Happy Thanksgiving!!

It is Monday of the Thanksgiving long weekend. We have had a great weekend!

On Saturday we decided the weather was right for a return trip to Roderick Haig-Brown Provincial Park to see how the salmon were coming along. We decided to drive there not along the Trans-Canada Highway but along a smaller road on the northern side of the river. It was good to get a different perspective, and we didn't realise so many houses had river access with private jetties! The scenery was lovely, as always, with hoodoos and silt rocks. We made a stop at Pritchard to see the bridge close up. What a construction!



Pritchard Bridge



View from the Niskolith Park turnoff towards Chase

Adams Lake Cemetery gate

We arrived at the provincial park and the car park was busy - a good sign! We enjoyed a walk along the Adams River and were able to see a range of salmon making the journey. There were sockeye salmon, spring salmon, and others we were not able to identify! There were also opportunistic trout waiting to catch the salmon eggs that floated away from their rock beds!



Sockeye salmon!

Spring salmon (?)



Action in the water!

There were plenty of dead ones who had completed their objective, and we learnt that they are left there to decay and fertilise the river. (Apparently they are not good eating after they have spawned, anyway!!)



There was a bear here.......

and a bear here.....

but not here!
We didn't see any bears on this visit.

While it was not the dominant year for the salmon run, it was great to see it all in action!!

Little darlings walking hand in hand along the river.

On Sunday we enjoyed a day at home, looking forward to our Thanksgiving dinner with Cynthia and Bruce's families at Cynthia's parents' place in the evening.


Cynthia, Bruce and Kayla putting our feast together

We had a lovely evening of great company and delicious food! We enjoyed the biggest turkey I have ever seen and a range of pumpkin desserts, all delicious!! It was a great opportunity for us to be able to experience a Canadian family Thanksgiving. Thank you Tani and Herb for having us!



at the table

Thanksgiving dinner!
Tani and Herb in the centre.





Apples and Pumpkins

This past weekend Liam was involved in Scouts Canada Apple Day. His colony was stationed outside Walmart collecting donations in exchange for an apple. He did a great job! He got people's attention well and engaged in lots of conversations. It was very cute to watch.

On Sunday we went to Vernon, which is about an hour south of Kamloops. We went to visit the pumpkin patch at Davison's Orchard. We enjoyed the tractor ride out to the patch where we spent about 20 minutes inspecting and then finally choosing our Halloween pumpkin. There were lots of apples on the trees and it was a very pretty sight.

In our apple box carriage

Liam

In the pumpkin patch

Frank with the chosen one!

Phoebe

our last lot of visitors???

Pete and Sean arrived late on Friday night by train from Jasper. They decided to try the ViaRail train and had a fantastic experience on it!

On Saturday we checked out the Farmers' Markets and wandered around downtown and down to Riverside Park before heading home to prepare for a hockey game, the Blazers' first home game of the season! There was a fair in the plaza outside the Interior Savings Centre so we went a bit early to see what was going on.

at the Farmers' Markets

Ready for a Blazers' win!

Hockey action

On Sunday Pete, Sean, Frank and Liam went to Leslie's to help prepare their wood. Phoebe and I stayed home to help her recuperate. It sounds like they had a great time playing with chainsaws and a pneumatic block splitter, and finished off with a great chili lunch!

After they got home we headed to Adams River to check on the progress of the Salmon Run. It took us three goes to find the right spot, and when we got there there were others checking it out, too. The salmon had not arrived yet, but they should be coming any day. This year is not a dominant run, when millions of salmon return, but they are expecting a few hundred thousand. The area is lovely, and the paths and bridges made for a nice walk. We will keep an eye on this, so stay tuned!

Little moo

Roderick Haig-Brown Provincial Park

Adams River

We had a great slap-up meal at home of smokies and corn from Blackwell Dairy. It really hit the spot!


On Monday Liam did not have school as it was a Pro-D day, so Pete, Sean, Liam, Phoebe and I headed to Costco where we had a good morning, topped off with a pizza for lunch. We picked up Frank after school and all headed to the Canada Games Pool for a swim while Liam had his lesson.


We then headed to the Noble Pig for supper, where the beer was good and the deep-fried pickles were a hit!!

Cheers at the Noble Pig!

On Tuesday, Pete, Sean, Phoebe and I headed to the Wildlife Park. We arrived a bit early, but eventually got to see all the animals we were hoping to see. Apparently the slight decline in temperatures is already having an effect on the animals, and the bears in particular are getting up later than in the summer.

Sean, Pete, Phoebe and moose

Stinky goat and (not so stinky) Pete

the grizzly cubs

We had a Japanese burger for lunch and then Pete and Sean explored the First Nations museum while Phoebe and I did some shopping.

Late on Tuesday Frank dropped Pete and Sean to the train and enjoyed a tour through it with them.

All aboard!
Pete, Sean and Frank at Kamloops North station

Pete and the train

It was great that they were able to make it here to explore Canada and see us! Thanks for coming!!


So now is that the end of our visitors??? (I hope not!)

Fox and Beaver

We had a rough week the week before last with both Liam and Phoebe coming down with a cold. By Friday, though, Liam was making a good recovery and was able to participate in his school's Terry Fox run in the afternoon. Phoebe and I went along, too, and she made a good go of it despite her health!


Warming up for the Terry Fox run



Phoebe in action

Liam after his lap of exertion












That night Liam had his first Beavers meeting. Beavers is scouts for 5-7 year olds. They meet at a school in Valleyview for an hour. He had a great evening of games, craft and a story and loved it all. It was so cute to watch.

Playing with the Beaver mascot

Beavers in action