Football, Road Rage, Herding Dogs & Thanksgiving!

.......and that's just in the past couple of days.

Chronologically speaking, the title sums up our activities of late.

FOOTBALL:

The new "Terry Fox"  statues to replace the previous display at BC Place Stadium

The previous roof was most recently replaced with this +$570 million retractable system.

Pre-game activities on the Terry Fox Plaza

Our BC Lions football team in warm up.

We were meeting the Calgary Stampeders to determine who would take the lead as the No 1 CFL team (Canadian Football League) in the West Division.  This is a photo of the second largest LED TV screen in North America.  The largest is in a stadium in the US mid-west.  I believe it is in Milwaukee. 

They got the crowd excited.....

Our great coach - and the winning-est coach in CFL history - seen here waving to some patrons in the stands.

Our team is introduced as the players run from the Lions Den!

The crowd was hungry for a win

Good friend Rick invited me to attend the game.  And what a game!  It was a nail biter till the dying seconds.  The following is a brief synopsis from an eastern Canada based newspaper.

Toronto Sun Newspaper :

Paul McCallum, the B.C. Lions’ ageless 41-year-old kicker, stepped up and nailed a 53-yard field goal for a 33-31 victory as time expired Saturday night. McCallum fell to the turf at new B.C. Place Stadium and was mobbed by teammates as the crowd of 30,622 went wild. Just another night in the CFL. “I knew what I did wrong on the kick before,” said McCallum of the 45-yard attempt Taylor took back. “So I knew what I had to do right.” 

The Lions (8-6) extended their win streak to seven games and take over top spot in the West Division.

We're No. 1 - well, in the Western Division for the time being!

Above L-R:  My friend Rick, his daughter's friend, and his daughter, Emma @ the CFL Football game.  Not sure why they would want of photo with me though!  It was a fun game to attend....and the girls had a fun time too.

 

Rick wanted a photo of me with his daughter and friend.  WHY?

What does road rage have to do with tires?

ROAD RAGE:
While I was enjoying the afternoon and evening at the football game in downtown Vancouver, Jeanette and good friend Marg were in Fort Langley enjoying the annual Cranberries Festival.  Jeanette chose to park at the Fort parking lot.  As she approached the angle parking spot, a road raged younger fella - along with his wife  - madly drove against a one way to overtake Jeanette who had signaled and was preparing to park.  He tried to block her entry as he tried to reverse into the spot.  Because he had driven to the parking spot against a one way, he could not angle park.  He had to reverse into the spot.  Jeanette was there first and proceeded to park.

Well, the idiot went completely nutty; yelling, honking his horn, swearing, cussing, threatening, etc. Jeanette and Marg quietly walked off.  They are not the type to cuss and argue, nor to add fuel to a raging dispute. They both wondered if our vehicle could suffer the wrath of their fury though.  Well, they were right! Upon their return the front passenger tire was flat.

The spare tire that was installed by the BCAA (British Columbia Automobile Association) technician.

Yep, the road rage and crazed young couple slashed our front passenger tire.  They used an ice pick or a switch blade and pierced the side wall.  The tire cannot be repaired. So, off we go to shop for two new front tires.  May as well replace both because there is about a 50% thread wear. 

Yesterday afternoon, Jeanette and I rode out to the parking lot to see if there may have been some cameras that could show the perpetrators in action.  There were two cameras but they were pointing away from our vehicle.  Too bad.  I would have loved to have the RCMP (Royal Canadian Mounted Police) show up at that couple's home and haul their sorry a_ _ _s off to the crowbar hotel or, at the very least, file a formal charge.  Life will deal them the necessary penalties if they do not change their attitudes.

HERDING DOGS:

Well trained herding dogs - and their handlers -  were vying for trophies

 Jeanette had read a newspaper article about this interesting event that was being held at the Thunderbird Show Park near our place on Sunday.  We chose to take it in.  We weren't sure what to expect but let's just say that it was a really interesting event.

These highly trained dogs were incredibly talented.  Talk about listening and following their handlers commands?  Unbelievable!

This was the second annual event which brought together some of the most talented dogs and trainers from the Pacific Northwest region - including Oregon, Washington State, Montana and from as far west as Manitoba, in Canada.

This dog will respond even without verbal commands.  She just knows what her master expects from her facial expressions or the movement of the herding stick.  Most, if not all, of you RV owners with dogs would have enjoyed this event.

THANKSGIVING: 

Thanks for dropping by.  Happy Thanksgiving to all.