Day 380 - Film Roll B & Cesar Millan

It's amazing what a bit more sleep can do for one's constitution! I felt so much better! Thank you! Today was our second marathon day of films, although we were leaving early to head home. To go to another show! Well, at least I was!

Our films started at 0900 again & we were in the big theatre. We headed out just past 0830 to make sure we got a good seat. Luckily we also got a good parking spot! Our film roll went as follows:
1. Rush Hour Dream - 5 minutes long. This was the first film made by the Latin American/German fellow. He is a businessman who falls asleep on the train to work & wakes up in a dream on top of a mountain with a paraglide getup inside his briefcase. So he paraglides down to work. Very cool!
2. Last Paradise - 37 minutes long. This was another of my favourites. Mr. Neeson was the film maker, from New Zealand, and his film told us about the birth of adventure sports in New Zealand. We traveled back in time to when these adventurers were much younger & how they came to be today. We saw AJ Hackett, the inventor of the bungee jump, and the footage of him illegally jumping off the Eiffel Tower (!). We saw kitesurfing, surfing with jet skis & jet boats... It was a fantastic film! We saw Mr. Neeson on the street later today & I wanted to compliment him on his wonderful film, but he seemed to be in a rush. Next time.
3. L'eau Qui Fait Tourner La Roue - 19 minutes long. This film showed us the story of an old man who runs a sawmill, as well as his electricity from the energy of the stream that runs through his farm. He had quite a sense of humour & although he moved a little slower in his old age, he still spent his days working in the sawmill. It was quite interesting to say the least.
4. Treasure of the Lisu - 30 minutes long. Taking place in rural China, we were told the story of a Grandfather who makes a traditional stringed instrument by hand. He wants to pass the tradition along to his children & grandchildren, but they have little interest in learning. It was a very educational film, but also quite sad, as I feel regret in not learning the crafts my Granny used to do - knit, crochet, baking 'her' dishes, sewing, canning... all those things Grannys do so well!
5. Living The Dream - 3 minutes long. A super short film about a die-hard rock climber. He lives very 'basic' & takes us on a journey of the moment he wakes up to the moment he climbs. This includes trying to start his old car, it failing, and then he skateboards with his dog to the climbing spot. Cute film.
6. A Cry From The Top Of The World - 46 minutes long. Certainly not a feel good flick. We were told the tragic story of the climbers who perished on K2 in 2008. The events that would turn into warning signs that were dismissed & the 11 people who lost their lives. Bone chilling & petrifying, this wasn't a favourite, but nonetheless, a story well worth telling. Still makes me shudder.

We took a break for lunch at this point. I'm glad, as that last film was pretty crazy. I used to want to climb Everest one day. But after that, I'm over it. I'll respect the mountain from base camp. Thanks. We met Karen & her friends, Carmen & Wayne, & had lunch at Magpie & Stump. We had just ate there two days ago, but Karen had her heart set on Mexican cuisine. Fine by me, I enjoy it! Jaco doesn't eat lunch, so he was even easier to please! We talked about our favourite films & why or why not, along with a wide variety of other topics. Such as - grocery shopping & the attitudes of shoppers, cat skiing safety & safety inductions, cruise ships, snowboarding, old cars... It was a great way to spend lunch! We nearly missed our afternoon films from all the talking! We raced back to the theatre & managed to catch the films just in time. Here's what we watched:
7. Salt - 28 minutes long. No, it's not about Angelina Jolie. It's about a photographer who ventures to Lake Eyre in Australia. He spends several months camping on this lake. The imagery is fabulous. Beautiful skies - both day & night, humour & plenty of solitude, this was another favourite. The simplicity & the beauty of pretty much nothing - I was happy to have experienced Salt.
8. Daredevils: The Human Bird - 48 minutes long. This was the last film we watched before leaving Banff. We missed 3 films. This film is one of 4 in a series on humans who do crazy things. You can google or YouTube for The Human Spider, The Ice Man & Skywalker. The Human Bird was about a young 30-something fellow who does Proximity Wingsuit Flying. What's that? Think of a flying squirrel or a basejumper. Either one is pretty crazy! This guy jumps out of a helicopter & 'flys' down the side of the Matterhorn. Yeah, the one in Switzerland. He flies within 5 feet of the surface of the mountain. It's crazy & not for the faint of heart. Yeesh.

On that adrenaline rush of a note, we left for home. I had a ticket to Cesar Millan tonight. Jaco wanted to accompany me, but the tickets were double the price & he didn't want to pay that much. I had an early-bird discount. (The only time I'm early - when I can get a good deal!) I also thought he was flying home today, so I would have taken him to the airport & then left for the show. But now he's staying longer! (YAY!) So, off I went to the city.

I didn't sit where my ticket stated, as I was late (!) & the show had just started. I managed to sit in a better seat, with the row all to myself. I haven't laughed that hard in a long time! Cesar was hilarious! I had n idea he was so funny! I was in stitches for the better part of the night! He did a great job imitating dogs, puppies & their crazy owners. Of course, I learned a fair bit too, so that was great! I've got a long ways to go to get my girls in order! Oh well. One day at a time!

He had several local people bring their dogs on stage & explain what the issue was. In a matter of mere minutes, he had a dog that was obsessed with food lie down next to 3 plates with steak, chicken & salmon & IGNORE the plates! He also had a dog obsessed with dog toys (balls) (Hello Valentina!) & in a few more mere minutes he was able to put the ball between the dogs legs & lay a 'chuckit' across the dogs legs. The dog just looked around & could have cared less! Amazing!!!

I was pretty pooped by the time I got home, what a weekend! Here's to a good night's rest & a relaxing day tomorrow! Sleep well!

xxxxMJV&O

 Explaining how to get your puppy started on the right paw!

Food obsession 

 Ignoring temptations!

Getting over the toy obsession

Day 379 - Film Roll A & HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY BABY!!!

I think it goes without saying that Jaco & I aren't morning people. This morning we had to be at the recital hall by 0830 if we wanted to get a seat. As usual, we were about 15 minutes late. Luckily we were still able to score decent seats. The morning of films were incredible. We watched:

1. As It Happens - 16 minutes long. 2 young fellows climb a massive peak in Nepal & put together video segments that were uploaded online via satellite & viewers from around the globe could watch 'live' as their expedition unfolded. (We saw the after effects blended into this film)
2. Tibet: Murder In The Snow - 51 minutes long. Wow. This was a shocking film. A Romanian videographer captured horrifying events as they unfolded. 75 Tibetans attempted to cross the border through a high mountain pass & flee from the restrictions of life under Chinese rule. Unfortunately they were spotted by Chinese border patrol & to the horror of the climbers at the base camp, they witnessed events they would never have expected. The Chinese border patrol open fired on the Tibetans. Injuring several helpless people & killing a 17 year old Nun. The film showed a Chinese Official later saying on the news that the border patrol was simply doing what it had to do in order to protect China's borders. Shocking! I'll think twice the next time I pick up something 'Made In China'. Sad. Very sad.
3. The Fall Line - 13 minutes long. This short film featured a former US soldier whose legs were blown off in an attack in Iraq. Learning to deal with no legs & 2 small children was a difficult adjustment (!), however, he has found life on the ski hill! With special equipment, he has been able to learn to ski & is competing in the 2010 Paralympics in Whistler, BC. What a story!
4. Crossing The Ditch - 54 minutes long. This was our last film before our lunch break. It was one of my favourites. Two young Aussie lads attempt to cross the Tasman sea from Australia to New Zealand. It is a 2200 km stretch of some of the most treacherous waters in the world. They were humourous, despite their serious struggles to accomplish this feat in a kayak. Well done Justin & James!

For lunch we were going to meet up with Karen, but when we did finally meet her, she had met someone who was sitting on the panel with Greg Mortenson. Who's that? The fellow who wrote Three Cups of Tea & Stones Into Schools. Karen is a Teacher & she loves humanitarian issues. You go girl! We'll see you tomorrow for lunch!

Jaco & I were exhausted, but we didn't have time for a nap. We ended up at the St. James Pub & had DELICIOUS turkey, brie, & strawberry sandwiches with hot soup. Luckily they also had big cushy chairs for us to relax in. Those sandwiches were SO YUMMY!!!

We motored back to the film festival & settled in for our afternoon viewings. Here's what the afternoon held for us:
5. Into Darkness - 15 minutes long. The world of caving. Wow. This one was a little claustrophobic for me. A few fellows took us on a journey into the underworld & there were definitely a few tight squeezes! Of course, there were some incredible open rooms with beautiful stalactites & incredible colours & formations.
6. Wolverine: Chasing The Phantom - 54 minutes long. This was also a favourite film. I knew very little about the Wolverine prior to watching this film. They are really amazing animals! Their legs are 10" long & they weigh around 30 lbs. Yet, they can cover distances & climb heights in record time. They also share incredible family bonds. Absolutely fascinating. I hope you get the chance to watch this film.
7. Scottish Ice Trip: Looking For Nessie - 26 minutes long. This film had a fair bit of French & Scottish humour in it. It was filmed in Scotland on Ben Nevis during a snowstorm, which is apparently the ideal condition for climbing. They are not allowed to use bolts, so it makes for an interesting climb. A fun film.
8. Tuzgle - 21 minutes long. Filmed in northern Argentina, one Swiss climber (the only female) & 9 French climbers travel into a remote area filled with giant boulders perfect for climbing. Crazy things happen under the scorching heat of the Argentinian sun!
9. Seconds - 5 minutes long. Similar to the film we saw at the Snow Show, this one features a camera that captures 1000 frames per second, giving you an very in-depth, detailed view of various sports. Very cool perspective.
10. Mountains: Life In Thin Air - 60 minutes long. This was filmed by the BBC as part of their 'planet' series. It was about humans living in remote mountain regions & how they have overcome the obstacles of living in these isolated areas. We saw Kazak hunters who use eagles to help them hunt. We saw an eagle take down a fox! In New Guinea they hunt & eat bats. Yes, I gagged the entire way through that one! In Nepal (I think) they don't have a burial ground for their deceased & in order to avoid disease, they cut up the dead & allow vultures to eat the corpse. This was not a movie for the faint at heart!!!

This was the day of films! We left the recital hall & returned to the hotel room. Jaco rested while I went out to pick up some dinner & last minute presents for the most wonderful husband on the planet. :o) I nearly missed dinner, as we had to head back to the Banff Centre to see the Wild Water program. Yes, more movies! My butt was permanently numb by the end of the day! This evening, we watched:
1. Eastern Rises - 38 minutes long. This was my favourite film of the so far. It was filmed in the Kamchatka region of Russia - Eastern Russia. It was a film about fly fishing. I don't fish. But this film rocked. It had stunning scenery & gut busting humour. I wished it was 2 hours long instead of 38 minutes! Brilliant!
2. The Ultimate Ride: Steve Fisher - 59 minutes long. This crazy South African takes us on a kayak ride of the Zambezi river when it is at a record height. I think he must be insane. I can't stand being in water that's moving, especially if I can't see the bottom! We're talking whitewater, ridiculous rapids & life risking moments. I think I shook for most of the movie!
3. WildWater - 30 minutes long. The final (!) film of the day depicted why kayakers love what they do. Beautiful scenery, being in nature & of course, the odd adrenaline rush every now & then. I'm still not convinced to try it, but it certainly was beautiful!

A little worse for wear, we headed back to the hotel finally settled in for the night. We didn't take long to crash. What a full day! Tomorrow we'll do it all over again!

 Mountain Air!

Justin Beaver spotted in Banff! 

 Big stick!!

Worn & ragged from our marathon of films! Happy Birthday Babe!!!

Day 378 - Fire. Again.

This afternoon I was planning on zipping into Bragg Creek to order a replacement driver's license, as I seriously can't remember where I last saw my old one. Of course, I JUST missed the gal who is in charge of licensing. Okay. I guess it's off to Calgary I go. I stopped to pick up the mail before I left. There was a parcel card. The clerk told me she needed to see my driver's license in order to hand over the parcel. I laughed. I told her I didn't have one because the gal had left early. I offered a passport, but she told me I'd need a utility bill to accompany my passport! I guess the parcel will wait until Monday when Mom can pick it up.

On my way to Calgary, on the 22x just west of Red Deer Lake School, I could see smoke. Then fire. No fire trucks. Why did I leave my cell phone at home today!!?? The traffic was slowing down & as I approached I could see the flames high on the left side of the eastbound lane. There were also smaller flames on the right side. There was a house not 20 yards from the right side flames. As I slowly drove 'through' the fire (no fire on the pavement) I couldn't believe it. I could FEEL the heat intensely inside the cab. I had changed the ventilation to recycle inside the cab, so I knew it wasn't from that! SCARY!!! Shortly after I passed through the 'ring of fire' I saw a motorhome on the side of the road. It was towing an SUV with the front left wheel completely destroyed. The driver was pouring water on the wheel & it was still smoking. CRAZY!!! I was pretty spooked! As soon as I got to AMA, I called 911 & thankfully they had received a lot of calls already. The crazy part was when I drove home 1.5 - 2 hours later, the fire department & police were still on site. The flames had really spread & burned a long distance! I was amazed! Thankfully the house didn't burn! What a scary thing! I'm certainly afraid of fire now!!!

Meanwhile, back at the AMA, I sported the blonde wig for my new driver's license... Tee hee hee... I feel like a spy or International Agent. I love it! My real hair is pretty much toast. I have little bits & pieces here & there & it's been quite sore this past week. I'm not sure why. Maybe it's aching to fall out?

I picked up a few small things for Jaco's birthday tomorrow & boogied home. We left for Banff shortly after & drove through a little rain near Canmore. Unfortunately we were too late to stop at the Rocky Mountain Bagel shop. Hopefully on the way home! Mmmm!!!

Our hotel room is REALLY NICE! I was a bit worried, as the photos online didn't do it much justice, but it's very nice! I'm kicking myself that I didn't sign up for their points program when I went to Mexico, as I would have had 29 days the first trip, 17 the second & now these few days here! Oh well. Live & learn!

We had a little nibble at Magpie & Stump & then drove up to the Banff Centre to check out the recital hall we need to be at tomorrow morning at 0900. It's going to be an early/long day! Yikes!!!

Tomorrow is Jaco's birthday, so I'm excited to treat him to dinner! What a lucky girl I am. Such a handsome man with such a handsome personality. It's like it's my birthday & not his!!!

We're also meeting my friend Karen for lunch tomorrow. She called yesterday & said she was coming through Calgary & wanted to meet up. I called her back to tell her we wouldn't be home because we were going to the Film Festival. She phoned me back to tell me she was going to the Film Festival too! We're meeting after our morning films to have a visit! Awesome!

On that, I'm off to bed! It's an early start tomorrow! Sleep well!
xxxxMaria & Jaco

 Just in case Jaco hogs the blankets.

 Magpie & Stump

Day 376 - Banff Mountain Film Festival

Today was MUCH better than yesterday. Although I drank some eggnog (1st of the season!) last night & I think I'm officially lactose intolerant. Super headache all day from the moment I woke up. Thanks for that!

Jaco had a dental appointment in Black Diamond, so I dropped him off at Absolute Dentistry & then made my stops at Bluerock Gallery, Stirr & the gas station. Bluerock had some amazing butterflies in - just like the ones I picked up in Panama. Well worth checking out! And Stirr was busy unpacking Christmas goodies & all sorts of other exciting new kitchen gadgetry! And the new knife rack looks freakin' amazing! Wowser! (Did I mention that their website is up & running & they used my photos!? Yep. Pretty excited about that too!)

Jaco was finished his appointment rather early, so I thought I would see if I could introduce him to Dr. Dowdall (for the 3rd attempt), but lo & behold, he'd just left the office. Go figure. I think he's running away on purpose! As we were leaving the clinic, this old timer stops Jaco & asks him about the 'Fitch - Fighting Moose' slogan on his shirt. Clearly the former Scotsman just wanted to visit. We stood on the street for a good 15 minutes listening to this fellow recant the days gone by. He was 21 years old when he crossed the Atlantic from Liverpool to Montréal & the Captain sailed right over an iceberg & this fellow's cabin was right by the hull. Then he took a train from Montréal to Calgary. Now he wants to take a train from Calgary to Vancouver so he can say he's traveled all the way across Canada. Oh & his Scottish cabin mate's sister moved to Galveston, TX & traveled to Canada, but got lost & ended up in his driveway to ask directions! They'd never met, but got talking (I can see how now!) & put the puzzle together. He was quite the character. I'm sure we could have filled the rest of the day with stories. He's going for knee surgery tomorrow. He had his hip replaced, but fell & now needs the knee repaired. He hugged me good-bye when I told him we had to go. Jaco got a firm handshake. I love these moments in life!

We sped, I mean, drove the speed limit home & quickly changed clothes & left for Banff. We were off to the Snow Show tonight. The Banff Mountain Film Festival is currently underway & we took advantage of tonight's show. It was amazing! I have never tried snowboarding & I haven't skied since I was 18 & that was at Elkwater - hardly the mountains! This was incredible! I'm sure it's a lot tougher than it looks, but I was encouraged to give it a go! If you get the chance - check out Deeper & Sherpas Cinema's Chimaera. The best 2 films of the night. Deeper features Jeremy Jones. A crazy guy who freerides in ANTARCTICA. Wow. In any case, I think I fell in love with Banff all over again. Hmm... maybe there's a Doctor's job in Banff. Don't they have a photography program at the Banff Centre? Hmm...

It's now really late & I'm sacked. This was a WAY better day than yesterday. Yesterday was fire. Today was ice. Well, at least a lot of snow.

xxxxMJV&O

Enjoying tea & soup at Maple Leaf in Banff 

View from the cozy chair. 

Intermission at the Film Festival.