Friday, June 29, 2012

BC is Byootiful!

We made it to George and Pauline's fabulous lakeside house in time for Spring floods. Sandbagging going on in the neighborhood, but their house is high and dry. They are wondeful hosts, fantastic cooks and great tour guides...Anytime I can visit a winery is a good day indeed and we went two days in a row!
How's this for a winery setting?

While we took pictures the "boys" twiddled their thumbs.
You can't see that 'cause their thumbs are in their pockets.
Peonies 'to-die-for'!


A hamburger on Bannock, a kind of Indian fry-bread!
Obviously delicious!
More pics to come...I am overwhelmed by the beautiful scenery!
And the wine!

Monday, June 25, 2012

Freedom...maybe?

The road is open! 
The trucks have disappeared.
We are going to try the repaired road tomorrow...
George & Pauline, here we come!

I think we might just make it to George & Pauline's, tho they need a boat to get to their boat!
RevelStuck...we'll remember you fondly....as we leave.


Revelstuck!

There is a local slang word for what we are...RevelStuck!

We are, errr, were, on our merry way to visit for several days
 with George & Pauline in Chase, BC. 
Stopped in Revelstoke, a hundred miles short of our destination,
 to do laundry,
check the internet,
 and have a light day,
and it was raining.
A lot.
So much rain that there were two mudslides
 just west of Revelstoke which took out
part of the main highway, TransCanada 1.

The alternate route to get to George's is a 7 hour drive with two ferry crossings.  So much traffic detoured that way there is a 6 hour wait for the first ferry!
The road is being worked on and assessed by an engineer for safety, while the trucks back up here in Revelstoke.
Back up?
There are 18-wheelers parked everywhere!  It is quite a sight!
And the local dam is releasing huge amounts of water for the first time in 15 years...impressive! Wish I'd remembered my camera!



We've toured a railway museum, eaten pizza,
grocery shopped twice, hit the liquor store and done laundry.

What I want to know is why aren't all Canadians
skinny, sober and stinky?
The food prices are double from South Texas,
the liquor 4 to 5 times more pricey, and the laundramats? 
 $6 for a load!!!
(they call it extra large but the machine load is smaller than mine at home).

Oh, well.  To quote a famous SandPeep, "It is what it is."
Another update on the road will come out later this morning and fingers are crossed...otherwise we just might have to miss George & Pauline and backtrack to go north.
I must say, tho, that we've all enjoyed our extended stay here.  Very friendly people, great scenery, cocktails help.

Saturday, June 23, 2012

Canadian Rockies

Greetings to all our Sandpeeps and families!
We have toured Glacier NP in Montana,
Banff NP in Alberta and are now just about to visit with George & Pauline in Chase, BC.  We have driven thru rock slides and GawdAwful potholes to get here....but also experienced some amazing scenery!
Lake Louise
Head Bashed In Buffalo Jump.
(hysterical fact:  Annie thought we were going to an Inn.
The Head Bashed Inn!
Waterfalls....

Scruffy goats...
Couple of "Old Goats"...naw, one Old Goat and one nice person!
Lots of elk...
Scenery to die for!
But alas...this is the only bear we saw.
But I hear BC is full of bears....we'll see!

Sunday, June 17, 2012

Happy Father's Day & Happy BD to Jim

On the edge of Glacier NP...in the rain!
And the wind!
And the cold!
Bill cooked luscious steaks huddle under our awning.
Annie helped!

Forces us inside and forces us to drink to stay warm!
This lovely feast was in honor of all Father's everywhere and especially Jim's birthday!


Yellowstone

Annie & Bill

 & Jim & me
have left Yellowstone National Park after three glorious days of perfect weather, lots of gorgeous scenery and
a plethora of Buffalo.
Yes, yes...I know they are really Bison, but really now..
Bison Bill Cody?
The Bison nickle?
or
Bison wings?
Nope, to me they are and will remain Buffalo!
We saw Old Faithful of course..
and our share of geysers and hot springs and mud pots where we oohed and ahhed at the colors...

waterfalls...

a few short hikes....the map readers wouldn't let us get lost!

All in all, a wonderful time.
Now...on to Glacier N.P.

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

On the Treshold of Yellowstone NP

Don't know if you can make it out but the sky is full of Cottonwood ...dander?  Blossoms?
Achoo!

We have met up with Annie & Bill & Missy, and will enter Yellowstone tomorrow where last night it was ...
wait for it...
34 degrees!


The mountains behind us are snow capped!
Snow!
This is the middle of June!
Jim & Bill are discussing the merits of this highway
versus that one...
it keeps them out of the bars.

We will be out of range for the next several days.
No phones, no internet, no TV...just deer and bears and elk and bison and geysers! 
Oh My!

Flag Day Reminder

Don't Forget!
Our Flag Day Ceremony
 Thursday, June 14, 9:30 am,
 at the Memorial Garden by the front gate.
 
There will be coffee and donuts
served in Flip Flopz from 8:30 - 9:30 that morning.

Friday, June 8, 2012

World Map

Here is something fun to do.

Click on the "how many are visiting" number
(look over to the left)
to get to the site meter for this blog. 

Then click on the world map and just underneath the map
 click on the number 100. 

That will show you where the last 100 visitors to our blog are from.

  Lately I've seen Argentina, Japan, Thailand, even Saudi Arabia, not to mention all the states and thru out Canada. 

Kinda cool, eh?

Thursday, June 7, 2012

Hail to the Chief

We are camped in the Black Hills of South Dakota...
Land of Custer...
Land of Sitting Bull...
Land of Hellacious hail storms!
We are snug as a bug in our RV but
what about all the hikers, back packers...?
I shudder to think.
We hunkered down and listened to crashes on our roof by ping pong sized hail, blinded by lightning, deafened by thunder.
Biggest hail storm I have ever been in!
Scary, but exciting!

Tuesday, June 5, 2012

Badlands!

The Badlands aren't really bad, just misunderstood.
There is a lot of life if you know where to look.

We meandered thru the moon landscape scenery all morning

and are now camped in Wall, South Dakota. 
Free ice water at Wall Drug, dontcha know.