R&R in MT

This campsite is a great one and I love the concrete pad. You'll see we have our dragonfly red lights on the canopy. It's nice to relax.
Vacation time affords the opportunity to wash and wax the van - especially after a day of rain and the promise of a hot dry weekend. We've been here 5 days already - hard to believe.

Golfing amongest the rattlesnakes

Now I know you think I'm kidding on the title but I'm not! We survived - had a good time! Now back to holidays!

Visitors to site 63

Here we are settled in Billings, MO with Les and Tiffany. L&T are on the left...we are obviously on the right. These are great views.

We had some visitors come our way yesterday!

Isn't this a beautiful bird!

Yes we are comfortable

So here it is our final destination for this week of camping. Les and Tiffany have settled in beside us. Full hook ups of course including cable TV...and on our site are swings for relaxing in during an evening chat.

Les and Tiffany arrived about 45 minutes after we did, and it was interesting to see their new Starcraft. We had breakfast together this morning and then trodded d0wn to the pool to discuss the finer points of camping and friendship. Tomorrow Les and I have decided it would be good to take 1000 Salvationist magazines with us and go sell them on the golf course.

Finally a look into the trailer - here we are all set up! Would like a cup of coffee?

Health Care USA

This morning Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was on ABC news being interviewed. One of the subjects that was given a great deal of time was Health Care. The US Gov't is spending quite a bit of time on the airwaves here.

The discussion seems odd to me, a Canadian, who enjoys universal healthcare. Here's an interesting fact from the USA. In 2006 71% of small businesses provided health care coverage for their employees. With escalating costs that number has dropped to 38%. While those who can afford coverage resist a more universal system, thousands go without treatment due to a lack of personal resources.

It seems strange to me that a country which promotes the importance of citizenship does not see the connection to this most basic of rights.

But then as a whole governments in the western world have grown more use to protecting themselves than their citizens.

Happy Anniversary Phil & Amanda

Today is Phil and Amanda's first anniversary. So a big Happy Anniversary! Hard to believe the year has gone by so quickly.

I love this photo - Phil carrying Amanda back to the car.

It says so much about marriage and relationships.

KOA - family friendly?

This is the KOA in Great Falls and our very tight site! We just fit on - but it was at least hot and dry. We had a good first night but our second night...not so good. On our second evening there was a family reunion for the Ginckle family...they all came and the gathering which was near us was going well. By 10 pm most of the people had left but a few stayed behind...they stayed until almost 1 a.m. making lots of noise, playing horseshoes in the dark and singing loudly. Now KOA promotes itself as a family campground yet no one came to settle them down or to ask them to leave. In the morning the rest of the campground residents were upset by the night's events. It was very unfortunate. As a whole this campground is not one of KOA's better establishments.

We headed out this morning for Bozeman Montana - the journey through the mountains was great and the van pulled the trailer well.

Now we've settled into the KOA in Bozeman - a grassy location with big trees. It also has a great pool and waterpark. Let's see how tonight goes but so far this looks like a good campground. The roads are paved and the landscaping is very good. We spent sometime this afternoon just laying by the pool. Ohhh...that feels good.

Does the US Air Force get the weekend off?

Great Falls is proving a very warm and dry place! Hot would be a better word perhaps though we did get 10 seconds of rain last night. Ahh, to relax and awake in a warm climate. Not that we didn't like Canmore, we love it. But the nights are always cool often cold.

This morning we awoke and it was comfortable - warm - and quiet! Wait, what's that noise? "Wendy that sounds like a military jet taking off". And so it is... Turns out Great Falls is home to the Malmstrom Air Force Base! Home to the Minute Man Missile and the Globemaster C 17. It didn't say that on the ad!

Wendy and I saw one of these in Yellowknife - the Canadian Air Force bought 8 from the US Air Force. The tail is 7 stories high and can carry tanks, APC's etc... this is a huge plane!

So far it has been fairly quiet. It's the weekend and no doubt the US Air Forces get weekends off, wouldn't you think?

Irrigation is not random

Just about 650 km from Canmore to Great Falls Montana - it was a good drive with almost no wind for the first two and a half hours. We were in windy Lethbridge dor lunch and then headed on to the border. There were several RV's headed across at the same time as us and this time we were not picked out for a full search of the trailer! (Yes - once before we were)

The weather has been hot and sunny and as we rolled through the Montana hills with barely a sign of any crop, or land that might grow it, you cannot help wondering who would live here. But then most of us know David Letterman has a ranch in Montana. My guess it isn't near Sweetgrass.
Just as the dry dusty soil seems to give no signs of life - suddenly you come across great acres of lush, green, producing acres. Farmers who have developed reliable sources of irrigation and have a means of spraying the water on their fields reap the reward.

This was in part, our table conversation at supper in Great Falls. We talked about the need, our need, to keep our own spiritual lives nurtured - to avoid the pitfalls of leading from draught as it were. This too requires intentional action - the development of spiritual irrigation systems.

In fact if I have a concern for our officers - this would be it. That they, with us, take responsibility for their spiritual health and development.

I had hoped to post a couple of more photos here but the wireless connection seems patchy at best and pages keep being lost.

Which leads to the question - is free internet free if you can't use it?

"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness for they will be filled" - Jesus

Happy Birthday

Today was Wendy's birthday! It was also very hot and sunny in Canmore for the celebration!

Phil and Amanda joined us for chinese food on the picnic table! What a feast - fit for a Queen.

Tomorrow we head to Great Falls Montana. If you've crossed into the USA at Sweetgrass you will know what a joy that is!

Canmore Photos

We are presently camping in Canmore Alberta under the Three Sisters Mountain!

A visit to Phil and Amanda's place for supper!


We also came to share wedding cake for their first anniversary on the 26th of July
They in turn came to our campsite to relax!

Have you been to Bankhead Alberta?

Our adventures today took us into Banff National Park. When we lived in Calgary this was a regular place for a visit especially on a Monday if we would/could get some time to ourselves.

We would often leave Calgary around 9:30 in the morning and have a burger in front of the gas fireplace at the Banff McDonalds. Even as we did so we would look around and say to each other; "imagine that there are people who save for years and spend thousands of dollars to do what we are doing". It was a reminder to never take for granted what was so available to us.Isn't that true for most of us? We take for granted those things we enjoy most until something changes and we realize how blessed we've been!

Those same thoughts have been ours as we've spent time with Phil and Amanda here in Canmore - there is a sacredness about time with family. It shouldn't be taken for granted.

King Solomon wrote: "there is a season for everything". And I would add the season for appreciation is ever current.We finished our Banff adventure near Two Jack Lake at a place called Bankhead. This was a coal mine and town. Larger than Banff, more advanced than Canmore it was an industrial hub. Then the world began to move away from Coal, the price of producing it rose and the price of coal dropped. The town came to an end and the buildings were moved to Banff, Canmore or Calgary.
Yet the remnants remain - you can take a self directed tour. As we did you could see the old foundations - the remnant of some rail and coal cars. I couldn't help but think of Fort McMurray and the industrial boom now underway there. Someday will people take a self directed tour of the tarsands, see the scars on the landscape and read interpretive signs about what once was the home of many?

Time will tell. In the meantime we are redeeming the time in the trailer!

Thank God for the wonder of His creation surrounding us here in this valley!

A happy customer

After awakening to realize that our campsite put us next to a main vehicle short cut for half the cars and trucks in Canmore I decided to head over to the office to see if we could move. I must say I went expecting a firm no.

I explained our situation and the gal behind the counter admitted it was one of the worst sites in the park. With that she found us a great site with full service (30 amp) and printed us a new pass - and then indicated that there would be no additional cost.

This is a great example of customer service centered on honest communication. I had come to the point of deciding that we would never return here. And I was of the mindset that I would warn others of our bad experience. Instead she won me over and made me withdraw my conclusions.

It probably cost the campground under $50 to gain good mouth to mouth advertising. What would $50 buy you in the world of advertising? Not much.

The weather was great today. Tonight Phil and Amanda came for a BBQ then we went out for icecream and I had another french press Ethiopian coffee! It was delicious.

Of interest to us was an email we received today from an officer in the USA. She with her husband are the Youth leaders in their division. She had worked for us as a teen at Camp Selkirk. Her note was one of thanks for our influence in her life during those days.

Tomorrow is a trip into Banff National Park. D

The Simple Life

We are camped just below the east end of Mount Rundle with a great view of Mount Lady MacDonald. If you don't much about the area you can google Canmore Alberta and see the area. Canmore was a coal mining town at one point and has only become a tourist destnation in the past 25 years. Before then it was just a small mountain town on your way to Banff.

Mount Lady MacDonald which sits north of Canmore was named after Sir John A's wife who is reported to have insisted on riding on the cow catcher at the front of the locomotive as it turned its way through the mountains. If we were camped in the area in those days we might have seen her as the railroad tracks are not that far from our trailer.

This is common to the mountains - the roads and RR tracks follow parallel routes through the valleys. If you are near the road you are near the tracks!

Never the less, we are settled in and having a wonderful time. I have long felt that our time in the trailer is "redeeming the time". Not just because we feel like we enjoy luxury inside it, rather it is about the opportunity to slow down the pace of our lives and make different choices. Perhaps this is best demonstrated by the simply way of life afforded us by living in a trailer that is only 20 feet long. During the few weeks of holiday each summer life seems simplier.

For lunch today Amanda took us to a great new restaurant here. It is great spend some time with them on our holiday. That too is part of enjoying the simple life.

The Passing of Walter Cronkite

It has been easy to be nostalgic lately. With the 40th Anniversary of Apollo 11 upon us, those of us who can, have been remembering the late 1960's. It was a turbulent time - I remember the sense that turmoil was in the streets as we watched riots in the streets, protests against the war in vietnam, felt a growing threat of conflict with the Soviet Union and sensed that the youth of North America were rising up against the traditional values of their parents.

In the midst of all one of the great voices was that of Walter Cronkite. Each night millions of television sets, even Canadian television sets tuned in to hear what "the most trusted voice in America" was saying. It was black & white television, at least in our house, and Walter Cronkites distinct tone told us "the way it was".

With his passing at age 92 we are again reminded of those values. Seth Godin has this to say:

Walter's lesson

Here's the thing about the life of Walter Cronkite:

At every turn, he acted as if he had a responsibility to his audience. He didn't do the right thing because he thought it would help him get ahead and then one day he'd get his share. Instead, he always did the right thing because that's who he was. No sellouts, no political consulting, no false transparency.

That's the way it is.

Transparency works if it's authentic.

Still my favourite comedians

Today, Last year, 40 years ago

It was Capital Ex Parade Day. Last year our Moms were with us as we were getting ready for the first of two weddings. Here we are a year later - where has the time gone. Once again this year our inter-office chef Sir Ian created a delicious breakfast of pancakes and sausages. Asked what made the sausages so good Ian devulged that he had barbequed them!

Now that's a good idea.

This year TSA had a presence in the parade and a new mascot to boot! Our new Sally Ann arrived just in time. Jason volunteered to wear Sally Ann and did a great job. Another experience to put on his resume.

This float was nearby us so I had to take a picture for Phil's sake. Later I was over at the Union Hall to pick up the saw won at the Skills Competition. When I met "Len" he raved about Phil's skills and paticularily the speed at which he worked. He told me Phil finished 2.5 hours before anyone else. He belives Phil has a very good chance of winning in the National Competition in Halifax. Len and his wife are going with Phil and Amanda - stay tuned!

This is the 40th Anniversary of the launching of Apollo 11. If you want to watch again follow the link here!

Decaf Coffee has claimed me

The rumours are true. I thought I would never do it, but I have. After some 30 years or more of resisting, of even suggesting to others it isn't as good I have finally decided time is up. I have now gone 3 weeks on just decaffinated coffee. Yes it is true.

It isn't that I won't have the occassional full octane fuel. I think I will allow myself that choice from time to time. However most if not almost all the time I'm into decaf coffee.

Just to be sure you understand that still doesn't mean I'll drink Nescafe or Fulgers...oh no. I didn't say I would drink any decaf coffee. I really like the Nabob Swiss Water Decaf...or I'll settle for Tim Horton's decaf.

And one last point. I don't drink out of just any cup.

Why I like Twitter

Twitter allows you to follow some great news feeds, not just locally but internationally. I'm following the Edmonton Journal and I get great insights into their stories but I can read that in the paper each morning. I'm also following the major news networks in Canada and the USA. For example I really like watching the feed coming from Chicago and tonight I added the Jerusalem Post. If you want to see North American news from a different angle this is one paper I recommend.

Remember each feed must only be 140 characters. So the summary is short and concise, and of course contains a link to the larger story. Twitter provides an up to the minute account of their tweets (that's what they broadcasts are called) fed right onto your computer screen.

To make it all work seamlessly I've installed Tweetdeck which picks up the Facebook Updates from all my friends and Tweets from those I follow and puts it on one desktop display. It's easy and non-evasive. So I can work away at my desk and still see all that's happening.

Go here to try out TweetDeck.

Do you Twitter?

I'm really enjoying Twitter. If you don't know Twitter is a communication tool that streams people's contributions (called Tweets) which are all 140 characters or less. It also takes URL addresses and shortens them (called tiny url's) so that the writer can quickly point followers to a link of interest. I'm dec24guy on Twitter and I follow some interesting feeds like: CNN, CBC, Edmonton Journal, Ed Stetzer, Barach Obama, YouTube, Hillsong Church, TSA Canada, John Piper...even my friend Susan Kroeker! Anyone can Twitter...anyone can follow!

Tonight Jason and I were in the garage surveying how many more boxes he and Susan need for their move to Winnipeg. Time is going by quickly - it won't be long before they are off to CFOT. We will miss them as we are Philip and Amanda!

So we will follow our kids whether they are on Twitter or not!

Camper return!

The BBQ was on for supper, and what a feast we had! Salads, corn on the cob (cooked on the bbq), hot dogs in flat bread with cheese..mmmm...it was great!

Susan and Jason arrived back from their camping adventure and they report having a great time. That might not seem to be much to you but this is the kid who hated camping and vowed in his 15th year that he was never going camping again. Isn't it great that people change?

As it had rained on them the tent went up in the backyard so it could be dried up. Here's Jason posing!

Congratulations to Phil

Amanda phoned tonight to say that Phil won the Alberta skills competition tonight. He gets several awards but the one that Amanda is excited about is an all expense paid trip - next month - to Nova Scotia for the national competition. Apparently the organizers had lots of advice for Phil in preparing.

Amanda was excited because that is where her grandparents live - and the trip includes all expenses for two!

So congratultions to Phil for a great job! In our books he is always a winner.

Campers pray for good weather

When the summer comes to Alberta, it doesn't stay long, so this evening I stayed outside until 10 pm waxing the van...a teediest task for some but for me it is soothing, like completing a work of art! There is great satisfaction in standing back and looking at the gleam...then running your hand over the smooth, glossy surface and saying, "smooth.....".

Summer means leaner staff in the office along with the coming and going of those on holidays. A few more headed out the door today for BC's warm interior. We are awaiting our turn though the interior of BC won't be our destination. We are taking our chances on Alberta for a week - and being cuddled up to the mountains means we are just as likely to get snow as we are sunshine! So we are asking the LORD to grant us (yes this is a selfish prayer) good weather.

Final note for tonight; Phil and Amanda showed up last night for supper. Phil is entered in another skill's competition for carpenters. He was one of 5 in his class and he had from 8:30 this morning until 4:30 this afternoon to complete a folding andarondack chair. From a stack of wood to a finished product he was the first to complete and the only one to do so in the required time. Part two goes tomorrow.

The winner goes to the Nationals in Nova Scotia...here's hoping!

Jason and Susan went off camping in the wilds of Hinton today...yes it really is summer!

The FAREwelcome event

This is our first full week in the office in our new roles, and to our great surprise we were presented with a FAREwelcome cake at coffee this morning!

We have a remarkably thoughtful and energetic team at DHQ and we are privileged to lead. Each morning we look forward to joining together to meet the mission! Should you be passing by we invite you to come in and meet us.

My WOW list

Michael Hyatt has been blogging about recognizing WOW experiences in our world, and creating them for others. A great concept and one I'm eager to embrace. But first I've given some thought to some of my WOW experiences and in no paticular order here they are:

1. Holding our sons - newborn - in my arms and being amazed!

2. Looking deep into Wendy's eyes and asking her to marry me - and hearing YES.

3. Sitting on the deck of my Grandmother's cottage and watching a thunderstorm sweep across the lake.

4. Seeing a garter snake eat a frog whole and watching it digest the whole thing (Jim and I put these together in the bottom of the boat at age 9).

5. Paddling a canoe on Victoria Lake at midnight and having a beaver swim beside us.

6. Watching Jason and Philip on their wedding days and rejoicing in their choices.

7. Standing on the top of Mount Hector and marvelling at the immensity of God's creation.

8. Swimming in the Carribean and having the colourful fish come to examine me!

9. Standing in Westminster Abbey.

10. Having a picnic under the palm trees of Hawaii right on the ocean's edge.

11. Riding the Maid of the Mist listening to the thunder of Niagara Falls.

12. Working the soil, tending the plants, picking the fresh strawberries.

13. Sitting in a classroom, hearing God's Call on my life for ministry.

14. Celebrating 30 years of marriage - loving, being loved, being immensely satisfied with life.

15. Standing on the edge of Lake of the Woods at 6 a.m. casting a line into the still, clear water!

16. Walking, holding hands - anywhere - with Wendy

17. Racing up Hwy 11 in the backseat of my Nanny's 1955 Cadillac...zoom!

18. Watching with Wendy Phantom of the Opera at the Pantages Theatre.

19. Standing in a circle, as a family, by my Dad's casket, praying!

20. Holding Wendy's hand on February 3, 1979 and hearing her say "I will".

Read this blog

Our journalistic daughter-in-law, Amanda, has created a new blog; Shout It Out! She just got going but she's looking for some followers - perhaps you? Join her, and Phil, in their adventures in Canmore.

This was an office day - nothing too exciting - but it was nice to be back in the office though it is still a time of settling in.

Tonight we're scrolling through campgrounds making some last minute plans as we anticipate our upcoming holidays. While we've booked some sites, we still have some nights without a confirmed destination. How do you feel about heading out not quite knowing where your spending the night? Does it have a sense of adventure or more likely a feeling of panic?

At any rate I'm looking forward to hooking the trailer to the van and going! AND...the price of gasoline is still under a dollar per litre!

Transition in adventure

Taken out near the camp the grounds seems pretty green, but I noticed in a nearby cornfield that the stalks are only about 6 inches tall - a sign of a reduced harvest for sure. We are finally getting some rain.

It was nice to get home last evening and to sleep in my own bed. Back to the office for 10 days before holidays come our way and we pull the trailer out of the backyard. How fleeting are these summer days!

Since these are transition days, and people are changing locations and appointments I've been thinking about what makes transition difficult...but then that's what is on everyone's minds. Its all about change. However, if we change focus just a bit then maybe change could be easy, okay for many of you it will never be easy. But what if it was an adventure!

That was the mindset of our moves when I was a kid. I remember being asked, "so what do you think your new room, or your new school will be like?" No big deal you might think, but the context of the conversation was meant to help me think about the possibilities. Adventure and possibilities give change and transition a new flavour.

Isn't that one of the reasons we like holidays - it is an adventure! So in the midst of your change, here's a thought: turn it into an adventure! Like looking a long road you haven't been down, it might be fun to see what's at the other end.

Installation - High River

We were at Foothills Community Church today in High River. Paul and Jennifer with their two children have been appointed as the officers (pastors) for this enthusiastic members of the Body of Christ. They are in a fairly new facility and after an uplifting service, we joined them for a bbq and potluck. Everyone chipped in to make a great experience.

Paul and Jennifer bring their experience, abilities and passions. Wendy and I were pleased to lead the installation service.

Glenmore Temple Stampede celebrations

Sunday is coming to an end, and even as I sit near the edge of Pine Lake and listen to the thunder in the distance, I know that the rainbow only comes as a result of the rain. God's blessings are like that - often we need a few dark clouds in our life to see the blessings of God in contrast. I'm trying not to mix my metaphors but it has been a day of blessing!

It was great to be at Glenmore last night for the Stampede program and to see the tail end of the carnival and bbq. They had a remarkable number of people come to the carnival and bbq with their supply of food being no match for the numbers of neighbours who came. A great outreach event for sure.

Below are those pictures:

The kids got their faces painted

Hallelujah Hoedown begins

Henry & June are sworn in as Honourary Calgarians

A rainy run to Calgary

Last evening we drove down from the camp to enjoy the Stampede program at Glenmore Temple. It was a good program with a good blend of music and singing. Our good friend Henry Tricky was their guest speaker. Henry is very much the evangelist and presnted well the message that God offers forgiveness for anyone that asks.

Our drive down to Calgary was noteworthy in that we drove through one of the worst rain and wind storms I have ever seen. The sheets of rain were so thick that the transport truck we were following at only 60 km/hr almost disappeared. Later we discovered that a tornado went through the area.

That part of Alberta is called tornado alley. It is also the area referred to as "the place they make hail".

I have some good photos of yesterday and I see our friend Kyla has posted some on Facebook of our later meal with a crowd of 17 from Glenmore Temple.

This morning we are off to High River to install the new officers. We are believing God will annoint their ministry.

Calgary Stampede 2009

It was parade day in Calgary, and for the 8th time I marched with Glenmore Temple and other Salvationists. At first I thought it might be a wet march, but the sun came out and it was a most pleasant experience for all. Check your TV listings for when the parade will be broadcast in your area. This year's Marshall was Mike Holmes, from Holmes on Homes!

Speaking of parades - how do you feel about a public witness? I found myself engaged with people along the parade route, talking, sharing, encouraging. So many seemed to know and understand The Salvation Army. That, I confess, surprised me. At times I think we are our largest critics. As a Church we sure aren't perfect, but we do have some good strengths and I'm beginning to be convinced we should use them to address our weaknesses.

I'm back at Pine Lake Camp tonight - the boats seem to be skimming across the water tonight and it is quite peaceful here. Let me ask you, where do you find peace? What geographical place do you really enjoy?

Mission vs methodology

What's the difference between mission and methodology? Our new buildings at the camp show a great example of the difference. The mission is to be transforming influence in the lives of people. The camp program is the methodology...but sometimes we think that the methodology IS the mission. So we work to preserve the way we do things and in doing so distort or lose the mission.

In fact the danger in distorting the mission is that we begin to believe that we have found a new way forward. A good example would be the YMCA or even the Scouting movement who started out with a mission of being transforming influences and ended up being institutions. The same danger exists for The Salvation Army. We must ever guard our understanding of mission verses methodology.

Think about your congregation. What is more important?

Canada Day at Pine Lake Camp

Canada Day is almost over, or at least the sun gives hints that there is less that 3 hours light left! Yes that's right, in this part of Canada our days are very long. It is also the first day of Moms and Tots Camp...I can hear the campers singing O Canada in the distance even as I'm entering this online.

I thought it would nice to show you some photos from today. Of course, for the sake of the campers I can't really show you them however I think the photos demonstrate something of the day here.

And of course what would Canada Day be without a Canada Day Cake!

Happy Canada Day

Happy Canada Day to you all. July 1st celebrates the wonderful nation of Canada; 10 provinces and three territories, spanning from sea, to sea, to sea. With plains, mountains, thousands of lakes, a seemingly vast amount of coastline this is a vast land.

Do you know where the highest point in Canada is? You might think Alberta or British Columbia and that would seem reasonable. But the highest point is actually in the Yukon Territory. Mount Logan is 5959 metres high. Oh, and for those of you who live in Hamilton...that's not a mountain. Sorry, it just isn't. It's an escarpment.

You might know that the world's largest island (in a freshwater lake) is Manitouline Island in Lake Huron. It's 2765 kilometers. But Canada's largest island is Baffin Island - I've flown over it several times now and it is massive at 507451 square kilometers.

You can learn a great deal about our nation at http://atlas.nrcan.gc.ca/site/english/learningresources/facts/supergeneral.html