Today my inclination is to write about all the people I care about who have been or are facing challenges in their lives.  Over the past couple of weeks there have been so many pieces of bad news that it is really hard to maintain one's faith and believe it will get better.  Just a few days ago I wrote about faith.  "It's easier to have faith when you leap with a parachute!  But most of faith if a free fall!"
There is so much truth in this little statement!

But today I want to smile and I want my friends reading this to smile so instead of focussing on all these stories I am going to write the blog with a sense of humour and a smile today.  I think we all need a smile right now even if it's just fleeting.  This in no means implies I am not concerned for my MANY friends who are facing struggles of their own.  It just means we need to take a break, step back, breathe and believe with all our hearts that things will get better!'

Bill went out to Ron and Margs to park the fifth wheel and was heading out to Cremona for soup with his guy friends.  I decided I would head down to Saneal Cameras and pick up my prize from the Foothills Hospital Lottery!  I have bought so many tickets on these hospital lotteries and this is my first win.  Honestly, the cameral doesn't even begin to offset what I have spent on tickets but it was sweet to actually go pick up a prize.  From there I headed to the Triathalon store to pick up (on my friend Wendy's recommendation) a tube of Hoo Haw Cream which is supposed to be a miracle cream for cyclists.  I think you can guess where you apply it.  Geoff just roared when I told him the name of the product!  The Triathalon store is down on Memorial just across from the Bow River so as I came out of the store I thought it would be fun for Boomer to go for a swim.  He was totally ecstatic when I pulled him out of the car and headed across to the river bank.  I must confess I was a little preoccupied and was not really paying much attention to the state of the river.  I just picked up a stick and gave it a big heave into the middle of the Bow.  Boomer took a flying leap off the rocks and was immediately swept up in a rather swift current.  Still I wasn't too worried as he is a very strong swimmer and has swum many times in swift water.  What I didn't take into account, however, was the fact that river is exceptionally high and the particular place where I chose to take him for a swim had steep, steep banks with rocks going right down into the water.  There really was no exit point in sight where Boomer would be able to get out of the water.  Well, sure enough he retrieved the stick, brought it into shore but could not get up onto the rocks.  So being the highly intelligent creature he is he decided to try to swim back upstream to where I was waiting for him.  To his credit he was holding his ground but it was more like swimming in one of those lap pools against a current where you are paddling like heck but going absolutely no where.  Finally after a few minutes of attempting this he got tired and allowed himself to drift further downstream where he finally found a spot he could scramble out.  I waited where I was knowing he would come back once out of the water.  After a few minutes though I started to become concerned that he had not returned.  I scrambled up the side of the bank to see if he was on the grass up above but there was no Boomer in sight.  There was a couple sitting on a park bench and I suspect they detected my concern.  The guy asked if I was looking for a black dog to which I answered yes.  He pointed the opposite direction and said "He went that way".  Well, I gues it turns out that my dog and I have something in common.....we are directionally challenged.  He scrambled up the bank and went tearing in the opposite direction looking for me.  Fortunately I was able to catch up to him but he was in total panic mode.  Thought he'd been left behind.  I decided that swimming in the river probably wasn;t the smartest thing at the moment and it would be best to wait a couple of weeks for the water levels to come down so I leashed him and took him back to the car.  He was not a happy camper.  His look asked "since when do I only get a one stick swim?" The answer....today!

So I'm going to head out to the backyard and add one more sunflower to my sunflower patch which is smiling at me from the garden.  Tonight we are hoping to get in nine holes at Silver Springs with Maureen and Duane if the rain manages to hold off!  Fingers crossed that there is nothing in those black clouds that seem to be making their way this direction.

To each of my friends who are walking the same path as I am, try to stay positive!  For me it's enjoying walks with my dog, spending time with my kids and Bill, having coffee with friends, playing golf with whoever will play with me, enjoying the sun on my face and watching the garden grow, spending time at the lake with Dad, staying connected to all those people I care about and who care about me, trying to make someones day a little brighter when it seems like it's never going to sparkle again, and keeping the faith that things will get better and there are good days ahead!