Sure, when does everyone want to do it?

Brenda

I've kind of committed (and i should be committed for it!) to go to Toronto at the beginning of July. So, the end of the month would be better for me - or the beginning of August. What about the long weekend?

Daylilies should be blooming and the LA's should be just finishing, of course, depending upon the year we have.

We will have to tour Laurie's yard and Marg's yard (if they are willing) and whoever else in the Brandon area who would like to open their homes.

Let's see...maybe some of the DH's could go golfing???

We could tour the Lily Nook in Neepawa if anyone is interested...or just sit and visit...which would be great too.

Brenda

I doubt if my dh would come, unless maybe he could go fishing in Laurie's dugout! LOL I'd volunteer to pick up people from Winnipeg on my way through, but you'd all have to come out to the highway and hitchhike because i'm not driving in the city!! :)

Brenda, the Lily Nook would be great!!

Marcia, don't say that re...fishing in Laurie's dugout...I know of people around here who have done so, including my DH.

And, driving in Winnipeg is not that bad. But, I used to live there and so, I got used to it then. I know of a lot of people from around here who will not drive in Winnipeg either.

Brenda

I'm not a happy driver anyway, and DH has done all the driving in Winnipeg. I'll drive in Thunder Bay, but i know where i'm going there.

What kind of fish is Laurie going to have in her dugout?? :>

Laurie better chip in here pretty soon or we will have lots of plans for her new dugout before she even gets it...

My DH said that the rainbow trout would be the ones that are readily available for stocking dugouts with. But Laurie's dugout would be new and therefore won't have any organic matter in it next year for any trout to feed on. Maybe in a few years....

Brenda

Well shucks, IÂm having a Family Reunion at my place on the August long weekend.

Marcia, is your Toronto trip the July long weekend?

Sharon

Holy smoke, I don't check in here for a few hours, and I've already got people fishin' in my dugout!LOL

That's too funny, because DH and I were just talking about whether we'd put fish in or not the other day. We know people who raise rainbow trout and arctic char, so were thinking of maybe asking them for a few fry to throw in to see what happens. But if that doesn't work out, I could always throw in a few goldfish!lol Actually, next saturday, the guy is supposed to come out and dig. That'll be a happy day! :0)

Ok, a reunion. Brenda, isn't the lily festival in the third week of July? That really would be a great time to tour Neepawa too. And of course, I would want everyone to come and see my yard(mental note to me: start weeding a month in advance!). I know sometime in August I do have a family wedding, but I think July is open for now. Depending on the year too, August can be pretty dry and the gardens aren't as lush anymore.

Ooo, this is all so exciting!! :^)

So far, my trip will be around the long weekend in July, though nothing is finalized as yet. As for our reunion, any time after that should be okay for me. I only suggested the long weekend as a time people could plan for, but i guess there's usually family stuff around that time - people tend to plan weddings, etc., for then.

Anyone else besides Sharon, Brenda, Laurie and i interested??

My hand shoots up. Maybe a few of us Alberta girls could drive out together? Anyone interested in that?

I've got a niece getting married in June, and other than that, I should be OK with any time during the summer. Of course, lacrosse stuff always crops up, but I can work around that.

Shauna

Glad to have you a board Shauna! The more the merrier :^)

Sharon, I tried emailing you, but it bounced back :(

The third week of July would be great. I would love to tour the Lily Nook, Neepawa and LaurieÂs garden as well.

Shauna, great idea we could pool together ;)

Hmmm Laurie, that's strange, I will email you then.

What about sleeping arrangements, do we bring our campers, tents, hotels?

Sharon

"do we bring our campers, tents, hotels?"

If anyone brings a hotel, i'll sleep there, okay? :>

I'm really not sure what's exactly going on next summer yet. DH is talking about driving to Ontario to visit family there but have no idea what/when/if that will happen. Hmmmm.... since Winnipeg is along the way... there is a chance!?

I drove through Winnipeg once -- during rush hour. That's enough for me! LOL (Silly me, I missed that "Ring Road" somehow! But then if you know me and directions, that's really not that hard to figure out! LOL)

Ang

Ang, you won't have to drive in Winnipeg, and Brandon's along the way too. You won't have any problems driving in Brandon either, just don't get behind a farmer, or it could take you an extra 5 minutes to get from one end of the city to the other!lol Actually, Brenda and Marg are just west of Brandon off the #1 highway and I'm a few miles north of Brandon off #10 highway. From my place, Neepawa(and the Lily Nook) is only about a 25 minute trip. So there's 4 spots to visit all in fairly close proximity to each other.

And for anyone who would like to really make a vacation of it, Riding Mountain National Park is only an hour's drive north of Brandon too. There's lots to see and do there.

Laurie

Sounds fun! So is this a week or a weekend? I'm not quite clear on the time frame. I can't take a week off during July but I think I could sneak off for +/- a couple of days. So... tentatively... yes?

(I am assuuuuuuming I am invited LOL)

Yes, IÂm serious, bring your hotels, hereÂs ours.

Le Château
{{gwi:693765}}
ItÂs camouflage so you might not see me heading on the highway, but you can probably see the gopher on the door?

YES OF COURSE YOUR INVITED GIL!!!!!!!!

As of what weekend, thats up to Brenda, she's the hostess with the mostess ;)

What trailer? I don't see a trailer... just a nice truck and a gopher... LOL!

Laurie's right that Riding Mountain is nice, and so is Spruce Woods which is close to Brandon too. Just look out for the woodticks in the spring!!!

The woodticks will be gone by that time Gillian. And believe me there are lots here in the spring because we are on the edge of the valley.

Anytime next summer is fine with me. We have 10 acres and so there is lots of parking here in the yard. Actually for those wanting an actual campsite, Grand Valley campsite is a mile from my place. Curran Park Campground is about 6 miles east towards Brandon. Hotelling...lots to choose from. Can't really give up any rooms in my home because I have no idea which of my sons will be home next summer.

When you all look at the map of Manitoba...The little Saskatchewan River comes from the north, meeting the Assiniboine River just west of Brandon. That is where I live. The Grand Valley campsite is in the valley where the #1 crosses the Assiniboine River.

There are some beautiful yards in Brandon from members of the local garden clubs that I am sure that I can make arrangements to see. One of the weekends in the middle to end of July is usually the open garden tours in Brandon also.

We have our own business and so, I am sure that I could arrange to work the business hours around to accommodate events and/or people arriving.

Brenda

If some are coming early or maybe one of the mornings/afternoons if we get rain...everyone could make a copper framed 'stained glass' picture like I make. I would be willing to teach those interested and the only cost would be the materials.

Here is one of the ones I painted last year. We would do a mini version of this.

{{gwi:693767}}

This would be a keepsake of our reunion that all of you could put in your own gardens. Marg, Laurie and I have all done them and all of us have them displayed in our gardens.

Brenda

It sounds like so much fun but unfortunately I won't be coming. :( Can't afford it nor can I take that much time off of work. Have fun everyone.

Syreeta

It's only about a 3 hour drive for me so I'll be there.

Oh, darn. We don't have a hotel. What to do, what to do! LOL

Gil, you're definitely invited, and so is anyone who can make it! Syreeta, i wish you could come, but i understand the distance thing. At another forum i go to, people met in April in Gettysburg and that definitely wasn't doable for me.

Brenda, i'm not very crafty, but it would be nice to try and make one of your pictures. Thanks for offering to do this!

Marcia, can you trace? Can you fill in an outline? It is as simple as that. I have had kids as young as 5 come over and take in a class when all the Junior Gardeners were here a year ago.

Brenda

Sure i can, Brenda - i think i underestimate myself sometimes!

Where's everyone else? I'm going to Discussions and send them over here!

HMMM....I distinctly remember posting a reply to this thread but it seems to have disappered

Hub and I are heading east for a month next summer, most likely it will be the month of July so we should be back this way by the end of July, so that would work out for me. Hub's family is in Brandon so we can stop for a couple of days for a visit I am sure.

Sounds like fun but we have too much going on at that time so I won't be able to join you guys. Look out Manitoba for the invasion of the GW'ers!

Susan

I've been checking this posting frequently. I would love to come, but I am the type of person that has trouble committing.
Most things that I do are last minute implusive decisions. So, it's a maybe for now. Not that I wouldn't love to come, but I am such a homebody. I'm going to be stressing about this most of the winter. I can see it already.

Shelley

Oh Shelley, you sound like me! I tend to stress out about things to quickly too. Is there another FN poster near you? Maybe you could go together, or just come out for a day trip or something. There's lots of time yet.

From the sounds of things, the Lily Nook and the Neepawa Lily Festival, will be the big drawing card for a lot of people. The Festival will be held on the weekend of July 21-22, 2007. Would this be a good date for people to pencil in on their calendars?

Laurie

Hi all. It doesn't look like I will make it to the reunion next summer as I have just started a new job looking after road with one of the counties here in Alberta. Pay is less than what I was getting before but my hours are regular with no nightshifts (better for this old guy). I also have to replace my pickup, as the one I had broke down, and as it is 17 years old I did not want to repair it. So this is putting a bit of a strain on our budget.
Maybe I will be able to make it to a reunion sometime in the future.
Cheers Al

Is everyone still in on the reunion? Brenda and I are still hoping that everyone who's mentioned coming out are still planning it. There also seems to be a few new people on the forum lately and some are from Manitoba, so of course they are all invited to come out as well.

Has everyone marked the July 21-22 on their calendars? Hopefully it'll be another good year for lilies!

I should be okay for it. My new grandbaby will be a month old by then and the novelty should have worn off - LOL just kidding! So far, we haven't heard from anyone who wants to visit us this summer and if we do i'll just have to tell them that weekend is off. (like we get so many people clamouring for invitations!)

Soooooo, anyone else?

IÂm at a stand still right now Laurie, IÂm not sure I can go. We have a family reunion on the long weekend of August and guess whose hosting it this year? As well that particular weekend is my regular weekend to work and at my workplace it goes by seniority for vacation and weekends are usually eaten up by the big guys.

IÂm hoping thou ;)

Sharon

I will be trying to make it but won't know($ wise) until a bit closer in. DH has been awarded a fellowship in engineering and he has to go to Yellowknife for the conference this year in June. I may go with him and the flight is a bit pricey. But, hopefully, I'll still be able to get there.

Shauna

Shaaaaron! Shauuuuna! (whining) You have to come! I will cry.

I'm still planning on going. Marcia (or anyone else), if you want to talk about driving together, send me an e-mail ok?

There's a commercial on the local rock radio station for a contest for bus fare for two to the Lily Festival in Neepawa... then they say just kidding, it's airfare to a certain concert in Vancouver. LOL First time I heard it I was mad because I wanted to win bus fare to Neepawa.

I won't be able to come unfortunately. I may still end up in Ontario though because my BIL has cancer and is not doing very well at all... (yeah, don't even want to think about it...). For our summer vacation we are heading to BC because we haven't seen DH's side of the family in a while and also another sister of mine and her family lives out that way too.

My oldest DD wrote down all the activities we have planned/booked for the summer on the calendar and now I'm already stressing! Sheeesh! LOL and summer isn't even here yet! Guess that's the joy of having 'Tweens, hey? LOL

Ang

Honest, I will be trying my best to get there. If Sharon and Ang don't come, though, who'd drive with me? Anyone in the Alberta region planning the trip? Pudge, maybe I can swing by your way and pick you up? You're only, what . . ., 7 hours away from Edmonton? Then we could travel the other 10 or 11 hours together. Might work.

I'm not ruling it out yet, but I do have to wait a bit to see what is going on this summer still.

Shauna

I really hope that things work out so that both of you, Shauna and Sharon, can come out. So, we'll have Gillian and Marcia and, hopefully, a ton of grandbaby pictures to see!

Hopefully there's more people who are interested out there in coming out, because Brenda's got a whole bunch of great gardens lined up that we can view, and the Lily Nook and festival will be the cherry on top of the cake!

Remember this is open to all the far northerners who've been posting, even if you've just joined in, in the past little while. If you'd like more detailed directions as to where Brenda's and my properties are, you can email either one of us. But basically we're in the Brandon Manitoba area.

Consider this to be your invitation to come meet everybody and put a face to a name! I know I'm starting to get excited about our get together. :0)

Laurie

I am just bumping this up.

Anyone who is interested in joining Laurie and I for a fun weekend of visiting, touring gardens in the area and seeing the Lily Nook, please email Laurie or I privately so we can give you more information on our plans for the weekend of July 21 and 22.

We would love to meet any FNer that can come on out.

BTW, Laurie is giving a free gas plant to anyone who comes.

Brenda