Victoria Day Weekend - Harrison and the Rodeo !

Finishing my first week at work I was delighted to be informed that the weekend was indeed in fact a long one with Monday the 22nd of May being Victoria Day here in Canada !

At least the Canadians celebrate the Queens birthday ! (even if it is one who kicked the bucket a hundred years ago)

Starting with a bit of a boogie on Friday night in 'the Cellar' with Bobs and Marion our running companion from the 10k, Saturday saw Heidi pick Bobs and I up for the hour drive out east on Highway 1. (I think they only have one highway out here so it is kinda aptly named) .

An evenings excess consisting of vast quantities of BBQ food and a fire pit by the pool in honour of Bobs' dads' birthday was walked off the following morning around the shores of Harrison lake and hot springs resort. Now unlike the puddles of our own home grown so called 'lake district', where a typical walk would involve circling the entire lake, it's probably not best advised to try this with Harrison unless you have a spare month or so ?

You see Harrison with its natural hot springs is around 45miles long and the odd two wide !!! (You can see a small section of it if you go back to the photo on the 'Stig has landed' blog)

Unfortunately the holiday Monday saw a return of the more regular BC weather of deluging rain ! Not to be beaten though Bobs took me to the yearly traditional Cloverdale Rodeo !!! Yeeeeeha

Hiding under cover of the baseball stadium stand that has been pressed into action as a temporary rodeo ring we watched a combination of bucking bronco riding, cow tackling and roping, and even a selection of four year olds trying to out do each other and ride a sheep for as long as possible ?

With some random old Texan bloke giving a running commentary in true southern drawl with more than a few "y'all be good and cheer this fiiiiine rider folks" with the odd "awesome" thrown in I was truly impressed with the enthusiasm shown by all considering the dire weather !

The Friday and Saturday are traditionally the big days with a massive barn being pressed into action as the biggest 'ho-down' venue you will ever see ! Arriving on a wet Monday avo as opposed to a lively night probably didn't help me feel any more at ease when the security staff asked me at the entrance if I had any guns or knives I cared to check in to the cloak room ! Ok a bit of an elaboration on the gun part but I did see a couple of boys relieved of some very big knives !!

Perhaps I won't crack too many Brokeback Mountain gags then ??

A fine weekend ended with a dinner of ribs with Shannon, Ryan and Owen who has gotten bigger by the minute it seems !