On arriving, the weather was quite nice for Canada in September, but it felt a bit chilly for me as I was coming from weather that was still around 30℃ and humid, so the first day, I didn't really do so much. I did however, go out on walk in the evening, and took a look around the parks that used to be my workplace, and saw so many little rabbits were enjoying the area as well. I was also able to visit with an aunt I hadn't seen in probably close to 10 years. She joined me on my walk, and we tested out the quality of the swings, and saw a nice sunset.
The next day, I felt like taking a drive out to the mountains, so my aunt and I went out to Banff and the Vermillion Lakes. After wandering around the shops in Banff for a bit, we went to go take some photos at Vermillion Lakes, which were nice, but I was a bit disappointed, as I was hoping for a bit of a walk as well, but the main view points were just from the road. The road did actually link up with a trail, but it was a longish one, and since I wasn't on my own, it wasn't really an option.
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| Ironic much? |
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| In Banff |
These are from Vermillion Lakes...
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| Guess who? |
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| Heading home... |
That same night, after getting back and having some dinner, I went out for a walk in the local parks with my dad, and as we got closer to home, a lightning show started up in the sky. I was pretty excited about it as lightning is a rare occurrence to see in Japan, so it had been quite a while for me.
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The following day involved some running around, but I was able to take a couple of typical pictures at points throughout the day.
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| It was a really fiery sunset |
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| This cutie let me get quite close |
After that day, people began arriving in preparation for the wedding. Most came in the late afternoon, so I went out for a bit during the day. The first place I went was Big Hill Springs Park to visit my puppy. After that, I was looking for a bit of a hike and went to a park near Cochrane that my mom had recommended. Unfortunately, it was getting a bit late in the day, as it had been a bit difficult to find, and when I arrived, there were quite a few signs around the entrance to the park warning that a black bear was currently roaming around in the park. So, not really the best place to go for a walk. With that, I headed back to my parents house, where a couple of family friends and my grandma had arrived.
Big Hill Springs Park
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| Saw a female moose on the side of the road |
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| View from the parking lot of the other park |
The next day was the day before the wedding and it was a busy one. It started off with an appointment that didn't work out, then I went for coffee with our family friend and we had a nice talk. More family arrived that day as well, plus another appointment in the afternoon for my dad and myself. I also acted as a bit of a chauffeur, doing a bit of driving people around (not that I minded that particular job...) At some point in the afternoon, I was also able to go for a walk with my grandma. In the evening, we had a full house of people for dinner, and I was able to spend some time talking with aunts and uncles that I hadn't seen in quite a long time. They all tried to convince me to come back to Canada by promoting the good (or in some cases, not so good) points of the places that they live. That was after I stopped "flitting around like a butterfly" (quote from my aunt). What can I say, when you teach little kids, sitting still not doing anything feels weird when there's lots of people around.
And then, the final full day for me, my sister's wedding. There were a couple of mishaps before it began, but it all worked out in the end. She and her husband had a small ceremony with their family and friends, and had a really good time. They then forced us to take some photos with them outside, and for me at least it felt really cold as it was cloudy windy, and much cooler than it had been earlier in the week. But, when coming back inside we found a super cute little white puppy in one of the offices, so everyone visited with her for a little bit. My sister always has her own unique ideas, and so instead of cake for dessert, they had a few different types of pie. Both before (while waiting for them to finish their photoshoot) and after the dinner, they had a game area for while the guests were waiting. As a side note, remind me to never play games with my aunts and uncles again. I couldn't win at all! After my sister and her husband left, I took my grandma back to my parents house for the night. It was a short one for me, as I was back at the airport around five in the morning.
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| The bouquet I got to hold on to |
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| The PUPPY!!! |
Decorations
Family photos
