Over the boarder feels the same 😊 but different

               This mornings view

Yesterday was a travel day, we knew it was going to be, but something's were a little different than we envisioned. Rain during the night was ok, but waking to the thought of unhooking the water & electric lines,  then dumping the sewer in the rain wasn't what I wanted. I made a plan with Polly, to get it done, then change outta my wet clothes, and off we would go. 

Polly was a little more about getting going, she was ready so out I went, and the rain had stopped. 😁 I love it when all seems to be working with us. All packed up outside, while Polly was making sandwiches, then before she was all ready I came in and brought the slides in the living room, Polly was still working in the bedroom, then she put that slide in as I sat waiting in the truck. 

After the last slide was in we huddled in the pickup, was freaking cold out, wind was blowing, but no rain. So off we go to the dump station, was a cold day to do this, but I had walked over and saw where it was and how I'd drive to it, was good. All went well and off we go on the road by 9:30 or so, all went well.

Then as we start out I remember we have to get a return document filled out before we can get through the boarder. I stopped, and did a little research, then as I was starting to fill out the form, a pickup is behind us on the small road leading out of the campground, so in gear and away we go. 

As we are driving down the highway, about 10 minutes away, a call from the campground, we left our rear plastic blocks from under the Jack's. At first I say we will come get them, then call back later and tell the woman we will not be coming back for them. Polly and I talk this over for awhile, going through how it happened, I did this, she did that, but really was that we did it all a little different because so cold out, we just didn't do our usual ✔️ check. Another lesson as we go.

The drive started out with wind, we noticed how the sign on the side of the highway was half gone, and the fence was all smashed down. Wind was wicked here, but off we go. Rains started, as we travel that turns to snow, sure glad we have a full tank, and are inside a warm pickup. 

As we progress towards the boarder, the wind gets worse, and it's snowing harder, wondering if we might be driving into worse weather I asked a local guy at a gas station were he had come from, and told him where we were headed, he said, be ok, may get snow, but won't be much, road will be clear. Made me feel a bit better, but still was windy, cold and snowing. 

Note; Asking for information as we drive from people that have just been there is something I have learned along the way, so much to be learned from people that have just been where you are headed.

We took a left at this junction, then I see the wind turbines on the hill, oh yeah we're going for some real wind now 😳, and as we go over the hill the trailer and truck were being pushed around, and the others on the highway were getting the same, we all slow to 55mph, and take the wind head on. After about an hour, the weather changes, we are about 2 hours from the boarder, and the rain stops, wind stops, and sun comes out! We pull over at a rest stop and have lunch at 2:00, warm out, this is nice. Eat our sandwiches, and finish the document for entering Canada, now we're ready. 

Off we go towards the boarder, through Grand Falls, Polly called it "light city" so many signal 🚦🚦🚦 lights on the way through. Traffic was not too bad, then onto highway 15, and north we go, very good highway, and light to no traffic. Polly likes this 😁 so do I.

Planning where to get our last fuel, I go to Gas buddy, says last station with Diesel is at Sunburst, so we turn off there, very small town, by the railroad, we find the station, and a cardlock, but I can use Visa, so all good. Fill up at $5.40 a gallon, last time in the states for awhile.

Off to the boarder now, when we get there there are 2 lanes open for us, as we get a little closer I see we can choose which one to be in😆 always trying to get the fastest moving lane, I move to what seems like a better lane. Of course, as soon as I'm in this faster lane, the boarder guard comes out, shuts the gate, and tells us to merge into one lane, he does a good job of making sure each takes their turn, then off he goes. I guess I can't be lucky all the time lol. 

On a positive note the boarder Crossing went faster with him gone, and when it was our turn, after a few questions, off we went through. Was another easy crossing 👍 the boarder guard said our "Arrivecan" checked out ok, glad I did this earlier.

We found our campsite 8 Flags, not far from the boarder, in a small town called Milk River.

We setup, made dinner, was good, we were both hungry.

After dinner I went for a stroll through the town. I didn't start out to do that, but as I walked to the river through the campground, then under the bridge, and up onto a train track, i walked along shooting photos of the sun setting, was such a beautiful sky. 

Soon I was into the town, looking around at the buildings, and thinking to myself how the town was an up and moving place at one time. As I walked around, not a car, or a person around, it felt deserted.

         Tumbleweed rolling through town

                     Empty store's

I was still thinking I was in USA, I found myself kind of in and out of still being in the states. Maybe because I was in Alberta, not like going home? I'm not sure, but was an odd feeling. 

Canada and USA so close in our relationship, it's that line in the sand that makes it different.

Too bad, so much to like about both countries, happy we can still travel between them easily, if we fill out the right forms lol. 

We're home, in our country, but still not home. Will be nice to see our family in Grande Prairie, and visit places here just the same. I saw I sign on the bridge yesterday by the swallows nests, made me think. 

 I guess it's true, as we have been making our home where ever we are now for the last 6 years 🤗♥️

Loving this life of travel, taking our home with us👍

North from Utah to Colorado, now Wyoming

Ponderosa campground is our home right now

Our trip north saw much different land as well as animals as we drove by. Elk, Deer, Antelope or Pronghorn & cattle so many kinds of cattle, Polly always saying "Black Angus!" As we saw many so black cattle. 

I didn't get many photos, as we traveled, driving hauling our trailer makes it very difficult to pull over, or even slow down, so I write it instead. In Colorado, and much of Wyoming there were many pronghorn, small heards as well as pairs, seldom did we see single animals.

          Pronghorn from the museum

We only saw a few deer, and all the elk we saw were dead on the side of the road. Once we saw a big white dog eating away on a dead elk, and after that 3 more elk that were just bones.  The most wildlife we saw were the pronghorn, mind you we traveled in daylight, not too early, not too late, never at night.

As for the changes, from high desert to high treed area's, not like the trees of the coast, more pine and juniper. Red rock of Utah, to the grey, light colours of north Wyoming, today white everywhere, snow day. 

Hawks on the highway we saw regularly, always hunting for something. Ravens were all along our trip, they are the one bird we see regularly. 

 

The chirping birds are here, spring has sprung, trees just starting to bloom. I like seeing the opening of new growth on trees as we move north, each place is just starting as we move further north, like seeing the bloom over and over.

Snow yesterday, just a little made for a change, shorts been off a few days now, light snow this Sunday morning. Love the sound of the birds outside. Sip my coffee ☕, spill a little on myself, hmm I laugh, such a calm beautiful morning ♥️

Buffalo Bills Center of the West yesterday was WOW, so much to see, was tired after 2 hours, a very good experience. Polly and I going back again today to cover more. Just so much to take in.

Dinner out last night with Polly's Cousin Pam, and her husband Charlie was great 😃 so much to talk about, they are thinking of travel as they approach retirement, it has been over 20 years since we have seen Pam so much to remember, so much has changed. 

The talk was Great, meeting Charlie was really good, learning of their meeting & transition from Washington state to Wyoming was interesting, Charlie has led an interesting life. 

Pam was like we remembered, such a fun loving person, and welcoming. Dinner on Monday at their house, looking forward to this.

 Renewing friendships, and making new friends always a pleasure. Seeing a new place, and imersing ourselves in our surrounding's is a real treat, especially when the suroundings are as beautiful as here, and because of all the western movies I watched when young, is somewhat familiar. 

As we talked later at our trailer, we saw deer all around the campground, Charlie got some photos he sent me.

Looking forward to today, another beautiful day with Polly discovering the past here in Cody Wyoming. I think lunch at the Irma is in the cards again today 😄

Love our life ♥️🤗

What's wasting a day?

Sitting here in the sun, a warm still day, light breeze is great. So am I wasting my day? What is it that drives us to go, what is it that pushes us to feel better if we are on the move? Hike, walk, drive, go here, go there see this, see that? Do this do that? Accomplish something, then we did something. Even writing here is doing something. 

I can hear Polly busy in the trailer now, she is in gear today, clean and organize. Me I'm sitting here pecking on my phone 📱and thinking it's ok. Realizing that Polly is in motion, I'm going to go for a walk about while she has here busyness time. I let her know I'ma gonna walkabout. 

The campsite is arranged in loops, we are on B loop, and to leave here the way it's layed out you drive around the loop each time you leave. So on my walk I head in the same clockwise direction.

 The first camper I see and talk with is in his boat. He's under the dash doing some work it looks like, when I come by his head pops up, I say Hi, and then conversation goes. He asks where I'm from, notices my accent 🤪 and we yak about fishing here, what he catches, what the lake is like, we talk about Mexico, he knows right away when I say San Carlos, he partied in Peurto Penasco when he was younger. We talk about lots in a short time, I never asked why camping in the boat, but thinking after, I think was there camper, as they didn't have one yet. So multi use boat.

I say by, and off I go, next meeting was a man from New York, he told me in a very short time this old trailer he brought from New York, he has another in California he leaves there full time. This conversation was much shorter than the last, but he was really nice to talk with. 

Next was a couple from Texas, they were going on a boat trip today, they were from Dallas, I told them of friends we know in Groves/Port Arthur area, they were happy to talk, but also wanted to get going. 

Next on my loop walk was a couple of kids, he had here on a leash. She was so smiley and cute, they both were. She had a huge star on her shirt. I told he liked it, he did the talking, not much, but some. I said good bye as I continued, and as soon as I started away, the little girl started talking, she was waving and saying goodbye. A short meeting.

Later in seeing them again I found out from the parents, the kids play dog and owner, taking turns, that was what the leash was about. If I never asked, I'd never know? That's me, I ask, I look, I see, I immerse myself in the moment. And that's what I did while Polly was busy. 

Was that a was of time? I don't think so, just like now, sitting here with the early morning sun at my back, reflecting in my glasses, coffee ☕ is good. Am I wasting time? Should I be doing, gathering, moving, the dove flew on our trailer now, it's cooing, I'm smiling to myself. Some people don't like this sound, I'm kinda partial to it. 

Today we go to see something I've been wanting to do for along time, Antelope canyon walkthrough. I'm sure will be interesting, when I was in the Ladysmith camera club I saw shots from here, always wanted to see it myself. 

Away we go, doing something again. 

Polly did Finnish her cleaning 🧹 when I got back I couldn't get in the trailer, floor's were wet 😆, so I waited outside in the sun, while they dried, wasted some more time. 

Love this life so much ♥️🤗

The sounds of early morning at a campsite

We pulled in here yesterday just before 12noon, the lady at the desk said, no check in till noon, so I walked back to the truck and told Polly. Prepared to sit awhile, not me let's take a look around, Polly stayed in the truck. As I walked to the bathroom I noticed a guy coming out with his check-in slip on his way to his site. Sooo, off to the desk again, and as I waited I heard the woman say to the man ahead of me "check-in is at 12" then she said "let's see what we can do!" 

Well she finished checking him in and no surprise she said to me " check-in is at noon" I said I have a reservation, she started looking it up, and found the site empty, so I could check in. 

Great, we got in ahead of all the people we followed slowly from Kanab to here, Lake Powell, Wahweap campsite. Off to our site, the first wrong turn brought us to a parking lot, surprised we were to see a Roadrunner with a gecko in it's beak running along as we turned around. Was a great sight for us, as we had learned a few years ago at Indian Waters from a woman that fed them, that they are meat eaters. Was a great sight for us, he stopped looking at us, and carried on with his dinner. 

We carried on too after a few turnarounds of the map, and up the hill a little, and there was our site, B-1 purfect, just purfect, a pull through, just off the road edge, all services with great views. As we had arrived early we, at least I felt less hurried, wanted to get our setup just right. Which we did, except when the bedroom slide went out it touched the tree next to us. Ok will be ok, but last night I heard it a branch knocking on the slide, so today I have to change that. Cut? Or Place some pads there to stop the noise? Will see 😃

Back to the sounds as a campground wake's. At first I woke to no sounds, except a few chirps, then a person walking by, then the first MH going by, then another, and another. People are just starting to get up. No one in a big hurry, not like last night, many coming and going, and few that went by many times, was less as the evening went on. 

Now I sit and cast my eyes on the viewscape here, WOW I'm amazed at the distance I can see, and the shapes out there. 

       My view today

       views here magnified 

I like the wide open views and the, oops another MH drives out, I understand now, they have to go in the MH if they are going anywhere, they have no other vehicle💡I see now.

The breeze is nice, it's warm out now, Polly's asking for my cup, she's in motion now, dishes, the breaky 🤗 love Polly, now I hear the vacuum, she's in a cleaning 🧹 mode now, that's when I stay outta the way. I think I'll go for a walk lol. 

Love this life, so wonderful 🤗❤️

Boarder's, from town to town, province to province, state to state, country to country.

          Chucks trailer just one site away 

What is it about us, humans that wants to restrict people from crossing into or out of our little corner of the world? 🌎

I see some of this in the animal world, my area for hunting, my area for mating, my area, this is my domain. In the animal world it's understood and seems to make sense. 

Humans though have a different way of doing this, and for some very different reasons. 

Our planet has been controlled by the power hungry people for eternity it seems, I don't see it changing. This is some humans behavior. Understandable or not, it is what is. 

As we travel from place to place, country to country, RV park to park I noticed that people are different yet friendly, helpful, sharing, and caring, especially if you have time to get to know each other. It's difficult to be close and not get involved with each other as you live your day to day lives. 

If you get far enough away from your people, as dictator's and many political people that spu out how they do this and that for people, you see there is a disconnect. Somehow they believe the actions they take are beneficial to the people they have within there lines in the sand. The boarder's are what holds people in, and keeps people out. 

Of course the boarders have many ways of stopping people from crossing, fences are the basic boarder, My yard here! My province, my country.  When we were traveling in Nova Scotia is where I noticed for the first time no fences. I'm still not sure why, but I noticed it then, and as we travel I also noticed that in many areas south there are tall 🧱 brick fences, actually walls, around a whole community, keeping people out, I laugh, or keeping people in? 

I love looking around at how we humans behave. What makes us feel safe, protected, in control. We traveled over a boarder yesterday, from Arizona to Utah, just like traveling in Canada, no checks no stopping, no fences. Yet if you look at the written rules here I'm sure there are differences in what's ok here or there. 

I think of John's Song Imagine often, it's a dreamer's song, but I like the dream. Many people like this dream until it's there yard someone is stepping into, someone that they don't want there, someone they didn't invite. 

Then out come the signs, private property 🚷 then a fence, then the police, then the gun's. I'm lucky so far, no gun's pointed at me, yet! 😳

My deep thoughts on a Monday morning ☺️

Imagine is a song about a possibility, reality is what we have today. Traveling as we are gives us opportunity to make change from place to place as we grow in our thoughts, so do other's we rub elbows with. Close as we are we can't help but start to care about each other. 

In RV parks there are un written rules, and written ones too! I watch as kids who have not learned the "Rules" behave. They walk through a site because it's the shortest way to where they are off to. One day they will learn the Rules too. For now I like to watch, as this is where the rules about how we behave start. 

Animals are taught Rules, and so are Humans. We Rule different, animals have boarders, they just don't have guns, or bombs. 

I wonder how we will fare as time goes on?

Light just starting now, our time changed, moved east just enough, over the boarder lol. 

I met the guy next to us yesterday, when I told Polly she said "Tell me it isn't so!" 😆 I have that reaching out ability, I just said I liked the music he had on! Then he stepped out away from his trailer towards me, said thanks, and it went from there. I know his name now, Chuck, I know where he's going, work camping in an RV park in Helper, Utah. I learned something of his history, and future, and he did of me. I met his dog, Tootsie. I'm looking forward to getting to know him more. He leaves Wednesday, so will like to spend some more time with him as the days go. He's full time in his trailer too. 

And that is how I believe we can change the world, one meeting at a time, one person at a time. Friends don't step on friends toes in my experience, and as a good friend once said, 

"You can't have too many friends" I believe that too. 

Today we will go with friends, friends we now travel with that we met through friends that we met at an RV park on the island, that I talked with and they invited me into there MH and we talked about Mexico. Then we planned a trip to San Carlos and we went, this year we went again, and met more friends. Hmm lol ain't it great 😃

 We'll look around Saint George Utah, and see what that city is like. Mormon religion is a big part of Utah, so will learn about that here sure. Looking forward to seeing this place. 

Love our life reaching through boarders 🤗♥️

PS, I believe Facebook has helped build relationships as we travel, as we all see what's up with friends through FB to some degree. Thank FB for bringing us closer.