Two Weeks in Pincher Creek

I was talking to my parents today and they think I'm having a full summer holiday living here in Pincher Creek.  We have someone come in once a week to clean the chalet and change our sheets and replace the towels.  It does sound pretty good.  We have been enjoying our time here and trying to find new places to explore or do new things in places we have been.

Ron has been working hard but then on his days off we are off to see new things.  A week ago today was Ron's first day off after starting to work in Waterton.  We walked across the street to church.

 

The church is a small Pentecostal church with very friendly and welcoming people.  Some remembered us from being there last year when we stopped by to check out Pincher Creek after finding out that Ron was being transferred here.  The rest of the day we took it easy since Ron was just coming off of nights.

On Monday, we went for a motorcycle ride through Crowsnest Pass.

This takes you right by Frank Slide.  We have driven by here many times but each time it is a sobering realization of how fragile life is.  On April 29, 1903, 82 million tonnes of limestone rock fell down Turtle Mountain and in less than 2 minutes the east side of Frank town was wiped out.  The rocks remain on both sides of the highway.

We continued on into British Columbia which is really not too far away.

We arrived in Fernie, BC just in time for a tea and bagel break.  Fernie is a pretty little mountain town that is known for great skiing but this time of year the mountain bikes take over.

We stopped along the way home at a little lake for a picnic and got home in time for supper.
The next day, Ron loaded up our bicycles while I packed our lunch.  We headed into Montana to Glacier National Park.

Waterton and Glacier are two connecting National Parks, one in Canada (where Ron is working) and one in the US.

Glacier is a much bigger park and the Going to the Sun road is still only partially opened due to snow removal still happening.  This is where we headed with our bikes.

I was a little nervous about the ride because I am not a long distance rider and I was a little concerned about the regular sightings of bears.  The road runs along Saint Mary's Lake.  The lake is 15.9 km long.

We made it to a beautiful look out but Ron encouraged me to get to the next spot and I was glad that we did.

We refueled with our picnic (or should I say our back pack lunch) and then headed back down the road to stop in some more beautiful spots.  We arrived at a perfect little photo op and a family from China was very excited to see us on our bikes. Not only did they take our picture for us, but they took some of us on their camera.

Although the day was beautiful and only sweaters were needed; the road crews were still busy clearing the highway at the higher elevations but we also found snow along the way.

We didn't see any bears along the way and I was more than okay with that.  We got back to the gate and loaded the bikes and checked my odometer....27 km!  That might not be much for some bike riders but I was pretty proud of myself. 

We headed back to the border, noticing the marker for the two countries.

Once again, we were home in time for supper.  We can get into British Columbia or Montana, do some exploring and still be home in time to make dinner.
Ron started back to work on Wednesday and has been working ever since.  I've been working from the chalet and getting lots done. We have been biking or walking around town to get some exercise and planning what we should do on Ron's next days off.  I went to church this morning and was greeted by a friendly congregation.  Ron is finishing nights tonight and might be putting some overtime in tomorrow with the quads.  It's a hard life but somebody has to do it.
So life in Pincher Creek has been going pretty well for us.  We are very comfortable in the chalet, love the mountains that surround us and are enjoying our days of exploration.
Stay tuned....





And Now....

With our anniversary trip behind us, we only had a weekend to prepare for a whole summer to be away from our home.  With Ron being posted to Waterton, we packed the truck to the max and on Monday morning we set off for Pincher Creek.  Ron was on the motorcycle and me in the truck.

When we got to Pincher Creek we checked into our chalet and were pleasantly surprised with the roominess of our summer home.  We unloaded everything and settled into our home away from home.

Ron started working the next day in Waterton.

He saw the effects of last year's fire first hand and saw how the wildlife are returning to the area.  Many of the roads and trails are closed to protect the wildlife and help with the new growth of the forest. 

While he was at work, I got groceries and found places for everything.  On Wednesday, I got to work.  I set up my portable office and got lots done.

We've been doing lots of walks around Pincher Creek when we aren't working to try and get the feel of the community.  There are lots of trees blooming and deer roaming.

On Friday morning, we went for a motorcycle ride to the park so I could see the area.  The fires left their mark.  Half burned trees are left standing with new growth showing the evidence of the area repairing itself.

The missing visitors' office is gone.  I remember last year being here and seeing the big horned sheep relaxing in the lawn.

The beauty of the area is still very real.  The mountains have less trees but the water is just as blue and the grass is vibrant.

 It is a strange feeling sitting here in our little chalet.  Ron is working his last night this set.  Tomorrow we will start our three days off.  We plan to go to church, go for a motorcycle ride into BC and maybe bike in Waterton.  After that, it will be back to work for us.

Being a way for the whole summer is crazy.  It's like we are on holidays, but not.  I miss our friends in Three Hills but I'm thankful that Ron and I can do this adventure together.  If our house sells, we will be living here permanently....and if not, we will be back to Three Hills.  We are leaving all of that in God's hands because He knows best and we will be content with His plan!

Anniversary Trip

When you celebrate your 35th anniversary and come through cancer surgery you just need to get away.  We booked our tickets and arrived on Vancouver Island.  The weather was beautiful when we landed and the colourful flowers and trees were just what the doctor ordered.  We checked into our ocean front resort and were pleasantly surprised with a spacious, private condo.

This next day we met up with Pastor Paul and Tammy Israelson from Swift Current and had a great time visiting in Butchart Gardens.

 I did leave my camera in the "capable" hands of Paul for a few minutes and I really wasn't surprised to find a selfie on it.

We spent a few hours strolling and chatting through the most beautiful gardens.  With Paul and Tammy being from Saskatchewan and us from Alberta we were being immersed in colours and TREES!

After our walk through the gorgeous pathways we headed to wharf to have fish and chips.

After our goodbyes, we went separate ways.  We went back to our resort and Paul and Tammy went to a castle to let Tammy experience her inner princess self.

The next day was Mother's Day and we went to church and I got a carnation.  From then on, each day we found new places to hike and explore.  We checked out lots of beaches.

And we explored different hikes which most ended up at a beach along the way.  We walked through lots of trails.  Some were rain forest walks with lots of ferns.  The paths were sometimes hard to find and others were marked out well by bridges, stumps and wood chippings.

At the end of each hike the last few steps were hard to take but it was good to be moving so much and my fitbit was very happy with me.

When we drove back to the resort we would soak our tired legs before sitting back and enjoying our view.

We renjoyed this type of holiday with lots of exploring and then ending up at the same place each night.  In the evenings we would sometime venture out for another little stroll.  There seemed to be lots to see in the area.

35 years is a long time but really it isn't nearly long enough.  The joy of marriage is enjoying spending time with each other, looking at life as a journey together and being there for each other through everything.

Some may say that at age 19 we were too young to get married but I'm just glad we made the decision and all these years later we are still having fun!  Notice...my neck scar is healing quite nicely.