"Fort Whoop-Up"

1 Jun 2015--Haha...got your attention with that title, huh?  Cathy and I left Great Falls yesterday, but before we hit the highway we tested out our new, super-duper windshield protector.  Cathy took several 90 degree left and right turns in the RV park to see if it was going to crack the PVC pipe or scratch the car, etc...everything worked as we had hoped, EXCEPT the tarp ripped in one spot around a grommet.  So we took it off, wrapped it up, and stored it underneath the RV for now.  We don't need it for regular roads, just the gravel ones we anticipate later in the trip, and we can use it till it completely tears and then replace it with something sturdier.  So, all in all, a partial success.



We did have a little scare about 1/2 way thru the trip though.  We turned on the generator so that I could heat up my lunch, but although the generator itself seemed to be working fine, it did not turn on the microwave oven, the refrigerator, or anything else it should have.  Now at this point, Cathy is a little frustrated...taking deep breaths, etc., but in all honesty I never felt for a minute that she wasn't going to figure this out (haha)--I swear, I have complete confidence in her, and am only surprised when she can't fix something!  So she starts checking fuses throughout the coach, then she gets on the internet, googles something on this generator, and then starts troubleshooting...in the 2nd pic you can see a little switch labeled "35 amp 2 pole AC breaker"...she's not sure, but she flips it anyway, and in no time we are up and running again!!!  I would never have done that...I'd have been afraid I would blow the thing up...haha.



Before you know it we were at the border crossing...had no trouble getting through...and voila! we are in Alberta, Canada!



We are in a town called Lethbridge for 2 nights...I am on their wifi now...check out their password "livingthedream"...we figured it was another good omen!



The RV park has some trails leading out of it, so after dinner we headed out to see what we could see.



A fellow RVer was walking his hedgehog...it was so cute, and so little.



There are lots of walking, biking and hiking trails around here, but we went only as far as the river and this bridge...it is a railroad bridge, originally built in 1907, and is the oldest and tallest of its kind in the world!



And then today we headed out for what we thought, and hoped, was a scenic drive...at least that is what it was billed as...but we were a little disappointed.  It was only about a 3 mile stretch that led us past 3 housing divisions with a few nice houses.  So we headed over to the crazily named "Fort Whoop-Up".  The fort was originally owned by some Americans, ones who sold liquor (fire water--haha) to the natives as part of a trading venture, until it got too rowdy and the Prime Minister of Canada sent in a newly formed group called the North West Mounted Police.  They are what we know today as the "Mounties", and it all started here!!!!


 

Behind the fort we noticed some trails leading up to a lookout spot at the top of this small mountain, so in the spirit of getting ready to tackle Alaska, up we went!  haha



From the top you could look down into the fort...in the 2nd pic, in the back, center, you can see they are flying an American flag.



You can also see that big bridge from up where we were.



Right before you ascend the hill is this "Medicine Stone", one the natives believed was holy.  There was actually a woman praying at it when we 1st got there.  I guess people leave offerings on top...there were some coins and leaves, but also some cigarette butts, which we thought was really weird, but who are we to say??? haha  It wasn't a mistake either...there were several more partial cigarettes strewn about the base of the rock.



On a car outside the clubhouse we are typing this blog in....I just thought it was funny so thought I'd share!!!



Off to Canmore tomorrow for 3 days, where Banff National Park is located.  The weather looks like it is calling for rain, but I am hopeful that it will not rain on our parade.

Ellen, when we were climbing that small mountain, we noticed that the air here seems a little thinner, and therefore it makes you get out of breath faster.  So keep practicing your stair climbing...it will not be in vain!!!  hahahaha

Talk to you all soon.  And pray to the rain gods for us, please!!!

Oh, Canada! It Beckons!

31 May 2015--A quick post as we leave Great Falls for Canada.  Been  here almost a week, been quite busy, but always enough time for a few pictures.  Here are a few pretty birds...not sure what the blue one is, but the black ones are Magpies, actually the state bird of Colorado, but lots of them here in Montana, too.  The one on the tree is one of 3 babies in the tree outside our RV.  That's mom or dad in the middle scrambling to find enough food to feed the little piggies.

  

Some wildlife at the base perimeter, and another RVer here with us...I liked his wolf theme on his trailer with his 3 Huskies laying outside.  They look a lot alike.

  

Views from the base.  Montana is called "Big Sky" country, and these pics explain better than words as to why that is.



This is the house that Cathy and I rented here 25 years ago.  It was yellow even then.  Marie and Ellen will, and maybe Jen and Kristine may, recognize it.



Of course we had a few last minute things to do...the stuff you put off and then scramble to get done. haha  Here we are changing the hoses out to the water filters and the water softener.




We had already changed out one of the windshield wipers, but broke the water line in the process, so that had to be replaced too.  haha



The biggie!   Fashioning our very own car windshield protector.  Cathy had seen some on-line, and then when we were in Wyoming we saw a fellow RVer who had done the same thing, so we gave it a go.  Today will be its maiden voyage...wish it luck!!!



We had to change out one of the slide-out controllers underneath in the storage compartment.  Cathy's on it!!!



And finally, so you don't think that I just stand around taking pictures (haha), here I am making a removable screen for our screen door.  Why?, you ask.  When we are driving down the road my view to the side is partially altered with the permanent screen.  So we removed that one and placed some 2-sided velcro and a new screen on the inside so that when we are driving I can pull it down out of my way for a MUCH better view!!!  Cool, huh?!  haha

 

And finally, a few of the beautiful Montana sunsets.  As I said on Facebook, these are not photo-shopped--haha.  As Ellen can attest, I used to drive her crazy years ago when she visited me here by making her come out all the time to see the beautiful sunrises and sunsets...and you should see the stars when it gets dark here...there are a gazillion of them and they are so close you feel like if you were just a little taller you could grab them.

 

So the engine is running, literally, and we are leaving in like 5 minutes.  I honestly couldn't be more excited!!!  We may have only sporadic internet and possibly little to no phone service at times, but stay tuned for blogs of Canada and Alaska, I'm thinking it's just gonna get better and better!!!