Home from our camping trip to Saskatchewan

On Thursday the 8th, late afternoon, we got back from our trip to Saskatchewan for Fran's 90th birthday, the Dierkers 50th wedding anniversary, and the 100th anniversary of St. Patrick's Parish in Cupar.  Saskatchewan is having some horrible weather.  Sheets of rain bucketing down, hail the size of golf balls, a tornado and when the sun came out it was blistering hot.  Add mosquitoes to this mix and it did not make for a great visit.  Nevertheless, it was good to see everyone. 
On our way out we the Alberta Icefields highway with many photo opportunity stops.  We stopped at the Columbia Icefields center and took the Ice Bus out onto the Athabasca Glacier.  Very nice part of the trip!  We stopped at the Athabasca Falls and other ones, too.  More photos later, if I get time.  On the way home we stopped at the Bridal Veil Falls in B.C.  There is also a Bridal Veil Falls in Alberta.
I managed to get the laundry done, and the house plants watered, on Friday.  The Pixie miniature cattalyea orchid has 3 blooms.
Saturday, I spent about 3 hours out in the garden.  Have the bits of grass mowed.  I clipped back the St.John's and Virginia creeper along the driveway... both sides.  I clipped down some of the plants that have bloomed along here also.   I then swept the mess of the driveways and put this all into my big green compost bin.  I also clipped off some of the holly tree so that it is not hanging over my perennials.  I will need to do more of this dead heading soon to get things looking good.   I put the sprinkler on the back veggie garden and apple tree area for a while and then moved it to the front later.  The grass strip at the front along the street is dry, so I imagine the purple plum tree there, needs more water.  Before we left on our trip I began digging over the area around the plum tree and have about half of it done.  I am going to remove all the lemon balm as it is very invasive.  It smells nice and is nice and freshly green color, though.  The potatoes and tomatoes in the veggie garden look rather sad and dry.  Hope this water got to them in time.  We are having a heat wave and it has got to be the worst time to be out gardening.   The little rockery plants at the front and back seem to have survived.  The only loss I have noticed so far is the little erodium in the sun dial circle.  I really like this plant and will keep getting them, until I manage to get a nice patch of them growing.  The montebresia, roses, achillia, lavatera, campanulas, daylilies, the lace cap hydrangea, and a few other plants are in bloom.  The water iris bloomed while we were away and with my watering it seems to have become damaged and all the lovely blooms are looking poorly.  Or, maybe it is just finished blooming. 
I spent quite a bit of time on Megashot, catching up on all the new things that have been done while I was away.  The Flower contest is over and the Nature photos contest is in full swing.  Lots of new members and lots of good participation in the Contests.