We're here! Yep, finally made it and after THREE WEEKS(!!!) managed to get connected to the internet. I still haven't figured out my email settings yet so thats why I haven't sent any or replies to any yet! So much has happend since we arrived that I don't know where to begin.
Eeerrrr....the goodbye party was excellent, the goodbyes at the airport were horrible. Felt quite deflated sitting at the departure gate by ourselves. We could see Doog's crate sitting out on the runway and we watched as he was loaded (very roughly) onto the plane. It was so strange knowing that he was on the plane with us, I kept thinking I'd hear him howling any minute. The extra legroom seats made the flight sooo much better and it wasn't too bad all in all. When we arrived in Calgary we were pretty much first off and managed to get to passport control before the queue got too big. We had to explain that we were officially landing as new permanent reidents and were directed to the immigration office. The immigration officials were quite unfriendly and not particularly welcoming but I kind of expected that anyway. We filled in some forms and were told that we had to go to the customs desk after bagage reclaim to declare our goods accompanying (Doog) and goods to follow( not much). before we even got into the reclaim area we could hear Doog barking which was helpful as it made hime very easy to find! His crate has been dumped in the oversize baggage area next to a pile of push chairs. He looked pretty freaked out and didn't have any water as it had spilt all over his blanket. We didn't want to get him out yet in case he peed all over the airport so we grabbed our ton of other suitcases and put everything on our trolleys and wheeled it all into customs. Yet another solemn encounter with a moody immigration official followed and we filled in more forms. Doog was getting very impatient and was crying so it was geting a little stressful. Thankfully it was all over pretty quick and we wheeled doog outside and set him free for his first touch of Canadian soil (concrete acctually) Where he proceeded to pee for Great Britain!
Yes, that puddle over by the wall was also down to Doog and believe me there was still plenty more to come! Neil went off to collect the rental car and me and Doog sat on a bench surrounded by piss for quite some time. Eventually Neil returned without the car and said that the queue was enourmous so we may as well come and wait with him. So, poor Doog was loaded back into his soggy crate and off we went. It took us longer to pick up the rental car than it did to get through our landing procedures, probably over an hour. When we did eventually get the car we had to cram all our suitcases, dog crate and dog inside and it was pretty tight! Finally we set off up Highway 2 towards Edmonton. We'd arranged to stop about half way in a town called Red Deer and the three of us were to spend the night at the Holiday Inn. It turned out to be a nice hotel. it was very odd having the dog with us, particularly as we were on the 6th floor and had to take him up and down in the lift every so often to let him pee in the car park! He was quite happy and ended up having a whole queen sized bed to himself.
The next morning we continued our journey up towards Edmonton. The sky was looking pretty moody and soon we were travelling in a rain storm. When we arrived in Beaumont there was lightening and the loudest thunder I've ever heard! We pulled up outside our house and immediately a massive fork of lightening struck what seemed to be right behind the house it was pretty dramatic!!! We stepped out the car to be met by Sean, the guy who owns the whole developement. He was supposed to do a walk through of the house with us. Neil took a step and slipped right over in a pile of the slimiest, thickest, blackest mud and ended up completely covered in the stuff. I was beginning to think this was some kind of a sign or something!! He was so dirty that he has to use the side tap to hose himself clean before going in. Of course I was in hysterics the whole time!
There were (and still are) a few problems with the house mostly because they had to rush to get it finished in time for our arrival but aside from those minor things we love it. After the weather improved and we had made a couple of trips to Ikea it has started to feel like home. Beaumont seems to be a nice little town. Doogy loves the "off leash" park and has made lots of doggy friends already. We've met a few of the neihbours and they all seem really nice. We've been into Edmonton a couple of times and have bought ourselves a car. We've even done our first road trip to the mountains. We stayed in Emerald Lake Lodge which is where we're hoping to get married next year and it was beautiful. On the way up to the lodge we were driving along a road through the forest and came across a moose in the road. We stopped the car as it ambled back to the side of the road where it had left it's baby! So we just watched for a minute as mummy moose and baby moose munched on some leaves and then wandered away. It was really amazing.
Neil started work yesterday and I've been busy letting workmen in and out and trying to get everything up and running in the house. The weather has been amazing, apart from the odd severe thunder storm its been in the high 20's with clear sunny skies every day. There are more trees than I remembered there being and all around Beaumont there are fields and farms. I really like all the barns dotted around here and have taken a few photos. The skys seems so big here just because its so flat and it's amazing to see the weather change off in the distance. You can see storms that never reach you because they're so far away. The sunsets and sunrises are also really beautiful. I've taken lots of photos but for some reason I'm having difficulty posting them on here today so I'll have to update this post another time. Oh and don't worry Shar I haven't forgotten that you want the party pictures! I'll send them as soon as I get the email working.
Here is Doog looking forlorn out on our back deck. I think he wants to go for a walk. Next to him you will see our newly purchased $16 tent. Bargain don't you think? I'll let you know if it survives our first camping trip. 
Sheesh! I bet you're thinking this can't be true! But I promise you that it is me, Miss Sophie Jane, shooting a big scary gun (a real one! a really real, noisy, scary gun!) in a shooting range full of scary people! AAaaaahhhhhh!!! You think I was scared? Too right i was scared! I do however think this experience was good for me, it has made me realise a couple of things about guns that perhaps I had not considered enough before...........Firstly, guns are loud! Even with those massive earmuffs on I jumped out of my skin every time another person fired. Secondly, guns are powerful and frickin scary! The movies make us think it's easy to pick up a gun and start shooting stuff willy nilly, well I tell you it isn't! Scary Frank was a very good teacher, he was cautious and precise and encouraging and despite my jelly like arms (brought on by the scarryness of the whole experience) he told me I was "doing awesome!". End result for me......cool but I never want to carry a gun!
