Canadian Experience

Yesterday evening Janine and I went to Tim Horton's.  It seems like a good thing to do while I am in Canada, seeing as it is a Canadian restaurant.  Neither of us actually ordered coffee.  Following my tradition, I ordered an apple fritter - yummy!  Yesterday I was pleased to learn that Tim Horton's has white hot chocolate and for the same price as regular hot chocolate.

Notice the French - I am in Canada

Even though it was the end of July, Janine and I were both a little chilly and able to enjoy the fact that we had hot drinks.

Evening at the Lake

This evening I biked to the far side of Lake Kathlyn to go kayaking.  The lighting on the clouds made for a few neat pictures.

Before heading out

Biking home: the sun going down

Hike to Blue Lakes

Thursday I got up early for summer vacation.  Anytime I am not working, I try to avoid getting up before 7am, but sometimes I make exceptions.

Mom, dad, and I drove to Janine's friend's house to meet up with Janine and some of her friend's family to go hiking to Blue Lakes.  While we were waiting for them, I took a picture of the view from the front of their house.  This was the first of three (or maybe four if you count the smaller separate piece on its own) glaciers I saw that day.

Twin Falls Glacier on Hudson Bay Mountain

We had about a 45 min drive to get to the bottom of the trail, during which we passed another glacier.  We parked the van and all piled into the other family's new vehicle because it has 4 wheel drive.  After a few more kilometers of unmaintained road, we reached the final parking lot.  From there we had a nice hike to the lakes.  The hike itself was not too steep, there were a few steep sections, but the trail had a few downhill sections as well.  There was a combination of hiking in the trees and open areas.  The views were beautiful.

The lower Blue Lake

There were two Blue Lakes.  The first one was well below our trail and had a waterfall pouring into it.  The second lake was higher up, and we got to go right up to this lake.  We ate lunch beside this higher lake.  The lakes come from glacier melt, so the water is very cold and also very blue.  The glacier is well above the higher lake, which then drains - by way of the waterfall - into the lower lake.

The higher Blue Lake - our lunch spot

After some time walking around barefoot in the marshy area near the lake we ventured into the water.  Although I was not as enthusiastic as my sister, I did get far enough out into the water to touch the 'blue'.  The blue water also marks the drop-off under water.  I approached it cautiously because I did not want to get completely wet by going over the edge.  Janine did far better and actually ended up getting mostly wet and getting fully into the 'blue'.  We were trying to guess the water temperature, and decided it was maybe a degree above freezing.

Going out to touch the 'blue'

Some time later we headed back down the trail.  One aspect of hiking in the north is that when I ran out of water, I just had to fill my water bottle up at the next stream we crossed.  Or, if my water was getting warm and I wanted fresher cold water, I could refill my water bottle.  The stream water tastes better than tap water and is cold enough to make my hands go numb after a few minutes.

Filling my water bottle

The beauty and diversity of the hike continually pointed to the creativity and greatness of God.  From the huge mountains to the tiny flowers, God made them all and continues to take care of them.
"O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!"

This is where I ate lunch today!

Breakfast at the Lake

Yesterday we had a late breakfast at Lake Kathlyn.  Earlier this spring my sister Janine suggested to my dad that they run to the lake during the summer.  They have been running regularly since then and decided that yesterday would be a good day because of the beautiful weather.  Janine and dad ran to Lake Kathlyn, which is about 3 miles away.  I biked there, and mom drove the van with all of our food and swimming gear.

The weather was sunny and warm, the view was beautiful, and the beach was basically empty at that point.  There was a group of kids participating in sailing lessons as part of a summer camp, but sadly for them there was no wind.

After we ate and sat visiting in the sun for a while, we went for a swim.  By the time we left shortly after noon, the beach was much busier.

It was a great way to spend the morning!

Kayaking

On Tuesday Janine and I biked to Lester's house on Lake Kathlyn and borrowed two kayaks.

The weather was beautiful.  While kayaking Janine and I agreed that there is not really anywhere on the lake that does not have a beautiful view.

After kayaking, I got in the water which was cool and refreshing.

Fresh Snow

There was fresh snow on the mountain today.  I saw some of it a couple of times later in the day when the clouds lifted a little, but I did not get a good view for a picture.

Another missed picture opportunity, this evening while mom and I were walking we saw a mother and baby moose.  The baby moose seemed curious and came out of the bushes more than the mother.  I don't expect to see moose in the summer, so that was nice surprise.

I Biked to the Lake

Today, I finally biked to the lake.  I thought about making the trip the first day I was home, but I was tired and lazy.  For the two days since then it has been rainy off and on and I didn't make the trip.   Today, despite the cloud and cool weather, I biked to the lake.

I felt a few raindrops, but thankfully it didn't actually rain.  I started out with a sweatshirt on - it was 14C (57F) - but tied it around my waist for the return.  And, as always, a trip to the lake is not complete without actually putting the bike tires in the water.

From Opelousas, LA to Smithers, BC

Thursday, July 4th
Stage one: I drove from Opelousas, LA to Plano, TX and stayed overnight at my cousin's place.
Friday, July 5th
Stage two: I got a ride from a friend from Plano, TX to the Dallas, TX airport.
Stage three: Flight from Dallas, TX to Santa Ana, CA.
Stage four: Flight from Santa Ana, CA to Seattle, WA.
Stage five: I took a shuttle bus from Seattle, WA to Lynden, WA.
Stage six: My cousin James picked me up from the shuttle stop in Lynden, WA and brought me to my         aunt and uncle's house in Maple Ridge, BC.
Monday, July 8th
Stage seven: My cousin Lynola gave me a ride in her parents' new car to the Greyhound bus depot in Langley, BC.
Stage eight: I rode the greyhound from Langley, BC to Prince George, BC.  (It was a refurbished bus with nice leather seats)
Stage nine: I rode a different greyhound bus (not refurbished) from Prince George, BC to Smithers, BC.
Tuesday, July 9th
Stage ten: Dad picked me up from the greyhound depot in Smithers in the van and brought me home.

Although there were many different stages of my travel from Opelousas to Smithers, it went very well.  My flights both landed early, allowing me to catch an earlier shuttle to meet my cousin.  I had a great weekend in Maple Ridge with Uncle Henry, Aunt Ardie, Lynola, and James.  Uncle Dave, Aunt Margaret, and Martin came over to join us on Saturday night for pizza.  The weather for my bus ride was nice and I was able to enjoy the beauty and variety of BC scenery.  I am thankful for all the hospitality and help of relatives and friends who made my trip possible.

I Have Amazing Friends!

I am so thankful for the friends God has given me.  It has been so much fun to squeeze in last minute visits throughout the past week: dinner at various people's houses, 'coffee', games, meeting for ice cream, visiting the country and swimming in the pool, sharing pictures of Smithers to a captivated (and some not so captivated) audience  This evening I am especially thankful for Debbie who volunteered and then came and helped me finish cleaning my apartment for two hours.
I will miss my friends while I am away in Texas, but I look forward to visiting.  I also know that although we may be separated now, as Christians we will get to spend eternity together with Jesus and with each other.