Even as I write this and look at the pictures again — I am still laughing out loud!    Sure-sure I have seen dogs play before — but something about this duo was the best!    Little Daisy daring Ginger into a game of chase around the campsite.    Ginger is the sweetest Golden Retriever you’ll meet, and Daisy is a blast and a half.   She’s a Havanese/Yorkie/Maltese mix,…just past the awkward and clumsy stage ready to show off her lightning fast skills of escape!

Wanna play?

Adorable attack

All of this 4-footed foolery (amid the 2-footed festivities) happened last weekend at Star Lake.   The haze and smoke is not doing anyone any favours in British Coumbia, but the particulates in the air made for a spectacular sunset.   Sean-armed with Jennalyn’s camera-was focussed on capturing the perfect shot.

Smoke & sunset

So a big shout out to a big crowd:  Taylor, Lindsay, Daisy, Shelley, Luke, Jennalyn, Adam, Shannon, Darcy, Sean, Leland, Brooke, Ginger, Val, Larry!

Thanks for the boat ride, swim, food, drink, lodgings.   hmmm, what are you doing “this” weekend?

I have watched this video many times, and (maybe like you) have uttered an “awww – how cute”.   Now, far be it from me to rain on anyone’s parade,….but I’m going to.   The video shows a SLOW LORIS having a good ole-fashioned belly and armpit rub.   But why is that Loris in someone’s home – when the primate is listed as endangered by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.   Their natural range is Borneo, the southern Philippines in Southeast Asia, through Bangladesh, Vietnam, Indonesia, India (North Eastern India, Bengal), southern China (Yunnan area), and Thailand.  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLdQ3UhLoD4

The Loris moves so slowly that he’s an easy target for poachers in his native Southeast Asia,..they are hunted for their large eyes which are prized for local traditional medicine.     Its only natural defenses are 1) holding onto a branch really tight; 2) a semi-toxic bite; 3) emitting an unpleasant smell; and 4) curling up into a protective ball-like shape.     The Loris will nibble on his inner elbow to get toxins, then mixes the toxins in his mouth so that when he bites, it will sting more.   The toxin is not fatal or debilitating for humans, but it does cause some pain, swelling, and redness.

Besides being hunted and captured to be sold as pets, Lorises are threatened with habitat loss due to agriculture and logging.
The Indonesian name, malu malu, can be translated as “shy one”.

PLEASE DON’T BE SHY – LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK OF THE STORY OF THE LORIS.   BLOG ME!

We had an absolute blast this past Friday, taking Breakfast Television outside for a full four hours! Our third-annual “BT in the Park” was a great chance to focus on some exciting aspects of our city’s core and check in with many of the leaders who are impacting change downtown.

Huge thanks to all of our guests, including Jim Taylor from the Downtown Business Association, Mayor Stephen Mandel, Nancy Critchley from the United Way, Ralph Young from Melcor Developments, Dr. Wayne Shillington from Norquest College, Dieter and Anita from Kuhlmann’s Market Gardens & Greenhouse, the whole crew from the U of A Faculty of Extension, Kim McIver and her team from Eveline Charles Academy, our friends with the Edmonton Fire Department and Edmonton Transit, the team at Purolator (who delivered the Grey Cup!), Procura’s Randy Ferguson, architect Gene Dub, reps from NAIT’s Landscape Architectural Technology program and CDI College’s Pharmaceutical Technology program, the esteemed chefs from the Hotel Macdonald, Sutton Place Hotel and the Westin…and of course Jennifer Coolidge, aka STIFLER’S MOM!

Plans are already underway for next year’s BT in the Park. Let us know if there’s a guest, segment or topic you’d like to see on the show!

rpj.

I will start with pictures, and go from there!

I must begin by apologizing for taking so long to update my blog.

Things have been a little busy, as you can see here. As well, I know that my friends have done a wonderful job picking up my slack and introducing you to my new baby girl.  We did have a few complications and spent some extra time in hospital, but are home now and everyone is on the mend.

For those of you who missed the beautiful welcome broadcast by Ryan and Bridget, may I introduce to you the fourth member of our family, the beautiful and beloved Danielle Irene Sloan Sandwith. Named in honour of my Grandmother and a much anticipated arrival, she is known affectionately in our household as “Baby Daisy”.  Her big sister declared from the start that Mummy was having a girl and that the baby’s name was Daisy and it has stuck.

I must take a minute to offer profuse thanks to everyone at the Royal Alexandra Hospital.

From the perinatal clinic, to the staff in the ICU, to all of the wonderful ladies in unit 38.

Specifically I want to thank Nicole, Cheryl, Carolyn, Alanna, and all of the other nurses who were so supportive and nurturing.  I will not forget your kindnesses.

To Doctors Patel, Paterson, and Mayo: My daughter and I owe you a debt of gratitude we can never begin to repay.  Thank you.

Finally, to Dr Chris Hoskins, whom I believe is an angel on this earth. He probably should have given up on me years ago, and didn’t. And now my family is complete.  xo

Now that I have figured out how to log in to this blog from home (hey, I have never claimed to be a technological genius!) I will keep posting pictures and updates as our family settles in to our new life.

See you soon!

xo Wendy

CHECK out these 2 pictures here.    The first one:  Wow — a bird of prey!   It’s an adult Swainson’s Hawk  on a mission.   & me thinks that mission involves a dive-bombing on Murray’s head.    Murray is a licensed bird bander.   A few days earlier he helped to band the young, and it seems the adult remembered him.    He writes:  “The adult Swainson’s Hawk was determined to crease my skull.   I had just stepped out of the truck to get her image a hundred feet higher when she saw me and dropped like a rock swooping me”.     So folks,…this proves exactly why having training, and having a heads-up attitude and respect for the birds is vital, when banding birds!   OK — now check the other picture a little further down …

Duck! NO. Hawk.

I have a vivid imagination.   And so did Gene Roddenberry.    As soon as I saw the picture of the Swainson’s Hawk,….I thought of the Klingon’s war vessel — Bird of Prey.    We invite you to share your pictures and your imagination with us – upload your fresh air photo today!  

Bird of Prey

Klingon ship

HERE IS WHAT SUCKED A LOT OF PEOPLE IN.    Below is a picture of Mars.   It accompanies an article that a L-O-T of people are talking(and wondering) about.   Wonder no more — what you are about to read is not true.   You will notice that I put the article in BOLD and ITALICS.   After you read it,….keep scrolling for a link to National Geographic about the HOAX!

Seeing Red!

The Red Planet is about to be spectacular!

This month and next, Earth is catching up with Mars in an encounter that will culminate in the closest approach between the two planets in recorded history.

The next time Mars may come this close is in 2287.

Due to the way Jupiter’s gravity tugs on Mars and perturbs its orbit, astronomers can only be certain that Mars has not come this close to Earth in the Last 5,000 years, but it may be as long as 60,000 years before it happens again.   The encounter will culminate on August 27th when Mars comes to within 34,649,589 miles of Earth and will be (next to the moon) the brightest object in the night sky.   It will attain a magnitude of -2.9 and will appear 25.11 arc seconds wide.

At a modest 75-power magnification Mars will look as large as the full moon to the naked eye.

Share this with your children and grandchildren.

NO ONE ALIVE TODAY WILL EVER SEE THIS AGAIN.      

OK — so now that you know what you just read is A HOAX,….here is a link to a National Geographic article:

 http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/08/090826-mars-hoax-full-moon-email.html

Buckingham House

Here’s a story that is so very cool!   The picture above has incredible historical significance.   Don’s great great great grandfather (yup, 3 ‘greats’) would have stood on this very spot (near Elk Point, Alberta) more than 200 years ago!

Here’s the scoop.   In 1792 during the fur trade, two competing fur trading posts were built, pretty much side by side (a quarter of a mile apart).  One was called:  Buckingham House, the other:  Fort George.

Don’s great great great grandfather was a man named James Spence.   Spence was in charge of Buckingham House until he died in 1795.

The photo was taken on the north bank of the North Saskatchewan River from the lookout point at Buckingham House looking east.   There is an interpretive Centre located there. 

DID YOU KNOW?    Buckingham House was built by The Hudson’s Bay Company.   The Northwest Company built Fort George.   As you can imagine, there was a great rivalry.   Both posts would have hade to compete for trade with First Nations groups,..but the 2 companies also had to get along.   They shared the same well.   As trade increased, additional forts were built.   So by the year 1800, both Buckingham House and Fort George were abandoned, but in the meantime, Fort Edmonton was built.

TAKE YOUR OWN HISTORICAL JOURNEY AND LOOK THROUGH YOUR PHOTOS.    SEND US ONE(OR 2) AND BECOME PART OF BT HISTORY.

Bottoms UP!

An American tourist asks a Newfoundlander:

 “Why do scuba divers always fall backwards off their boats into the water?”

To which the Newfoundlander replies:

 “My son, if they fell forwards they’d still be in the boat.”

Ready!

DO YOU HAVE A JOKE WE CAN USE FOR OUR “JOKE OF THE DAY” .. ??   KEEP IT CLEAN & PC … BUT REMEMBER, A LITTLE INNUENDO NEVER HURTS! 

Victorious Victoria!

BC’s Capital city sparkles at night!   It is equally beautiful during the day, but there’s something about the lights at Inner Harbour that gives it a magical feel.   Marilyn and Bob were at this very spot at about 8:45 in the evening.   The weather was perfect they say, and so were their accomodations.   Marilyn and Bob decided to splurge and stayed at the Empress Hotel.

DID YOU KNOW?      More than  100 years ago, there was discussion about whether the Empress Hotel would even be built!!   The president of the CPR at the time was Sir Thomas Shaughnessy.   He didn’t want to build a tourist hotel in Victoria because he felt there would not be enough business.   So, as you prove him wrong and stroll along Inner Harbour you will find:  the BC Legislature, the Royal British Columbia Museum, the Undersea Gardens, the Royal British Columbia Wax Museum AND the Empress Hotel.

SO WHILE YOU ARE ON YOUR NEXT STROLL — TAKE YOUR CAMERA AND BECOME PART OF BT HISTORY.   YOUR PHOTO WILL AIR ON OUR SHOW AT 7:10am, AND APPEAR RIGHT HERE ON THIS VERY BLOG.(Well, not THIS BLOG-you’ll get your OWN page.)

It’s hard to put yourself in the shoes of a young person living on the street. Every tragic situation is different – teens running from abuse at home, fighting addiction to hard drugs, trying to break free from pimps or predators. The staff and volunteers at Edmonton’s Youth Emergency Shelter Society hear these stories everyday. With our economy in a rut, YESS is taking hits from both sides. Donations are down but demand for services is on the rise.

On Wednesday evening, I have the honour of attending the annual YESS “Great Expectations” fundraiser at the Delta Edmonton South hotel. YESS needs close to $4.5 million to keep its doors open every year – more than 60% of that operating budget comes from donors like you and me. For close to 30 years, YESS has provided a safe haven for young people in need. Today, more than 70 staff and 150 volunteers keep the shelter open, facilitate youth programs and mentor our city’s ”next generation.”

Leading up to “Great Expectations” on Wednesday evening, I wanted to get a better idea of what goes on down at the shelter – to go beyond a 90-second news story, so to speak. I accepted an invitation from Sue Keating, Opportunity Manager at YESS, to tour the facility and hear more about how young people are turning their lives around. Click on the video below to come along!

YESS has never needed Edmontonians’ support more than right now. Wednesday’s fundraiser is open to anybody! It’s free to attend (there will be a call for donations at the end of the hour) and it’s an excellent opportunity to hear testimonials on how crucial YESS is to Edmonton. Hope to see you there!

rpj.