A Holiday Treat

Not everything is at it may appear! It's not what you see but where you are seeing it. We did not take a cruise! We did see a cruise ship, though, in the harbor where we were staying!

That's more like it! We spent a few days last week and weekend in Victoria at the Empress Hotel, where they treat you like kings and queens. It was hard coming home to drab, windy Alberta and cereal for breakfast! That's what you get for spoiling yourself!

We did have fun though!

Drove to Port Renfrew and saw the Pacific Ocean!

Took a guided tour of the hotel itself.

Toured one of Victoria's last standing castles - Craigdarroch!

Watched the Royal Victoria Marathon from our breakfast table.

Walked out on the breakwater (I did go all the way out!)

Plus shopping and took lots of pictures of the older homes in Victoria. But that collection of pics is too extensive to choose just one! There are LOTS of well preserved or restored homes to even satisfy our appetite!

It was a good little holiday. Unique - staying at such a posh hotel. Exciting - finding some long sought after books while shopping. Tiring - absorbing so much in such a short amount of time. But I'm glad we went!

Moving On Down the Line

I was just reminded to do another blog entry by one of the kids! Yah - I know - but it is hard to write when not much is happening around here. We are settling into a nice routine at work and at home, which we are both very grateful for! About the last "Train Station" pictures I can show you are Peter mowing the lawn. That's how settled in we are. The lawn needs mowing!





Some things never change!

You may be interested to know that I (we) have taken over 500 pictures of the building phase of The Siding 12 Station. Not all are keepers - but there will be a sizeable album when they do get sorted through and printed! I've never taken so many pictures in one year as I have this past one!

"Now what do you do with your time" you ask? I can show you some pictures of one of our newly rediscovered pastimes. Supper at the Calgary Airport after a Stampeders Game. Eric and Becky couldn't be with us unfortunately (they were enjoying supper in Banff!) but their pup came along with Brent and Kirstin. Brent and Kirstin make good puppysitters! We bought pizza and went out and spent a bit of time together at a Park and Watch up off McKnight. Pretty cool thing to do with spare time now - to say nothing of watching a Stampeders Game.



Enthralled!




Sniff! Sniff!




I'm not tired! Just the sun!





"Brent and Kirstin" shot!




Explaining it all!




Trick Shot! - Try landing like that!

Nighttime Neighbors!

Yesterday afternoon we had some unusual looking CP "cars" parked on the tracks beside the station. They were an interesting array of conveyor belts, gears and brushes that caught our interest. We spent a bit of time contemplating their task and where they were going once the regularly scheduled trains passed by. (Or maybe we were having trouble working!) I'm sure someone out there reading this knows exactly what they were designed to do!





AND as if that wasn't enough to peak our curiosity, we had some "renovated" passenger cars pull in beside our fence for the night! One of the cars had a large label declaring it to be an "Engineering Services Track Evaluation Car". I just bet you they belong with the work crew we saw earlier!





We don't normally check out our "grass growth" before we go home for the evening - but last night we did!

By the way - the grass is starting to fill in nicely, especially considering the hot dry weather we've been having. Our recent cooler rains have done wonders! In fact, we could mow before too long. Ah - the joy of having property!

This morning the passenger/work cars pulled out from the station - but maybe they will be back tonight. I think it would be nice to wake up in the morning, open the blinds and see some trees and green grass! They are welcome as long as they need to stay in the area. It's their tracks they are evaluating!

The Big Day!

The Grand Opening is done! And what a relief! It's all smooth sailing from here - hopefully!

Before we could actually have our big day last Friday there was lots of prep work. Ordering cake, picking up bar-b-que supplies, finding cabanas and tables and chairs, ordering coffee etc from the local coffee shop, talking with the media and local newspaper, even praying for drier weather! Rain for the new sod - Sunny skies for the grand opening - what do you pray for? The weather was just fine - bit of rain for the sod and bit of sun for the ribbon cutting.

Thursday was a whirlwind of cleaning both inside and out. The board room was finished (for now) and pictures needed hanging. The common area downstairs needed cleaning and our office needed a thorough tidying and dusting. Even the parking lot got swept and washed (courtesy of Kev, Kels and her dad's pressure washer)!



Friday morning Ron and Bev came early and helped with the last of the prep work which was so greatly appreciated. Not only that, they stuck around for clean-up. They have been a big support for us with willing hands and hearts!

With pictures of the Station history hung in the board room, cabanas popped up and in place, firestation bar-b-que truck parked we were ready for the people.



We estimated around 25o people or so came for the bar-b-que. Some came just for the open house (and cake!).

After the bar-b-que we had a couple of songs by a local barbershop quartet, speeches from our mayor, MLA and MP, and ribbon cutting.

The barbershop quartet decided to sing a song that was from Peter to Lorraine. I knew I should have stayed hidden in the boardroom!



Judy Gordon spoke first - with a hint at us to continue building structures that are a contribution to our town both in a business sense and visually. We'll wait a few years I think!



Then our MLA Ray Prins spoke and he thanked us for all our hard work in doing this project and creating a historically beautiful place for him to have his office in.



Last, our MP Blaine Calkins spoke for a few minutes about the importance the railroad played in the building of this town.



These three government representatives then cut the ribbon along with Mr Sid Long. Mr. Long was the "CPR Freight Manager" who was in charge of closing down the freight portion of the old station and making sure the last loose ends were tied up before the service stopped altogether. He spent the rest of the afternoon visting with people in the board room and telling stories of the railroad days gone by!



Speaking of the board room - it was a very popular spot after for the older folks in town to wander through and chat about the pictures on the wall. Just what we were hoping for!



Oh yes, did I tell you the staff and wife/girlfriend of PJB Design dressed the part for the day?



We enjoyed dressing up so much (most of us) that we went out for supper with Ron and Bev and Grandma Nelson to Red Deer in our "costumes". One way to get service, or least lots of second glances!

During supper we started planning our next great adventure with Ron and Bev. No - not a building! It's party time - not work time!

Pictures! Lots of Pictures!

This time around there are pics to show you!



LONNIE THE PAINTING POET!

Our friend Lonnie finished up some last bits and pieces for us upstairs and downstairs. We're done until we need another coat of paint or varnish or something somewhere! She wasn't the only one giving a finish to wood! Brent and Kirstin spent some time with us staining and varnishing wood pieces to be put together in the board room! Believe me, we were spread out everywhere!



WOOD HERE!



WOOD THERE!



WOOD, WOOD EVERYWHERE!

The last window is done! Hallelujah! It was the one I was looking for!



FINAL WINDOW TO FINISH!

With wood pieces stained and window done, Peter and Cor spent two days putting together the puzzle to create the panelling in the board room.



After that carpet was put in and tile is now set and ready to be grouted. Media system is in and almost completely up and running. Chairs for around the board table(s) have been delivered and this week the tables will be finished, pictures hung and it will be a go! That light at the end of the tunnel is glaringly bright!

THEN, over this past weekend we put in the sod! We went from black to green within a matter of hours. You want to get grass quick? Bring in some strong and able bodied young folk and it will happen!

Brent, Kevin, Kelsey, Tyrone, Matt and Gord, along with Tony and Deb and Peter and myself did just that. Put down 6,500 sf of sod in 3 hours! Enjoy these pics from our landscaping workout!



ROLLS OUT LIKE A GIANT QUILT!



JUST ABOUT THE WHOLE GANG!



EVEN TIME TO LAUGH



ONE MORE ROW FOR GOOD MEASURE!



ARE WE HAVING FUN YET?

Long Time No Blog

For those of you who like to read with pictures - sorry. This is a writing blog. I like pics too but it wasn't to be this posting around!

Since last time you ask? Well, we now have black dirt where the grass will be eventually! It's nice to see some good soil track side instead of just the jet black coal slag that used to be our soil out there! I think our grass will have a much better chance growing in good black central Alberta dirt, don't you? We also have the three front areas bordering the street side groomed. That meant a few hot days leveling out the base, putting down filter fabric and making use of the bobcat that was here to spread dirt move loads of cedar mulch that was delivered Monday morning. Kev and Peter spent quite a few sweltering hours out there Monday getting that done! All of this was happening while I was home working on recouping from a bad cold. Hence, no pictures of the action! But you now know that we have still been working away at things out there!

That's the landscaping, what about inside you ask? Again, lots of things have been in the works here. Not really here at in the station, more like at home in the garage and shop. Since the board room is the last room to be done, we have run out of "work space" here at the station. So all the wood has been taken to the house to be manufactured into the different elements to finish off the board room. We've been cutting and sanding and routering and preparing space to stain and varnish the wainscotting panels, trim work etc. And since that's all been going on at the house and the camera didn't follow us home - no pics!

So you will just have to believe us when we say we are still busy finishing up as much as possible before the grand opening. We've also made the decision to hire Lonnie the Painter to do some more inside work for us. We miss having her around anyway - so here's our chance to make her keep coming back!

All this while keeping the office going - trying to stay (get) healthy - plan the grand opening with the tenants. It's been a year now. A long year. A tiring year. But a year worth every challenge, stretching beyond what we thought capable and meeting lots of new friends in the community.

In Response to .....

I think one should expect a response to things they post. This was a surpise! Gophers, I guess, can also get upset and chatter and scold from the other side of the fence! Maybe their grass is not greener!

Peter, Peter, Pumpkin eater,
has a good wife and would like to keep her.
He put her in a train station shell,
and there he kept her very well.

He kept her busy as can be,
so busy in fact that she didn't see.
My family and I were having fun,
drinking iced caps out in the sun.

Well then we found that rubber stuff,
Lorraine got mad and took off in a huff.
We didn't know that it wasn't fair game,
Not as much as a NO! from what's her name.

Lorraine tried to like us, but she was afraid.
She just couldn't get over that mess that we made.
So up went a fence as fast as can be.
That Peter's a wiz, take it from me.

A word of advice from me to you,
don't make them mad, whatever you do!
Stay away from their building and all of their things,
metal, wood, rubber and all of their bling.

The moral of this story shouldn't be a surprise.
If you make them mad, they will plan your demise!

(This response was relayed courtesy of "Lonnie the Painter"!)