Wednesday, Sept 4 - We've had three fine days in Edmonton since arriving on Monday afternoon. We brought the sunshine into the lives of thousands, as until we got here, Edmonton has had a miserable summer, with rain almost every day, cool temperatures, and generally sinking morale. But upon our arrival, the sun came out, the days have been lovely and warm, and morale has suddenly gone through the roof. We await a call from the Mayor to give us the key to the city.
It has been a time of organization. We had to get the r.v. washed at a commercial truck wash place, as it was quite disgusting from the 3,500 kilometer trip to the Yukon, and get it organized for storage at cousin Bill Peterman's place. We had to pack bags for the trip to Vancouver, where we will go starting early tomorrow morning with our good friends Ken and Connie Marshall, who have been putting up with us, and putting us up, in cheerful and hospitable fashion. In addition, we have to pack for the 7 day cruise, the two days in Vancouver following the cruise, and the day or two returning the Edmonton. It is a complicated process, and has caused much head-scratching, trial runs to see if all of our bags will fit in the trunk of a car that has a big battery therein, hybred that it is. We also had a lovely time at lunch today with our wonderful Peterman cousins, hosted by cousin Terry. Great fun to see them all.
So all is in readiness. We have taught Ken and Connie how to play Rummikub, and have managed to have a wee draft of spirits while doing so. We watched Bianca reach the semi-finals of the U.S. Open. Our bags are nearly all ready to go. All is therefore well with the world. We have a big gathering of DND teacher friends on Friday night in Vancouver, then board ship on Saturday for the 7 day cruise to Alaska. We'll likely be out of wifi contact, so this will likely be the last edition of lergailrambles for the next 10 days.
We hope all are well. We certainly are. Pray for good weather on the coast. Icebergs and whales await. More later. Stay tuned.
Wednesday, 4 September 2019
Sunday, 1 September 2019
Sunday, Sept. 1 - Here we are in Whitecourt, Alberta, in a very nice Lions Club RV park. Nearby is an excellent Forestry Management Park, with a very fine display of the history of local forestry and displays that detail the modernization of the industry. Excellent to tour for an hour.
We left Peace River this morning, with, for me, many thoughts of my early years in this area. We moved to the village of Brownvale in 1945, after selling the family farm and shipping my grand-mother off to Toronto to live with her sister. It was either that, or my mother was outta there, as my grandma was a very religious overbearing person, and living with her was a bit too much.
So off we went, two small kids and an adventurous couple, to live in the Peace River District. It was a long way from Edmonton, a full day's drive under difficult conditions...all gravel roads from Westlock, 450 kms, the road sometmes consisting of mud bottoms that required a tractor to pull you through. I remember Dad going down into the ditch to bypass the road on logs that were spread into the ditch for traction. He went to Brownvale, a village of just over 100, to run a grain elevator, and later to operate Richardson's Smiling Service, an all purpose store that met the needs of the local farming community.
We had 8 pretty good years there, my mind now piled up with lots of memories of good times growing up with loads of freedom. We attended a one-room school house, grades 1 to 6, when we were old enough, the class consisting of kids from the nearby Cree reserve, and immigrant farm kids, plus a few of us town kids. The teachers were amazing, although in my first year, I think we went through 5 teachers before the community found one who could manage us. She told great stories about eagles, enthralling us all (and keeping us under control).
I've been back once in the 67 years since we moved to Edmonton. So this was my second time back, the result being a mix of good and rather sad memories.
In the first picture, you can see in front of our r.v. a sad reminder of the good days of Richardson's Smiling Service. This is where my parents ran a general store for several years, purchased after three years of operating the grain-buying business in an elevator across the street. The store was still operating when we were last here over 20 years ago, although only as a little corner convenience store. Now it is boarded up, shows major peeling paint, and sits forlornly on what used to be a center of local commerce in this village. These small centers supplied the needs of the local farm community, and I know that often my parents extended credit to those who may have had a tough year.
Across the street, the third picture shows the area where there were 5 of those iconic grain elevators, all placed strategically next to the old Northern Alberta Railways line. Trains came through once a week or so, maybe more frequently, to pick up grain from the elevators, and to leave necessary supplies for the local folks. All gone now. The fourth picture shows the old track line, all the rails removed, which would make a good Rails to Trail site if there were enough local interest.
Going back to the second picture, that's where we lived from 1945 until about three years later. When my parents bought the store, we moved next door, as we had to vacate the house owned by the grain company. The house is still occupied, and we were lucky enough to speak to the current owner, who has renovated it nicely, and is now trying to sell it so that he can move closer to his work. It can be had for about 69,000 bucks. The current owner had an interesting story to tell of having been T-boned in his car by a drunk driver, which put him in hospital for 6 months, with the prospect of never walking again. One day he threw away all of the meds he had been prescribed, determined to get better, and here he is, a full-time working man today. Great spirit.
Down the street, we met two sisters, named French, who I didn't remember. They were born after we left the village, but as they have lived here most of their lives, they had a lot of information about some of the families that I remembered from my days there. It was a great experience to catch up on old families we'd known through their knowledge of the area. We also met an old acquaintance from those long-ago years, a man named Ron Tattrie, who moved back to the village after more than 40 years away. He remembered my sister Marilyn, as she was a good friend of his sister Velma.
The final picture is the old Presbyterian church, where I went to Sunday School, and where my mother was the church pianist. It's pretty much derelict now, as you can barely read the sign on the front of the building that identifies its origin. I even earned a gold pin for perfect attendance at the Sunday School. What choice did I have with my mother a mainstay of the church?
We finished the little tour with a visit to the Brownvale Cemetery, where we found some headstones of people that we remembered. That wrapped up a bundle of memories and feelings, which it will take some time to process. We all have our pasts. A significant part of my past is wrapped up in the 8 years we spent in Brownvale.
All for now. More later. Stay tuned.
We left Peace River this morning, with, for me, many thoughts of my early years in this area. We moved to the village of Brownvale in 1945, after selling the family farm and shipping my grand-mother off to Toronto to live with her sister. It was either that, or my mother was outta there, as my grandma was a very religious overbearing person, and living with her was a bit too much.
So off we went, two small kids and an adventurous couple, to live in the Peace River District. It was a long way from Edmonton, a full day's drive under difficult conditions...all gravel roads from Westlock, 450 kms, the road sometmes consisting of mud bottoms that required a tractor to pull you through. I remember Dad going down into the ditch to bypass the road on logs that were spread into the ditch for traction. He went to Brownvale, a village of just over 100, to run a grain elevator, and later to operate Richardson's Smiling Service, an all purpose store that met the needs of the local farming community.
We had 8 pretty good years there, my mind now piled up with lots of memories of good times growing up with loads of freedom. We attended a one-room school house, grades 1 to 6, when we were old enough, the class consisting of kids from the nearby Cree reserve, and immigrant farm kids, plus a few of us town kids. The teachers were amazing, although in my first year, I think we went through 5 teachers before the community found one who could manage us. She told great stories about eagles, enthralling us all (and keeping us under control).
I've been back once in the 67 years since we moved to Edmonton. So this was my second time back, the result being a mix of good and rather sad memories.
Across the street, the third picture shows the area where there were 5 of those iconic grain elevators, all placed strategically next to the old Northern Alberta Railways line. Trains came through once a week or so, maybe more frequently, to pick up grain from the elevators, and to leave necessary supplies for the local folks. All gone now. The fourth picture shows the old track line, all the rails removed, which would make a good Rails to Trail site if there were enough local interest.
Going back to the second picture, that's where we lived from 1945 until about three years later. When my parents bought the store, we moved next door, as we had to vacate the house owned by the grain company. The house is still occupied, and we were lucky enough to speak to the current owner, who has renovated it nicely, and is now trying to sell it so that he can move closer to his work. It can be had for about 69,000 bucks. The current owner had an interesting story to tell of having been T-boned in his car by a drunk driver, which put him in hospital for 6 months, with the prospect of never walking again. One day he threw away all of the meds he had been prescribed, determined to get better, and here he is, a full-time working man today. Great spirit.
Down the street, we met two sisters, named French, who I didn't remember. They were born after we left the village, but as they have lived here most of their lives, they had a lot of information about some of the families that I remembered from my days there. It was a great experience to catch up on old families we'd known through their knowledge of the area. We also met an old acquaintance from those long-ago years, a man named Ron Tattrie, who moved back to the village after more than 40 years away. He remembered my sister Marilyn, as she was a good friend of his sister Velma.
The final picture is the old Presbyterian church, where I went to Sunday School, and where my mother was the church pianist. It's pretty much derelict now, as you can barely read the sign on the front of the building that identifies its origin. I even earned a gold pin for perfect attendance at the Sunday School. What choice did I have with my mother a mainstay of the church?
We finished the little tour with a visit to the Brownvale Cemetery, where we found some headstones of people that we remembered. That wrapped up a bundle of memories and feelings, which it will take some time to process. We all have our pasts. A significant part of my past is wrapped up in the 8 years we spent in Brownvale.
All for now. More later. Stay tuned.
Friday, 30 August 2019
Friday, August 30 - Foggy morning here in Fort St. John. But supposed to go to nearly 20 today, which will be the warmest we've had since leaving Vancouver two weeks ago. We actually sat out in the sun in the late afternoon yesterday, and were very content.
Driving down from Fort Nelson is quite a contrast from the days before, as there wasn't much to do or see along the 400 km. route. Pleasant scenery, with a huge mesa in the west at one point, and a lot of valleys to be crossed. The most treacherous parts of the highway have been eliminated, at one point the new stretch eliminating some 200 plus curves in a relatively short distance. The traffic was light, so Gail had a go at driving the rig for 100 kms and did just fine. It was her anniversary present. Fifty-five years yesterday, she deserved it. What a generous guy I am.
My new theory of driving in the north is that it's not all ups and downs. Sometimes it's downs and ups. Gail thinks I'm silly, but when you're in the mountains, you often go up a rise or a pass and then down the other side. That's the up and down of driving. Coming from Fort Nelson, it was the opposite. There were many fairly deep valleys to be dealt with, so down we went to the bottom, and then back up the other side. The down and up of driving. A whole new concept.
As we neared Fort St. John, we saw a huge temporary town, set up as workers accommodations for people employed on highway projects and other construction activities. We talked to our camp host, who said there's a similar 'town' set up north of here where a dam is being built. That one has a Starbucks and other amenities aimed at making life a little easier for the workers. Fort St. John simply can't handle the large number of workers involved in these projects, so required the companies to develop their own facilities away from town.
These are huge projects that require a lot of workers, and there are problems finding enough of them to get the job done. A lot of foreign workers are in the area, doing service jobs to support the projects. In our r.v. park there were quite a few highway workers staying here until the project is done in two or three weeks. Not counting those 'villages', Fort St. John Metro area has about 60 thousand people. When I came here as a youngster in the late 40s, there were only a few hundred. Oil and Gas have had a tremendous impact on the area.
We had two sightings along the route yesterday. The first was a lovely mule deer at Pink Mountain, who was quite content to search for salt on the road, looking at us quite intently but without fear. The second guy was the bear, who was clearly injured, his left rear leg not much help to him as he limped along. A couple of times he stopped his browsing to look at us, almost as if to say "I'm hurting, folks. Can't you get me some help?" Not possible, I'm afraid, so we hope he is able to manage until his leg gets better.
We met a neat young lady in the r.v. park last evening. She works on the highway as a pavement tester. She goes through a series of tests with samples of the gunk they're laying down on the road to make sure it meets specifications. She's living in a trailer during this gig, which she's been working at since January. Her husband runs a business in Kamloops, but drives up on week-ends to see her. She's finished in three weeks, and then will be able to go home (and draw EI). Long days, but she's making good money, so the separation from hubby is worth it. We've run into quite a few people who are seasonal, work long days and long hours, and look forward to things shutting down in a few weeks, so they can have the winter to enjoy.
The day awaits. We'll wander about Fort St. John for awhile, then head to Dawson Creek, to take pictures at the mile zero signpost that marks the start of the Alaska Highway. Then over to the Peace River district to visit my old village, Brownvale, before moving on to Edmonton. Stay tuned. More later.
Driving down from Fort Nelson is quite a contrast from the days before, as there wasn't much to do or see along the 400 km. route. Pleasant scenery, with a huge mesa in the west at one point, and a lot of valleys to be crossed. The most treacherous parts of the highway have been eliminated, at one point the new stretch eliminating some 200 plus curves in a relatively short distance. The traffic was light, so Gail had a go at driving the rig for 100 kms and did just fine. It was her anniversary present. Fifty-five years yesterday, she deserved it. What a generous guy I am.
My new theory of driving in the north is that it's not all ups and downs. Sometimes it's downs and ups. Gail thinks I'm silly, but when you're in the mountains, you often go up a rise or a pass and then down the other side. That's the up and down of driving. Coming from Fort Nelson, it was the opposite. There were many fairly deep valleys to be dealt with, so down we went to the bottom, and then back up the other side. The down and up of driving. A whole new concept.
As we neared Fort St. John, we saw a huge temporary town, set up as workers accommodations for people employed on highway projects and other construction activities. We talked to our camp host, who said there's a similar 'town' set up north of here where a dam is being built. That one has a Starbucks and other amenities aimed at making life a little easier for the workers. Fort St. John simply can't handle the large number of workers involved in these projects, so required the companies to develop their own facilities away from town.
These are huge projects that require a lot of workers, and there are problems finding enough of them to get the job done. A lot of foreign workers are in the area, doing service jobs to support the projects. In our r.v. park there were quite a few highway workers staying here until the project is done in two or three weeks. Not counting those 'villages', Fort St. John Metro area has about 60 thousand people. When I came here as a youngster in the late 40s, there were only a few hundred. Oil and Gas have had a tremendous impact on the area.
We met a neat young lady in the r.v. park last evening. She works on the highway as a pavement tester. She goes through a series of tests with samples of the gunk they're laying down on the road to make sure it meets specifications. She's living in a trailer during this gig, which she's been working at since January. Her husband runs a business in Kamloops, but drives up on week-ends to see her. She's finished in three weeks, and then will be able to go home (and draw EI). Long days, but she's making good money, so the separation from hubby is worth it. We've run into quite a few people who are seasonal, work long days and long hours, and look forward to things shutting down in a few weeks, so they can have the winter to enjoy.
The day awaits. We'll wander about Fort St. John for awhile, then head to Dawson Creek, to take pictures at the mile zero signpost that marks the start of the Alaska Highway. Then over to the Peace River district to visit my old village, Brownvale, before moving on to Edmonton. Stay tuned. More later.
Wednesday, 28 August 2019
Wed. Aug 28 - Now in Fort Nelson, in north-eastern B.C. Being in the north has its problems so far as connectivity is concerned. Half the time there is not much, or you have to go to designated spots, only to find that this computer rejects the provider. So there are some frustrations. Last night we were in a park 80 kms from here, where they had wifi, but after composing a brilliant post the connection crashed, and it wouldn't publish. So we'll try again.
Yesterday was one of the finest drives done by these r.v.ers anywhere. Coming down from Watson Lake on the Alaska Highway rivals the drive from Jasper to Banff. The road may be a little rougher, it's lonelier and tougher, but it has spectacular views, and quite an abundance of wild-life. We saw three black bears yesterday (pretty close), two large herds of bison, as well as some strays, and 4 cariboo. So that wasn't a bad day for this old photographer. A few photos are posted at the end of this message.
It's been raining off and on most days, but fortunately no snow. Where we stayed last night had 30 centimeters last week, which shut them down for 4 days, and left a lot of tree damage. Not something you wish for in August. Today is brilliant sunshine, probably the brightest day we've had since leaving Vancouver 12 days ago. Temps have been mid-teens, lows around 6 or 7. So not bad, really.
We enjoyed Whitehorse. It's a nice small city, right on the Yukon River. Twenty thousand of the thirty thousand Yukoners live in the city, so there is a lot of territory out there without too many people. There is a lot more presence of the Indigenous people in the north, as they represent a significant proportion of the population, and their culture is much more front and center than in much of Canada. We hit the highlights of Whitehorse, including a visit to the Yukon Wildlife Preserve, where we did a lengthy hike in order to see the major species of the north in a very natural environment. We followed that with a visit to the nearby hot springs, where we had a great chat with a couple from Alaska. We also did a hot springs yesterday in a very lovely wooded setting, with water temps ranging from hot to very hot to very very hot. A nice break in the middle of the day.
We had a spirited chat with our campground host in Watson Lake when we checked in. He had a lot to say about the ills of the town, but feels helpless to do much about it. Sound familiar? An interesting guy, who used to work on submarines as a hydraulics specialist. He worked all over the world, including on dives that uncovered the mysteries of the Titanic. He was actually down in a sub that did some of the exploratory work on the ship, and lamented that the wreck is in danger of deterioration because of the intervention of humans. Sound familiar? And here he is running a campground in Watson Lake. A lot of the folks up here have stories to tell about how they ended up in the north.
We've had very little t.v., so aren't in touch with much of what's going on. Kinda nice. We've come to an even greater appreciation of the vastness of our country, of its fantastic geography, its people, its emptiness, and the options it offers to travellers. Now that we're heading back to more populated areas, we have a little sense of sadness, as we've appreciated the quiet, the lack of bustle, the towns that go at a much different pace, the lack of traffic. But on we'll go...maybe stay here in Fort Nelson, as there's a good r.v. park nearby, and two good hikes that might be good for our old bodies.
That's enough for now. Let's hope this publishes. Thanks to all who have forwarded birthday greetings to Lar, who is now feeling just a little older, but still spunky and rarin' to go. More later. Stay tuned.
Yesterday was one of the finest drives done by these r.v.ers anywhere. Coming down from Watson Lake on the Alaska Highway rivals the drive from Jasper to Banff. The road may be a little rougher, it's lonelier and tougher, but it has spectacular views, and quite an abundance of wild-life. We saw three black bears yesterday (pretty close), two large herds of bison, as well as some strays, and 4 cariboo. So that wasn't a bad day for this old photographer. A few photos are posted at the end of this message.
It's been raining off and on most days, but fortunately no snow. Where we stayed last night had 30 centimeters last week, which shut them down for 4 days, and left a lot of tree damage. Not something you wish for in August. Today is brilliant sunshine, probably the brightest day we've had since leaving Vancouver 12 days ago. Temps have been mid-teens, lows around 6 or 7. So not bad, really.
We enjoyed Whitehorse. It's a nice small city, right on the Yukon River. Twenty thousand of the thirty thousand Yukoners live in the city, so there is a lot of territory out there without too many people. There is a lot more presence of the Indigenous people in the north, as they represent a significant proportion of the population, and their culture is much more front and center than in much of Canada. We hit the highlights of Whitehorse, including a visit to the Yukon Wildlife Preserve, where we did a lengthy hike in order to see the major species of the north in a very natural environment. We followed that with a visit to the nearby hot springs, where we had a great chat with a couple from Alaska. We also did a hot springs yesterday in a very lovely wooded setting, with water temps ranging from hot to very hot to very very hot. A nice break in the middle of the day.
We had a spirited chat with our campground host in Watson Lake when we checked in. He had a lot to say about the ills of the town, but feels helpless to do much about it. Sound familiar? An interesting guy, who used to work on submarines as a hydraulics specialist. He worked all over the world, including on dives that uncovered the mysteries of the Titanic. He was actually down in a sub that did some of the exploratory work on the ship, and lamented that the wreck is in danger of deterioration because of the intervention of humans. Sound familiar? And here he is running a campground in Watson Lake. A lot of the folks up here have stories to tell about how they ended up in the north.
We've had very little t.v., so aren't in touch with much of what's going on. Kinda nice. We've come to an even greater appreciation of the vastness of our country, of its fantastic geography, its people, its emptiness, and the options it offers to travellers. Now that we're heading back to more populated areas, we have a little sense of sadness, as we've appreciated the quiet, the lack of bustle, the towns that go at a much different pace, the lack of traffic. But on we'll go...maybe stay here in Fort Nelson, as there's a good r.v. park nearby, and two good hikes that might be good for our old bodies.
That's enough for now. Let's hope this publishes. Thanks to all who have forwarded birthday greetings to Lar, who is now feeling just a little older, but still spunky and rarin' to go. More later. Stay tuned.
Saturday, 24 August 2019
Saturday Aug 24 - Long time no see. We have had no wifi for the past several days. And then I developed computer problems, which have finally cleared up. So with a limited 30 minutes of time allocated on this r.v. park's wifi system, I'd better not mess around.
Suffice it to say we arrived in Whitehorse yesterday. This is our turnaround point, as we will head back on Monday in order to get to Edmonton as scheduled. All has gone well, the rig behaving very great. So good on us for that. If you're tracking us at all, we completed highway 37 at the junction of the Alaska highway, and pointed west. Stops were at Fort Telkwa, just east of Smithers, then Bell 2, Boya Lake ( a very nice Provincial Park), Teslin, where we visited their excellent native cultural center, and finally here in Whitehorse.
Have to mention coincidences as I like to do. The gal managing the resort in Bell 2 was from Stirling, and had worked at one of the local wineries. A fellow worker heard us talking about Belleville, and told us he was going to a wedding there next week. In Carcross we met a young guy who is from Trenton, and has been teaching in Whitehorse for 5 years. His mother was with him as a new grand-mother, who is a retired teacher from Trenton. The young man is moving back to Trenton in a couple of weeks to try getting a job, as he's got paternity leave, and can afford to take some time to try to find something. His job here is guaranteed for 2 years.
Just a sample of folks we've met who have a connection of sorts with our home area. Have to mention the experience we had this afternoon at the Yukon History Museum. As we were making the rounds, staff came to us to tell us there was a presentation about to start, being given by a 'musher'. We thought it would only be for a little while, so sat in. The musher is Rob Cooke, complete with his beautiful Siberian Husky. Two hours later we left quite enthralled by his depiction of the 1,000 mile Yukon Quest, which runs between Whitehorse and Fairbanks each year in February. He's done it 5 times, and had many stories to tell about the hardships, and the strength and amazing endurance of his teams. A totally fascinating presentation. We will follow him next Feb, as he's going to do it again.
That's all for now, folks, as I may soon run out of time, and this missive will be lost in space. So will try to do a little more tomorrow, after we do the hot springs and the wildlife preserve. So stay tuned. More later.
Suffice it to say we arrived in Whitehorse yesterday. This is our turnaround point, as we will head back on Monday in order to get to Edmonton as scheduled. All has gone well, the rig behaving very great. So good on us for that. If you're tracking us at all, we completed highway 37 at the junction of the Alaska highway, and pointed west. Stops were at Fort Telkwa, just east of Smithers, then Bell 2, Boya Lake ( a very nice Provincial Park), Teslin, where we visited their excellent native cultural center, and finally here in Whitehorse.
Have to mention coincidences as I like to do. The gal managing the resort in Bell 2 was from Stirling, and had worked at one of the local wineries. A fellow worker heard us talking about Belleville, and told us he was going to a wedding there next week. In Carcross we met a young guy who is from Trenton, and has been teaching in Whitehorse for 5 years. His mother was with him as a new grand-mother, who is a retired teacher from Trenton. The young man is moving back to Trenton in a couple of weeks to try getting a job, as he's got paternity leave, and can afford to take some time to try to find something. His job here is guaranteed for 2 years.
Just a sample of folks we've met who have a connection of sorts with our home area. Have to mention the experience we had this afternoon at the Yukon History Museum. As we were making the rounds, staff came to us to tell us there was a presentation about to start, being given by a 'musher'. We thought it would only be for a little while, so sat in. The musher is Rob Cooke, complete with his beautiful Siberian Husky. Two hours later we left quite enthralled by his depiction of the 1,000 mile Yukon Quest, which runs between Whitehorse and Fairbanks each year in February. He's done it 5 times, and had many stories to tell about the hardships, and the strength and amazing endurance of his teams. A totally fascinating presentation. We will follow him next Feb, as he's going to do it again.
That's all for now, folks, as I may soon run out of time, and this missive will be lost in space. So will try to do a little more tomorrow, after we do the hot springs and the wildlife preserve. So stay tuned. More later.
Monday, 19 August 2019
Rainy Monday evening, near Smithers - Aug 19 -
Before I forget, I have a couple of interesting stories from people we met. While walking the trail in Quesnel, we stopped to chat with a very nice woman who was out walking her dog. She is not complaining about the fact that it's been a cool and rainy summer in this area. Two years ago, she and her husband had to evacuate their property, along with 150 head of cattle, because of the forest fires. Somehow they managed to find places for the animals, but had a month of intense anxiety before they were safe to return home. And last year, they were on the verge of yet another evacuation order, but were able to hang in until the fires were controlled. She said the smoke was so thick, you could hardly see your hand in front of your face. So no complaints about the weather from her.
Second person: as we were waiting to get the front brakes of the rig looked after this morning, we met a tall very good looking youngish guy who told us of his t.v. experiences. He and his father own a gold mine, but they 'ran out of land', which means their search for gold was over. A friend offered him a job on another mine site, which happened to be the focus of a reality show called 'Yukon Gold'. For 5 years he was miked in the morning before starting work, and recorded as he went through his duties. This show is one of those typical reality shows that gets into the lives of everyday people. He was often featured in the edited version of the show. But he got tired of the routine, always having to watch what he said and how he behaved. If you have Netflix, see if you can find the show. Look for a tall, dark, good-looking guy doing mechanical work, and it might be him.
We spent the morning getting the front brakes fixed. The shop and Mike, the man in charge, were very helpful, and it's a relief to know that brakes all round are now in good shape. Mike had just returned from a trip to Whitehorse, so had a few tips for us. No problem finding campsites, as they are numerous along the way, and always have room. Case in point: we drove into the Fort Telqua Riverfront RV Campground, are parked by a very fine river, and yours truly enjoyed the finest shower facility in all of our travels. The pace was a little slow today, as construction crews are doing a lot of resurfacing of the highway, which caused a number of delays. The road is in very good condition.
Downtown Prince George, where we wandered during the wait for the brake job, was very quiet. A number of stores close on Mondays. There were quite a few native street people hanging around, but the whole downtown area was pretty quiet...tidy and quiet. So we decided to head off once the job was done, and made pretty good time to get nearly to Smithers. Many miles still to go. But the scenery is very pleasing, as we moved from farm country into more hilly areas, then the beginnings of mountainous country. Most farms seem to focus on growing hay and raising beef cattle. And lots of the land is on indigenous holdings (I hate the word 'reserves') as we wended out way west. Still no wild game sightings. But we're hopeful, as there are many signs warning us to be vigilant.
Rain tomorrow, so we'll try to put in lots of kilometers, as we're heading west, to the cutoff to Prince Rupert (not going there) before heading into sparsely populated lands that go north to Watson Lake. So who knows when we'll next post. Just thankful the little guy who got lost near Prince George was found. We promise not to get lost.
Stay tuned. More later.
Sunday, 18 August 2019
From the top: Mount Robson; The Canadian number 1 chugging along into the Rockies; Gail enjoying a Caesar in the Park Car; the Peace Museum in Winnipeg; Gail coming ashore after her epic boat ride from the Key to the Beach on Pender; enjoying a post boat ride drink with Dan and Di; Lauren and the twins at Shannon Falls; Cap'n Dan, loving being on the water; Gail overlooking the mighty Fraser River just below our campsite; and finally, enjoying refreshments under the flowers in Quesnel.
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