tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87160133801077741032024-03-12T21:49:38.083-07:00Thorleys' Northern ExposureElder and Sister Thorleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01934167726139534149noreply@blogger.comBlogger77125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8716013380107774103.post-79498721517293636332017-06-25T19:35:00.000-07:002017-06-25T19:35:07.122-07:00<br />
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Blog for June 25, 2017</div>
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The time has arrived for us to go home……..</div>
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Well, blog fans, our remaining time in Calgary is drawing
rapidly to a close; only a few more days. With many of the things we do comes
the realization that we won’t be doing it again or won’t be seeing it again.
Today at Church, for example, we had to say goodbye to many wonderful people,
many of whom we may never see again. We know we will be returning for a visit
from time to time but things and circumstances rarely remain the same. </div>
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Yesterday I returned once again to one of my favorite spots,
the Glenmore Reservoir Trail. The day was fresh and fragrant and the
temperature was perfect for a nice relaxed run. I will attach some pictures I
took along the way including deer and lots of wild roses. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7TSwS6pCTKMVkfXNwiaafqPayUPV79KUr4U2SWz6Pg-taxnGsm7xMbMdpbSsAiDDjQRAkZCof0U3QyCrvLuedrBdIg6YHboIrJT3TqbfbaJ_rgMKmVKtmMek2xq43pwQGerpsHtrJooOq/s1600/IMG_1531.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7TSwS6pCTKMVkfXNwiaafqPayUPV79KUr4U2SWz6Pg-taxnGsm7xMbMdpbSsAiDDjQRAkZCof0U3QyCrvLuedrBdIg6YHboIrJT3TqbfbaJ_rgMKmVKtmMek2xq43pwQGerpsHtrJooOq/s640/IMG_1531.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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I would say how much I will miss the beautiful areas
available here and the wonderful trails and scenery to be enjoyed, but then I
think ahead to the Dimple Dell trails, Bell Canyon, and other sites which are
so near our home. Suddenly I feel better about returning. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dimple Dell Trail (Sandy, Utah)</td></tr>
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Given how hot it has
been in Utah, we know we will miss the daily temperature in the 70s and low 80s
we have known the past two summers. </div>
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With our departure just days away, we will miss Canada Day
(July 1<sup>st</sup>) and the Calgary Stampede (July 7-16), which is already
gearing up. Instead we will get to enjoy the 4<sup>th</sup> of July celebration
with friends and family at home and that will be nice. </div>
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We are busy training our replacements, Elder and Sister
McNary. They had their “baptism of fire” this past week with the arrival of new
missionaries, the departure of others, and the process of transferring
missionaries north and south as described in earlier blogs. Otherwise the
training involves sitting at a desk reviewing all facets of the job, which for
them must be somewhat like drinking from a fire hose. They are coming along
nicely and will do well. </div>
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Since last week was transfer week, we were able to say
goodbye to many of our missionaries. The highlight of our mission has been to
interact with them as they serve. They are such an outstanding group of young
men and women. They arrive with such diverse talents, interests, and
capabilities. It is amazing to consider that the missionaries we see here are
but a cross section of young people serving in all of the missions of the
Church. Regardless of background, missions provide wonderful opportunities to
grow and learn in ways that would not otherwise be realized. Most importantly,
missionaries grow spiritually. As they teach gospel principles to others, they
learn to apply these same principles more completely to themselves. I know from
my own mission experience as a young man how much better prepared I was to meet
the challenges of life, of faith, of family, and career. Fortunately, we are
Facebook friends with many of our missionaries who have returned home and that
will be true for those still serving. It is wonderful to see them moving on
with their lives after returning home. I see the same blessings in their lives
that I realized from having served a mission. </div>
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So, this is it, - the great winding up scene. Thanks for
sharing in our experiences. </div>
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In closing, please enjoy some scenes from the Sefcik’s
neighborhood lake and park where we had a wonderful picnic with them. </div>
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Have a wonderful week!</div>
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Elder and Sister Thorleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01934167726139534149noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8716013380107774103.post-64338126521177699642017-06-18T16:58:00.000-07:002017-06-18T16:58:12.350-07:00We are in countdown mode......<br />
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Blog for June 18, 2017</div>
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Wow, we are in countdown mode……..! We have just one more
Sunday remaining in Calgary. </div>
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Last Sunday, after posting my blog, Kathy and I decided to
go out and check off another item on our bucket list. We had heard many times
of the incredible view of downtown, which can be viewed from the Crescent View
Ward building. The building sits up on a bluff above the Bow River just to the
north of downtown. The view was well worth the visit as you can see in the
following picture. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crescent View and 6th Ward Building, Confederation Park Stake</td></tr>
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This picture was taken around 9:30 p.m. (which tells you how
late the sun goes down is these northern parts). Afterward we drove around the
neighborhood and were amazed at the very beautiful and very well cared for
older homes in the area. Then we headed for the Calgary Stake Center on the
west side of Calgary and took a picture of the downtown area from that vantage
point. The sun was just setting at that point. </div>
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The building is the Calgary
Stake Center, which was built during the time President N. Eldon Tanner was
Stake President here. It is huge as our church buildings go. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Calgary Stake Center</td></tr>
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This has been a very busy week as we had much to do to get
everything ready for Elder and Sister McNary’s arrival (see below) and to set
out the plan for meeting the new missionaries who will be arriving this
Wednesday. The usual schedule for arriving and departing missionaries has
changed somewhat so this required a bit more planning than usual. This is
followed, as usual, by the transfer day, which involves hauling 18-20
missionaries south to Lethbridge and returning with an equal number. This will
be the last trip I will take to Lethbridge until a possible return for a visit
in the future.</div>
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Adding to the busy mix of things to be done was the sale of
the last few cars remaining in our fleet. I am saving one car, which we will
hopefully sell tomorrow, so that Elder McNary will have at least some exposure
to what is involved with car sales. </div>
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I also met with some officials from Alberta Registries, the
equivalent of the DMV in the states. We have been encouraged by the Church to
begin the process of our missionaries getting Alberta driver’s licenses in
advance of this becoming a requirement. Since our missionaries serve for 18-24
months, and do not have a clearly defined legal status for being in Canada;
i.e., they are not here on a work visa, nor a visitor visa (limited to 6
months), and they aren’t students); therefore, a plan for how to facilitate
this with the various Registry offices is important. The meeting was highly
successful and so the process will begin soon for missionaries to get their
licenses. This will occur in smallish groups so that the Registries do not
become overwhelmed. The Registries serve a much smaller area than do DMV
facilities in the States so there are several in each of the larger
communities. I think I mentioned some of the details for licenses and visas in
my last blog, so enough said. The reality, however, for making this happen will
fall to Elder McNary (Yay!). </div>
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Adding to the mix of things dealt with during the week was
getting a call from our Mission President on Thursday morining informing us
that they had just been in a serious accident. On their way to some meetings in
Lethbridge, they suddenly came upon an accident which had occurred just ahead
of them. They were able to slow to avoid the accident but just behind them was
a large cattle truck which didn’t stop in time and collided into the back end
of the President’s new Toyota Highlander. Fortunately no one was injured in
either vehicle (I don’t know about the initial accident). Since the Highlander
remained at least drivable, I met them part way and exchanged it for one of our
old Chevy Cruze vehicles which they have had to use for their travels since. We
have a larger rental vehicle arranged for them, which I will pick up in the
morning. </div>
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And now a word about our replacements, the McNarys. They
arrived yesterday afternoon. We were able to meet them at the office where we
showed them around and then they followed us to the home where they will be
living. It is the same home where the Peppingers lived while they served here.
We helped move their things in from their SUV, which was understandably packed
to the gills!. The McNarys are wonderful and will be very capable. Elder McNary
retired recently as the campus planner at the University of Utah, and he is
indeed a car guy as was evident by his well-used tool box. Sister McNary is a
former pre-school teacher. Both are very personable and will be a great
addition to the office staff. Tomorrow evening the whole office staff, both old
and new, will meet for dinner as the Sefcik’s and the Thorley’s missions draw
to a close. More about this next week when we put out our last mission blog.</div>
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To close this blog, I will include a number of pictures of
our missionaries who were also present at stake conference today. We will miss
them all so much.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPKcnMmRrEGi53P1xshWh0znFkCsc_JEzxqBz7ooFWNYe8uBKqcuRoD3QOEdgUyQwmIpGKnqPPCwZN_bfLBcLMitSr99qKeq_T24Gb_le92jKt_NAmaSRKYebrgx4tltzv874P0EaIg7Vt/s1600/unnamed-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPKcnMmRrEGi53P1xshWh0znFkCsc_JEzxqBz7ooFWNYe8uBKqcuRoD3QOEdgUyQwmIpGKnqPPCwZN_bfLBcLMitSr99qKeq_T24Gb_le92jKt_NAmaSRKYebrgx4tltzv874P0EaIg7Vt/s640/unnamed-5.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sisters Schnebly, Amaller, Burnside, Hatch. Us. Elders Ibanez, Tate, DelMolino, Cartwright, Fox, and Hewlett</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBwKyq8qkIwepnV74SRihelz76rfVSHBebUrEwCVF19D48ny9qBs6Zngn5MGcxw5uwz8_poh6DHtdysT2PzcnDF6i9tRM_Ua9T_6hYNaiiZtkwP3qvTwOSE2_KcpJazgasSP5YNzDBOUXw/s1600/unnamed-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBwKyq8qkIwepnV74SRihelz76rfVSHBebUrEwCVF19D48ny9qBs6Zngn5MGcxw5uwz8_poh6DHtdysT2PzcnDF6i9tRM_Ua9T_6hYNaiiZtkwP3qvTwOSE2_KcpJazgasSP5YNzDBOUXw/s640/unnamed-1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sisters Burnside, Thorley, and Hatch</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiuljyhqMKEPjfgZA192oDFTDXPgx2RvVITguUpIGU5Wk6JhAxz3BZhphtt7ecNPr0ZiTLkXVnZlgislAorvidW-_75iuPO0w9pzCQfQlmKhBb8zFCWeOdjtAf0230mteS6pFT40bKmWUZ/s1600/FullSizeRender.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="586" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiuljyhqMKEPjfgZA192oDFTDXPgx2RvVITguUpIGU5Wk6JhAxz3BZhphtt7ecNPr0ZiTLkXVnZlgislAorvidW-_75iuPO0w9pzCQfQlmKhBb8zFCWeOdjtAf0230mteS6pFT40bKmWUZ/s640/FullSizeRender.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sisters Amaller, Thorley, Schnebly</td></tr>
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And finally, a shot someone took of Kathy and I......</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXiSL_vyLWb1eiKmv1KvQsUFCRsZ4-LT5RWqiQRBlftf9DCLTAoRtdqLsINxVGRmzRECIExJXsSBJcOdaF0xnIylH0Hv5PEvIEqBtNpxzyEDdL3zHrU27N2xyBXmGs3m5oBu0aGNZQOhIf/s1600/unnamed-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXiSL_vyLWb1eiKmv1KvQsUFCRsZ4-LT5RWqiQRBlftf9DCLTAoRtdqLsINxVGRmzRECIExJXsSBJcOdaF0xnIylH0Hv5PEvIEqBtNpxzyEDdL3zHrU27N2xyBXmGs3m5oBu0aGNZQOhIf/s640/unnamed-2.jpg" width="478" /></a></div>
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Have a wonderful week!</div>
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Elder and Sister Thorleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01934167726139534149noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8716013380107774103.post-65220798792374998602017-06-11T18:43:00.000-07:002017-06-11T18:43:19.461-07:00<div class="MsoNormal">
Blog for the week of June 11, 2017<o:p></o:p></div>
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One last return trip to Banff/Canmore…….at least for now. We'll be back!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK9jTlcX8Dq_E2DbcnAyGOds0KX0hkd5BHu5vCZPwwTBkYhE1KVQ0eWWFrW0rwzjZN0YFXLoopmcxO6BYzqm2p8RA6b1G90PU3A2oU1FGxRgVWZkZueG4C48RvzbKYhw3FrQgHOBtMTNuR/s1600/Gardiners.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK9jTlcX8Dq_E2DbcnAyGOds0KX0hkd5BHu5vCZPwwTBkYhE1KVQ0eWWFrW0rwzjZN0YFXLoopmcxO6BYzqm2p8RA6b1G90PU3A2oU1FGxRgVWZkZueG4C48RvzbKYhw3FrQgHOBtMTNuR/s640/Gardiners.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Elder and Sister Gardiner at Canmore </td></tr>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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We never get tired of returning to the beautiful Banff area.
Our wonderful friends, the Gardiners, are serving there as senior missionaries in
a leadership support role. They were away during our last visit so last evening
we arranged to meet them for dinner. We had a wonderful visit that lasted well
beyond finishing our meal. We noted there was a loud group there when we first
entered the restaurant so we asked for a quiet spot so we could visit and they
placed us back in a room by ourselves and did not bug us at all even though we
were clearly finished eating. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The truck (see last week’s pictures) is now completely
fixed. A replacement gas tank was installed during the week. To understand why,
you will need to remember that the tank was punctured at the same time as the
theft of the wheels. Since the truck repairs are completed, it needed a real
test drive so we decided to drive it to Banff. Prior to our trip it had been
raining rather heavily in the region, but the forecast called for rain ending
toward evening and, as we made our drive west, it began to clear. Upon arrival in
Canmore where we met the Gardiners, we were treated to a beautiful wintery scene
as the Banff mountains have a fresh coating of snow. The rivers are all running
at capacity as the snowmelt occurs and now there will be even more snow to melt
and run downstream.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6tRtf2AagwX9qv5FpwUhNavMVjcRujxuHtpkpT-1Af3BHvtlDJQPqk8EqZ6k4mvbpY6bqV8XQcyHj2u26CbkpidT6M8fEfKpqNQgMor3R3axf87QBqDPXZrGIsPY8ObjHMt-NKQ6pGNhr/s1600/Camnmore+mountains-June+2017.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6tRtf2AagwX9qv5FpwUhNavMVjcRujxuHtpkpT-1Af3BHvtlDJQPqk8EqZ6k4mvbpY6bqV8XQcyHj2u26CbkpidT6M8fEfKpqNQgMor3R3axf87QBqDPXZrGIsPY8ObjHMt-NKQ6pGNhr/s640/Camnmore+mountains-June+2017.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif8LI1qoHH7APjei1Y9nlRb5gqP1b8Z__l_uRoxYu0KjpdDJJHL7yvm70QXrelL1_DvkMWfsm3kFrSa7B4H5kIB0HHwjvk2t-OCYyd7NVs2h8YYAkTPCDXXwUl6YmyJPFPFr42rXB6HBdZ/s1600/3+Sisters-June+2017.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif8LI1qoHH7APjei1Y9nlRb5gqP1b8Z__l_uRoxYu0KjpdDJJHL7yvm70QXrelL1_DvkMWfsm3kFrSa7B4H5kIB0HHwjvk2t-OCYyd7NVs2h8YYAkTPCDXXwUl6YmyJPFPFr42rXB6HBdZ/s640/3+Sisters-June+2017.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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We are starting to pack the things we will not need between
now and the time we return home, especially all our winter gear. Since we
anticipate buying the truck, we are hoping we will not need to rent a trailer
to haul our stuff home. The smallest of the U-Haul enclosed trailers was needed
for our initial trip to Calgary. With that in mind, as soon as the money transfer
has been completed for the purchase, I plan to have a cover installed over the
truck box so our things will be out of the weather for the trip home. Between
the truck (a crew cab) and our Santa Fe SUV, hopefully everything will fit. <o:p></o:p></div>
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We are anxiously awaiting our replacements, the McNarys, who
should arrive at the end of next week. There is much to show them before our
departure. Fortunately, they will arrive in time to experience the planning and
execution of what is involved with a transfer week. Perhaps we will delay
selling the last couple of cars so Elder McNary can see how this is done.
Having no more cars to sell for a while will be a blessing for him so he can
focus on all the other aspects of the job. As I may have mentioned in a past
blog, missionaries serving in Canada who are not from Canada are being required
to get and keep a driver’s license for the province where they serve. We will
launch this process very soon but the bulk of it will fall to Elder McNary and
anyone in the office who is available to help with this. This will require
meeting the qualifying missionaries, one group at a time, at a local Registry.
Registry is like a DMV in the U.S. There we will hand them their passport and
other documents needed for the license. At the end of the process, we will
gather up the passports and return them to the mission office. Hopefully it
will go as smoothly. Missionaries do not have a specific visa status, such as
students or visitors have. Since they aren’t students and since their intended stay
in Canada is for longer than six months, they are not eligible to be classified
as visitors either. There is a ministerial status but the implication of the
status is that they are paid by a particular religious denomination to be in
Canada. Of course, since our missionaries are not paid to be here, they
technically don’t qualify under that status either, although some of their
visas are stamped with this classification anyway. There is always the
possibility some Registry official will get hung up on their lack of specific
status and refuse to grant them a license.<o:p></o:p></div>
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There is too much left to individual interpretation of the
rules by government officials. This is true, of course, in all countries. In
addition to visas, we frequently encounter arbitrary decisions at border
crossings, with customs, at post offices, and the Registries. A case in point;
one of our missionaries, Elder Del Molino is currently serving here from Spain.
There is a particular cured ham which he is fond of and his family has sent it
before <u>without difficulty</u>. He recently had a birthday and his parents
sent him a care package from home containing another ham and several other
items. The package was seized at Customs and then we were informed that the missionary
would have to come to the Custom’s office at the airport to pick it up. A
Customs agent had decided that such a ham violated Canada’s import laws and it
would have to be removed from the package and be destroyed. We were told there
would be a charge to open the package to remove the ham and a $100 charge for
someone to destroy it. Was there an option to simply refuse the package and
have it returned to the sender? Yes, but that would generate a shipping and a
Custom’s charge to the family. The rest of the story is…….I Elder Del Molino and
his companion to the airport. First we went to Customs who claimed to know
nothing about it and had no idea where the package was. After a time it was
determined that the package was at the airport FEDEX facility. This required
going to FEDEX, not to pick up the package, but to pick up a form that would
then have to come back to Customs to be processed. We made the trip to FEDEX
and waited in line with other FEDEX customers and were given the needed form.
Then it was back to Customs and a further wait there. While waiting I said to
the missionary, let’s play up the fact that this is your birthday gift which,
because of the Custom’s delay, means your birthday has come and gone and you still
have no gift. We played this trump card with the Custom’s official, and to his
credit, the agent wrote a personal note to accompany the form back to FEDEX.
After waiting again in the FEDEX line, the package was brought to the desk, now
with the ham removed, and the remainder of the package given to the missionary
with the comment that there would be no additional need to return to Customs
nor to pay the “required fee”. Despite the nice gesture of the agent, it,
nevertheless, makes my point about how arbitrary such decisions are made. With
this in mind, I am preparing absolutely EVERYTHING that might be needed at the
U.S. border when I try to take a Canadian truck into the U.S. I have heard
horror stories from others about how difficult this process can be when usually
it is a simple process of the agent inspecting the vehicle, stamping the form,
and sending the person on his way. I
will be holding my breath. <o:p></o:p></div>
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With that, have a great week!<o:p></o:p></div>
Elder and Sister Thorleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01934167726139534149noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8716013380107774103.post-762661768277442962017-06-04T17:30:00.000-07:002017-06-04T17:30:06.468-07:00<div class="MsoNormal">
Blog for June 4<sup>, </sup>2017<o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuPMrkiNbysRBNEy6obMW3TFzW4NhFsy_Jy6sHpvcT0GyzZId5o-FXYpTMk0K-T7QbzZainuS0of3ZMilDkCmmDAFkW6LGwE3VulBs-H6hKxWcrgl4lIQCm1d1v8HHde95ta8QuQsfkRkx/s1600/unnamed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuPMrkiNbysRBNEy6obMW3TFzW4NhFsy_Jy6sHpvcT0GyzZId5o-FXYpTMk0K-T7QbzZainuS0of3ZMilDkCmmDAFkW6LGwE3VulBs-H6hKxWcrgl4lIQCm1d1v8HHde95ta8QuQsfkRkx/s640/unnamed.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New wheels for "my truck"</td></tr>
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<o:p> </o:p>If you have been following this blog, you will recall what
happened to one of the trucks we have had for sale; the wheels were stolen and the
truck left on blocks. We discovered later that a hole had been drilled or
punched into the bottom of the gas tank and the gas drained out as a part of
the same theft. While I was away dealing with the flooding incident in our home
in Sandy, the Church insurance wheels had turned and approval given for the
repairs. This week I found some rims somewhat like those that were stolen and
had new tires mounted on them, so baby again has “shoes”! Now what remains is
for the new gas tank to arrive and get it installed. We have plugged the hole in
the tank with a flathead screw and rubber gasket so hopefully it will hold a
little gasoline, at least enough to enable driving it to the repair shop.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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You might wonder why I am reporting on this particular vehicle
so much; I have had eyes on it since it became available for purchase and I am
seriously considering buying it and driving it home.<o:p></o:p></div>
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We are down to the last few cars to sell (including “my
truck”), and with no new cars coming to us for many months, the dust will
finally settle. This will allow my replacement to ease into the job without the
pressure to move and sell the older cars. He will, however, have something to
deal with that I have not. In July a crew will arrive from Salt Lake to install
TIWI devices in each of our cars. Most of the missions in the U.S. and Canada
already have them. TIWI devices are smart devices that will monitor speed, acceleration,
deceleration, lane deviation, and location information for each of the mission
cars. Of course, some of the missionaries view these as Big Brother looking
over their shoulders to track where they are at any given time and how they are
driving, which is possible, but the real purpose is missionary safety and to
save the Church money. Inside the car the device will alert the driver that
he/she is exceeding the speed limit. It beeps to warn the drivers should the
car wander over into someone else’s lane. These devices are used by many
trucking companies and commercial fleet operations. Use of these devices has
shown to reduce operating costs and control speeding. From a Vehicle
Coordinator’s point of view, there is some additional record keeping involved,
and since these devices operate from cell phone towers, there will always be
problems associated with their proper operation such as when they get out of
range of cell phone towers. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Our office mates, the Sefciks, are busy training their
replacements, the Stephensons. As it turns out, Elder Stephenson is a real car
guy and so is willing to do what he can to the help the car cause beyond his
job as Housing Coordinator. This will be wonderful for new Vehicle Coordinator
as the job can be a bit overwhelming at times, especially when car sales is
involved. Our replacements are due to arrive sometime during the 3<sup>rd</sup>
week of this month so we will have about a week to 10 days to accomplish what
training can be done during that period. We have talked with them by phone and
were able to share some of our experiences and provide some advice as to what and
what not to bring. They are eager to arrive and get started. They are from
Sandy as well and already know one of the MLS couples (also from Sandy) who are
serving over in the British Columbia part of our mission.<o:p></o:p></div>
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As you have read in a previous blog, we extended a month so
we could provide some training to our replacements. Had we not extended, we
would have left for home on May 30<sup>th</sup>. It seems strange to
contemplate going home. I had a taste of it when I was home recently dealing
with the flooding disaster in our home. With so much to be done when we return,
we won’t have much time to be idle or bored. We were already planning to finish
the interior painting started before we left for our mission, and we are
planning new carpeting when the painting is completed. Now, unfortunately, we have
the entire basement apartment in our home to tackle when we return in addition
to what we had already planned to do. Then there is the yard, which needs so
much attention we won’t know where to begin. We will arrive too late to plant a
garden so that is off our list. We have
begun some early packing and will soon be offering some of the things we have
for sale that we do not plan to take back with us; a keyboard, a portable air
conditioning unit, and a stationary bike. Some items like small bookcases we
will donate to the mission. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Since our annual passes to Heritage Park will expire soon,
we returned yesterday to revisit some of our favorite sites. We have mentioned Heritage
Park in several previous blogs. It is a wonderful historical park with many
historical buildings from Southern Alberta that have been brought to the site
and restored. 80% of the buildings are restorations while the other 20% are
replica buildings. It is like a step back in time to the turn of the 20<sup>th</sup>
century including a restored steam engine and passenger cars that make the trip
around the park every 30 minutes or so. Unfortunately, the paddle wheeler is
not yet back in service. We have loved the place and returned often last summer.
I had hoped to place a few pictures in the blog from the park from last year (they
show more detail than the pictures taken yesterday); however, my laptop
continues to be locked up with a terrible attack of malware. I’ll include a few
pictures that we did take.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1UHBnEnZjntMW71xJds8v_nzzudTV-96MUd5jjSdFwBbccFNyWHGKwxpRPWMa9dmx2x9amlmq6wP-95ok5ZAzV0po6dpYo9bb6KFCjguZz4OzZXBvBT55r0x-b7vLR1iq9JHddxOP9Cwl/s1600/IMG_3368.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1UHBnEnZjntMW71xJds8v_nzzudTV-96MUd5jjSdFwBbccFNyWHGKwxpRPWMa9dmx2x9amlmq6wP-95ok5ZAzV0po6dpYo9bb6KFCjguZz4OzZXBvBT55r0x-b7vLR1iq9JHddxOP9Cwl/s640/IMG_3368.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Heritage Park Main Street</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDDIWISYvL2CD_SCxpcTj_keQzSybONjqrxTScGmGpKzEZjB0HwMTZaezSmKsZMl4JrDA8-gqCzAYdZ2Jg5PluC91-ihhQTuP6O_UKnwQsGW145mOeoVqLHn1VgoVCnXaS_TNM55SJcw38/s1600/IMG_3366.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDDIWISYvL2CD_SCxpcTj_keQzSybONjqrxTScGmGpKzEZjB0HwMTZaezSmKsZMl4JrDA8-gqCzAYdZ2Jg5PluC91-ihhQTuP6O_UKnwQsGW145mOeoVqLHn1VgoVCnXaS_TNM55SJcw38/s640/IMG_3366.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wagon ride around the town included some fun descriptions of buildings and events.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiLYmsiolFg1kW9PpOk65iFDpEzIjEeFyw9f-66Yx598RXiQR9BaMSUNrBSTIJwvIWbCX2JG8m8p9Ukdb11cNEwzalgvF4vvavW8S4XRibn9Y2J89yoH4M17qRoHzm0PSx0IVNFTlo5oJ1/s1600/IMG_1503.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiLYmsiolFg1kW9PpOk65iFDpEzIjEeFyw9f-66Yx598RXiQR9BaMSUNrBSTIJwvIWbCX2JG8m8p9Ukdb11cNEwzalgvF4vvavW8S4XRibn9Y2J89yoH4M17qRoHzm0PSx0IVNFTlo5oJ1/s640/IMG_1503.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">No, not Enterprise, Utah. Not sure where this building came from. It houses some of the draft horses used in the park.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9iIkucU_5MbEyMhaUt7h1XF9fabd2NNJpcUOXbTV_vijsjt4SChd7A69CqEFILQi-PVZqD-yenCg8msngtiAPdj-mbdCsqeIXOSr965fu1r_9XD2388odc0zodq-jBLwwLVlv69ayTnno/s1600/IMG_3360.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9iIkucU_5MbEyMhaUt7h1XF9fabd2NNJpcUOXbTV_vijsjt4SChd7A69CqEFILQi-PVZqD-yenCg8msngtiAPdj-mbdCsqeIXOSr965fu1r_9XD2388odc0zodq-jBLwwLVlv69ayTnno/s640/IMG_3360.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These little guys were speaking Russian.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Have a great week!</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
Elder and Sister Thorleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01934167726139534149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8716013380107774103.post-66724376946589463682017-05-30T15:08:00.001-07:002017-05-30T15:08:10.631-07:00FLOODING<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3TybGh9_iy71J-21K0CRcFbJY3easrJZ2NImIzpDEm1zk059u-_ODy3My1U5e8SqbBXP1yYRnzmhAzQCEOSLyJLZXDCZHb4sNU1Cw15rJ80-4Q17hZDaC7jzbyFUES8A_zCYRZ_AI7xiu/s1600/Basement.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3TybGh9_iy71J-21K0CRcFbJY3easrJZ2NImIzpDEm1zk059u-_ODy3My1U5e8SqbBXP1yYRnzmhAzQCEOSLyJLZXDCZHb4sNU1Cw15rJ80-4Q17hZDaC7jzbyFUES8A_zCYRZ_AI7xiu/s640/Basement.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<span id="goog_107189253"></span><span id="goog_107189254"></span><br />
<br />
Well, blog fans, I learned last Saturday (May 20) that our home in Sandy had a flooded basement. I flew home the next day to assess the situation. Since the water source was from without the home (came from the sprinkling system) our homeowners insurance does not cover the damage. Now one week later, with the services of a disaster mitigation company, the basement is dry but lacking carpet and some drywall (what a misnomer as the lower 6" or so got wet). I flew back to Calgary on Sunday and now we are awaiting estimates for the needed repairs.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrbAYZjxozL62lphIuaIMGP65kBJk_N_UtjCFi-Ir7tIyaLxKgF6WQrGOh1BnNLCN_SM18guxVU0EcyM3huV2P8sJ4ABcqf8dWHltMkU6fCYdtRdJO3s_uSzT5xN9XSFlGrNe79Za0zlN4/s1600/Basement+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrbAYZjxozL62lphIuaIMGP65kBJk_N_UtjCFi-Ir7tIyaLxKgF6WQrGOh1BnNLCN_SM18guxVU0EcyM3huV2P8sJ4ABcqf8dWHltMkU6fCYdtRdJO3s_uSzT5xN9XSFlGrNe79Za0zlN4/s640/Basement+2.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, my laptop has been infected by some bogus Microsoft bug and is all locked up, so this<br />
brief blog entry is coming from my office computer. Until I figure out how to unlock my laptop, my blogs will be short and sweet.<br />
<br />
In closing, I will add a picture of my running trail (Dimple Dell Trail) not far from our home in Sandy, Utah. It was great getting back to home turf and resuming, albeit very briefly, my routines when home. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV0Ls7FBafop-m0D6_0qhJTmuNuQ6NiqbqQUR1VNJ-u8Ep5iceu7jLcT9SOGAfiIjDyEdPjl9pMksL9SUQA-SLsmvdssCwNRy926Yli_B9RMtwpWYiwEF6TCEz6k9fHjY4CJBKQ6N1M3JH/s1600/Trail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV0Ls7FBafop-m0D6_0qhJTmuNuQ6NiqbqQUR1VNJ-u8Ep5iceu7jLcT9SOGAfiIjDyEdPjl9pMksL9SUQA-SLsmvdssCwNRy926Yli_B9RMtwpWYiwEF6TCEz6k9fHjY4CJBKQ6N1M3JH/s640/Trail.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
Stay tuned...........<br />
<img src="webkit-fake-url://a76ec698-c4e8-452e-a372-c7ad1b70d207/imagejpeg" />Elder and Sister Thorleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01934167726139534149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8716013380107774103.post-64255328504883553352017-05-14T14:24:00.000-07:002017-05-14T14:24:33.326-07:00<br />
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Blog for May 14, 2017</div>
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Unfortunately, some excitement again this week……</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOqIpPO7xP44OndybwgvuRvx3QMRyI8RraCimbzEU2z04chnDmcM33NoluCZfBQIxGYRd7161w9SFZu5RIjKa2yzLO3hvBeakX0qA29yWqdJKAjyCDPicwvq9l1ngiNh3CAWTLoZQMi0p-/s1600/Missing+wheels+on+my+truck%2521.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOqIpPO7xP44OndybwgvuRvx3QMRyI8RraCimbzEU2z04chnDmcM33NoluCZfBQIxGYRd7161w9SFZu5RIjKa2yzLO3hvBeakX0qA29yWqdJKAjyCDPicwvq9l1ngiNh3CAWTLoZQMi0p-/s640/Missing+wheels+on+my+truck%2521.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some bum took my wheels!</td></tr>
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<!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> Yes, the wheels are gone! Someone came into the office
parking lot sometime during the night on Thursday, jacked up one of the trucks
we have for sale, and stole the rims and tires. This was obviously premeditated
as they came prepared with blocks, jacked up the truck and hastily removed the
lug nuts (they were strewn around the truck as if randomly tossed there) and
then lowered the truck onto the blocks. If they came equipped with an impact
wrench, as I suspect they did, they were probably there for all of 2-3 minutes.
Unfortunately there is no security camera and none in the area that could
provide any information so there isn’t much for the police to go on. There were
two other pickup trucks there as well but they were not apparently
touched. This is an unfortunate
loss and one I am feeling more personally as it is a truck I am planning to buy
and drive home next month. It is a 2015 Chevrolet Colorado crew cab with
4-wheel drive and is in excellent condition. The tires were quite worn and
needed to be replaced anyway, but now new rims will be required as well. I
found it odd that they chose the one truck with the most worn tires from which
to steal the wheels.</div>
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I mentioned the apartment fire in last week’s blog. They had
large fans and large odor absorbing units running on many of the floors all
week including our own floor. As I mentioned last week, fortunately we were
hardly affected by smoke odor. We have a portable air conditioning unit in our
apartment and it was left running when the fire alarm went off. It was left
running as we evacuated and I suspect the positive air pressure gradient it
causes inside our apartment worked in our favor so no smoke entered our
apartment. </div>
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This past week was transfer week. As it turned out only one
missionary serving in the south was going home so on Tuesday Kathy and I took
the one remaining new Toyota RAV 4 south, exchanged the cars in Lethbridge,
picked up Elder Rausch there, and returned to Calgary in the older car (which
is to be sold soon). </div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2ODrwty7xAJhGuKbaJtyKIV65_wNfFx1UpuR-3K_nKEgTAOjVTfdeOUf1CfPwyM4IAB_t6NZxstxUp5-sxla4riSVdkSJQwjMajV0d9vnbEdLsu3y3WznEE1fnKsAEVlfx9d5Qqex0HiF/s1600/Car+X+%2526+Elder+Rausch+going+home.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2ODrwty7xAJhGuKbaJtyKIV65_wNfFx1UpuR-3K_nKEgTAOjVTfdeOUf1CfPwyM4IAB_t6NZxstxUp5-sxla4riSVdkSJQwjMajV0d9vnbEdLsu3y3WznEE1fnKsAEVlfx9d5Qqex0HiF/s640/Car+X+%2526+Elder+Rausch+going+home.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Elders Rausch, Cox, Crump, Wahlquist & Sisters Frandsen, Burns</td></tr>
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<!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> All three missionaries returning to their homes left on
Wednesday morning and the arriving missionaries (again only three) came in on
Wednesday afternoon flights. We did our usual new missionary training later in
the day on Wednesday.</div>
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On Thursday, the big transfer day, I made the usual trip
with a load of missionaries transferring to the south and returned with the
ones transferring to the north. It was also on Thursday we learned that one of
our former missionaries, Elder A, would be returning on a Thursday evening
flight. In February he had emergency orthopedic surgery to repair a broken
femur sustained in an accident and then went home to recover. It is good to
have him back and fired up and all ready to go again. On Friday I drove him to
Claresholm, Alberta, which is an hour’s drive south of Calgary. There we met
his two companions who drove up from Cardston to pick him up. He will again
serve as a Zone Leader as he was doing at the time of his accident. </div>
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Yesterday, Saturday, it was kind of breezy and rainy so we
mostly stayed home, cleaned our apartment, did some shopping, and then went out
to dinner and then to a movie. We saw a very interesting movie called “The Lost
City of Z”, which is based upon a true story of a British explorer in the
Amazon. Coming out of the theater we were treated to a spectacular sunset.
Unfortunately, the picture below did not do justice to it; it was remarkable!</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZaXZl33c2bBvdKPrdd1a_plyUvlGafX_6ueqIepTFY8TBO2Tv8O-l6JqvNkdZLPXZAjlYp9ya47y6_SlTqgYeiUpI0cYlg8DaP7LCdP697qLgMGGwiKFkyVUV2cfHWNRL7mXbN0Uz3FZD/s1600/Sunset+eve+of+May+13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZaXZl33c2bBvdKPrdd1a_plyUvlGafX_6ueqIepTFY8TBO2Tv8O-l6JqvNkdZLPXZAjlYp9ya47y6_SlTqgYeiUpI0cYlg8DaP7LCdP697qLgMGGwiKFkyVUV2cfHWNRL7mXbN0Uz3FZD/s640/Sunset+eve+of+May+13.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunset on evening of May 13 at Canyon Meadows Cinema</td></tr>
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Happy Mother’s Day to all you mums (as they say in Canada).</div>
<!--EndFragment--><br />
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Have a wonderful week!</div>
Elder and Sister Thorleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01934167726139534149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8716013380107774103.post-33322921806466942442017-05-07T20:35:00.000-07:002017-05-07T20:35:24.749-07:00Some weekends one must stay close to home for excitement!<br />
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Blog for May 7, 2017</div>
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Some weekends one must stay close to home for excitement……..</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji30xta9MdmpqwTCTxQISatq0HsqPdhfhMYtmT3PWtM9z0ilRinoIU51w3sR4DTDW4V87HVGpTSdWsOd2fZY9UnCwgHeYVF1VCT9syXg68BkkZUw3KyN2rpXz1_lgraAoEXg1HIHCgoWFT/s1600/Fire+of+May+6th.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji30xta9MdmpqwTCTxQISatq0HsqPdhfhMYtmT3PWtM9z0ilRinoIU51w3sR4DTDW4V87HVGpTSdWsOd2fZY9UnCwgHeYVF1VCT9syXg68BkkZUw3KyN2rpXz1_lgraAoEXg1HIHCgoWFT/s640/Fire+of+May+6th.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Early fire action</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Last night we had arrived at home and were just sitting down
for a rest when the fire alarm sounds. Kathy and I look at each other like, “Is
this for real or is it a test of the system?” I go to the apartment door and
sniff the hallway. “I don’t smell anything suspicious.” Kathy asks, “So what
are we supposed to do?” Me, “I think we are supposed to muster outside.” I grab
my keys and my wallet and Kathy grabs her purse and we head for the stairs. As
we descend (remember we are on the 12<sup>th</sup> floor), we are joined by
others who are also questioning whether the alarm is for real. Once outside
there is a hint of smoke. We join a gathering group of residents and begin to
look for indications of fire, and then, there it is; a small but growing fire
on the balcony of an apartment a few floors below our own on the same side of
the building. From our rather limited vantage point, it appears to be a burning
BBQ grill.</div>
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</div>
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In the distance we can hear the approaching fire trucks. The
fire grows as we watch. Soon we hear an explosion and a ball of flame comes
shooting out of the balcony space. This is followed by a loud squealing noise
and a steady jet of flame can be seen shooting out from the balcony.</div>
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<!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> As you see in the picture, our view of the fire is somewhat
limited and we have to look up at an oblique angle so we really can’t see into
the balcony space very well. The explosion, we assume, happened when the fire
burned through the hose connecting the BBQ to the balcony gas line.</div>
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<br /></div>
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The fire continued and after a half hour or so we began to
wonder what is being done to put the fire out. We are greatly concerned as it
is directly under our own apartment some four floors below and we don’t want
the fire to spread upward and involve our own balcony. What is delaying putting
the fire out? Do they need to shut off the gas for the whole building first?
Are they going from apartment to apartment getting everyone out? Are they not
on the right floor? Inquiring minds want to know!</div>
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Then all of a sudden the fire was out. The smoke continued
from the balcony space but the fire itself was out. Now the question became,
when will we be allowed back inside? Will our apartment and our things reek of
smoke? Where can we get some information? None of the security people seemed to
know anything, only that the residents were being encouraged to move to the street
level well away from the buildings where city busses were standing by so people
could at least sit inside out of the chilly breeze that had started to blow. It
appeared as though it would be quite sometime until anyone would be allowed
inside. </div>
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I turned to Kathy and said, “I think I would rather sit
inside of our own car rather than in a city bus.” She agreed so we decided to
try to get inside the parking structure (called a parkade here Canada). We
walked to another building that shares the parkade space and successfully made
our way to the third level where our car was parked. We sat there for a while
and soon realized, finding a bathroom was becoming our most pressing need.
While sitting in the car, Kathy was exchanging texts with Sis. Miles, and she
suggested that we go to the mission home and spend the night. She and President
Miles were away in Lethbridge so no one would be home but, since we knew how to
get in through the garage, we decided to take them up on the offer. First we
found a fireman at the entrance to our building and gave him our names, our
apartment number, and our phone number and asked that we be called when they
began letting people return inside. </div>
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<!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> We got to bed a little after 11:30 p.m. and it was about
midnight when we got a call stating that residents were being allowed back
inside, but we were safe and warm in a comfortable bed so we stayed the night.
Thank you President and Sister Miles!</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsAqZXu9KLwbBrap9dbnJc0sipdVk1rhKAk9AOfYuJ4rtnjDLYjLCsAHeLjNKnULuDChw3fOzWnVZSXOR83qw6nbEB10zqU_U9U_7rYBfb1DyyIfPixnid9GeL6o7V5nQunwny5cDC-0EP/s1600/IMG_3345.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsAqZXu9KLwbBrap9dbnJc0sipdVk1rhKAk9AOfYuJ4rtnjDLYjLCsAHeLjNKnULuDChw3fOzWnVZSXOR83qw6nbEB10zqU_U9U_7rYBfb1DyyIfPixnid9GeL6o7V5nQunwny5cDC-0EP/s640/IMG_3345.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After the fire</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY_6AWIqxkwSAbyTFUpY7d7-6eTGCPRJ4wgbuPFQMiJzNqmgeIdDrbrDmDmJ6lDffoBKkvT3WqqZi-0r_vC19AbULs8eTET3LExiiUxRnbtKlsfDfumcWDEyyS-zDcrd_U0uizo7ILym1A/s1600/unnamed-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY_6AWIqxkwSAbyTFUpY7d7-6eTGCPRJ4wgbuPFQMiJzNqmgeIdDrbrDmDmJ6lDffoBKkvT3WqqZi-0r_vC19AbULs8eTET3LExiiUxRnbtKlsfDfumcWDEyyS-zDcrd_U0uizo7ILym1A/s640/unnamed-4.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Closer up</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Earlier in the week we had the opportunity to attend the
temple with a group of our missionaries. </div>
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<!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR6dOokVeL11GvDsl8_zT4cF44VkUbbZSo7ns-JsenhccAzETojsTQQnXczjf2D1O307Y5SmyKsA5-JTLpzYP5ZEWoaNFNtQbFrX-RttBaRknDrRIdQ53MjsVYCIZXYAZNc1sILWzzDc92/s1600/IMG_3320.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR6dOokVeL11GvDsl8_zT4cF44VkUbbZSo7ns-JsenhccAzETojsTQQnXczjf2D1O307Y5SmyKsA5-JTLpzYP5ZEWoaNFNtQbFrX-RttBaRknDrRIdQ53MjsVYCIZXYAZNc1sILWzzDc92/s640/IMG_3320.JPG" width="640" /></a><!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_BZbBwXAu4NpexsboMsL0VpkUOVt5mdb4_2Pug8m0XdiK6CHw-S__Roi2R6vYKbBmv3P64G58pCdYEqXdD5P23q_J0hSKou1XJEI7HeEEgje6fJVkoMTwLeOT0nSr3yFRnt559hRkketW/s1600/FullSizeRender.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="546" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_BZbBwXAu4NpexsboMsL0VpkUOVt5mdb4_2Pug8m0XdiK6CHw-S__Roi2R6vYKbBmv3P64G58pCdYEqXdD5P23q_J0hSKou1XJEI7HeEEgje6fJVkoMTwLeOT0nSr3yFRnt559hRkketW/s640/FullSizeRender.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Elder and Sister Gardiner - senior couple out in the Banff Branch</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS0KvFp_iuThSiQfFJZZfELvYwkKrl-TvbkaY-AoL5_H12VPaheeB-b_o4Yk42fSYdpcGgLwsXEBdlY52wEqKdLze5u6lzqZZ-IGdQlZF_kKl_dhebwBFHltEjndNmBs9b3g1vQrw0E2XR/s1600/IMG_3317.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS0KvFp_iuThSiQfFJZZfELvYwkKrl-TvbkaY-AoL5_H12VPaheeB-b_o4Yk42fSYdpcGgLwsXEBdlY52wEqKdLze5u6lzqZZ-IGdQlZF_kKl_dhebwBFHltEjndNmBs9b3g1vQrw0E2XR/s640/IMG_3317.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Elder and Sister Wong - work with the Mandarin Branch</td></tr>
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Half of the northern mission went to a temple session in the
morning and the other half in the afternoon. In between the two sessions, the
missionaries gathered together for lunch at the nearby church building. Lunch
was provided by the Relief Society of the Calgary West Stake. The following
day, all of the missionaries in the south zones met together for a temple
session and lunch. We didn’t go to Cardston for this gathering but certainly
enjoyed the time spent with the missionaries here in the north. Our time with
them in the temple was an especially nice spiritual experience.</div>
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Friday evenings are our usual temple nights but, having just
been, we decided to attend a baptism in Okotoks for two young men who only
recently came from the Phillipines. The baptism and what followed was
wonderful. The mom had come to Canada several years ago and was able to finally
help her sons immigrate to Canada as well. Both are in their 20s and expressed
an interest in learning of the Church their mother had joined. They were both
so impressive and bore wonderfully powerful testimonies after their
confirmation. There was a large group of young people from the YSA ward where
they have been attending and many Filipino friends came as well. After the
baptism and confirmation we were all invited to move into the cultural hall
where there were several tables filled with Filipino food. We had a great time
eating and talking and the food was wonderful. </div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7jnAdpYT4D8QenGP38jHGEJMH0YTbXxSZyklkdrfAzXeSB26GTTtk9RpKRReVplHfecKs4fucisLqMP5NExs2va54osU7TK0QwVc_ACYnvh1pAhXdg4QkmRLM02AztaZwNqRs3NTKu-L2/s1600/IMG_3327.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7jnAdpYT4D8QenGP38jHGEJMH0YTbXxSZyklkdrfAzXeSB26GTTtk9RpKRReVplHfecKs4fucisLqMP5NExs2va54osU7TK0QwVc_ACYnvh1pAhXdg4QkmRLM02AztaZwNqRs3NTKu-L2/s640/IMG_3327.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nelver and Javenel Quiambao enjoy food with friends after their baptism</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUEuQxSlbe55lEzAFyXCyNyaM_KLt3BdusHIxgnabU5leo8wBXzihESuA87UrkKjakgzn608ntYkYWYsw1KiYetUEoMt1y9ihzB1Nbf8S18Y5Y9txBTSGenUxYrc0Pp2uD_glVah3X3aDH/s1600/IMG_3328.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUEuQxSlbe55lEzAFyXCyNyaM_KLt3BdusHIxgnabU5leo8wBXzihESuA87UrkKjakgzn608ntYkYWYsw1KiYetUEoMt1y9ihzB1Nbf8S18Y5Y9txBTSGenUxYrc0Pp2uD_glVah3X3aDH/s640/IMG_3328.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Elders Hawkins and Fellows</td></tr>
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Yesterday we hiked the trail around the west end of the
Glenmore Reservoir where we had not yet been. The trail goes right down into
the Weaselhead, which is where the Elbow River enters the reservoir. It is now
a protected wetlands area and has a popular hiking and biking trail that goes
for miles. The trail crosses the river itself via a bridge (see picture below). The weather was
nice and we enjoyed the hike even including making way for a number of runners
participating in a half-marathon race around the reservoir. </div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhaHRuBEYbucv6dNqKFpFv5JihkIsJ_X7xT5OgnWpeNKepGhBva6rV4v7eUbTkyV61U6GOuhFNNEEaJHIRVf0NUEbE3vKIJHwlOsFKjlwb0pmaq3BdZ9X1HJsUU3m6H3ahzWSd6isHVxFR/s1600/unnamed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhaHRuBEYbucv6dNqKFpFv5JihkIsJ_X7xT5OgnWpeNKepGhBva6rV4v7eUbTkyV61U6GOuhFNNEEaJHIRVf0NUEbE3vKIJHwlOsFKjlwb0pmaq3BdZ9X1HJsUU3m6H3ahzWSd6isHVxFR/s640/unnamed.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Elbow River flowing into Glenmore Reservoir - old bridge in the distance</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD6tIm0HZsVUYSJvSZyrzCuQgdtk3QmhTKdsCO1TqLlqG4GXxNTXY4OuijGc5pLj0s8TT0PlPwd0c3_EmPZ9CgNUyrvq84buwrhZiF0KLCZeXZpehs10H0cikFbZxM5nIKADXRVadfGQ7V/s1600/unnamed-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD6tIm0HZsVUYSJvSZyrzCuQgdtk3QmhTKdsCO1TqLlqG4GXxNTXY4OuijGc5pLj0s8TT0PlPwd0c3_EmPZ9CgNUyrvq84buwrhZiF0KLCZeXZpehs10H0cikFbZxM5nIKADXRVadfGQ7V/s640/unnamed-1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New Glenmore Reservoir trail bridge </td></tr>
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<!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> Finally, we have to share a somewhat exciting experience, at
least it was to us. What are the odds of having the outside temperature (66
degrees) come up as the speedometer is about to reach 66,666 miles? Well, we
were watching the sixes about to come up and noticed the outside temperature
was 66. We decided when this happened we would pull over and get a picture;
however, as we pulled over and into a shopping center, suddenly the temperature
went up to 67 degrees. Having nothing else better to do, we sat and waited for
about 40 minutes for the temperature to drop back down to 66 degrees and then
got the picture. </div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMHnG2ML6j3BZ0M7Y_qQuYSH62ARQdQr8m4-DMH0Ooj1fdx8rdm4oXUU0SbD_3lOVkUhlqdp2TqXkdr6hh-MS-MygsmkhVZC3uU6oyWjy6dzPyFVoYN65Nd28jmXb3ONxU2Av7DDpd0c0G/s1600/unnamed-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMHnG2ML6j3BZ0M7Y_qQuYSH62ARQdQr8m4-DMH0Ooj1fdx8rdm4oXUU0SbD_3lOVkUhlqdp2TqXkdr6hh-MS-MygsmkhVZC3uU6oyWjy6dzPyFVoYN65Nd28jmXb3ONxU2Av7DDpd0c0G/s640/unnamed-3.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not your everyday occurrence</td></tr>
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Yes, perhaps it was a waste of time but not your everyday
experience so we have to share.</div>
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Have a wonderful week. </div>
Elder and Sister Thorleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01934167726139534149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8716013380107774103.post-62787058921622079762017-04-30T17:48:00.000-07:002017-04-30T17:50:31.878-07:00<br />
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Blog for April 30, 2017</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieWVWSQlqf7nQNl5_Up_iTQ53a3OFP69sPsxivX4brxqKbzjV4_heO4SwH8Wt7OQDNItylZn0FMNHRpCw1cBC-6lwBabc0CmLq-L-Uvx-JULaW8oYczcPtQYoufx-QSTdeMWCe2nQgS5ES/s1600/Me+at+Elbow+River+Falls.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieWVWSQlqf7nQNl5_Up_iTQ53a3OFP69sPsxivX4brxqKbzjV4_heO4SwH8Wt7OQDNItylZn0FMNHRpCw1cBC-6lwBabc0CmLq-L-Uvx-JULaW8oYczcPtQYoufx-QSTdeMWCe2nQgS5ES/s640/Me+at+Elbow+River+Falls.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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We have certainly had a very busy week but, with the
exception of seeing a movie that was recommended to us and taking a short trip
yesterday, things have been pretty much business as usual. The picture included
above is a preview of our trip, so, get through the work related stuff and then
enjoy more of the pictures taken during our outing. </div>
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Kathy’s role has certainly been expanded since the departure
of the Peppingers. She is now the welcoming voice on the phone and routes the
incoming calls and incoming email to the others in the office. Her duties
pretty much include all that she did previously plus most of what Sister
Peppinger did including missionary travel issues. At the same time she has been training Sister Sefcik, who
was planning to cover these duties when we return home; however, the Sefciks
learned on Monday that a very capable local couple has come forward and will be
starting soon, the Stephensons. Sister Stephenson will take over all of Sister
Sefcik’s duties and, likewise, Elder Stephenson will cover Elder Sefcik’s
duties. The Sefciks, who are likewise a local couple, have extended their
mission a couple of times to accommodate the needs of the mission office such
that their original 6 months has stretched to become more like 20 months or so.
The Sefciks will certainly be missed. We have grown very close to them as we
were with the Peppingers during their time in the office.</div>
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So on to our extracurricular activities; on Wednesday Kathy
and I saw a wonderful movie that had been recommended to us, <i>Hidden Figures</i>. The movie is a true story primarily about three
African American women who worked at NASA during the early space flight era; a
time when the U.S. was in a space race with the Soviet Union. It was a time
when women at NASA struggled for the recognition they so richly deserved, and
to be a black woman working in a male dominated career was particularly
difficult. These three women each played a key role in early space flight and
yet their contributions were largely discounted. </div>
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After getting our weekly preparation day activities
completed, we headed to Bragg Creek and the Elbow River Falls area. These are
located west of Calgary in the foothills before one gets to the Canadian
Rockies. Bragg Creek is a small community along the Elbow River and is within
commuting distance of Calgary. Further west from there is the Elbow River
Falls. W</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyA2SjpyoqMMg6g0TQouhBEm6R5s3YiwgvkPXxB7YoMyT2eVsqyiN_HWzxi9CZxRr-DAmmJvvXJ55OIkarRCaUaOAyo63A1qN1cmCQ9_ZfKcL0oV-8kFiwOwlPk_1v0tUzr1q9kohDk716/s1600/Elbow+River+Falls.JPG" imageanchor="1"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9lBgVfwT2nX5HDXI4sM1n6BCWQ1_CcfqeRJNQVHF4vYOoDhDQAUKvIIZ0sF19oP6sSzFlkb5XB9unZ31kAVH_mXvOyfiXyZaYT0JAGzKpUTcTjitcCLOfzS9CznXMOmlHDtCBoEBJKHn6/s1600/Elbow+River+looking+south.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9lBgVfwT2nX5HDXI4sM1n6BCWQ1_CcfqeRJNQVHF4vYOoDhDQAUKvIIZ0sF19oP6sSzFlkb5XB9unZ31kAVH_mXvOyfiXyZaYT0JAGzKpUTcTjitcCLOfzS9CznXMOmlHDtCBoEBJKHn6/s640/Elbow+River+looking+south.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVL-JVj2EvqrONsI2zCE9Y1oJNOUX_OCIbr5MOmpZkQx7ZRkdXMpRY_HRH6guFb0xv4rWcrK3ysi122Qd7Q-J84DsncgIVjnj3Z045C1HQVirYXW47RDxDFY9X8KUKP_T-__YXp3379iEp/s1600/Elbow+River+Falls.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVL-JVj2EvqrONsI2zCE9Y1oJNOUX_OCIbr5MOmpZkQx7ZRkdXMpRY_HRH6guFb0xv4rWcrK3ysi122Qd7Q-J84DsncgIVjnj3Z045C1HQVirYXW47RDxDFY9X8KUKP_T-__YXp3379iEp/s640/Elbow+River+Falls.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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While not a particularly impressive river or falls, it is the area above
and below the Falls that is of particular interest. In mid to late June of
2013, a particularly heavy rainfall occurred over several days at a time when
there was already considerable runoff from melting mountain snowfields. The
combined runoff was extreme and many Southern Alberta communities were suddenly
under water, including much of downtown Calgary. The destructive force of the
water can be appreciated when you see the various river channels leading out of
the mountains; the water literally swept the areas clean as the boulders and
trees were carried along in the path of the water. There was once a very lovely
picnic and camping area along the Elbow River which was totally wiped out by
the broad flood.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhacLPDgFNH7EdXfjRi6KLoirwNpnJd-uisTPYiAZGPH15is6mI81-Vhny8tSHPOuyn7V1VE9_2lqJvFrYOOE5Q4VvrVruRQwa0Lmb8uQf7fTz5tijLh-S4XEfvg7BOPDdiPi39yoXLnIUU/s1600/Elbow+River+looking+Northwest+upstream.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhacLPDgFNH7EdXfjRi6KLoirwNpnJd-uisTPYiAZGPH15is6mI81-Vhny8tSHPOuyn7V1VE9_2lqJvFrYOOE5Q4VvrVruRQwa0Lmb8uQf7fTz5tijLh-S4XEfvg7BOPDdiPi39yoXLnIUU/s640/Elbow+River+looking+Northwest+upstream.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDKjdJtaRaPzjLfYAE4d29P36drkur10C_0k9ByNjMWOVOisWKRSSyE1J2RdGc7LfT9G_rjJ-_OJWrV1xLwxXafQIxXmjU_kNnnajSZvMbXEPk7C78WTTc-xjEMn0_zTX8ikxh5zyuIzUR/s1600/Elbow+Riverbed+upstream.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDKjdJtaRaPzjLfYAE4d29P36drkur10C_0k9ByNjMWOVOisWKRSSyE1J2RdGc7LfT9G_rjJ-_OJWrV1xLwxXafQIxXmjU_kNnnajSZvMbXEPk7C78WTTc-xjEMn0_zTX8ikxh5zyuIzUR/s640/Elbow+Riverbed+upstream.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Upstream floodplain</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimb61iXwhBkE522tg9Po9tLy4NhcIq0_c1UaF43J9qR90-FyO-vOdUk-eXiYC1ro-04mel0op4bnA6pFh8vKA2g60TwmJHxBHqRvjt0D5qqfl6p2c7eeZT2CWCvBHKLGKRj_svDFzUpgbh/s1600/Elbow+River+downstream.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimb61iXwhBkE522tg9Po9tLy4NhcIq0_c1UaF43J9qR90-FyO-vOdUk-eXiYC1ro-04mel0op4bnA6pFh8vKA2g60TwmJHxBHqRvjt0D5qqfl6p2c7eeZT2CWCvBHKLGKRj_svDFzUpgbh/s640/Elbow+River+downstream.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Downstream floodplain</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
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Kathy and I were dating when this disaster happened in 2013.
We had planned a trip to Canmore and to the Calgary Stampede with the intent of
getting to know each other better and decide if we had a future. We were
dismayed to hear at that time about the flooding and were concerned that our
plans might also be washed away (pun intended). We called and asked about
conditions and, to our relief, were assured by the timeshare and the Stampede
planners that all was a go. We have since learned how great an effort was made
by the good people of Calgary to prepare the Stampede grounds and other areas
to get the debris and the muddy areas cleaned up in time for the events. The
only impact for Stampede visitors at that time were detours around washed out
areas and more limited parking. So now, some four years later, evidences of the
flooding remain. Alberta has also spent millions of dollars to improve river
channels and to provide means of diverting water away from populated areas
should a similar disaster occur. </div>
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Needless to say, our 2013 Alberta trip was a huge success
(we were engaged!), and, in case you missed our announcement in last week’s blog,
we have agreed to extend our mission time here in Calgary until June 30<sup>th</sup>. </div>
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Have a wonderful week. </div>
Elder and Sister Thorleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01934167726139534149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8716013380107774103.post-42019005688295235532017-04-23T18:34:00.001-07:002017-04-23T18:34:29.949-07:00<br />
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Blog for April 23, 2017</div>
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"Firm as the mountains around us….." </div>
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We love the Canadian Rockies and more particularly, the
mountains around Banff. The highlight of our week’s activities was to return to
our timeshare at Canmore over the weekend and enjoy once again the beauty of
the surrounding mountains. Yes, we will attempt to bore you once again with the
pictures we took.</div>
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For my recent birthday, Kathy surprised me with tickets to
the Banff Gondola and we wanted to go enjoy that experience before school ends
and the tourists descend. We were a little concerned about the forecast but, as
it turns out, the weather cooperated nicely. We packed and were all set to
leave directly from work on Friday and make the 75 minute drive to Canmore. The
weather was quite overcast on our way but as we approached Canmore the weather
began to clear a bit and, though cool, the evening was picture perfect. After
checking in we relaxed for a hour or two and then headed to Boston Pizza for
dinner. These are pictures taken from the restaurant parking lot.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEillUakBXotk4-VPslUKQ33sP9CqdnKj-mlol9sAugQmQ5qTSHM9W7KdxJfJb5T6nG3pe2ESLSAELzGqHzoLQ0H1LqTrpROZgWu5NGsFY0rM13-3exLpkQ3GVgchFw-vgVXTS9HvbHv58M7/s1600/The+Three+Sisters.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="432" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEillUakBXotk4-VPslUKQ33sP9CqdnKj-mlol9sAugQmQ5qTSHM9W7KdxJfJb5T6nG3pe2ESLSAELzGqHzoLQ0H1LqTrpROZgWu5NGsFY0rM13-3exLpkQ3GVgchFw-vgVXTS9HvbHv58M7/s640/The+Three+Sisters.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This mountain area is known as the Three Sisters peaks. It sits just above the timeshare </td></tr>
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<!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> As mentioned, the weather was cool so we decided against
going to the pool so we relaxed with a movie (Blindside) and I started reading
a book from the timeshare library by an author I like so we had a nice relaxing
evening.</div>
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Saturday morning we hit the exercise room, had breakfast,
grabbed our jackets and gloves (we were warned that we should go prepared to be
cold), and headed to Banff, which is about 30 minutes from Canmore. Since we
had a scheduled gondola departure time and weren’t sure how to get there, we
gave ourselves plenty of time to get lost and still find it in time. As a
result we arrived 45 minutes early and so had time to walk around and take some
pictures. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoJGJWKA5F1Fv6sRGwQxNnQ4_lwVDxhUfy5oljyT7agPsesUxvYuTn4W7ocPTOHrt9vgRTOuiTOd3VWDqSg1JSFIrmrj7UNb3lmKdOeWfsdJ_UHxzIt2B5iH92NJBwSR13dr0ITmiSND20/s1600/Gondola+at+base.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoJGJWKA5F1Fv6sRGwQxNnQ4_lwVDxhUfy5oljyT7agPsesUxvYuTn4W7ocPTOHrt9vgRTOuiTOd3VWDqSg1JSFIrmrj7UNb3lmKdOeWfsdJ_UHxzIt2B5iH92NJBwSR13dr0ITmiSND20/s640/Gondola+at+base.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkUIqV8lY3TV5TLUBQGxVFIRWEkK6UpdOs8R_VCW0i6C1WI3FEM-dzI6kjGBUC17uyg38k7ubEvwi72UudlqdqA4VC9zweSSlI4qq6K8eaK8hqK3YhNFEGb8j933IbplzIgZlz3SANE-bX/s1600/Our+approaching+gondola.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkUIqV8lY3TV5TLUBQGxVFIRWEkK6UpdOs8R_VCW0i6C1WI3FEM-dzI6kjGBUC17uyg38k7ubEvwi72UudlqdqA4VC9zweSSlI4qq6K8eaK8hqK3YhNFEGb8j933IbplzIgZlz3SANE-bX/s640/Our+approaching+gondola.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our approaching gondola</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3k93OfIX9NxbzcoaMlGxIZHqRitayO5oxCdW0zN0tlGhz1deXbGSa6yQDLavzk3KUxBJRqOtwNtITSR74t6b0WY8wWo1nfIvT5IpUU6bpPtmeNBf_aX3dNYo-9WVl1HtY3AbQB2Act6l2/s1600/Looking+down+from+Gondola.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3k93OfIX9NxbzcoaMlGxIZHqRitayO5oxCdW0zN0tlGhz1deXbGSa6yQDLavzk3KUxBJRqOtwNtITSR74t6b0WY8wWo1nfIvT5IpUU6bpPtmeNBf_aX3dNYo-9WVl1HtY3AbQB2Act6l2/s640/Looking+down+from+Gondola.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking downward to where we boarded the gondola</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhvtrvhiKS7rzp8RP-MOGllQ3nfpFZ2aZbCsUVV2lcLWyubTpX2y9QMbrfh8FqTDYvyV3Pgb_7cxSHb7GRC_Co94-QJXhtKS5VXkNnnHHr9PCafWOwNJIYYLL-jw-x0Rm4Cl6x6wqiiTcu/s1600/Gondola+view+to+the+east+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhvtrvhiKS7rzp8RP-MOGllQ3nfpFZ2aZbCsUVV2lcLWyubTpX2y9QMbrfh8FqTDYvyV3Pgb_7cxSHb7GRC_Co94-QJXhtKS5VXkNnnHHr9PCafWOwNJIYYLL-jw-x0Rm4Cl6x6wqiiTcu/s640/Gondola+view+to+the+east+2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The view as we ascended Sulphur Mountain</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcLcOcY3UjlETKtIUN1MURpdSy5iNGj7ZHmvmKJP0G49g-lys-ZF4tV3Q90Qtib7w6Kb04LRv04n20kfMp4QEulwcMEYEX9gAaPKZCkmtzcjrNWeEOn9GW4QqNNHi6R8JRfRAw_vjHwsMw/s1600/Gondola+selfie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcLcOcY3UjlETKtIUN1MURpdSy5iNGj7ZHmvmKJP0G49g-lys-ZF4tV3Q90Qtib7w6Kb04LRv04n20kfMp4QEulwcMEYEX9gAaPKZCkmtzcjrNWeEOn9GW4QqNNHi6R8JRfRAw_vjHwsMw/s640/Gondola+selfie.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The requisite "selfie"</td></tr>
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The gondola moves pretty fast and in six minutes we were at
the top of Sulphur Mountain (so named because some of the water that comes from
the mountain side has a sulphur odor, but none was detected by us at any
point). Sulphur Mountain is not an extremely high mountain but from the top you
have a 360-degree view at the surrounding granite peaks in every direction and
the view is stunning. Unfortunately, the pictures do not adequately show the
grandeur. With the exception of the Alps, and possibly the Grand Tetons, in my
view there are no other mountains that are quite as incredible.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuPpFPdNG9YkHTUeaYpZlt707vHMYUNCCA_amhrnpFBkb3nPO_OLZ1aSwkXMFCEceoXz3S0t3eEOF8Ff7r3pxw8dohXAm7egCAD6Mpl6CkZHa0XTj_RIB0nwyu1k9Bm-OqXm5uVN5_tHxj/s1600/Gondola+view+to+the+South.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuPpFPdNG9YkHTUeaYpZlt707vHMYUNCCA_amhrnpFBkb3nPO_OLZ1aSwkXMFCEceoXz3S0t3eEOF8Ff7r3pxw8dohXAm7egCAD6Mpl6CkZHa0XTj_RIB0nwyu1k9Bm-OqXm5uVN5_tHxj/s640/Gondola+view+to+the+South.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View to the south from atop Sulphur Mountain. The receiving end of the gondola is on the right. <br />
See our Facebook page for a video clip of the gondolas. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV1zlIkVSehYi_XUU89KlJGlwdIS9FvH3X0-u9zzZG8lacSwz-0NwoACWPKPZYfIvBl0vW8p3Z5JWJZG8zxuU-Dej_tLs9mEBH1YvjsenlFIBKDs5m5-HVCRih4FU2t3k40eAv9kT3WuXs/s1600/unnamed-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV1zlIkVSehYi_XUU89KlJGlwdIS9FvH3X0-u9zzZG8lacSwz-0NwoACWPKPZYfIvBl0vW8p3Z5JWJZG8zxuU-Dej_tLs9mEBH1YvjsenlFIBKDs5m5-HVCRih4FU2t3k40eAv9kT3WuXs/s640/unnamed-3.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The famous Banff Hotel and the Bow Valley</td></tr>
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At the summit is a newly expanded (and very nice) four level
viewing complex complete with three restaurants and the inevitable gift shop.
As you might expect, the exit from the gondola dumps one directly into the gift
shop, and then when you look for the entrance for the return back down the
mountain, the only way to the gondola is again through the gift shop. Yes, we
did look, but $32.00 for a ball cap and $60-80 for a sweatshirt does not entice
us much. Kathy looked for a souvenir
granite egg to add to her collection but none was to be had.</div>
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If one can’t get enough of the vistas, there is a boardwalk
that is something like the Great Wall of China (i.e., goes up and down but
mostly up!) to another mountaintop complex. We considered it but quickly
changed our minds. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTISo3Y8rar0d9y0huwU7_1_RLOZYk4esEZdjV-MNVeHjBnP7TJKP-dTuJLuaMUwc2a_1rPTrY2rssE88A7GQwW70ynfv-Elk6ZzI4yFE4lYeRr29L7v5vJ7yhh3_hsZCG6EKyKyal-Kpt/s1600/Boardwalk+destination+from+Sulphur+Mt.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTISo3Y8rar0d9y0huwU7_1_RLOZYk4esEZdjV-MNVeHjBnP7TJKP-dTuJLuaMUwc2a_1rPTrY2rssE88A7GQwW70ynfv-Elk6ZzI4yFE4lYeRr29L7v5vJ7yhh3_hsZCG6EKyKyal-Kpt/s640/Boardwalk+destination+from+Sulphur+Mt.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The boardwalk. You can see the destination off in the distance.</td></tr>
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We took a lot of pictures and tried to stay out of the way
of a large group of Japanese tourists who were being shepherded by a rather
loud and obnoxious tour director. We ate lunch at one of the restaurants (pricey
but nice). By the time we had finished eating, at least some of the Japanese
tour group had gone back down the mountain so we were able to enjoy the views a
bit more before heading down ourselves. Fortunately the weather was quite
pleasant (remember this is April and in Canada!). The wind was light at best
and the temperature around 42 degrees so, as it turned out, we were overdressed
and had to remove a layer or two.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAm3EhIRQLIuw1V0hMVMBx08KO71AFvtO6JuYBPZ8sxRl_raFiFal7itX9kXmKRZzyRG0CHh0-VbKo3vNW6C2GRPOlYNbzCXCb-sI-zz16wdeqZr8HQMBU6I-ddWYiYlV20nKXIzab5K2P/s1600/Sulpur+Mt+view+to+the+SW.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAm3EhIRQLIuw1V0hMVMBx08KO71AFvtO6JuYBPZ8sxRl_raFiFal7itX9kXmKRZzyRG0CHh0-VbKo3vNW6C2GRPOlYNbzCXCb-sI-zz16wdeqZr8HQMBU6I-ddWYiYlV20nKXIzab5K2P/s640/Sulpur+Mt+view+to+the+SW.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One more picture; this one is the the west on the opposite side of Sulphur Mt from the gondola ride.</td></tr>
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If you come to the Banff National Park, we highly recommend
the gondola experience. It was wonderful!</div>
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Banff has a wonderful Christmas store with the name, <i>The
Spirit of Christmas</i>. We had been in once
before and found out that the store carries carvings done by a well-known
Canadian woodcarver, David Francis. Kathy loves his work. Most of the carvings
are unique although he will do some replicas by special order. Anyway, I knew of Kathy’s special
interest in them so I told her I would get her an early birthday present if she
could find one she truly likes. She did find one and so we are bringing it
home, to be wrapped and put away until her September birthday, at least that is
the plan. We will see. If you would like to see his art, you can view some
pieces online at: <u>snowcottagecarvings.com</u>. He has a worldwide following.
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This is the piece that we bought:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimljtoTeKnJScyQTf4CyKtfgCgf3UzjjNTbpcJIE1JQ7yXp1sm9nm_Q4YFmVT1Spbjbomq0tTNf-qavU8lc9xQ1B_axuyXWTgEB2KXvp-tjjPovunZ-8ux2y9xwFyooTRcC4MeICSU0369/s1600/Father+Christmas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimljtoTeKnJScyQTf4CyKtfgCgf3UzjjNTbpcJIE1JQ7yXp1sm9nm_Q4YFmVT1Spbjbomq0tTNf-qavU8lc9xQ1B_axuyXWTgEB2KXvp-tjjPovunZ-8ux2y9xwFyooTRcC4MeICSU0369/s640/Father+Christmas.jpg" width="352" /></a></div>
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While in the Christmas store, we visited with the clerk who
helped us and knew from her accent that she is from Australia. She asked where
we are from and what we were doing in Canada. We told her how much we loved
Canmore and Banff and she told us of a beautiful spot just above Canmore where
she had just visited called Grassi Lakes. She told us it was a bit of a hike
but well worth it and showed us some pictures she had taken, so we decided that
was what we wanted to do that afternoon. With some difficulty we finally found
the trailhead and made our way up the trail. Initially the trail was dry but as
we got higher we began to encounter some snow and trickling water on the trail
from the melting snow. Still it was very passable. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5SODCLs8ejkQkImzBZq1cto8bCc3zvnmVs5PaCE_-WwKyVAQEf6RCP2k28FKmkbPgb0MkTqIO_OdmbV8n1jvDDIBJyqbMYa9pYXRmlPLHPeJpg6wQdh_ZGmiq9YMW2GO0Hg5yjwzxQbEq/s1600/Grassi+Lakes+trail.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5SODCLs8ejkQkImzBZq1cto8bCc3zvnmVs5PaCE_-WwKyVAQEf6RCP2k28FKmkbPgb0MkTqIO_OdmbV8n1jvDDIBJyqbMYa9pYXRmlPLHPeJpg6wQdh_ZGmiq9YMW2GO0Hg5yjwzxQbEq/s640/Grassi+Lakes+trail.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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The hike was well worth it. The small lakes were almost
luminescent, somewhat like one sees in Yellowstone. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYU1DlrXI4QvRIVcX2QGXPTuW_2j-oJXik0PN8tkby4gadtwZ2eLRUd_MgSCFlMz35kMV-6e6eJfT3uZ2SVU3KyzDIH08Zen2X4YhoGOuYOlU3dUmh27kAjzTh047pxq2JpjW8ooqccSuJ/s1600/Largest+of+the+Grassi+Lakes.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYU1DlrXI4QvRIVcX2QGXPTuW_2j-oJXik0PN8tkby4gadtwZ2eLRUd_MgSCFlMz35kMV-6e6eJfT3uZ2SVU3KyzDIH08Zen2X4YhoGOuYOlU3dUmh27kAjzTh047pxq2JpjW8ooqccSuJ/s640/Largest+of+the+Grassi+Lakes.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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During our hike a breeze had sprung up and the sky was
becoming overcast so our pictures didn’t turn out quite as spectacularly as the
store clerk’s but still it was beautiful. In her pictures the water was calm
and flat and the day more sunlit so the reflection on the water of the
mountainside and surrounding trees was amazing such that you could hardly tell
where the waterline was. While there we were entertained by a small squirrel;
I’m sure he was hoping that we had some food for him which we didn’t.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0thgMIs5E_9uogJQk90-fFm3cqMV7AU_cseVwLiBuDPU4mDF_Udw9ccgQXG9qWuRo5bCsVI5re9FAvv1K8id1nGcqzU2VcrjXoGsPtEoMGadusFxMn6vhWO-bpwGjPJVkYlNI9u_AVDuk/s1600/Our+little+friend+at+Grassi+Lakes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0thgMIs5E_9uogJQk90-fFm3cqMV7AU_cseVwLiBuDPU4mDF_Udw9ccgQXG9qWuRo5bCsVI5re9FAvv1K8id1nGcqzU2VcrjXoGsPtEoMGadusFxMn6vhWO-bpwGjPJVkYlNI9u_AVDuk/s640/Our+little+friend+at+Grassi+Lakes.jpg" width="488" /></a></div>
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We were pretty tired by the time we returned so that pretty
much finished the day for us; a truly fine day to say the least. And to cap the
day off in the mountains, it snowed….</div>
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Today we drove back to Banff and went to church services
there. By the way, the snow melted very quickly and was gone before we left
Banff. We had looked forward to seeing and visiting with the missionary couple
serving there in the branch, the Gardiners. Unfortunately they were not there,
which we knew beforehand, as they had had to make a quick trip back home to
Vancouver due to some family illness. We missed seeing them as they have become
very dear to us; nevertheless, we enjoyed visiting the branch and, as always,
had such a nice welcome. </div>
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So we are back home now and are enjoying thunder and
lightning and a rain shower as I write this. </div>
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We want to announce that we will be remaining in Canada a
bit longer than anticipated. No, we are not immigrating (although doing so
would not be difficult in the least as we love it here so much). Our mission
end date was to be May 30<sup>th</sup>; however, we have been asked by
President Miles to stay an additional month to help cover the shortage of
personnel we currently have in the mission office. Extending for a month will
also give us a few days of overlap with the couple coming in June to replace
us. Incidentally, they, too, are from Sandy although we haven’t previously met
them. We have, however, had a nice visit with them on the telephone and were
able to answer some of their questions about what to expect and what to bring.
We will look forward to meeting them. From our conversation, we know they are
bringing some good Church background and some office related experience that
will serve the mission well. </div>
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Wow, I am coming to the end of the blog and nothing was said
about cars!</div>
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Have a wonderful week!</div>
Elder and Sister Thorleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01934167726139534149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8716013380107774103.post-34575060241758196652017-04-16T15:36:00.000-07:002017-04-16T15:36:10.903-07:00Blog for April 16, 2017<br />
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Our Calgary bucket list…….</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinJXxk8vIzyiB7i3itM6-JCdCxRnDw4NGcAgGhhXf7SzMZw7fFCOhzYIRziaQiFeszvb0u3FFilGWvYq13CsO7iAhjeF7_xZjnYdxgCx4pSyGQ3F2VFNp-wlQf1nz0o9FM7n50LjxXMCWs/s1600/Calgary+Tower.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinJXxk8vIzyiB7i3itM6-JCdCxRnDw4NGcAgGhhXf7SzMZw7fFCOhzYIRziaQiFeszvb0u3FFilGWvYq13CsO7iAhjeF7_xZjnYdxgCx4pSyGQ3F2VFNp-wlQf1nz0o9FM7n50LjxXMCWs/s640/Calgary+Tower.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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Our time here in Calgary is getting shorter and shorter, and
we have a bucket list of things we yet want to do. Yesterday we planned for
three separate activities on the list; the first for me to run through an area I had not yet seen, and for us the Glenbow Museum and the Calgary Tower. </div>
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For those of us who work in the office, Saturdays are our
preparation days, our P-days as the missionaries refer to them. I began my day
fairly early so I could run through an area around the Glenmore Reservoir that
I had not yet seen, except off in the distance. This route took me around the
business end of the reservoir, if you will, over the dam and past the water
processing plants, then on to the north side of the reservoir and the golf
course. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-kkQAYP8TinrggpEwpLxCg1ZSlhPYwxzgx3TXdF1py5b05vVbshb0ufLsKEeAuOKAkYLppx_lW8E3oB6guIRQkym2T5t4So8eY8OzfbXtjIHsBwEd24BWh3_-ww33aA5cEf9B9WUM4rba/s1600/Glenmore+Dam.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-kkQAYP8TinrggpEwpLxCg1ZSlhPYwxzgx3TXdF1py5b05vVbshb0ufLsKEeAuOKAkYLppx_lW8E3oB6guIRQkym2T5t4So8eY8OzfbXtjIHsBwEd24BWh3_-ww33aA5cEf9B9WUM4rba/s1600/Glenmore+Dam.jpg" /></a></div>
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The ice on the reservoir is beginning to melt in spots and
is nearly ice free near the dam.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFsC5RdKjtfeb3fp4dLf17AkuvGEPKMX9JMldGCFqsDWBr4PWs9yjNsnGGDLF3093RbGHqiaVwBk_oCoxQ_jW-kpaBAYB2bixPYj7FVQj-feT2WF7PAZ3-5wYPGrkeCPcYS2nCKgDt8Lf3/s1600/Glenmore+Reservoir+ice.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFsC5RdKjtfeb3fp4dLf17AkuvGEPKMX9JMldGCFqsDWBr4PWs9yjNsnGGDLF3093RbGHqiaVwBk_oCoxQ_jW-kpaBAYB2bixPYj7FVQj-feT2WF7PAZ3-5wYPGrkeCPcYS2nCKgDt8Lf3/s640/Glenmore+Reservoir+ice.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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There is a construction project underway to improve the dam
and the water treatment facilities. Unfortunately, the project completely
blocks the view toward the downtown area and the river that flows out of the
downstream side of the dam, which is what I had hoped to see. </div>
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In one of the blogs written last summer I described our
visits to Heritage Park and taking a paddle-wheeler ride out around the
reservoir. From a vantage point along the reservoir’s trail one can see where
the paddle-wheeler is kept high and dry in the off season. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdwsqIW5ZzZ9awCburQSuTswYEx5e0HFZk8SzQzrvRKNQU-GXVuk5k_nyHY2PYnegCX4R01ycPclLmXT0aHhu43E5BX5L1xr81ibkwBln9EMTI9Qp4FY7aUsiMoVfwWmSKS5H5sbg7-Wsi/s1600/Paddlewheeler+in+dry+dock.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdwsqIW5ZzZ9awCburQSuTswYEx5e0HFZk8SzQzrvRKNQU-GXVuk5k_nyHY2PYnegCX4R01ycPclLmXT0aHhu43E5BX5L1xr81ibkwBln9EMTI9Qp4FY7aUsiMoVfwWmSKS5H5sbg7-Wsi/s640/Paddlewheeler+in+dry+dock.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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At the completion of my run, I took the car to a car wash,
then returned home to help Kathy finish cleaning our apartment. Shortly after
noon we headed to the Glenbow Museum, which we have heard so much about. </div>
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The
museums here in Alberta are excellent and the displays are wonderfully done.
The Glenbow Museum was no exception. Unfortunately, we were only able to see
about half of the museum before the 5:00 p.m. closing time. The more permanent
part of the museum features early Canadian history, especially Alberta, and
displays of the trans-Canadian railroad and the changes it brought about,
Prohibition and the expansion of the Royal Canadian Police Force to help
enforce it, Canadian men and women who helped shape western Canadian history,
and so on. The museum has special displays which change from time to time. We
enjoyed the mineral exhibit, a very large display of African artifacts, and I
especially enjoyed a special display of warriors through the years including
weapons used, protective clothing worn, and changes of fighting techniques and
weapons as warfare evolved from close combat to delivery of bullets and bombs
from a distance. These displays included Japanese Samurais, Maori fighters,
medieval knights, etc. and ended with a comparison of how wars are fought in
more modern times and the technological advances necessitated by these changes.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYTY9j_sjDwb85F8o5mDjHBju7uJpFLO2JzWc37zNx56kJaOwqzyVNUVWBE0xZjym58hh34QptlhhYizln6FGnSTQZ5Y55nG89u5W0WVg8wxT6BpS4al4DTrt9X7UhU_S415FFD0do-4xH/s1600/Making+armour+to+fit.jpg" imageanchor="1"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpYjSp3gc5oMrKDortZ7WylnoFX2RMDyhYQHhhJeIo_bGOd4QXckfkqv9yRO5VOxfdYauVE-E1Grz-xPOMOz4jLMPIVc7E8E6icJHl61N9UqThcs-4kFPROf4fCCvO_bJUz6shG6BwTzcK/s1600/Armour+making.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpYjSp3gc5oMrKDortZ7WylnoFX2RMDyhYQHhhJeIo_bGOd4QXckfkqv9yRO5VOxfdYauVE-E1Grz-xPOMOz4jLMPIVc7E8E6icJHl61N9UqThcs-4kFPROf4fCCvO_bJUz6shG6BwTzcK/s640/Armour+making.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF7bBwDBy5WKXJVeOCrof6h7OH-bF0Vqv3lrcNe4x-vpXpEMRycB96c6F9Lr3KNT1PQ85L0AbwLDIFTjYvgQJGAm3ZU8BdJPb5xIKy8JckLvFbYyGhBbvuT1FA3V4Ow1oDL1iZ2EBmNbRi/s1600/Armour-would+it+fit%253F-10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF7bBwDBy5WKXJVeOCrof6h7OH-bF0Vqv3lrcNe4x-vpXpEMRycB96c6F9Lr3KNT1PQ85L0AbwLDIFTjYvgQJGAm3ZU8BdJPb5xIKy8JckLvFbYyGhBbvuT1FA3V4Ow1oDL1iZ2EBmNbRi/s640/Armour-would+it+fit%253F-10.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Will it fit?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimsXYewo9L7E2Xze4CX3NkAmrCDFevaXmM0aU0XBgE6I34E5Ob3812N44_DElXeAIjlPXHKgghweeGGSPP7Si-IN6QQseQTLUgsXEstqWF1vV8V_y2g1IHaLppdplLeMTNhzKgmh6zFXVd/s1600/Becoming+a+knight.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimsXYewo9L7E2Xze4CX3NkAmrCDFevaXmM0aU0XBgE6I34E5Ob3812N44_DElXeAIjlPXHKgghweeGGSPP7Si-IN6QQseQTLUgsXEstqWF1vV8V_y2g1IHaLppdplLeMTNhzKgmh6zFXVd/s640/Becoming+a+knight.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Be sure to read the sign</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkQb9ZgC1WPamzW6jgMUgucoWCA4E1yF6c6E40t_M7C-CchPtrIj5WdqqHcftD1JJmb9u_hq5L4cyfxGq7KXV0ijlCLj5ZDu354xIXdbVR6B6OVj67xvnV0YEJh5BnXrhFWdbS8H9r9Vaj/s1600/Curtiss+Jenny+Aircraft.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkQb9ZgC1WPamzW6jgMUgucoWCA4E1yF6c6E40t_M7C-CchPtrIj5WdqqHcftD1JJmb9u_hq5L4cyfxGq7KXV0ijlCLj5ZDu354xIXdbVR6B6OVj67xvnV0YEJh5BnXrhFWdbS8H9r9Vaj/s640/Curtiss+Jenny+Aircraft.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Curtiss Jenny Aircraft</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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As mentioned, the 5:00 p.m. closing time came much too soon
and we had to leave the museum, but another of the things on our bucket list
was very near by, viz., the Calgary Tower. We walked the one block distance to
the tower and took the elevator to the top where the 360-degree view is
ordinarily unlimited. Unfortunately, soon after we arrived the weather settled
in and it began to snow, so our appreciation for the view from the tower was
rather limited. Hopefully be able to return soon. We understand that the view
at night is spectacular, especially during the week when the cleaning crews are
working in the high-rise buildings and the lights are on. Anyway, I will
include a few pictures of our visit to the tower. We had hoped to have dinner
in the restaurant at the top of the tower but would have had to wait from 5:30
p.m. to 9:00 p.m. for the next available dinner reservation. We drove home in
the snowstorm instead.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6__BE3b7vAMlXmWnBnRcdIZ_KoFkdZc4PP2DUpl82lR7pSwWmXGN2ProRgTA5E6AGNJ0pvWTM7I_rNypyXppViwA2lgf0hyXhq1ZTLXdZPlzFx0moFD3moJrdcwE674gPSEQGqc7sjSDE/s1600/unnamed-11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6__BE3b7vAMlXmWnBnRcdIZ_KoFkdZc4PP2DUpl82lR7pSwWmXGN2ProRgTA5E6AGNJ0pvWTM7I_rNypyXppViwA2lgf0hyXhq1ZTLXdZPlzFx0moFD3moJrdcwE674gPSEQGqc7sjSDE/s640/unnamed-11.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Canadian Mountie Bears at the base of the Calgary Tower</td></tr>
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Today was bright and sunny and the snow quickly melted away
so it has turned out to be a nice but cool Easter Sunday. We had a wonderful
Easter service. We had previously invited the two missionaries in our ward for Easter
dinner and the time is drawing near so I will leave very soon to go pick them
up. </div>
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We hope you have had a wonderful Easter, which, if one truly
understands what happened on Easter, is the most significant event to happen in
the history of mankind. May I say how grateful I am for the wonderful gift of
our Savior, for His love and teachings, for the atonement He made for the sins
of the world, and most importantly, for His ability as the only begotten of the
Father to willingly give up His life. Thus the bands of death were broken and
we are given the opportunity to return to the Father and live eternally. The
challenge, of course, is to live so that we may realize that great gift in our
own lives and in the lives of our families. “For God so loved the world, that
he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not
perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16. I bear testimony of the truth of
that statement. </div>
<!--EndFragment-->Elder and Sister Thorleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01934167726139534149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8716013380107774103.post-88661778938287963662017-04-09T21:03:00.001-07:002017-04-09T21:03:14.035-07:00<br />
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Rabbits everywhere………</div>
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Our blog for April 9, 2017</div>
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I will start this week’s blog with a discussion of the
rabbits in Calgary. Bear with me, it will get interesting. </div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjesif3MkX7Yxi1QramspRl46lyjyduFM7nhXOzZCytulsIh8xuEEVoUtzGJPP7EqJwqiJ8TK-7J-208vaIl4PWfm-4CHel_Tr-lzU0HWr4zspK3hPY64rSCAa126Ai3I50Gli7OHmDaED_/s1600/Snowshow+Hares.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjesif3MkX7Yxi1QramspRl46lyjyduFM7nhXOzZCytulsIh8xuEEVoUtzGJPP7EqJwqiJ8TK-7J-208vaIl4PWfm-4CHel_Tr-lzU0HWr4zspK3hPY64rSCAa126Ai3I50Gli7OHmDaED_/s640/Snowshow+Hares.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Snowshoe Hares changing from white to brown in springtime</td></tr>
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<!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> When we first came to Calgary in December of 2015, we
noticed there were quite a few white and rather large rabbits hopping around.
They have huge back feet and are taller in the hindquarters than jackrabbits.
In wintertime they are pretty much invisible in the snow except for their black
tipped ears. Last spring, almost overnight, we noticed a sudden increase in numbers
but they looked quite different; mostly white but with large patches of brown
or grey. I asked and learned that these are indeed the same rabbits. They are
Snowshoe Hares, which makes sense if you remember my comment above about their
broad back feet which act like snowshoes to keep their feet from sinking into
the snow as they run about. They do indeed gradually turn from white to mostly
brown or reddish brown or grey as the weather gets warmer. We also saw smaller
rabbits with shorter ears and much shorter legs. These I learned are feral
rabbits that have escaped or were released (illegally) by their owners into the
wild. On quite rare occasions one may spot a cottontail rabbit as well. So why
am I telling you about rabbits; they are a huge nuisance to cities. Rabbits,
well, breed like rabbits and they nibble on everything edible in the summer and
the winter so trees, bushes, and gardens are at risk. They have almost no
regard for humans and barely get out of the way as you approach. The rabbits in
the picture are representative of the changes in appearance. We saw them on
Friday while we were at the Calgary Temple. They were eating grass and whatever
else they could find to munch on there on the temple grounds.</div>
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I continue to be very much involved in the process of
placing new cars into service and recovering the older vehicles to prepare them
for sale. The picture below is one of the Chevy Colorado trucks coming out of
service. (It is so nice I am considering trying to buy it for myself despite it
having a Canadian speedometer.) We met the two missionaries, Elder Owens and
Elder Lowham, to deliver a new RAV4 and exchange it for their truck. Afterward
we treated them to dinner at Cost Vida, which they said is their “favorite
place in the whole world to eat”.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFXLQak_Yn3jEjVJNnteqAPt0A8gEvdwqtQyFreDjokVWL04bFmdgM6IyVa2dsxe0-Pm0CJtpXZ_HdeMmh1Yxc4W2rQD7hcS-o_4-sASNIYFBL4562qCod1dI7NLdYu5pM_G16ilcIA0lb/s1600/Elders+Lowham+and+Owens.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFXLQak_Yn3jEjVJNnteqAPt0A8gEvdwqtQyFreDjokVWL04bFmdgM6IyVa2dsxe0-Pm0CJtpXZ_HdeMmh1Yxc4W2rQD7hcS-o_4-sASNIYFBL4562qCod1dI7NLdYu5pM_G16ilcIA0lb/s640/Elders+Lowham+and+Owens.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Elders Lowham and Owens and their truck to be sold</td></tr>
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Speaking of preparing and selling cars, in as much as our
time in the mission field is drawing to a close next month, this part of my job
will gradually be taken over by Elder Sefcik, whom I have mentioned before as
one of the senior missionaries in the office. He is also the housing
coordinator but offered to learn this aspect of the vehicle coordinator job so
that he will be able to teach the senior couple coming in June. They arrive too
late for us to do the training. Elder Sefcik taking over this aspect of my job
will lift a huge load from my shoulders, especially with still more new cars
coming to the mission. This will allow me more time to focus on the repairs
associated with car accidents, car assignments, car inspections, minor car
repairs, oil changes, tires, car records, and car reports, and all other car
related things except car sales. Yes, there is still plenty to do.</div>
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The vehicle coordinator job will be even larger for the next
person. In much of North America missionary cars are equipped with devices
called TIWI. These devices monitor car speed and car location, and our mission
cars will be equipped with these devices in July. We will, of course, be long
gone by then so it will fall to someone else to monitor the TIWI equipped cars.
I am told this aspect of the job will add significantly to the vehicle
coordinator’s workload so I’m definitely okay with not having to learn and
oversee this. </div>
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Speaking of our replacements, they are Elder and Sister
McNary who are also from Sandy, Utah, but not from our stake so we don’t know
them. We had a very pleasant visit with them by phone during the week and were
able to answer many of their questions about what they will be doing, what they
should bring, where they will be living, etc. </div>
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On Thursday evening we attended the baptism of the son of some dear friends, the Larez family. They immigrated to Calgary from Caracas, Venezuela, about a year ago. They both served missions for the Church and are college graduates but found life too difficult in Venezuela to remain so came here to further their studies and make Canada their home. We have become very close to them and were delighted to be invited to attend the baptism of their son, Miguel. The following pictures are of them and little Miguel. </div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd0JyNBre4YRBAJvt284cKqVFQ2X_N_cdnWwvkO0R9M0AxhhVKBNSNv1HlnhG27sfxXhVzYnEMmF1EkV2NCbn6s9h-q-LqxnIIJ0Sbq6Z4bLK2EyRqAEMUr49R8xJAhwY32enK5XIvY0uY/s1600/Liliana%252C+Bismar%252C+Miguel%252C+and+Isabella+Larez.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd0JyNBre4YRBAJvt284cKqVFQ2X_N_cdnWwvkO0R9M0AxhhVKBNSNv1HlnhG27sfxXhVzYnEMmF1EkV2NCbn6s9h-q-LqxnIIJ0Sbq6Z4bLK2EyRqAEMUr49R8xJAhwY32enK5XIvY0uY/s400/Liliana%252C+Bismar%252C+Miguel%252C+and+Isabella+Larez.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Liliana, Bismark, Miguel, and Isabella Larez</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTUIGBr2HMvyV8T5mF32EXe84g8rWkaDocLaH3wGIrXs5sEzoV2nqXUTYilgU8eLQ1Knq_D-Z-DSfJPrLW460xbnSw5cVSTKRlvNcVi46lFvwFBHDQFGrbuKSl__65PzOWTd3nh6MC3oVt/s1600/Miguel+Larez.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTUIGBr2HMvyV8T5mF32EXe84g8rWkaDocLaH3wGIrXs5sEzoV2nqXUTYilgU8eLQ1Knq_D-Z-DSfJPrLW460xbnSw5cVSTKRlvNcVi46lFvwFBHDQFGrbuKSl__65PzOWTd3nh6MC3oVt/s400/Miguel+Larez.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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Last night we had a very lovely time at dinner with Elder
and Sister Wong and Elder and Sister Sefcik. And tonight we were invited to the
home of our bishop, Bishop Keyes, and his wife. We were also able to meet some
of their family who live in the area. Their son recently returned from one of
the Mexico City missions. The Keyes have a lovely home which they bought a few
years ago and have been extensively renovating. It was only a half a block from
their old home so, while the move itself wasn’t a big deal, the renovations
have been and the results are beautiful. The Keyes are pictured below. </div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizD-fYqI2o6UqLsSy1TFkBU_jJfhd63aNkWFKShap2Bgijvtq0L9UG6TLdpqfprRu4_xq3nsO-zruzCGYOZN3Z4v6bU_iF8vqiSzjn73feMgF44e2v6rfEMT1C1OUAhF1sBK2etMevjvef/s1600/Bishop+Keyes+and+family.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizD-fYqI2o6UqLsSy1TFkBU_jJfhd63aNkWFKShap2Bgijvtq0L9UG6TLdpqfprRu4_xq3nsO-zruzCGYOZN3Z4v6bU_iF8vqiSzjn73feMgF44e2v6rfEMT1C1OUAhF1sBK2etMevjvef/s640/Bishop+Keyes+and+family.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bishop Keyes and family</td></tr>
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That’s about it for this week. We send you all our love and
best wishes. To our good friends, the Downs, who are returning home from their
mission in Mexico this week, may we say, “Well done!” Hope to see you soon and
swap stories.</div>
Elder and Sister Thorleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01934167726139534149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8716013380107774103.post-16478326476901284192017-04-02T21:38:00.001-07:002017-04-02T21:38:09.100-07:00<br />
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General Conference and Transfer Week, and, oh yes, a
birthday came and went…….</div>
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I am preparing this between sessions of LDS General
Conference so it is very much on my mind. Unfortunately, the local community
service TV channel decided not to carry the Conference as in previous years.
Fortunately, the Internet provides a way to watch so we haven’t missed a thing.
</div>
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This morning, and all of this past week, I have been able to
run outside and am so pleased to be able to resume running out of doors. With
all the snow that melted during the week, I decided to try the Glenmore
Reservoir trail (asphalt) and was delighted to find it clear of snow and ice
for the most part. As you will see in the pictures below, nothing turning green
yet, but it will come. The trail along the shore of the reservoir is still
muddy with some patches of snow. </div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXu34C_nsk5G-V0eDCdMVHlk8id1kWPCoFeiLPQt5fyEXeHwcH0Ehsa4nd2KG3d9CV27UcLa41okCQFb_tOtqGak6K11tx_zg95c3zFGD-R11Uxg7xVsY668ruP2tz9s2K1Z8so9B5Hrv1/s1600/IMG_1410.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXu34C_nsk5G-V0eDCdMVHlk8id1kWPCoFeiLPQt5fyEXeHwcH0Ehsa4nd2KG3d9CV27UcLa41okCQFb_tOtqGak6K11tx_zg95c3zFGD-R11Uxg7xVsY668ruP2tz9s2K1Z8so9B5Hrv1/s640/IMG_1410.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dry Glenmore Reservoir Trail - ready for use</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6Q1E4PpgtMGaUXB3XNCMcMYz4-_yr9q89W2op4tIhEs93-CSi5Kksp5o_J96FLvoBMxuFkCj7jJ3iTLRUcRldpIranY4X5EAiu1ZBe3tG19_MJEAzhqH-u-kGcoyplWo-BBY19ynvXjxv/s1600/IMG_1413.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6Q1E4PpgtMGaUXB3XNCMcMYz4-_yr9q89W2op4tIhEs93-CSi5Kksp5o_J96FLvoBMxuFkCj7jJ3iTLRUcRldpIranY4X5EAiu1ZBe3tG19_MJEAzhqH-u-kGcoyplWo-BBY19ynvXjxv/s640/IMG_1413.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Weaselhead in early Spring</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE_s71uJYDUDWfJz38GuMddc1gQrQWIGWdPH7dras3n9xrdMVOtHUgIIdzwN8hUAmNzXwETlXRG_l7Wx0f413xCZrvJ8CthiEAzWagpNKZxgX1V8uin8LwUIDqmp-RqEXAHRooTUemFWoe/s1600/IMG_1414.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE_s71uJYDUDWfJz38GuMddc1gQrQWIGWdPH7dras3n9xrdMVOtHUgIIdzwN8hUAmNzXwETlXRG_l7Wx0f413xCZrvJ8CthiEAzWagpNKZxgX1V8uin8LwUIDqmp-RqEXAHRooTUemFWoe/s640/IMG_1414.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The trail immediately along the reservoir - muddy and not yet ready for running</td></tr>
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It is so nice to have more daylight to enjoy. With the
resumption of daylight savings time, the sun is now well up before we go to
work and it stays light until well after we get home. By the time we go home in
late May, it will again be light from around 4:00 a.m. until well after 11:30
p.m. I was recalling recently that the Calgary Stampede fireworks display this
past summer didn’t begin until nearly midnight because it was not dark enough
to enjoy it fully until then. And speaking of fully enjoying the fireworks, it
didn’t quite happen that way for us; we were poised to watch it from our
apartment building but decided we were more interested in turning in so we gave
up and went to bed. I guess we are getting old.</div>
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<b><i>Transfer Week<o:p></o:p></i></b></div>
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And speaking of old, my birthday was on Wednesday. Before
the day was over I was tired and feeling pretty old. It was a long day. We had
a group of new missionaries arrive on Wednesday morning and it is a part of my
duties to go to the airport and haul at least some of them (and all their
luggage) to the mission home. The remainder are driven by the mission president
and the Assistants in their vehicles. After their arrival at the mission home,
those of us who work in the office (housing, cars, supplies, finance, etc.)
provide them the necessary training for how things are done in the mission and
how we are there to help them with their work. Afterward it was back to the
office to prepare things for transfers the next day. Kathy and I stopped on our
way home and had a nice dinner at a restaurant we like and finally got home
about 8:30 p.m.</div>
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On their travel day, the missionary day begins around 2:30
a.m. when they get up to finish packing, have breakfast, and leave the MTC in
Provo to get to the Salt Lake Airport for their flight. This time their flights
took them to Seattle where they had to change planes, and then continued on to
Calgary. It makes for a long day for them, so having to sit through local
training is just short of torture. It helps to have them take frequent breaks
to stand and stretch and then resume, and have some snacks. This group did
well. They are a smaller group so the Sisters were able to all stay overnight
at the Mission Home and the Elders were taken to a nearby motel. On Thursday we
gathered them up and took them to the Willow Park chapel to connect with their
new companions and continue on to their assigned areas. </div>
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Arrival of new missionaries usually happens every six weeks.
Though it not perfectly equal during each transfer week, for each arriving
group of missionaries there is a corresponding number of missionaries who are
headed home at the end of their missionary service (18 months for the Sisters,
and 24 months for the Elders). Arrivals and departures trigger a general shift
in missionary service locations for many of the others remaining in the mission
and so they and their luggage are hauled (that would be me) to one of two
exchange locations, Lethbridge and Calgary. At each location, they meet their
new companions and have a chance to reconnect with those with whom they have served
in previous locations. Once we arrive at the exchange points those being driven
bail out of the vehicles and head directly for those they haven’t seen in
awhile. All of their baggage and personal things are forgotten for the moment.
To get them reorganized and on their way is a lot like herding cats, but it all
works out in the end and usually there are only one or two bags remaining after
everyone has left :^) </div>
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Transfer day is a time to also move cars. With all the
potential drivers going south or coming north, it is a good time to transport
the new cars to where they need to be and to drive the old ones back. Opening
and closing of areas also requires some movement of cars. All of this car
movement requires a great deal of advance planning and coordination. At the
exchange points I end up having to look at some cars that need repairs or have
issues that have not previously been brought to my attention. These present as,
“Oh, Elder Thorley; we forgot to tell you about it before but there is something
wrong with our car. Could you look at it?” I also usually end up doing a couple
of curbside medical consultations as well, so it is a busy time. </div>
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Sometimes during transfers, as was the case this time, I
also meet up with a person in the south mission who wants to buy one of the
older cars and, for convenience, wants it brought to them to avoid the long
trip to Calgary. Selling a car under these circumstances usually requires
answering a number of questions since they have not previously seen the car, only
the pictures. I end up having to show them that everything that is supposed to
be there is there and completing the necessary bill of sale. </div>
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Fortunately, the Assistants to the President oversee
assigning drivers and passengers to each of the cars and herding them to their
respective rides. Also the Assistants and office staff (in Calgary) collect gas
receipts and gas cards, apartment keys, and cell phones, etc. and make sure
these get into the right hands. So, the bottom line – the hour between arriving
and leaving at the exchange points is an extremely busy time for all concerned.
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<b><i>Easter Interdenominational Easter Choral Festival<o:p></o:p></i></b></div>
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In anticipation of Easter, the Calgary Stake hosts a number
of choral groups from various denominations around Calgary. This has been a
tradition in central Calgary for 10 years. Kathy and I attended the event last
year and enjoyed it very much. This year we have the opportunity of singing
with our stake choir. Each choir performs two numbers. I will try to get a
couple of pictures of the event and include them at the bottom of this blog. </div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG9KKCp4bPSMUxfItrIwEzWBRWu0g_yjmaM5-IT3mtsXzUNxODJGD3Mon4X8ekPJvoxmhElObKtHBNJ_4HhjaN6inQVH5Sdtv2F1W3-CszMUmh0B0MFADjhXWXVzRyN59UoX4yfpOPwz-y/s1600/IMG_1416.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG9KKCp4bPSMUxfItrIwEzWBRWu0g_yjmaM5-IT3mtsXzUNxODJGD3Mon4X8ekPJvoxmhElObKtHBNJ_4HhjaN6inQVH5Sdtv2F1W3-CszMUmh0B0MFADjhXWXVzRyN59UoX4yfpOPwz-y/s640/IMG_1416.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The choral groups sat in the middle with the audience on the sides and in the cultural hall overflow</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUGFcdiysJpc659KkhzhdPlAzi3Ft4MiXPVPmCZSVbHh6K-LWJWZ6vsYcwxXQL3HUhFoGTAwtkP-yw4h9vLIMsf4jRlD6Plgn6eCMyW8UzmONx8PaydHZsDyV5sAf6jRFQ1DdHO1qgn9ca/s1600/IMG_4719.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUGFcdiysJpc659KkhzhdPlAzi3Ft4MiXPVPmCZSVbHh6K-LWJWZ6vsYcwxXQL3HUhFoGTAwtkP-yw4h9vLIMsf4jRlD6Plgn6eCMyW8UzmONx8PaydHZsDyV5sAf6jRFQ1DdHO1qgn9ca/s640/IMG_4719.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Once of the choral groups performing their number</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjemtDbEiiTHXm2X_xYoXHtVOjHjOg8cDcAsvevPijOeIddRDLS6iKDmOSfdlZtqMZb9seJ7JVYc7Lk9n4OzatR-sNluQBG443jMUsnqoaUQJSXMsmU8vRbEGeDB5FLNiV-mH1rZBS0geXx/s1600/IMG_4724.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjemtDbEiiTHXm2X_xYoXHtVOjHjOg8cDcAsvevPijOeIddRDLS6iKDmOSfdlZtqMZb9seJ7JVYc7Lk9n4OzatR-sNluQBG443jMUsnqoaUQJSXMsmU8vRbEGeDB5FLNiV-mH1rZBS0geXx/s640/IMG_4724.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The choristers and their accompanists<br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5HBEMTyjKPCWlpUgbHnLTkNiPlb_vtNkn1tlpk5QqGzjHRyDY_1EzmD6GRHAKpAsLl_u4o_rsDc6M0huZawm0gsQzFHtRCwcBYwE8FUIBqLDCEukCQHYhdMyzCv0ZJZP7g_RP44h264Qq/s1600/IMG_4726.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5HBEMTyjKPCWlpUgbHnLTkNiPlb_vtNkn1tlpk5QqGzjHRyDY_1EzmD6GRHAKpAsLl_u4o_rsDc6M0huZawm0gsQzFHtRCwcBYwE8FUIBqLDCEukCQHYhdMyzCv0ZJZP7g_RP44h264Qq/s640/IMG_4726.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At the Interdenominational Choral Easter Festival: <br />L to R: Kathy and I, Sis Peterson, Sis Bonus, Elder Ibanez, Elder Hatch. Middle row: Elder Tung, Elder Proctor, Elder Fox, Elder Cartrwright, Sis Caldwell, Sis Hatch. Back row: Elder Fish, Elder Smith, Elder Del Molino, Elder Schiel</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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I hope, wherever you are, that you have been able to listen
to General Conference. The messages are so timely and the words truly inspired.
It was wonderful to see President Monson take part, and announce five new
temples to be built. As announced, membership in the Church will soon reach 16
million members. This is, of course, a result of missionary work. While Kathy
and my roles are supportive in nature and not proselyting, we do get opportunities
to share the message of the Restoration. Often the vendors with whom I work ask
about what our missionaries do as they meet them dropping cars off or picking
them up after the repairs, oil changes, etc. I am only too happy to oblige and
tell them a bit about the work and the message our missionaries share, and then
I challenge them to invite them into their homes.</div>
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Have a great week! </div>
<!--EndFragment-->Elder and Sister Thorleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01934167726139534149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8716013380107774103.post-63827942430003528762017-03-26T20:21:00.003-07:002017-03-26T20:23:15.472-07:00Curling is harder than it looks on TV.........<br />
Curling is harder than it looks on TV……<br />
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Some time ago a good friend who is the High Priest Group
Leader in the Heritage Ward, Bob Bergland, asked me what I would like yet to do
before leaving Canada. I told him that I have a Canadian “bucket-list” of sorts
and one of the things on the list is to try my hand at the sport of curling. If
you turn on the TV in the evenings and on weekends in Canada the major sports
you are likely to see are hockey and curling. I have played hockey but had never
tried curling.</div>
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Bob is a retired teacher and former professional football
referee but is also really into curling. He belongs to a curling club so,
knowing it was on my bucket list, he invited me to join him for an introduction
to the sport. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKMt-YYNitDx4LZzM84Etsj9kdDrdiOJzYS_YwAzcNo7LORtDzEfZsZJjExuRYW0xA_ao1ewMbntZfnwfnO3uOyoNkBYs9KmD-eZ2tjPQWe-mam3H1kS-YASfrOMgbQ3SpTGhAExs7bfOx/s1600/Curling+Club.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKMt-YYNitDx4LZzM84Etsj9kdDrdiOJzYS_YwAzcNo7LORtDzEfZsZJjExuRYW0xA_ao1ewMbntZfnwfnO3uOyoNkBYs9KmD-eZ2tjPQWe-mam3H1kS-YASfrOMgbQ3SpTGhAExs7bfOx/s640/Curling+Club.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Bob has been active in curling since his youth, and has taught
curling for years. On the drive to the club he asked how far I wanted to get
into curling and I told him I wanted the full experience. He laughed and said,
“I think you will find it a bit more challenging than you think. In an hour of
ice time I will show you as much as I can.” </div>
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Curling looks easy on TV; you just push off, glide a bit,
aim and release the rock and watch it smack someone else’s rock out of the way
while trying to stay inside the bulls eye, right? Prior to coming to Canada, my
exposure to curling was pretty much limited to occasionally watching it during
the Olympics and, since it seemed to lack any “real” action, I found it to be
pretty boring. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoqno46_TtpJVdisbRdsNi76yEIbWHrc8gVvJIE4C1mj67M7hqHOnlLj0VOLQg1FUpktEQaAwVV54q4xc20vn7uOlWuYVlAV2Ntte3M5DkW2_3G6TsRjM7kbeIkwRjB82S5MeptHJheZsG/s1600/Curling+ice.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoqno46_TtpJVdisbRdsNi76yEIbWHrc8gVvJIE4C1mj67M7hqHOnlLj0VOLQg1FUpktEQaAwVV54q4xc20vn7uOlWuYVlAV2Ntte3M5DkW2_3G6TsRjM7kbeIkwRjB82S5MeptHJheZsG/s640/Curling+ice.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhidwIQeZJn82omXfZveiR6qtDgmqjjctLM3IK9Q-zUsVxXUu09cvI8CTLLpifm4-_HmhyphenhyphenQ1ZAou42oanDaruAXewJ9MEgDDDdQlQBvW10oJ17aoBI8UgmMFjDH9jQDp8AwcKkIDtJhYlMV/s1600/Curling+instruction.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhidwIQeZJn82omXfZveiR6qtDgmqjjctLM3IK9Q-zUsVxXUu09cvI8CTLLpifm4-_HmhyphenhyphenQ1ZAou42oanDaruAXewJ9MEgDDDdQlQBvW10oJ17aoBI8UgmMFjDH9jQDp8AwcKkIDtJhYlMV/s1600/Curling+instruction.jpg" /></a></div>
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As I mentioned, curling is on TV here in Canada a lot. I
mean a lot! Yes, there is a season, winter time mostly, which makes sense since
it involves, - wait for it…..ice. Almost all restaurants have curling or hockey
going on multiple TV screens; different games on different screens like in the States
with football or basketball. I began to watch with greater interest and
realized, hey, this is a serious sport. The finesse involved is really pretty
intense. The release of the rock has to be just so, - just the right amount of
speed, the right amount of gentle spin, and the role of the sweepers ahead of
the rock to help control the spin and provide a subtle change of direction. The
action is directed from the other end of the ice course by someone called the
“skip”. He/she determines the strategy and directs play for the team. He/she is
the 4th member of the team of four. Each team member over the course of the
match delivers eight stones, two stones in each round, and the match comes to
an “end” at which time the score has been decided. The final stone in each
round is the most important one for the score for the round and needs to clear
the opponent’s stone and end up closest to the eye. </div>
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The goal, of course is, to deliver the closest rock to the
center of the bulls eye, which is called “the house”. If you can deliver a blow
to an opponent’s rock, called a “take out”, and knock it from the house and
keep your rock in the house, you stand a better chance of having “the shot
rock’ which is the rock that is closest to the center of the eye. The shot rock
scores one point. Positioning your rock so that it blocks the opponent’s from a
clear shot at the house is good strategy. You may also bump one of your team’s
rocks so as to place it closer to the center of the eye, called the “button”.
If you can clear all of your opponent’s rocks from the house, each of your
team’s rocks within the hours scores a point, but only if all of your
opponent’s rocks are outside of the house. Unlike darts, the rings of the house
are not scored differently; it is only the closest rock(s) that score points. </div>
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Okay, now for the lesson. First you don a “slider” which is
a slipper than goes over your shoe but just one shoe. This is the lead foot
when you push off and glide; the other foot slides on the ice behind you. The
lead foot is the left foot if you are right-handed and vice versa. This is
where the lesson began poorly for me. The shoe on which you place the slider
becomes treacherous as soon as you step on the ice; there is no traction with
that foot. Next I will mention the “broom,” which is used when you “sweep”
ahead of your teammate’s rocks. Well, as my lesson began, my broom was needed
just for me to stand up and not fall! Bob demonstrated how you place the other
foot, my right foot in my case (it helps to wear a shoe with good traction on
that foot!) in one of two devices in the ice which are called “hacks”. The
hacks are used to push off to commence the sliding motion needed to deliver the
rock kind of like a runner’s “blocks”. As one pushes off, the other foot, the one
wearing “the slider,” is extended out in front to provide balance. Oh yes,
balance; it would seem easy in one’s mind to simply push off with one foot and
glide with other foot, but this requires some coordination and timing, and,
yes, some balance. I proved to be a true klutz at all of these. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgKYga_n3hWlaYj_EsN6pNf9BKx5m5B9VDlsfO4_mpFt9OucdkEYTA6zncPNiJ2q7RR3mRrc6SuaTCP_41_RLf2NanWs4c34pHDMc-GxwuCxraNqhoyoHq1OIVkeC-_Ftop9Ez-TvO6Zta/s1600/Curling+attempts+IMG_3218.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgKYga_n3hWlaYj_EsN6pNf9BKx5m5B9VDlsfO4_mpFt9OucdkEYTA6zncPNiJ2q7RR3mRrc6SuaTCP_41_RLf2NanWs4c34pHDMc-GxwuCxraNqhoyoHq1OIVkeC-_Ftop9Ez-TvO6Zta/s640/Curling+attempts+IMG_3218.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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First of all, my knees don’t bend as comfortably as they
used to, so getting down into the crouch position is uncomfortable. Then the
proper position is to crouch in such a way so as to have both knees inside of
your arms (sort of like being a fetal position). Just for fun, try that if you
are in your 70s. One arm holds the broom and the other is resting on the handle
of the rock. The motion is begun by rocking back to some degree (with your
knees in pain if you are old), and then pushing off with the right foot with
sufficient force to carry you and your broom forward while pushing the 36 lb
rock forward smoothly. As mentioned, this require some semblance of timing,
balance, and coordination. None of that comes easy; I had no balance, no
coordination, and no timing. My first few attempts were a disaster and I found
myself falling to one side or the other. None of my attempts during the entire
hour succeeded in coming close to the line, called the “hog line”, at which
point you need to release the rock without going over the line. I should add,
there was no chance of me going over the line as the distance from the back of
the ice to the hog line is 10 meters (around 30 feet). Even the best of my
glides succeeded in reaching maybe 5 meters or about half way. With a bit more
practice I stopped falling but found that my glide did not seem to want to
follow the centerline. All of this looked so easy when I looked about at the
others on the ice. </div>
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Anyway, I did not get a good feel for the basics of the
glide in trying for 40 minutes or so; but I wanted to get down to what I was
truly there for, and that was <u>to curl</u>. Surely I would be better at that.
The term “curling”, by the way, is the attempt to give the rock some direction.
It is accomplished by a very gentle clockwise or counter-clockwise rotation of
the rock, best done with a slight touch of the index finger as the rock is
released. The direction of the rotation determines whether the rock moves to
the left or the right, or if a straight-on approach is desired, there is no
attempt at rotating the rock. Remember the “skip” is the person on the other
end that uses the end of his broom/brush to indicate where the rock should be
aimed and uses signals to indicate the speed (AKA the “weight”) or force
applied to the stone and the direction of the curl to be attempted. The
sweepers are the two teammates not involved in delivering the stone and not
acting as the skip. They are polishing the ice ahead of the stone to influence
the distance it travels, and they can influence the curl to some degree as
well. This is all done without touching the stone. They follow the directions
called out by the skip. They can also sweep ahead of the opponent’s stone if
struck by a teammate’s stone (called a “take out”) to encourage it to glide
outside of the house and thus out of scoring consideration. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh12AMkHHQ33xtuP99wg-IlEayUZZF1NCnWc5ZnTRS9IkIfmkaMjPUnNKSIs6cCiYzT01nc-ptBNOMEl8frIrMvs_NYMjDXQH2X2zIfLLsOKmCFGOGUugVdtffkTOqxupTswXvHxns5nOu1/s1600/Curling+perspective.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh12AMkHHQ33xtuP99wg-IlEayUZZF1NCnWc5ZnTRS9IkIfmkaMjPUnNKSIs6cCiYzT01nc-ptBNOMEl8frIrMvs_NYMjDXQH2X2zIfLLsOKmCFGOGUugVdtffkTOqxupTswXvHxns5nOu1/s640/Curling+perspective.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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So that is a short course on how to curl. I wasn’t very good
at it, and I suspect it would take hours and hours of practice, maybe even
years to begin to curl well enough to not embarrass myself. Truly it is not as
easy as it looks on TV, but then neither is golf, bowling, or any other sport
that appears to require “less” effort for that matter. Some skill, some
knowledge, and lots of practice is required. Now when I see curling on TV as I
am waiting for my order I can say, “Hey, I tried it; I respect it. I can now
enjoy watching it.”</div>
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The week has been a blur. I coordinated repairs and
detailing, took lots of calls from interested buyers (word is out that we have
some cars to sell), showed cars, and sold cars; all while trying to keep up
with calls from the missionaries with car problems, arranging oil changes, and
looking ahead to where and how to place the new cars that have come into the
inventory. Yes my job is cars. I am lucky I don’t have car nightmares. And
speaking of cars, I was fascinated today as we prepared to leave our church
parking lot to see a throw-back version of the Jeep I grew up driving on our
ranch. I will include the picture. Yes, it is a brand new Jeep. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNm1B8j_sFlQrfdKeu-dE7mhfemvfVADJa8OziIqol7L57iBhBh4bR-YWy5b37hIq-pl2OUeYPzbuzsEQ0woSg_BT7syzUkAtLVRRU86q3PdP73yOT-59FUP5ch7A2_m92P0smzRXIIe6f/s1600/Throwback+Jeep.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNm1B8j_sFlQrfdKeu-dE7mhfemvfVADJa8OziIqol7L57iBhBh4bR-YWy5b37hIq-pl2OUeYPzbuzsEQ0woSg_BT7syzUkAtLVRRU86q3PdP73yOT-59FUP5ch7A2_m92P0smzRXIIe6f/s640/Throwback+Jeep.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Have a great week! </div>
Elder and Sister Thorleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01934167726139534149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8716013380107774103.post-72406782760460809352017-03-19T20:44:00.003-07:002017-03-19T20:44:55.763-07:00The cold gives way to Chinook conditions.....<br />
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Blog for March 19, 2017</div>
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The cold gives way to Chinook conditions…..</div>
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Chinooks at this time of year are a mixed blessing; they are
a welcome respite from the bitter cold but the melting conditions they bring
also set up some problems. This week is a classic example of this; daytime
melting brings wet slushy roads which have been previously treated with a
mixture of sand and salt, thus the road spray coats everything with a yucky
layer of grime. At night the freezing temperatures add a layer of frost to this
grimy layer. Washing cars makes them look really good, unless, of course, one
attempts to drive somewhere and the road spray covers the car all over again.
The accompanying picture tells it all. You would never know this car had been
washed a day or two before. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAvx7o9MDELYnYxx9Gps4zAvbkYX5F854zpK-LRdqyiNeWjPAt_AkECW_KR7P9yqMgys640tdzhAmM4SjfVoWQZH-7Fb5_A3nyp9inj2ug2Jt3UBiQl2HLZ4faurxPBnYdUL8RAPfMZnIS/s1600/IMG_4604.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAvx7o9MDELYnYxx9Gps4zAvbkYX5F854zpK-LRdqyiNeWjPAt_AkECW_KR7P9yqMgys640tdzhAmM4SjfVoWQZH-7Fb5_A3nyp9inj2ug2Jt3UBiQl2HLZ4faurxPBnYdUL8RAPfMZnIS/s640/IMG_4604.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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Another problem presented by the thawing and freezing,
unless there is continued sanding of the roads, freezing at night creates a
treacherous layer of ice on the roads. The same is true of sidewalks. Yesterday
morning I attempted to run the route I take during the summertime. I had hoped
that the sidewalks and roadways would be sufficiently melted so that ice and
snow wouldn’t be a problem. It was. I would run for a hundred feet or so and
then have to stop and gingerly feel my way over a patch of ice. Oh well,
consistent warmer weather is on the horizon (we hope). The street sweepers have
begun the process of cleaning the roadways. Hopefully they know that Spring is
nearing.</div>
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Friday was a very sad day for us. It was Elder and Sister
Peppinger’s last day and now they are on their way home. Kathy and I wanted to
send them on their way with a token of our appreciation so we prepared some
bags of goodies for them to enjoy as they drive. We knew lots of well wishers
would be stopping by so we decided to do something uniquely Canadian instead of
a farewell cake; we bought variety boxes of Timbits. For the uninitiated, these
are like donut holes and come in a variety of flavors and coatings. They are
delicious and are sold in the “millions” of Tim Horton Restaurants which exist
on nearly every corner of Canadian cities. They are even more plentiful than
Starbucks in Canada. Anyway, we bought two boxes of 50 each, and despite the
sign reading, “Limit 2”, they disappeared rather quickly. The attached picture
is of a few of the moochers, including one Elder who has stitches over his left
eyebrow, a souvenir acquired while showing a few wrestling holds to another
missionary. </div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgByjQbMjlOIO6a_UZ4KpZQDdY99h4QJqv3Z_XstlQulfAxVjInK9CH-gxXDgQo4LaBrvdq8QLrClFx_t0tBTdpqr_ROTq4lWpjAkFbhpaiYQpYus_rYkr3OX6kGtJf2V8V8mdykbPWiNbq/s1600/IMG_3204.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgByjQbMjlOIO6a_UZ4KpZQDdY99h4QJqv3Z_XstlQulfAxVjInK9CH-gxXDgQo4LaBrvdq8QLrClFx_t0tBTdpqr_ROTq4lWpjAkFbhpaiYQpYus_rYkr3OX6kGtJf2V8V8mdykbPWiNbq/s640/IMG_3204.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Elders Jones and Sondrup munching away. Elder Lee (left) saying, "Nope. I'm good."</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Kathy will now move into the receptionist/mission secretary
position in addition to her regular duties. I will also need to assist with her
duties (as she has been with mine) by taking many more phone calls in addition
to my regular duties (and phone calls). Our replacements are now in the
pipeline but they won’t be arriving until late in June, which is 3-4 weeks
after our time to leave. We offered to extend for a couple of weeks if they
could come a couple of weeks earlier so they could get some training, but,
since this won’t work for them, we will likely be leaving on May 30<sup>th</sup>
as planned.</div>
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Kathy and I went to see a movie last evening, “Arrivals”. I
liked it but it was truly weird and hard to follow. Kathy liked it considerably
less than I did, I might add. </div>
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<!--EndFragment--><br />
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Anyway, have a great week. This was admittedly a boring
blog. The work is not boring but the blog is! There isn’t time to be bored with
the work, not with missionary accidents (fewer now that the weather has
improved), more than a dozen cars in various stages of repair, prepping older
cars for sale, and the process of selling them. Kathy, too, will be scrambling
to keep up with her additional duties.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
Elder and Sister Thorleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01934167726139534149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8716013380107774103.post-12006236805410128162017-03-12T21:01:00.000-07:002017-03-12T21:01:03.098-07:00How to eat a TimTam.........<br />
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Blog for March
12, 2017</div>
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How to eat a TimTam………</div>
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It has been a cold, cold week but filled with interesting
things to do. Let’s start with how to eat a TimTam. We had heard of these
cookies but had not tried them until some were given to us. TimTam’s are unique
to Canada and so is the way you eat them. First you need hot chocolate, then
you take a TimTam cookie and you bite off a small part on each end. Next you
put one end in your mouth and the other end in the hot chocolate and suck the
hot chocolate up into and through the cookie. The cookie soaks up the hot
chocolate and you quickly but the cookie into your mouth and enjoy the rich
chocolate taste. Yum! My own discovery - the cookies are good even if you don’t
have any hot chocolate. </div>
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<!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpVkF_-HkD5ieddiPtsEsJP7dFEuxEz93tmuXAlREKyhG8AImQZkaB3WX78WVg864PttPv9OK4KvqmXaxd2oklEGb_5uBKlLyfO69Xm9cB-3D6YvzAEY_DYrCzrHd3SHK0NcCCa4WODzTr/s1600/How+to+eat+a+Tim+Tam.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpVkF_-HkD5ieddiPtsEsJP7dFEuxEz93tmuXAlREKyhG8AImQZkaB3WX78WVg864PttPv9OK4KvqmXaxd2oklEGb_5uBKlLyfO69Xm9cB-3D6YvzAEY_DYrCzrHd3SHK0NcCCa4WODzTr/s640/How+to+eat+a+Tim+Tam.jpg" width="640" /></a> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></div>
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During the week we received some additional Toyota RAV 4s.
Next week we will receive a few more and that should be all for awhile.</div>
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The week saw a few more missionary accidents. Subzero cold
(Farenheitk) and snow do not make for safe driving conditions. We are, however,
to have a major Chinook during the coming week and temperatures will be well
above normal. That should take care of the snow and slick roads, I hope. After
all, it is mid-March. We were certainly spoiled by the mild winter we enjoyed
last year. </div>
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We learned during the week that a senior missionary couple
is indeed headed our way and will eventually replace us in the office, but
(isn’t there always a “but”?) they are to arrive about a month after we are
scheduled to depart. We are hoping they might be able to come two weeks earlier
and if so, we could remain in place for two more weeks in order to allow some
overlap and some local training. Senior couples receive great training in the
MTC but it does not fully prepare them for how things are done locally. </div>
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Last evening, together with Elder and Sister Peppinger, we
were invited to spend the evening with a senior couple serving here in Calgary,
Elder and Sister Wong. They are MLS (member-leadership support) missionaries
and are working with the Mandarin Branch. They are Chinese and are from the
Salt Lake Valley as well. Sister Wong prepared a number of Chinese dishes for
us and I can safely say, what she prepared proved to be the best Chinese food I
have ever eaten! We also had a mixed fruit plate, brought by the Peppingers,
and I made a chocolate cheesecake, which was also well received. We visited and
had a great time. The Wongs are doing a wonderful job; they are teaching
English classes, Sister Wong is teaching sewing, but most of their time is
spent visiting the Chinese members of the Church and encouraging greater
activity and participation. The young Chinese-speaking missionaries are so
grateful to also have a senior couple serving here. </div>
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Saturdays are our P-days and after our apartment cleaning
and preparations for the coming week, Kathy and I try to get out and see things
we haven’t yet tried or seen. We have mentioned earlier visits to the nearby
Heritage Park where we have season tickets. One of the buildings at the Park is
called Gasoline Alley and it is filled on two levels with antique cars. We have
put off going there as it remains open all year and we wanted to see everything
else first as the rest of the Park closes for the winter. We knew by reputation
that is wonderful, and so it was. I have seen a number of museums displaying
antique cars but this is the very best. I will share a number of photos below
but it barely scratches the surface for what there is there to see. </div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-pqN7Nl170Z0DR8EyM2QHY0qf0cmexmQn5FErkNp9zWJWb4VmRYycCNfxyf2UuGHsPS7TbBH16Yly4iHaxEooiHqqALV1N_1eey4ZFfIid9oqEOCSakD3GzTliQo84eefJ089aY1q6PYd/s1600/Front+wheel+drive.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-pqN7Nl170Z0DR8EyM2QHY0qf0cmexmQn5FErkNp9zWJWb4VmRYycCNfxyf2UuGHsPS7TbBH16Yly4iHaxEooiHqqALV1N_1eey4ZFfIid9oqEOCSakD3GzTliQo84eefJ089aY1q6PYd/s640/Front+wheel+drive.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of my favorites - a 1931 L-29 Cord with front wheel drive. Only $3,000 back in the day when a Ford Model A was $300. Needless to say, not many of them were sold at that price, and then there was the Depression going on. Cord Motor Company did not survive. </td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifWqKJdPTrudr9l8Y62vSdjW-G3uGpq6L-fcr-IcyU8HIUicM6XnUYy1uX04plcktSpi6llw0ArChGJ5nBYrBWv3OeEkflsyWFY5hfR0L_VrHM0SQv7K20mavoHwnzRj9EDrwhM4Eokfgi/s1600/1932+Auburn.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifWqKJdPTrudr9l8Y62vSdjW-G3uGpq6L-fcr-IcyU8HIUicM6XnUYy1uX04plcktSpi6llw0ArChGJ5nBYrBWv3OeEkflsyWFY5hfR0L_VrHM0SQv7K20mavoHwnzRj9EDrwhM4Eokfgi/s640/1932+Auburn.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A 1932 Auburn. This was a V-12 cylinder vehicle and it sold for less than $1,000, but the Auburn Motor Company did not survive the Depression years. </td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_jI_HWcTqFGj4T8XFLZXfuUSo4Gk3whHTKBZGitqGgpD3mxuMJsFUjEoVCDpB_k_Nsar_jGSw4BW6fpuJdiXnO7ZLlKKj4m9Lw5QW9KBeDHD66_hLKsSATzSJaE6apDqI3RaYrkF2utgc/s1600/Early+Mac+and+Benz+trucks.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_jI_HWcTqFGj4T8XFLZXfuUSo4Gk3whHTKBZGitqGgpD3mxuMJsFUjEoVCDpB_k_Nsar_jGSw4BW6fpuJdiXnO7ZLlKKj4m9Lw5QW9KBeDHD66_hLKsSATzSJaE6apDqI3RaYrkF2utgc/s640/Early+Mac+and+Benz+trucks.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Early Mack and Benz trucks. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh20QwMVA7tiAbuMi44-70g3PFI5GcaB_lYV87dV9PWRohRw2A8B4KYiUt_zmthvf9xoHyJhMjZGPPdkbi4QsDVHG0YWSTzfSlWtm-DwxBp10b8EWtmlUudSoBz5h2BzmRC1sUjcOOeO8Em/s1600/Buick+Express+truck.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh20QwMVA7tiAbuMi44-70g3PFI5GcaB_lYV87dV9PWRohRw2A8B4KYiUt_zmthvf9xoHyJhMjZGPPdkbi4QsDVHG0YWSTzfSlWtm-DwxBp10b8EWtmlUudSoBz5h2BzmRC1sUjcOOeO8Em/s640/Buick+Express+truck.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A 1912 Buick delivery truck</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpGjPoJmDeOOouB3trBWtRrriMq7CgxDOr9GTrCfHZfUm3uM0MAASEMRGlJrYAnp0iG-9RzWprxEbkdzTkYbpA5c9ExHPlbld506CCm0CIkhkU1Ey1GQpIcCscxTqiIHSBpcGbYMws_Vei/s1600/Depression+era+1930+Nash.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpGjPoJmDeOOouB3trBWtRrriMq7CgxDOr9GTrCfHZfUm3uM0MAASEMRGlJrYAnp0iG-9RzWprxEbkdzTkYbpA5c9ExHPlbld506CCm0CIkhkU1Ey1GQpIcCscxTqiIHSBpcGbYMws_Vei/s640/Depression+era+1930+Nash.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Depression era car which some families lived in for a time. This is a 1930 Nash Sedan. <br />Note the mattress and bed frame on top. The back end of the car had a chuck wagon box where the family kept their eating and food preparation items.<br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg0UTUj8JKdKNbq7F9ZnwKUhEgB8orilmgkGOBbr0d2rOZ_0nLs659EbG6npOyZyrE50q0wXVZEh9qdmH4-qa9aLSrFlOsOCFIq8xmQx53Xk3XJPVVHwBP34CQIpmO4nyM2pqCcHJ_1DFp/s1600/Early+Ford+truck.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg0UTUj8JKdKNbq7F9ZnwKUhEgB8orilmgkGOBbr0d2rOZ_0nLs659EbG6npOyZyrE50q0wXVZEh9qdmH4-qa9aLSrFlOsOCFIq8xmQx53Xk3XJPVVHwBP34CQIpmO4nyM2pqCcHJ_1DFp/s640/Early+Ford+truck.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Ford Model T truck. One of these used to sit rusting at my grandmother's when I was a kid. How I wish I had had the means and the foresight as a young boy to have bought it from her with the plan to restore it.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvXzQP_H7YmXIg2-wtrs-aCi8l2tep0yiBbZweF4eI3iwLrhTqEgWQqUws8M89CBJxkSU60JOcqBusavLmQjAQYj112YicZTuzlDH3iat3oAuaxyR0vNjOwvzbFW0t61mhy0X6htZHsXYg/s1600/1905+Mod+3+Cadillac.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvXzQP_H7YmXIg2-wtrs-aCi8l2tep0yiBbZweF4eI3iwLrhTqEgWQqUws8M89CBJxkSU60JOcqBusavLmQjAQYj112YicZTuzlDH3iat3oAuaxyR0vNjOwvzbFW0t61mhy0X6htZHsXYg/s640/1905+Mod+3+Cadillac.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This was my favorite car. It is a 1905 Cadillac Model E. It looks like something a prospector or farmer would have used to do the dirty work around the place. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu5wuuxohkxoKJaarKBv3nPHCjb_9ZfM29Rlc2HQzfc7wpAx0P6KxR28uVylbu5cuRyKw6zqa_Uq9CGd9K6UnFSskfIZ9K-gQa7ok4_3dOzp0dgxnUc40X-_-oxR3eE3qiv-Hk1raojxji/s1600/1918+Coffin+Nose+International+truck.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu5wuuxohkxoKJaarKBv3nPHCjb_9ZfM29Rlc2HQzfc7wpAx0P6KxR28uVylbu5cuRyKw6zqa_Uq9CGd9K6UnFSskfIZ9K-gQa7ok4_3dOzp0dgxnUc40X-_-oxR3eE3qiv-Hk1raojxji/s640/1918+Coffin+Nose+International+truck.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is a 1918 International Truck. Because of the engine cover design, it was known as a "coffin nose". </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Most of the cars displayed are from a private restoration
effort funded by a local businessman, Ron Carey. All of the cars and trucks are
in running condition and are lovingly maintained by a crew of volunteers.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTO_lfcLxstgdZDRaYNOVzXqEcdv6qiryiJ6LpUaMBk3_DKHrA8wJejZBcV5rMjIuYW4eV5bsABZMHw35dGFQRSu_Dk5Ba7kBFpz-YTbKMzT6K-FwDayuPod4n3t4ShkOIhKSIVYDKMHlV/s1600/1939+L-29+Cord.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTO_lfcLxstgdZDRaYNOVzXqEcdv6qiryiJ6LpUaMBk3_DKHrA8wJejZBcV5rMjIuYW4eV5bsABZMHw35dGFQRSu_Dk5Ba7kBFpz-YTbKMzT6K-FwDayuPod4n3t4ShkOIhKSIVYDKMHlV/s640/1939+L-29+Cord.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This was a favorite as well. It was a car for the very rich. The driver would sit up front and the passengers in the back surrounded by rich wood and upholstery. </td></tr>
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The collection also contains many unique gasoline pumps and
many products and sinage from a host of petroleum companies. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This gas pump was an all in one pump. The gasoline would be pumped up into the glass cylinder on top and then released down the hose to the car. This pump is unique in that it also had the oil, water, and air available in the same unit. </td></tr>
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And last, but not least, this was a display you could sit in - a stripped out 1952 Chevrolet with bench seats - a great vehicle to take one's date to a drive-in theater. </div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy0kzdBVVvptduVaw1NIgdOM_GZrxaAHFpsj6ZH_otvXVT81mRe3oxMkTTJx9kq9qkY-xuDyrD9MSB4ZvR2GH_I-6go8uUPzupBCpHcCmbyHnCUBwfmisFNDi8yr7U9tzE-edb2Tncxq-Y/s1600/Chev+2.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy0kzdBVVvptduVaw1NIgdOM_GZrxaAHFpsj6ZH_otvXVT81mRe3oxMkTTJx9kq9qkY-xuDyrD9MSB4ZvR2GH_I-6go8uUPzupBCpHcCmbyHnCUBwfmisFNDi8yr7U9tzE-edb2Tncxq-Y/s320/Chev+2.JPG" width="320" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPCAIudJmuimYw6V2HQkZMOx8Fs5l6GFek03gm7vyJj9PQrlFqdd1YhvH1_OzN6KSuzIjLTYQmcw5paOs7Im49xMNJdBOBbSz3_IQ-e5pmZImVAmnjKKjMBpVNo_PI08w24Cb-t1gEpPR1/s1600/1951+Chev.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPCAIudJmuimYw6V2HQkZMOx8Fs5l6GFek03gm7vyJj9PQrlFqdd1YhvH1_OzN6KSuzIjLTYQmcw5paOs7Im49xMNJdBOBbSz3_IQ-e5pmZImVAmnjKKjMBpVNo_PI08w24Cb-t1gEpPR1/s320/1951+Chev.JPG" width="320" /></a> </span></div>
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Have a great week!</div>
Elder and Sister Thorleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01934167726139534149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8716013380107774103.post-5860147970856733792017-03-05T19:37:00.002-08:002017-03-05T19:37:16.854-08:00Cows on the highway!<br />
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Blog for March 5, 2017</div>
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Cows on the highway! See below…….</div>
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We have had a very busy week, even spending some additional
time in the office yesterday, -- our usual preparation day, all in an effort to
keep caught up. </div>
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As nice as it is to get new cars to work into our fleet,
each new car that arrives requires a significant amount of work even before it
is placed into service. I have mentioned some details about this in the past so
won’t do so again except to say, for each new car introduced into the fleet, an
older car must come out of the fleet. Each older car then must undergo a
process of inspection, arranging for needed repairs, oil change and tires (if
needed), detailing, and pricing at which time the cars can then be advertised
for sale. The advertisements trigger phone calls regarding the car’s details
(even though the details are provided in the initial announcement), people then
wanting to come to see and drive the cars, keeping track of keys, and then the
actual sale process. The process of selling off the older cars is important as
the money from the sale goes back into the pot of money the Church uses to
purchase the newer cars. </div>
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The process of car replacement works reasonably well for the
vehicle managers in each of the missions, but it is only one aspect of the job.
Keeping up with all that is involved around missionary car accidents is another
huge chunk of time. The more cars in a mission, the greater the number of
accidents that happen, and, as I have previously stated, this mission has more
cars than any other. Our winter weather conditions factor into this as well,
being much more intense this year than last winter. The problem is not just our missionaries being at fault, but
others sliding into our mission cars. Each accident, regardless of who is at
fault, sets in motion a process which often involves weeks of oversight until
the car is back into service.
Sometimes this necessitates driving a temporary car out to a set of
missionaries while the repair is underway. Such was the case this past week for
Kathy and I; we had to take a loaner car out to Sparwood, British Columbia,
where we met a pair of missionaries who were driven in from Cranbrook by
another set of missionaries, also assigned in Cranbrook. We were able to treat
them and the missionaries assigned in Sparwood to lunch and then see them on
their way back to their areas. We have made this trip to Sparwood a number of
times and love to take a secondary road through a beautiful stretch of road
paralleling the Canadian Rockies. On our return trip, we encountered a herd of
Red Angus cattle being driven along the road. Many of the cows were obviously
pregnant and none had calves trailing them so I suspect they were being driven
to a brood pasture where they can be monitored. During the trip we passed a
number of pastures where there were many new calves so, “tis the season”. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cows on the highway! Nanton, Alberta</td></tr>
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Friday night we made our usual trip to the Calgary Temple
with the Elder and Sister Peppinger. Afterward we went to Red Lobster and
enjoyed having dinner with them. We will have one more week to enjoy this
weekly event with the Peppingers as they will be leaving for home. We will
surely miss them and will certainly miss having them in the office. Our
workload will shoot up as soon as they leave as there still are no replacements
in the pipeline for them (or for us in May). </div>
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Several local people have told us about a great
breakfast/lunch restaurant called, <i>Cora’s</i>.
Yesterday morning we decided to give it a try and it was well worth it. <i>Cora’s</i> is apparently found all over Canada. The menu is
quite varied and the food is so well presented. We had to wait in line for
20-30 minutes. Once inside we couldn’t help but notice arrangements of fresh
fruit as one might do floral arrangements. The food was delicious. Kathy’s
fruit and granola bowl was huge and she ended up bringing much of it home. I
had apricot crepes with a kind of custard sauce; I had no trouble eating all of
it! Oh, I nearly forgot; as customers leave the restaurant, there is a container with a piece of homemade fudge to take as a treat for later. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghhIfSjO4PCzUjosuK_H5wlEa08Ih_JCwfoZyWQn2Nla1KuX6I9Wc6Bw0BhTSHotO3wcp4sPg7bNeEkiNRFOTk3Xi3mcpxze2iLWt5NK4mvITa4mwVkB9ZYqFOq60nGK4KbeeJg8l3krIM/s1600/IMG_4410.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghhIfSjO4PCzUjosuK_H5wlEa08Ih_JCwfoZyWQn2Nla1KuX6I9Wc6Bw0BhTSHotO3wcp4sPg7bNeEkiNRFOTk3Xi3mcpxze2iLWt5NK4mvITa4mwVkB9ZYqFOq60nGK4KbeeJg8l3krIM/s640/IMG_4410.JPG" width="480" /></a> </div>
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Have a great week! </div>
Elder and Sister Thorleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01934167726139534149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8716013380107774103.post-80307712405881640352017-02-26T21:06:00.003-08:002017-02-26T21:06:51.664-08:00Quick trip home and back......<br />
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Blog for February 26, 2017</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhHtaHlRUU86-3XVzPnG9HydBBjtXgp31qmFCTwYi64DHel2G09tQrNPccpMveTikVIflR-U1H2E7a8P2jlZ3orlCx20OCooDbeJqhwuU2EIMsvnTdh9-bw20vk683dU8c8mRfNCO92u9X/s1600/Sandy+Feb+26%252C+2017.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="416" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhHtaHlRUU86-3XVzPnG9HydBBjtXgp31qmFCTwYi64DHel2G09tQrNPccpMveTikVIflR-U1H2E7a8P2jlZ3orlCx20OCooDbeJqhwuU2EIMsvnTdh9-bw20vk683dU8c8mRfNCO92u9X/s640/Sandy+Feb+26%252C+2017.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking east as we approached our home and Little Cottonwood Canyon</td></tr>
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<!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> This will be short as we just returned from a quick trip
home. We left on Wednesday at noon and drove to Helena, MT, then on to Sandy on
Thursday. We found all well with our home; our great neighbors and friends are
doing a wonderful job taking care of it while we are away. Our car had a very
dead battery and jump starting it and running it for a while did not provide
any juice so I had to get the battery replaced. The battery is original with
the car (2010) so it has served us well. Also while in Sandy I got the required
emission test and then got the car registered so it is good to go when we
return in three months at the end of our mission.</div>
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We had snow showers on an off the entire way down and back
but, fortunately, there was no real accumulation and the roads were basically
clear. On Wednesday and Thursday
the Salt Lake Valley received 6-8 inches, which was just prior to our arrival.
Then the first night we were there another 4 inches fell. Despite the snow, the
weather was comfortable and the mountains looked particularly beautiful. As
many of you know, we live near the mouth of the Little Cottonwood Canyon, which
leads up to Alta and Snowbird ski resorts. The road to the resorts was closed
for a time on Friday due to an avalanche up the canyon. </div>
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Part of the reason for the trip was to finalize our income
taxes with our CPA and we were able to get this done and mailed so we feel
really good about all the things we accomplished while we were home. We also
got to visit with several family and friends and got caught up on all the news
and changes.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWcBOGvCAi3gjEfeW48Ugy8FouptY8g2HY-Z7xvfxDvUoRQh4kj8ymUysiiSLhyphenhyphenDB1hx9W5Ub3_JMLFcaGhNbrNQyUyykKDaVBwTL_CZKCmVH0_js4kO9QSvv1DkPO-iGqYG_6nSO3vZ3_/s1600/FullSizeRender.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWcBOGvCAi3gjEfeW48Ugy8FouptY8g2HY-Z7xvfxDvUoRQh4kj8ymUysiiSLhyphenhyphenDB1hx9W5Ub3_JMLFcaGhNbrNQyUyykKDaVBwTL_CZKCmVH0_js4kO9QSvv1DkPO-iGqYG_6nSO3vZ3_/s640/FullSizeRender.jpg" width="464" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Daughter Kristi and grandchildren</td></tr>
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Today we got away at 7:00 a.m. and made good time so decided
to drive all the way through to Calgary. With stops for lunch and gas, we made
the trip in a little over 13 hours. We are tired but glad to be back “home” and
ready to resume our work tomorrow. </div>
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Have a wonderful week! </div>
Elder and Sister Thorleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01934167726139534149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8716013380107774103.post-55304125237921697032017-02-19T16:04:00.001-08:002017-02-19T16:04:34.533-08:00Its a small world in the Church (see below)<br />
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Blog for the week ending on February 19, 2017</div>
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Despite Church membership of over 15M, it is still a small
world in the Church as the paragraph regarding Sister Willis below proves. This has been proved over and over during our time here in Calgary. </div>
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<!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> -----------------------------------------------------------<!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></div>
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As mentioned last week, this was to be a busy week, and
indeed it was. It was Transfer Week, which involved the arrival of new
missionaries, training the new missionaries on local things they needed to
know, moving the missionaries whose assigned areas were being changed, and the
departure of missionaries at the end of their missionary service. If that
wasn’t enough to keep us busy, there was the additional task for me of
arranging for the movement of more than a dozen cars about the mission. The new
cars needed to be put into service and the older cars needed to be brought here
to the mission office to begin the process of preparing them for sale. We are
also having to take some cars out of our fleet numbers in order to pare the
number down closer to our authorized number. All this creates a logistical
nightmare involving assigning drivers and ensuring all cars get to the correct
location for the car exchanges, getting the drivers connected with the car they
are receiving, ensuring the correct movement of gas cards and keys, logging
odometer readings, documenting where each car will be after the exchange, and
so on. Then at the end of Transfer Week, all of the car changes have to be
logged, keys recovered and accounted for from the cars being taken out of
service, and getting a running start on the process of arranging needed
repairs. One of the frustrations I run into each time new cars arrive and are
placed into service has to do with the fact that, while the cars exist
physically, they don’t exist electronically. It takes several weeks for the new
vehicles to appear officially in our electronic file so that they can electronically
be shown as assigned to a specific area where, in actuality, they are already
in service. The whole process is
enough to turn one’s hair grey, but, wait; I’m already grey!</div>
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It is tough to say goodbye when these missionaries whom we
have grown to love reach the end of their missions and head for home. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Elder Fullmer, Sister Halliday, Sister Blaser, Sister Tolbert, Sister Merritt, Elder Schank, Elder Hopoi, Elder Nuttall</td></tr>
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Fortunately, a few days after they get home, we see “friend requests” show up
on Facebook from them, which we generally respond to, and then we get to follow
their progress.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi_Po5fNdGBzK6BO0lCaoZfQ3RMDgkTBJND2ErhJrolxcLlHc1dNtOUltyGaq0oHSUCdm9eBeJ_k7O2H4gHOedbhs2tmOCuI1TrgIoXW1q0VV1cj-t7GpFzKfH5AXdE340LjWCE3i9njNO/s1600/IMG_1811.JPG" imageanchor="1"></a></div>
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Oddly, on Tuesday when I went to the airport with truck and
trailer to pick up some of the new missionaries and their luggage, the Mission
President had assigned four of the new Sister missionaries to ride back to the
Mission Home with me. As we left the airport, as usual, I asked them where they
are from. As it turned out, three were from the Washington DC area (Woodbridge,
VA, Ashburn, VA, and Laurel MD). I used to work an evening pediatric clinic in
Woodbridge, and lived for a time in Laurel, but most interesting of all was the
Sister from Ashburn, which is where my daughter, Kellie, and her family lived
for several years. I asked her (Sis. Willis) if she knew them. She exclaimed,
“Why yes; I used to baby sit Austin and Brady!” Austin and Brady are my
grandsons, so it was my turn to get excited. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDR4XZGY1hnNZ0hMiu76_leHVU3hhKD87gh_-hCCfClARRhsHHLXZWLoGAfOammRUxuug40GS-6n3XdWH36v6wnQC4bNcfMzMJa0tdV45do_suPAqs5Zl7mXlQvj5TacII4QD_1rZVTHxP/s1600/IMG_4377.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDR4XZGY1hnNZ0hMiu76_leHVU3hhKD87gh_-hCCfClARRhsHHLXZWLoGAfOammRUxuug40GS-6n3XdWH36v6wnQC4bNcfMzMJa0tdV45do_suPAqs5Zl7mXlQvj5TacII4QD_1rZVTHxP/s640/IMG_4377.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sister Willis from Ashburn, VA</td></tr>
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<!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> I spent a few hours in the office on Saturday. Generally
Saturday is our day off, our preparation day as it were, but there was so much
to do I felt I had to put in some time to begin to get caught up. If you follow
our blogs each week, you know that Saturday is often a day where we go
somewhere we haven’t been to previously or go to see something new or
experience something unique to the area. Lately we have been trying some of the
ethnic restaurants in the area and this was true on Saturday. We had noticed a
restaurant called, Pfanntastic Pannenkoek Haus, and had previously checked it
out by driving by. It is a Dutch pancake restaurant, so on Saturday we decided
to try it. It was a nice experience. While it is called a pancake house, the
pancakes were more like crepes than pancakes. We shared a “savory” pannenkoek
which contained hash browns, bacon, onions, cheese. It was very good but was
made even better by garnishing it with a small amount of a thick and sweet
syrup/molasses available on the table. It reminded me of the Dixie (St. George,
Utah) sorghum my parents used to buy; very thick and very strong flavored. For
desert we shared another “sweet and savory” pannenkoek served with ice cream
and Saskatoon Berries.</div>
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We hope to return and try something else on the menu. I
commented to Kathy as we returned home and were discussing other restaurants we
would like to try, “So many places to eat and so little time…..” </div>
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Finally, as we drive to the Calgary Temple each week, we see the progress being made on a HUGE community activities center. We doubt that it will be completed by the time our mission ends but it is something we hope to return to see at some future time. The picture below does not do it justice as it is enormous. It looks like something from outer space and we refer to it as "the mother ship". </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvcZ-SscbZl4qSUXHyPBzL9lmeWio2pkecF1kE4YTNm23IKS4WTnbKmS3ufBQcJqiZzDW4t4ynM6r0K075KMeyVA4Xj_x6EgoU74ej2WZgGdTzMJ3af5pbfbHs6HFWCmTYTsxCbComie3B/s1600/IMG_4387.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvcZ-SscbZl4qSUXHyPBzL9lmeWio2pkecF1kE4YTNm23IKS4WTnbKmS3ufBQcJqiZzDW4t4ynM6r0K075KMeyVA4Xj_x6EgoU74ej2WZgGdTzMJ3af5pbfbHs6HFWCmTYTsxCbComie3B/s640/IMG_4387.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Have a wonderful week! </div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
Elder and Sister Thorleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01934167726139534149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8716013380107774103.post-4925012463651843492017-02-12T21:34:00.000-08:002017-02-12T21:34:00.637-08:00 Delightful----weather, food, and friends!<br />
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For contrast, compare with last week's photo. Much warmer!!</div>
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<!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> Wow, warmer temperatures and melting snow as we enjoy yet
another Chinook. The warmer temperatures bring with them wet, slushy, and
sloppy roads but we’ll take it despite the challenge of maintaining a clean car
with all the road spray and splashing slush. We will continue to have above
average temperatures for the next several days, As I said, we’ll take it!</div>
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We have one rather unfortunate thing happen in the mission
this past week. With all the snow we have had (and this was especially so out
in British Columbia where this incident happened), a couple of our missionaries
thought it would be fun to jump from the back deck of their apartment into the
pile of snow below. Unfortunately, the snow didn’t provide much push back as
they jumped and one of them drove right through the snow into the ground and
broke his femur bone. He ended up in surgery to repair the fracture. </div>
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We have received five new Toyota RAV4s with three more to arrive
soon. These are intended to replace eight of our higher mileage vehicles (yes,
Canadians refer to this as “high mileage” even though the distance and the
odometer readings are in kilometers). At the same time, however, these
replacement vehicles are just that, replacements. I have been instructed that
seven <u>additional</u> vehicles must come out of our fleet to get our vehicle
numbers back down to the authorized number, 86. These seven vehicles will not
be replaced, so I am struggling with determining which areas will lose cars and
become walking areas or return to shared car areas (there are a number of these
in our mission where one companionship has the car one week and the other
companionship has it the next week). We have known this was coming but were
hoping to stall until Spring when the weather would be better. The bottom line,
the number of cars having to be moved will be large as it will include the ones
coming out of the fleet, the old cars needing to come to the mission office to
be sold, and the new cars being placed in the fleet. The logistics of this
needs to be worked out ASAP as this coming week is out transfer week.</div>
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We will be getting new missionaries on Tuesday and sending
the ones completing their missions home on Friday. In between these events,
there is the usual Thursday migration as some missionaries will be transferring
to the south mission and others coming from the south to the north mission. The
picture below is of Kathy and I with two of the ones being affected, Sister
Blaser, who is going home, and her companion Sister Melville. It is always sad
when missionaries drop by and have pictures taken with us as they prepare to
leave, but it is nice to be able to give them a hug and wish them well and
invite them to become Facebook friends so we can continue to follow them in
their post-mission life. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sisters Melville and Blaser</td></tr>
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<!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> On Friday evening, we were invited by Elder and Sister
Sefcik to attend a gathering of High Priests and their wives in the Fish Creek
Stake. Elder Sefcik is the High Priest Group Leader in his ward. The event was
wonderful; very well organized and very well attended with over 400 hundred in
attendance. (We are thinking, “Why doesn’t our stake at home do something like
this?”). </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kathy, Sister Sefcik, Elder Sefcik</td></tr>
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The evening began with dinner (delicious roast beef and mashed
potatoes, Cesar salad, rolls (actually the Canadian term for rolls is “buns”),
gravy, and fruit salad, then banana split cake for desert. The event had a
Masters of Ceremonies, who attempted to entertain us with corny jokes but also
was there to introduce several musical numbers including ones by a band.
Incidentally, the band stayed after the dinner and played for the dancing which
followed. It was a wonderful evening.</div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">Over the months we have been here in Canada,
we have become very good friends with a local couple, the Swendsons. We have
posted pictures of gatherings at their home to which we have been invited. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi1oWa2PdOfi53X6nc8d0-hIjRcbbFZR2_Ek__PGbROG3pJOFfgyiCiTwY85A7KQKiOnl6pUueXaKbT43S31rTjrruYp0ux8yuoR6xwJh7WntnMJaSFckk0n-MjlMqSF271yHNdw4tw23W/s1600/Bro+Swendson.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi1oWa2PdOfi53X6nc8d0-hIjRcbbFZR2_Ek__PGbROG3pJOFfgyiCiTwY85A7KQKiOnl6pUueXaKbT43S31rTjrruYp0ux8yuoR6xwJh7WntnMJaSFckk0n-MjlMqSF271yHNdw4tw23W/s640/Bro+Swendson.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brother Swendson at work</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt;">Anyway, Bro. Swendson is retiring soon so that he and his wife can serve a
mission. They just received their mission call and will be serving in the North
Adriatic Mission where they will oversee humanitarian services in Serbia. That whole
area has experienced a huge influx of Syrian refugees fleeing from their
homeland due to the ongoing war. Last year the Church spent over 7 million
dollars just in Serbia alone for refugee aid. Prior to retirement, Elder
Swendson was a senior VP of one of the Canadian banks. He has served as a Stake
President, he is a temple sealer, and is the Executive Secretary to the Area
Seventy, Elder Spackman. Sister Swendson has likewise had a lifetime of Church
service. Certainly the hand of the Lord is directing this call. They are the
perfect people for such a challenging mission assignment. Our Christmastime. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt;">Have a wonderful week!</span>Elder and Sister Thorleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01934167726139534149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8716013380107774103.post-84196740036549920072017-02-05T17:10:00.002-08:002017-02-05T17:10:33.478-08:00<br />
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Blog for February 5, 2017</div>
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Quite a different winter than last year……</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brrrrrr!</td></tr>
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<!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> Last December as we knew we were coming to Calgary to begin
our mission, we were concerned about what the winter would hold. The weather
was bitter cold that December as we arrived and we were certain we would turn
into Popsicles, but, alas, the weather turned moderate and the remainder of the
winter was quite mild. This year has proved to be quite a different experience,
- more cold and more snow. It is snowing as I write this and quite cold, but so
far we are not Popsicles. Last week I told of the Chinooks that bring warmer
weather to the area and we have enjoyed the effects of our recent Chinook which
took away most of the December and January snow. Now, with the accumulating
snow received over the past few days, we will look forward to the next Chinook.</div>
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Work has been busy; I was able to finally to complete the
data entry process for the car inspections done in January. Data entry is a
laborious and boring part of my job, but the time intensive part of the
inspection process is the follow up part, viz., arranging the needed servicing
for items revealed through the inspections. This requires communicating with
the service facilities and with the missionaries to coordinate schedules, then
following up to make sure it all happens according to plan. </div>
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I have mentioned in a past blog of the process of ordering
and then receiving new vehicles. Nine new vehicles have been ordered;
ordinarily, these take about two months before they start arriving. To my
surprise, I received a call from Toyota indicating the first of these cars is
to arrive on Monday and the others by the 10<sup>th</sup> of this month. It
would have been nice to take a big breath before starting a new round of moving
cars about the mission to put the new ones into service and bring the older
ones out of service and getting them ready to be sold. </div>
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Wintertime driving conditions certainly do add to the
accident rates involving our mission cars. We have about a 50:50 mix of our
missionaries sliding into others and others sliding into our mission vehicles.
Either way, it is a challenge keeping up needed repairs to keep our cars in
service. For those who read last week’s blog, I told of someone backing up and
into the front bumper of one of our cars. I included a picture of the car as I
closed out that blog. This week I will include a picture of the same car being
hauled away for repairs. This will give you a mental picture as I describe what
comes next.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Big boo boo</td></tr>
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<!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> I keep a local collision repair place quite busy with
damaged cars from the Calgary area. Similarly, this happens in the Lethbridge
and Cardston areas as well and to some extent in the BC part of the mission
also. Here in Calgary, I have had to bring a second facility into play in order
to keep up. And so it goes. I can truly say, there is never a dull moment in
the life of a mission vehicle coordinator!</div>
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Kathy likewise has been very busy. In addition to her usual
duties (Mission President’s schedule, building scheduling, President’s travel
arrangements, handling of medical bills, gas card receipts), she also has
responsibility to put together the mission history for the year. This was
particularly difficult last year being new to the area and to the mission. She
had to reach out and pull in information and pictures from all over the mission
despite being new. This year was somewhat easier as she knew who to talk to and
what the job entailed. We are looking forward to reading it as it is nearing
completion. </div>
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All too soon it will be over, - our mission that is. All
three of the office couples are looking with some alarm as the end of our
missions approach; the Peppingers in February (are now extending into March),
the Sefciks in March, and then Kathy and I in May. We know others will be
assigned and will arrive eager to begin, but our concern is that our
replacements might arrive after we have left. Couples assigned have usually
gone to the MTC for training, but, as was our experience, the training does not
prepare one for the myriad of details that the tasks require nor how to make it
work under local conditions. It certainly works best to arrive and have a week
or two to learn the details from those who have been in the trenches. Tis not a
perfect world!</div>
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The temple is closed for a few weeks for some upkeep and
minor repairs so on Friday evening we went to see the latest Star Wars movie,
“Rogue One”. I loved it but Kathy was not quite so enthusiastic. Peppingers
went with us and we also went to one of our favorite restaurants nearby the
theater, so that was a change from our usual Friday evenings. </div>
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From time to time we get an opportunity to have our pictures
taken with some of our missionaries as they stop at the office to get mail and
supplies. It is always fun to see them. Thursday, Elders Murdock and Smith
stopped by. They serve way out in BC and were in Calgary for a Mission
Leadership Conference the day before. I will include the picture below. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaEbimdHKVfGxA_H6QQSVTFuHpTg1VCspaJY7fjQ6Vt2F_PZWqEHefIeEbX0mOs-FsnKYRnuSd1EjhIX71FPKuh7zn1RFT43kcy1vRYPI9JZJEV1Ek4gMuCI6aZkXX6J1CQibOcSp8Hr7q/s1600/Elders+Smith+and+Murdock.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="450" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaEbimdHKVfGxA_H6QQSVTFuHpTg1VCspaJY7fjQ6Vt2F_PZWqEHefIeEbX0mOs-FsnKYRnuSd1EjhIX71FPKuh7zn1RFT43kcy1vRYPI9JZJEV1Ek4gMuCI6aZkXX6J1CQibOcSp8Hr7q/s640/Elders+Smith+and+Murdock.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Elder Smith, me, Kathy, Sis Peppinger, Elder Peppinger, Elder Murdock</td></tr>
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<!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> Before I close, may I say how much the Church needs you to
step up and volunteer to serve. There are so many ways senior couples can serve
and somewhere among these opportunities is the perfect fit for you. Many of you
who read this blog (and the blogs of others who are serving couples missions)
are in retirement or nearing retirement. Yes, missions are busy and you work
hard, but there are few things in life as rewarding and filled with joy as
serving with these wonderful young missionaries. We have a message to share
with the world, a message the world so desperately needs. The Lord needs you!</div>
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Have a wonderful week (regardless of how the Super Bowl
turns out; - I am taping it to watch later). </div>
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<br /></div>
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With much love, </div>
<!--EndFragment--><br />
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Elder and Sister Thorley</div>
Elder and Sister Thorleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01934167726139534149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8716013380107774103.post-86141692652933511262017-01-29T13:55:00.000-08:002017-01-29T13:55:02.756-08:00Slow news week but busy nonetheless.......<br />
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Blog for the week of January 29, 2017.</div>
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<br /></div>
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I don’t have much to write about this week…..While it has
been a very busy week, most of my activities have been covered in previous
blogs, - car sales, car repairs, working accidents, and entering the car
inspection data into the computer system. The program is aptly named, CARS, and
is the system each mission vehicle coordinator uses to document all that
happens with each vehicle placed in the mission.</div>
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------------------------</div>
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Well, I had no sooner written the paragraph above when I
received a call from two of our sister missionaries reporting that someone had
backed into the front of their car while they were inside of the ward building
teaching a lesson. The person at fault had had to go from room to room until he
found them to report what he had done. Fortunately the location of the accident
was rather nearby so I researched and found the phone number for the nearest
police station, reported the accident, and told the police officer I would meet
him/her at the site of the accident. When Kathy and I got there we were not
prepared for the amount of damage. Someone had backed up so quickly that the
bumper was almost completely dislodged from the front of our Toyota Corolla. It
had been T-boned, nearly knocking off the entire bumper. The bumper was just hanging
by a few of the wires and so, after the policeman was done, I was able to pull
the remainder of the bumper off completely so we could move it over to the side
of the parking lot. The picture is below. </div>
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<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKUgJApLTH-IUPnTylxOwcyLGj2-JlhE-jdkxNoHoAudrYAYfxOPm8eaUulqtWKUvjJb1UkF3KattkRz9G0THTUJlIFtbJ3_H7oyw0LOeFVqzGg7A7-2kksVL-_QeQwuG0w_isSme35oeZ/s1600/Corolla+damage.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKUgJApLTH-IUPnTylxOwcyLGj2-JlhE-jdkxNoHoAudrYAYfxOPm8eaUulqtWKUvjJb1UkF3KattkRz9G0THTUJlIFtbJ3_H7oyw0LOeFVqzGg7A7-2kksVL-_QeQwuG0w_isSme35oeZ/s640/Corolla+damage.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our poor Corolla!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Afterward, the Sisters were instructed to remove all of
their teaching materials and personal things and we drove them to their
apartment. Fortunately we have a loaner vehicle which we will be able to get to
them on Monday.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Like last winter, after a period of bitter cold weather, the
temperatures have moderated considerably and we are enjoying melting snow and
pleasant Chinook weather. As the warm breezes (yes, sometimes strong winds,
especially further south) sweep up and over the mountains, it creates what is
known as the Chinook Bow. While the Chinook prevails, there is a line of clouds
that sits just east of the Canadian Rockies. I will include a couple of pictures of this
weather phenomenon as photographed from our apartment balcony.</div>
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<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm7a-Hd9zr4CqxaApmWoLf1GQusfkTGm0hIRSMSNKpb61q9azvIIf0cFnzSCsw1d07zbEKF0AfgWqsf6vjJR9UHiwk01tF1-hZNf1zmGGr5-wcVEhtvXqPoD0CRFgN50u8-hYG4cEjbhO4/s1600/Chinook+Bow.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm7a-Hd9zr4CqxaApmWoLf1GQusfkTGm0hIRSMSNKpb61q9azvIIf0cFnzSCsw1d07zbEKF0AfgWqsf6vjJR9UHiwk01tF1-hZNf1zmGGr5-wcVEhtvXqPoD0CRFgN50u8-hYG4cEjbhO4/s640/Chinook+Bow.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chinook Bow</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3-BgK_hsnh1CcKcOSTQ5hvMLsSqiO5mYiI1WmXPF5_NuzfrZ4mf43K553aGXap7kfEOHzjv5L7ItIFYQyf_NtENzZ6yK7U-G1IVsamF5ZxVaAWJvfB1ErK4veMkpYDfI1TNqWi-koI4BT/s1600/IMG_4317.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3-BgK_hsnh1CcKcOSTQ5hvMLsSqiO5mYiI1WmXPF5_NuzfrZ4mf43K553aGXap7kfEOHzjv5L7ItIFYQyf_NtENzZ6yK7U-G1IVsamF5ZxVaAWJvfB1ErK4veMkpYDfI1TNqWi-koI4BT/s640/IMG_4317.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Canadian Rockies and Chinook Bow</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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I learned something last week that I had not previously
known; in the greater Calgary area there are 67 wards and 7 stakes. This speaks
to the strength of the Church in this area, and this is pretty much replicated
in the Lethbridge, Cardston, Raymond, and Tabor areas. Many trace their roots
back to the original Mormon settlers who were sent to colonize what is now the
extreme southern part of Alberta, particularly in the Cardston area. Mormons
moving to some of the other areas in South Alberta came about in a rather
interesting way. As the story was
related to me, early dry land farmers who moved into the Tabor and Raymond
areas experienced too frequent crop failures due to the inadequate and
undependable rainfall. Farmers there were informed by others that they needed
to bring in some Mormons to show them how to set up irrigation systems and
utilize streams and rivers flowing eastward from the Canadian Rockies. They
sent a delegation to Salt Lake to meet with Church leaders. Members of the
Church with irrigation experience were identified and soon families were
dispatched to the area to homestead the area and work with the farming
communities to set up irrigation systems. This whole area now is covered with
beautiful farms, and the Tabor area produces world famous corn. It is known as
the Corn Capital of Canada and has an annual Cornfest celebration each year in
August. We enjoyed corn from there a number of times this past summer and can
attest that it is, indeed, delicious.</div>
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<br /></div>
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With completion of our mission service approaching for each
of the three couples in the mission office, we are becoming somewhat alarmed
that there are no replacement couples identified to replace us. We know that
this condition exists for many of the missions around the world, this because
the number of missions is ever increasing and too few couples are committing to
serve to meet the need. So, if any of you are giving some thought to serving,
please step up. It is time. We can attest to it being a wonderful experience,
one we will treasure the rest of our lives. </div>
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<br /></div>
<!--EndFragment--><br />
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We hope all is well with each of you and hope you will have
a great week. </div>
Elder and Sister Thorleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01934167726139534149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8716013380107774103.post-37655729883090396972017-01-22T19:39:00.001-08:002017-01-22T19:39:47.757-08:00So many cars in so many places........Blog for January 22, 2017<br />
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<br /></div>
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So many cars in so many places……</div>
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<br /></div>
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<!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjS0pvl2FzIo9R8UddUt2nSwRZHNZ79jx5DPDbHxIFoGIHHBgNUMfdh8XAuMdRfqQEwBcCZknnHIloIrnJCwsn33ADisyi3fEd093ST4OZEnnAAjsLD95GR4Fb4nfAGa-4ZMp7eFtk_hTz/s1600/IMG_2695.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjS0pvl2FzIo9R8UddUt2nSwRZHNZ79jx5DPDbHxIFoGIHHBgNUMfdh8XAuMdRfqQEwBcCZknnHIloIrnJCwsn33ADisyi3fEd093ST4OZEnnAAjsLD95GR4Fb4nfAGa-4ZMp7eFtk_hTz/s640/IMG_2695.JPG" width="640" /></a><!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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What a week! This was the week for quarterly zone
conferences, and with zone conferences also comes the time for car inspections.
On Tuesday we (Elder and Sister Sefcik, Sister Thorley, Elder Peppinger, and I)
inspected 28 cars, then 22 on Wednesday, 16 on Thursday, and 14 on Friday. The
first two were done in the Calgary area and the last two in the southern part
of the mission which required a trip to Lethbridge, and then on to Tabor east
of Lethbridge. The visit to Tabor was our first and it proved to be a bigger
community than we had expected. Tabor is famous for its wonderful sweet corn in
the summer. We had it several times in late summer and into the fall and can
authoritatively say, “It is great!” </div>
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<br /></div>
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Rather than have the missionaries travel in marginal weather
from British Columbia, President and Sister Miles and Elder and Sister Sefcik
will make the trip there on Tuesday for the zone conference. Elder Sefcik is
the mission housing coordinator and has to go to Cranbrook anyway to close out
one of the apartments so, lucky them, they will finish the car inspections
while there. Fortunately, the weather this past week was much improved from the
bitter cold we had been experiencing. We were praying for more temperate
weather and our prayers were answered!</div>
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<br /></div>
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Car inspections are not very fun, especially in cold weather
(or hot) but are necessary to identify what needs to be done for the upkeep of
the mission cars. The inspections also hold the missionaries responsible for
the upkeep and care expected of them as car stewards. Like the apartments, the
care sometimes gets too casual and so both cars and apartments get inspected on
a regular basis. I am typically one of the presenters at each zone conference
as one of my duties is to touch on some aspect of safety and the appropriate
upkeep of the cars. After my presentation, Kathy awards Subway gift cards to
the winners of the cleanest car contest. </div>
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<br /></div>
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The actual inspections are just the start of the process for
me. After returning to the office, I have to enter the inspection findings in
to the data base for each car in the fleet. I also telephone each pair of
missionaries having a car with a problem and discuss with them where to take
the car and what needs to be done, then arranging for this at the service
facility. This includes oil changes not caught in the regular scheduling
process, new tires, body and fender repairs, etc. We take to the inspection
sites an air compressor, wiper blades, light bulbs, common small repair parts,
extra oil, windshield washer solution, antifreeze, brake fluid, and a battery
or two to make whatever repairs we can on the spot and to top off fluids.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Continued monitoring of the condition of our cars and
arranging for (or providing) timely upkeep for the mission cars is not a
mystery, particularly in Church circles. As a consequence, we have a fairly
long list of potential buyers. When cars don’t move fairly quickly, they go to
the auction where they also do quite well. I have mentioned in past blogs what
is involved with car sales and this keeps me quite busy; however, during car
inspection time I have to curtail car sales as I simply can’t be here to
facilitate the sale and there is more than once person can accomplish. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The older cars are brought to Calgary to be prepped and sold
when they get around 80,000 km (about 50,000 miles). Selling and replacing the
cars is an ongoing process and a big part of my job. We now have several
additional cars on order to replace some of the older cars and they will begin
arriving in about six weeks at which time the process of replacing cars, moving
cars around, prepping them, and putting them up for sale begins all over again.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So, that has been our week. I am so grateful for Kathy and
the others in the office for helping with the car inspections. We work in
teams; they do the inspections while I go from car to car checking all the
fluids and topping them off as needed plus the minor repairs and part
replacements. Needless to say, we are not in our suits and office attire when
we are out doing inspections. Some time ago Kathy and I bought a shopping cart
to help with transporting groceries from our car up to our 12<sup>th</sup>
floor apartment. This cart also gets used at inspection time to transport the
jugs of oil, antifreeze, and other fluids from car to car. The cart has proved
to be a great investment. </div>
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<br /></div>
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We have one more quarterly car inspection and then it will
be time to return home (late May). </div>
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<br /></div>
<!--EndFragment--><br />
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Have a great week, and may your car problems be few! </div>
Elder and Sister Thorleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01934167726139534149noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8716013380107774103.post-34388402470969746332017-01-15T17:24:00.006-08:002017-01-15T17:24:43.897-08:00Chinooks are our friend.........<br />
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Blog for January 15, 2017</div>
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<br /></div>
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Chinooks are our friend……..</div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrU2BZ7Iol5btC_TAYx3H5GBT1zPeu8Zn7BtZRVTGjJw-x9u4x5dbn_PfIFBXOeUBi3_o-mPH-4v3lwf6DSIiqNR8gt2suP3nD2ujFvyu4cleA3KW0AlJcA4u4td7gT6mUNhT9L3gJ0uop/s1600/IMG_4236.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrU2BZ7Iol5btC_TAYx3H5GBT1zPeu8Zn7BtZRVTGjJw-x9u4x5dbn_PfIFBXOeUBi3_o-mPH-4v3lwf6DSIiqNR8gt2suP3nD2ujFvyu4cleA3KW0AlJcA4u4td7gT6mUNhT9L3gJ0uop/s640/IMG_4236.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
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After several weeks of bone numbing, sub-zero cold, cold
weather we are blessed to enjoy a period of warmer Chinook type weather, and
this is just in time. We can see on the schedule that we are to do car
inspections at four locations as President Miles conducts zone conferences with
our missionaries. Picturing doing inspections outside in such bitter cold
weather is the thing nightmares are made of; however, the next several days
will be the answer to our prayers as we will have above freezing temperatures.
No, it won’t be balmy by any means and it will still feel quite cold as we go
from car to car to do the inspections. It will take 3-4 hours to complete the
inspections at each of the sites as zones are combined at each of the locations
resulting in 20-25 cars to inspect each day. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
You likely know the word, Chinook, but not necessarily what
Chinooks are. Chinooks are weather patterns in northern areas that occur when
the prevailing breezes come out of the west and southwest rather than from the
arctic and thus sweep in warmer temperatures. Some degree of wind is a common
feature of Chinooks but we will take it. The above freezing temperatures will
mean cars arrive with dirty exteriors due to the slushy, dirty snow on the
roads and this will make assessing the cars for dings, dents, and scrapes more
difficult, but we will take this over bone numbing cold.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Another reason for welcoming a Chinook is hopefully a
reduction in the number of missionary car related accidents from icy, slippery
roads. There have been so, so many. My job will be made much easier when I have
fewer repairs to arrange and manage. </div>
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<br /></div>
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I mentioned in our last blog that Kathy and I would be
making a trip to British Columbia to deliver a replacement car to the
missionaries who were involved in the serious collision with a semi-truck.
There are only certain cars we want out in the mountainous areas of BC so this
meant needing to take one of the Chevy Equinox vehicles in the Calgary area out
to Sparwood, BC, where we would meet the missionaries coming in from their area
in Cranbrook, BC. In preparation for this, on Tuesday I traveled to the northwest part of Calgary to take a Subaru Impreza (one that was waiting to be
sold) to the missionaries who had the needed Equinox and a swap was made. They
were, of course, sad to give up their Equinox, which is a popular car in the
mission. Then I had to have mountain rated snow tires placed on it. So on
Wednesday, Kathy and I drove to Sparwood. The pictures above and below were taken on this trip.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicIgYcPIyiMzqomIqY1zNupKn0vPXlrn9rd9s2Qbj9uFD3ke4_KMLWhaCXEszoM4cAJQYpxEQoAbgt8as-Qln8n6RF5Ertj7yA6Q8-szYvqGKuPCv7lWmCUCoiviUSTa8FVAuOqoD46vd_/s1600/IMG_4237.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicIgYcPIyiMzqomIqY1zNupKn0vPXlrn9rd9s2Qbj9uFD3ke4_KMLWhaCXEszoM4cAJQYpxEQoAbgt8as-Qln8n6RF5Ertj7yA6Q8-szYvqGKuPCv7lWmCUCoiviUSTa8FVAuOqoD46vd_/s640/IMG_4237.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Great timing, on Tuesday a new vehicle arrived which we
have been waiting for as a replacement for the Mission President’s “old”
vehicle. Both the old and the new vehicles are Toyota Highlanders. I called the
MP to inform him we had his new vehicle and he, knowing of our anticipated trip
to BC, invited us to “break in” the new vehicle for him and drive it to BC so
we would have a return car. They were in the southern part of the mission during the week. Kathy followed me in the Highlander to Sparwood and
then I got to drive it back. We both like it a lot. It handled very well in the
ice and snow. The day was bright and sunny and we enjoyed the trip and the scenery/ We were able to treat the missionaries needing the car and the other pair of missionaries who drove them to lunch before returning. </div>
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<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0JsoCXf2pRev2i3gJqCvvWO_zvkhML7V3rLWDR_nVq8f6U-TvXqNlh84AohQCVY3iYlcxqwaHtWAX7JYL_2NbZXFZ70B5yEis1Ip5mS8ViWQqqVypUwPCzLQvQeJhcEEQFERSZMdg5Wkx/s1600/IMG_1387.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0JsoCXf2pRev2i3gJqCvvWO_zvkhML7V3rLWDR_nVq8f6U-TvXqNlh84AohQCVY3iYlcxqwaHtWAX7JYL_2NbZXFZ70B5yEis1Ip5mS8ViWQqqVypUwPCzLQvQeJhcEEQFERSZMdg5Wkx/s640/IMG_1387.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The new Highlander</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The “old” Highlander is only a 2015 vehicle but, given the
distance Pres. and Sis. Miles drive each month, it is the highest mileage
vehicle in the mission. Now that we have the new vehicle, the old one will be
sold. There are at least two parties wanting it (one of them is the Thorleys).
Both parties will be interested to see what price it is given by the Fleet
managers in SLC.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Going to a hockey game was one of the items on our bucket
list of things to be done before our mission ends. Hockey (and curling) are BIG
in Canada. There are 3-4 hockey and/or curling matches on TV every evening. Last
night was our opportunity. </div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5EpDp7aN_N6VJOcNh-gIriTKIGuz2o7rHSjlsjE-JYzUTCMwaqRgBsW3LJCuQ0WNz8cI_aNoyX0oTk3L3Eqy_Xpbr4Sb0aGhBUXGdbahIeQ38g2QOSJOPY9xSsjAHAbPHynFEz0bGcrb_/s1600/IMG_4247.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5EpDp7aN_N6VJOcNh-gIriTKIGuz2o7rHSjlsjE-JYzUTCMwaqRgBsW3LJCuQ0WNz8cI_aNoyX0oTk3L3Eqy_Xpbr4Sb0aGhBUXGdbahIeQ38g2QOSJOPY9xSsjAHAbPHynFEz0bGcrb_/s640/IMG_4247.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjNTTyMnELoo36cYy6iv3YPX8DQYVBD7cQj1x2j9woi3gefSOB6QIu0K_LyEo-ibKmEqVx6FzjcBpOp8_aDhICzqIczQpoQpNXFmps5x50OkIGWidKcVJf9UrqurPC-Lxh81FonOo_wy-H/s1600/IMG_4249.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjNTTyMnELoo36cYy6iv3YPX8DQYVBD7cQj1x2j9woi3gefSOB6QIu0K_LyEo-ibKmEqVx6FzjcBpOp8_aDhICzqIczQpoQpNXFmps5x50OkIGWidKcVJf9UrqurPC-Lxh81FonOo_wy-H/s640/IMG_4249.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Maintenance on the goal between periods</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsAFyAv6leoylPPRkkoT-3l_G_ZVcTFVl16n9xt3l4haLtHAW7D_3vTb9ReAborBj4VclsyjvWi6ecaFx3_y6jXa7OLRH2Fp8xnDWbbkQ6p-Rg2wsBr66rHFd_Bz2PVB6O2Zd8L0c48OFc/s1600/FullSizeRender-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="416" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsAFyAv6leoylPPRkkoT-3l_G_ZVcTFVl16n9xt3l4haLtHAW7D_3vTb9ReAborBj4VclsyjvWi6ecaFx3_y6jXa7OLRH2Fp8xnDWbbkQ6p-Rg2wsBr66rHFd_Bz2PVB6O2Zd8L0c48OFc/s640/FullSizeRender-2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Zamboni (resurfaces the ice between periods)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
All three office couples met at the Peppinger’s for
soup and salad, and then headed for the match. The Calgary Flames are, of
course, the local National Hockey League team, however, tickets to see one of
their matches proved to be so expensive that we opted to see a minor league
hockey game instead since these, too, are played in the Saddle Dome. The
Calgary HITMEN were playing the Prince George COUGARS. The HITMEN team is a local team that plays in a league made up of farm
teams for the NHL. We had a great time. Our seats were one row back from the
glass barrier so we got to see and hear the action up close and personally. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyMZOMBpOvmJc_QI666uxv8sMa6IXnFlyZk4kPllrgioljaECBUig8KB5uJhMzu90Al96_IWjjkZu6IhuTvnwbveGczIkpUFYcn7hjqsXSGr8diD2qLtSKzDjyUDguUnqGM0hHwMuCXw1H/s1600/FullSizeRender.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyMZOMBpOvmJc_QI666uxv8sMa6IXnFlyZk4kPllrgioljaECBUig8KB5uJhMzu90Al96_IWjjkZu6IhuTvnwbveGczIkpUFYcn7hjqsXSGr8diD2qLtSKzDjyUDguUnqGM0hHwMuCXw1H/s640/FullSizeRender.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Elder and Sis Peppinger, Kathy, Elder and Sis Sefcik</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We couldn’t
have enjoyed the match more had it been the Calgary Flames playing the Edmonton
Oilers. All the lights, sounds, and crowd excitement were there. Calgary loves
the HITMEN (as well as the Flames). The minor league teams are made up of young
men between 16-20 years old who are working for contracts with teams in the NHL. They
played their hearts out. There were hard hits, fistfights (more on this below),
and highflying action through all three periods. The score was tied going into
the last period, but, in the end, the HITMEN lost by one goal. We sat just
behind a couple who are season ticket holders and are experienced hockey fans. They
loved sharing the nuances of the game with us and were fascinated that we had
never been to a professional hockey game (although I suspect they haven’t seen a
professional basketball or baseball game so there!). I should say, however; the
Sefciks, who are a local missionary couple serving with us in the office, are
experienced hockey fans and they also shared details about hockey that might
otherwise have escaped us.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJRiXGbftDDRoS3NXzZEbdqB_9tWrv2zt-4J6VjCMaZWKUZN2_6TTkZB3Eh7g80LmfqL1LF7_u11Sj1-dSMngRAVJoUGqmJQaaURXa7xRCC7ppCF4KmXu5d9XOgzuzbX1xgrW0zGRSCqle/s1600/IMG_4249.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJRiXGbftDDRoS3NXzZEbdqB_9tWrv2zt-4J6VjCMaZWKUZN2_6TTkZB3Eh7g80LmfqL1LF7_u11Sj1-dSMngRAVJoUGqmJQaaURXa7xRCC7ppCF4KmXu5d9XOgzuzbX1xgrW0zGRSCqle/s640/IMG_4249.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Maintenance between periods</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> Fistfights are not uncommon in hockey. They are allowed; the
refs stand by and allow them to proceed, but step in as soon as one player
gains the advantage over the other or is about to do serious harm. There is a two-minute penalty, however, for fighting, but this doesn't seem to deter them. Remember
that the players are pretty well padded and also wear facemasks so body blows
are allowed but when the masks come off, the fight is stopped. We observed a
couple of fistfights and I caught one with a video clip which you will need to
go to my Facebook page to see. Anyway, great fun and we will need to perhaps do
it all over again. The Saddledome is a treat in and of itself. If you are ever
in Calgary, you will need to see the Saddledome.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEintjEeNzdyk60K0kExd_AM02eE1Vh496EPBLc8O8xuuySFyGt6jQNlOg5Szt7tdigHrVbjLRYbJmlMsrg_ZVMMyISeDFVptL_gn6g6x8hdLkuXrkPzS_8jn_NEOjyU8pudTiPixiHCHCI6/s1600/Saddledome.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEintjEeNzdyk60K0kExd_AM02eE1Vh496EPBLc8O8xuuySFyGt6jQNlOg5Szt7tdigHrVbjLRYbJmlMsrg_ZVMMyISeDFVptL_gn6g6x8hdLkuXrkPzS_8jn_NEOjyU8pudTiPixiHCHCI6/s640/Saddledome.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Calgary Saddledome</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<!--EndFragment--><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Stayed tuned…..more exciting action next week. Have a great
week! </div>
Elder and Sister Thorleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01934167726139534149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8716013380107774103.post-78483272446735307592017-01-08T18:49:00.000-08:002017-01-08T18:49:03.944-08:00Version:1.0
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<!--StartFragment-->
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Blog for January 8, 2017</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It continues to be very cold. Each day it drops a half-inch
or two of snow and the temperature is 10-20 below zero (F) at night and then
gets up to 2-5 degrees above zero during the daytime. The good news is, the
days are getting a bit longer again but not so much that it is very noticeable,
- yet. We were spoiled last year, I suppose; we had several days of very cold
weather around Christmas time and then the weather became more moderate for the
rest of the winter. Not so this year, at least not so far and not for the
foreseeable future. We are not looking forward to next week when we will be
doing car inspections at several zone conferences around the mission. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The cold and snowy weather continues to contribute to the
total sliding accidents involving our missionaries. I can barely keep up with
the process of what it takes to get the cars back in service. In my last blog I
described this process. I currently have 15 or so open files, which represent
vehicles at various stages of the repair process. Unfortunately the worst of
all the accidents occurred this past Friday evening. Two of our missionaries
serving out in British Columbia hit a patch of black ice, began to fishtail
back and forth, and then slid into the path of an oncoming semi truck and
trailer. A head-on collision was narrowly avoided; the impact was with one of the trailers being pulled by the semi. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFFbyargHHqKtsrfpcKSDIu_HofAolli1s3ceLQTbK53Y97mbAqgiakswBg_Fy2yHsvU7olWvppa2SPM1_KKkh8d9VMzB6vO0GPiesh9NSfNufkvx4Jcv6sWCREE4UQDnUXEqyX5eSTeTp/s1600/Ajeman+%2526+Austin+Accident+Jan+6%252C+2017.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFFbyargHHqKtsrfpcKSDIu_HofAolli1s3ceLQTbK53Y97mbAqgiakswBg_Fy2yHsvU7olWvppa2SPM1_KKkh8d9VMzB6vO0GPiesh9NSfNufkvx4Jcv6sWCREE4UQDnUXEqyX5eSTeTp/s640/Ajeman+%2526+Austin+Accident+Jan+6%252C+2017.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
They escaped unharmed, at
least physically. They seem to be doing okay but I’m sure it was a very
frightening event which they will remember all their lives. The vehicle
involved is a Nissan Rogue. They were wearing seat belts and the front
compartment crumpled as designed and the curtain airbags deployed, which
undoubtedly saved the missionaries’ lives. The cabin compartment appears, at
least in the pictures, to have remained intact. Needless to say, the car is a
total loss. Kathy and I will be driving a replacement car out to them sometime
during the week. The cars serving in BC are all equipped with special
mountain-rated snow tires. The replacement car (one of our older cars waiting
to be sold) will be fitted with these special snow tires before we head to BC
with the car. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This past week was “transfer week”. Tuesday our new
missionaries arrived and we met with them for training. On Wednesday they met
their trainer companions and left for their first areas. On Thursday I again
drove all the missionaries being transferred to the south to Lethbridge, and
then returned the same day with the missionaries being transferred to the north
to Calgary. Since the departing missionaries had left the preceding week (left
a week early so they could get back in school), the rest of the week was less
involved then the typical transfer week. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Even before the accident in BC described above, we began
putting some emergency kits together for the BC missionaries, - this out of
concern for our BC missionaries who have greater risk of becoming stranded on
less traveled roads. These will contain blankets, jumper cables, flashlight,
extra batteries, folding shovel, and some chemical hand warmers. To the kit
they will add water and some non-perishable food. Since Kathy and I will be
heading to BC this week with the replacement car, I spent time at the office
yesterday (our P-day) finishing the kits so they will be ready to go. We had
planned to take them with us to the zone conferences but now they will get to
them even earlier. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This weekend was our Stake Conference. Kathy and I sang with
the stake choir. There was no visiting GA but the talks were wonderful. Our
Stake President is recovering from a couple of back-to-back heart attacks but
he was there and gave wonderful messages both in the Saturday evening and
Sunday sessions. He is such an impressive man, - so humble and patient and
kind. Also Kathy and I continued our Friday evening visits to the Calgary
Temple. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It has been an eventful week. We are grateful to have some
time to catch our breath, and we are so, so very grateful that our missionaries' lives were preserved. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Have a great week!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<!--EndFragment--><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Elder and Sister Thorleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01934167726139534149noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8716013380107774103.post-65329717791209917432017-01-01T17:29:00.002-08:002017-01-01T17:29:16.909-08:00Goodbyes, New Years Eve, and more snow........<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Blog for January 1, 2017</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We have had to say goodbye to some more great missionaries. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf2q_VYLTkOXNa-lbLlHcAsj0_eZgVQhGPVyaStLkdjNZfrfjQ1N6O38PkuuiacIrrZ1lYtoUQ7iHNrWD-vLXMyI2OYOG9CzcOR8E2-GsC60qU7t2tvAlcC5PvRTJtn4gKhdPmiLnZpUl_/s1600/IMG_4213.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf2q_VYLTkOXNa-lbLlHcAsj0_eZgVQhGPVyaStLkdjNZfrfjQ1N6O38PkuuiacIrrZ1lYtoUQ7iHNrWD-vLXMyI2OYOG9CzcOR8E2-GsC60qU7t2tvAlcC5PvRTJtn4gKhdPmiLnZpUl_/s640/IMG_4213.JPG" width="640" /></a><!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It is always sad to see our missionaries go but it is
important for them to get on with their lives and reconnect with family and
friends. Facebook makes it easy to reconnect with many after they get home, -
sometimes it is like the very next day we see a friend request! While senior
couples can have Facebook pages, the young missionaries don’t, at least while
they are here in the mission. It doesn’t take long for them to reactive their
page once they get home. It is fun to hear through the grapevine and on
Facebook of those who might be dating as a result of an initial acquaintance
while serving here. We know of at least one engagement announcement between two
of our missionaries. Quite a few others who have gone home are engaged and even
married but not necessarily to missionaries they met here.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Like Christmas Eve into Christmas Day, snow began on New
Year’s Eve day and continued into New Years Day so I fear tomorrow will begin a
new round of missionary car accidents, especially since it is their Preparation
Day. There is a definite connection to a spike in accidents and P-day
activities. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We have had an enjoyable but hectic week. It was highlighted
by picking up the missionaries preparing to return home and going with them to
the Calgary Temple on Tuesday</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJbXfsgn9U-eWwSbnE7YQR-ANejYGu82IEM5U64ldpNI90SG1h-KsM-C03hcDiYu8LcCxTX4C4wwSIHPhYt_O9-N2ObqVpnv-ZTNQb2Edz36aiENl5KS5ft-ni4U5c4JP9T66ann3jFMeI/s1600/IMG_4211.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJbXfsgn9U-eWwSbnE7YQR-ANejYGu82IEM5U64ldpNI90SG1h-KsM-C03hcDiYu8LcCxTX4C4wwSIHPhYt_O9-N2ObqVpnv-ZTNQb2Edz36aiENl5KS5ft-ni4U5c4JP9T66ann3jFMeI/s640/IMG_4211.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
On Wednesday we drove them to the airport on where we said goodbye. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
During the week I also sold another couple of
cars, and I coordinated repair items and detailing of other cars being prepared
for sale. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I mentioned missionary accidents above; almost daily in this
kind of weather I receive a phone call or
two from a pair of missionaries who have been involved in an accident.
This begins a cascade of events. First I guide them through the online process
of reporting an incident. This generates an electronic file and then I prepare
a paper file to monitor progress with the repair. This paper file will
eventually end up in the car’s maintenance file when all actions are completed.
The electronic file also goes to our insurance claims manager in Ontario who
directs a request for an estimate and pictures. I have to arrange this. Once
the estimate and pictures are received, I send these electronically to the
insurance managers. They work through an independent appraiser company and a
price is set for the repairs. I get a notice that the repair has been approved
at which time I inform the missionaries that they can set up an appointment for
the repair. Once the repair has been completed, the repair facility is paid
(often I have to cosign the check) and the missionaries get their car back.
During the interim they have to walk or make other arrangements for getting
around to their appointments. This process takes considerable time out of my
day. In the meantime I am on the phone about needed oil changes, tire
purchases, windshield replacements or repairs of rock chips, gas card issues,
speeding tickets, and with the end of the year, getting all the vehicle
registrations renewed. Then there are all the details of preparing cars for
sale, working with potential car buyers, and keeping track of where all 98 cars
are and what is needed to keep them going. It is a busy job and most days I can
do it cheerfully. In most missions the vehicle coordinator (AKA the Car Czar)
is known by the missionaries as the grumpy one in the office. I am sure I
sometimes come across this way. This is situational; for example: </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Phone
rings……</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Missionary
(driver), “We were driving into the Church parking lot and we slid into a
bush.” </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Me:
“So is everything okay?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Missionary:
“We think we cracked the bumper.” </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Me:
“Hitting a bush cracked the bumper?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Missionary:
“Well, yah” </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Me:
“So the bumper is cracked. Is the car driveable?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Missionary:
“We think so, but now the check engine light is on…….and the engine is making a
funny noise.” </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Me:
“Can you describe the noise?” </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Missionary:
“I think my companion can describe it best.” Companion makes a clicking noise.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Me:
“Does the clicking noise speed up as the engine speeds up?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Missionaries:
“Yes. And it gets louder.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Me:
“Have you looked to see if there is something broken, or can you see something
that the engine is hitting as it turns?” </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Missionaries:
“We’re not sure. We can’t really see anything.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Me:
“Where exactly are you?” And the conversation continues as I determine where
they are and who I can arrange to look “more officially” at the car. We
determine that the car should at least get them to a repair facility that is
not too far away. Once there and the mechanic takes a quick look at the car and
the conversation continues…..</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Mechanic:
“The bumper is badly broken and is hanging down. The radiator has been broken
from all four of its mounts and the fan is hitting the radiator. The A/C
condenser is broken off from its mount,”….and the list goes on for awhile. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Me:
(thinking……all this from hitting a bush.) “Elders, this is a lot of damage. Did
you hit anything else?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Missionary:
“Well, we kind of hit the curb also.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Me:
“So what did you hit first?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Missionary:
“The curb, - but the curb didn’t stop us. It was the bush.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Me:
(Me - thinking, “Oh, brother!”) “Elder’s, don’t you think that the curb was
what really did the damage; the curb is hard concrete. What happened when you
hit the curb?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Missionary:
“Well, we bounced up and then we slid until we hit the bush.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Me:
(Thinking, “good grief!....Now we are getting somewhere.”) “So you hit the curb
hard enough that you bounced up on to it and continued to slide until you
finally stopped when you got to the bush? </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Missionaries: “Yes, that sounds
about right.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Me: “Okay, Elders; the damage is
going to take some time to repair. In the meantime you will be walking to your
appointments. We are going to need mechanical work on the engine and the radiator,
and then when that is done, it will be several more days getting the bumper
fixed and whatever else needs repairing on the body of the car.” (I’m thinking,
“And maybe when you finally get the car back, you will appreciate it more and
be more careful.”)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Me:
“So what have you learned from this experience?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Missionaries:
“Maybe that we need to be more careful?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Me:
“Yes, you do need to be more careful, but you also need to learn that you
cannot drive as fast when there’s snow and ice on the roads.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Missionaries:
“Can we get another car until this one is fixed?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Me:
“No.” </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So perhaps being grumpy comes with the territory. Previously
Kathy and I had been asked to speak in our Sacrament Meeting. My assigned topic
today was, “What can we learn about <u>patience</u> from the example and
teachings of Jesus Christ?” Certainly I need to learn to be more patient, but
my tolerance for avoidable accidents, I’m afraid, is going down. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And finally, we had a very nice New Years Eve gathering at
the home of the local couple with whom we work in the office, the Sefciks. We
played games and ate Chinese take out and barely stayed awake until midnight.
It was fun and the food was excellent, but as soon as the New Year officially
arrived, we were out the door and on our way home. We had to drive in the
deepening snow but fortunately the roads were pretty much deserted. I suspect
the traffic picked up again once the revelers left their reveling and hit the
roads, but by that time we were home safe in bed, which is where old folks should
spend New Year’s Eve. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We hope you had a wonderful New Years Eve. It will be
interesting to see what 2017 will bring to each of us, to say the least. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<!--EndFragment--><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
We love and miss you all. </div>
Elder and Sister Thorleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01934167726139534149noreply@blogger.com0