Red Deer, Canada

Calgary, Canada

My visit to Calgary is ending as it began, with grey, dark, ominous clouded skies and light showers and the odd sunny break. It’s been a cool weekend, with pouring rain most of Saturday but sunny and very usable today. One of the craziest coincidences of this trip is that one of my BC-based friends, Barbara, (she was the first person I spoke to about federal politics back in 1993 when she was Riding President in Vancouver Quadra) was visiting friends in Calgary this week and she discovered that we were just 5 minutes away from each other. So of course we had to get together to rag chew. We did so at a great restaurant recommended by Barbara’s Calgary friend called The Lazy Loaf and Kettle. They had great generously-portioned, and gorgeously gooey cinnamon buns; the kind that you eat with a knife and fork. <a href=”http://www.lazyloafandkettle.com” target=”_blank” rel=”nofollow”>www.lazyloafandkettle .com</a> Given my historical political involvement with folks from this part of Canada, you won’t be surprised to hear I have quite a lot of friends in Calgary and I was able to meet up with some, but not all, of them this weekend. Susan, very kindly invited me to dinner when I let her know I was going to be in the neighbourhood. She has previously been a gracious host to my participation in a couple of Stampede weeks and I always enjoy a visit with her, her Mom, and furry friend Riley. I met Riley as a pup and she can in no way be considered a pup any longer. Susan’s newly renovated kitchen is beautiful and the food coming from it was just as great as in the past. And another friend, Cynthia, very kindly allowed me to tag along to a house warming party that she was hosting last evening so I was able to catch up with a few people and to make some new friends. Great to see you Cynthia, Bruce, Troy and Lisa. Jim and Karen and Stacey and Jason, it will have to wait until my next visit to get together. Sorry I missed you. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to meet up with Jane and her partner Lance either because they were singing in a couple of festivals in southern Alberta. I met Jane on a tour of Spain back a few years, and she’s the sister of good Ottawa friend, Anne. If you’re in the Calgary area and looking for some great musicians, consider Jane Allan and Lance Arnell, Musicians for Hire. <a href=”http://www.allanandarnell.com” target=”_blank” rel=”nofollow”>http://www.allanandar nell.com</a>     Again coincidentally, another out-of-town friend was in Calgary visiting family this week. Gillian, “the elder” (her suggestion to keep from confusing her with my daughter Gillian), from Ottawa dropped by with a very well mannered and patient, 4 year old, “Captain America” clad, grandson. They got a personal tour of my home on wheels and stayed for tea, which appallingly I had to serve in a plastic mug without proper steeping (and Gillian being British-born)! Oh yes, as you will have seen from the subject line, today is a milestone birthday for me. It’s a year of milestone dates, actually. I turn 60, daughter Gillian turns 30 in September, my Mom turned 95 in May, and it would have been my 40th wedding anniversary in a couple of weeks (yes, I was married at a rather youthful age). The funny thing is that I don’t feel 60 at all, except on the days when my sacra-iliac joint is acting up. It’s amazing to me that just last year on my birthday the notion of going on my “No Fixed Address North American Adventure” or more recently coined “Magical Mystery Tour”, was just crystallizing in my mind. I was still working and when pressed by my Boss’ Chief of Staff to articulate what my goals and objectives were for the coming year while enjoying the traditional celebratory cake, without hesitation I said that I’d be fulfilling a life-long dream of buying some sort of RV and touring North America. I was a little shocked that it actually came out of my mouth as I really hadn’t articulated it prior to that. The Chief of Staff was even a little shocked to hear it as well, as I was not specific about the timing of this journey. As it turned out, it came together sooner than even I expected much to the Chief’s further consternation. As one does on these milestone birthdays, I have spent some time today reflecting about my life past and that which is to come. Like everyone, my life has had its ups and downs. 2007/8 will go down in my life’s history book as my very own “annus horribilis” but that too was a growth experience and I couldn’t have enjoyed some of the highs of the years since without having experienced the lows of that year. Time passed since then has allowed the positive experiences to float to the top of my memory pool. My emotions came alive again as a result of that experience and while there have been many tears and set backs, there have been so many moments of sheer joy and lust for life. Of course, sixty is the new forty, as everyone tells me, and there is even evidence of this in the below newspaper article. And you believe everything you read in newspapers, right? <a href=”http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/tech nology-science/science/sixty-new-40-hea lthy-living-5525916″ target=”_blank” rel=”nofollow”>http://www.mirror.co. uk/news/technology-science/science/sixt y-new-40-healthy-living-5525916</a&g t; So this is the year that I cross a North American camping adventure off my bucket list. Good to do it this year, while I’m still mostly able to manage the physical part of it, and brave (or foolish) enough to tackle the unknown. I totally buy into the benefits of life long learning, and I have always liked to challenge myself outside my comfort zone. Well, this trip is doing that in spades. I just hope I’m still alive at the end of it to put what I’ve learned to use in some other way. 🙂 Tomorrow I will meander up the highway to Edmonton (unless you’re in Cape Breton in which case I’ll meander DOWN the highway to Edmonton) to visit with my niece Lisa and great-niece Amber who are also Leos and to celebrate our birthdays together. P.S. My thanks to niece Lori for the following link to my birthday horoscope. I don’t follow horoscopes normally but there are some pretty relevant parts in here. <a href=”http://www.cafeastrology.com/birt hday/august16_2015.html” target=”_blank” rel=”nofollow”>http://www.cafeastrol ogy.com/birthday/august16_2015.html< /a>

Calgary, Canada

It’s now Friday evening and I’m settled into my spot just west of Calgary on the hillside where the 88 Olympic ski jump was held and where there is still a training facility. The campground is in a lovely setting and it’s clear it used to be a KOA by the design of the buildings and site. It is packed to the rafters but because of the slope and trees it doesn’t feel crowded.

But backtracking just a little, yesterday I started in Brandon, Manitoba (did I mention that is where my Mother was born just a few years ago) and my first stop was a visit with the good folks at Pik-A-Dilly RV Centre. What great people. They had my plastic moulding fixed in just 30 minutes with minimal cost, and I was on my way. Got some great advice from them about some accessories I could buy at CamperWorld in the States.

Not long on the road I was already seeing my first oil pump-jack near Virden (where I got a massive speeding ticket once – I learned from that experience) and crossed over into Saskatchewan. People always think of Saskatchewan as being flat as a pancake. And in vast parts it is. But for long stretches along the TransCanada Highway the countryside is rolling with ever changing colours of green and yellow and browns with big blue skies. Some have said to me that it must be boring driving across the prairies, but to be truthful I love it and find there is always something to see. The farmers working the fields, cowboys moving along the herd using ATVs and working on the fences. Small towns dot the landscape and the odd elevator along the train line. Places like:

Indian Head, incorporated back in 1902, and which at one time was the largest point of initial shipment of wheat in the world. Today perhaps more relevant is that the television sitcom Little Mosque on the Prairie which aired on the People’s Network (CBC) 2007-12 was filmed partly in Indian Head.

Chaplin, on Chaplin Lake, is home for huge numbers of shorebirds. The main business of Chaplin are harvesting the sodium sulphate deposits of Chaplin Lake through an evaporation method and another company catches and packages the brine shrimp that thrive in the salt water of Chaplin Lake. There is some synergy there because both of these industries help preserve the water supply to support the needs of the shorebirds.

Morse, nothing to do with Morse Code and not known for much of anything except this great looking elevator.

Many of the small towns boast their contribution to the NHL or the curling world. I heard on the radio that Saskatchewan contributes more players to the NHL than any other province. I don’t know if that’s true or has some qualifiers such as “per capita” but seeing as many signs as you do would indicate there must be some truth to it.

I stopped for the night in Swift Current, and I’m not afraid to admit I cheated a little. I stayed in a lovely motel last night. I had been without good wifi for so long that I needed to catch up on planning the next few weeks of my trip and getting caught up on some emails, etc. Also, glad to use a shower that you didn’t have to wear your flip flops into.

I didn’t get underway too early this morning, luxuriating in the simple motel amenities, and free breakfast. It was a great travel day, although it was brutally hot along the way which caused a haze rather than the usual blue prairie skies. As I got closer to Calgary, though, it got cooler and cooler and it was pretty dark and stormy when I arrived. I got set up just as it was starting to spit a little, and I expected to be spending the evening inside and not able to BBQ the steak I had planned for dinner tonight. Within about 20 minutes it started to clear and it’s now much later and I did BBQ that steak and veggies from brother Rae’s garden and I’m still sitting outside enjoying the clear, blue sky, and cooler air.

Swift Current, Canada

Regina, Canada

Brandon, Canada

Yesterday I spent a great day at Grand Beach. It was cloudy and cool in the morning, but cleared and warmed up as the day went on and I was able to get in some quality beach time; sitting in the shade, and reading a book. A day like that every once in a while is a great break. The experience at Grand Beach was a lesson learned in “dry camping” in more of a rustic environment. I had an electrical hook up but no water or sewer. I hadn’t used the water holding tank and pump before so I had to remember how to do all that. It also was a lesson in how much water 40 gallons really is, and the answer is, not much! Let’s just say it’s a good thing I’m travelling alone and one shower could do me for 2 days. I enjoyed the slower pace though and it certainly was quiet sleeping. The mosquitos were pretty ferocious, and I’ve been a Vancouver girl for a long time so am spoiled about that. Don’t think I’d do that kind of camping on a regular basis, but glad to have tried it out in such a beautiful spot. Today was a travel and visit day and an example of the extremes of Canadian summers. I started out in Grand Beach under overcast skies, and cool temperatures. (18 degrees) I only went as far as the northern outskirts of Winnipeg where I met up with my friend and former political colleague, Aaron, to have a visit. Great to catch up with him as it’s been quite some time since we’ve had a chance to chat and he’s really not an email kind of guy. 🙂 As I was arriving to meet Aaron, one thunderstorm was going through and the ominous clouds were to the west, the direction I was travelling. Between Winnipeg and Portage la Prairie the next band of storms hit and I had to pull over because of so much rain, wind and hail. No dents in the new car thank goodness. Behind that front was a heat wave and so by the time I got to Brandon, and my next visit spot, it was 32 degrees. I expect we’ll be in for another thunderstorm tonight. In Brandon I was able to meet up with my elementary school friend Brenda and her husband Don, who were on their way back to Winnipeg from a camping and bicycling trip in Alberta. Again, great to be able to catch up, although Brenda and I have recently been in touch lots both in person and through email after she found me through mutual friends. We hadn’t been in contact for decades. And it was fortuitous timing indeed, since just 25 km out of Brandon I noticed that some weather stripping on my trailer seemed to be flapping in the wind. It’s a moulding that covers the joint between the front and sides of the trailer. It looks like something lightly hit the moulding and caused it to come out of it’s channel and the heat and wind did the rest. Don is very tall and handy and so between he, Brenda and I (mostly he and Brenda) we managed to get a band of duct tape on the moulding to hold it on until I can get it repaired. I have made an appointment to have an RV Service place look at it first thing in the morning.   I seem to be single handedly keeping them in business as I travel across the country and hope I can look back at this blog in the future and laugh at all the adventures I’ve had. Tonight I’m sure not in that place. So I’m sitting in Tim Horton’s catching up on email and doing this blog until it cools down a little. My car said the external temperature was 41 at one point. My trailer does have A/C and I haven’t used it yet, so we’ll see what adventure that brings. Thankfully it runs on electricity which is supplied by the RV Park.

Winnipeg, Canada

Grand Beach Provincial Park, Canada

Today was a travel day heading north from Winnipeg to Grand Beach, a beautiful white sand beach on the shores of Lake Winnipeg. Lake Winnipeg is the 6th largest fresh water lake in Canada and the 3rd largest contained entirely within Canada. And it’s the 11th largest freshwater lake in the world. Really drives home the point about how fortunate we are to have so much fresh water.

As I was travelling along Highway 59, I noted a sign for Lockport, one of our old haunts and home of another Winnipeg institution, Half Moon. They serve the best hot dogs in the world according to many, myself included. And by coincidence, they buy their wieners from the company that my brother, Rae, has worked with for almost as long as it’s been around…..no just kidding about that part – they’ve been around for 100 years. It’s called Winnipeg Old Country Sausage, and they sell to everyone who serves great hotdogs around Winnipeg. You can read an interesting article about them at this link:

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/busine ss/selling-good-food-for-generations-16 3983836.html

After a short stop for a foot long hot dog, I was off again and since I was in the neighbourhood I decided to stop and have a look at a Parks Canada National Historic Site, Lower Fort Garry. I hadn’t been there since I was in grade 5 or there about. In BC, where our daughter was educated, they learned about the gold rush in Canadian History Class but in Manitoba we learned all about the Red River Settlers (who settled at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers – yup, you got it, The Forks). There was a fort there, Upper Fort Garry, of which only the gate is still standing, across the street from Union Train Station. But there was also a fort further north on the Red River called Lower Fort Garry built by the Hudson’s Bay Company attempting to establish it as the major trading centre after Lower Fort Garry was flooded. But the population had already coalesced around The Forks and it never became a really vibrant centre of commerce.

After wandering around the fort, I headed further northeast to the east shore beaches of Lake Winnipeg and the grand lady of them all, Grand Beach. It is a fine, white sand beach with beautiful sand dunes that seriously rivals many of the beaches around the world, it’s just that it’s covered in snow for a good chunk of the year. And because it’s so shallow it’s nice and warm and the bottom is sand formed into ripples by the waves with no rocks. Only downside is you have to walk out quite far to get wet.

I plan to park myself in the water tomorrow as the forecast is for it to hit 30 degrees.

P.S. Thanks to those of you who pointed out that BDI is located in Elm Park, not the neighbourhood of Elmwood as I had originally posted.

P.P.S. Also, thanks to cousin Donna for the huge zucchinis, jam and dish clothes she brought with her when she came to see my trailer last night.

Winnipeg, Canada

I spent a lovely lazy Sunday morning chatting with brother Rae on his front steps enjoying the cool air of the morning while I did a final load of laundry. That was after another fabulous Chef Fines meal of grilled cinnamon and pecan buns and bacon. Rae raided his garden for me to take along some veggies and I was on my way.

I spent some fun time this after noon catching up with Rhonda, the friend I’ve known the longest in my life. We hadn’t seen each other for a few years so it was great to hear what was happening in her life and family and share some of what is going on in mine. We have lots of stories to remember given we went all through school together. Both of us pledged to be in touch more often.

Then I raced to The Forks to see the new Canadian Museum of Human Rights. It is truly a remarkable building and I had a chance to go up in the Tower of Hope to get a great view of the city. I stopped on the 4th floor to see the Holocaust exhibit, and was reminded of our moving visit to Auschwitz and Birkenau a few years ago.

There was a gathering happening in the public space at the Forks that made me feel like I was back in my old neighbourhood in Vancouver South. There was Indian music, food, colourful saris and turbans. Made me a little home sick for Vancouver.

No visit to Winnipeg could be complete without a stop to see the Golden Boy and I did so on the way back to my trailer for the evening. It’s an iconic statue and legislative buildings. Had a quiet moment remembering Dad.

Thanks for allowing me to reminisce some more on this cross Canada portion of my trip. Tomorrow I’m off to Grand Beach for a couple of days. Hope to show you that Manitoba has some phenomenal beaches too.

Winnipeg, Canada

Today Rae and I criss crossed the city a couple of times. I was able to see many of the old haunts as well as some of the new neighbourhoods. Winnipeg seems to be growing in leaps and bounds, and is stretching out closer and closer to the perimeter highway. There is even an IKEA!

Rae and I were up and out early this morning to head south to the hugely popular St. Norbert Farmers Market. It is one of the most diverse, largest and busiest farmers markets I’ve seen. The diverse cultures represented in Winnipeg (especially eastern European) were on display with the various types of food on sale, and we supported the local economy at several of the booths including a great breakfast of sausage on a bun.

As teenagers, Rae and I both worked at the Zoo at Assiniboine Park, so one of the places I wanted to go visit was the Zoo. I’m not a huge fan of zoos, but they have a great new Polar Bear Conservancy Centre, an education, research and transition facility within the Journey to Churchill exhibit. It seems to be really closely monitored and operating within a very well defined mandate that restricts it to take in only those orphaned cubs who are under 2 1/2 years and who are sure to die in the wild. The enclosures are huge with a pool area and visitors can go through a tunnel below the pool to look up at the polar bears gracefully swimming and playing underwater.

Next it was out to the west and St Francis Xavier to my campsite for Rae to see my trailer. I must admit his house is much tidier!

Half way home we remembered that I also wanted to go to a Winnipeg institution, BDI (Bridge Drive Inn) It’s a seasonal ice cream place in Elm Park on the banks of the Red River and next to a pedestrian bridge that has been serving up fabulous dairy concoctions since 1957. On a perfect weather day, we bought a treat and walked over the bridge to take in the beautiful breeze and fought off the wasps while finishing our choices. Yum – eat your heart out Nanci!

Despite having eaten our way across the city, we still managed to eat dinner. We had bought a couple of cobs of sweet local Manitoba corn at the market that was delicious with the tasty, moist and tender pork steaks Rae cooked for dinner tonight. I think I’m going to stay here for good. Don’t tell Rae.