5C's Que Pasa

We left two weeks ago today.  For the most part we have not had great weather on our journey.  Certainly not the 33C/91.4F  blue sky and sunny days back home.  The most difficult part is that the weather was perfect for Colin to do the jobs he had left on hold when we left.  But it is what it is.  Sometimes you just have to do what you have to do.

Banff was perfect when we arrived on Wednesday afternoon but with perfect conditions forecast for Thursday we just cocooned inside the RV.  We had decided to stay yet another day to rebuild before heading home to work, work, and even more work.  Unfortunately it was overcast and a tad coolish Thursday morning.  But with no precipitation it was still a great day.

Late Wednesday views taken from inside the RV.

Truly majestic surroundings.

Who could get tired of these views? Again taken from inside the RV.

What is Carmeh looking at?

She looks so sad as is she is wondering how long she will be with us.  We are thinking the same thing.  She has lost a lot of weight in that past few weeks and seems resigned to her fate.  Colin and I have tossed it around and around.  What to do?  She is not one to be confined for the next 6 to 8 weeks.  She has too much spirit and energy.  We love her so much but just can’t keep confining her.  At this moment ( things can change ) we have decided to let her free in the house but she can only go up or down things via a ramp.  This will be strictly enforced with all other possible jumping up onto things removed or blocked.  We know that it is just a matter of time before she ruptures a disc and becomes permanently paralyzed.  She is not a creature to be confined.  We want her to be happy and to enjoy the life that creation set out for her.  We will endeavor to give her that within reason.  We really do want her to come to the Isla for one last winter on the beach but we are being realistic.  Right now we are giving her as much love and attention as we can.  She is really enjoying this trip and all the new sights and sniffs.  Who knows, she may be with us for a few more years.

See how her back feet just don’t sit right. She is trying so hard but with every tiny freedom we give her she over reacts.  We would rather she has some freedom rather than total confinement and will just have to see what the future brings.

The stay here in Banff is significant on so many levels.

Life is short. We must all enjoy life to the fullest each and every day.

We love her so very very much. This is a difficult time for us.

Meanwhile Colin did finally get most of the Saskatchewan grit off the car. The tar will come off at another time.

We took a spin into town Thursday afternoon. One used to be able to see elk in town and always on the golf course. No longer.

Banff has sadly become a tourist mecca. Things are not as they were years past.

The world famous Banff Springs Hotel still stands.

I think horse back riding is better on the Isla.

The Bow River Falls.

One of the original homes in Banff.

The very famous Mount Rundle.

Just like the Isla, once back from town/city we were happy to return to our nest here in the campground.  This is where we relax and rebuild.  A storm was forecast for Friday but it seemed to be approaching sooner so Colin semi packed up and put things to rights while I worked on blog posts.  In all honesty I would rather have been reading a new book with a glass of vino blanco.  Maybe it takes me longer to create a post but it is worth the energy to have the memory.  I just wish that the day had a few extra hours in it 😆

At least we aren’t lost like this follow. I had noticed him about an hour ago walking around, looking about and talking on his cell. Is he lost?

Eureka….someone has given directions home.

Tuesday

It was sad to leave Rae Tuesday morning but we knew we would be seeing her in just under 5 months on the Isla.  Of course we ran into more construction and had to drive over fresh tar  ( yup, Colin has a job to do to get it off the car ).  Finally we were back on Highway 13 and within an hour we were in Swift Currant, Saskatchewan on the Trans Canada Highway, our route for the next few days.

We fueled up here at the Petro Can which is really not designed for large rigs like ours.  However we needed diesel and we could fit into this particular station.  My new pet peeve is a place for large rigs to fuel in Canada.  The only truck stops are all cardlock which means we can’t use them.  I’ve said it before, Mexico is the easiest place to travel with the US being second.  Thus far we have paid up to 1.19.9  for diesel in B.C., 1.05.9 in Alberta, 9 7.9 in Saskatchewan, 1.09.9 in Manitoba and here back in Saskatchewan 1.05.9.  I refuse to add up the coast of fuel for this trip.  It would be much too depressing.

Back on the road we still had 511KM to travel this day.  As we passed the turn off to Cabri, we waved and sent hellos out to Kevin and Ruth who are managing an RV Park in the area.  If there is a next time, we will stop in for a visit.

This was going to be yet another very long day, over 485 miles. We have done over 900 miles in 2 days.

Traffic slowed as we approached Calgary, our destination for Tuesday evening. A huge accident, likely someone in a hurry to get home. At this point traffic coming out of Calgary was lined up for miles.

We were headed to Colin’s other brother’s home to visit for the evening.  Fortunately he had sent me fabulous instructions on how to bypass the city on the Stoney Trail and we finally did get there by 6PM.  Another 10 hour day on the road.  We couldn’t believe how much Calgary has grown, homes just about everywhere.

Parked in front of Cheryl & Bob’s lovely home.

It was a bit of a challenge to get level as the road was slightly sloped downhill plus we were tilted towards the curb. If you look closely you can see we placed a jack pad under each front wheel as well as  under each front jack.  We were reasonably level and of course did not put out the living room slide.  That is Caeli in the foreground, she thought she owned the place.

There was no way we could safely leave the girls in the RV because with the slide in we had no space to set up the pen. So into the house they came.  Bob and Cheryl were very gracious allowing our girls inside.

By the time we got the girls fed and inside the house it was getting late.  After a tour of their wonderful home which has views to die for, we finally got dinner underway.  Sadly I was once again too tired ( I know, I sound like a broken record, but I can’t remember ever being so worn out ).  Somehow I neglected to take any photos.  Instead we had some interesting conversations as we attempted to solve all the problems of the world.  Carmeh was so unsettled and worked constantly at getting out of the pen.  I finally gave her a sedative but it didn’t do much good at all.  I see a future of us not being able to relax.  I can’t believe that it was well after midnight before we got back to the RV and went to bed.

Bob & Cheryl also have their home for sale It is a beautiful home but they have plans for an even grandeur home on their lot on Vancouver Island. Here Colin is giving Bob some ideas for better photography of certain areas of the house. Colin just can’t seem to stop taking photos.

The two boys. Colin is the youngest, then comes Bob and Bill back in Winnipeg is the oldest of the three.

Colin and I managed to see all of our siblings and our one remaining parent, Mommio, this trip.  In addition to all I had to do re my Father’s estate, it has been quite the journey.

Wednesday

Next stop, Banff. We were just an hour away.

Somehow the morning got away from us.  Bob & Colin took the girls for a long walk and then we all went back into the house and chatted for another few hours.  By noon it was time to hit the road.  Fortunately Banff is just over an hour away.

A glorious drive and also relaxing as we were not traveling too far.

Our first glimpse of wildlife as we went up the road to the RV Park.

Totally settled by 2PM.

A vacation in Banff National Park does not come cheap.  If you are simply driving through the park there is no charge, however if you plan to overnight there is a$19.80 charge for 2 plus people in a vehicle per night or a $137.00 charge for the season.  There are three places to RV here, one has no services whatsover, another has only electric but after 6 nights of dry camping we needed the full hookup which comes to $38.20 per night.  Because it is early June we did not need a reservation but soon all the sites will be full with tourists.  Many come from Europe and rent RV’s ( 1 800 RV for Rent ) once here in Canada and do a grand tour.  I have no idea what they think of the pricing but I find it rather steep.  However the beauty of the area and the stunning vistas do make up for it.  I do have to add that the maps they are now handing out are very cheap and extremely confusing.  I wondered how these Europeans were going to cope.  We have been here a few times in the RV in the past and I was stumped with what we were given this time when we paid for our overnight stay.  In the past there was a thick brochure handed out which was so much more better in detail.  I do hope I have one in my files at home for future visits.

A quick snap shot to show you the view. The girls loved the walk here in the forest, so many sniffs.

Wednesday afternoon was spent relaxing by all four of us.

We just relaxed and soaked up the views and the smells…….and some vino.  I finally completed a novel I had started two weeks ago.  Fool that I was, I brought five books with me thinking we would have lots of down time 😐

First off I am sorry that some of you feel I should be posting about my day at the end of the day or right away the next morning.  I usually post about yesterday at the end of today.  Sometimes it is late when I press the publish button so you might not read it till the next morning.  That is the best I can do.  We are not retired.  I do have a life and we are on a trip with a purpose and a tight schedule, not a leisurely vacation where I have oodles of time.  We also have been traveling long days with no personal free time.  Any free time is taken dealing with a disabled dog who requires constant and I do mean constant supervision.  Over the past few days we have had some issues with internet.  I had 40 photos for this post edited Tuesday but not even one moment left to post.  Now that I have that off my chest, let’s move on.

We left Winnipeg at 8:00AM Monday, only 30 minutes behind schedule.  There had been so much rain on Sunday that our carpets became wet in a few areas when we brought the slides in.  We will be replacing the rubber seals on our slides later this summer.  We had been on the road only 15 minutes when the air bags deflated.  We had just gone over some rough railroad crossings on the perimeter highway.  Same situation that happened to us in April on our way back from Mexico.  Guess the new clamp fix is not quite right.  Anyway Colin was soon under the RV and got it repaired.  Big difference was the courtesy of the Canadian semi’s, they all pulled over into the far lane and we didn’t get rocked once.  Nice.

Once again we were avoiding the Trans Canada Hwy and took a more southern route using Hwy 2 thru Manitoba and onto Hwy 13 in Saskatchewan.  A very long 430 mile drive which took until 6PM.

Nice to be on a new road to us and it was in excellent condition. Not too much traffic along the way.

A typical prairie scene.

We did encounter some construction along the way which did slow us down.  There is an expression we have heard all along the trip, the prairies only have two seasons ” winter and construction ” 😀   The road became a bit rougher once we hit Weyburn, Saskatchewan.  I tried to write a post online but the road was way too bumpy and the text on my screen was bouncing everywhere and deleting what I had written.  I finally gave up.  It was a lovely sunny day and there was lots to see.

Lots of oil along this route.  Does anyone know if the landowners are doing their own drilling or is there a major oil company doing the work and just giving them a percentage or ??  Who is making money off of all the wells we saw?

We were traveling the Red Coat Trail.

The Red Coat Trail is a 1,300 km route that approximates the path taken in 1874 by the North-West Mounted Police in their quest to bring law and order to the Canadian West per Wikipedia.  Interesting Canadian history.

I kept dozing off but this was a planned nap. We are not used to traveling such long days and then visiting.

Carmeh fell asleep shortly thereafter. When she is awake while we are driving it is a chore to keep her settled and to anticipate her every desire. She is drinking huge amounts of water which concerns me.

Colin managed a of shot of Caeli who sleeps on his lap as we travel.

So much road construction and then you get idiots like this who kick up loose gravel along the newly repaired road.  We were constantly slowing down.

We were getting closer to our destination which was to visit Rae in her hamlet of St. Victor.  It is not too far off the beaten path and well worth a visit.  Very lovely scenic area of southern Saskatchewan.

Narrow uneven roads but certainly doable in a 40′ bus!  The next 18KM were graded gravel road but still very dusty with flying rock even at 30Km per hour.  We were beginning to wonder if we would ever get there.  I even worried that we were on the wrong road but could get no cell phone connection to call Rae.

We finally got there just before 6PM, we had been on the road for 10 long hours.  Colin is discussing where to park.  He is carrying Carmeh in a shoulder bag.

The plan was to park on the road in front of Rae’s property but the branches were low and we were too much on the road for Colin’s comfort despite there being little traffic.  A very beautiful oasis in the middle of rolling fields and hills.

Decision made to back the RV onto her long driveway.

We first unhooked the car which was filthy and covered in dust and tiny pieces of rock and backed it onto the site.  Then we backed the RV in.  However we did not rehook as Colin realized we could not drive out hooked up.  We were finally set up by 6:30PM and fed the girls.

Finally time for some relaxation and vino. A quiet rural setting with lots of birdsong.

Carmeh kept escaping the pen so we had to hold her. Caeli did chase a rabbit but came right back.

Nice shot of Carmeh. She did enjoy just sitting on the grass but boy does she hate being penned.

Rae had prepared a gourmet dinner for us complete with homemade corn tortillas, while I contributed the salad.

We sat in the lovely warm ( as in Isla hot and so wonderful ) heat of the day and just chatted, enjoyed the lovely dinner and caught up on life.  Eventually Colin took the girls for a walk around the area while I posted Sunday’s post courtesy of Rae’s internet as my Rogers Sim card was showing no service.

Sorry I missed the walk.

Lovely shadows.

Just across the road from Rae’s place.

All too soon the mosquitoes came out and chased us in.  I caught a glimpse of a vivid sunset through the trees but did not have my camera with me.  There was a time change in our favor between Winnipeg and here but I didn’t change the clock back until bedtime thus assuring us a solid 8 hours of peaceful sleep.  The next day was an even longer day.  Thanks for the hospitality amiga 🙂

Sunday morning started out sunny and clear but that did not last long. Fortunately Colin was able to give the girls at least one walk that day. We enjoyed a family brunch at a close by restaurant while the girls were under lock down in the pen on the floor of the RV. They did not escape, only because I worked at keeping everything firmly in place.  I even removed the chairs.  I forgot to take photos at the restaurant.  In fact I hardly took any photos that day. I was and still am pretty worn out.  I am going to return to Kelowna with more bags than I left with…..those under my eyes  😕   Unless specified all of the photos in this post were taken by Bill, Colin’s older brother.

Our RV parked in the driveway.

Thank you Bill for these photos.

Caeli fell in love with these folks and they with her.

She was particularly fond of Bill and enjoyed cuddling him on the sofa. Good shot Bill.

On our way to brunch the skies opened up but stopped in time for us to leave and get Mommio in the car without her getting wet. Once home the rain began in earnest. It came down in sheets and was bouncing off the pavement.

The rain was fierce for long periods of time and then would stop and the sky would clear and 15 minutes later we had very heavy rain once again. This went on all day. But then it got worse when the thunder began. Of course Carmeh went crazy. I believe Colin took this shot.

Bill & Gloria are selling their lovely home as it is time to downsize. Colin decided that some (most ) of the shots the realtor took were not depicting the features and layout of the home. Sadly he only had one camera and one lense with him but with Bill’s borrowed tripod was able to get some good shoots which he will stitch into some wonderful panoramic shots that will better show the home.

If anyone is looking to buy a home in a great area of Winnipeg, let me know.

It was fun for Mommio to watch Colin work.  Gloria  and I are each holding a shaking dog.

We spent the afternoon chatting, listening to Colin play the guitar and watch the rain fall. It was not a fun afternoon for Carmeh. Even Caeli was shaking because of the repeated claps of thunder. The ground was saturated with the rain beginning to pool. Certainly not outdoor weather. So far the only good weather we had was an hour last Sunday in Stony Plain and then another hour later in the day once we moved to the RV park in Edmonton.

Colin took this shot of the ping pong size hail that fell a few times over the course of the afternoon.

All too soon it was time for me to say goodbye to Mommio. Colin took her back to her place on his own so he could have some extra quality time with her. Who knows what the future holds and when we will see her again? Meanwhile Gloria started putting dinner together while I slowly started to get things together in the RV.

Colin ‘the joker’ decided to lighten the mood of our last supper together.

We slept in till almost 9AM last Saturday morning, unheard of for us.  Once the girls were fed we took them into Bill & Gloria’s for a visit.

We are still trying to keep Carmeh contained as much as possible and fortunately Caeli is willing to share the pen with her.

Carmeh is no longer content to stay in the pen.  She keeps agitating.  If we take her out she agitates and starts to wander so we have to pick her up now and again.

We enjoyed coffee and fruit and had a good visit. I managed to get one load of laundry done. Colin and I left about 1PM to go pick up Mommio.  She wanted to go to the Lobster House for lunch. The girls were to stay in the pen in the house. We knew Bill and Gloria were going out for a quick errand.  Turns out that the girls had escaped the pen and were sitting on the chair looking out the window when they got back.  Little brats 😎

Colin doesn’t remember fog in Winnipeg.

As you can see we did not have great weather. This is that famous Winnipeg corner of Portage and Main.

We had a very delicious late lunch. Colin and I enjoyed crab linguine while Mommio had fish and a baked potato. She loves going out and this was a treat for her and us.

After a bit of a drive we took her back to her place and we went back to Brother Bill’s. Colin went in for a visit and I had an almost 90 minute nap in the RV. Day by day since leaving Kelowna I have been wearing myself out.  I woke up in time to feed the girls after their quick walk ( stroller for Carmeh ), the rain was gone. Colin and I changed into our dress up clothes and off we went to pick up Mommio while the girls stayed with Bill & Gloria.

Our destination was the Fort Gary Hotel which is only one year older than Mommio. It is the one on the left but take note of the building on the right.

The ornate ceiling was the only photo I managed to take.

As we were seated the music started.  Sadly it was loud and annoying.  Everything was amplified and the lead singer was well…not a singer.  We endured but when the waiter could not communicate with us about ordering ( no need to go into the details ) we opted to leave.  Next on the list was a place called “Hermanos” from Cuba but it had 8 stairs to climb to get into the place plus the chairs were high up bar stools.  Not Mommio style.  Next off we headed to Prairie  360 the revolving restaurant on top of the building on the right.  Yes they would take us in at 9:45PM 😆

Mommio has been here once before and loves seeing the city from up high.

We really were not too hungry.  In addition to a $40.00 bottle of Pinot Grigio we each had a bowl of coconut curry soup.  Excellent!  the sights of the City of Winnipeg were wonderful.

Colin and I added a shrimp appetizer to our meal.

How much do you think these two shrimp cost us?  Please take a guess.

Highway robbery.  $19.00 😯

Mommio asked if she could have vanilla ice cream before we left.

And so she did…..complete with ginger and white chocolate.  Simply the best I have ever sampled and all for only $4.00 for a large serving.  Finally we got her home and we got back to Bill’s where it turns out that the girls had escaped yet another two times.  Poor Gloria and Bill were forced to stay up and puppysit.  So we visited yet again and it was another after midnight bedtime.  However it was a marvelous day despite all the food we ingested.

Please excuse any errors 😳