 5 days while staying in staff cabins, then hike down and have 4 days off before hiking back up for their next shift. One of the women working there was from Basalt Colorado. She was busy so I didn't get to ask her how she ended up on top of a mountain in Canada! 

After our tea we decided to trek across the mountain to Lake Agnes. It was a little rainy but my motivation was..you guessed it..there was a tea house there too! This trail was about 3 miles through a beautiful forest. We didn't have much company on this trail so I rang my bear bell a lot! I kept an eye out for bear scat- Poop that smells like pepper spray and has bells in it- but didn't see any. The pot of tea was just what we needed because it was a little chilly. Maggie was in high alert there because the chipmunks ran rampant! She definitely thought she should be off the leash to do some policing. 

Back on the trail we went to go down to Lake Louise which was around 3 miles. The closer we got to Lake Louise and the fancy Fairmont Chateau Hotel

which is at the lakeshore, the more I felt like a mountain women reemerging from the wilderness. Fashionably attired people who smelled nice were passing us walking up the trail for a little stroll. Then we passed by a cocktail party and a bride and groom taking photographs..I sure hope I made it into their album! 

 

When exiting the restrooms at the parking lot, I saw Don visiting with a family like they were long lost friends. They were from Wheatridge and Don found that out by talking to the boy wearing a Bronco shirt. It's funny how you have an instant bond with people from your neck of the woods when you are far away from home!

Needless to say we were totally wiped out by the time we got back to the trailer. We figured we conquered 10 miles and two pots of tea with nothing worse than what Advil can cure!

Lake Louise

Beautiful torquoise water

At the other end of the lake looking towards the Fairmont Chateau Hotel

Entering the glacial ravine

This mountain I called "funnel cake"

The first tea house 

Dense green forest

Lake Agnes

Tea house number 2

No pine beetle here!

One of many land bridges for wildlife to safely cross the highway.