Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Released by the Aliens!

Why else would I not update my blog for close to three weeks?

Or perhaps I was in denial after waking up to a fresh snowfall one day?

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However, waking up these days is a lot easier with the sun rising before 6 AM and shining in my bedroom window trying to blind me about the same time as Hailey makes it her duty to see that I am awake.  Having a morning coffee on the front deck is a lot like RV’ing.  It is super quiet here, if you don’t consider the swirling flocks of cliff and barn swallows chattering to each other, the sound of the river splashing on the rocks, the robins, the gaggles of Canada geese honking as they leave the river and head past on their way to graze on the fresh green grass, and the tinkle of Hailey’s bell as she keeps the mice and other small critters honest.  P4273068

The herd of deer moves off into cover for the day as a lone flicker pounds his head against a dead tree; the  beaver and muskrat seek out their daytime hiding places.

Then I got the e-mail I had been expecting from Chris at Back Country RV in Lethbridge.  It turns out that the repairs are complete, the new axle is installed, and the unit is ready for pickup.  They arranged to have the wheel alignment done as well before I came back for it, and repaired a couple of small cosmetic things on the rig too. The good news was that a new mortgage was not required to pay the damages!  I was looking forward to being re-united with most of my ‘stuff’, having packed everything I could think of into the truck when we had to leave the rig behind.  I headed back south the next day for the reunion.

Heading south from Calgary, I rolled into Nanton, and did something I have been meaning to do for a long time.  Nanton is home to the Bomber Command Museum of Canada.  My uncle Clifford was a bomb aimer on the crew of Halifax LW 682 M that was shot down on a night bombing raid over Belgium on the night of May 12, 1944, almost 68 years ago to the day.  Although my uncles body was recovered at the time and buried in Belgium, several of the crew were not recovered as the plane sank in a bog.  Through the dedication and efforts of a large number of individuals, the plane LW 682 and the remaining crew members were recovered in September 1997. (check all the links)P5103166

Still outside the museum, I quickly spotted uncle Clifford’s name, along with hundreds of others.

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Inside, they displayed a piece from the propeller from his downed plane that was recovered from the bog.

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Also inside the museum, another restored Halifax bomber was on display.  I could actually go inside it and see where my uncle and his crew would have been on that night raid.

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Back out on the road southbound through Granum, it appeared that there had been up to 5” of new snow overnight, however most of it had melted and the roads were all bare and dry.  The area down here is known for it’s windy conditions, and this was demonstrated by the guywires on this tower.  This type of tower is usually free standing, but this one was well tied down!

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The guys at Back Country RV Service, 3109 12 Avenue North, Lethbridge, AB  (403) 320-0841 had taken good care of the rig, keeping it plugged in and ready to go upon my arrival.  They let me fill a bit of water too, as I had drained all onboard to reduce the weight while limping in on three wheels! They are a new shop in Lethbridge, so if you are in the area and need some maintenance, parts or repairs, I recommend giving them a call.  They treated me just great.

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After hooking up we headed west towards Pincher Creek where we had some visiting to do.  We managed to skirt the perimeter of a very dark looking cloud along the way, but stayed dry.P5103197

Back at home, we have been off the ground for some photos, while waiting for the grass to green up and enjoying some real summer-like weather.

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Here we are, finally updating the blog.P5143321

It may be a while before we blog again, but hang in there and keep checking back to see what we are up to!

8 comments:

  1. Good to see you are reunited with all your "stuff". I know what you mean when you talk about the constant din around your place. We are inundated with woodpeckers and bluebirds, as well as tree swallows swirling by here. Not to mention the moose who even though they try to be as quiet as possible can hardly walk through the yard without breaking a few branches. And don't get me on the geese and ducks always causing a ruckus. Oh well someone has to do this and I guess it might as well be me.

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  2. Glad you're all back together. I missed your entries.

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  3. Liked that dark cloud/green landscape photo. I had misread your last post & thought you had limped the 5ver all the way home. Oh how I wish the only sounds we had all day were all natural. Just the sound of a human voice drives me bonkers. But alas, it's just the way it has to be for us. It has been all the quiet boondocking spots over the past 5 years that has totally destroyed my tolerance for any kinds of human sounds. You are very fortunate to be so far afield from all the humanoids:))

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  4. I've been a lurker on you site for awhile. I always get a kick out of your cat. Wondering if you can give me some advise. I'm flying into Calary this Aug, renting a truck camper and driving a loop from Calary to Glacier NP, to Parson (Golden) BC and back to Calary. Can you suggest a good route to take from Calary to GNP or any places to check out on the way? How 'bout from GNP to Parsons? (Golden)What kind of driving conditions should I expect?

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  5. Thanks for a great blog! It surely gives me some ides where to go on my road trip.

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  6. You sure live in a beautiful place! Enjoy your blog.

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  7. If I can experience this kind of road trip this was become really memorable to me. Because it can happen only in my dreams.

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  8. Dear Ivan. Have to question the title of the blog. With no activity for so long, I have the feeling that the Aliens stopped by once again! First round of probes inconclusive?? Hope they are feeding you well and you are surviving without a Meals on Wheels visit from friends! Cheers Duane

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