Happy Canada Day everyone!!

I know that many of us may not be celebrating Canada Day like we normally do but it’s still a day to celebrate the great country we live in.

Canada Day for my family has always been a big thing.

My mom decorates the windows and front deck with flags and stickers, my nieces and nephews get temporary tattoos of flags and beavers and everything Canadian and of course, we all gather together for a fun barbeque together.

In previous years, we’ve spent the day at parks or a lake and we just take time to be together and laugh together.

Last year we spent the day at Beauvais Lake and ended our time together with a massive water balloon fight!

This year will be different though.

I’m sure my mom will still have flags and stickers up as decorations, and I’m sure my nieces and nephews will still have their tattoos, but we won’t be gathering together this year.

There won’t be large gatherings with fireworks at Henderson Lake this year and their won’t be many of the other celebrations we can usually take part in.

2020 has been a year that’s taken a few traditions away from my family but I feel that it’s also given me a chance to create new ones throughout the year.

We may not be able to celebrate Canada Day with the same traditions we have in the past but this is a year where we can make new traditions on this day that can continue for years to come after this one.

Let’s make the most of Canada Day however possible.

I also wanted to briefly discuss my second attempt to summit Turtle Mountain.

It was much more successful than the first attempt and I’m glad to say I made it to the first summit!

My two friends and I decided we didn’t feel like we had the hiking experience to make our way across the mountain to the second summit but we still managed to make our way up the first one.

When I attempted to summit a few weeks ago, I didn’t really know what to expect, which didn’t help in my attempt to reach the top.

This time, I knew a lot more about what I was facing and was able to plan accordingly.

I was also unaware of just how much higher I could get from my first time up.

The views were exponentially greater at the first summit then where I finished last time.

My legs were burning and my knees were hurting during the final stretch but it was all worth it when we reached the top.

My friends and I finished the day by jumping in Crowsnest Lake to cool off and then we made our way to the Rum Runner for some great grub.
All in all it was a great way to spend my Saturday and I can’t wait to continue exploring the Pass throughout the summer!