Thursday, February 25, 2010

So I know what you've been thinking! Where am I? What am I doing in the frozen north?

Well, I have been busy anyway. The man reason I came back was so I could head to Ottawa for a few days to take care of some fall-out from work. That trip got called off with only a couple days to spare, so then plan B and C were put into effect.


First off, was a trip to Wycliffe, BC (near Cranbrook) to visit with some friends who I used to work with and have now retired. Accomodation was luxurious in the brand new B&B that my friends have built.
Everyone had their own room, and there was a separate living room/ dining room, though we spent most of our time with the hosts in their living area.
It is located right on the St Mary's river, and will be open for official business very shortly.
It was very comfortable, and of course the hosts were just great.
Even Ollie the cat was enjoying his visit, having come over from Alberta to check things out.
Upon departure, I decided to head east through the Crowsnest Pass area, so that I could go through Calgary on the long way back.
It rained for a while, then cleared nicely as I passed through the towns in the pass.

Of course this is the location of the famous 'Frank Slide' where half a mountainside came crashing down and right across the valley early in the century, burying part of the town and killing both miners and townspeople.
The present highway runs right through the slide deposit, and is still almost devoid of any vegetation.

I was in Calgary to pick up a propane hose for my 5th wheel, that I had been waiting for for a long time. I was willing to wait another week or so to pick it up, but I was informed that the dealership and two other related ones were out of business as of the end of the week. I was glad that most of my warranty issues had already been dealt with and that they cared enough to call and make sure I got the hose. I guess things are still tough in the RV business.
Of course, once I got home, I discovered that the hose will need some adapters to make it fit!
I spent part of the weekend cat-sitting the cat that had been on our Yukon/Alaska adventure late last summer. We watched some of the Olympics on TV!
And checked out some empty bookcases, ready for the eventual move to my house in the country later this year ...
And I did finally make it out there to check things out - first time in 3 months. Everything was just as I had left it, and the power had not even been off once.
I was starting to get bored around home, even though I had been busy moving my new propane heater from the truck camper to the fifth wheel.
So much so that I even got out on the XC ski trails for a day or two to enjoy the sunshine and solitude.
Of course I was still jealous of Wandering Willy, and the Bayfield Bunch and others who are still enjoying the warmth of the California and Arizona deserts!
But I am hoping that before March is very old I may have the chance to drag the new 5th down the road for a while to find somewhere warm till the snow melts around here.
Sorry to leave you in the dark for so long, but stay tuned and watch for our departure - complete with some new travel 'toys'!

2 comments:

  1. Nice to hear from you again Ivan. I drove that Crowsnest past route back in late 74. Your snow scenes look nice & I know what you mean by cross country skiing & solitude. I used to really enjoy that & the quiet peacefulness of a sunny winter's day in the woods is like no other. Days are getting warmer here & the desert is really greening up. Safe travels.... AL:))

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  2. I have enjoyed reading your posts, but are you aware that on HitchItch you are listed as Road Trip 2009? I like that you inlcude photos of the road traveled as it gives me a feeling of taking the trip myself. I love the Banff and Jasper area and the way you travel, which is similar to the way I like to travel, not staying too long in one place. Gene S.

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