The snow really transformed everything bringing out pockets of color both in leaves and berries  and garden remnants.....what is this?

on a morning when I am awake early as heading off to work, “on call” in maternity. Seem to be lots of ladies having babies, but actually my favorite unit for doing casual hospital social work

At the point in my recovery although I wish I could just hop up and get a morning cup of coffee, it is more like gimp and hobble to the kitchen. The good news is occasionally walking on own and have bought my self a shiny green cane, so less need for the right crutch, new exercises from my physio and follow-up x-rays indicate bones healing well. BUT it is still a long process and at 7 months post op, at times, discouraging. Not only the mobility issues but also fatigue at the end of the day.

In July I wrote,

“Working at the hospital some full days for the last week or so has been a point of transition, but also a confirmation that I am not ready to plunge back in. September is my goal and probably more realistic.”  HA it is now October!

Other events on the home front have included an overnight with the grand daughter, doing yoga together and drop off at school, and on the Canadian Thanksgiving weekend getting out of town to Elk Island Park…no turkey, but just good to get out of the city.

Also a few sessions in with Lit Fest, a local gathering of primarily Canadian non-fiction writers.

http://www.litfestalberta.org/home.aspx

“(Canadian) Civilization is not a collection of prime ministers. Words, words, words, it is around these that civilizations create and imagine themselves.” John Ralston Saul in introduction of series on Extraordinary Canadians....see above!

 So next post probably back to dogs and flowers...both of whom I am feeling neglect!

 Taken at Elk Island Park a few weeks ago, I like this photo because it is indeed leading the viewer into the rest of the walk and marsh, but also chosen as my background blog shot as we are leading into new seasons, colder and bleaker.


In contrast loves the colors here...Two canoes came in off the lake as had got quite windy and this preschooler quite intent on exploring the shore puddles.

Like this one...no rubber boots just runners but a later change according to his mom!

My definitions are very basic: a road bike or a mountain bike? Right! Oh yes motorcyles too!

My Grandpa Bill, at age 12 in the early 1900s on the farm in Michigan, attached a motor to his bicycle, removed the pedals and ran it down from the top of a hill to see the result or so the story goes. Later in his 90s, with more limited mobility, he would haul my mother's 1930s high handle low-cross bar girl’s bike out of the garage in Edmonton and ride it around the block to “ keeps his knees going”. An auto mechanic by profession, my grand parents ran with a family business Passmore’s Garage, with their White Rose and Shell signs from the 1940s to 1970s in Edmonton. His stories would always be punctuated by “that was the year” he drove the….. or fixed the……certain model of a car, truck or other vehicle.

Got me thinking as to how does each of us mark our memories and passage of time?

One of the time markers in my family has been by bikes…motorcycles or bicycles. The eldest of three teens in the late 6os, for a year or two before I got my driver’s license, I got around to school and part time work on a Suzuki 55,  as did a number of my male friends. One night in Grade 11, camped in the backyard with my best friend Maria and parked the bike in the driveway. The neighbours were rather upset talking to my girlfriend’s Polish mother, in that she would approve of such an arrangement…. thinking of course the bike belonged to Maria’s boyfriend. My younger sister Shaunnie rode her motor bike right through high school and many camping trips to the Okanogan in BC,

Since then both motorcycles and bicycles have become much more specialized and complex, as perhaps life in general.

My own definitions are very basic still: a road bike or a mountain bike. Yet when I hit the police auction a few years ago hauled home at least 5 used bikes and currently with only two people in the household my garage has as many in it, all generally usable.

In my close and extended family, cousin Bill and wife Betts, both owners of motor cycle and frequent road trips; a brother Don who completed a x-c country trip this summer raising funds for underprivileged kids at the Y’s, and of course, the daughter, Amelia who is a triathlete and owner of her Cervello  “ flying machine” and blogs on the “ socialist “ Biki bikes of Montreal.

So what got me thinking about this all was last Saturday!

Another check in the recovery process...managed to ride my bike safely down ravine for about 2 hours and have dogs on double leash...all with no accidents.... No I do not ride with leash attached to handle bars!

Glad to be out on the bike again but with stops...

At the far end of Mill Creek ravine just happened upon this bike race,  which originated from the Edmonton Velodrome. From what I understand four races during the day, each during a timed period of how many laps in the velodrome and very challenging course.

Up and over the hurdles

Great photo ops, of course,as can be seen from other photographers here and put more than 30 on my facebook. This is what happened when went ENHANCE in iphoto. Ran into Sean, Amelia's boyfriend & posed shot…Who has got whom...

 In hopes that staining both porches could be accomplished in one afternoon, I had bought a can of deck stain, & pumpkin orange is about as close as I can describe the colour...Thursday was spent primarily clearing, sanding and scraping and by sunset at 7 PM only a few surfaces painted.

My Friday perspective as I headed off to work was not a positive one, especially since my keyboard suddenly decided that F and D were no longer functioning. How many words can one spell without these two! Hoping my computer guy could help with missing lettersI dropped off the ibook amazingly he got a new "used" replacement keyboard for about 1/3 price of a new one! Love my computer guy!

Well yesterday dawned with promising plus 22 oC weather! With paint black t-shirt and pants, rollers, rags, hammer, scrapers, broom I was off again. During the process, dogs are still their own color, although slightly traumatized at my OFF and OUT shouts. Every once in a while Jeffrey, my student boarder, wondered what was up as well, keeping dogs in as needed

BUT by 7 PM the decks were done, front and back, stained pumpkin orange along with some wooden chairs and benches 

HERE ARE THE RESULTS:

• Top of bench near fire pit
• Often breakfast here or late dinner...chair and front deck done
• Front porch..stained wooden plant holder.
• This was a former child's table...did the legs and top & wood trim on chair...one of my favorite spots to sit in my yard.
• Closer up...indoor chairs donated from a neighbour
• October corner of back porch
• Back deck and freshly stained bench.
• My front gate...got about half of the slats stained and green painted a tedious job done last month.

Dogs, according to some body language experts, have an uncanny ability to pick up even on the subtlest clues from their owners, enabling them to read humans like few other animals can, even something as simple as a glance from their owner. This past Sunday I took both dogs for a pet blessing at our church in celebration of St. Francis of Assisi, the Italian 12th century monk who established the Franciscans order and had a special love for animals and the natural world....see my entry from last year for further details
http://bonnieupnorth.xanga.com/71436270/happy-canadian-thanksgiving/

Got me thinking of small moments, being attentive to the present moment, and the joy and laughter that we often miss if not attentive to the present moment.
Nanuq behind pew curious about those cat sounds Dysis much more laid back Another dog and owner just waiting Ready for a blessing! Exploring flower bed afterwards Indoor cat who creeps like a black panther on her leash C'mon look out now! There we are!

 In my trip to ravine afterwards ran into some good friends, Patrick and Kay shown in their traveling apparatus. Kay suffers from chronic fatigue and Pat is a crazy Irishman carpenter. But they have managed despite all difficulties to maintain their marriage and laughter is such a key part of their relationship.

Now where did I hear that sound? Nanuq sneaking up on unsuspecting Dysis Dysis heading out Nanuq joining her

 Happiness starts somewhere between the heart and the solar plexus, and it begins to seep and crawl to flow with in us until our entire bodies and beings know we are happy. in its quiet strength happiness invades all the dark " cobwebby" crevices and cleans them out....from my calendar of daily sayings