Week 3 - Spray Lake

Week 3 – Spray Lake

This past weekend was pretty quiet though we did have thirty or so campers.  The fire ban was lifted so people were happy to buy wood and burn it up!  Early in the week there were some bicyclists who came through.  They had started their journey in Banff and were headed for Mexico.  This isn’t unusual as there are many cyclists who do this…what was unusual was that this was a family consisting of Mom, Dad and six kids between the ages of 10 and 14.  The kids were culturally blended and perhaps adopted or fostered.  Mom and Dad were both doctors and the family lived in Alaska.  We heard them whooping and hollering as they rode across the dam, obviously happy to have made it to the campground where they could rest for the night, so we waited to talk to them before we made a run through the campground.  The kids were excited about the trip and anxious to set up their tents and start their first night of camping.  Dad said they had set aside ten weeks in which they would travel approximately 2500 miles on their bikes to their destination, Antelope Wells, New Mexico, right on the Mexican border.  This definitely was a trip of a lifetime for them…  I wish I would have thought to take a picture. 

We had a lovely sunny day on Monday…it was quiet in the campground so we enjoyed the day sitting in the sun and doing a few chores around our site.  Tom hauled black water from the fifth wheel and dumped it and we both worked at pumping water from the hand pump in the campground to fill our water tank.  We pumped and carried about 75 gallons that day…next day our arms and shoulders were sure tired!  Tom said I needed the exercise!!!  Ha!

My Nephew Brad surprised us with a visit on Monday as well.  He works in demolition and was doing a job at the Rafter-6 Ranch not far from Canmore so thought he’d take a drive up.  It was sure good to see him.  The next day Tom and I drove out to the Rafter-6 while on our way to Cochrane to get groceries.  Brad wasn’t there but the property manager showed us around.  It’s an interesting place.  The ranch was established in the 1800’s and was at that time a breeding/training ranch for RCMP horses.  Later a lodge was built and it became a destination for horse people to visit and enjoy riding in the area.  Now, some of the buildings are old and falling apart and new owners want to rebuild the place.  They aren’t sure what it will become yet, but are thinking something along the lines of an artists’ retreat or a place for kids to enjoy the outdoors.  Whatever it does become, I’m sure it will be amazing.  It’s a beautiful location.

I saw this little darling on the way to Canmore one morning…she was nibbling on something in the rocks by the roadside.  She has such beautiful big eyes and long ears…such a sweetheart!

And bears…we’ve seen a few of them this week.  On Tuesday when we were coming back from Cochrane, we saw the most beautiful, big grizzly bear along the highway.  We were going to fast to stop and take pictures which is a real shame.  The bear was so healthy looking and very golden in colour.  Would have loved to get some pictures of him.

Today while we were at Boulton Creek, we saw two black bears on the way down and one on the way back.  The two we saw on the way down vanished into the woods pretty quickly but the guy we saw on the way back was very happy to pose for pictures.  He was wet but didn’t seem to be bothered by the rain.  He munched happily on fresh, juicy clover and strawberry leaves…a true eating machine!  Isn’t he beautiful though!

While we were in Boulton, we stopped at the Visitors Center.  I’d been there before but Tom hadn’t.  It was interesting to see the displays and learn more about the animals and environment in this area.  The displays are all interactive and geared toward kids…sure was wishing Rachel, Wyatt and Barrett were here…they would have loved it!  There was a good variety of animals on display including this big boy.

A flock of geese appeared on the lake last week.  These must be a new breed of “walking” geese because we never did see them fly.  They walked up from the lake (about 200 meters) and wandered around the grassy area in front of our campsite, then walked down toward some of the other campsites.  Next time we saw them they were walking back to the lake…funny birds!

Oso had a big week too.  I’ve written a little story about his adventures with a chipmunk…the grandkids might enjoy it.

 

 

 

 

 

Mr. Oso and the Chipmunk

Once upon a time there was a dog named Mr. Oso, who lived with Gramma and Grampa, and traveled with them wherever they went.  He especially loved visiting Rachel in Spokane, and Wyatt and Barrett in Star.  He really does love those kids.

One day Mr. Oso was sitting in his favourite chair in the campground where Gramma and Grampa were staying.  Suddenly he noticed something…it was a chipmunk!  Quick as could be, Mr. Oso jumped from his chair and ran after it.  The chipmunk was very, very fast though and disappeared into the rocks where he had made a little home.  Mr. Oso tried and tried, but he could not figure out how to get at the chipmunk.  He could hear the chipmunk chattering away in the rocks so he pawed at them but they were too hard to move.  He stood above the rocks and thought, then he stood below the rocks and thought, and finally he decided to lay beside the rocks and think about it some more.  Mr. Oso did not know that all the while he was thinking, the chipmunk was peeking out from the rocks and watching him.

 

 

 
Can you see the chipmunk watching Mr. Oso?  Look very carefully.  Look at the very left of the picture under the yellow rock.  You need to have sharp eyes because he’s very hard to see!

Mr. Oso lay beside the rocks all day long.  He was very patient but the chipmunk never came all the way out of his little home.  That night when Mr. Oso went to bed he had a dream.  He dreamed that he was faster than the chipmunk and when the chipmunk came out of his house Mr. Oso caught him.  He didn’t hurt the chipmunk though, he just played with him.  In his dream Mr. Oso and the chipmunk became good friends and played together every day.  

Grampa said “Only in your dreams, Mr. Oso!”