Visit with my Dad and Horse Camp

I had the last week of June with my Dad at Kelowna, B.C. in the fabulous Okanagan Valley.

This valley is semi-desert, but has the climate to grow fruits from cherries, to peaches, to apples and pears.

Many parts of the valley they have to use irrigation but the greenness and beauty stands out among the semi-desert hills.

My Dad had a stroke (a relative minor one) last December. The results makes me awe in wonderment at the brain God created us with. While his long term memory is still very good, his short term memory with facts, recollections, etc. is all mixed up at times. He will not remember what he did or said yesterday. He will often speak something that is jumbled and mixed up with things of the past. He knows he's in Kelowna then later thinks he's in Wales where we came from. He does remember people that were a large part of his life. But he's forgotten he once had a house in Kelowna and a beautiful garden he built and cared for; when I tell him about it he'll say "Did I...." He 's forgotten. For a while he thought an elderly lady who looks somewhat like my Mom (his wife who died in 1994) was "Mom" and will ask me "Did you see Mom today?" Then at times his mind for the present, the the moment, is clear and running smooth, for that present hour or two.

So the connections of the brain are mixed up now..... sometimes they are connecting pretty good, then they miss-connect and facts and places and events get jumbled up.

The brain is a marvelous invention of the Lord all by itself - you see how marvelous it is when the connection do not connect correctly.

The human brain blows away the idea of evolution if it is not deceived by the great deceiver - Satan the Devil, or by human nature that does not want to believe in a God, for then if you believe in a God, you must believe He has the power to write and preserve His word to us, that tells us how to live within His righteousness. Most people do not want to believe in a God, or do not want to think about Him, because they do not want to be told how to live according to His mind and rules ..... they want to do their own thing, live according to their desires.

While out with my Dad there was lots of rain, way more than usual to the north of Kelowna, which took out a bridge as a river flooded part of a town. The weather people were advising anyone going to southern Alberta (where I live) to go the "south route" back, which is a highway that runs along southern B.C. into Alberta. I had done this route about 10 years ago, but had forgotten most of it. In a few places you climb high up in the mountains and then reach the summit to see below you a valley of green and beauty..... awesome indeed. I drove by a Ranch called "The Old Cowboy Ranch" and they were selling farm eggs. I stopped and went in to buy a dozen. I discovered they had a "store" (they were also a public horse trail riding ranch) and found a great fancy cowboy shirt I bought. They got most of their fancy cowboy shirts from a company in the USA that I had never heard of, but they sure make fine cowboy shirts for a very reasonable price.

It was lovely weather to drive in back to Calgary. As you arrive back in Alberta, you go through what is called "Crows Nest Pass" - it is a pass through certain hills and mountains; I had forgotten how beautiful it is .... just spectacular. Many people retire to this part of Alberta, to the small village type towns. I could see indeed as to why they do, for it is most beautiful. Then of course the Calgary area with the mighty Canadian Rockies only an hour away, is beautiful also.

Now the  summer is in full swing. The horse and pony camp ("Horsesrcool Horsemanship School" owned by Diane who is 5 years younger than I, making her 65) I work in during July and August is in full swing. We just finished the first week of 8 week camps. We are at a new Ranch location and have a smaller number of children each week, so making it much more a teaching and horsemanship camp, than just trail riding. We had 21 children in the camp last week, ages from 6 years old to teenage. They were a great group of kids, happy, and listened and learned real quick. The weather was sunny and dry all week. As usual on Friday lunch time I did my Roy Rogers/Sons of the Pioneers show, as the parents etc. come out to see how the children have learned horsemanship during the week. All were thrilled and  were delighted (fine comments passed on to Diane) with what the children had accomplished in just one week.

So two productive weeks for me - one with my Dad and one with the children at the horse and pony camp.
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