Oh DEER! What happens on the HIGHWAY stays on the HIGHWAY LOL

A Garage on the way to Drumheller

We went to Drumheller today to visit the Royal Tyrell Museum to see the dinosaurs, fossils etc. 7 of us in one YUKON van which Danny borrowed from his brother Mark. Danny & Bev's daughter Breanne, her husband Gerry  & baby Saraya, flew in for Christmas from Vancouver and are staying till Wednesday. Off we went and firstly visited a colleague of Danny's for lunch - a feast in a beautifully decorated Canadian home. At about 2pm we arrived at the museum and enjoyed the displays till about 4 pm. 

Death pose fossil

Snow scene outside museum

Drumheller landscape

  We set off for home and expected to arrive at about 6pm. At about 5:30 pm I was abruptly awoken by screams and shouting in the cabin of the van. The van was swerving on the road, Danny had slammed on the brakes and there was an almighty THUD on the drivers front corner of the van. Liquid sprayed all over the windscreen and Danny shouts , " I hope it's blood". I soon knew we had hit a deer but I didn't know what Danny meant by his statement so I asked Gerry. Apparently it would be good news if it was just the blood from the deer (which was dead) but not so good news if it was transmission fluid or petrol etc. Alas it was transmission fluid. Danny got back in the car and turned the engine off in-case the van caught fire. OH DID I FORGET TO ADD THAT IT WAS -11C OUTSIDE..... Danny called his brother to tell him the bad news. The van he had just bought a month ago wasn't going anywhere and we needed a tow. OH DID I FORGET TO TELL YOU WE WERE IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE! A car pulls up behind us to see if we are okay...I'm hoping it's not someone from Wolf Creek or Barrow Creek Road in the outback...but it's fine the guy just wanted to make sure we were okay. OH DID I FORGET TO ADD THAT IT IS PITCH BLACK IN THE CAR WITH ENGINE TURNED OFF AND THE TEMP IS DROPPING IN THE CABIN AND THAT I PUT MY BEANIE & GLOVES ON TO KEEP MY BODY TEMP UP! The first car leaves and in minutes  later another pulls up..it's cool..they are off duty fire brigade personnel just making sure we are fine. It seems folks around here are genuinely caring. I'm thinking in Oz everyone would have kept driving...An hour passes and Mark arrives with a spare van of his to collect us. Danny & Gerald wait for the tow truck.... All is well except we now have to wait and see what damage the deer has done to the van.We have some antler as a souvenir.We buy pizza on the way home...and wait for Gerald and Danny to return...they arrive home later with flushed cheeks...what did they do to keep warm on the HIGHWAY while waiting for the tow truck. I don't want to know because WHAT HAPPENS ON THE HIGHWAY STAYS ON THE HIGHWAY.Good night...OH DEER!

Rick - The Taxidermist

Ricks view to across his street

OKay so it's the 26th December 2010 and we are on our way to The Barons Family home in USONA where Danny grew up, to celebrate Christmas. Danny Baron has a plan... on the way he takes us to a friend who just so happens to stuff animals aka Rick - The Taxidermist. It is near Ponoka where Danny & Bev now live. So we look around and we see nothing but white snow and quaint barns and a farm. We hope you enjoy the attached photos. We loved the whole experience. There was a wide range of animals in his workshop - bear, mink, badger, fox, goat, ram and probably more that I can't remember. This is a piece of Candian history! ENJOY!

A real chopping block

Gerald, Lindy, Rick, Jeremy Baron (Danny's son ) & Danny Baron

Deer skulls

Rick & a bear skin

Hello Darlinks...

Mountain Goat

A deer mould for the skin

Buffalo

Arriving in Ponoka + Day 1 & 2 Banff & Lake Louise

Curling In Ponoka!

Team Baron

Danny Baron

Bev Baron & Lindy

The Baron Family & Friends at Club House

Okay so after the day in Taipei and overnighting Vancouver we arrived at Edmonton Airport and were greeted by our victims we kidnapped in Sydney over a year ago! In Vancouver the night before we thought 6C was cold...holy shit - when we walked outside at Edmonton Airport it was -21C. We were not prepared, we were not dressed appropriately, we waited with Bev for 10 minutes for Danny to bring the car around, I thought my lips were going to drop off, I thought my face was going to drop off!
We jumped into the car and started to thaw out..G had a heated seat in the front :-)
It was a 45 minute drive to their home in Ponoka, south of Edmonton and north of Calgary. The town has a population of 6,000, tiny. We drove down the main street and it was straight out of the movies. BIG blocks of land with a store on each. All single level - no need for any high rise or 1st levels with all this land to build on. Bev pointed out the house she grew up in and walked to school from. Danny grew up near here and has lived in the town most of his life so as we walked into the local IGA grocery store we met Marvin and Danny said Hi to others as well. Danny stops to say Hi to a lot of people - he reminds me of John Boy :-). (You know who you are John).
By this time I am so excited to be with Bev & Danny, no mobile phone for 2 weeks, no need to organise anything for 2 weeks, no need to worry about anything for 2 weeks, just being able to chill, get to know their town, their families, friends and way of life.

Danny stoking the fire next to our bed in their basement

They proceed to tell us the final comp is on tonight of Danny's CURLING club. EXCELLENT the party begins! Danny & G go on ahead at 6:30, Bev & I arrive at 7:30. The game goes from 7 - 9 pm. we sit with Dale & Sue and watch from the glassed viewing area above. Bev buys me a hot chocolate with Kahlua - okay thanks! Sue is drinking tea with Drambuie - okay thanks I'll have 2 of those as well. Danny's parents arrive, the Baron team consists of their 3 sons plus a friend. 4 to a team.  
The Barons win out of their 2 teams but not the overall tournament. At 9:15 pm we all gather in the clubhouse for announcements about who has won the tournament and for more drinks and supper is provided by a local business man who has provided Subway rolls and cookies. We drive home at 11pm and it is freezing going to the car - but hey....these people have automatic car starters with a range of 1000 metres so they started the cars from the clubhouse ahead of time so the engines are warmed up and the interior is warm too. Great idea!

Highway to the Rockies

The road from Calgary to Banff

Approaching Banff

Snow angel...

Road to Thermal Pool in Banff

Next day we head off to Banff - major exciting - I want to see a village al lit up with Christmas lights and snow everywhere - I was not disappointed. 

Main drag in Banff

Gerald outside outside our hotel room

Us shopping in Bannf

Cool shot of an alley way in Banff

G & L getting up close with the wild life :-)

Banff by night at Christmas time awww

Noice!

Very Noice!

But I had to wait as it was daylight when we got there. We checked into our very nice hotel and drove up the mountain to checkout the thermal springs where we would be swimming that night. Okay so I'm thinking these people are nuts - it's minus 10C and they want to go swimming - I know it's thermal springs and hot water and all that but how do I get from the dressing shed to the pool in just a cozzie in this temperature. I would have to wait till that evening as we wanted to go check out the shops first while they were still open.

The thermal pool where we would swim later that night...

Back down to the village of Banff - just like you see in the movies all ski resorts, young skiiers everywhere but what I wasn't expecting was how many AUSTRALIANS are in Banff. No joke every second person walking the street had and aussie accent and EVERY person behind the counter was an aussie. I may as well have stayed home :-)...We bought a few souvenirs and headed back up to the thermal pool. (a voice in my head was saying, "It's alright Lindy you can do it - it won't be cold)....We get changed in very warm dressing rooms, so far so good, we walk out past the shower area where you are supposed to rinse off before entering the pool (yeah, right, as if - Bev and I keep walking straight past those suckers) and then I come to the door to go outside...God I am going to freeze...NOPE it was a short dash of only 5 steps into a beautiful swimming pool naturally heated to 38C. MAN this was surreal - fabulous warm (hot) water around your body and freezing air around your head but this was not bad as the mist rising from the pool even warmed the air around your head...it was dark 6pm...snow all around the pool...absolutely breathtaking experience..thank you Danny & Bev. We would never have done this without you. We stayed in for 30 minutes - that is long enough in that temperature. Cost $7 person - worth every penny!Back to town for Ribs for dinner and stopped by a Fudge shop for dessert..there goes the diet :-).
Back to the hotel and talked and drank till midnight..
Next day packed up and drove to Lake Louise. On the way we saw a group of people setting up for Husky Sled Rides. Jumped out of the car and snapped loads of pics of the dogs, equipment and people. We were in the right place at the right time to stumble upon this group.

Checkk out the blue eyes of the Huskies!

Husky transport vehicle

In you go boy!

I haven't described yet how beautiful the Rocky Mountains were leading to Banff  - they were awesome, majestic  - but now we were heading even higher and the snow was thicker and the mountains even more majestic. Pulling into the carpark at Lake Louise and walking to that famous Fairmont Resort Hotel was breath taking. a vision of: Frozen Lake Louise, People playing ice hockey on the lake, kids ice skating on the lake, snow EVERYWHERE, people cross country skiing, kids tobogganing, yellow pee in the snow, cypres tree branches snapped off from the sheer weight of the snow & ice, Hore Frost, icicles, ice sculptures, sleigh-rides, cars covered in snow and more.

Hore Frost

My first view of Lake Louise - I will never forget it!

People out and about in wonderland!

Coming up to Lake Louise

We go to the hotel and Bev asks if I want to go on a sleigh ride - Hell Yeah! We buy the boys a ticket without asking if they want to come - they are coming regardless :-). Well I have 3 short videos and a few photos to show you of this magical sleigh ride with our red blankets tucked around our legs and FACES  - it was -12C out there by this stage. We will never forget this day - so pretty, so relaxing, so surreal :-).

Anyone for a Sleigh ride?

Bev & Danny on seats behind us in Sleigh

So beautiful - frozen waterfall

Tiny patch open water on Lake Louise

Fairmont Resort Lake Louise

Cross Country Skiers on Lake Louise

Drove back to Ponoka and arrived home at 7 pm. Tired but happy and ready for what the coming week will bring. It will be Christmas tomorrow. Bev's son is arriving for a night and her daughter arrives from Vancouver on the 26th. We will open presents then!
It is Christmas day now..G has gone to work with Danny who needs to check some stuff on his computer - Danny & Bev both work for the government at the local Brain Injury & Rehab Hospital. Danny is the Purchasing Manager, Bev is the database manager. The Hospital employs most of the town. I am catching up on my blog or else Johnno will never forgive me - I have caught up.
MERRY CHRISTMAS ALL...I will continue soon. Love to you all from the Tornos in Canada. XXXX