All photos Conservatory, Calgary Zoo, Alberta. July 17, 2007.

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Though I didn't note it at the time - too busy loading and unloading the car and making many many trips to the store to pick up whatever we'd forgotten to load into the car - we just returned from two weeks' vacation last Sunday.

We spent a week in Brooks, Alberta, visiting with M's grandmothers. Then we (bravely? foolishly?) parked ourselves in Dinosaur Provincial Park, with the intent of staying there for another week.

I'm not sure what made us abandon the plan. Maybe it was the heat, mid-thirties for much of the time we were shuttling around Western Canada.

Maybe it was the swarms of bugs, insects of every size alighting on sweating skin, buzzily circling heat-wearied heads.

Maybe it was the rattlesnake that took up residence in the cottonwood in the next campsite the first day, the same tree that shed a large branch our first night and woke us.

All I know was that by 11 am on our second day in the campsite, we'd walked one of DPP's trails, supervised Aa on the playground, and lounged in the air-conditioned concession...and, hot and sweaty already, had no idea what to do for the hot eight hours that would follow.

So we piled into the car and drove to Drumheller. And we never went back.

(Okay, I lie. After our tour of the Royal Tyrrell with every other resident / tourist in Drumheller and region, Aa and I checked into a hotel and M drove back to the campsite to pack up.)

So we spent a day or two in Calgary, a coupla days in Medicine Hat, and another few days in Moose Jaw for the Festival of Words.

These two photos are among the only ones I took over the course of the trip. And I didn't write a word. It just wasn't that kind of trip.

And while I can't honestly say that I enjoyed myself, much of the time (too much non-stop baby-minding for that), it was DEFINITELY better than spending two hot weeks at home.

(And I got to visit with Tracy! and Brenda! And Robert Kroetsch! And Guy Gavriel Kay!)