Dispatch From Oiltown: Yes, I Am Alive and Well (Sorry About The Silence Lately...)

Sorry I haven't been keeping up in posting to this blog, but with the summer bug biting me hard, I have slacked off in posting (just like last summer!) Basically, I have been keeping busy with my current construction job while waiting for the first phase of the research project to kick in (there is movement on this front, so hopefully a start date will be announced soon).

Also, the Oiler playoff run saw me get the opportunity to attend Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final, which was a 2-1 Oiler win. It was louder than I could have imagined, the atmosphere was electric (goosebump moments kept occuring throughout, such as the National Anthem, the pregame activities, when the Oilers scored, etc). If you ever get the chance to go to a Cup Final game, do it. You will remember it, always.

And below, there are some photos of Canada Day trip to the beach, right here in land-locked Alberta (hint: it wasn't the wave pool at West Edmonton Mall!)

Nothing Like A Day At The Beach ... In Alberta?

It was a cooker this past Canada Day weekend, so I did what anyone from Nova Scotia would do: I packed up my car and headed for the beach ... hey, wait a minute, I live in Alberta, no oceans within a thousand or so kilometres! Well, it's fortunate that the hinterlands surrounding Edmonton are pockmarked with thousands of lakes, some with beaches. A particularly large lake called Lac Ste Anne had a boldly named summer spot called Alberta Beach. The main beach was quite small, but made up for the lack of sandy real estate by having shallows that extend far out from shore, making the water extremely warm, perfect for wading. Aside from that, I also had lunch there, making for an excellent afternoon all round.