journeyofJoie

Winnipeg, Manitoba

John has to take so many hours of continuing education a year to maintain his veterinary license and his embryo transfer license.  He does this by attending AETA and CETA conferences in the different locations they are offered.  This year the conference is in Winnipeg, Manitoba. 

I haven't always accompanied these trips with John.  But in the last few years, we decided that if we can afford it, and I can make room in my schedule, why not?  Every year I meet more of the other wives and it has been immensly rewarding.  This year is no exception. 

The conference had planned an evening of loading us in buses and taking us out in the country to the Hitching Post Ranch, where they served us a wonderful roast beef dinner.  We sat a table with four other couples and our dear friend, Bob Curtright.  Bob started a conversation about a christian book he had finished, and everyone at the table had read the book.  The rest of the evening our dinner conversations were sharing about the goodness of God and what He is doing in our lives.  It was an amazing evening.

Yesterday several of us women had signed up to do a tour of Winnipeg.  We strolled through a gorgeous Old English garden, taking pictures of the variety of flowers.  There was also a bronze sculpture garden.  The artist, Leo Rei, main subjects were various animals and nude young ladies.  He was a very talented artist, because his subjects looked very lifelike. 

The women's tour also included spending time at "The Forks" where the Assiniboine River and the Red River converge and become the Red River which eventually empties into the Atlantic Ocean.  Even though this city is flat, it is quite a charming city in it's own way. The rest of Manitoba is a lake. Literally. Lake Winnipeg and Lake Manitoba are huge lakes covering the rest of Manitoba. Years ago, Winnipeg was a thriving hub for commerce, where the material goods from the east would be exchanged for the goods from the west. There are a number of old buildings that stored these goods, the city is now renovating. Several of these buildings are now colleges, dormitories, pubs, restaurants, hair salons, TV stations, theatre stages, and mom and pop shops. Usually when I came with John, I would spend a great deal of time by myself either reading or watching TV while he was in classes all day. One year, I decided to join one of the tours the conference offers, and I have been very glad. It gives me a chance to meet the other women and to get a feel for the city.

Saturday evening we spent with Bob Cutright.  We toured through the beautiful Manitoba Legislative building.  Walked over the Assiniboine River bridge and ate in a wonderful restaurant.   Sunday morning, John and I strolled the beautiful Assiniboine River Walkway, to the "The Forks".  He hadn't been there yet.  We saw where the two rivers converge.  It was really quite chilly that morning, indicating that fall has arrived.  Later that day we flew to Denver for a three hour layover, then to Las Vegas, drove another four and half hours and arrived home at 3:00 Monday morning.  Next year the conference is in Reno, Nevada.