Thanksgiving 2008.

Wade Cusack's place was home to Thanksgiving Dinner. The local Wainwrights have California roots so hosted a turkey supper. MC was a 30lb salmon.

Brett Frederickson gets his fingernails clean afterwards.

Alaska Highway

On Wednesday, we visited the Mile Zero museum in Dawson Creek. PBS produced a short documentary explaining the building of the Alaska Highway. This bridge exhibit is in the museum.
This is the bridge in "real life." It's curved as can be noted in the museum exhibit. Must have been a jolt to realize you have 1500 miles of road to build and 15 miles after starting you have to stop and cross a canyon like this and they had no idea how many more rivers they'd encounter before reaching Fairbanks.

Can you see it? Deep in the Heart of Texas 3600-->

Dawson Creek

Dawson Creek, BC - Mile 0 of the Alaska Highway.

Map of the Alaska Highway. Starts in Dawson Creek and ends in Fairbanks, Alaska. 1,500 miles long and built in 8 months. 20,000 troops and all built from scratch.

The Mile 0 marker. Usually in the middle of the street but moved for the annual Christmas tree.

On the Road Northwest.

Convention home at Hythe, Alberta.

Grain elevators in Hythe, hometown of Merlin Howlett.

At the AB/BC border. Not a trig issue.

Willis Propp and I on the British Columbia side.

Phil & Renita Thue:

Let's play "Count The Animals."
I counted remains from 36...

Black bear, brown bear, cougar. Deer, antelope, badger, moose, coyote, fox and several I didn't recognize.



Sleep well, Jed.


Bullwinkle says hi.

An Early Thanksgiving - in Canada.

 An American Thanksgiving at Bill & Donna Smith's. Canada, Mexico and the USA all represented plus Australia. They didn't seem to balk at Turkey and the Works. The Canadian Thanksgiving is in October and not nearly the event is is in the States.

Lori Good, Nancy Downs and Maria Hoover.

Cheyanne, Renita & Phil Thue.

Colton Good in the foreground.

All watching Bill carve Mr. Turkey.

25lbs worth.

Bill provided the night's entertainment. He concluded the evening by blowing out the "pumpkin" candles. He blew wax across the entire width of the just-cleaned stove.

Hockey

Saturday Morning was 7:30 hockey with the guys. The young fellows meet up for a little puck play at SAIT - Southern Alberta Institue of Technology. The rink is $200/hour so they only play for an hour. But they use all 60 minutes.

This short video captures the mob. Watch for the non-uniformed fellow go flying at the end. Tyson is #46 in blue.

That wasn't me, I just skated on the sidelines.

As Tyson took me to Phil & Renita Thue's, he pointed out the "shinook arch" The strong winds blow over the Rockies from the Pacific. In the picture it's the thin blue sky between the clouds overhead and the clouds over the mountains.

They usually warm things up. I couldn't tell it.

Good Sledding

I spent Thursday and Friday nights with Tyson & Lori Hottell Good. Lori treated us to homemade tortillas and tacos on Thursday night. And Dr. Pepper.

We left his framing job about noon Friday as they kids were off school. Tyson used the Bobcat to build two snow forts and this starting slope for sledding. The above is Rebecca sliding with Tyson helping her.

Here is Tyson on the dirt bike pulling Colton. Note: You'll need to hit the play button on the left.

More Tex-Cans.

Thursday noon, Donna & I met Lori Hottell Good and little John at Lina's Italian Market. Can't spell what I ate, but it was good. Dessert was tiramisu and a latte. John didn't care for the tiramisu but liked his pizza and especially the hot cocoa.

Friday morning I joined Tyson Good and his helpers Mike and Duncan. They're framing up this house near the site of the Winter Olympics. Eddie the Eagle and the Jamaican Bobsled Team got their start here in Calgary. The ski jump and bobsled track are just on the west edge of the city.

Helly Hansen

How to look Canadian -- The Matrix meets snow gear. I'm only missing the black, square-rimmed glasses and black turtleneck.
















Just for you, Miguel. Merry Thanksgiving and a Happy New Year!

Canadian Rockies

These bridges are NOT for traffic, but for wildlife. Rather than than get hit, they can take the scenic route. And evidently have learned to do so.

Banff National Park. A textbook version of plate tectonics at work or play. Razor sharp edges.
Can you see the frozen waterfall in the center of the picture? The little green spots above it and to the left are small forests of 40' pine trees. Gives you an idea of the size of these "hills."

Light cloud cover rolling into the Powder River Valley upon our return to Calgary. A setting sun -- at 4pm.

Lake Louise II

Another view of Lake Louise. Several tourists there. I thought I heard a little Spanish so asked the young ladies where they were from. One was from Mexico City and the other from Michoacan. Both quite happy to find a Spanish speaker and someone from "close to home." They were on a four day tour of the Rockies. A wee bit colder than southern Mexico.

This is one of three giant lights at the chateau beside Lake Louise. Three maidens are holding up antlers holding up lights. You really can't see their faces from this perspective, but I found it interesting.
A view from the restaurant inside the Chateau. They were serving "tea" but we didn't partake.

Lake Louise

Interesting peak along Canada's Hwy 1. The main cross-country road. In some places on two lanes.

Louise and I. Lake Louise that is. Just beginning to freeze over. A nippy 10F. Not quite the awesome green of the summer pictures but an incredible sight. The remains of the glacier that formed it are over my right shoulder. It it about 5 miles back to the Victoria Glacier.

Banff National Park

Wednesday noon was at Banff National Park. These mountains are sharp and beautiful.
The Banff Springs Hotel opened in the late 1800's. Massive but well designed.
The view off the Hotel's back patio. The Powder River flows through the golf course and towards Calgary (about 60 miles to the east.) Back in the 1920's, motel patrons would spend three months in the summer. For a measily $50,000.

Unique Sign

Not sure if you can make out this sign from the Wal-Mart parking lot.
"Expectant mothers and parents with small children" It was up front next to the handicap spaces. Canadians take off their shoes once inside the house, so I needed a pair of slippers and found some flannel pj's too.

From here we at the Crying Tiger (sirloin and chile peppers), Pad Thai and the Coconut Trout for supper!

Bill & Donna Smith's

My first three nights in Alberta I spent with Bill & Donna Smith. Long-time friends
from Colorado and later Tomball, TX. We had lunch Tuesday at the River Cafe.
Buffalo Brisket with Saskatoon berry sauce, chickpea fries and creamed kale. Apricot
sorbet for dessert. This was my abode for the three nights.