How the Littlest Hobo has influenced me

Last weekend while in Calgary I caught up with my good friend and former PR classmate @marynedwards. We were tossing ideas around about chosen career field and a couple of different things floated to the surface. Maryn has done an amazing post about measuring the experience of individuals when you are evaluating applicants for a new job. Read it here.

That got me thinking about when we as PR practitioners know we should move on. I call it The Littlest Hobo effect. If you grew up in Canada, chances are you watched this show and you know that each episode revolved around the littlest hobo coming upon a situation, staying long enough to help out and then heading off to his next adventure.

Today's working environment is similar to an episode of The Littlest Hobo. Employees are hired, they help with certain situations or issues and sometimes they decide to stay on with the organization, but often choose to move on.

In public relations it is quite common to see practitioners jumping from organization to organization after a few years. Is it dissatisfaction with the job? No in fact most practitioners would tell you they love the organization they're with. In this game though you have to stay current and unless you're working in an agency where you can flex all different kinds of PR muscle, you often don't get to use all the tools in your career toolbox.

So I pose this question to you - is it good or bad thing to constantly switch up your work environment? Put on an employee and employer hat and give it a think. I'd love to hear your feedback.

Cold Lake camping (aka. 3rd Annual Meatfest)

Camping has to be my most favourite part of summer. Now that the sunshine has truly decided to hang around I've just been itching to dig out the camping equipment and head to the lake. Two weeks ago I took a Friday off work and on the Thursday night Mike, Angie and I drove up to Cold Lake to meet up with our friends Jody and Elaine and their family.

Two years ago we did the first camping trip to Cold Lake and after all of us brought our coolers together and took stock of what we had brought we noticed meat was the common denominator. Moving forward we've called the camping trip Meatfest, and while the meat is a common factor, the purpose is to get together and catch up on what's been happening over the past year.

We got out on the lake three separate times to do some fishing but even with seven fishing rods in the water and multiple fish showing on the fish finder nothing was biting. We got sunburned, we donated blood to the local mosquito population, we ate too much and slept late but it was the best weekend I've had in a long time. Thank you everyone for making it so much fun, I can't wait for Meatfest next year!

Busy, busy summer!

My apologies bloggy friends for not being very timely with my updates. It's not that I haven't been having adventures but I haven't had much time to upload my photos and actually write a post between work, studies and taking off for my next adventure.

Recently I was down in some familiar territory - at the Calgary Stampede with Paisley, Denise, Courtney, Jason and Sean (all the same faces from Stampede last year). The opening weekend is always my favourite; I love taking the Friday off work so I can be downtown to watch the entire Stampede Parade.

This year there was a lot of excitement as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (Will and Kate) were in town for the festivities. All I saw of them was a speedy drive-by in a limousine where they waved to the adoring crowds. More than a little disappointed at a missed opportunity to see the royals I didn't let it get me down. I let the sounds of the passing square dancers and marching bands soothe my soul.

I didn't make it down to the grounds this year but I still managed to wear the cowboy boots and hat out on the town. I love the atmosphere in Calgary when the cowboys (rural and urban) come to town!

Happy Canada Day!

I had the good fortune to spend Canada Day this year in Saskatoon catching up with friends, hanging with my sister and finally winding up the night on the riverbank in front of the Bessborough Hotel taking in some of the Saskatchewan Jazz Festival with my parents and my aunt.

The evening was special...both big acts booked for the night are originally from Saskatoon and both quite famous ~ Jordan Cook and then The Sheepdogs. We braved the mosquitos and the slightly chilly temperatures to groove away to mellow tunes, blues, rock and funk. It was my first time to the jazz festival and I would gladly go back. Another unique Canada Day for the books! So proud to be where I'm from.

Jordan Cook - Bicycle

The Sheepdogs - I Don't Know

Music, emotions and the land

I have said this before but when it comes to my life, there is always a song that corresponds to a memory or an emotion. My life has one gigantic, eclectic soundtrack that has been running through it and it has always been easy to remember the who, what, where and when just by simply recalling a song.

This past weekend I did the drive back to Saskatchewan to spend the Canada Day long weekend with friends and family. On the drive home I was enamoured with the endless clear blue sky, the rolling green hills, the smell of freshly mown grass and the promise that summer holds for me. With Florence + the Machine's "Dog Days are Over" blasting through my speakers it hit me how much I love where I'm from and how I can't wait to move back. Saskatchewan you have my heart.

What makes a true fan?

Last night saw the National Hockey League wrap up their season with the Vancouver Canucks losing in Game 7 to the Boston Bruins, in Vancouver. There was not a lot of love for the Canucks throughout the series by most Canadians which makes me wonder why we have stopped supporting our own teams?

One of the constant and consistent bones of contention about why no one supports the Canucks was the lack of engagement by their fans. So that got me thinking, what is a true fan? Is it the person that jumps on and off a band-wagon depending on the fortunes of a team? Is it that person with every piece of SWAG the team has? Is it someone rioting in the street after their team loses?

No a real fan is someone who supports their team, loudly or not, visually or hidden, but someone who is always there. The people who rioted in the streets of Vancouver last night were not true fans.

True fans were the ones standing in the crowd applauding the Boston Bruins as they hoisted the Stanley Cup over their heads. Real fans were the people who woke up early this morning to go to downtown in Vancouver and clean up the mess left by last night's riots. Real fans were the ones who kept their tongues and tempers in check last night on Twitter, ignoring the rude, crass and classless taunting by so-called Bruins 'fans'. Boston my have won their Cup but I think Canucks fans have come away much richer and further ahead from this experience.

Gardening and gardens on a Sunday

Today was one of those perfect Sundays, the sun was shining, the breeze was blowing, the temperature was just right and there seemed to be time for anything and everything.

I decided to get up and putter in the front flowerbed at our house. We hadn't planted anything in it before and so I tried my hand at making it look pretty this morning. It actually looks pretty good for a first-time effort; filled with dusty miller, petunias, pansies and lobelia I can't wait for these flowers to really flourish.

In the afternoon I took a break from gardening to wander down the hill to the Muttart Conservatory and marvel at their gardens. This is the view from about three blocks down the street from my house. Isn't it lovely?!

The Muttart has four gorgeous glass pyramids, each housing a different climates worth of plants. There is a pyramid dedicated to: tropical, temperate and arid climates. The final pyramid has a revolving plant theme every few months. This month it was "Celtic flowers".

It was a perfect afternoon to get out with a friend, enjoy some beautiful flowers and the fresh air. I have now finished my last paper for my spring institute and I feel like I'm free again now. Time to get back to the life I'd put on hold until now and to start enjoying 'me' time again!