McEwen Farming and Family Stuff

Sunday,5^th July

We felt we would have loved to have spent more time with John and Leanne Paetkau, but we took their advice and planned to leave for Banff Sunday afternoon after church.  This fitted into the family’s plans as Daniel and Alicia were off to camps in the afternoon. The one and a half hour trip to Banff  left less distance to be covered to reach Invermere, Monday night.

Sunday morning church service was a combined service of churches involved in the upcoming  ~Backyard Kids Camp’ – a creative name for Vacational Bible School. So much planning goes into these program.  One of the pastors spoke on Psalm 133.

`How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity

It is like precious oil poured on the head— (suggest read all the psalm)

The pastor explained that God blesses these times when we are united in worship and in service. The analogy of pouring oil on the head comes from the anointing of the Levitical priests for their consecrated service. – There was blessing that resulted for the individual priest as well as for the people. At that point the pastor placed before us a cute garden gnome-  beard and all and poured oil over his`head and beard and clothes’ . A point so well made that we will never forget the meaning of the psalm!!!!!

Arriving in Banff was special because the beauty of this town is world renowned. We were looking forward with excitement to see it.  Ian, for the second time and Alison for the first. Although the mountains have lost their snowcapped feature with only the few streaks of snow on the northside, their structure and striking shapes and colour and height really fit that word `grandeur’. We tried to drive around and explore but every second person in the world had the same idea! The Bow river runs through the town – again the aqua colour is striking. We took in the Banff Springs Hotel and the Falls – two of the main features of the Banff National Park.

Enjoyed a swim and Hot Tub in the motel’s pool we were staying – Alison’s sciatic nerve down her right leg appreciated the hot tub – too much sitting in the car and not enough walking.! – maybe if she ran behind the car sometimes it might help!

The drive through the Banff National Park to Lake Louise is one of the world’s great wonders alongside Aust Barrier Reef, and Egypt’s pyramids and other world heritage sites. It is truly beautiful. However, the parking when you get there is not!!!!!!!!   Drove around for half an hour .

`Ian you will have to park down the road’

`I am not going to walk way up the hi’

`I think we will have to’ —-`please God help us find a parking spot’ – `someone pulling out’.

200 yards down the road – someone is pulling out! We hold up a mile of traffic while we wait for the car to pull out and we pull in!!!!!!! We managed thewalk back and the view is worth it ,it is breathtakingly beautiful. Again that aqua colour  of the lake with the glacier in the background.

Although you are viewing it with hundreds of people – there is space to sit and enjoy – which we did.

The ski lift was the next port of call – surely this time we will see a bear!  `Pole 12 to the right’ was the call from the people going down –we were going up. Yes there he is – a grizzly. Way in the distance – we zoom the cameras in and the photos show him close up – better than the naked eye??? The view coming down was a treat the mountains and Lake Louise in the distance and mr Grizzly was still there but turning around to snap him was difficult!

But the best was yet to come  – off to Invermere to see Renee (McEwen), one of our lovely granddaughters.  Renee is working at Copper Point Resort. She has been working in reception. We were so glad to give her a hug because we love her and because she was involved in a serious car accident – and we still have her. One of her friends ( the driver ) was killed. Renee has a compressed vertebrae and torn ligaments in her left leg. She is wearing a splint to support her knee.  We are so proud of the way Renee has coped with this horrendous experience and we pray that her injuries will heal completely in time. Renee booked us into a luxurious suite and we have two days to enjoy it!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Alison and Renee