Club Events 2009
| 2009-01-01: COC - Grotto Canyon Ice Hike | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| It was a perfect outing for New Year's Day... not too early, not too long, and a great group! When we got to the parking lot, we met up with a group of folks from Tampa, Florida, who had tried to do the hike but missed that right-hand-turn and didn't find the canyon. So, we invited them to join us for a second attempt. There was Fernando, Debbie and Mark, and we had a LOT of fun showing off our lovely little canyon. We even had extra cleats to lend two of them, even though cleats weren't absolutely required yet. On the trek in, Debbie (Florida) shed her enormous furry black coat and left it laying on the side of the trail. The three visitors left the canyon before us and hiked out. As we were hiking out, Brent stopped to talk to a couple who were hiking in. They told him their story about hiking in and coming around the corner only to spot a large black furry thing on the side of the trail. They thought it was a bear, so they turned around and high-tailed it out of the canyon. Before they'd left the parking lot, though, our Florida friends hiked out... with Debbie, of course, wearing the \"bear\"! So, the two decided the trail was safe and went back in. Although we had a great time and it was a beautiful trip, I was disappointed with the small amount of ice in the canyon. I recommend waiting 'til later in the season... maybe Feb or Mar. -- Rhonda | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009-01-03: COC - Easy Snowshoe 1, 2 or 3-pack (depending) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| When we arrived at Mt. Norquay, it was a balmy (yikes!) -27C. Standing in the parking lot for five minutes I thought my fingers were going to shatter from the cold and I didn't know how much (if any) snow shoeing we'd do today. After a quick warm-up in the chalet, however, and adding heat packs to my mitts and boots, we were off and had a perfectly lovely day. Stoney Squaw is a GREAT winter trail. Easy and beautiful, although snow shoes might not necessarily be required. After Stoney Squaw, with dwindling daylight and energy, we opted to do a nice little walk around Cascade Pond (near Lake Minnewanka) sans snow shoes (except for one member who wanted to get his rental money worth). Thanks to all who came out and braved the cold temps with us... surprisingly, I think my \"low temperature threshold\" has actually been lowered. I would go out in these conditions again, definitely! -- Rhonda | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009-01-05: COC - Backpack/ Hike/XC-Ski Winter Conditioning - New Year Resolutions Eh? | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009-01-06: COC - Confederation Park Last Gasp at Lights Night Ski | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Had a great quick ski and went for coffee after. Thanks to Rhonda for taking photos! | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009-01-17: COC - Chester Lake + Elephant Rocks | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Oh, woe to all those who bailed because of the warm temperatures. Our slush fears did not come to pass... rather, we had an absolutely glorious day of snow shoeing in warm temperatures, and breathtaking scenery. Check out the pics to see what you missed. -- Rhonda | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009-01-18: CCC - Music Appreciation Afternoon | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Arrive at 3:00PM for introductions and to get settled in. We'll start the music at 3:30 with a quick round-robin to introduce our songs, then we'll listen to the music selections (sorry, but to avoid interruption if you are later than 3:30, the door buzzer will be shut off and you won't be able to get in). \n My apartment is small, and the atmosphere casual. We'll be sitting or laying around the living room while we listen. Bring a pillow or cushion if you like for maximum comfiness.\n Everyone must contribute 8-12 minutes of music for the evening.
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| 2009-01-24: CCC - So I Married an Axe Murderer / Robbie Burns Party | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Second Annual \"So I Married an Axe Murderer\" theme Robbie Burns party hosted by our own Dave Neuf's band, Sweet Potato. \n\n Dress as your favorite character - there will be prizes for best costumes.\n\n Please drink responsibly and don't drive!\n\n If you're on the waiting list, send your payment in before the cutoff to get on the list! Our tickets have now been purchased. If you're on the waiting list, the only way to join the group will be if someone drops out.\n\n Yes, they will be playing AC-DC's \"A long way to the top\"... with bagpipes! A very fun night hosted by Sweet Potato (Dave Neufeld's band). There was an awesome piper, a fabulous Address to the Haggis delivered by our very own David Somerville, and Jorinda (as \"Head\"/William) and her Huge Pillow took the prize for best costume. Several attendees had the honor and pleasure of trying haggis for the first time, and it was declared to be \"not vile\".\n Bob the Fish was a good venue for the party, and it was fun to catch up with Trevor Liss from the COC (who, it seems to have become a tradition, is only seen now at the Sweet Potato Robbie Burns party... and btw... contrats to Trevor on his marriage). The only disappointment was that there were very few people in costume. Hopefully more will get into the spirit next year.\n Thanks to Dave and Sweet Potato for a wonderful night, and to all who came out!\n -- Rhonda and Brent (aka \"May\" and \"Stuart\") | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009-02-04: COC - Newbie Rollerblading/skating at Lloyd's Rollercade - Boogie Nights! | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009-02-05: COC - Ice Skating - Bowness Lagoon | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Another absolutely beautiful evening to be out on Bowness Lagoon! Thanks for coming everyone, see you next time. Duane | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009-02-06: CCC - Dinner And A Book Club (Bloodletting and Miraculous Cures @ Indochine Bistro) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Come, enjoy dinner and talk about Vincent Lam's (2005) \"Bloodletting and Miraculous Cures\". . . okay may not be appetizing with dinner . . The book is in paperback and is available at the public library. Dinner was fine, service wasn't very good. The server was nice but forgot to bring an appie and desert and then had some significant mixup in the bills. The discussion as usually was lively about the book and a vast mix of other topics. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009-02-21: CCC - World of Wheels, and Young@Heart | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| CCC - World of Wheels (custom car show at the Roundup Centre)\n Attend the World of Wheels car and hot rod show at the Round-up Centre. \n\n
You're not required to stick with the group the whole time but you should plan on meeting back up with the group at the time indicated above. Ticket and event information:\nhttp://www.autorama.com/casi/show/spectator/calgary.html\n So many amazing cars and trucks to view at this show and who even knew there's a \"Fiero Owners Club of Calgary\" club...I guess there's a little something for someone everywhere. If you get out to this show in the future then hopefully you'll have and chance to stroll along with Brent or Werner and learn about the interesting vehicles they or their friends have owned. I gotta find me a Rambler (thanks for the tip Brent!) CCC - Young@Heart Documentary at Cardel - Expect the Unexpected\n \nMeet at 2:00pm Movie starts at 2:30 p.m.\n \nYoung@Heart is a New England senior citizens chorus that has delighted audiences worldwide with their covers of songs by everyone from The Clash to Coldplay. Based in Northampton, Massachusetts, the group is made up of two dozen spirited seniors who specialize in reinterpreting rock, punk and R & B classics from a unique perspective. Their lineup includes former schoolteachers, executives, doctors and food service workers, and the chorus is guided by their longtime director Bob Cilman. With less than two months to go until a one night only concert in their hometown, the performers struggle with the new lyrics and unfamiliar melodies of seven new songs. Official Web Site.\n We saw this film in the theatre several months ago, and I cannot stress enough how FANTASTIC it is. Their choir master chooses songs for them that completely warp the meaning of the song when it is sung by a group of seniors. I especially love the chorus' rendition of: \n I Wanna Be Sedated\n Another favorite: Road to Nowhere\n And another: Golden Years\n Here's the trailer\n \n* Eat before you arrive. \n \nYou may bring bottled/container of water for drinking in the theatre.ONLY WATER IS ALLOWED!\nPlease do not leave any bottle/containers in the theatre afterwards.\n \n* No food is permitted in the theatre.*\n \n * There are three large tables, a serving bar and two fridges for your use. \n \n * Alcohol is not permitted.\n \n* Smoking is not permitted on the premises, including the parking lot. \n \n* Parking is available in the Cardel Homes parking lot and along 12th Street. \n I loved this film the first time I saw it (with CCC, of course), and seeing it for the second time didn't diminish the enjoyment. In fact, I think I enjoyed it even more for sharing it with a great group of CCC members who weren't shy about laughing, crying and clapping (in all the right places). Thanks to all who came out. :)\n -- Rhonda | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009-02-24: COC - XC Ski at West Bragg Creek | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| We are happy to report about 10 cm of powder on West Bragg trails. This made, the sun prone areas of Iron Springs very satisfactory. Ski poles striking ice confirm that it was a nightmare before this snowfall. Sundog Loop and Elbow Trail were in excellent condition! | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009-02-28: EOC - Snowshoe and Skate Party | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| There was a bite to the air today, and I was disappointed that the hut was locked (except for the bathrooms) which put a bit of a cramp in the \"party\" part of today's event. But, six hearty EOCers perservered and we skated for a bit, then had a \"tailgate party\" to enjoy some hot chocolate a'la Brent. After hot chocolate, we put on the snow shoes and bushwhacked over to the golf course. Climbed the big hill where we rediscovered the wind, and returned back down to bushwhack our way back to our cars. We finished off the event with a trip to Tim Horton's for coffee and snacks. Thanks to everyone for coming out and for being gentle on the newbie coordinator. -- Rhonda from Calgary | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009-03-03: COC - Canmore Nordic Centre Evening Ski | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009-03-05: CCC - First Thursday - Art Central | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| * Join us for First Thursday at Art Central. This is a monthly event which runs the first Thursday of each month. \n \n Join us for a Swinging First Thursday on March 5 with live music by the Polyjesters, Swing Dance Calgary, an improvised comedy soap opera, exhibition openings and much more! \n\n This event is free and, after the event we may go for a beverage, to wind down after all the excitement of the day and to discuss what we enjoyed most.\n\n For more information on First Thursday and Art Central visit their website: www.artcentral.ca\n\n | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009-03-06: COC - Backyard Envy and The Strathcona Ravine , SW | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| We started out right at 6pm - the light of the evening stayed with us right until the end. It will be nice to have those long evenings back! We saw 3 deer on the Strathcona/Christie Ravine, then 5 more hidden in the trees. Mainly does, some just 2 years old. A nice treat! Thanks to all who came out - see you again another time! | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009-03-07: COC - Penstock Loop - Slow Pace | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sometimes the days that don't go quite as planned are the best kind. We started off from the Info Center, crossing the road and hooking onto the Canyon Trail which leads to Penstock Loop. Nice little trail through the trees; nothing really remarkable. We started out counter-clockwise around Penstock Loop, and soon took the unofficial viewpoint detour to the right to go see the ice formations on the penstock. One GPS-wielding hiker (a prominent volunteer who shall remain nameless *cough*Ed*cough*) believed that if we continued along the unofficial trail that we would hook back onto Penstock Loop Trail. That turned out to be not the case, though, and we looped around the penstock, down the hill to the power station and ended up coming out onto the Smith Dorrion just north of Pocaterra. A group concensus had us head south to \"bushwhack\" our way back to the info center instead of heading north to hook back onto Penstock Loop Trail. A stop for a snack in the Pocaterra Hut was a lovely surprise, and then bushwhacking from there back to the info center which was actually more of an exercise in snow-whacking and pavement-whacking. Thanks to the great group for their fun spirit - it was a fantastic day... and always remember and don't ever forget... whatever happens in carpool stays in carpool. Especially if it involves suffering hot chocolate in the orgy car. -- Rhonda | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009-03-11: COC - FREE Course -- Remote Responder First-Aid & Backcountry Emergencies | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009-03-12: CCC - Spontaneous MAN (Music Appreciation Night) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| M.A.N. = Music Appreciation Night.\n Arrive at 6:00PM for introductions and to get settled in. We'll start the music selections at 6:30. We will have a round-robin in which everyone will introduce their music, and then we'll listen to the music, eat, drink and be merry. \n My apartment is small, and the atmosphere casual. We'll be sitting or laying around the living room while we listen. Bring a pillow or cushion if you like for maximum comfiness. First person to arrive will have to help me fold up my futon so it is a \"couch\" instead of a \"bed\". \n Everyone must contribute 6-10 minutes of music for the evening. If the evening has a “theme” (listed in the title), you should (but don’t have to) bring music that fits your interpretation of the theme. Many of our themes are DELIBERATELY ambiguous for maximum creativity! | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009-03-16: COC - Beginner Road Ride - The Flats | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| With the lingering winter conditions, this was definitely an early season ride. There's still quite a bit of snow and ice on the roads, and some lingering on the paths as well, especially in shaded areas. Most of us rode the whole distance, with three of us turning around a bit early due to equipment freezing (brakes and shifters). A very enjoyable evening, and a milestone for a few of us who are new to riding with clips. Thanks to all the hardy souls who joined me. :) -- Rhonda | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009-03-19: COC - Lake O'Hara Fire Road - Slow Pace | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| I have waited five years to do this trip, and now I've finally done it. I couldn't have asked for a better day - great conditions and great companions. The trip was, as promised, pretty much up-hill all the way in, and down-hill all the way out, but most of the elevation is in the first kilometer and the last four kilometers. The in-between part is flat with some bumps. Thanks to Gord and Jim for building the awesome fire, to David for rescuing me from the spruce trap, to Val for rescuing me from my wax issues, and to Gord for being the rescuer-of-all-trades for the day. -- Rhonda | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009-03-21: COC - Edworthy Park to Fish Creek and Back (slow pace) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| It started out a fantastic day, and I was fortunate to have both Jake and James on the event to take care of the Speedy Speedersons while Brent and I \"swept\". Yeah, that's why I ride in the back, it's just to \"sweep\". We made great time to Inglewood Bird Sanctuary, and all made it there around the same time in spite of getting separated at some detours. You gotta like when a plan comes together. After Inglewood, though, we started running into fairly significant patches of snow on the path which made it really challenging going for most of us, and practically impossible for those with slicks. After about a kilometer of that, two people (with slicks) decided to turn back, and not too long after the rest of us did as well due to continuing worsening of the path conditions. We decided to high-tail it on back the way we came in hopes of catching back up with Jake and Susan which some of us (yes, the Speedy Speedersons) did. The plan was to head back to Edworthy and then keep going west along into Beaumont Park, but once we hung around at Angel's for a while, enjoying some ice cream and hot dogs, the group disbanded and poor James was left to continue the event on his own. Our total trip (not James', though) was about 36km. Thanks to everyone who came out - it was a fantastic early season ride. -- Rhonda | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009-03-22: CCC - Geek MAN (Music Appreciation Nooner) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Arrive at 2:00PM for introductions and to get settled in. We'll \nstart the music at 2:30 with a quick round-robin to introduce our \nsongs, then we'll listen to the music selections (sorry, but to \navoid interruption if you are later than 2:30, the door buzzer will \nbe shut off and you won't be able to get in). \n My apartment is small, and the atmosphere casual. \nWe'll be sitting or laying around the living room while we listen. \nBring a pillow or cushion if you like for maximum comfiness.\n Everyone must contribute 8-12 minutes of music for \nthe event. Definitely a MAN for the history books! It was awesome to have John back at MAN after a long haitus, and Tim was cool and quiet as ever. Anna-Lisa made an appearance from Italy, and Ryan was oh-so-mysterious with his ever-present self-satisfied smirk. Our four virtual-attendees aside, we had a fantastic time, especially with Em's propellor beanie. Most of us embraced the beanie, although Jeff kept it at arm's (or leg's) length. Perhaps he just hasn't had time to fully realize his geekiness, although he's not really fooling anyone since he submitted \"Time Becomes\". Thanks to all - it was one of my favorite MANs of all time.\n\n \n
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| 2009-03-24: COC - First Aid / Survival Kit Show and Tell | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009-04-01: EOC, CCC and COC April Fool's Events | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| COC - Newbie Rollerblading/skating at Lloyd's Rollercade - It's April Fool's Day! Fun Time! COC - Trail Maintenance/Development: Tunnel to China\n Take a Journey Through the Earth thanks to Marg M! Commentary:
Pre-Event Comments:
Guests:
COC - Rappel Off The Calgary Tower with Outdoorphil EOC - Trail Maintenance/Development: Tunnel to China (with COC)\n Pre-Event Comments:
Follow-Up Comments:
EOC - Alligator Wrestling \n We had an excellent turn-out for the EOC's first Alligator Wrestling night! Our host, Pilar Tolo of Pilar Tolo's Reptile Sanctuary (located on the outskirts of Edmonton), had a large menagerie of tame alligators that we had a chance to wrestle. We had numerous EOC members present, not to mention dozens of children, including ten new adoptees lovingly purchased on eBay by Bryan. These kids had a lovely opportunity to play with the baby alligators, while their parents had their turn in the ring with the alligators. We also had literally hundreds of dogs present. We must admit that we were a little confused about why Mae decided to bring so many dogs with her for an alligator wrestling night (101 ... and all Dalmation puppies!) - there were so many that she needed to rent a large van. Mae was not the only member who brought dogs, as Donna brought one, and Christine brought ten more. We asked our new Director of Safety and Equipment (Bryan) for some tips and advice, in advance of our trip. He provided us with the following valuable advice. We were glad to learn this wasn't something he's learned through personal experience. Some comments from our guests before arrival: - Apparently it does, because Rhonda owned the ring when she had her chance. - Mysteriously, Donna's dog, Rex, wasn't at her side by the end of the evening. We assume she returned Rex to her car. - Apparently not, although there were lots and lots of crocodile shoes for sale. - Experience does count apparently. While Larry had one gator in a headlock, he took down another with a full nelson. Good job Larry!! All in all a good night. And we only lost 3 EOC members to alligator mauling (good thing they signed the waiver!). We hope everybody had a Happy April Fools Day! Glad you got to join in the fun! And - if anyone ever wants to really try out alligator wrestling, here are some tips. CCC - Cross-Culture Body Adornment\n Join body adornment expert, Avril Gudgeon, to have your body modified to celebrate global body adornment. Choices include:\n - Lip Plate\n - Neck Rings\n - Body Piercing\n - Branding\n - Eyeball Tattooing\n Don't feel like you have to stop at just one! A brand on the cheek partnered with a lip plate is quite fashionable.\n See my previous April Fools Day Events:\n - Make Your Culture Club Experience Complete! Meet Boy George!\n Pre-Event Comments:\n
Guests:\n
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| 2009-04-04: COC - Back Side of Blueberry Hill - SLOW PACE | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| We used Ed's GPS track instead of Marko's route, thank goodness, because it was actually a fairly easy climb (ok, relatively speaking) to the top of Blueberry Hill. We had blue skies, warm temperatures, and great snow conditions. After the long journey up, we lunched at the picnic tables, and then \"bum-ogganned\" down to Upper Kananskis Lake and took the Elk Pass Connector trail back to the parking lot. What a great day! This was my favorite trip to Blueberry Hill so far. Thanks to all who came out. -- Rhonda | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009-04-05: COC - Bowmont Park to ?? - Slow Pace | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| We started off heading west through Bowmont Park, continued to Stoney Trail, then headed north into some neighborhoods, up to Dalhousie Station where we stopped for a break at Chapters/Starbuck's. Continuing on, we were planning on heading to Confederation Park, but an equipment malfunction within a few hundred meters of the cars brought and early end to the event. We did about 23km, with lots of hills, a bit of snow and ice, some cold wind, some sun, and lots of awesome company. Thanks to everyone who came out, -- Rhonda | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009-04-11: EOC - Pigeon Lake Circuit - Slow Pace | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| This was the first time for either of us doing this trip, and aside from wishing we had some people join us, we had a wonderful day! Rather than cancel the event off the calendar (like I did with our events from a couple weeks ago where we also had no takers), I figured I would leave the event on the calendar and do a write-up and photos so that folks can see what we're doing and maybe we'll be able to get some of you to come join us in future! We started at AJ's Trading Post (the Tempo Station) at the intersection of Highway 778 and Highway 616 and went west for a counter-clockwise trip around the lake. Since Brent has a mountainbike and I had a hybrid, we weren't shy about checking out some different roads and rather than stick with the highway (borrrrring) we followed the small lakeshore roads whenever possible. The lake was still frozen, with some spots of open water, and we were surprised to see how many ice fishers (and vehicles) there still were out on the ice! We ventured off the highway early in our journey and took Lakeshore Dr through Itaska Beach, Sundance Beach and Mission Beach before heading back out onto the highway. This is a great route for bikes and people, but not so great for a car since the road is blocked in several places with barriers that have person/bike-sized foot-paths. We followed the highway around and to the Pigeon Lake Provincial Park where we stopped for a little break. Then, we continued on and followed Lakeview Dr through Poplar Bay, Grandview and Crystal Springs. Back up to the highway then, and headed in to Ma-Me-O Beach. After Ma-Me-O Beach, we had our only unpleasant time for the day. Following all of our lakeshore successes, we decided to take the lakeshore road again from Ma-Me-O Beach, but we didn't realize that we were getting ourselves into gravel, gravel, and more gravel-ville. After a few kilometers, we stopped and consulted my trusty iPhone to find out how much more gravel we were in for, and it looked like we'd be done in just a short distance beyond. Alas, the intersection we were aiming for had nothing but gravel in all directions. By that point, we were halfway through the gravel in every direction, so to backtrack was pointless and we decided to move on forward knowing that our next intersection was the definitely-paved highway. It was a pretty gruelling experience with lots of deep, soft gravel that wanted to suck you in and throw you off your bike more than it wanted to let you proceed, and when we reached the highway just outside of Mulhurst Bay, we were pretty happy to see the pavement! A quick jaunt into Mulhurst Bay where we found Joe's. The staff were great and plopped a couple of chairs out onto their patio-cum-storage area so we could enjoy our beers outside instead of in the stuffy bar. After leaving Mulhurst Bay, we had an easy ride back up to the highway and over to the car. We will be doing this trip again later in the season - we have a great route mapped out now. We're going to start (and end) at Joe's, go the same direction around the lake, and skip the gruelling gravel section and instead use Hwy 780 for a slightly longer but much more civilized experience! -- Rhonda | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009-04-12: EOC - WEM to Clifford E Lee Nature Area (slow pace) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| I wasn't sure how I'd feel setting out today after yesterday's trip around Pigeon Lake, but I felt surprisingly good and the ride today was great! I think this conditioning/training thing might actually be working! Brent and I set out as planned and had an easy ride out to Clifford E Lee Nature Area (the first 10km were kinda tough, but who remembers that). Right on time, Cam and Ann Marie (from Calgary) showed up to meet us at the park and we all enjoyed a snack together. After the snack, we headed out and enjoyed a lovely ride along the secondary roads back towards Edmonton. Cam and Ann Marie had an Easter engagement, so they only rode with us as far as the top of the rise (not hill) on Winterburn Rd before they turned back. Returning to town, of course, the BEER! Yay for beer! A fantastic event today, and hopefully we'll start getting some actual Edmontonians out for our rides sometime soon. -- Rhonda | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009-04-17: CCC - Maritime Night | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Maritime Night\n Where 2625 78 Ave. SE\n Ogden Legion Branch 154\n\n Doors open at 6:00 pm Dinner at 7:30, April 17 2009\n\n Dinner is Atlantic Cod and Chips with Newfoundland Dressing\n\n Music is Prairie Schooner & The Dorymates\n\n $30:00 for non-members\n $25:00 for members\n\n Cash bar\n\n Tickets at the door, no advance tickets\n\n Please meet your coordinators near the door between 6:00 and 6:30. We will be looking around expectantly waiting for you, and Rhonda will have a CCC sign. If you're going to be later than 6:30, please call and let us know, otherwise it is your responsibility to find us inside the venue. If you don't, you'll get a no-show - don't take a spot on the event if you're not serious about joining us! Well, sometimes the best laid plans...\n James called the Legion twice to ask about tickets for Maritime Night. He was told tickets only at the door. We showed up at the door tonight, and \"oh, the event has been sold out for a month\". Uh-oh....\n Mimoza and Tracy ended up getting two available tickets. Karen P, Lynn, Joel, Carine and James and I ended up going to Hillhurst Sunnyside Community Center where we saw Caerd, and a guy who's name I do not know, and presumably (since I left early), \"Toad on the Ceiling\". The remainder decided to find something else to do for the evening.\n Us of the \"Plan B\" group (Hillhurst/Sunnyside) had a fantastic time, in spite of the notable shortage of meat pies and sausage rolls. Caerd were wonderful.\n Thanks to all who came out, and to everyone for their patience with the \"Gong Show\" of the night. Thanks to James for gathering us this evening, even if it didn't work out the way you hoped. And thanks to Joel for having an awesome back-up plan in his back pocket!\n -- Rhonda | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009-04-18: COC - Edworthy to Chestermere Return, and CCC - MAN | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| COC - Edworthy to Chestermere Return (Slow Pace - 16km/hour avg) We set off for a fantastic day with high spirits and great weather conditions and we were not disappointed. We soon split into a fast group with Lori taking charge (thanks Lori!). We had equal numbers - 6 in the fast group, and 6 in my group. The fast group did wait for us at several junctions, but we got our wires crossed going into Ogden and ended up with my pokey group going around the fast group as they waited for us in a spot that we never passed. So we got to wait for them at Glenmore Inn before we all met up again. The second leg of our journey out, from Glenmore Inn to Chestermere, saw us with a flat tire needing to be changed in the pokey group, so by the time we made it to Chestermere, four of the fast group were ready to head back into town. We bid them adieu and then continued into Chestermere to the little park to enjoy our lunch. After lunch we meandered back to town, climbing a few \"wind hills\" as we went. Four more split off again, leaving just Brent, Lynn, Mike and I in the \"official\" group (ie. the one with the coordinator in it), and woe to the others because we stopped for a lemonade break with lemonade provided by a couple of young trail-side entrepreneurs, and at The Barley Mill in Eau Claire for a beer on the patio. A few more \"wind hills\" greeted us on our last few kms back to Edworthy, but we felt great and happy to have done the trip! Thanks to all who came out, to Lori for helping with route selection and fast group, and to Robin for managing the radio communication on the fast group end for the first half of the trip. -- Rhonda CCC - \"Politically Incorrect Two\" Themed Music Appreciation Night\n YAY!! It's back... the second annual Politically Incorrect Themed MAN. Woohoo!!\n Arrive anytime from 6:30PM for introductions and to get settled in. I plan to begin by 7:00 pm. We should have two CDs of approximately 80 minutes of music each (12 people times 12 minutes of music). We will have a round-robin for each person to introduce their music and then we’ll listen. The atmosphere will be casual and there will be a \"formal\" break between CDs. \n Politically Incorrect Music is music with \"politically incorrect\" content by virtue of either the language used or the subject matter.\n We'll be sitting or laying around the living room while we listen. Bring a pillow or cushion for maximum comfiness if you like to lay on the floor.\n Everyone must contribute 8-12 minutes of music for the evening. This evening's theme is Politically Incorrect Music and for \"this\" MAN you must submit music that fits your interpretation of this theme. \n Since this is a POLITICALLY INCORRECT music night, please DO NOT register for it if you are easily offended!\n There is a kitty who helps me host this event. If you have allergies, this may not be the event for you.\n | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009-04-22: EOC - Brent's Stupid Hill Training | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| It was cold and windy tonight, there's no doubt, but four of us (thanks, Brian and Christine for joining us) braved it anyway. I was the wimpiest, completing three whole circuits (six hills), but I'm pleased and proud to say that I never stopped part-way up any of the hills (a milestone for me). Brent and Brian both did four times each (or maybe Brian did five, I'm not sure), but Christine took the prize with at least six circuits that I counted. Wow... Woman of Steel award for her! -- Rhonda | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009-04-25: COC and EOC - Drumheller Road Cycle Tour | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| A fantastic event, and a great group! I was quite happy that with people coming in from Calgary and Edmonton, people coming in on Friday, people coming in on Saturday, and people coming in on Sunday, everyone showed up on time and rarin' to go! On Saturday, we headed east out of Drumheller with a bit of a head wind. We stopped to check out the hoodoos and then continued on out to East Coulee. We checked out the Atlas Coal Mine and then continued on up the remainder of the paved highway into the hills. Where the road turned to gravel, we stopped for a quick break and then turned around to retrace our route. Unfortunately, the wind shifted and we were stuck riding uphill into... another head wind! Dang! Some of the group went ahead, and some of us were delayed for a while (flat tire and such). During our delay, the faster folk reached the intersection to Wayne, which is just when we had our one patch of really bad weather - some cold wind and rain - for a few minutes. They made an executive decision and gave Wayne a miss, returning directly to Drumheller. By the time us delayed folks were back on the road, though, things were clearing, and not knowing that the others had headed back to town, we finished our ride on our to Wayne (into a head wind, by the way). Eventually, everyone showed up at Wayne (either via bike, or vehicle), except for Susan who had continued on to her camp site. After hoovering some buffalo burgers and beers, some of us finished the ride returning from Wayne back to Drumheller, into... you guessed it... a HEAD WIND. We rode all four directions today, and all four directions had a head wind. How does THAT happen!!?? A few of us hit the hot tub at the hotel, and then we all got together for dinner at O'Shay's across the parking lot. Weather conditions were much nicer for Day 2, but some of our folks decided to do only the flat portion of the day with us, leaving the rest of us to climb that loooonnnnng hill without them. At the top of the hill, we enjoyed the Orkney Viewpoint, and then continued on to the Bleriot Ferry turn-off. Since the ferry wasn't running yet, we turned around there, but a few hearty souls, including Don (who just joined us on Sunday), Gen and Chris, decided they wanted a \"bonus hill\" and rode down to the ferry and then back up the hill to the top of the canyon. Most of us eschewed the \"bonus hill\" and just got our kicks descending the Woo Hoo hill back down. We finished up the ride by about 1PM and headed back in our respective directions for an early Sunday evening. Thanks to all who came out - it was a wonderful weekend. And special thanks to all of our roadside heros for the weekend - Brent, Mike and Dave. - Rhonda | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009-04-26: COC - Drumheller Road Cycle Tour with EOC (slow pace) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009-04-30: COC - COC Adventure Travel Presentations at Cardel | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009-05-02: COC - Trans-Canada Trail beside Deerfoot (Slow Pace - 16km/hour) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| What a glorious day! I have gone from having done zero km road-riding on March 15th, to nearly 700km by the end of the day today. Being as green as I am, I've been relying heavily on others to tell me where to go and how to get there, for example, copying old COC events and asking those more experienced to lead the way on my events. Today, I asked Lori M to help out with that regard - she led us on down to Sikome Lake, and then rather than retrace our steps, she took us west through the rest of beautiful Fish Creek Park, then north up to the Glenmore Reservoir, up past Talisman Center and then back to the Zoo and Beddington. Total trip was about 85km, only about 3km longer than intended, and what a fantastic route! -- Rhonda | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009-05-03: COC - Horse Creek - Grand Valley loop (Slow Pace - 16km/hour) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| What a fantastic ride! The route is so enjoyable - rolling with some good hills to climb, and woo-hoo moments on the way down. Terrific hill, mountain, field, cow scenery to enjoy. Once again, I had an easy time coordinating the event thanks to my friends who know where to go and are more than happy to tell me. Thanks to Lori, Mike and Kayla for helping with the fast folks, and of course, to Mike and Brent for being the road-side heros for the day... again. -- Rhonda | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009-05-07: EOC - Lovely River Valley Cycle - McKinnon Ravine to Forrest Heights Park - Slow Pace (16km/hour max) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In spite of sketchy weather forecasts right up until the last minute, the weather held and we had, as promised, a lovely time. Brent chose a terrific route for us with some views, some hill climbs, and the associated \"Woo Hoo Moments\" that go with coming back down the hill. After the ride, we retired to the Starbuck's for some refreshments, and being the party animals that we are, we closed the place down. Thanks to everyone who came out for the evening - it was a great group, and thanks especially to Jim, the visiting dignitary from the Toronto Outdoor Club for joining us. -- Rhonda | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009-05-09: COC - Horsethief Canyon for Legendary Ed's 87th Birthday | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nine of Ed's best friends, and three newbies set out to show him a good time for his birthday. Despite two location changes and sketchy weather forecasts, we had a fantastic day and great conditions, with a smidgen of rain at the end of the hike, and a bit more rain AFTER the hike. Woo hoo! Shortly after we dropped into Horsethief Canyon, we ran into Safari Phil and his friend, Carrie, who were also out for a walk for the day. We decided that was a good time to break out the cake, wine, and Jorinda's amazing homemade birthday card for Ed. We think he enjoyed himself, but he's just so darned stoic it's hard to tell (that's sarcasm, by the way). We hiked a whole 6km in our four hours in the canyon. Wow, what a record (not). But we explored lots, and Ralf claimed to find Nothing down one little side canyon but when the rest of us went to see for ourselves, we only found Something (and then Something Else). The mountain goat set climbed a big bump for a better look around, while the sane folk (ie. us chickens) stayed down below. Lots of fun and joking, and everyone remembered to Apt Natural for the camera. We finished off the day with treats at the Last Chance Saloon in Wayne, and then a side-trip to the Suspension Bridge near Rosedale. Thanks to everyone who came out to help celebrate Ed's birthday. I think we did a durned fine job of making him feel special. -- Rhonda | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009-05-10: COC - Road Ride : Route 66 - SLOWER and FASTER Pace | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| I must admit I was completely remiss today with photo taking - I didn't take a SINGLE ONE!!! I guess I was too focused on my training, and living through the challenge of my hardest ride to date. Ok, actually, that's no excuse because almost every ride I've done has been \"my hardest ride to date\" since I only started riding two months ago and that was for training to do the GT. Well, the main thing I have to say about today is I hope everyone enjoyed themselves. I hardly saw anyone for any length of time because I'm such a slow rider, but sometimes it pays to be the slow one since I hardly got rained (or sleeted) on at ALL today (unlike some of the speedier folk). -- Rhonda | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009-05-22: EOC - Lovely River Valley Cycle - Edmonton Queen East to ?? - Slow Pace (16km/hour) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| We set out on a perfectly lovely Edmonton evening, climbed a few lovely hills, had a lovely detour involving guiding our bikes down (and then later pushing them up) a lovely long staircase. Afterwards, lovely snacks and beverages at Brewsters. Thanks to all who came out for a very lovely time! -- Rhonda & Brent | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009-05-24: EOC - WEM to U of A Devonian Botanic Garden (16km/hour avg) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| A very relaxing and enjoyable cycle out to the gardens. The gardens will be a lot better later in the season - most plants had just started growing; not much was in bloom. The butterfly room was a pleasant surprise though! -- Rhonda | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009-05-30: COC - Tipi Camping at Clear Water Tipi Park | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| We had a great time Tipi Camping…. The site is only 5 mins off the city limit. The activity team did a great job organizing various activities…. As seen in the pictures… For us… the Food team, we started early (the evening before – shop, prep and get ourselves into the party mood) I did not shop too often, we used up all the food budget quickly and we have to give up do the Jelly-shots. For the record, all 22 of us stayed in 4 Tipis and we had our native Indian names: Tipi A – Sleep Owl: Muck About (Cheryl), Little Hooters (Andrew), Little white Dove (Rhonda), Running Bear (Brent), Chinguchcook (Mike) and Qyreenia (Silver Blush) TipiB – Snow Tiger: Crowsfeet (Renee), Leon (Bald Eargle), Nacy Tucker (Red feather), Snoring Bear (Craig), Aaron, Diamond Back (Randy). Tipi C – Bambi: Batfink (Ben), Running Deer (Nayoung), Skywater (Shirley), Drink like a fish (Tony), Painting horse (Kasia) and Eagle Eye (Bhavya). Tipi D – Lion King: Run like a Cheetah (Ken), Sings like a goat (Joel), Sheila Bear (Sheila) and Rachael with no name (Rachael). We had a lot of activities. (The site is beside the Elbow river, if we are to do it again, we may be able to do a float down the Elbow). We had our campfire dinner, Sheila Bear is the main cook with Crowfeet, Drink like a fish and Run like a Cheetah as helper. Sheila did most of the veggies. Crowsfeet did the banana boat, Drink like a fish cooked steaks, I did the Salmon with Eagle Eyes and others’ help. The campsite has lots of pots and pen. We used up a lot of disposable plates, knifes and forks. Being an outdoor group, next time, we should bring our own cups, plates, knifes and forks. After dinner, we had our murder mystery. Brent played the detective and all try to guess “who the murder was”. Don’t tell anybody… “I did it”. We had a lot of fun and especially those who are in character. After murder mystery, I went to bed early. Others sang along at the campfire. I heard that it was great. Sing like a goat does sing like a goat. Snoring Bear can sing. Snoring Bear bought the transformer. Rachael with no name downloaded the lyrics using the iPhone (I need to be more up-to-date on technology). With a transformer, if we are to do it again, may be we can do a Karaoke and dancing. Next day, we had breakfast, bacon, sausage and eggs. Bacon is hard to be crisp on a campfire. Everybody had coffee. Seems like it is the most important thing for breakfast. Everybody had his private coffee bags… pots… etc. It was really great that every helped cleanup. If we get back the $100 damage deposit, we would have our after party at Rachael with no name’s place on June 12 (Friday). | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009-06-03: COC - Beginner Inline Skating at Carburn park | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| A fantastic evening for a skate. We were pretty much 50/50 experienced to beginner skaters, and all the experienced folk were very patient and helpful. Thanks to them for all their help with the newbies, and kudos to the newbies for the great progress made tonight - everyone did fantastic! Hope to see you all back out on the 17th. -- Rhonda :) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009-06-07: EOC - WEM to Clifford E Lee, and CCC - MAN | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| EOC - WEM to Clifford E Lee Nature Area - Bike and Hike (16km/hour avg) A sketchy weather forecast for Calgary and the mountains made Brent and I change our weekend plans at last minute from hiking in Lake Louise to doing a bike and hike here in Edmonton. Although the weather here wasn't ideal either, it was definitely better, and I'm so glad that three people decided to join us for what turned out to be a very pleasant bike and hike out to Clifford E Lee Nature Area. We got a bit of everything, some sun, a few drops of rain, and lots of threatening clouds whose bark turned out to be worse than their bite. This was our third trip out to this park, but the first time that we actually did a walk around it. The water in the marshes was low to non-existent, and as a result, there wasn't as much \"Nature\" to be seen as I would have liked. In fact, if there had been any less \"Nature\", I might have had to give \"Nature\" a no-show. \"Weather\", on the other hand, was definitely in attendance. Thanks to Don, Josephine and Laura for joining us - we had a fantastic time. -- Rhonda CCC - Toe-Tappin' Knee-Slappin' MAN (Music Appreciation Nooner)\n Arrive at 2:00PM for introductions and to get settled in. We'll \nstart the music at 2:30 with a quick round-robin to introduce our \nsongs, then we'll listen to the music selections (sorry, but to \navoid interruption if you are later than 2:30, the door buzzer will \nbe shut off and you won't be able to get in). \n My apartment is small, and the atmosphere casual. \nWe'll be sitting or laying around the living room while we listen. \nBring a pillow or cushion if you like for maximum comfiness.\n Everyone must contribute 8-12 minutes of music for \nthe event. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009-06-14: COC and EOC - Pigeon Lake Circuit - Slow Pace (16km/hour avg) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| I'm really enjoying this \"combining the clubs\" thing. We had nine people out today - half from Calgary and half from Edmonton (including three who actively attend with both). The forecasts were stubbornly hinting at rain all the days leading up to our ride, but it turned out we had absolutely glorious weather for the ride. There was not a mosquito to be seen, however, we did \"enjoy\" the warm itchy blizzard of poplar fluff ('tis the season). Congratulations to Michiele who was on her first real road ride today. I'm sure she'll be feeling it for a couple of days, but she did great and didn't get off to push even once! Thanks to all who came out. -- Rhonda | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009-06-27: COC - Plain of Six Glaciers - Slowpokes | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| I was originally scheduled to do this earlier in the month and sissied out due to weather forecast. I'm glad I postponed because conditions today were excellent. There was a cold wind as we got closer and closer to the end, but overall pretty darn great. I definitely enjoy walking into the Lake Louise postcard... it's amazing how far back it goes. An extra bonus at the end of the trail is seeing Abbot Hut wayyyyy up there in the snow beteween two peaks. Crazy. Thanks to all who came out and shared the day - it was awesome. -- Rhonda | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009-06-29: EOC - Bikeology Movies at the Metro | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009-07-03: COC - Badlands Hiking & Camping | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rhonda: This weekend was fantastic. I have been curious about the guided events at Dinosaur for a while, but I didn't have the motivation to set them all up - thanks to Marg for the kick-start. I was especially interested in the story about how the badlands were formed, and I loved the \"audience participation\" re-enactment of the important event, starring Brent the Bashful Glacier Chunk. Having the opportunity to hike into the protected area with our guide, Sophie, on Sunday was fantastic, and it worked out great that the only other attendees were another hiking group so we got to go farther and longer than they normally do with their \"three hour tour\". Jorinda: I had a fossiltastic, T-rexarrific, friendabulous time. The staff at Dinosaur Park was amazing and I never thought traipsing around the Baaaadlands could be so fun! Janet: \"Always wanted to go to Dinosaur Provincial Park and I am so happy that I got to go with great people. As well to see a dinosaur bone that was 75 to 77 million years old just took my breath away\". Marg: For a couple of years Jenn and I have been discussing this trip as a COC event and finally it all came together. Super weather, super-duper group, and super-fantastic guided hikes made for a full and fun weekend. Glad we got there early in the season -- wouldn't want to be out wandering around the baaaaaadlands when it's any hotter than we got this weekend. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009-07-04: COC - Badlands Hiking & Camping | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009-07-05: COC - Badlands Hiking & Camping | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009-07-12: EOC - Callingwood Cove and Katie's Crossing - Slow Pace (16km/hour avg) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| We had a head wind the whole way out to Collingwood, which of course meant tail wind the whole way back - woo hoo! The showers they were predicting for 3pm+ never materialized and we had a fantastic day. We spent a total of 2 hours and 37 minutes riding our (almost) 50km, and spent about an hour loafing out at Collingwood and then another half hour at Katie's Crossing. Thanks to all who came out - it was a fantastic day. -- Rhonda | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009-07-15: COC - Beginner Inline Skating at Carburn park | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009-07-18: COC - Healy Pass - Slowpokes | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| This is a favorite hike for many and it sure didn't disappoint today. The weather was perfect, the scenery spectacular and we were treated with an absolute riot of wildflowers. Thanks to all who came out - it was fantastic! -- Rhonda | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009-07-19: COC - SIXTH ANNUAL Pirates on the Bow - River Float: Bowness to the Zoo | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Yet another charmed day with regards to weather (we were off the river just before the storm started), and I'm so impressed with how everyone got into the themes this year with costumes and props!! I was also thrilled that someone finally stepped up to the \"float along rogues\" invitation - yay for Kenneth Fung and his merry band of kayakers! Thanks to everyone who came out, and to everyone who helped - there's no way one person could organize this event on their own. -- Rhonda | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009-08-06: CCC - Calgary Fringe | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| CCC - Calgary Fringe: Some Reckless Abandon\n Calgary Fringe Festival presents Some Reckless Abandon: Madeleine Cross, barely eighteen, so determined to ditch her puke-hole prairie town she signs up for “Teenage Jesus Camp” in Honduras. But there is inevitable trouble in Paradise as her desire for escape smolders. A one-woman tour de force, recalling first departures and teen-love, taking audiences deep into the missionary culture.\n\n To register for this event:\n
Note that you will need a Fringe Button to get in to the show. If you haven't got one yet, they will be available for purchase at the box office. We will meet at 4:30 to buy our Fringe Buttons and go in together to get seats.\n Please only register for this event if you can be sure to be there by 4:30. The theatre is General Seating and we want to get seats TOGETHER.\n An excellent one-woman show that pretty accurately portrays the spirit and intensity of \nbeing a restless 18-year-old. Good on her for keeping it up for 70 minutes!\n It was a pleasant surprise to have six people out at the early time -- thanks to all \nwho came.\n -- Rhonda CCC - Calgary Fringe: HOJA -- High Energy A Capella & Comedy \n Calgary Fringe Festival presents HOJA - High Energy A Capella & Comedy: Do you like to laugh? Do you like great music? HOJA is a modern a capella group that sounds like a band! With over 10 years of professional touring, HOJA has entertained more than 3,000 audiences (over 1,000,000 people). Beatboxing, harmonies, guitar sounds, energetic choreography, comedy – come join the excitement!\n\n To register for this event:\n
Note that you will need a Fringe Button to get in to the show. If you haven't got one yet, they will be available for purchase at the box office. We will meet at 6:30 to buy our Fringe Buttons and go in together to get seats.\n Please only register for this event if you can be sure to be there by 6:30. The theatre is General Seating and we want to get seats TOGETHER.\n As promised, an excellent high-energy a capella group with great beat-boxing and comedy. \nA great show - everyone enjoyed it. I highly recommend it. Refreshments at the Hose and \nHound pub after were very good as well. Thanks to all who came out.\n -- Rhonda | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009-08-08: COC - Wilcox Pass, Columbia Icefield - Slow Pace | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| We wanted to take Brent's sister and her boyfriend (who live in Australia) for a hike while they were in town. I chose this one because it's pretty spectacular for not much effort, and with cooperative weather, we had a great day. It was a real UN kind of hike with points of origin including Australia, Kenya, Portugal, Russia, Germany, India, and UK(?). Thanks to all who came out - it was a great group. -- Rhonda | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009-08-14: COC and EOC - Jasper: Hike and Camp | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009-08-15: COC - Jasper: Hike and Camp with EOC | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009-08-16: COC - Jasper: Hike and Camp with EOC | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009-08-22: EOC - Lovely River Valley Cycle - Rail Line (Max. 16 KPH) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 'Twas a warm day and fair weather for our ride along a portion of the old Canadian Northern Railway route. A small group of us set out along the paved paths for a relaxing ride to the velodrome then continued another few blocks to the Tim's for a bit of a snack. The return trip took us briefly onto some gravel pathways and grass before putting us back on the pavement for a quicker and easier down-hill towards our starting point. Round trip distance was 21 Km. Thanks to everybody who came out and shared this pleasant morning. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009-08-30: CCC - Squarepants Fan Club: Celtic Jam for Joel's Birthday | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| We're going to celebrate Squarepants' birthday by crashing his \nweekly jam! Join us to go check out the Celtic Jam, with sublime \nvocals including our very own Squarepants Joel.\n The Donegal is a new venue for Joel, but his original \njam venue has discontinued their Saturday afternoon jams (BOO!), \nso we're going to give the Donegal a try! What a fantastic afternoon. Joel was a bit worried because this was a new venue for Celtic Jam, one that he's only been to once before, and he wasn't sure how many other performers were going to show. Luckily for all of us, four more showed up to complete quite a well-rounded group, including two guitars, an accordion, and a tin flute! Having an audience seemed to buoy up the enthusiasm of the performers as well, who seemed to have a great afternoon as well.\n Happy birthday, Joel! \n -- Rhonda | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009-09-16: COC - Edworthy Park to the Zoo | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009-09-20: CCC - Hoochie Koochie MAN (Music Appreciation Nooner) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Arrive at 2:00PM for introductions and to get settled in. We'll \nstart the music at 2:30 with a quick round-robin to introduce our \nsongs, then we'll listen to the music selections (sorry, but to \navoid interruption if you are later than 2:30, the door buzzer will \nbe shut off and you won't be able to get in). \n My apartment is small, and the atmosphere casual. \nWe'll be sitting or laying around the living room while we listen. \nBring a pillow or cushion if you like for maximum comfiness.\n Everyone must contribute 8-12 minutes of music for \nthe event.
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| 2009-09-25: CCC - New WOMAN (Wild Outstanding Music Appreciation Night) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The theme of this \"wild and outstanding new music\" appreciation night is about introducing us to music which is either new to you or you believe will be new to the others. \n \nArrive at 7:00 PM for introductions and to get settled in. We'll start the music at 7:30ish with a quick round-robin to introduce our songs before listening to the music. \n There is a cat who helps me hostess. If you have allergies this may not be the event for you.\n Everyone should contribute 8-12 minutes of music for this event. As usual we enjoyed a great assortment of music: \n \nTori Amos - Silent All These Years (Leonard Cohen poem intro), \nGiusy Ferreri - Non Ti Scordar Mai di Me, \nThe Boredoms - Heart, \nKate Bush - Wuthering Heights (Original Version), \nPatricia Barber - Regular Pleasures, \nChris Gheran - Ghost King, King of Ghosts, \nSkarface - Ou Ah, \nSkid Row - 18 And Life, \nBruce Guthro - Jerusalem, \nPoe - Beautiful Girl, \nBruce Guthro - Beautiful Life, \nBiD Feat. Seu Jorge - E Depois, \nFlorence and The Machine - Cosmic Love, \nVonda Shepard - Maryland, \nBasement Jaxx - Wheres Your Head At Basement Jax, \nS Sponji Living - Victory, \nTwo Fingers - One Flute Rhythm, \nLouLou Djine - Un Simple Histoire, \nSaint Dirt Elementary School - Clicking with the Clique, \nAnimal Collective - My Girls, \nChristophe Willem - Berlin, \nTiny Masters of Today - Pop Chart, \nMGMT - Time to Pretend, \nFannypack - Twisted, \nBuckethead - Big Sur Moon, \nRabih Abou-Khalil - Dog River,\nDavid Garrett - Thunderstruck. \n \nThanks everyone! | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009-09-26: EOC - Opal Hills and Mary Schaffer Loop - Pace 3-4km/hour | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Being from Calgary, I've been very spoiled with the day hikes to the mountains, so I was very excited to try out Ben's services (Mountain Madness Tours) to go to Jasper for a day hike. He picked us up at 6:00 and we were on the trail by 11:00. We had a great late-season hike, and then Ben picked us back up at 5:00 and we snoozed and watched a mountain bike film while he drove us all home. It was fantastic, and I look forward to doing more Ben-enabled day trips for EOC in future! A great group today - thanks everyone for coming out. I hope you'll join us on future adventures. -- Rhonda | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009-09-29: COC - COC Volunteer Info and Social at 1600 World Bier Haus | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009-10-01: COC - Glenmore Reservoir | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009-10-04: CCC - Cantos Music Foundation Tour | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| When you tour through the Cantos Music Collection, you journey \ninto our musical history. With over 200 instruments on display, \nthe collection spans the evolution of music from 246 B.C. to \npresent day. Note that unlike past events, \nthis is not a CCC-only tour - we'll be joining the public tour at \n1:30.\n\n Among the pipe organs, clavichords, pianos, \nsynthesizers, drum machines and related artifacts are: a one-of-a-kind Johannes Couchet harpsichord from 1679, a Kimball \ntheatre organ from 1924, an impressive variety of Moog \nelectronic instruments and a Mellotron similar to one used by \nthe Beatles.\n\n While the instruments are incredible to behold this is \nmore than just a visual experience. A tour of the collection \ngallery is an interactive exploration into the sounds of the past. \nA celebration of music.\n\n\n\n www.cantos.ca Every time I go to Cantos, the tour is even better than before. They had lots of new and interesting instruments this time, including a Hurdy Gurdy, and lots of synthesizers. The theatre organ and the mellotron (with the human chorus samples) continue to be my favorites. Thanks to everyone who came out!\n -- Rhonda | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009-10-15: EOC - Old Strathcona Ghost Tour | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| We walked through the streets of Old Strathcona and were told tales about the ghosts of the area - ghosts such as Humphrey, the phantom of Old Scona High School, who reportedly walks the halls, turns lights on and off and writes random messages on an old typewriter. A few of us went for a drink at the Elephant and Castle after. See everyone at the next event! - Christine | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009-10-22: COC - Annual General Meeting and Social | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009-10-23: EOC - Farm of Fear | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Farm of Fear proved to be a terrifying delight once again, and while I couldn't see and hear the reactions of all of us (as they only let a few of us in at a time), reportedly more than a few of us were genuinely scared by the ghouls and goblins and chainsaw-wielding maniacs. Fortunately, all of us came out alive! Afterwards, a few of us attempted to wander through the very muddy corn maze for a brief while, but eventually joined up with many of the rest of us, who had reconvened at Brewsters for refreshments. Unfortunately, there were apparently two completely separate groups of us at Brewsters, and neither group found the other group at the restaurant, until several of us left and met up in the parking lot. It was all very strange.... Thanks all for coming out, and I hope to see you at another event. - Ryan | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009-11-07: EOC - Dim Sum at Golden Rice Bowl | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009-11-08: EOC - Photo Scavenger Hunt | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| We took advantage of the crisp, but otherwise pleasant, November weather on a quiet Sunday, and spent a couple of hours hunting for some of the unique artwork located throughout Edmonton's downtown core. In the end, there were lots of really awesome photos, and it was basically impossible to pick a winner. So ... we all had a lot of fun, and we all win!! These were the clues that everybody had (although the name of the actual sculpture wasn't given out during the scavenger hunt). Everybody partnered up, and had more than enough time to find everything on both lists of clues. The clues were selected from The Places Walking Tour. List 1. List 2. Some clues turned out to be more difficult than anticipated. For instance, \"The Eyes See All\" refers to a mural called MosEYEic, located at 103A Ave at 97 Street, but this mural proved difficult to find (particularly since the instructions said 103 Street, which wasn't exactly correct). There were some interesting alternate entries for \"the eyes see all\": photos of the law courts; a photo (by Brent) of a security camera. Likewise, \"Do the twist\" actually referred to a sculpture called Return, located right on Jasper Ave. However, it was easily confused for some twisty banners on some of the streetlights nearby. My favourite wrong entry for Lunchbox Joe was a photo by Connie and Donna: a mural of a man and a woman drinking coffee. Close ... ! Thanks all for coming out! I had a blast looking for everything (and I even had an edge, considering that I wrote the clues)! - Ryan | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009-11-11: COC - Movie: The Men Who Stare at Goats | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009-11-13: COC - Coordinator and Wannbe Party | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009-11-14: COC - Bow Falls Viewpoint to the Hoodoos at Banff - Slowpokes and Dawdlers | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ah, this is exactly what I needed. After several weeks of sedentary \"shoulder season blahs\", it was great to get out for a nice easy hike with a group of nice, easy-going people. The conditions were great, the sky was blue, temps were good. It was fantastic. It was great to share Mark's birthday hike with him (unbeknownst to us, until Veronica spilled the beans). Mark cleaned up on the birthday hugs and tea, and then taught us all the origin of the phrase \"blue moon\", which we all thought was very cool. We're all anxiously awaiting our invitations to his upcoming \"blue moon New Year's 2009\" party. We all discovered that Jacques is the point of reference for EVERYTHING. When Brent had his bear encounter, it was \"from here to Jacques\" away. Then, when Veronica saw a lynx, it was \"from here to Jacques\" away. Brent talked about Writing on Stone park, which is \"from here to Jacques\" away from the U.S. border. And now we're looking forward to our trip to Ptarmigan Cirque, which is 150km southwest of Jacques. Thanks, everyone, for a great day. Hope to see you all again soon. -- Rhonda | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009-11-15: Raw Food/Vegetarian Brunch, and Marathon MAN | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| CCC - Raw Food/Vegetarian Brunch\n ** \"Every time you try a new food, you add 144 days to your life.\" a near-Brentism __________________________________________________________________________________________ Gratitude Cafe is a new establishment catering to raw-food enthusiasts, vegetarians, vegans or gluten-frees, or any combination of the above! \"The Gratitude Cafe is something special. One of those places that you will not find duplicated anywhere else. It's well worth a visit.\" ~ Urban Spoon review \n\nBrunch is a la carte - view the menu at: www.thelink.ccc CCC policy is to add 15% for gratuity + GST in groups of 6 or more. Please keep this in mind when registering for the event. \n None of us really knew what to expect at Gratitude Cafe. Four of us ordered the Brunch Special (sweet potato soup, macadamia stuffed tomatoes, a kiwi and coconut salad and gluten-free crackers) and it was excellent and the perfect size for lunch. Rhonda tried to be grateful for ordering the wrong dish, the same dish as Jenn intended to order, Veronica tried the grilled cheese with chilli-jelly, David had the stir-fry and Brent had a vegetarian lasagne that was the envy of his table (some of it was stolen by envious onlookers). The company was excellent, the service perfect and the food complex and new. I will definitely post this one again and recommend it to anyone looking for an interesting and \"clean\" meal. (The last two photos show the incredible cloud arc over the city, before and after our brunch.) Person Artist Title Em Us and\n Them Brent Loreena\n McKennitt La\n Serenissima Rhonda Rasha Salib\n Fuadi James Page\n & Plant Charlie Lynyrd\n Skynyrd Free\n Bird Brent Dire\n Straits Calling\n Elvis Lori Neil\n Young with Crazy Horse Down By\n the River Alan Charlie\n Musselwhite Christo\n Redemptor Tim Cannonball\n Adderley Autumn\n Leaves Jeff Isaac\n Hayes Walk on\n By Laura Taya Blue\n Bossa Ritary\n Ensemble Featuring Matcho Winterstein Taya Willie\n & Lobo Rockin’\n Gypsies Rhonda Preservation\n Hall Jazz Band So Long\n Blues BONUS Person Artist Title Alan Don\n Ellis Pussy\n Wiggle Stomp Brent Don\n McLean American\n Pie Charlie Jimi\n Hendrix Hear My\n Train A Comin’ Em Orquesta\n de la Luz Descarga\n De La Luz James Dire\n Straits Telegraph\n Road James Jesse\n Cook Fragile James Patricia\n Barber Black\n Magic Woman Laura The\n Decemberists The Rhonda Badmarsh\n & Shri Dancing\n Drums Rhonda James\n Asher Tammy\n Tama Rhonda Robbie Robertson The\n Code of Handsome Lake Tim John\n Coltrane Good Bait | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009-11-28: COC - Ptarmigan Cirque - Slowpokes | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| This is one of my absolute favorite trips... thus the yearly tradition that Marg and I have of going... oh... EVERY YEAR!!! This year, Marg was better known as \"Barfy Barferson\" since she was just getting over the flu, but she was a trooper and made it out for the trek, even though she gave the off-roading and bumogganing a miss this year. Veronica was the belle of the cirque with her Ice Princess Tiara, and we even managed to get it away from her for a couple minutes so we could get a picture of Lindsay wearing it on her very first ever snow shoeing experience. Thanks to all who came out - it was a fantastic day! -- Rhonda | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009-12-02: EOC - Walk@Lunch, and Ethiopian Dinner at Rendezvous | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| EOC - Walk@Lunch: Railtown Park - Ribbon of Steel EOC - Ethiopian Dinner at Rendezvous | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009-12-19: COC - Beginner Flail and Ski, and Dinner at Gaucho Brazilian BBQ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| COC - Beginner Flail and Ski We went, we saw, we flailed. We had one \"Flailing School Drop-Out\", but kudos to Shahin for giving it a try. Our other spanky new beginners, Brent, Mai and Lindsay did great and I hope they all had a great time! Thanks to Safari Phil for coming out on the flail today and taking the more experienced of the flailers on their own adventure, and to everyone else who helped out throughout the day - there was a whole lotta helping going on! With absolutely perfect weather and perfect ski conditions, I think my mission to turn Brent onto x-c skiing is off to a great start... see you on the trails! -- Rhonda CCC - Dinner at Gaucho Brazilian BBQ (Meat-Lovers Only)\n Gauchos are the cowboys of South America - a symbol of pride and tradition. Heavily influenced by this cowboy culture, the residents of a Brazilian state called Rio Grande do Sul are affectionately referred to as \"gauchos.\"\n\n This same state - renowned for its unique churrasco barbecue - is the birthplace of Chef Edmilson Rodrigues. It is there, in Brazil's top barbecue houses, that Ede learned and perfected his craft.\n\n As interest in Brazilian barbecue grew, Ede helped \nspread the unique churrasco taste to the world. He worked as a top chef in Japan, and co-owned several restaurants in China before setting his sights on Canada.\n\n In late 2006, Ede launched his Brazilian catering \nbusiness in Calgary. By popular demand, he opened a full-service Brazilian restaurant in 2007, where a new set of cowboys came to appreciate his culinary talents.\n\n | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009-12-20: CCC - Mystery MAN (Music Appreciation Nooner) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Arrive at 2:00PM for introductions and to get settled in. We'll \nstart the music at 2:30 with a quick round-robin to introduce our \nsongs, then we'll listen to the music selections (sorry, but to \navoid interruption if you are later than 2:30, the door buzzer will \nbe shut off and you won't be able to get in). \n Our apartment is small, and the atmosphere casual. \nWe'll be sitting or laying around the living room while we listen. \nBring a pillow or cushion if you like for maximum comfiness.\n Everyone must contribute 8-12 minutes of music for \nthe event. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||