Closing Hours of 2007

I'm in the basement trying to get back into the Blogosphere... Listening to "Classic Mark stuff" on iTunes. Paolo Nutini ... New Shoes, great tunes ... Our family is doing very well.


Here's our Guitar Hero for the season... Hunter get's his guitar face on and simply rocks out. We've been having Guitar Hero contests ever since Christmas and the jury is out as to who is the "Hero" around here... one thing is absolutely clear... Grandpa is dead last, Nola is clearly a notch above me, no surprise there right. Carter, Holly, and Auz are fierce competitors, Carter is quiet and accurate, Holly is one of the spice girls (jumpy spice I think), and Auz is secretly practicing until the wee hours so he can take every one DOWN! It's been fun.


Christmas is great isn't it... This was the first year that Dylan was away for Christmas. We miss her, however she is doing well and is engaged to be married. The lucky feller is Shawn Daugherty from the Atlanta area. So on or about May 15 2008 D.D. is going to become D cubed or D3 yep d.d. Daugherty. Seems like life just keeps marching along.

Dylan has known Shawn for 4 years now so apparently they know what they are doing. (written with a smile) This picture was taken in 2006 at the Conference Center.

I have been overly occupied with business stuff. However just before Christmas this year while on business in New Orleans we took a day and went deep into the Bayou for some good ol' "Real Lousiana" cuisine. The spread you see, started as over 2 bushells of fresh live blue crab, fresh shrimp, corn on the cob, mushrooms, potatoes, onions, and tons of spices cooked in 2 pots. While the food cooked we snacked on oysters... etc .... all this for 6 people... i was wounded at the end of the evening. Great Food... Thanks to Carl & Everett. You guys are GREAT!



Here's a picture of my Mom and Dad with us, taken this fall. (Now listening to Chris Rea, Sail Away) It is delightful to spend time with "Herb and Adrienne" they are living with Judi my sister in Lethbridge, doing good, however the challenges of aging are ever present. It is great to have examples of living well to emulate and to learn from. My mom and dad are great folks. Of course it is our desire as parents to raise and influence our children to be the very best they can be. I just want to say one thing to my mom and dad.... " It's not your fault how I turned out." "You did great, sometimes you just get a dud, it's not your fault." (smiling)


Dad still plays the piano very well... He plays better than he walks, mom still has a brilliant wit, it's great to talk to her... she is so quick with her wit. I see her influence in all our children. Like my friend Bill always said "Brevity is the soul of wit." William Shakespear.

Our world is great. Thanks for your friendship.... mb

A great day with my Sweetheart
Hmmmmmmm.
Lovin' it.

This is the Highwood Pass along Highway 40 in the Kananaskis region of Alberta.
As you can see the scenery
is wonderful

The Long and winding road

Moving at speed... and taking pictures is always fun...

especially when it's done at the same time.

Here we are at the top of the pass. I have a hard time putting to words how great it is to be out on an afternoon cruz with the love of my life. She is a wonderful passenger, I could easily go to the ends of the earth with Nola as my co-pilot. She told me that when we are rippin' she just closes her eyes and goes with the flow, now that's trust. Wow! I Love you darlin'...

Our total mileage today was about 450 km... and included a buffet supper at the Kananaskis Lodge.

It was a Great day.

Dylan (vicariously) Hunter, Jared Birthdays

Check it out... Can you say: "Arrrgh Matie, Shiver me timbers?"

We have 3 birthdays in our Clan during the last week of July... This year we had a "Pirate" Birthday Party...

This all came down at Lake Chaparral... If a picture says a thousand words I'll let the pictures do most of the talking on this post...


Every thing "Pirate" all day long... Even a "Treasure Chest Piñata" and a treasure map and everything

We were all having a great time. It was a wonderful day about 34C that's about 90+F for the uncultured.










Check out the bucket of the little one with the pink hat... She would only take the Gold Coins...
I was so impressed with her... They learn so early don't they?
This was very fun.








Take a close look... This is not Lego. It's the Birthday Cake! Absolutely delicious.






We swam and played for a good part of the day. We all got a little too much sun, laughed till our sides hurt a little, and thoroughly enjoyed the day we spent together.

Dylan: We thought of you frequently during the day... We miss you. It would have been great to have you here... We do understand. It was fabulous to see you for a few days at the Hancock reunion in Brigham City.

Canmore to Banff via Goat Creek

Here's the Crew.

Nola, Auz and I hauled the bikes on the back of the pickup. Jared and Holly hauled the little ones. Off we go to Canmore. We staged in the Goat Creek parking lot above Canmore. I think we must have looked like a freight train comin' down the trail. We had some challenges getting the bike trailer "set up" worked out for Marshall (Holly's youngest). The trailer started out on the "Big Person" tandem then moved to the 29'er. Marshall was crying, the trailer was rubbing the back tire. Due to these problems Holly decided to take Marshall along with the bike and trailer and hike a short distance back to our truck then drive down to Banff and meet us.



So we parted.
Hunter and I on the Kiddy tandem, Nola on the Nomad and Jared and Auz on the Big Person tandem...

I was feeling pretty bad for Holly cuz' she really wanted to go on this ride. We didn't stop and play much along the way, I wanted to meet up in Banff and play there. What we didn't know is that Marshall settled down and Holly decided to catch up with us on the trail... So she pounded it with the Chariot Bike trailer and Marshall in tow.

She Caught up to us even thought I had set a consistently quick pace. Good going Shera, I mean Holly.


About 3-4 km from Banff we decide that Auz and I will take the Big Person tandem and scoot back up to the parking lot.... then take our vehicles and drive them both to Banff .... pick up the rest of the crew...

This would allow Nola, Holly, Jared, Hunter and Marshall to spend some time hanging out... enjoying the day.





So Auz and I take off and climb back up to the parking lot, grab the vehicles and cruz to Banff to pick up the family... We had a fabulous ride back up the mountain, we laughed and pushed hard all the way back up. Auz is a great stoker, we made amazing time getting back. "You rock Auz..."





While Auz and I climbed; Nola, Jared, Holly and the kids stayed behind. Some of them threw rocks in the creek, fell in, ran around with no pants on, waved at a group of people riding horses and made friends with every one in the area. In general "A good time was had by all."








It warms a Dad's heart to see just how well his 'chillins' are growing up. Holly is a wonderful 'Mommy', she has completely devoted herself to her family.





















Hunter and Marshall.... Grrr I'm a Bear or is it "Bare"... or Maybe I'm a Lion or a Puppy Dog.

We met up at Banff without much waiting. It was a great day, of adventure for all the Bishop Clan that could be there.