Well friends, this is it.

After going into labour on the show with my first child, I have decided that I should probably go on mat. leave now and not push my luck.

Before I go, I want to thank all of the viewers who took the time to send in their well-wishes.

It means so much to hear from you, and makes all of the mornings that I dragged my swollen feet and nauseated belly in to work completely worth it!

To everyone here at the station… (yep, I am tearing up again)

You are a truly wonderful group of people and I consider myself beyond fortunate to get to spend my days with you. Thank you for your support, your friendship, and specifically to Ryan, Bridget, Michele and Asha~ your covering for me when I have been in the grip of morning sickness or a contraction while on-air

I count my blessings every day, and here are some of the people I count among them.

I will introduce you to the new babe once the little one arrives, and I will see you again before you know it!

xo Wendy

Sure, he was talking about football…but former NFL head coach Tony Dungy nailed it when he described the balance between work and friendship:

“Hard work and togetherness. They go hand-in-hand. You need the hard work because it’s such a tough atmosphere, to win week in and week out. You need togetherness because you don’t always win, and you’ve gotta hang tough together.”

I don’t think it’s too much of a stretch to apply the same principle to what we do everyday on Breakfast Television. Broadcasting can be a tough business – it’s also a heck of a lot of fun. When you get to share the desk every morning with Wendy Sandwith, you gain an appreciation of how friendship and chemistry can add an extra-special element to what you, our viewers, see every morning.

Wendy and I have known each other for almost five years now. We’ve shared loads of laughs…even a few tears. I’ve come to know her beautiful family, and I’m just one of many who share the Sandwith’s excitement as they prepare to welcome another bundle of joy. Wendy will be missed on an hourly basis but we know she’s exactly where she should be over these next number of months. You’d have a tough time finding somebody more passionate about their family.

We spent some time through Friday’s show reading out your best wishes for Wendy, baking some fabulous treats with Gail Hall, and sending Sandwith out in style. Click on the video below if you missed the final few minutes of our show.

Wendy will be back when she’s good and ready. In the meantime we’ll look forward to her emails, her feedback (go easy on me, will ya Wendy?) and her unmistakable laugh the first time she brings her little guy in (that’s right, I’m calling a boy!).

Be well, Wendy. We’ll miss you.

Your CO-host,
rpj

Ready for a Baseball Quiz?   I sprung one on Edmonton Capital catcher Matt Ceriani and staffer John Sutherland.   They stopped by to promote:  Pitching Against Breast Cancer.   So, I thought — why not put them to the test.

See how you do!!!

ABOUT THE EVENT:

The Edmonton Capitals want to set a new record – and you are invited to be on that roster.
Pitching in Against Breast Cancer is a fundraiser — and hopefully a record-breaker.
At the end of Friday’s game you are invited to throw a pitch.  OR…come early to Saturday’s game and toss one from the mound.   Your $5.00 will go to the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation,…and your pitch will count toward trying to break the world record.  The record for:  the most ceremonial pitches before a regular game.

Go to the place where you have a sense of humour!   Do you think this is funny or not?   Let me know.   And if you see any other advertising that’s “out there” – send it on.   BTW – I admire this guy’s creativity.   Know any plumber jokes?   A plumber is the only guy who can take a leak and fix it, too!

Beautiful BC

This is Karl and Amanda’s favorite place on Earth!   When they leave Bon Accord their destination is the Fairmont area.   No wonder.   The natural hot springs in Radium and Fairmont are world class wonderful.   On this day – they had blue sky, the natural waterfall, and were nestled amid healthy green trees.   Wow, talk about happy place!  

DID YOU KNOW?   Hot springs are created by heat from the center of the earth’s crust.    Hot springs have often been described as geothermal, meaning heated from within the earth.   Some springs can reach such intense temperatures that the water shoots into the air to let off pressure, which is classified as a geyser.

TIME FOR YOU TO ERUPT IN CREATIVITY!   BECOME A MEMBER OF THE FRESH AIR PHOTO NATION.   UPLOAD YOUR PICTURE TODAY – NOT ONLY WILL YOU RECEIVE CELEBRITY STATUS HERE ON MY BLOG, BUT MILLIONS WILL SEE IT ON BT!!!

Hey movie fans,

Stay tuned for my first post about everything in the movie world!

Pitching in!

Pitcher of Generosity!     This could be YOU, realizing your dream of pitching from the mound, and at the same time:  Making dreams come true for people and their families struck with breast cancer.    John Sutherland is just one of the many generous souls from the Edmonton Capitals baseball club.  www.capsbaseball.ca

Sutherland (and as many fans as possible) will be Pitching Against Breast Cancer.   www.cbcf.org.

Here’s the scoop:  On Friday, July 31st, the Edmonton Capitals will try to break the WORLD RECORD for the number of pitches thrown before a game in support of the  Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation. 

It all begins right after Friday evening’s game.   Fans are invited down to the field to help throw pitches for a $5 donation to the CBCF.   The current world record sits at 11,689.
The doors will be open all night long!   The last pitch will be thrown before the August 1st game @7pm.

AND THEN - The Power of Pink game swings into action!    Partial proceeds of Saturday night’s
 game will go toward the CBCF,  the team will be wearing special pink E-C caps for the evening and playing
 with pink bats which will be auctioned off after the game with proceeds going toward the CBCF.
WHO: Edmonton Capitals and the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation
WHAT: World Record Breaking Attempt – Number of Pitches Thrown Before a Game ($5 donation from fans to participate)
WHERE: TELUS Field
WHEN: July 31st 8:30pm – August 1st 7:00pm      SEE YOU THERE !!!

Not everybody likes camping.   Some people say their idea of camping is a 5-star hotel room.   Me?   -can’t get enough.   All I need is my tent, sleeping bag, coleman stove, and any view mother nature has to offer. 

Good morning!

This view from my tent is in Jasper National Park at Wabasso campground.   I felt like Julie Andrews when I was there!   On Friday, we did the climb to Mt. Edith Cavell meadows.   Saturday, we rode the tram to the top of Whistlers and climbed some more.   Thank you by the way, to Todd Noble and the fantabulous staff at Jasper Tramway.    http://www.jaspertramway.com.

I met up with friends from Calgary.   They had been to Jasper before, so understood the jaw-dropping beautiful weekend we were in for.   Enjoy the pics!    www.discoverjasper.com

Mt. Edith Cavell

See the Angel?

As you get closer to Edith Cavell, there is a glacier on the right.   It is just coming into view in the picture above.   Below — you can see why it is called Angel Glacier, Wow!

Angel Glacier

An hour or so later — and a gallon or two of water — we made it to the Angel Glacier Lookout.   In the Picture below, left to right:  Me, Lane, Nick, Brett, and Joan.

Heavenly!

 

Bring it on!

Above are the brave souls who agreed to spend the weekend with me!   Joan, Brett, Nick up top, and Lane.

Below is Lisa – Tramway emloyee extraordinaire!

Have Fun!

Food with a view

Above, as in above the clouds, you can dine at the Treeline restaurant.   Pyramid Mtn is on the other side of the valley.

Below is Jasper townsite.   The lake on the top right edge is Pyramid Lake – below it, is Patricia Lake.   On the right side:  the lake shaped like a horseshoe is Lake Edith, Lake Annette is below,…and at the bottom right is Lac Beauvert at Jasper Park Lodge.

Glacial Lakes

What would it be like to live in Jasper?   Martha, her dog Andy, and friend Val thinks it’s awesome!

Awesome Andy Pyramid & pink

Pyramid in pink

 Take a camera … and as many pictures as you can on ‘your’ next outing!   To become a member of the Fresh Air Photo Nation, simply snap and send.

Radiaton Fog

Wednesday morning the fog rolled in, and rolled and rolled and rolled.   It made for some beautiful pictures – but caused a kaffufle at Edmonton’s International Airport.   Flights to Calgary were delayed, one was cancelled.   So I thought I would give you the website for the Edmonton International Airport.   It’s handy to have.   Wouldn’t want you to miss an in-coming or out-going flight.   http://www.flyeia.com

AND thank you to Chris for snapping and sending these shots early Wednesday morning!

Foggy Forecast

Fog framed

These pictures will air on Breakfast Television – join us won’t you?    Join the Fresh Air Photo Nation too  ~~  Upload your photo today!

Perfection.   Beauty.   Fragrant.                                     

One of the most popular garden shrubs,   

A rose is a rose is a ...

and the most popular commonly sold flower, is THE ROSE.   Bragging rights for photography and perfect pruning go to Don in Sherwood Park.
Don tells me this is the Discoverer Series in their front yard – he snapped the pic in the morning a few weeks ago after a little rain.   Imagine the fragrance everytime he walks by.   I smell a happy place!

DID YOU KNOW?         
The fruit of the rose is berry-like and is called a Rose Hip.   Inside the hips are ’seeds’(technically, dry single seeded fruit).   The hips are eaten by birds like Thrushes and Waxwings and they disperse the seeds through their uh, …droppings!   So if a bird ever poops on you — Hey!  It could be a ROSE!!!
Famous Quotes including Roses:
~What’s in a name? That which we call call a rose/By any other name would smell as sweet. — William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet act II, sc. ii
~Gather ye rosebuds while ye may,/Old Time is still a-flying — Robert Herrick, To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time
~O, my love’s like a red, red rose/That’s newly sprung in June — Robert Burns
~Rose is a rose is a rose is a rose — Gertrude Stein, Sacred Emily (1913), a poem included in Geography and Plays.
Here’s another famous quote:  Send in your Fresh Air Photo today — we look forward to showcasing your picture right here on my blog as well as Breakfast Television.