Palm Springs Tram

The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway, World’s Largest Rotating Tramcar, gives a breathtaking journey up the sheer cliffs of Chino Canyon. It takes a 10 minute ride at the Valley Station – elevation 2,643 ft. and ends at the Mountain Station – elevation 8,516 ft. The tram was completed in 1963 and in 2000 these new cars were built as an update.


Yes, we travelled this glass capsule that holds 80 people, and that revolves 360 degrees as it ascends and descends the 6000 foot mountain. Once at the top, there is a very large park, San Jacinto State Park. There was snow and ice at the top so the ice limited our hike and it was a blustery day. A beautiful restaurant that from a window seat, it allowed us to see I-10 below as ant-like vehicles travelled along it.
There is a bit of a jolt as the tram rides over these tower supports and it feels like you are floating at times.

It was quite beautiful in the State Park as we walked the trail but unfortunately the snow was hard packed to icy and we were afraid of falling. Lunch at the Chino restaurant was fabulous and we were ready for a hot bowl of soup and a tasty sandwich. A wonderful day!

Wind Farm Tour

Bill, Kendra and I took a tour of the huge wind farm in the Valley of Palm Springs; there are over 3000 turbines that grace this valley; the wind, and there is always a wind, sweeps up the canyon from Beaumont and the turbines turn out the electricity that is supposed to support homes in the Valley and into Los Angeles.

A lot of study , trial and error goes into erecting turbines; bat population flying into the lights on the turbines at night, the roosting birds, the water table and soil contamination from cleaning the hydraulics, maintenance, health issues from shadows and the intermittent light change as the turbine turns, not to mention the output of the newer versus the older structures. An amazing industry! Above, our guide is demonstrating how the wind forces the turbines to constantly turn, and the braking system when they want them to shut down, which is frequently done for maintenance and if the wind is too fierce. A very interesting and enlightening tour...information overload!

Ryan`s Return from Afghanistan/Early Christmas

Bill and I flew home to surprise Ryan upon his return from his last deployment to Afghanistan. We were so very glad to see him safely returned to Canadian soil. And we were not the only happy ones....
Ryan's fiance, Rea, was also there to greet and welcome him home. Although most of the military was on Christmas vacation, refreshments were served for the anxiously awaiting families and a five piece band entertained.
Kendra also flew in, to surprise her brother. Ryan tells us that several miles out, their plane was escorted to Edmonton International by F-18s, then their bus was escorted by three RCMP, who leap-frogged the highway to block off all exit ramps and on base, firefighters and their trucks blocked the intersections. Quite impressive!

WELCOME HOME, RYAN!

Mountain Lakes, Lytle Creek, CA

The road to Mountain Lakes Resort follows the Lytle Creek wash. What a diamond in the rough! Back in a mountain canyon about five miles from the interstate is this huge membership park with very nice RV sites and park models with man-made lakes that are stocked with fair-sized fish. The park is part of our ROD system, so once reserved, the site is "free", no charge! The quaint village of Lytle Creek has a small post office and a couple of restaurants. Somewhere nearby is the strong smell of a feedlot, but we did not find it. Lytle Creek is about 50 miles northeast of Los Angeles with the closest shopping in Fontana and Rancho Cucamonga. Lots of shopping...found an REI here. Life is good!

The "Shiver Dance"

While in Centralia WA, we had a Banks Power system installed on the motorhome, which entails removing the "heads" and the exhaust and installing a whole new exhaust system, complete with a 4 inch exhaust pipe. Apparently, the exhaust manifold on the 464 Fords was found to be a problem so this is to give us more power on the hills and improve fuel mileage...I am happy to report that it does what it advertises! Bill is one happy camper! But it was cold here! And we had to stay over the weekend as they ran into a problem! Murphy! So, the motorhome is on the inside of the bay, the car is outside of the bay, and we have satellite! We had the key to come and go as we pleased and we were warm! Life is good!

Heading South!

Before Ryan's tour of duty in Afghanistan, Nadine arranged a Family photo shoot at the Legislature on probably the coldest day in July. The grounds are beautiful and lend themselves to many a photo event such as weddings and family affairs. Kendra had flown in for the occasion from Vancouver. After pictures, we met for a lovely lunch in downtown Edmonton at the Library. This was all orchestrated to honour Bill and I as we turn the big "65" this year, but it was also a send-off for Ryan. We have lots of wonderful pictures to share.


We are headed South for the winter months as of November 1st and plan to be in sunny warm climes until mid April. Don't know how we will be able to leave Daniel for that long...maybe we will have to arrange a visit home! He has become a "Grandad's boy!" Of course, for Bill, this is very special! We Skype, but we can't hug...lots of kisses are blown each way!

Crowsnest to Christina Lake; then Vancouver BC

We have not travelled through the Crowsnest since 1972, but this summer saw us pass through it four times. The Frank Slide was our first stop with time spent in the Interpretive Centre. Now, the town of Frank AB was a mining town where in 1903 a very large portion of the east side of Turtle Mountain broke away and caused a massive slide, killing 90 people. What an amazing, natural, historic monument to such a devastating event for the approximately 600 people who lived in Frank! Turtle Mountain is now closely monitored for the next "slide event" which could occur at any time.
From our campsite in Christina Lake, this glorious sunset marked day's end. We were in search of Summer(Edmonton was cold and wet with flocks of mosquitoes) and in Christina Lake, we found it. Most days were 100+F and evenings were very warm, but no mosquitoes. Bill and I read many books beneath the awning as it was too hot!(for us anyway) to do anything else. Oh and getting there, we burned out our tire monitors on the front tires of the MH, travelling DOWN the Creston-Selmo mountain! The monitors were melted to the valve stems! We did enjoy our time here though, but found that travel through the US States of Idaho and Washington would be much easier.
We travelled to Vancouver BC to visit Kendra; while there we hiked in the Cappilano Valley; amazing moss, timbers, waterfalls, rapids and humidity! Even Caper had a chance to exercise his legs up and down this valley. Very nice! It is always great to visit Vancouver as we get to enjoy bistro cafes and some of the shopping (Morgan Crossing) that Vancouver has to offer. We stayed at Pacific Border RV, which is located right at the border crossing near White Rock!

September News!

Well, despite my good intentions, I have missed posting the whole month of September and almost all of October. Not good! This is not because we have been sitting still, or that nothing is happening in our life, but more that I have become an e-book reader and the computer has not been a high priority. I will try to remedy that situation.

September found us first at the 80th birthday of our dear Uncle Freddie in Strathmore, AB. What a fun weekend of celebration! Amazingly, Uncle Freddie had had surgery on August 24th and although tired from the affects of anesthetic, he was able to take part in and enjoy all the festivities. Aunt Doreen had arranged for the rental of their downstairs lounge and card room, complete with a full kitchen, so we nieces and nephews went to work! It was work, but fun at the same time! It was great to meet new friends and catch up with our Western cousins.

Here's the family minus Michael. Nadine and Daniel who had been at the birthday breakfast the day before this was taken. The festivities included Sat breakfast, Sat night dinner for out-of-town friends and Sunday dinner for family and friends complete with a community cake and ice-cream. Speeches and entertainment rounded out the night. My favourite part was U Fred, friend Gord playing duet on piano and friend, Ken on keyboard playing The Power of the Blood. WOW!

Chapter 44 Rally- Pincher Creek- Aug 15-19th

One word says it all! FUN! Customary at all of our rallies, new folks are adopted by present Chapter 44 members. We became the parents of Phil and Cindy Devonshire, from Wyalusing, Pennsylvania. As parents, we spent time getting to know them, introducing club members and filling them in on our club activities. They are known as VCR's which stands for "Volunteer Club Representative" which also means they would have some information to share with us from The Escapees' Head Office regarding policy changes or upcoming International Events. A delightful couple!
Also celebrated at the rally was the 15th Anniversary of the Chapter. It was these six charter members and one other couple from ON that began the Chapter 15 years ago. Kudos to, from left to right, Verle and Curtis Lambert, Merle and Judy Jones and Doug and Jean Poile. It was a great celebration at the Heritage Acres venue; again, we had wonderful summer weather!

The Doukhobors

A Doukhobor Communal Home

Bill and I are presently visiting beautiful Christina Lake, BC, near Grand Forks and about 140 km east of Osoyoos and the Okanagan Valley. We decided to take a trip to nearby Castlegar to visit the Doukhobor Museum and learn more about this persecuted culture. Doukhobor literally stands for Spirit-Wrestlers;"We are Spirit Wrestlers because we wrestle with and for the Spirit of God against those things which are evil". In struggling for a better life they would use only the spiritual power of love rather than any form of violence, noting the scriptural admonishment: Resist not evil.

The Doukhobors base their religious philosophy on two commandments: Recognize and love God with all thy heart, mind and soul; and, Love thy neighbour as thyself.

Inspired by the high ideals and dynamic leadership of Peter V. Verigin, the Doukhobors made a decisive stand against militarism and all forms of violence. War, they said, was incompatible with Christianity. On June 29, 1895, about 7000 Doukhobors destroyed all of their weapons in a decisive demonstration of pacifism - to kill another being is to kill God since the spirit of God dwells within that person.

The Doukhobor stand against killing met with harsh repression by the Czarist State and Orthodox Church authorities. This persecution attracted world wide attention including humanitarians such as Lev Tolstoy, his publisher, Vladimir Chertkov and their colleagues.

With the aid of Tolstoy and his helpers, arrangements were made with Clifford Sifton; Canadian Minister of the Interior, and roughly 7,500 Doukhobors were invited to immigrate to Canada in 1899, to the area known as Assiniboia/Saskatchewan Territories.

After a division in their culture, led by Peter Verigan, a huge group of 5000 travelled to the Kootenays and settled in the Castlegar and Grand Forks areas, cultivating the land and promoting the communal way of life. Orchards, farming, lumber mills, irrigation projects, brick yards, roads and bridges and crafts became their mainstay. Their slogan became "Toil and Peaceful Life." The sudden, violent death of their leader, Peter V. Verigin, in 1924, the great economic depression as well as reversals in government policy based on a desire for assimilation made it difficult to maintain their high ideals communally and contributed to the collapse of their collective life style. The government tried to impose new rules; the education system would not include time for the Doukhobors religious classes and culture; the Doukhobors refused to change their stand and their children were seized and jailed. Families were torn apart and not until the Doukhobors gave in after 7 years of negotiations, were their children returned to their families. WOW! And this was in Canada!!!!!
Today, Doukhobors actively maintain activities such as Sunday Prayer meetings, Russian language classes, various publications and Internet sites, youth activity groups and festivals such as the annual Youth Festival now held for over fifty years.

Brunch with Daniel

Love this hat! This little guy is such a sweetheart; we feel so blessed. He is fun, easy-going and such a pleasure to take anywhere we go. Am I biased? I sure am and proud of it!!!! This shot was taken today by Aunt Rea during our family brunch get-together at Cora's. Wonderful day and great brunch!
Oh, and the tooth! His first and his second has just broken through! This should really help him to eat! He had his own little meal of fresh fruit and french toast and ate it all! Don't know where he packs it!

Mobile Suites has a new home!

Yes, our beautiful home has been sold to a new home near Vegreville AB, somewhere on a lake. We are sorry to see it go, but happy that we do not have to worry about it over the winter and we are not tied to a particular campground. We loved the fifth wheel with its washer/dryer, solar system and automatic satellite dish, but find the motorhome is much easier to maneuver, even though it is a bit smaller and significantly older. It will soon be considered vintage(at 20 years)!

In a couple of years we will look for a slightly bigger one, but this old girl is quite fine for now! Of course, sightseeing by car is far more comfortable and economical. We are enjoying it! August and September will see us travelling to southern Alberta and then on to Vancouver to visit Kendra. Stay tuned!

Daniel's First Birthday!

Where, oh where has the year gone! May 28th marked Daniel's first birthday. It seems like such a short time since we were at the Misericordia, awaiting his arrival. Now he is crawling, walking by hanging on to objects and babbling a blue streak. And eat! Everything in sight! He loves his food, especially fruit and yet stays slim and trim. It is nothing for him to eat a full grilled cheese sandwich, some veggies and his fruit for lunch! Grandma should be so lucky!
His favourite birthday gift...yep, the John Deere! Not sure, but I think he might have taken it to bed if Mommy and Daddy had let him.

Nadine did a fabulous job of creating the perfect dinner and decor on a dinosaur theme, complete with balloons, for this special day!






And what's a birthday without cake, dinosaur of course. Nadine had made a chocolate dinosaur cake for Daniel. Did he love that!!!!!! Happy First Birthday, Daniel! Since his birthday, he has sprouted his first tooth! Yeah!

Freedom of the City Parade

Before Ryan left for Afghanistan on July 6th, he led a squadron in the Freedom of the City Parade in downtown Edmonton.

The Freedom of the City has its origins in ancient Rome and British military history when it was a capital offence for the military to enter a city in formation or with weapons without permission. However, legions and regiments that had given heroic service or whose honour was beyond question might be granted Freedom of the City. These groups would not have to break ranks or disarm. This was an extremely rare honour because of the risk involved to the city.

The granting of the Freedom of the City today remains the highest honour a municipality can bestow on a military unit. The honour, therefore, of marching through a city or town with “drums beating, colours flying, and bayonets fixed” continues to represent a mark of extreme trust and respect between a community and the military unit so honoured.

The 1 Combat Engineer Regiment (1 CER) formed up, Thursday, May 26th, just before noon, north of Churchill Square to be granted this massive honour from Mayor Stephen Mandel. This was quite a moving ceremony, complete with a knock on the door of City Hall, the request to enter the City, the agreement of the Mayor followed by the Mayor's inspection of the squadrons, all 200 of them. Fortunately, the day was bright, sunny but a bit on the cool side.
Following the Ceremony, there was a reception for 1 CER. We felt very privileged to have witnessed this parade; to top if off, it was Bill's 65th birthday, a mile marker for sure.
Members of 1 CER are serving right now in Afghanistan and more are set to deploy there this summer. They have been involved in every troop rotation since 2006. Their focus now is to return all the equipment and materials from Kandahar to Canada or to storage facilities in Europe. Home for Christmas, hopefully!

Daniel's First Birthday!

Where has the year gone! We cannot believe that one year has passed and we are celebrating Daniel's first birthday. Nadine and Michael, although not feeling well, entertained Grandma and Grandad as well as Uncle Ryan and Aunt Rea at a birthday party for the little man! Miss you, Aunt Kendra! I should say, Daniel did the entertaining! TOYS! Buttons to push and light up! A tractor to ride( John Deere, of course!). Blocks to build with! Books to read! All the things that will entertain a very active little boy!

As for cake, Nadine chose the dinosaur theme for balloons, napkins, hats and plates and the cake too!...chocolate cake with yummy green icing, decorated with chocolate hershey kisses. As by the picture, you can see Daniel got right into it! Literally! He loved the sticky green stuff and did a great job of licking it up, pronto! Rubbing his eyes, it became eyelash makeup! He loved it and it made us all laugh! What a great day! Thank you, Daniel! Love our little man! xxoo

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers I know! Unfortunately, I don't have a picture of my Mom with me, but when we get back to Edmonton, I will add it.

My Mom has been gone now, for three years and I can't believe how quickly those years have gone by. Mom died just short of her 89th birthday and although her health for her last 8 years had not been the best, she enjoyed her stay at Princess Gardens in Peterborough where she had wonderful care.

Bill's Mom has been gone for 10 years, just shy of 90...where did that time go? She, too, did not have the best of health in her last four years, but she sure loved to see us when we visited, especially if we brought one of the grandchildren along. Again I do not have a picture with me, but I will add it when I am back in Edmonton.

To both our Moms, you are always remembered and forever loved. One of my Facebook friends added this to her message, so I will add it here, because it warmed my heart.

If flowers grow in Heaven Lord, then pick a bunch for me; place them in my Mom's arms and tell her they're from me. Tell her that I love and miss her, and when she turns to smile, ღ place a kiss upon her cheek and hold her for a while..Love you Moms!

Goldfield and the Apache Trail

This is the remnants of the goldmining days in Goldfield on the Apache Trail, just outside Apache Junction, AZ. The town is a ghost town of sorts, but is being refurbished as a tourist attraction with narrow gauge railroad and mining and jeep tours. A few businesses are opening like a bakery, a saloon and the local "house of ill repute" along with the church. On weekends, local cowboys portray a realistic shoot-out.

The dust flies, the cowboys fight it out and the crowd spurs them on. The gals arrive in period costume to claim the last cowboy standing. All of this takes place in front of the local jail. We sampled delicacies from the bakery and checked out the shops. Trail rides are available for those who wish to ride in the desert but the snakes are very much awake so we passed on this adventure.

Further along the Apache Trail, we passed the beautiful Canyon Lake and on to Tortilla Flat, population 6. A restaurant and gift shop whose walls and ceiling are lined with $1.00 bills is a sight to behold. All who live here, work here! Bikers from everywhere sample specialty hamburgers, hot dawgs and chili as well as Sonoran Mexican fare. "Hanging" is an errant prospector. When Tortilla Flat celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2004, the schoolhouse was set up as a museum. Ten students, five Petersens who originally ran the store, the post office and the gas station and the 5 Connollys whose father looked after the dams, attended. The teacher came from Mesa, staying in the accompanying living quarters from Monday to Friday. Yikes! A long way from home and on such a treacherous road!

Further along the trail, and as the elevation increased, the landscape changed to a barren desert of cacti, palo verde, mesquite and saguaro. Beautiful. Huge canyon walls and crevasses, one of which is Fish Creek towered over the floor below. It felt like you could reach out and touch the sky. Who can doubt....there is God?????

The road narrowed, barely passable to one vehicle as we descended into the canyon. Twists and turns with no shoulder, rock walls, a creek bed marked our descent into the canyon. I cannot imagine how mules and horses packed with construction materials for the Roosevelt Dam navigated this trail so long ago...and this was much improved! But this is the reason that this trail exists...to haul materials and service the Roosevelt Dam through the Superstitions.

The Theodore Roosevelt dam is now 357 feet (109 m) high, after renovations in 1996, and was originally built between 1905 and 1911, and renovated 1989 - 1996. The dam has a hydroelectric generating capacity of 36,000 kW. It forms the Theodore Roosevelt Lake as it impounds the Salt River. When full, the lake covers more than 19,000 acres near the confluence of Tonto Creek and the Salt River. This was, without a doubt, one of the most beautiful drives ever.

Yet, in the vastness and ruggedness of this desert landscape, the delicate cacti flowers dot the terrain as they are beginning to burst forth in their reds, yellows and magentas. Giant saguaros with magestic "arms" are numerous but not in bloom as yet. Cactus wrens flitted about from saguaro to saguaro. Beautiful!

Chapter 44 Escapees' Rally- The Alberta Roamers

The Alberta Roamers' annual visit to the wonderful Organ Stop Pizza was very enjoyable. The huge wurlitzer and its symphonic stops delighted and thrilled all the listeners; the pizza, although quite good, is secondary to the wonderful sounds of this beautifully restored instrument. Organ Stop's Mighty Wurlitzer is one of the largest and finest theatre organs in the world today. Its nearly 6000 pipes, numerous percussions, and countless traps are masterfully presented by The Musical Staff who are world class musicians.

Two tours were planned and we chose the one to the Queen Creek Olive Mill. Twenty-five acres of olive trees produce and sustain an olive oil business, just outside Mesa AZ. The olive fruit ripens and is harvested in November and December; cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil is produced within a few hours of picking. The Queen Creek Olive Mill is a family owned company that grows and presses olives for the production of high quality extra virgin olive oil from farm to table. The farming practices and the products offered exemplify dedication to the environment by using solar and no pesticides. Queen Creek is the only olive mill in Arizona. An interesting tour! Because we now know how black olives become "black", we will not eat another!

As usual, the sunsets at Usery Mountain Recreational Park in Mesa are gorgeous. Does this remind you of the Arizona licence plate? Peace and quiet, wonderful friends, terrific food (we Roamers love to eat and eat well, we do), fun geo-caching and hiking, lots of crafts, a competitive baseball game (Bill scored the tie-breaker, a homerun, but it was Spring training!) and sharing stories by the campfire, made for a wonderful week. Bill and I have volunteered to help organize the rally for 2012. Fun!

On to Yuma

Our trip to Yuma via Anza Borrego State Park and the Slabs was very warm and uneventful. We installed an inverter at the Slabs so that we can boondock for a short time and then moved on to Pilot Knob in Winterhaven CA, just west of Yuma. Here the temps became very warm to hot, but we cannot complain. "Midnight at the Oasis" was a great event...over 1000 classic cars paraded into Yuma and set up in the park...what a sight! The ocotillo cactus were in full bloom with their feathery poker orange tips, a harbinger of more desert cactus blooms to come.

Bill is carefully inspecting this '56 T-bird for our friend, Blair as well as this hot-rod, a dream of his. This brought back memories of cars our parents drove, ones in which we began our driving experiences and former vehicles we have owned. WOW! They sure were pretty! It is really something to see them parade down the street all "spit and polished", ready for show! A lot of work and a lot of money!

Unknown to us, Bill's sister and hubby were also in Yuma. They were supposed to meet us in Jojoba in February, but due to travel delays, they postponed a California visit. We were very happy to see them and they us, with the promise to meet in Gold Canyon for a week or two in mid March. A visit to Casa Grande before we arrived at the Chapter 44 Rally March 13th followed Yuma.