Oh Canada! Milk River, Okotoks, and on to Cremona

Milk River May 3, 2014

As we approached the Canadian border I hummed O Canada and readied the passports!  After a few questions from the border agent and our very straight forward answers, we were told to have a good day and our passports were handed back and we crossed over  into Alberta!  It has been 7 years since we last visited with such great memories!  The weather however is not really cooperating with us.  Luckily we have had "Alaska training" in Wyoming and  are pretty used to just being cold! LOL

We arrived in Milk River, a short way from the border, on a gray chilly and flurryish day.  The Queen Bee nestled in front of our friend Dottie's mobile home on Main Street in Milk River, Alberta.  After hello hugs Steve attempted to connect our electric to hers.  Each time it would snap out.  He checked her cords, and then began taking our electric apart trying to figure out the problem.  Finally, he realized it might be her power as we have a management system on our electric and if it is over 129 volts it won't connect.  Armed with his trusty electric tester, Steve made his way to the outlets to check the voltage coming in.  Whew, it was a dangerous and whopping 143 volts coming in to her electric from the power lines!!!  A swift call to the electric company followed and we waited for them to arrive.  Power was turned off and we played three games of cribbage in the quickly chilling off house but still no power returned.  Soon, we all decided we knew where it was warm and headed to the Queen Bee to play another game.  From the dinette we had a bird's eye view of the man from the electric company on his elevated basket.  Steve kept us up to what was happening with several trips to the power pole to get updated information.  Soon another tower arrived with a crane attached and another fellow and they proceeded to change out the transformer.  In about an hour the power was restored and we hooked up fine with the new 120 volts coming in from the power pole!  The strange thing is this is the third time we have discovered bad power in the past several years with this system.  A blessing for Dottie for sure since that power most likely would have ruined her TV and cell phone and computer in little time!

Tye, our traveling pooch fell in love with Dottie's also traveling dog, Schatzie.  They played and romped and had so much fun!!!

She made some calls so that we could attend church on Sunday and her friend Dennis Taylor arrived to pick us up on Sunday morning to take us to church.  We were greeted by such a friendly congregation.  What a joy to feel comfortable right away!  Following the service there was a potluck and we enjoyed that as well!

It was still rather rainy and chilly and so the afternoon was spent napping and watching a movie.  I had made a few dinners up thinking we would have to surrender our meats not labeled from the freezer.  So I already had beans and ham prepared.  I did discover brown bread is not the best in three small pans as it ran over in Dottie's oven!

May 5, 2014

One has to love small town Alberta!  The folks are so very friendly here!  This morning, as we were walking to the bank to exchange some money, we met a lady.  She greeted us.  We said hello back.  She asked if we lived in Milk River.  We said no, we were just visiting.  She said, "Oh, that's too bad.  I was going to invite you to coffee.  All the seniors are getting together here for coffee.  I thought you might join us."  So refreshing!  A lovely face, a huge smile, an invitation!  Made our day!

a little aside note....While traveling in Great Falls, Montana, just after visiting the CM Russell Museum ewe heard a horn honking and looked down to see a couple, Mark and Wendy Pitts, we had traveled with to Mexico and who are traveling with us on our journey to Alaska.  We waved and smiled and they turned.  It was fun seeing them!  Fast forward....we are the first ones to travel north, first in our group across the border.  We headed north today toward Okotoks and stopped to fuel up in the wee town of Nanton, AB.  We had just filled up and were trying to adjust to the sticker shock of $4.90 a gallon when Steve saw a body outside his door and....there were Mark and Wendy Pitts again! :) They are on their way to Okotoks as well but to an RV park there.

At 5 pm our friend Mel arrived to pick us up for dinner.  But, in Nancy O'Bosky fashion, I humbly invited Mark and Wendy Pitts, if there was enough to go around. I couldn't very well leave them alone in an RV park a few blocks away from other Escapees getting together for supper.  A quick call to lovely Ann, Mel's wife found it fine to invite them and we were off to lead them to the Hills' condo for a wonderful supper and evening together.  The night went too quickly and we enjoyed the conversation in their lovely home after a scrumptious meal! Hugs around and Mel returned us to our Queen Bee RV :)

 We overnight parked  at the Wal-Mart.    I'm thankful that my man, Steve, has given us a warm place with our propane heater, a place filled with solar power even on a cloudy day like today our batteries are still getting charged.

May 6, 2014
A glimpse of the Trans Canada highway from Highway 22....a snowy wonderland.  A day or two later most of this snow was gone.

A two hour drive the next morning found us pulling into the driveway of the farm of dear friends, The Earle's in the snow!  Once again we are heartily thankful for our "Alaska training" in Wyoming.  It was really a warm day compared to there! LOL

May 7, 2014

Happy birthday to our grandson who turned 10 today!  While in Wyoming we sent him what every 10 year old geologist wants....a box of rocks.  These though were found, labeled and saved by Grandma as she walked in California, Nevada, Utah and Wyoming!  Happy birthday Reed!  We love you and miss you.  Hugs and hello to Jaden as well, our almost 7 year old granddaughter.