'Tis done

Well friends, today I usher in a new era of blogging for me. I have switched my blog from Blogger over to WordPress. Please excuse me as I learn the new interface but I sincerely hope you'll join me at my new site: http://adventuresofasaskatchewangirl.wordpress.com/. New posts and photos to come.

It has been an amazing four years blogging about my adventures in Australia and then my life back in Canada with Blogger. I look forward to sharing more of my adventures on WordPress. Thank you for always remaining my faithful followers.

xx,
Andrea

Halifax, Nova Scotia - Day 1

The lure of the east coast has been in the back of my mind for a long time and yesterday I finally got my first taste of all things maritime as I headed to Halifax, Nova Scotia. I was lured here for school first (I will present my master's research at a conference this weekend), but the beauty of Nova Scotia is the second lure, and may keep me here!

My first day was conference free and I took advantage of it to see as many sights as I could. Tops of the list is the Halifax Citadel, one of the oldest fortifications in Canada, 28 years in the making. I have long been in love with photos of this fortress and today I got to set feet on the walls, peer through the cannon holes and see the panoramic view of the Halifax harbour the Citadel protected. I happily spent a couple of hours wandering the walls and listening to the guided tours. My life is complete!

But the fun didn't stop there. I wandered further up the hill and inland to the Public Gardens in the heart of Halifax. This large green space emulates Victorian gardens of the day. With the proximity to both St. Mary's and Dalhousie universities, the space was full of students strolling, sitting, studying and feeding the ducks. It was a beautiful lunch-time stop for me.

I headed back towards the waterfront, my sights set on Pier 21 - one of the first immigration posts people encountered when heading to Canada from the 1800s to 1960s. On the way I couldn't help but snap some photos of the colourful Halifax housing.

Once I arrived at Pier 21 my mission was to see if I could find the landing records of my great-grandfathers' William "Scottie" Lauder and Albert Brunsdon. As luck would have it I was able to find records of them both. Printed copies safe in my luggage I know my parents will both be thrilled to have one more piece of their ancestry revealed.

The landing papers for my great-grandfather William "Scottie" Lauder

Finally I was ready for a little fun, and something to wet my whistle so I walked along the waterfront and eventually came to the Alexander Keith's brewery. Around since the early 1800s Alexander Keith's is an institution across Canada but no more so then in the home brewing town of Halifax. Still brewing from it's original location we were treated to a campy, acted out tour complete with singing, dancing, storytelling and of course - beer!

 Alexander Keith's brewery!

 A little song with our ale

 Rumor is Mr. Keith built this exact tunnel between his house & the brewery

The day wasn't quite finished as I connected with my friend Monica for dinner and more beer. I met Monica this summer in Vermont and she is enthusiastic to show me her hometown. I feel more adventures are to come!

I'm a tired panda tonight and should get some zzzzz's soon. Tomorrow is my day to present but I'm ready for the challenge. Stay tuned for more pictures and stories :)

Labour Day long weekend camping with the girls

The days are getting shorter, the nights are getting colder and the opportunities to head out on a camping trip are dwindling down to but a few.

Labour Day long weekend can run one of two ways - it can be beastly hot or frigidly cold. Hoping for the former instead of the latter Paisley, Denise and I set out for one of our annual girls weekend camping trips. This year we chose the pretty location of Rochon Sands provincial park, nestled on the banks of Buffalo Lake, half-way between Edmonton and Calgary, just east of Red Deer.

It wasn't the coldest Labour Day long weekend camping trip I've had (there was snow in 2009), but this trip certainly wasn't pleasant. There was wind (see flat tents), there was rain, there were angry wasps and also food poisoning. But we had nice neighbours and amazing scenery. Add in fantastic company and it was a win in my books. Thanks again Paisley and Denise, let's do it again next year!

 

That's right Pais was rockin' the mom van this weekend!

 

The wind knocked poor Pais & Denise's tent over

 

The blue moon / harvest moon was so pretty at night

 

And the sunrises were equally impressive

Five years later - Mount Royal University PR reunion

Sometimes it feels like we just graduated yesterday. In reality this summer marks five years since we crossed the stage at Mount Royal University (then College) with newly minted public relations degrees. Five years, many miles, job changes, life changes and all - we met in Calgary to celebrate.

Thank you so much to my classmate and good friend Andrea for helping organize a fantastic Saturday. While the Team Jim and Team Janice slow-pitch tournament never saw the light of day it was so fantastic to plan this event with you.

Thank you Lindsey, Elana, Kelsey, Sarah, Jason and Amanda for traveling many miles to get together. To the rest of the class who couldn't make it, your presence was truly missed. I hope we can all get together sometime in the near future.

To another five years and even more personal and professional success!

Amanda and Mat

Andrea, Jason and Amanda

Elana and Sarah

Kelsey and Lindsey

The two Andreas

Lindsey and Joshua

Mat, me and Will

Fourth annual Meatfest

Another gorgeous weekend in Alberta and another new camping destination for me. It was the fourth annual Meatfest gathering with my friends Mike and Angie and their family, and my friends Jody and Elaine and their family. We met at Marie Lake this year which is just a stone's throw away from Cold Lake, our usual Meatfest home.

This year was extra fun because we had baby Beck along for the fun. Even teething this little guy is the most good-natured baby I've ever seen. He was such a good boy and it was neat to see him exploring his surroundings.

Beck likes to drive the boat

Bubble time

We tried fishing and while there were lots of bites for some, not one of us ended up catching a fish big enough to keep. What a bummer! No matter - we still had fun swimming, going for walks, sitting around the campfire and playing games with the kids.

I always enjoy these camping get-aways to catch up with friends I don't get to see often. I am really looking forward to the fifth Meatfest installment next year - Hawaiian luau here we come! Thanks again Jody, Elaine, Mike and Angie for a fabulous weekend.

 Squirrel!!

 Sunrise through the trees, truly gorgeous

S'mores a new way - in a waffle cone!