I know, you thought I forgot to post some pics from my latest trip, a little vacay in Edmonton last month with a side trip to Banff.  No such luck.  You're stuck lookin' at some of them.  This time, my Mom and I jumped on a plane and headed west to visit my niece and nephew.  No big deal, right?  Well it is if you're my Mom.  My sweet-little-soon-to-be-75-year-old mom got on a plane for the first time in her life and went on a vacation.  Prior to this, the furthest she'd traveled was to Windsor (she lives in eastern Ontario), North Bay and here to Bridgenorth to visit me.  And I don't think she's ever spent a week and a half away from home!  I was really proud of her.  She didn't panic too much before the flight and once we were up in the air, she decided that it wasn't too bad at all.  And it wasn't her only "first."  We also got my Mom to play a video game (yes, she Wii-bowled!), took her to the mountains (first time i've been to the Rockies too) and got her to sit in a 4 x 4 gondola and climb a 3000 foot mountain.  The eight minute ride on the Banff gondola actually scared her more than the thought of flying for four hours at 30 000 feet (guess all those horror stories about Air Canada didn't faze her).  But, she was a trooper and made the trek, again noting that, really, it's not as bad as it looks.  So here's a few photos of our trip. 

And yes, I do want to know if you "know this guy?"  Check out further down for "Peterborough Sam."

There's my mom on the plane.  Now that she's done it once, I fear we won't be able to keep her at home!

Of course I'm going to rub up against a statue of Wayne Gretzky holding the Cup.  I'm in Edmonton!

So I'm all excited to see the Rockies for the first time.  I'm snapping pictures from the car like crazy (as if I won't be surrounded by mountains the entire time I'm there!) and I take this photo.  I didn't even notice until I looked at the photo later what someone took the time to write in stones on the ground.  (it says "You ruined my life")  That is one bitter person with a lot of time on their hands!

Some nicer mountain photos without the bitter messages!  The first is my nephew Brad, niece Liann and me standing in Two Jack Lake.  Let's just say the water is cold.  The other is me on Sulphur Mountain after riding up the Banff Gondola.  The view was amazing.

Yes, this is a deer shitting in the woods.  Actually it's in a little wooded area right in Banff.  Mom was excited to finally see an animal and this one was kind enough to squat just as I took the picture for her!

And finally, do you know this guy?  We went on the Lake Minnewanka boat cruise while in Banff and our captain (ok, the guy driving the boat) was Sam from none other than....Peterborough!  I didn't get his last name.  I just called him Peterborough Sam and felt compelled to snap his photo after the cruise.  I'm not sure he appreciated his new name.  But he drives a mean cruise ship!