July 25 saw us make an early checkout and hit the road to find and look over a new build on the South Saskatchewan River near Galt Island. This great new house will be home to Jamie and Chris and girls upon completion next year. Jamie is Bob and Lynn LeMesurier's eldest.
Check out the view on the river.
The ride over to Lethbridge on Hwy 3 was uneventful but for the Super Sucker Septic truck we followed for awhile near Purple Springs. If only I could get my camera out before it left the highway for a gravel side road. Lettered on the back for all to read was "This Truck Contains Political Promises"
Gayle and I took a trip down memory lane by driving over to West Lethbridge to look at our first house
purchased in 1986. It was not painted blue then! Gayle was surprised that there was water in the Old Man River as we crossed Whoop Up Drive.
After a quick lunch and gas up we took off for the USA once again by following Hwy 5 south to Cardston (the Imagination Unlimited Quilt store was closed.......can you believe it in the middle of the day!) then on down to the Carway border crossing.
We entered Glasier National Park so that I could take Gayle on a ride called "Going to the Sun Road" which NIcholas and I did together back in 2010. I enjoyed it then and I enjoyed it all over again!
Even the weather was the same. So good to be in the mountains again!
Yes that is where we are going!
There were a lot of hikers in the park that day.
I could stop at every lookout if there was time.
With views like this wouldn't you?
As the afternoon wore on the temperature climbed and even speeding up to run down Hwy 2 from West Glasier did not cool us down enough to make a difference. Check into the Travelodge and got the AC on pronto. Gayle has had enough of the heat, so we have made the decision to turn north in the morning and the ride down the west coast of the USA will have to be for another time and problaly another type of vehicle.
July 26 saw us ride north on Hwy 93 with the weather threatening to show us it's bad side. Stopped in Eureka for gas and layered up for the rain. No problem getting back into Canada at the Roosville crossing location. Lightning and thunder in the mountains and just a little spitting. Rode through Fernie and on to Sparwood where we were almost forced off the road by a BC idiot in an hopped up 4 X 4. Pulled in to have lunch and removing the rain gear, before heading into the Crowsnest Pass and Alberta. We stopped near Lundbreck to layer up again as it looked darker than it had all day. Took Hwy 22 "The Cowboy Trail" on up to Okotoks. About a third of the way up to Okotoks the rain came at us from the hills to the east and hail the size of your thumb came at us. The ruts on the road were instantly filled with water and ice before the hail became more the end of your finger ends, in size. I lowered the windshield for fear that it might break, but kept moving because there was no place to safely get off the road. (Low soft shoulders) After that the wind allowed us to dry off quite quickly. What a changeable weather day!
Here it comes!
Awhile later I noticed that the fence pots on the left side of the highway seemed to be topped with something so I stopped for a better look and saw this.....
Litterly a few km of hats on fence posts
I took each of these photos from the corner of a fence line along the highway and then down the acces road to a ranch. It is hard to do it justice with such a small photo in this blog!
July 27 on the road by 8:10am heading east on Hwy 2 to High River, then 23 to Vulcan turning left on Hwy 534, then 531 to Lomond to 845 then onto 539 to find 36 and up to the TransCanada before Brooks (we ran through a heavy fog near the Bow River) where we stopped for some lunch. As much I have tried to stay off the TC it is necessary sometimes when trying to make time. We ran the TC all the way to Swift Current, SK. Took the time to pressure wash the bike (bugs abound) before going to Original Joe's for supper. I broke one of the nose bridge pieces on my glasses today. Not going to be an easy fix as the frames are titanium.
July 28 we took Hwy 4 to 15 to Outlook where we stopped for lunch at the ESSO where we had met Milan Prustomersky just 5 days earlier. Back into Saskatoon via Hwy 219 to stay with Bob and Lynn once again. Just got the bike into the garage before it began raining. Bob and I went out to the Expert Goldsmiths to have them repair my glasses frames. The nose piece stayed on only till I cleaned the lens....then off it came. Darn!
The next day Lynn took me back to Expert Goldsmiths to try and get the glasses repaired again..... No luck....so we went to her optometrist and got some silicon gel pads that at least would stick to the frames. We then picked up a ceiling fan, which I later installed in her kitchen. I have to work for the accommodations and great meals don't I ?
I arrived back at the house just in time to see my brother Jim and wife Melody leaving (on their way from Edmonton to Moose Jaw to see their children and grand children) There was a 15 minute torrential rain later that evening, but it did not seem to cool things down at all !! This summer on the prairies is different they say.
July 30 was a low key day for Bob and I. Gayle and Lynn went to the Farmers Market in the city then went out to the Prairie Chicks Quilt Store in Warman ....north of Saskatoon. We rounded up our visit with them by going out to the Milestone for supper.
Well here it is the last of Jully 2016. We said our heartfelt good byes to Bob and Lynn and travelled down Hwy 11 to Moose Jaw. Rest stop in Davidson showed us the home on the world's largest tea pot.........Just in case you were wondering!
Tea pot and accompanying tea cup
Also home to the Metis Fiddler next to a "dump cart"
Checked into the Comfort Inn then went over to Jamie and Jenn Day's for a visit with Brother Jim, Melody, Jenn, Keaighly and Abbegayle and were treated to a wonderful BBQ supper and chocolate "frogs" for dessert. Thanks Jenn and Mel. Jamie came home from work and we played catchup with him for several hours before leaving for the motel.
Everyone seems to be doing OK but found Jim looking tired.
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