Skydiving and Rodeo

It’s starting to feel like I am on vacation more than I am at work these days. This weekend I went down to the Bella Coola Rodeo, a couple weekends ago I went skydiving in Kamloops, and in two days I am off to Calgary. However, as soon as Janelle and I get home from the Calgary Stampede it will be back to work for the rest of the summer. But it is fun work!

Skydiving was so amazing! I would highly recommend doing it (it is less scary than you’d think). I thought I was going to be freaking out in the plane ride up, but I was pretty relaxed. Once the door opened I did get scared but mainly just because it was so loud and kind of hard to breathe. Next thing I knew we were tumbling towards the earth at 200 km/hr. Once I got my mind to relax during the freefall it was really enjoyable. Then the parachute came out, we did some super fun spins and whatnot, then gently drifted down to land. And in the blink of an eye it was over. If it weren’t so expensive, I’d have totally gone again!

Last Friday Janelle and I caught a ride down the hill with some friends to go see the Bella Coola Rodeo. We brought our tent and sleeping bags and just camped on the rodeo grounds. Danced the night away on Friday, even though we were basically the only ones dancing, it was pretty fun. And I was delighted to find my good friend Brody was back from Alberta on a surprise visit. It was nice to catch up with her after so long. Spent Saturday watching the rodeo which was fairly entertaining. There was another dance Saturday night, which was even more fun than Friday. Sunday morning we caught a ride back up to the ranch with some other friends. I got so carsick driving up the winding hill, that wasn’t so fun…

Irrigation is continuing to be a struggle thanks to the many beavers that infest the creeks around the meadows. A few days ago, on the hottest day yet up here, Janelle and I were told to go down and pull some beaver dams. We weren’t really thinking and just wore our cowboy boots and shorts… Not a clever idea. The beavers had flooded the area where we normally walk in, so we had to bush wack and wade our way to the dams. Got lost coming out too. Legs were pretty scrapped up, muddy, and bug bitten. Learn from your mistakes I guess.

Calving is now officially done! All the babies are out and about. One morning we were eating breakfast and Roger saw a dead cow on the flat. But as we watched, it moved a leg. So we all ran out to get her up off her back. I am so surprised she didn’t die of bloat. When we got her flipped over she stood there for a couple hours just belching up all the gas. Poor girl, but she is fine now.

So wish me luck on my 19 hour bus ride from Williams Lake to Calgary, I’m sure it will be worth it though! J