Backyard

To sum up Vegas, it was a good trip.  I was glad to go.  There might even be another opportunity to go back, and if that is the case, I'd go.  It was the type of trip that started out inexpensive at $400 CDN for the direct flights from Toronto, and about $350 CDN for 3 nights hotel, but once you get rolling and going, it added up with food and drink money, with more food and drink, with incidentals like cabs, and resort fees, the basketball was $60 CDN.  So it finished on the tad-ish expensive side..... (a glass of wine at the casino was $18 US, coffee was $3.50 US, breakfasts would get up to $20 without indulging too much, a bit for parking at the airport of course, and just the other stuff there is...).  The company with Bill, Brad and Rich was priceless however.  I ended up playing in a $50 buy in Texas Hold'Em tournament with 22 people or so, and I was probably the 7th or 8th person eliminated.  That was all I gambled away and contributed to the lore of Las Vegas.

The backyard is looking decent these days.  The pond is 70% covered with different plants like lilies, duck weed, and a lettuce type aquatic plant.  Surrounding its perimetre is a whole bunch of yellow geraniums.  The eight fish within are quite content and swimming happily as far as I can tell.  A number of water lilies have bloomed and they are either pink or yellow.  They show themselves proudly during the day, and wrap themselves up at night and on cloudier days.

Noticeably missing are our 3 chickens = no more backyard chickens for us until we sort out a few issues such as keeping them contained.  And as it is the word from Ashfield Township is that our ladies have been targeted by a raccoon and have died.  They weren't laying eggs anymore anyway.

The other part of the backyard is presentable.  There isn't too much going on except some tomato plants, a few more geraniums that are red, and some lilies.  The basil I had tucked in the mix did not take to its location whatsoever.  It could have been the soil, the sun, the water, a combination, but the basil wilted yellowish brown before any of it could be plucked off and used.  However, as I recall this wasn't the first time this plot proved poor for the garnish, so I must find a different location in the future for it.

Last weekend Shelly and I dropped off the kids in Guelph and went to Toronto for a wedding reception.  The couple had gotten married on the Friday, and on Saturday there was a 100 person party at the Ward Island Association clubhouse.  The afternoon was to be a relaxing day playing different yard games and enjoying drinks and hors d'oeuvres.  There was an opportunity to explore Toronto Island too.  We had parked our truck at a buddies and biked the 10km to the ferry dock.  It was a terrible go as my sense of adventure and excitement was nearly thwarted by my companion's fear of the volume of Toronto traffic.  It wasn't without incident and scornful looks, I'll tell you that, but we made it alive, both ways even.  Shelly is not one for city biking. 

Fremont Freaks

One of many iconic Vegas attractions is the half mile block of Fremont Street.  It is at the far north end of Downtown Vegas.  It is also known as Old Vegas.  It is nothing like The Byward Market in Ottawa or Les Rambles in Barcelona.  It is a constant carnival of sounds and sights.  The old casinos still have lettered advertisements that would remind you of a drive in theatre.  There is nothing contemporary or cosmopolitan about this area, but neat nevertheless.

While Rich played in a poker tournament, Brad and I walked and got off this trail.  We got over the Container Park, which is incidental a-new-fangled eatery and social area with some kids playground stuff. From there we walked up to the Gold and Silver Pawn Shop which has the TV show, and then we walked another mile up to a the Arts District.  The Arts District was really neat, and we spent a good hour in and out of vintage clothing shops, antique stores, and a cool oddities store.  Surprisingly it was not busy.  All of the store owners were super friendly and chit chat was the norm.  I didn’t buy anything, but there was a lot of really cool stuff.

But back to Fremont Street.  Things are a bit cheaper and less refined.  In the south end of the city the “show girls” who insist on photos with tourists such as myself are more attractive and not so pushy, where as the girls down here have significantly less clothes on, are pushier, and not nearly as photogenic, perhaps.  In uptown Vegas there are many shows and entertainment is a big deal at the casinos, on Fremont no such luck.

First Few Days In Vegas

There isn’t anything more opposite within a two week time frame from being in Gettysburg, to Las Vegas.  But I have managed....  Bill, Brad, Richy and I boarded an Air Canada flight on Saturday morning and in four hours we touched down in Las Vegas.  We immediately lost on the first bet with an unscrupulous cab driver who hosed us on the fare, but we eventually got to the New York New York Hotel and Casino which would be our put off point for the next few days.

The impetus for the trip was different for everyone.  Bill is really into NBA basketball and the league’s rookie tournament is in play at the UNLV campus.  So that is going on.  Rich and Brad and not only interested in basketball, but some cars play as well.  I was invited and tagged along for both of the listed reasons, as well as wanting to just check it out as I’ve never been to Sin Cory before.  Needless to say, but so far everybody has been able to check some done items off the list, and done a few extras.

The basketball was busy.  It starts at noon, and there are continuous games in two gymnasiums until eleven at night or so.  The games are a bit shorter in length, and there are special rules about which players can and cannot play, but the gist of it all is what you’d expect.  There are a few sloppy plays from time to time, and it can all look a bit disheveled, but there are a tone of guys grinding it out to make the big leagues.  It is not uncommon to run into players in the lobby or walking through the arena.  I mention this not being star struck, but in awe of their size!  They are just massive people who do well to make the court look small.

As for the sightseeing, that is a sizeable event to.  The fountains at the Bellagio and its interior is incredible and well worth seeing.  We have also walked through Ceaser’s and the Flamingo.  The Luxor is cavernous, and Excalibur is also quite impressive.  We have been in and out of a number of the common shops on South Las Vegas Boulevard, but haven’t gone north up to Fremont Street yet.  Undoubtedly everything is big.  Vegas is go big, or go home for sure.