Sunsets! and ready to head East!

 I will let the sunsets speak for themselves!  Love them!
October 1st. 2015, we began our journey to Ottawa, visiting family and friends along the way!  A long trip but worth the effort!  Sad to leave our Edmonton family behind with the promise to Skype weekly!

On the Road Again!

Ian- Four Months

This little man is growing so fast!  He is learning to roll over and sit up.  He has found his hands, fingers and feet.  Everything goes into his mouth and he is slobber. slobber, slobber!  Ian responds to anything his brother Daniel does...smile, get excited or just watch him and follow him with his eyes.  So cute!  We shall really miss him and the changes in him while we are in the south for the winter.  Such a sweet little guy!

Kananaskis

Beautiful Bare Mountaintops

 September 13-20 found us at the Delta Hotel in Kananaskis.  The view from our hotel  window was beautiful...lovely sunshine and bright blue sky with white fluffy clouds.  Overnight, the sky became more cloudy and snow fell topping all the mountains with a sparkly white cap. We had taken enough
for our usual breakfast, but went out somewhere for an early dinner or late lunch....hotel meals were very expensive.  We visited Canmore and Golden and also went to help Doreen in Strathmore while we were there.

    

In 2002 with the then Prime Minister Jean Chretien, the G8 Summit was held at the Delta Kananaskis.  A plaque and water feature memorialize their visit.
This was our one land week following the Alaskan Cruise  we took in 2014.  We have another week coming in 2016.
We boarded the dogs at E & E in Stony Plain...they do not do well boarded...separation anxiety.
On our last day, we took a longer hike along the Kananaskis River where we could see the flood damage from the Spring of 2012.  Ryan was deployed to the area to help with rescues and rebuilds.  A beautiful area!

Overnight Snowfall

More Family Stuff- Now Ian

 My how this little one has grown!  He is so strong and watches his little brother like a hawk!

I can't imagine what he is thinking, but I think he would like nothing better than to get down and run and play with his brother.  (Love Nadine's hair...Ian was pulling it and this is easier).

Below is the Swedish weaving baby blanket that I finally finished for Ian.  I love the colours!  The pattern is called
Waves!

More Family Stuff- 1st Daniel

 Daniel loves to play with his cars and trucks when he is not constructing with Lego.  While he was visiting us, he and I built a town with small stones on our mat.  He has quite an imagination!  He created street names and signs for his town and built some homes and businesses from cereal boxes and packing tape.  It was a lot of fun!

Then, believe it or not, he was off to his first day of school September 9th, 2015!  Oh my!  Where have the last 5 years of innocence gone?
He loves it!  Mommy took Daniel to school and I looked after Ian.  From here, we will live 5 years at a time!

Kenzie's First Birthday

Kenzie's first birthday was celebrated on August 11, 2015.  We couldn't be there, so we celebrated over a Skype date.  It is fun to see the changes and the new things

she has learned each time.  She is really growing and she is such a happy baby.  At this point she is not quite walking without assistance.  She will soon learn to hang on to tables and chairs and take her first steps on her own.  She loves her food.  I call her my Princess!

Ryan- A Master's Graduate

 Congratulations to our son, Ryan, upon graduating from the University of Guelph with a Master's degree in Science.  He has worked so hard for this.  Now, on to Ottawa, to work on his Lieutenant Colonel rank.  He is heading to Virginia for the month of June in 2015 to work at Quantico, then again in May of 2016. Congratulations, Ryan!  We are very proud of you!

PS Photos were taken with my camera over the web cam, provided by U of G.  Nice!

Family

 This happy foursome is a delight to us.  Michael, Nadine, Daniel and Ian are so happy.  Ian is such a happy baby and Daniel delights in his little brother. The look on Nadine's face says it all.....HAPPY!

Three generations

Rea, Ryan and Kenzie  vacationed on Vancouver Island, then came to Edmonton for a visit.  Kenzie was not sure of us; made strange with us and cried if we came near.  She wanted her Mommy or Daddy so we laid low. She was trying to crawl but was frustrating herself by pushing herself backwards along the floor.  I predict she will walk and not crawl when she decides she wants something at a distance.  She is such a happy baby.

Mommy and Kenzie

 

A secret though:  Grandchild #4 is on the way...another little one for Ryan and Rea!  Will keep you posted!

Update on Daniel

 To celebrate Daniel's 5th birthday May 28th, we took him to the St Albert Children's Festival and to the Rainmaker Rodeo in the fairgrounds behind the Kinsman RV Park.  He wanted to have his face painted as Spiderman, but shortly after he got home, he wanted his face washed and the paint removed.  I guess it was itchy.  At the Rodeo, Daniel enjoyed the petting

zoo and found this alpaca wanted to be his friend.

Daniel is a very active 5 year old who enjoys swimming and playing soccer.  He loves nothing better than playing soccer against Grandma in the park.  This summer he learned to ride his bike and learned bike safety at a kids' pedal camp.  Fun summer!

It Has Been Awhile

I need to catch up on 6 months of happenings in the lives of the Southwood gypsies.  We arrived home from the sunny south in time for this big event.....the birth of Ian Robert Fredrick Hendry May 21st, 2015, @ 8:55pm, weighing 7 lbs 12 oz at the  Misericordia Hospital in Edmonton AB. The name Robert comes from Michael's Dad and

 Fredrick in memory of Nadine's Great Uncle Fred who married Michael and Nadine in 2005 and sadly passed away Dec 26, 2014. Ian is a cute little guy and Daniel loves him to bits.  Daniel is so gentle and so loving of his little brother.  There was an adjustment period for Daniel in the first few weeks, but that was quickly remedied.  Daniel spent a lot of time with us as Mommy and Daddy first adjusted to a new little one at home and Ian's schedule.  Nadine is so much more relaxed this time as she knows what to expect.  Ian latched on very quickly...he is a hungry little one!

Trip North from Las Vegas

After leaving Pahrump and travelling through the north part of Las Vegas, we turned north on US 93, a new route for us.  Our first night we spent at Alamo NV, Picketts RV Park....pricey!   The next two we stayed at casino campgrounds in Ely and Jackpot...much more reasonable!  It was here we met a fellow blogger, Croft and his wife Norma from Campbell River.  It was very nice to finally meet.  The terrain was so varied, but much of it is desert, Mohave to be exact, with many oasis.  Wind and dust have carved the walls of the mountains, formed dunes for wildflowers and native Joshua Trees, brittle bush

and other plants.  Interesting as we travelled,  there is enough food for deer, mostly antelope, to forage. But deer like to cross the highway, so miles and miles of fence has been constructed for their protection, even over the bridges. It was a beautiful 3 day drive.  From Jackpot we travelled to another casino in Fort Hall ID, Helena MT and Shelby MT before resting in Lethbridge AB for a couple of weeks. A great trip home...dry all the way!

Joshua Trees

Deer Fencing

Deer Fencing over the bridge

Joshua Tree in Bloom

The Pups

 Time for an update on the pups.  Winston as of today's date is 2 years and 2 months old.  Bailey. our powder puff, is 4 years and 5 months.  Both are very healthy, have just had a bath and a clip.  Bill does all of it except blowing and brushing then dry.  They provide us with a lot of entertainment and get us up to do at least a 5 km walk every day, depending how hot the day is.  Early morning is a long walk while noon and evening are each about 1 km. Winston weighs about 15 pounds while Bailey is about 19.  Daniel loves to come and visit them, and helps with the walking and feeding them their treats.  They get along really well together playing with their toys.  Winston is the dominant dog while Bailey is very laid back, until he sees another dog, which is why tomorrow night he begins obedience  classes. Lots of fun!

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A Visit to Ash Meadow National Wildlife Refuge

 We visited this wonderful refuge found midway between Pahrump and Death Valley.  What a wonderful site complete with a reservoir, a cavern of pupfish, a hike along preserved mortar and pestle type grinding holes used by the natives of the past to grind corn, beautiful desert flowers and a visitor centre.  It is a drive on gravel roads, but so worth it.  Here is what wickipedia has to say: The Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge is a protected wildlife refuge located in the Amargosa Valley of southern Nye County, in southwestern Nevada. It is directly east of Death Valley National Park, and is 90 mi (140 km) west-northwest of Las Vegas.^[1].

 The refuge was created on June 18, 1984 to protect an extremely rare desert oasis in the Southwestern United States. It is administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.^[1] 

Ash Meadows provides a valuable and unprecedented example of desert oases habitats, that have become extremely uncommon in the southwestern deserts. The refuge is a major discharge point for a vast underground aquifer water system, reaching more than 100 mi (160 km) to the northeast. Water-bearing strata come to the surface in more than thirty seeps and springs, providing a rich, complex variety of mesic habitats.^[1]
Virtually all of the water at Ash Meadows is fossil water, believed to have entered the ground water system tens of thousands of years ago.^[2].

 Numerous stream channels and wetlands are scattered throughout the refuge. To the north and west are the remnants of Carson Slough, which was drained and mined for its peat in the 1960s. Sand dunes occur in the western and southern parts of the refuge.
At right is an example of the mortar and pestle  grinding holes. A well constructed boardwalk provides a pathway for visitors and protects this fragile habitat of the area.  There are 26 varieties of plant and animals found here that are

  endemic to the area, meaning they are found nowhere else in the world.
 The very small pupfish are a vibrant blue, seen darting in the pools along the boardwalk.
It was a very interesting day, a place we will surely revisit.

Visitor Centre

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Crystal Springs Reservoir

Car Show

This unique vehicle was spotted in downtown Pahrump and then at the car show but neither Bill nor I can remember the name of it.  It looks like an elongated Spyder with a fibreglass car-type body.  It will do highway speeds around town but not sure about the open road.  It was manufactured by a motorcycle company...if we find out the name, I will let you know.

Pair-A-Dice in Pahrump NV

Zero-scaped front yard

Sunset Over and through the Carport

 One of the nicest resorts we visited this winter was the Escapee  park, Pair-A-Dice RV Park in Pahrump NV.  Our two week stay was wonderful; the people very friendly. the sites spacious, the grounds well maintained and the dog park, well used and kept clean by the residents. Glorious sunsets, lovely yards with flowering cacti and native NV plantings and zero-scaping yards made for a very pleasant stay.  Of course, it helped that fellow SKP members own a site there (we didn't know this until we found them)  and we enjoyed numerous Happy Hours with them.

Residents purchase their site and any upgrades and when they no longer wish to stay there, the full purchase price returned minus the annual fee.  Good deal and this is the nicest and most reasonable Escapee park we have visited.  Thinking about it for a future longer term stay!

Another beautiful sunset

Bullhead City AZ

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Our View from our Site

 Next stop was a week's stay in Bullhead City!
While in Yuma, we visited the Swap Meet/Flea market. On our way out, I stopped by a kiosk that was giving out a flyer for a resort in Bullhead City, for $99 for a week.  I was skeptical but decided to check it out, although we were certain it was a timeshare type discount where one is obligated to sit in on a pressure driven presentation to purchase.  As it turned out, it was not and we enjoyed a wonderful week here.  Our friends, Ab and Esther joined us for an overnight on their way home to Sudbury/Orillia from Long Beach.  I was able to get their stay through Passport America for $19.00, an unheard of bargain these days!

The View at night

It was hot; we walked the resort daily and ran our AC through the day, but it did cool off at night which was great for sleeping.  Lots of shopping and casinos but we stayed close to the resort.  We did enjoy a Sunday morning brunch at the nearby Black Bear which was very good.  On to Pahrump NV.

Sunset