Publisher's Note

Publisher’s Note
by CK May is the month of flowers not just in the Philippines but also here in Calgary. A lot of my neighbors have done their spring cleaning and unfortunately I cannot cope up with them. I remember that during this time of the year my husband, Hank gets busier day by day. He takes care [...]
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Page added on April 21, 2016

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The Other Side

by Steve Tarzwell

Spring – my favorite time of year! It is so invigorating, with nature coming back to life after a long winter’s rest. Flowers, trees and bushes, all adding color and beauty to our lives. Even the air is fresher and cleaner! Add some summer smells to it, like BBQ’s, fresh cut lawns, and, in my neighborhood – curry and dog poop.

At this time of year I dedicate several days to cleaning up the yard and flower beds and get rid of old leaves and debris from last season. I give the perennials and wildflowers some help to get going and let the squirrels know my flower beds are forbidden territory. A light sprinkling of paprika, chili powder or cayenne pepper usually does the trick and for more persistent four legged critters – a trap!

With our early spring, which seems like summer with temperatures near 20 C, we have already enjoyed a vacation in our favorite destination – Montana. This time we explored the lakes, rivers and waterfalls in NW Montana, close to spectacular LAKE KOOCANUSA. We stayed in Eureka. We hiked to beautiful Little North Fork Falls and then did another hike to McGuire Creek for trout fishing.

One interesting thing I noticed that when we hike the forests of Montana, we Canadians bring bear spray and bear bells to scare off any bears we encounter. We met other hikers, including U.S. families with children and their culture differs in such a way that they all carry handguns and rather than scare bears away – they just shoot them! They also shoot signs, trees and anything else they see, just for the fun of it. A rather risky lifestyle but who am I to tell them how to live?

Without a doubt we will make many more trips throughout Alberta, Montana and into Idaho which is a short drive south of Calgary. We will also enjoy 4-5 days in the Great Falls Montana area with friends on the July 9 weekend. Since there are fewer Filipinos in this sparsely populated state, the Annual FIL-AM FIESTA for 2016 will be celebrated in Great Falls. Last year it took place in Kalispell and we are looking forward to the cultural performances, food and of course, non-stop chatting. Join us if you like to party!

The rest of the summer we tend to take week by week, planning camping trips when the weather is good and taking evening walks in Calgary’s abundant Parks.

Working conditions and my schedule are why my job is so much fun. The pay is irrelevant. I don’t work Mondays or Fridays so every weekend is a long weekend. I intend to enjoy and explore all that our beautiful country has to offer while my beautiful wife and I are still healthy and active. We will continue to record and share our experiences with awesome pictures on Facebook. If you are tired of the same old routine of just working, sleeping, eating and TV – join us for an adventure sometime!

On April 19 my wife Ludy will celebrate yet another year and I wish her a very Happy Birthday and Pray for many, many more! May God Bless you and continue to give you good health and happiness.

Have an awesome month!

The Other Side

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