Good-bye to the prairies.

Tamarack RV Park, Grande Prairie, AB (1 star)

Lee notes that he thought we had left the prairies a few days ago. However, the Peace Country is as prairie as it gets. Today however, we drove through Grande Prairie and the forests have taken over. We are headed into the mountains tomorrow.

We stopped in Sexsmith because we spotted a grain elevator. In the course of taking photos of that nicely restored elevator, Lee noticed a century-old blacksmith shop. Oh how simple things were in the old days.

The highway from Sexsmith into Grande Prairie is a piece of @$*%. It's not that the pavement is broken Saskatchewan-style, but that it is a continuous bounce of dips and valleys. This is rural driving so there is no excuse via sewer lines or culverts. It is as if the paving company did not understand the need for compactors before laying down the ashphalt. We found things moved in the Schooner that had never moved before.

And to top it all off, no cell service just south of Grande Prairie.

Remembering dad's birthday, and all the memories that photos bring back.

I think of him often, especially as we travel and "dry camp" as he did many times on fishing trips and then canoe trips. The canoe trip he did that I'm sure turned him grey was the year he took us daughters onto the Churchill River system. LOL. My Facebook page has a few special memories.

Tomorrow, making more memories with Lee as we explore more of Canada in the RV "The Schooner", we will be "dry camping" so no power, no water, no sewer.

Weather is cooling off in the evenings, many of the poplar leaves are turning yellow here in Tamarack RV Park - potentially from the dry conditions, but could also be near frosted nghts. We shall see what tonight brings. We are cozy and comfy and sleeping under our big quilt again, with a few patches from where it has worn through or had a few kitty claw tears.

Today's travels took us on what turned out to be one of the worst highways, giving the Schooner quite the bouncy ride. Actually one of the worst we have been on. Fortunately nothing fell out of cupboards, we have that tethering down pat, but a few things were bounced out of place and I am now reminded to check absolutely everything that could move, even if it never has before. It could move and impede the slide-outs from sliding out.

On the upside, we stopped in Sexsmith for a break and conveniently found a yarn shop! Yes, I smile, I know - you expected a quilt shop. "Hippy Strings - yarn for the soul" has SO many wools, and patterns and samples. Sherrill Young and her daughter Robyn run a great shop and I am on the hunt to download the Cowl pattern - IF I can find where I have hidden the knitting needles, or determine I did not bring them along!