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A few long lost photos of my 29th birthday at Chateau Lake Louise …
One of Lizzie’s many jobs had their staff party last week and I was lucky enough to get a gernsey….I was the only plus-one in fact – one of the many advantages of being married! We camped out at Jarvis Lake, which is about half an hours drive from Jasper. The highlight of the trip was getting to go Tubing; 3 of us getting dragged behind the boat in a fancy innertube at what seemed like the speed of light! I was giving Lizzie a lecture about holding on tight, not letting go and just when i’d finished my speech, I was bucked off and cartwheeled violently across the water. That’ll learn me.
A couple days after my b’day we set out on our first official backcountry trip. Lake O’Hara is about 3 hrs drive from Jasper in the direction of Lake Louise. You can only drive so far, the rest you have to go on foot. It was about a 12km hike along a dirt road and then a couple kms through some pretty deep snow…..well not deep all the time. You’d be casually walking along the snow and then you’d suddenly disappear up to your waist. After about 3.5hrs we reached our little hut in the middle of nowhere. Usually in the summer there are loads of amazing day hikes you can do from here but due to the massive amount of snow still up there, we were more or less limited to exploring pretty close to the cabin. That didn’t seem to phase anyone and we had an awesome few days of fun in the mountains!
So it was my b’day the other day and I turned the ripe old age of 32. Had a lovely morning of opening presents – thanks Mum; the Coughlans and Barb for the very thoughtful gift. It did, however, coincide with us been given a van! So your wonderful gift will go towards getting it on the road. Thanks. Us Brown Brothers sure do love our toys, and like a good brother, Bren fueled my insatiable appetite for electronics and got me a fancy GoPro camera, which in future posts will surely be responsible for many high quality films!!!
Lizzie loves a surprise. I think when my birthday rolls around Lizzie is just as, if not more excited than me, cause she gets to play out her magical stage play that leads up to whatever she has planned. Lizzie downplayed this one more than usual, and before I knew it some stranger was fitting me for leather chaps. We then jumped on a Harley (me in the side car!) and we were off to Miette Hot Springs for a dip!
After our leather clad bike ride we had a cruisey BBQ planned at Herb and Anitas. Lots of friends, food and booze, followed by a nice fire was how the day was rounded out.
Thanks for all b’day wishes, thanks to the Robos for letting us party at their place and to my Darling who ALWAYS goes out of her way to make EVERYONE feel special.
The seasons change so quickly that if you don’t make it out and about in a week or so you’re bound to miss some kind of monumental phase that won’t happen again until the same time next year. Today I tried to catch one of the fleeting phases before it was too late! Fitness is also at dangerously low levels so set out on the bike in a effort to get my bulky frame in shape. My bike ride took me past a couple lakes: Marjorie and Caledonia…..which, from what I could see though sweat and blurred vision, were very nice.
It’s that time again – the annual plants sale is on at the church. Within two or three days Jasper will be flourishing with sunshine and new flowers hanging from every basket in the street. Last year we went crazy, but we’ve toned things down this time and focused on plants we can eat. I love this time of year!
Courtney and Dave were married on a perfect and sunny spring day in Jasper. The quaint country church where the wedding was held was the same one Herb and Anita were married in too, along with many other couples present at the wedding. Courtney and Dave decided to write their own vows. It should be known that Dave is a talented musician and songwriter and is pretty nifty with words – as a result there wasn’t a dry eye in the house! After hearing his moving vows there were a lot of women in the church elbowing their husbands and deciding it was time to renew their vows. Courtney tried to get away with calling “ditto” but she followed it up with some beautiful vows herself.
A reception followed at the Sawridge – one of Jasper’s premier hotels which was half full of wedding guests. Cocktails were followed by a beautiful buffet dinner; and then the speeches. Just incase the guys weren’t feeling bad enough; on each table was a beautiful poem Dave had written for Courtney called The Mason Jar. He then performed a song he had written especially for her …. I mean seriously? The guy was out of control! The best man and the Robinson’s kept the crowds laughing; while the matron of honour made us all wish we were Courtney’s best friend.
There was a rockin’ live band that ensured we all worked off our second round at the buffet! Just when you thought you could have a rest they’d break out another classic. It’s so rare that you get to dance to a live band like that these days. Paulie and I had a few drinks under our belts at this stage and naturally felt we were ruling the dance floor.
The whole day couldn’t have gone any better (no surprises there with Courtney and Anita at the helm), and if you can judge the happiness of a newlywed couple by the way they throw a party, then Courtney and Dave have an awesome marriage ahead of them filled with love and stacks of fun!
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