Month: July 2025

We couldn’t resist…

…the pull of the west!

Badlands? Goodlands!

Yup, we’ve relocated, and you’ll never guess where!

Oh, ok, you did guess!

The call of the mountains and wide open spaces was impossible to resist, so we didn’t. Calgary will be our home for the foreseeable future.

You can see our new home from here (it’s near that tree – no no, the other tree)

Irritatingly, I’ve been somewhat unwell the past couple of weeks, so haven’t had much chance to explore and reconnect with favourite people and places. The upsides are we’ve much to look forward to, the healthcare was excellent, the prognosis is all positive (once I get my strength back – I’m as weak as a kitten, or, or, an off colour early middle aged OldPlaidCamper) and I’ve had more time than I would have wanted to go through old photos and (re)use them here!

Can you hear the call?

We’ll be properly out and about again by September. Meanwhile, I’m adding 5 minutes more each day to my walking time (I won’t even say how low the current total is, other than it would be a very short and flat trail), trying to keep up with Mrs. PC and Scout, and lining up a few new AB beers for when the time is right!

Thanks for reading, and I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

New place needs a little work…
No, OPC, not yet! Such an impatient patient…

Out west

Out west, Irricana style.

I mentioned a couple of weeks ago how much we enjoyed our stay in Irricana, AB, and that I’d include a bit more, so here it is. I’ll let the pictures do most of the heavy lifting, due to laziness or maybe being too relaxed to scribble very much.

I will say the Irricana campground is a great place to stop a few days. It has a rodeo arena (is that the right term? I’m no cowboy…) and there are a couple of baseball diamonds. Little league baseball on a Thursday night is a big draw locally, and there are often horse boxes turning up with young riders making turns in the arena. One quiet afternoon – no horses – I clambered up above the chutes and snapped a few photos. It’s the closest I’ll get to bronco riding…

Hold on to your hat!

Back to the campground. Clean and tidy, it’s run by Norm, former Stampeder and all round good guy. Zipping about on his ATV in sunglasses and Stetson, he couldn’t have been more friendly or attentive. I saw him help out so many campers, be it assisting with parking a large trailer, lending an axe for firewood, or rooting out a water hose if someone had forgotten it. What a guy!

“Hey, Adam, wanna beer?” “Maybe later, Norm – we just had breakfast!” OK, not strictly true, and I jest time wise (it was always after lunch), but an indication of Norm as a great host!

Eight seconds? How hard can it be?!
Horse power

If you’re ever out that way and looking for a quiet (outside of Monster Truck weekend) place to stay, then Irricana might just be for you!

Monster, oops, I mean our modest truck, Irricana, AB

Thanks for reading, and I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

No trucks, no monsters, just larks and gophers – a lovely prairie trail to hike or bike
Not just for cowboys – and how hard can it be?! Sadly for them, I can think of one or two who struggle with this…

Rainbows and unicorns?

It should be said it’s not all rainbows and unicorns on a road trip – except, sometimes, when it is!

The pot of gold at the end? Canada!
There wasn’t any explanation, but who needs it? It’s a unicorn!

When it hasn’t been rainbows and unicorns, we’ve enjoyed an old favourite or two, in the form of cafes and parks.

Lina’s Italian Market, Centre St, Calgary – they stock culinary happiness in all shapes and sizes. Go in looking for one item, and leave with a grocery bag full of (all of a sudden) essentials – wonderful!

We had a picnic in Riley Park made up of some of those essential items!

Riley Park, and some cool shade

Rainbows and unicorns and coffee and flower beds and, and, and…

I think I’d best stop now, as it appears I’m a little over-caffeinated. Thanks for reading, and I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Even the bears are diggin’ it

Prairie sky highs

We’re absolutely loving being out west, traveling under (mostly) big blue skies. We spent a week in Irricana, AB, a tiny town northeast of Calgary, and a sparkling prairie gem. I’ll write more about Irricana another time.

Detail from Irricana mural

Very spotty internet and an unwillingness to hammer my phone plan have combined to keep this very brief. So here are a few photographs that might give you a prairie high – and it’s legal and chemical-free (assuming ranchers and farmers are doing the right thing…)

Good morning to you!

Thanks for reading and I hope you have a wonderful weekend! And Happy July 4th to our southern neighbours!

Rockyview County?! (Not in this photo, but on a clear day, you can see the Rockies in the very far distance)
“Can we go to the mountains, cool off?!” Soon, Scout, soon!
This will get you to the mountains – eventually – no rush!