Yee Haw

Well, It is that time of year again. This city is full of “cowboys”, bad drivers, and road construction.

The Calgary Stampede is upon us again for another 10 days (not counting the Sneak A Peak tonight).

I will need to find another way to get to work tomorrow, as the galdarn parade will be blocking my regular route (grumble grumble). Oh well, at least I can wear “appropriate western attire” for 10 days at work (aka Jeans). I have not been to the “Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth” in a very long time (at least 5 years, and then before that probably another 5 or 6 years). I try to avoid it like the plague. Unfortunately I get to hear the midway at night, as I only live over the river from the fair grounds. I hear the outdoor concerts, and the fireworks, and the screaming midway goers at least until 12:30-1am. I shouldn’t complain, the Stampede does bring a lot of visitors and money to town, and I hope it brings people that like to buy pottery. One of the Galleries I am in (Centennial Gallery) is located at the base of the Calgary Tower in Palliser Square, and although the tower itself is probably not as big a tourist attraction that it may have been in the past (most of the buildings in downtown Calgary are taller than the Calgary Tower), Palliser Square is home to many other venues that can draw people, and hopefully their money. There are a couple of theatres (Vertigo, and Lunch Box), the Rocky Mountaineer Train leaves from there, and it is a short distance (1 block) from Stephen Avenue Mall ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Avenue ) which is an outdoor shopping area that runs for several blocks of 8^th Ave downtown (1^st to 4^th Street).

Anyway, the Stampede is something that many Calgarians love to hate, and I will be right there hating and loving it with them. I think I will just make pots during this trying time :)