Leaving Alberta

Downtown Calgary from the air. The Bow River flows from the distant mountains past downtown Calgary and eastward in the bottom right corner of the picture. The Calgary Tower is the red dot just to the left of the tall buildings. The Saddledome is in the lower left corner. An American would call it the Pringle Dome from the air.

Goodbye Alberta.

Allen & Wright

We might as well end the trip with a good taste in our mouths, shouldn't we?
An Uncle Burger (Sirloin) from A&W. A 5oz. sirloin patty, a pile of hot fries and root beer in a frosty mug. As A&W Canada is a completely separate company than A&W USA, their menu is different. Canada is home to the Burger Family and Uncle is the newest relative.

If you'd like a really nice picture of an Uncle Burger to be the Background of your computer. Follow this link.
http://www.aw.ca/publicinfo.nsf/UncleBurger

More Funny Signs

A very multi-cultural church on Centre St had this very profound announcement.
Coming Soon ...Jesus.
I'm not sure how long they've been a Christian church, but better late than never, eh?


What a steal, eh? Heated. Underground. And only $2.
Sweet news for the locals. They're accustomed to chinooks and it's only been below 0F temps for two weeks.

W.A. Gough - Violin Maker & Restorer

Allan Gough in his workshop. The shop as approxiamately 450 violins inside plus cellos. Al makes them as well as restores. He now has an apprentice. An 84 year old man.

Allan said playing a violin is a disease and it can strike as early as age three. His shop is as unique from the outside as it is inside. These are a few of the 450 violins just hanging around waiting for owners to pick them up or buy them.


Sign Posted in Store:
All violins, cellos, and bows sold here are guaranteed to be Y2K compliant. We are not sure about the violas...
-- The Management.

Car Wash

Now, how often do car washes in Texas have doors? Freeze warnings? I mean, Texans have to use ice water just so it doesn't boil the paint off. At any rate, here in Canada, sloppy, snowy roads mean messy cars and salted roads mean corrosion. Hence the need for car washes at a minus 20.

Jason Pearman washing the Toyota.

More Banffffff.

View Eastward from the Bow River Falls area below the Banff Springs Hotel.

It was calm by the river, but a high upper wind was blowing the snow off the peaks as recorded here.

The Three Sisters above Canmore, Alberta. Not a bad sight to have outside the window for two days.

Canadian Rockies

Canadian Rockies from Hwy 1 between Banff and Lake Louise.

The stream leaving a now-frozen Lake Louise.

A Winter Wonderland in the Canadian Rockies.

Dog Sledding

On our way to Lake Louise, we passed two pickups and lots of dogs in a roadside turnoff. Tourists can pay $300/person for a 2-hour ride in a dog sled. Each sled is pulled by 10 dogs. The sleds held two adults seated inside plus the driver standing behind. This is the last of four sleds that took off. And at a very good clip too.

There were extra dogs that didn't go on the trip and they stayed behind in the trucks' cages. The sound of 50+ dogs barking was tremendous. But as soon as the dogs started off with the sleds, they grew silent. However, this is the mournful sound of those who stayed behind. Weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Three Blind Mice

Cheryl Lumley playing "Three Blind Mice". Heather Hansen (CA) and Michael Moulson (AB) enjoy the show along with many others. This rendition is the "Singing Lady from London." The jump and jolt on the keyboard are the "mouse" scaring the singing lady. She screamed "a mouse" but you can't hear it over the laughter.

Maligne Canyon

Maligne Canyon is a deep narrow gorge in Jasper National Park. It's depth ranges from 50-160 feet, but it's width in most places being only 5-20' at most. Water from Medicine Lake enters an extensive cave system. It's not known where all the water reappears despite various tests with dies. Some comes above ground at Maligne Canyon, about 10 miles from Medicine Lake. The creek merges with several large springs and finally joins the Athabasca River.

Giant icicles from a spring entering Maligne Canyon.

View of Bridge 5 and the Canadian Rockies.

Jasper National Park

Thursday, eight of us went to Jasper National Park. On the frozen lake we saw two animals crossing over. They were far enough away we still haven't had an expert answer on them being coyotes or wolves. Evidently an adult coyote and a young wolf are nearly identical. On the far bank of the lake are a herd of elk. A little hard to spot. Two wolves were spotted further up the road, but gone before we could turn around. On the way back, Garry Bailey spotted a bald eagle sitting high up in a tree, but I never could spot it's location. Too far away for a picture at any rate.

Mr. Stone Ram blowing kisses to his sweetie.

Bull elk taking a break by the road. Just a young fellow but he was the only male we could see in the crowd.

Shining Bank Lake

Kristy Goodsman's sheep dog.

Shiningbank Lake, Alberta at sunset. Frozen over and a few ice fishermen already out. Man worked all morning getting his hole cut in the ice. Went in for lunch and his wife asked him if he'd caught anything. "Caught anything?! I just got a hole big enough to put the boat in."

Don't ask me what they are, but they were pretty with the snow and golden light of sunset.


Another view of shining bank lake from Goodsman's.

Minor Mishaps

LaDon Loyek hit a deer. The Santa Fe wasn't too harmed. No one hurt. Glad no one hit a moose. They're as tall as a horse, but in the dark, their hair and eyes have no reflection like other animals. You don't see them until you hit them.

David Jury checking out his broken rocking chair. We were enjoying a little piano music and company by a toasty fire when he reclined just a bit too much. Front legs pulled out of the gliders and gave him a jolt.

Funny Signs Part 2

"Skate Sharpening" Not usually seen in Texas.

Guess the staff at Tim Horton's can't hear your order over the diesel's rumble.

Valleyview Victory Christian Church, A Rip & Stich Place and A Buck or More. All in the same building and DON'T park illegally or you'll be towed.

Tiny Tractors

This is Bill Ives' latest project. Not quite finished, but a to-scale replica. Only one piece of this tractor was bought, Bill made the rest in his basement machine shop.

His first project, a John Deere D. Yes, he made every part but the rubber tires.

Bill has many tractors and hundreds of engines he's built. All in his basement.

Peace River. AB

Doreen Read reminds me of Aunt Pearl. She and Dorothy Anderson live at Heritage Towers. Doreen enjoys sitting by the front door, tho she must now share her vantage spot with Santa Claus. Santa will dance but Doreen is nearly deaf so pays no mind to the obnoxious music playing over and over.

Boot Boy at the door of Heritage Towers. He'll wipe your shoes for you.

Dorothy Anderson and her good friend Teddy. She thinks he looks like a bear tho he's a hamster. He won first prize at the Halloween costume party. Dorothy went as a farmer. She would never tell his character, but I suspect he must have gone as one of the three blind mice (as he has no tail.)

There's more than one way to have peace around this house, woman.