Well, with Christmas come (and gone), everyone has their own sort of traditions they do. Around here, many Christmas traditions include the BC Wildlife Park's annual Wildlights... This year seems to be quite dull and boring around here, because it hasn't snowed anywhere near as much as it should have (as I write this, we secured another record high today of plus 10 C)...
Each year, the BC Wildlife park holds their annual Wildlights Festival. They, in conjuction with BC Hydro, string millions of lights around the park for people to enjoy. They have the wildlife express running (a miniature steam engine), and have changed over the last few years to include a light show, and wolf feedings...
This year, I went with my favorite neice, and her family... and had a great time. It was surprisingly warm, and we spent much longer out there than anticipated.
This year, they upgraded the light show, to include a new laser light. It was pretty impressive, and even included fog so you can see the work of the laser behind you... It was quite exciting (and I would say worth the $10,000+ they spent on it). Our experience culminated with Sofia and her perfect little 'shocked' expression with the lights flashed in front of her...
They have interactive stations where you push a button, and things happen. Sofia was learning how this all works to make the penguins swim...
We even had the joy of visiting the goats, although Sofia wasn't too sure about them...
Maybe next year she'll be more into participating... and walking on her own.
We finished by taking a ride on the Wildlife Express... just for Sofia! Definitely her highlight.
Definitely a fun time... a highlight of most... and a good tradition in our area. I'm always intrigued to see what has changed from one year to another... Lets hope everyone else has someplace to relax and unwind like this...
Well... For an entire, oh, 9 days, my life (as well as that of over 6000 people worldwide) was consumed with a crazy list of scavenger hunt items... All for an attempt to win an all expenses paid trip to Rome, Italy, and dinner with, none other than, Misha Collins.
Anyone who follows Supernatural, or has ever heard of The Random Act will know him all too well...
This blog post is a collaborated effort by, and a tribute to, Team Number 76.
There was almost 650 teams, of 10 people each... enough to break a world record, hence the name of the scavenger hunt - the Greatest International Scavenger Hunt the World Has Ever Seen (GISHWHES). Teams consisted of members all around the world, although most of our team resided in North America. The scavenger hunt enabled a creative outlet, and really utilized peoples resources, contacts, and creativity... And often, judged just how good our friends were, based on how willing they were to do different things for us.
Although it was a crazy week, and I felt like I got nothing done that I should have (thank goodness I wasn't a student at the time)... It was something I will cherish, and I was glad I took part in it. Who else can say they have a gold plated toilet plunger.
I want to thank, first off, my team for this amazing experience, and secondly, our multiple friends, family, and resources/contacts that we pulled together in order to complete some of the most haneous items one has ever heard of... Without all of you, we wouldn't have been able to do half of what we did accomplish.
This, is just some of the completed items, I myself have submitted... One day, I will try and post some of the other photos and videos my team has submitted... Because my selections were easy and not overly demanding after looking at the list...
14. A laptop made entirely of felt. Image must show the screen and keyboard. (21 points)
24. A world-renowned landmark recreated entirely of gummy bears. (31 points)
31. A “raft” party for 10 people including radios, coolers of beer, in the middle of the desert – everything must be on something inflatable. (22 points)
77. A chair that serves as both a chair and a shark killer with instructional manual next to it. (21 points)
81. A toilet plunger covered in real gold leaf. (33 points)
84. A crampon on a coupon on a tampon on a gamelan. (40 points)
91. Carve a scale model of the Uragh Stone Circle from potatoes. (17 points)
109. A drawing of the GISHWHES scavenger Hunt reflecting multiple nationalities, locations and items. (30 points)
119. A cat eating kale. (22 points)
124. A painting/drawing of Misha and the Queen of England as Tarzan and Jane posing in a red chair (she’s in his lap). (12 points)
126. If GISHWHES were a microbe what would it be? (20 points)
136. Action figures/superheroes set up to resemble “The Last Supper.” (18 points)
139. Take a sick balloon animal to the vet. (31 points)
148. Someone tapping out in Morse code: “This Hunt has destroyed my family.” (9 points)
151. Prove that redheads cannot wiggle their ears (0)
169. Submit a video of a television screen showing a local television news show that mentions GISHWHES and your team number. This must be an actual news show. (36 points)
And, let's remember... it's all fun and games until someone gets hurt - or the RCMP are called. Thank goodness it wasn't my team, but it was awefully close to home... Haha. For almost 250 points, a 5 foot tall, Flying Christmas Tree,lifted off with helum balloons was a challenge to get... or at least to maintain open airspace throughout the world as a result of rogue trees...
Needless to say... I will never work with gold leaf again... Potato Borscht was no better with a Uragh Stone Circle as potatoes... ONLY Bumblebee would portray a good Jesus... Thank goodness we have a standing Midday slot, and the lady before us was late... Yay for great friends... Gummy Bears are NOT structurally sound...
And I would not change a single thing... some of the most spontaneous, and outrageous things I have done in a LONG time... And some of the most fun...
At the beginning of November, there was a once in a lifetime phenomenon happening at one of the lakes just outside city limits... And no, you don't need to recalculate your monitors - the lake really is purple...
The day was extremely cold, and blustery... clouded and windy... but we ventured out regardless. There was that nasty hydrogen sulphide smell, reminiscent of our quarantine days at work, and a weird soft sand/mud along the shore... but how many people can say they've seen a purple lake?
There are probably fewer than 10 places in the world that have the rare purple colour - and even less that are the stunning shade of magenta from top to bottom. It results from a rare purple sulphur bacteria that live in the oxygen void parts of the lake... at this season, this year, the purple can be seen from top to bottom when taking samples from the lake.
We spent much of the time calling for Fizz and Scrappy Doo to stay away from the lake - who knew what sort of twisted and crazy things were crawling around the lake, and how that would make them feel if they drank it or something... Haha. Poor dogs.
In addition, it was great seeing Fizz in front of us the entire walk. With his bad knees, he's often dragging behind, but he even pulled together the energy to jog ahead at a time... Although it was short-lived.
It was a short lived walk, but I think it was well worth it to experience some of the otherwise, natural, wonders in our area. Who else can say they witnessed and experienced the purple lake... Although, I have to admit, it's not someplace I would go often...
Well, I have to admit. First off, this post is LONG overdue. I guess a combination of working fulltime, volunteering, school work and riding barely leaves enough time for a social life... let alone all the extra joys in life...
Padova is one of those local places that holds such history... and mystery for teens of all ages. The stories growing up of rabid dobermans, and shotgun shooting security guards... all braved just to walk through a door of a condemned building, pull of a piece of paint... or even just touch the building.
Everyone in this town has stories of ghosts and goblins in this place...
Although most think the stories are within reason of the fabled 'insane asylum... Little do people know it actually started out as a tuberculosis sanitorium. There's a neat book written about the property "A Whole Little City in Itself", that actually covers the history quite well. Back in it's prime, the property only brought in electricity from the surrounding city, and otherwise grew, and produced everything else they needed. It was a self reliant city (minus electricity of course).
And... When the sanitorium closed... the insane asylum arose. Yes, it did house the 'insane' and the 'mentally ill', but it also had areas for other 'quirks' like midgets... It wasn't your typical asylum.
And now that it's completely closed... it's turning into a resort, slowly, one building at a time.
History lesson completed... Padova has to be one of my favorite places to go. I love to drive the frontage road, along the river, and peer into the buildings. I'm not brave like most, and haven't ventured into a building (without permission)... but there's not a time when I return home with photos, ignoring everything I've taken before. It's so much fun to compare one year to another. And for whatever reason, it always ends up being a fallowed 'haunt' of mine.
I can go there every month and come out with a shot I am super happy about, and can't wait to share. This time was no exception. There was something about the fall colours that just accentuated the photos.
That being said... now that the property is turning into a resort... a cross between moving foward, and going back... it's very bittersweet.
It is going to be a mash up of new buildings, and renovated ones... and it's not going to to be cheap. Each building is filled with asbestos insulation, just adding to the cost. It's going to take years, and depending how many buildings are compromised and cannot be used, it will be interesting to see what Tranquille on the Lake will become. Speaking with the property owner - the son-in-law of the mastermind behind the transformation - he informs us that they are trying to use as many of the old buildings as possible... renovating them, moving them, and giving them a new view on life...
Although, I think I will always stand by the point that the property should become a 'Barkerville' of tuberculosis sanitoriums. Hell, although it's not as much fun as a gold rush, it was a huge thing 'back in the day'.
When I finally got my hands on an external flash, you can bet your bottom I used it (and continue to) at every possible chance. There is no WAY they are getting that flash back without a fight now...
Although I wanted to use 'Biscuit' as my test subject... It just turned out that I was too lazy to go grab him... so I used the next closest thing - Best of Show - my Painted Pony. :)
In addition to the Painted Pony... I did a quasi 'project' with one of my favorite men... or examples of his work I guess. Those of you who know me, will know exactly what I'm talking about... those of you who do not, will probably laugh at the bordering-on-obsession love I have... I used showing off the collection to someone, to play with the flash some more, and catagorize the collection... in a way. Haha.
Well, it's been a while since I've posted anything... and really, a while since I've done much with my camera. Nothing recently has captivated my attention and really made me want to photograph it...
But, in the meantime... just to keep you on your toes, and, what the hell, for shits and giggles... this is why I never delete any photos when I'm done going through them.
You never know what you will see as your creative eye grows and expands. There may be a diamond in the rough somewhere... While searching through photos taken this past summer of Rosetta Stone (aka Rosie) for a competition... I stumbled across this gem. :)
This photo was taken in June while I was out running through the field after photos of Rosie... of course, like any proud mommy, I can't just take photos of everyone else... I have to sneak in a few of my own baby. Alas, you have Beauty (who, I might point out, when out in the field is not very photogenic)...
There's something about this photo that excites me and makes me smile. When I saw it the first time, nothing intrigued me. It was just a photograph... but now... it's art work.
So, this weekend, the BC SPCA ran one of their largest fundraisers. The Paws for a Cause - walk for the animals is an annual, province wide walk for pet owners, large and small to support the BC SPCA and the work they do. As a non-profit society, they depend on all donations and fundraising efforts to help support their cause through sheltering, humane education, and cruelty investigations.
In Kamloops, Paws for a Cause is held in Pioneer Park, where everyone meets up, and moves on to a short walk with their pets... When they got back, most migrated to the river to cool down, as it was one of the warmest days in the week, and back up to the park for the games and prizes.
And although most enjoyed the river, or at least wading in it... the river just wasn't the same as playing in the leftover ice from the concession!
It's the Labour Day long weekend, and every year, Armstrong, and the Interior Provincial Exhibition, host one of the largest Canadian Professional Rodeo Association (CPRA) Rodeos... So naturally, this year... I opted to make the IPE Rodeo my 'big' rodeo of the year... I got tickets for Friday night, and Saturday night of the rodeo (both semi-final nights)... and lucked out.
Friday night, I was left with one ticket, no one to go with, and 3 hours before rodeo... so I took Tammy and her son.
Shane LOVES rodeos. He talked most of the way there, all excited about the rodeo, in his cowboy hat and boots...
We got there just in time to pick up my reserved tickets - for Thursday night and Saturday night... Argued with the lady, who had no idea what she was talking about... and ended up with 2 new tickets... I sat down at the grass, cause the first row tickets sucked for taking photos, and Tammy sat in one of our seats.
Until she got kicked out of the seat... just to find out, the replacement tickets we got for Thursday's tickets I wasn't supposed to get... were for Saturday. Thanks. So Tammy went and complained to the right people, and we ended up in great seats following! :)
Knowing low light, fast movements, and a great subject/photographer distance were all playing a game against me, I used this opportunity to shoot, for my first time EVER, in complete manual mode. I knew I had to jack the ISO up, in order to create a still shot with decent lighting... Night rodeos are going to be the bane of my existance... next time, I'm sitting as close to the middle of the arena as possible!!
In addition to the cowboys... there were a few great displays of talent, including the Crazy Cowgirls trick riders. I think they needed more guts than the cowboys do...
I love rodeo, I really do. I'm such a country girl at heart. Could I live the lifestyle of a rodeo widow - you bet your bottom I could! The only thing I hate about rodeo, is how it's such a male dominated sport... Not that you'd see me up on there on the bronc, but what about ropers? But... alas, that is a whole new blog post in itself. With the number of rodeos Alyssa and I are considering next year... you will probably be succumbed to it eventually.
