It's oh so quiet

Well, the house has gone from bursting at the seams to being deadly silent as I am now 'Home Alone' for a few days. The silence is occassionally interrputed by Brina calling to check that I'm eating my greens, but that aside, all is peaceful. It was great having everyone over (see previous posts and photos) but now I am raring myself up for the open road. The monotonous drive across this great land beckons (as do the numerous coffee stops on route). I aim to make it to Sault Ste Marie in three days (two and a bit if the Ford plays a blinder - and it's getting a bit of pre trip TLC tomorrow with a service and the like).
Decided that a ride around Banff was the order of the day before work today, so headed out West to park up in Canmore at about 7am. No matter how many times I pass the likes of Mt Rundle and Cascade, cycling beneath them on a silent, Canadian blue sky morning still gives me goosebumps.
RandR team kit was well advertised slogging up the tunnel montain road too (when's the franchise reaching this side of the Pacific from NZ?). Thought I'd add a piccie (very bedraggled post ride) to add to the RandR advertising catalogue: The short haircut isn't too clear, but since Brina left, I have no barber and just got fed up of my locks last night - so in a hasty moment of hair cutting exuberance, took the clippers to by bonce. Only after begining to shave the top of my head did I realise I had too short a blade on the machine - but alas too late!! The other snag - this Saturday is the party in the Soo - but alas too late - no doubt they'll all be asking who the bald feller is and where's Simon?

Looks like my biking legs are getting screwed on - have even vetured to enter a 50km race in Ontario at the end of this month (I just hope that living at elevation here puts me at some kind of haemoglobin type advantage in them there lowlands of the East).

The piccie at the top is Mt Victoria and the Victoria glacier at the back of Lake Louise. All very nice and scenic on a sunny, summers day. That, with the meadows full of colourful flowers make for rather inspiring hiking at present.

Live for the moment,

S&S.

Oh Canada

Ey up. Have been caught up in the commotion of summer trips; consequently spending no time at all indoors staring at a computer screen. Many things have passed since the last posting - namely England being booted out of the World Cup (penalties again!!!!). The local Cochrane hostelry provided the perfect viewing platform for what should have been a right of passage into the semi finals (that's right North American folks, no playoffs needing seven games to decide the winner - although we could have done with it!). However, it was not to be, so the rest of Canada Day was spent in sunny Banff. Not to be outdone by football or hockey flags flying from vehicles, Canada decides to fly its own flag just for the hell of it - Maple Leaves everywhere. It would seem that Canada Day is Canada's birthday (these colonists still think they own their country - we all know it's Queen Lizzie's land - God Save Her...).

There were lots of flags, lots of horses and lots of people in Banff, as you can see, it was more akin to a boxing day sale on Banff Ave.
Despite the maddening crowd, it was all rather entertaining soaking up the Canadian passion - but if I hear the National Anthem just one more time.....!!

Brina wasn't part of the crowd, having zoomed off to Sault Ste Marie on Saturday morning - Wisely she chose the aeroplane (or airplane for Yanks) as her preferred transportion - myself on the other hand was (am) convinced that the trusty old automobile is the way to traverse across the continent. So I'll be saddling up the good ol' Ford Focus Station Wagon (Estate for Brits) next Tuesday and hitting the open road. Despite the three day journey which lies ahead, I have to drive to the end of our road, take a right for 13km, hang a left onto the Trans Canada Highway, then that's it done for directions - not an indication needed for the rest of the trip (should be interesting then!!!!!). Can't wait for those them Prairies to come (where they tell me you can watch your dog run away for five days).

Prior to Brina's departure, we had a fun paddle across Lake Louise;


The temps are still soaring up into the 30's so and evening on the bike is the order of the day. As Brina will be reading this from afar, that's just a quick reminder about my road bike!!!!

I trust that you are all well in whatever you are doing.

S & S.