Country Living
Before I get started telling you about the latest excitement in my life, I have to say that I am really sick of this program. For some reason the font changes every time, though I always pick the same font. Its very frustrating for someone as pretentious about the font they use, as I am. Ugh!
Anyway so not too much new to report, I'm still working all the time and keeping busy. I can't wait to get home. I'm getting really tired of Waterton in case you have noticed, but I'm having fun distracting myself until its time to go home.
So, as you know JT's cabin has already been a place for many grand adventures for me. I almost broke my neck there last time on a zip line. This time, was a little more interesting. I mentioned in my last post that the Pillings had just gotten a pig that would soon be heading to the slaughterhouse. Sunday we went to the cabin to hang out, and the pig was still alive. They named her Wilbur, and JT loves this pig more than his dog or any other animal. She is a totally cute pig. She is extremely loyal and follows us when we drive out on the quads to chase the buffalo. So she was following us when we went into the pasture to see the horses. The Pillings have very nice, beautiful, and usually gentle horses. Before they saw the pig they came right up to us so we could pet them, but then they saw the pig. Those horses went insane. They started stampeding the pig and trying to bite it. Their lips were curled back and everything. JT took off running after them (and keeping up) punching the horses in the face when they got close to the pig. He started screaming at Zoe and Me to start the quad and head them off. Unfortunately we had to the pull the choke chain to get the quad started so we were unable to get it started. So he ran back, shoved me off and started heading the horses off. The horses would not stop, we were yelling and screaming at them and they would not stop attacking the pig. Finally JT threw his body over the pig and starting screaming at his little sister and Zoe to hit the horses. I wasn't near the horses and I really was not about to start throwing punches at those animals. But Zoe and Camis were braver than me and they punched those horses in the face and kicked them until they left the pig alone.
Pig Rescue
So after the horse stopped stampeding to kill the pig we knew we had to get Wilbur out of there fast. We got the other quad and literally lifted the pig up onto it so JT could hold it and we could get out there as fast we could, because the horses were still eyeing us. We made it up over the hill before the pig fell off the quad and so we tried to lead it down the hill. That didn't work out so well and the pig started running back toward the horses so Zoe threw herself on the pig. Eventually I lifted the pig back onto the quad and we made it safely out of the pasture. That poor pig was so tired, it was foaming at the mouth. But everything worked out and Wilbur lived another day.
Buffalo Chasing
Chasing the buffalo is probably the most fun thing to do at the cabin, whether we are in the jeep, the suburban or on the quads. This time we were chasing them on the quad. I was on a quad with JT's littlest sister Camis driving and his other sister Mariah behind me. We've had a lot of rain here the past two weeks so everything was really muddy and gross. Chunks of mud were flying everywhere and then Camis hit some fresh buffalo dung. I moved my head just in time but Mariah did not and she was sprayed completely in the face. She washed herself off (and missed the whole pig vs. horse match) but when we were sitting down to dinner, Zoe looks at her and discovers that her whole ear is full of buffalo poop. So gross!
Pond Living
We ended the day at the pond after everyone had gone on the zip line (except me, I'm still a little leery). We were again trying to catch/terrorize the ducks and geese. I was standing at the end of the dock and all the kids were behind me because we were all trying to catch the ducks and geese. When like a complete domino effect, JT's dad and Zoe's Dad push us. It all happened in slow motion. We all slowly moved to the water, and I was so shocked. My last thought before I hit the water was, "we're not actually going to go in the water." I hit the water spread eagle and took everyone down with me. When I surfaced my first thought was of the fish, and then I realized my glasses were on my face so I tried frantically grabbing them. Unfortunately I grabbed the back of Zoe's hoodie and she freaked out because she thought I was trying to drown her, so I immediately let go and then actually located my real glasses. We all made it back onto the deck and the adults were laughing hysterically. Apparently I had the most shocked look on my face, which I don't doubt because I honestly believed we weren't actually going in the water.
So that was this weeks adventure at the cabin. At least I didn't get hurt or hurt anyone else, this time.
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Monday, August 10, 2009
My Middle Name Should Be Evil Kneivel
I'm Getting Tired of Hearing, You Almost Died
So, my crazy adventures seem to continue. You know I kind of bring it on myself, I told myself when I came out here that I had to be brave and try new things, and somehow that translates into pain. Spoiler warning, this one was nowhere near as bad as my knee, so don't get too excited. Anyway since my last post I've been pretty busy which is good because I am completely ready to head home. I can't believe I'm saying this but I am starting to get sick of Waterton. Anyway I've been pretty busy, I had my last round of visitors come up and spend the weekend with me last week, Cindy and Wally. The best part was that they brought my best buddy Jonathan so we got to chill the whole weekend. They came Friday night and stayed at my place, which turned out to be fuller than expected (more on that later). The next day I had to work until three but we went to Red Rock and hiked up Blackstine Falls and then followed Cindy on some random horse trail that was three inches wide and covered in horse poop for another km. It was fun though. We saw some crazy things, like a bride and groom climbing down red rock in full bridal gear for pictures and my first bear this summer! Good times. The next day we had brunch and then headed to Cameron Lake. I haven't been there before so it was really fun. You take this amazingly windy mountain road up to the lake which is in between mountains. Jonathan and I swam for a bit and then tanned. They had canoe, and paddle boat rentals, so we rented a four person paddle boat, paddled out into the middle of the lake and proceeded to drift for the rest of the hour we had rented it for. It was really nice, relaxing, and I even got a tan. We had dinner that night and then the next morning they were gone!
So I guilt tripped my parents into loving me...hehe
All of my friends down here have received care packages from their families and friends except for me, so I goaded Cindy into guilt tripping my mother to send me a care package. It was awesome, I told everyone at work about it because it was so exciting. I got mints, and gum, and even a water gun! I loved it, the card is on display in my room!
The rest of my week was a blur...
After Cindy, Wally, and Jonathan left I headed to work at the Chocolate shop and then worked there almost every evening after work. It was a pretty long week so by Thursday I wanted to do something fun. I just ended up going with JT to his house for dinner but it was still really fun. One of my friends here parents came from Ontario so they stayed at my place because I had room so my house was a little full because I also got a new roommate! She is from Peru, is Mormon, and has only been in Canada two months. She arrived on the Friday that Cindy and Wally came so the house has been a little crowded but everyone is gone now so everything is back to normal. Its fun to have a roommate again but I kind of wish now that I had taken Spanish because we hit a bit of a language barrier every once in awhile.
Danger, Danger
So, country kids have completely different ideas of how to have fun, mainly because they are limited by the country. One of the housekeepers is really good friends with JT and it was her birthday on Friday so we decided to take her out. We drove into Lethbridge for dinner and then drove back to JT's cabin to get his family's boat for his uncle. Of course by the time we had done all the driving it was pretty much midnight, It was a lot of fun though, that's probably my favourite activity to do with my friends, listen to loud music and drive. I was kidnapped that night and spent the night at JT's uncle's place where he and his cousins live while working here. The next day we slept till noon because of his really loud french African neighbours keeping us up all night and then drove back into town. JT had to work so I chilled at home and then we had made plans to go the rodeo but it was pretty much over by the time we got to Cardston. So we hit up a gas station and then played cards till 12, when I was kidnapped again. The next morning we narrowly made it to church on time.
Here is where the danger comes in. After church we decided to head to JT's parents cabin instead of our original plan to hike Red Rock because it was really windy. We got there and found his sisters playing with the new family pig, which should only be living another couple of days. So we hopped the fence and chased the pig. Pigs feel so weird, they are all scratchy and have this really rough, white fur. It was kinda freaky, but fun. Then the girls wanted to show us how to catch a goose so we headed to the pond where the goose and ducks where and I watched them catch a goose. It was a very intricate process, they used feed to lure the geese under the dock and when they came out they caught them with the nets. JT was very determined to catch one so he laid flat on his belly with his net at the ready. Unfortunately the Pillings have highly aggressive trout in their pond that literally attack the ducks and when they saw JT's face just above the water, one of them bit him on the face. Hilarious. Anyway they finally caught a goose after throwing the dog at one, and we brought it up onto dry land. Geese are so incredibly soft, obviously but its really freaky how they can turn their heads. Really. Anyway we set the goose free and moved onto our next adventure.
I mentioned a couple posts ago that last time I was at the cabin I got to see the Pilling clan trying to set up their zip line, while it is all done now, so I had to try it. After JT's cousin went first I nervously got strapped in and ready to go. Once I started going it was actually really nice except for some of the trees, you bash over. You cross down a hill and then over two ponds, and the stop is at the end of the second pond where you start picking up speed. When I got to the second pond i braced my neck because it can be a little rough when you hit the brake. It's a good thing I did, because the pulley they had for the break rope broke and I tested out the emergency brake. All I remember is being flung up in the air like crazy and seeing the ground beneath me, before I righted. JT thought he had killed me, and came running over. My whole body was shaking and I couldn't breathe, all the air was gone out of my lungs. I had to stand on a crate while JT unhooked me but I was shaking so bad. JT was totally freaked and then I got off the crate and saw that I was bleeding, he thought I had severed an artery. I was so freaked out because I hate blood I dunked my hand into the water because I was already weak enough. I was fine though, just shaken up. I cut my hand a tiny little bit because the clip opened when I swung up like a rag doll. My life was saved by two tires and JTs German engineering. In a couple of minutes I was just fine, but I am definitely feeling the effects of it today, let me tell you. My whole body aches, especially my shoulder and ribs where the harness cut in.
After that we just chilled and talked with his sisters until it was time to leave, or so I thought. Halfway up the hill we decided to go check out the old settlers cabin at the bottom of the hill. Originally we were going to check it out at night, on Friday in the dark but we wimped out because we were all tired. This time we hiked down in broad daylight and found the remains of a fresh deer kill from a bear. Good thing we didn't go at night! We hiked through grass and thistles up to our hips until we got to the cabin. It was really cool. It was all old and it looked like it had burnt in a fire. We found the well that they had dug and built with stones and the old metal stove still intact. There was even a child's toy truck inside the house. It was really cool to stand in a place where no one had been in years. But we all agreed that it was better that we went in the day!
So that's been the excitement going on here in waterton, today I am being lazy after my ordeal yesterday. I'm still a city kid and acting like a country kid takes its toll on me! Minor note, I was only lazy until JT showed up just as I was finishing this post and took me on the Bertha falls hike. It was very fun, and the best part was when we finished I ran into my great grandparents and aunt and uncle who are in town so I got to celebrate my grandfather's 87th birthday with them!
Cruising Music
Like I said my favourite thing to do with my friends is too just drive with the music up loud. So far, all of my favourite memories have been from doing just that. So what makes a good cruising song? According to JT, none of my music and for once I sort of agree with him. The only time you will find me dancing to Rhianna or Lady Gaga, is in a car with my friends. However there is one option that is much better than those two: Pink. I happily admit that Pink is my guilty pleasure and on my ipod. Best song, Funhouse, its got an amazing guitar hook, and its Pink so its awesome. She seriously does not get the credit she deserves.
So, my crazy adventures seem to continue. You know I kind of bring it on myself, I told myself when I came out here that I had to be brave and try new things, and somehow that translates into pain. Spoiler warning, this one was nowhere near as bad as my knee, so don't get too excited. Anyway since my last post I've been pretty busy which is good because I am completely ready to head home. I can't believe I'm saying this but I am starting to get sick of Waterton. Anyway I've been pretty busy, I had my last round of visitors come up and spend the weekend with me last week, Cindy and Wally. The best part was that they brought my best buddy Jonathan so we got to chill the whole weekend. They came Friday night and stayed at my place, which turned out to be fuller than expected (more on that later). The next day I had to work until three but we went to Red Rock and hiked up Blackstine Falls and then followed Cindy on some random horse trail that was three inches wide and covered in horse poop for another km. It was fun though. We saw some crazy things, like a bride and groom climbing down red rock in full bridal gear for pictures and my first bear this summer! Good times. The next day we had brunch and then headed to Cameron Lake. I haven't been there before so it was really fun. You take this amazingly windy mountain road up to the lake which is in between mountains. Jonathan and I swam for a bit and then tanned. They had canoe, and paddle boat rentals, so we rented a four person paddle boat, paddled out into the middle of the lake and proceeded to drift for the rest of the hour we had rented it for. It was really nice, relaxing, and I even got a tan. We had dinner that night and then the next morning they were gone!
So I guilt tripped my parents into loving me...hehe
All of my friends down here have received care packages from their families and friends except for me, so I goaded Cindy into guilt tripping my mother to send me a care package. It was awesome, I told everyone at work about it because it was so exciting. I got mints, and gum, and even a water gun! I loved it, the card is on display in my room!
The rest of my week was a blur...
After Cindy, Wally, and Jonathan left I headed to work at the Chocolate shop and then worked there almost every evening after work. It was a pretty long week so by Thursday I wanted to do something fun. I just ended up going with JT to his house for dinner but it was still really fun. One of my friends here parents came from Ontario so they stayed at my place because I had room so my house was a little full because I also got a new roommate! She is from Peru, is Mormon, and has only been in Canada two months. She arrived on the Friday that Cindy and Wally came so the house has been a little crowded but everyone is gone now so everything is back to normal. Its fun to have a roommate again but I kind of wish now that I had taken Spanish because we hit a bit of a language barrier every once in awhile.
Danger, Danger
So, country kids have completely different ideas of how to have fun, mainly because they are limited by the country. One of the housekeepers is really good friends with JT and it was her birthday on Friday so we decided to take her out. We drove into Lethbridge for dinner and then drove back to JT's cabin to get his family's boat for his uncle. Of course by the time we had done all the driving it was pretty much midnight, It was a lot of fun though, that's probably my favourite activity to do with my friends, listen to loud music and drive. I was kidnapped that night and spent the night at JT's uncle's place where he and his cousins live while working here. The next day we slept till noon because of his really loud french African neighbours keeping us up all night and then drove back into town. JT had to work so I chilled at home and then we had made plans to go the rodeo but it was pretty much over by the time we got to Cardston. So we hit up a gas station and then played cards till 12, when I was kidnapped again. The next morning we narrowly made it to church on time.
Here is where the danger comes in. After church we decided to head to JT's parents cabin instead of our original plan to hike Red Rock because it was really windy. We got there and found his sisters playing with the new family pig, which should only be living another couple of days. So we hopped the fence and chased the pig. Pigs feel so weird, they are all scratchy and have this really rough, white fur. It was kinda freaky, but fun. Then the girls wanted to show us how to catch a goose so we headed to the pond where the goose and ducks where and I watched them catch a goose. It was a very intricate process, they used feed to lure the geese under the dock and when they came out they caught them with the nets. JT was very determined to catch one so he laid flat on his belly with his net at the ready. Unfortunately the Pillings have highly aggressive trout in their pond that literally attack the ducks and when they saw JT's face just above the water, one of them bit him on the face. Hilarious. Anyway they finally caught a goose after throwing the dog at one, and we brought it up onto dry land. Geese are so incredibly soft, obviously but its really freaky how they can turn their heads. Really. Anyway we set the goose free and moved onto our next adventure.
I mentioned a couple posts ago that last time I was at the cabin I got to see the Pilling clan trying to set up their zip line, while it is all done now, so I had to try it. After JT's cousin went first I nervously got strapped in and ready to go. Once I started going it was actually really nice except for some of the trees, you bash over. You cross down a hill and then over two ponds, and the stop is at the end of the second pond where you start picking up speed. When I got to the second pond i braced my neck because it can be a little rough when you hit the brake. It's a good thing I did, because the pulley they had for the break rope broke and I tested out the emergency brake. All I remember is being flung up in the air like crazy and seeing the ground beneath me, before I righted. JT thought he had killed me, and came running over. My whole body was shaking and I couldn't breathe, all the air was gone out of my lungs. I had to stand on a crate while JT unhooked me but I was shaking so bad. JT was totally freaked and then I got off the crate and saw that I was bleeding, he thought I had severed an artery. I was so freaked out because I hate blood I dunked my hand into the water because I was already weak enough. I was fine though, just shaken up. I cut my hand a tiny little bit because the clip opened when I swung up like a rag doll. My life was saved by two tires and JTs German engineering. In a couple of minutes I was just fine, but I am definitely feeling the effects of it today, let me tell you. My whole body aches, especially my shoulder and ribs where the harness cut in.
After that we just chilled and talked with his sisters until it was time to leave, or so I thought. Halfway up the hill we decided to go check out the old settlers cabin at the bottom of the hill. Originally we were going to check it out at night, on Friday in the dark but we wimped out because we were all tired. This time we hiked down in broad daylight and found the remains of a fresh deer kill from a bear. Good thing we didn't go at night! We hiked through grass and thistles up to our hips until we got to the cabin. It was really cool. It was all old and it looked like it had burnt in a fire. We found the well that they had dug and built with stones and the old metal stove still intact. There was even a child's toy truck inside the house. It was really cool to stand in a place where no one had been in years. But we all agreed that it was better that we went in the day!
So that's been the excitement going on here in waterton, today I am being lazy after my ordeal yesterday. I'm still a city kid and acting like a country kid takes its toll on me! Minor note, I was only lazy until JT showed up just as I was finishing this post and took me on the Bertha falls hike. It was very fun, and the best part was when we finished I ran into my great grandparents and aunt and uncle who are in town so I got to celebrate my grandfather's 87th birthday with them!
Cruising Music
Like I said my favourite thing to do with my friends is too just drive with the music up loud. So far, all of my favourite memories have been from doing just that. So what makes a good cruising song? According to JT, none of my music and for once I sort of agree with him. The only time you will find me dancing to Rhianna or Lady Gaga, is in a car with my friends. However there is one option that is much better than those two: Pink. I happily admit that Pink is my guilty pleasure and on my ipod. Best song, Funhouse, its got an amazing guitar hook, and its Pink so its awesome. She seriously does not get the credit she deserves.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
.jpg)