July is almost over!

How did that happen?  My last post was at the start of June, and here it is almost the end of July.  Well, contrary to appearances, Ms Hailey and I have not fallen off the edge of the earth or been abducted by aliens.  Even though there have been lots of bloggable photos and a few interesting events, there just did not seem to be the time to sit down and put anything up there on the cloud.  That’s my excuse and I’m sticking with it!  Of course, many ‘RV’ type bloggers are at home for the summer and do not post much at all.  I could point out that Jean & Skip have not posted since March, when they got home to Vancouver Island; John & Brenda had not posted since June, but after they failed to show at the Dogpound rodeo, I paid them a visit in person, and that seems to have resulted in a very recent post; Mike and Fousie have not posted since they showed up on the NASA site on earth day; Don & Donna had not posted since June 22, but I also paid them a visit and a recent post has emerged!; and of course Wandering Willy has not blogged for years.  Sassy has been only slightly better than I, with a June 9th post.

But fortunately for those of us who like to read blogs, the Bayfield Bunch is always right up to date, as is RV Sue, and of course Wheeling It shines with great writing and photos to match.  I see that RV Dreams has ventured up into Canada to visit Tobermory, Ontario and Bruce Peninsula Fathom Five National Park – where I worked for a very brief spell way back when.

In my last post I referred to a road trip, which took place during the latter part of June.  The weather at the fire camp was somewhat depressing, so when I got offered the chance to fill in at a fire lookout in northern Alberta, I loaded up my furry grey partner, and off we went.

The lookout was about an hour and a half’s drive north of Slave Lake, and was situated among a cluster of small lakes, which meant that flocks of pelicans and a few bald eagles were always around.

Of course the tower comes with a little cabin in the woods …

My 10 days there went by quickly, the weather was mostly dry, and I managed to spot a lightning-caused fire one day.  Helicopters and crews were quickly on it, and it failed to make the news!

Meanwhile, Hailey kept an eye out for those big northern mices.

The whole area was busy and numerous helicopters and water bombers were constantly in the zone, keeping life interesting.

Before long, our time was done, and we headed back south for a brief visit at home.

The fire conditions had picked up considerably back at the home base, so when I returned to camp, it was a hub of activity and helicopters, and the smell of smoke …

Stay tuned for the next post! (It won’t be as long, promise)