Kissing Brothers

Canmore 2010

Bawling and more Bawling!

de Besciaki

This is our third annual visit to Canmore at Mystic Springs. I've watched Jacob pitter patter down the sidewalk to the pool and now it is Lucas's turn. It's only taken four years to get Jacob in the pool and actually try water things but still a few tears. Lucas just picks up where Jacob left off at...more bawling as he enters the water. Once they are in and don't see their mom they are fine but as soon as they see Brandy .....the tears come on.

Glama Snoozerama

My little Glampereeno's

Robin Hood is in the forest but eats his sausage and peanut butter first.

Robin Hood has arrived and he will be scouring the forests and hunting squirrels. Squirrels that raid your sunflower seed bags overnite and make one hell of a mess on the picnic table. Robin Hood will take his accomplice B.J and trek through the depths of the Crimson and walk the dogs in the lake. As long as the dogs are on a leash, Robin Hood is willing to go. He gets a little squeamish when B.J.kisses the Beckster, but smiles when you mention that Robin Hood kissed maid Marion.

Lukee loves Glampavela

Cougar Crescent is now occupied.

Kiki's Kondo has arrived. Oooops there is a fourth dog now as Oscar is let out and leashed.

Day at the Beach

The weather was gorgeous and the walk to the beach was beautiful. The kids played in the water and had a great time. No chance of these guys getting a sunburn with all their gear on.

The Glampereeno's are Here

Well the Glampereeno's finally arrived for their first camping adventure. Yippee! Yippee! Jacob heard the dogs and wasn't sure about this place. We had a few cries and "dog scare dances" but slowly that subsided abit. Rob had a conference call so the guys set up his tent. Yay Ron, Jeff and B.J. Pretty soon they were moved in and the upper quadrant of Crimson Estates was starting to look residential with bikes and toys and kids running all over the place.

Well my first sleep in Glampavela was super wonderful. The temperature during the night was under 60 degrees F so it was a bit nippy. I was so glad I stuffed my flannel pj's into my bag. A double high air bed has a lot of cold air underneath you but with a duvet and sleeping bag underneath me it was really comfortable. And the heating pad was clicked on when I needed it. It rained during the night so Glampavela had her first initiation to water drops. I loved laying in the tent and listening to the water droplets pound down. I'm skeptical now of the weather but at this point I don't care anymore. I got my tent up and had one good day at Crimson, so that's a bonous. Woke up to nice fresh air and against my grain got out of bed at seven. I made myself a pot of Tim Hortons coffee with cream and sat in my little lounger and listened to the birds and read a magazine. Heaven! Heaven! By this time Cammie was up, and slowly the rest came to life as well. Even B.J was up early and started his day off with Cammie and the dogs. It was a really peaceful morning. Tomorrow when the Glampereeno's are here it will be a different story.

#3 Rule for Glampers...Bring your own coffee pot and plain coffee cream if you are used to Timmy's coffee every morning on the way to work.

Midnite at Crimson

I am too exhausted to glamp up. Just give me a beer and I'm going to bed. Raegan and Jeff arrived at midnite after a 6 hour drive. Cammie was sleeping, Jeff set up the camper and Raegan and B.J. compared bellies. Uncle Ronnie and Babra drank and I booted off to Glampavela for my first night outdoors. Ciao till morning!

Rule #2 Glampers....Never be intimidated by bringing your heating pad. While you set your dial on High in the tent bed, trailors will crank on their furnaces.

My Glamping Boots

These were fantastic purchases in Rocky Mountain House on the way to Crimson Lake. Every Glamper needs boots like these if it gets cold. I had them on for awhile outside when my feet chilled but honestly felt like a sasquatch in them. I was still in my "bear scare" mode and thought I better take them off in case there was a bear around .....a confused bear. They were cute anyhow and super cuddly. The Boop can was a great "take your beer to the beach" decoy.

Such is a dog's life!

B.J. and the Beckster and Dogs arrive!

So the tent in the Boonies is up and occupants arrive.
Yikes! Dogs everywhere! Jacob is really scared of dogs...this should be interesting.

GlampaVela is officially open

It took an hour to set up GlampaVela..... and three hours to unload all the shit out of my car and assemble it. Oh my God!!! I was dying from the heat and exhaustion. Uncle Ronnie and Babra are drinking working hour beers and I believe now switched to cocktail hour and I'm still tangled up in hanging butterflies and getting broken flowers to dance. My bed is blown up with a duvet, an open sleeping bag, and another feather duvet for on top. Oh my God I can't even lay down on the bed because I'm so hot. My green area rugs are in place and my pillows are fluffed with coordinating toss cushions and my night stand is set up. Wow! Wow! Wow! Then comes Baba's Piddle Pot. There is no way I am chancing running into a bear on a toilet run in the middle of the dark night. My biggest horror is seeing a bear on site. Some people take a FUD(feminine uterine device) and pee in a bottle. A good old ice cream pail works for me inside my tent with a light on. My little wash stand is in place with soap, facecloths and makeup mirror( only looked in the mirror once). Actually I probably woulda scared the shit out of the bear. I had my little green garden budha for some added serentiy and still had an empty corner for my overnight bags. Every tent should have a hanger with pockets for car keys, safety pins, dress scarves for dinner. This is so cute! If only I could finish it before the bloody sun sets.

Shopping for a Tent...the GlampaVela

This was an experience in itself. I bought three tents before I knew what I wanted. The first one was cute but it was only 4 feet high and had a separate screened gazebo. The tent would be pretty hard to glamp up. Cramp up would be more like it, since I would be on my knees all weekend. Then I thought about setting up the gazebo and what if there wasn't room for it. Strike that plan...back to Walmart and return. Then off to Canadian Tire. It's hard to buy a medium tent with good centre height but I settled for one that was 5.5 feet. Got it home and decided that nothing is as advertised. I'll probably lose a foot in the dome when set up and still won't be able to stand up in it. Back to Canadian Tire to the return desk. What I really wanted was a nice colourful pink or green tent and now the Glampiness has completely consumed me so I am extremely fussy. So back to Walmart and for under 100 dollars my Coleman "Glamping Vela" is waiting for me. It is a 6 person tent( if you're midgets) 72 inches in the centre, measures 11'by 10' and has a beautiful light green fly that will cover it during the rain. Wow! Wow! Wowee! Let the Glamping begin.

I happily scrapped the single blow up bed I had rolled up and packed the queen sized, double high, self- inflating air bed since we had electricity at the group site. Glamping can be laying under the stars at night and why not do it in a queen sized bed instead of laying your butt on a mat on gravel? Each to their own.

So at 3;30 p.m. I arrive at the site where Uncle Ronnie and Babra from Schnocker's Villa are set up already with a fifth wheel, shade awning, area rugs and picnic table, lawn chairs and cold beer. I have my pick of Crimson Estates so I pick one lot close to the washroom facilities. The first lot is reserved fpr Kiki's Kondo at 57 Kougar Crescent. Next to my site I reserve a lot for Kaczanowski Boyz and Brandy. It looks now like it might rain so gotta get this tent up fast. From taking it out of the compacto box to complete setup took an hour. Anyone who gives you the 10 minute- hokey pokey crap about a quick set up.......give 'em the bird.

Okay GlampaVela is set up and it's time to unload a tightly packed Chrysler and glamp it up a bit. Uncle Ronnie and Babra are off to set up tent #2 down in the Boonies.

#1 Rule Glampers....never let the die hard campers intimidate you with their version of what camping is all about.

I bought some green area rugs for inside my tent and packed up every essential I thought I would need. This included my stainless steel coffe pot, and electric kettle and my heating pad. I knew this would raise eyebrows but it was my adventure.