Billy Goats, Farmers’ Market and More Bears…

Billy Goats, Farmers’ Market and More Bears…

Happy Canada Day everyone!  There is a place called the Nordic Center in Canmore that I think may be a building that was used in the Olympics when they were in Calgary/Canmore.  Outside of the building is a beautiful big Canadian Flag that makes my heart proud every time I see it.  Hope you all have a wonderful long weekend!

Speaking of weekends, we sure got slammed last weekend with full campsites and people in overflow as well.  We had 76 camping units spread over 50 sites plus overflow (which holds about 7 campers).  It was a crazy weekend and we were sure glad to see Sunday come so we could clean up and then take a day off on Monday!  There were two company camping trips in the campground last weekend and we expected a bit of wild partying…we were right, but did manage to calm everyone down so that other campers were disturbed.  One fellow was so appreciative of our help that he gave us a $100 tip for the weekend….nice!  People started coming up on Tuesday this week to register a site for the long weekend.  What that means is that they register and pay for the week (even if they aren’t going to stay there) and then put up a tent and leave it on the site until they are ready to go camping.  It does get expensive for them but they are willing to pay the extra even if they don’t stay in the site until they come up on Friday.  We’ve got a lot of families and fishermen in the campground right now so hopefully it will be a good weekend and we won’t have too many partiers disrupting things.  It was a good weekend for recycling though…I took cans and bottles in this morning and got $245 plus change!

Tom went to Boulton for gas, water and other supplies yesterday and I decided to stay home and make cookies and clean up the fifth wheel…I should have gone with him because as he was filling the water tank a Mama Grizzly and two cubs walked out of the bush to see what he was doing.  He got a nice long look at them and then shouted “go bear” to them and away they went into the bush again.  That is what the conservation officers shout to the bears when they are trying to make them leave a site or scare them off…I guess the bears have become accustomed to hearing it and know what it means.  I wish I would have been there to take a picture of the bears…next time I’m going with him.  We also had a black bear walk past the place where we camp and then continue up the road right to the end of the campground.  Several campers saw him but he wasn’t interested in them at all.  One pair of bicyclists said he walked right by them on the road and didn’t even give them the time of day…guess he was intent on his journey south.

When we came back from town last week we saw a mountain goat on the hill out of Canmore.  People say there used to be a lot of mountain goats in the area but they all disappeared about 10 years ago.  They are now slowly making a come-back.  Not sure if they migrated to Banff for that time period or not but it is quite unusual to see one.  They seem to be much more timid than the mountain sheep that we see all over the place.  I remember seeing lots of mountain goats up near Cache Creek in BC when we were traveling through to Saskatchewan on family vacations…wonder if they are still in that area.

Now, for all you fishermen…here’s a story!  We talked with one of our campers this past weekend and he was so excited because he had pulled a 17 pound lake trout out of Spray Lake…he showed us and we took pictures (with the company phone so I don’t have them on my computer yet)…I will try to post them next time.  The fish was huge!  27 inches long and he held it like a baby in front of him…the fellow said he would fillet it and smoke it…mmmmm…

Canmore has a Farmers Market every Thursday which is fun to go to.  Fresh fruit, veggies, home made foods and lots of arts and crafts.  It is really interesting to see the goods for sale as well as the people that the market brings out.  Usually there is some kind of music being played and other activities happening.  They block off one whole street in front of the visitors center to have the market.

We’ve been visited by herons at the lake lately.  (the picture is not great because I took it at dusk)  The lake water is rising and I think there are minnows near the edges where the water is a tiny bit warmer.  The herons stand there and then suddenly stoop down and scoop up a fish or two.  Often we’ll see osprey with fish in their talons and of course the ever present ducks and geese on the lake.   There are at least one pair of loons on the lake as well.  Though they are usually fairly timid birds, these ones seem quite accustomed to people and came right up to the shore to see what we were doing the other day.  We had fishing lines in the water with smelt as bait and had to pull them in for fear the loons would dive for the smelt.  It was very nice to see them on the lake and I love to hear them at night…they have such a haunting call.

 The other day we were putting wood in the truck to make a run through the campground selling some and a mama moose and baby came trotting by.  By the time I got my camera though, all I got was this picture of their butts going into the forest.  The baby is so funny looking with long legs and short body...only a mother could love!

We were having breakfast on Sunday morning.  Tom has mastered making pancakes over the open fire.  We suddenly heard screams coming from the other side of the lake…Tom got our binoculars to see what was happening and he watched for a while without telling me what was going on…turns out there were two girls skinny-dipping in the lake!  The water in the lake never warms to more than 5 C degrees…I’d scream too!  Tom now loves Sunday morning breakfasts!!!  (sorry guys, no pictures!)