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| Send off Breakfast |
Ever grateful despite the deceitful, despotic despair we endure in America, we left for the friendly, anonymous fresh air of Canada. We were led by our heart: The Netflix series Heartland to be exact. The show is such a tonic, not the least for its family feel, but mostly for its successful management of happy endings, regardless of the dramatic pickle. It's so unimaginably, positively miraculous that it's perfect balm for the wounds inflicted upon us by our own "too unreal world". Armed with hopeful expectation, we fed ourselves with a hearty favorite: Mario Batali's prima vera recipe and we we off to the great North. The drive, an eight hour jaunt was fresh, new, and beautiful. We got to the farm late afternoon, and found our little "blacksmith" cottage to be exquisite. There was light from an abundance of windows, a case full of books, no T.V, no WiFi, and we spent the next two days deliciously unhooked from the media. We explored the small towns in the area, especially the set "Maggies", a restaurant and tack shop in downtown High River, which is not in service except as backdrop for the series. We tried to get to the ranch, but were turned back because they were filming. The sign red: No Public Access. Undaunted, we packed up early the third day for an idyllic drive across Highway 40, which bisects the Canadian Rockies. No photo, memory, or description can match the majesty. Everyone should go. We stopped at Peter Lougheed Provincial Park for a six mile hike around upper Lake Kananiskis. Later that day we made it to Radium Hot springs to another Airbnb we called Rosa's. It was a drab, unkept condo that disappointed us, especially after our idyllic stay at the farm. Nonetheless, we enjoyed a great dinner and a long soak in the very nice hot pool at Radium Hot Springs. We had planned on spending two nights in Radium, but we awoke to dismal fog, cool temperature, and no great desire to stay. So we came home a day early. In all, our time in Canada was splendid, restful, and a nice birthday getaway for my Bunny (And her chauffeur: me). Naturally, we came away thinking that life is good, especially the last couple of days.
The former blacksmith shop on the MacKillop family farm outside High River, Alberta
Extremely bright, comfortable, and airy.
A view of the blacksmith building from the creek.
Lloyd MacKillop, the ranch owner who grew up on this farm, rescued this one room school house, and had it moved to this spot on his ranch. It would have been bulldozed otherwise.
The interior of the school house had two full length blackboards, a full bank of light giving windows, a potbelly stove, a wood burning cook stove, gas lanterns, and a cloak room. It was built in 1890.
Judy playing one of the pianos sprinkled around the downtown core of Okotoks, Alberta.
Maggies serves as a set for the T.V. series "Heartland".
We enjoyed a "Jennie Low" shrimp dinner our last night on the farm.
We were sad to go.
This guy and his buddies bid us farewell.
Selfie of the day: Still fresh after our 6.1 mile hike around upper lake Kananiskis.
Astonishing!
We took our lunch in the club house of the Kananiskis golf course.
The best part of our stay was a dip in the hot springs. Nice pool.
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