A month at home? What's with that?

So, we've mostly been at home since our last post.  The weather is mostly to blame.  Not that it has been that bad at all, but usually I can spot a nice week or so of beautiful weather at one of my preferred camping areas.  This time, there were very few temptations, and ridiculous fuel prices made it easier to resist frivolous travel, tho most of my roaming could be likely classified as such!

 

On the home front, the local fibre optics installation process has been dragging on a long time, with multiple companies each doing only a portion of the work, and often having to wait for one step to be complete before the other starts.  It originally seemed that we would be up and running by spring, but fall and the first snows are upon us, and even though the majority of the work seems to have been completed, there is no completion date in sight. 

 

So, there is still survey stakes and pin flags everywhere, which provides a convenient excuse not to mow the grass! 

 Although a lot of the underground work is done by horizontal drilling, there is still a need for multiple backhoes and hydro-vac trucks to dig holes, before filling them in again.

Not sure why this conduit has two sides?  The strand of wire is there so that the cable can be traced once it's underground.

One of the larger drills used to install the conduit.  Workers told me they had buried the conduit 17' below the bed of our small river!

One of the many backhoes at work digging holes - but they are pretty good at filling them in again.  I know some areas will require a bit of work in the spring.

 Even though I seem to have won the earlier battle with Amazon, and they now (knock on wood) have been delivering to my door, it seems like that was not the only issue to deal with!  I recently ordered a renewed iPad from Amazon - and it was delivered to my door!  Unfortunately, it had a minor issue with some of the sound functions, so it was to be returned.  Amazon agreed to the return, but said I would have to pay the costs upfront and they would refund me.  I then ordered a replacement one that arrived before I could return the first one.  With my luck, my laser printer refused to print out the return label - because it was low on YELLOW!  Eventually, I revived a back-up printer, and got the label printed, as well as the convenient customs declaration that the Post Office would require.  NOT!  Not anymore, it seems!  Now, you have to scan a QR code and fill out all the information on your phone.  I guess people without phones are screwed? And next, ANOTHER QR code, where you have to download another app, and fill in all the information again, so that you can pay a bloody TARIFF to return the item to where it apparently originated from a week earlier!  And then, the app wanted a photo (!) of what you are sending!  So I took a nice pic of my package on the counter at the post office.  Well, no way that is going to suffice!  Do I now have to unpack my carefully packaged iPad in the post office, take photo of it, and then go looking for tape?  Lucky for me, I had the replacement iPad out in my truck, and used a photo of it to satisfy them!  Then they wanted a mandatory phone number of the recipient!!  Anyone know how to get the phone # for the Amazon return center in Vegas?  I surely don't.  I pulled another random Amazon ph # out of my hat and that seemed to satisfy them.  So, after paying the post office $27. and the TARIFF App $57., off it went.  Whew.

Of course, then I discovered that the replacement iPad had exactly the same issue as the first one.   Oh joy!  Of course, I had to call Amazon again and remind them that they were going to refund me for the shipping costs, and they demanded a photo of the receipts.  I had to explain to them in language that would not end the phone call, that the $57 was to an app that doesn't issue receipts.  I did show the billing on my credit card and eventually convinced them to pay me.

When they suggested that I return the second defective iPad, I politely told them where they could shove that idea!  I think I made my point to their supervisors rather forcefully, and to their credit, I do seem to have a substantial gift card balance now..... 

Later in the month, Bailey and I did get away for a few days up along Abraham Lake and the North Saskatchewan river to some of our favourite 'local' camp spots.  Even with school back in session, there were still quite a few people out camping.

 

There is a nice little 8 km (5 mi) hike to Siffleur Falls I like to do at least once a year when in the area.

Siffleur Falls

(view from the camper window)

 (Bailey has been working on his hunting skills around home.)

After years of having almost no mice or anything getting into the 5th wheel, this last year has been a bit different.  A Packrat invasion while in California seemed to have started things, and this summer while at home, the red squirrels have seemed to have found a way partially inside.  Fortunately, none of the intruders have found a way into the living or food storage areas of the trailer, but the enclosed belly has provided plenty of space where I am unable to get at them.  I was at wits end trying to figure out how they were getting in, as I have been under the rig multiple times with a can of foam, sealing up even the smallest crack.  Of course, I was missing the most obvious spot - the open end of a part of the frame that should have led nowhere.  Finally, I saw Bailey chase a squirrel under the rig, and it disappeared there, and I could hear it running around inside the belly liner!  What!  That frame member leads inside?  So it was quickly sealed with foam after the squirrel was evicted, and here's hoping that end all invasions in the future!

 (Squirrel not impressed by being locked out!)

 

 

 

While no decision have been made as to the timing or direction of future travels, I think it is safe to assume that there will be no more posts till we hit the road. 

Driving Miss Donna - no more :-( Festivals, Bridges, and Fibre!

When we last left you, we were just leaving Dinosaur Provincial Park in Alberta, slowly making our way homeward.  We were passing through Drumheller when we got a call from the daughter of our great RV friends, Don & Donna.  Don and I went to high school together back in Saskatchewan, and then reconnected decades later in the RV world.  I have camped and traveled with Don & Donna in Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia, Arizona, Nevada, California, Texas, and likely a few places I've forgotten.  She advised me that they had both died in a collision near their home in Alberta.  What a shock and loss, to all their friends, daughters, and grand kids.

Don had retired a few years ago after spending his career mostly with the Alberta government, but Donna was still super busy with several businesses she ran online, as a board member with the Co-op, and numerous volunteer positions.  Don and I managed to camp together for a week this spring near Abraham Lake, when Donna was busy with all her endeavours.  She also had a blog Driving Miss Donna, though it has not been updated in a while.

Bailey and I spent one night at home, and not wanting to be there, we kept on heading west. After one night along the west boundary of Yoho National Park, 

 

 

 

we were fortunate to get one of our favourite usual spots on Revelstoke Lake, where we spent the week.

Although mostly clear, there was some thick smoke that moved in for a couple of days - from distant forest fires. Remarkably, while BC has been experiencing one of their worst fire years in quite a while, neighbouring Alberta has had plentiful rain, and few ignitions even when the hazard was high.  For the first time in 40 years, Alberta had a day in August where there were zero fires burning in the province!

But, back at the end of July, I attended the memorial service for Don & Donna, and I estimated that was attended by over 500 friends, and I know of many who could not make it.  Sad times with lots of happy memories.

I recognized the photo of their rig on the back of the program as the place where Don and I had camped earlier this year - though both of them have enjoyed that spot with me many times in the past, as one of our local 'go-to' spots when there were no other plans.

We took the long way home, via the Brazeau reservoir, and checked out a newly renovated former railroad Taunton trestle on the abandoned railroad between Nordegg and Rocky Mountain House, Alberta.  It now has an impressive and expansive concrete deck, as well as tables and benches, etc.

This project involved building about a mile of new road, and large new parking area, with outhouses etc.  I thought that I might enjoy biking on the trail, till a short drive in the area reminded me of the huge numbers of ATV's that inhabit the area, using this trail, as well as any other place where they can rip and tear up the terrain.  Perhaps there are sections of the rail trail that are not as busy, or as close to popular ATV camp areas?

Meanwhile, back at home, crews were busy drilling in conduit for the fibre optic cable that is to follow.

Their drill can run just underground, and around corners, with only a few minor excavations required.  Of course, previously, various other crews showed up to flag all the buried utility lines that they do not want to encounter unexpectedly.

Who knows when the fibre will arrive, but in the meantime, Starlink seems to be working quite well ...

Our next expedition was back to Saskatchewan again, for the third time this summer.  This time, the attraction was the Northern Lights Bluegrass Festival, at the Ness Creek site near big River.  I had convinced Don & Donna to attend, and they had purchased tickets they would never get to use. :-(    In no rush, we spent a couple of days on the way there, trying to find alternate routes that we had not previously explored.   

Our second night found us once again at the Fabyan Trestle on the CNR mainline, near Wainwright, Alberta.

 I had planned to stop for the night right at the park boundary of Prince Albert National Park on a little used and remote entry point, but remarkably, was spotted by a relative from Alberta who just happened to be driving by, and we ended up at their family cabin on Emma lake!

Next couple of days, we hooked up with another camping couple, and toured some areas in the national park, before we all headed over to the music festival.

We hiked the Boundary Bog trail.

The festival was held at the Ness Creek site, near Big River, Saskatchewan.  And, according to this sign at the entry, they also host a lot of different events at the same spot!

  

Jake Vaadeland and the Sturgeon River Boys were the headline act. 

They were nice enough to mention the passing of Don & Donna in their closing remarks.

The festival site is deep in the boreal forest, with several open fields to camp in, and many hidden spots in the woods as well.

On our way home, we stopped for the night near the North Saskatchewan river ...

Apologies for the length of this post!  I guess we got a bit busy and distracted, and before you know it, we had a lot of content to try and jam in here.  Fall is definitely upon us, and the weather has not been that inviting for camping.  Till next time ...