Another Milestone...

Those keeping track (namely myself - who else would be) know that today marks 5 months since I moved to Peace River. It some ways it seems like it has been a much shorter amount of time, but there are times when it has felt much, much longer.

I hope everyone remembered to change their clocks last night and no one got up an hour early today.

Here's a picture of my study area that I've setup for a course I'm taking shortly:



Have a great day everyone!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

Yes, that's right, today is the 2nd birthday of this blog!! Launched on October 24, 2004 so that I would have an easy way to communicate en mass with my friends in Canada and elsewhere while I was at school in Australia...of course things didn't turn out that way, as the archives will attest, but once I returned home I kept things going.

Week end update

Well, another week has gone by very quickly. It's hard to believe that I've been in Peace River for nearly 5 months now!!

Monday saw our first snowfall of the season, and Wednesday I shovelled for the first time this season. Tuesday I watched fire fighters light diesel, gasoline and wood fires so that the rookies could practice using fire extinguishers. Thursday was uneventful and Friday I only worked a half day. Saturday I will attend a dinner hosted by the Chamber of Commerce as an official representative of the Salvation Army as we have been nominated for an award in recognition of our service to the community. The officers are going as well, but I wasn't going to pass up the opportunity for a free meal - even if I do have to wear full uniform.

Work continues to be largely enjoyable...there are always those things you don't like so much, but those things are overshadowed by the great things that are part of my ministry here.

Jr. Youth Councils

Today we took 6 kids from Peace River to Grande Prairie for Jr. Youth Councils. We departed Peace River around 7:30am this morning, arriving in Grande Prairie just before 10am, with only one stop along the way at Fairview.

The day was filled with really funky, fun worship; science activities and some sports. It was a very enjoyable and worthwhile day for the kids, and they had a blast. Here are some pictures.

Brittany works on excavating a whole chocolate chip from her cookie using a tooth pick. 

Riley takes a break from his "excavation" 

Ben and Robin during a lively soccer match. 

Legend playing soccer with kids from Grande Prairie and Dawson Creek. 

Brittany and Riley work on their "rockets" 

The kids have fun making a mess while mixing water and corn starch together to form "stuff" 

The "stuff" 

Ben, Robin and Riley during a worship time. 

The entire crew back in the van ready to head home. 

A FANTASTIC Thanksgiving weekend

Well, it's been a few days, but I'm finally getting a post up after my trip home for Thanksgiving weekend.

I left Peace River last Friday and drove down to Grande Prairie. After driving right past it five times I finally found the church building. I was also there a few hours early, but because I had so much trouble finding it I was terrified to go very far in case I couldn't find my way back. So I sat in the van in the parking lot and read until Ryan, the youth pastor for the Salvation Army in Grande Prairie arrived. I spent 5 hours with the youth group there, playing a bunch of games (most of which were full-contact). It was good to see a couple of friends and to meet some of the other members of that group. I was staying at Ryan's place for the night before my 7am flight to Calgary via Edmonton. We got there about 1am, then talked until about 3am. All in all I got about 2 hours of sleep before getting up at 5:30 to go to the airport.

The flights were uneventful, and I arrived in Calgary right around 11am. Flying was much more comfortable and a lot quicker than taking the bus. It cost a bit more, but I think it was worth it. The entire family went out for Vietnamese food for lunch. I also got some shopping in during the day - I had to pick up some items for our Sunday School in Peace River, as wells as a few things for myself. I had dinner with a friend at Eastside Mario's and we went and saw Open Season - pretty funny. Worth seeing - not sure if I'd buy it though.

Sunday, went to both church services and heard the same sermon twice. Dad, it was good - but twice? We had ham dinner for lunch and I went for a walk in a nature park near my parent's house with my dad in afternoon. I treated my parents to Chinese food and rented a movie for dinner.

Monday we had our Thanksgiving turkey dinner - turkey (of course), stuffing, sweet potatoe, mash potatoe, homemade cranberry sauce - I'm sure I'm missing something. We were going to have turnip but it took a long time to cook and wasn't ready until after we'd finished eating. There were three choices for pie - lemon merange (I'm sure that isn't spelled right), raspberry (actually it was some sort of rhubarb, cream cheese pie or something, but it was supposed to be raspberry), and a small pumpkin pie (that was for me mainly seeing as no one else in the family likes pumpkin pie). We also had Amanda, Phil's girlfriend with us. Phil was at her house for Thanksgiving dinner there on Sunday. They timed that well.

Monday night Dad and I went to the Calgary Flames game. They were hosting the San Jose Sharks. The tickets we were given to the game were excellent - 13 rows up from centre ice. Very expensive tickets, in an area of the Saddledome I didn't even know existed. The Flames didn't play very well at all - a lot of sloppy passes that resulted in the Sharks having too many good opportunities. The final score was 4-1 for the Sharks. I must say that the Flames did play an impressive last four minutes though.

I didn't fly out until Tuesday morning at 11:35am, so I had some extra time with my family. Dad and I got two games of chess in during the weekend - we each won one. I also got a much needed haircut Tuesday morning on the way to the airport.

The biggest suprise of the extended weekend came when I got the airport in Calgary and tried to check-in. The airline agent couldn't find me on the flight I was expecting to take that day. After doing some searching the agent discovere why. My father, being the loving father he is, who misses his eldest son so much, had booked me on a flight a week later. The Westjet agent waived the reservation change fee, but did have to charge the difference in cost for the flights and I was able to fly home on time.

Once I arrived in Grande Prairie I realised that I had completely forgotten to arrange for someone to pick me up at the airport, so I took a cab back to the Salvation Army church where the van had been parked over the weekend. I then drove to the Salvation Army Family Services Centre in Grande Prairie to pick up a load of food that they were sending back with me to help out our Family Services in Peace River. I managed only to miss my turn once this time.

I then made the two hour drive back to Peace River where I unloaded the food and then went off to the weekly drills with the fire department. This week they were working on their skills for fighting propane fires - that was interesting to watch. It took them quite a while to put out a propane fire, but it was amazing to watch them advance on the fire until the were only centimetres from the flames. The strategy they used called for about a dozen fire fighters and four hoses. I tried to take pictures but it was very dark outside and it just didn't work for me.

It's the most wonderful time of the year...

For those who are not culturally inclined or who live as hermits I would like to point something out - a holy time in Canadian life has begun. A pilgrimage that will mean the spilling of blood, the pouring out of sweat, and the saying of countless prayers over the next 10 months or so - Yes, NHL hockey has begun for another seaon and that can only mean one thing...that's right HOCKEY NIGHT IN CANADA IS BACK!!

Tonight is the season premier of what is probably the single most important broadcast series in the history of this nation. 2 games broadcast back-to-back are on the air tonight. The first game is already 2/3rds complete, and fans are treated to either a fantastic Battle of Ontario (Toronto at Ottawa) or a match between Vancouver vs. Detriot depending on what part of the country they live in. The second game that will air later is a meeting of epic proportions - the first of several meetings between the Calgary Flames and that other team from a bit further north.

So, as I'm packing for my trip to Calgary this weekend, I will be keeping one and half eyes on the game...I'll try not to forget anything. Tomorrow afternoon I will be driving to Grande Prairie will I will stay overnight before catching a 7am flight to Calgary - of course that means being at the airport somewhere between 5:30 and 6am... It'll be good to be with my family for Thanksgiving this year after being away in Australia last year at this time.

A crisp, autumn Sunday

Well, I was up a bit early this morning, so I decided to take advantage of that and take some pictures of the fall colours in the valley. I drove up to the Sagitawa Lookout on Judah Hill to get a good view of the valley. Unfortunately we don't get much in way of red leaves during autum out here in the west, or at least Alberta, but the orange and yellows are beautiful.

Sagitawa Lookout at Judah Hill has recently been landscaped and made into a small park. 

Looking north along the river from Judah Hill towards the main part of town. 

Looking south along the river towards the east bank. 

Looking south along the river towards the west bank. 

More autumn colours in the provincial park. 

I don't know the name of the park, but this Provincial park is just on the other side of the hill from the Peace River Valley.