Sunday 30 September 2012

 'On the road again'...

I was driven to write a blues, the 'TNT blues', recalling our long wait for the gear box, chorus ...get us on the road again, on the road again. Not fit for publishing but it scratched a creative itch.

Finally, we have a new working gear box and we headed straight from the Gear Centre garage in Edmonton, towards Jasper.


Our first overnight stop at Kinky Lake (!), Whitehorse Provincial Park, was just as I imagined Canada would be. We celebrated our release from Edmonton with some Bubbly, just here, just us. Aah!

And in the morning the view was even better.


On into Jasper to one of the few campsites still open, 'Whistlers'.
From there we took the beautiful drive to Maligne lake.
Medicine lake below was on the way. I have been so looking forward to seeing the autumn colours. We were just in time.





This chipmunk was not moving from finishing it's afternoon tea while we all snapped away.














It is Elk mating season and a frisky pair ran in front of the van as we entered the town campsite.
No bears today but a Grisly with a couple of cubs were in the camp two days ago. In August, the park rangers removed all the berry bushes to deter the bears from being a nuisance.
The Jasper town campsite, Whistlers is the largest in North America with over 700 woodland sites! Today, we are virtually alone in our loop, other than the odd Elk!
A Bear Trap ready!

 Maligne Lake.


This Mule deer and young made a dash in front of us walking along Lake Maligne soon followed by another pair from the forest. Relieved to find they weren't Elk.

Thursday 20 September 2012

Well, what have we been doing while waiting for our parts.....

Still in Alberta, near Edmonton

We have been mixing with celebrities. This is Buttercup, as seen on You tube. She famously skateboards. Her owner, funnily enough, comes from Aylesbury, UK, where I used to teach....small world!


With all the other campers, we have been polluting the atmosphere! Steak, marinated in red wine, cooked on the campfire was the best steak we have had for a long time.

The air was full of dragonflies in Pembina Provincial Park and in Wabamun town, 30km down the road, the dragonfly is the town symbol.











 

We walked into Wabamun town a few times, about 12km return, to shop and watch the boats launch in the marina.  Lots of water sport on the large lake here.
Locals drop boats into the water like wives drop commuting husbands off at the railway station.


I have been trying to keep up with yoga, inside the van to
avoid  'down dogging' in public. i.e. bum in the air. No photos!
Supine movements find me with one leg lopping into the loo, but needs must.
Along the river in Pembina Provincial Park we played Pooh log, a version of Pooh sticks but with logs! It passed the time with childish pleasure, as we walked along the river bed.

I enjoy the wild flowers and the trees starting to turn, especially when caught in the evening sun.

On first glance a nylon cord but no,
a Garter snake.

Bit of a mushroom theme developing over the weeks. I am attracted to their shape and texture, I suppose!

I hope we get fixed up soon.... ready to move on!



Sunday 9 September 2012

Unfortunately, a gear box isn't in our spares box..

Our usual pace of moving on day after day has somewhat slowed as we are only able to drive comfortably in 5th gear! So, towns and traffic lights are are to be avoided at the moment and we are hanging around until we get Man fixed up, then we will be off again to Jasper.

Meanwhile..


We visited the Western Development Museum in Saskatoon. A wonderful museum stuffed full of items in its Boomtown Street, depicting life in 1910.
The Métis first nation decorated their clothes and moccasins colourfully at this time.
I am finding the multicultural history of Canada fascinating.



There were great collections of tractors, steam engines, farm machinery etc. This stylish Cadillac was one of many iconic cars.














Pysanka - decorated wooden eggs from the Ukrainian Museum


While in Saskatoon we met up with some friendly, expert canoeists we had previously seen in Northern Saskatchewan, Randy and his wife Doreen and Ann. Between them they kindly showed us around.









We enjoyed a lunch of Bison burgers followed by Saskatoon berry pie (a bit like blueberries) a Vietnamese supper and two evenings of entertainment and really good fireworks on the Saskatchewan river side.


Fiery entertainment in Saskatoon

 

 More wildlife

We see so many of these caterpillars on the paths. Called the yellow and black caterpillar? Surely they have another name??? Anybody know?

 

 Elk Island National Park, Alberta


These bison were part of a herd in Elk Island National Park that stood their ground across the road.
They had been wallowing in the weed/algae covered lakes.
A very pretty spot. We hiked a few trails but didn't come across any Elk, Bears or Bison on the path. Lucky or a pity depending on your point of view!