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We made it into Vancouver early hours of Friday Morning!
DAMN! ... in the past 3 days I've seen more rain here than in the past 3 months back home. Everybody is talking about FLOODS! What are they? We had a nice 1" of rain before we left and it soaked straight into the ground ... no run-off at all.
Think I will start a Lawn Turf Business here exporting to Australian Landscapers. Problem would be getting labels to stick to the dirt that read: "GREEN SIDE UP"
I spent six months in Abbortsford back in 1975 skydiving. Already had a chance to meet some old friends who are as grey as me! 32 years is a long time between drinks.
I have seen Dan and finally got a hug in real life from that beautiful lady Donna. She looks as good as I ever imagined. Taking her, and Cody some Cheery Ripes on Wednesday when go back to spent the WHOLE DAY at Dan's shop. PS: He said he had lots of work for me!!!! Is this how he makes his profit using unpaid labour?
Driving to Edmonton and Dawgie's place on Sunday. Taking it slow and doing the tourist thing, be there Wednesday. Sue has already been blown away by today's trip up the Fraser Canyon to Hell's Gate. Pilot friend of mine is taking us for a grand tour of the Fraser Valley on Saturday in his light aircraft. (*thinks* > will a 1M card in the camera be enough?)
Hospitality and friendliness from even strangers is as good as I always remembered.
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Ohhhhh Cherry Ripes! No platz for Wednesday afternoon! LOL
Joh, I am cementing some little houses and farms for you to help paint up. We be havin' a paint party when you come Wed, so get ready to get dirty!!! Paint flys through the air at the shop btw... really.
See you soon! Coffee's ground and ready, let's paint!
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If your Canadian journey includes a visit to the capital of the country (Ottawa), give me a call. There's a tour and a few beers included in the deal !! ...and lots of sign talk.....
I'm still hoping to be able to book a last minute drop to Moosejaw, but I'm so busy right now, stuff just has to go out the door.
Enjoy your stay and don't be shy to give me a ringer...
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And remember.. You hav'nt experienced Canada, until you've Experienced Newfoundland & Labrador. Canada'a Youngest Province. Although BC is pretty darn cool! Have a great Time eh?
-------------------- "Keep Positive"
SIGNS1st. Neil Butler Paradise, NF Posts: 6277 | From: St. John's NF Canada | Registered: Mar 1999
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Jon, I'm glad you are having a good time. Canada is a pretty big country, it's going to be hard to get to see all the Canadians that want to see you! Waiting for you to be the fearless leader on the wall in Moosejaw.
Sarge- are you going to head East of Moosejaw at all? Or are you saving all the fun for the Western provinces?
-------------------- Deri Russell Wildwood Signs Hanover, Ontario
You're just jealous 'cause the little voices only talk to me. Posts: 1904 | From: Hanover, Ontario, Canada | Registered: Dec 1998
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Thanks guys.... this is roughly what my plans are. I will be arriving in Canada on the 26 June, stay o'night in Vancouver Pick up car 27th , drive through to Kamloops, stay o'night.... stopping in on Dan for an hour or two on the way Drive through to Jasper, stay o'night near Jasper at Hinton Drive through to Edmonton, meet up with Duncan at his shop and follow him to his place, 2 days in Edmonton, fly to Regina in the afternoon, ... then 1 July until check out early 9th July Moose Jaw .... so there is 8 full days there 6 am flight to Calgary, Pick up car Calgary drive through Banff, Lake Loiuse and stay o'night in Golden Drive to Chilliwack, overight there, spend a bit more time at Dans then Down to Vancouver and a couple days there then home on the 13 July!
-------------------- John "sarge" Serjeant Executive Director of "Hardly Normal Signs" sarge.signs@bigpond.com 3 Balyando Drive Nerang Queensland 4211 Australia 61 07 5578 2495 Posts: 255 | From: Nerang, Queensland, Australia | Registered: Aug 1999
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When you get to Lake Louise, hang a left and go 16 km to Moraine Lake and the Valley of the Ten Peaks. You won't regret it. Lake Louise is beautiful, Moraine Lake is Lake Louise squared!
-------------------- David Harding A Sign of Excellence Carrollton, TX Posts: 5107 | From: Carrollton, TX, USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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Sarge ... if you leave early from Vancouver to get to Dan's place, even with a couple of hours there you will have heaps of time to make Kamloops.
Don't take the new toll road. Turn North at Hope and go up the Faser Canyon. It's a little longer than the new freeway but more senic and was the old Highway so a good road. Stop at Hell's Gate for an hour .... well worth the visit.
Thanks for the tip. David. Looks like we will have at least one ... possibly two days at Lake Louise or in that area. Definitely check it out!
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Near Lake Louise in Yoho National Park is Takkakaw Falls, at approx. 1260', the second highest waterfall in Canada. It's every bit as dramatic as those in Yosemite. It's 23 km West of Lake Louise toward Field and then 13 km up the road to the falls. There are also a couple of spiral railroad tunnels there. It's interesting to see a train doubling back over itself as it goes through the tunnel.
Kootenay National Park adjoins Banff on the south. Marble canyon is a gorgeous gulch 40 meters deep in places and perhaps a meter or two across. Near there are ochre mud pots. You'll almost want to load up a few buckets to tint your paint.
Peyto Lake is a very scenic view not far North of Lake Louise and from there, the Ice Fields Parkway to Jasper traverses some of the most spectacular scenery anywhere.
At the museum at the Athabaska Ice Field is a very unique bust of an important government official. Rather than being in relief, it is incised into the wall and illuminated in a way that makes it appear to be in relief until you are practically upon it. It's a real shock to the brain to snap modes as it finally figures out the geometry of the sculpture.
There's far worse things to do in life than have to spend a few days driving across western Alberta and B.C. Sometimes, when visiting my brother in Montana, I'll schedule my flight into Vancouver just so I am forced to look at all that scenery for five hundred miles... or a thousand... it's taken me a week to get from Vancouver to Montana.
When I was a child, we lived in Calgary, Alberta for four and a half years. We went to Banff, Lake Louise and Moraine Lake practically every weekend.
-------------------- David Harding A Sign of Excellence Carrollton, TX Posts: 5107 | From: Carrollton, TX, USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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Thanks for the tips guys.... I'll definatly take a few detours.... I am going to make the most of this trip....got a lot of memories to gather for my future years.... see ya all soon! Exactly what I'm planning on doing Jon... only doing a max of 400kms a day give or take....do it nice and easy...
-------------------- John "sarge" Serjeant Executive Director of "Hardly Normal Signs" sarge.signs@bigpond.com 3 Balyando Drive Nerang Queensland 4211 Australia 61 07 5578 2495 Posts: 255 | From: Nerang, Queensland, Australia | Registered: Aug 1999
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You sure you can't work in a trip to Fergus Sarge? It's frustrating to have you in Canada, and not have the opportunity to try and repay the wonderful time we had with you and your Family in Oz.
Nobody can make hot chocolate like your Sue, but we'd love to try.
BTW. Those of you visiting Banff might be interested in reading about a spectacular Letterhead Meet Larry Whan hosted there in 1998. There's a mural on the wall at the Curling Club. Here's the link.
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Unfortunatly I won't be able make it over your way Steve n Barb.... time and $$$$'s are against it I'm afraid... Sue laughed at the reference to chocolate... we were glad to have you here... I'm going solo on this trip, Ricky and Sue didn't want to come....Sue and Brendan are having a south Pacific cruise in September anyways.... If I can work it I'd like to make it back again in the future and see the rest of Canada and re-visit some places I've been in the States.... I won't be able to come fix the jukebox either Mike Meyer.... same reason.... I'll drop in to Mazeppa one winter though....gotta see snow at least once up close before I cark it!
-------------------- John "sarge" Serjeant Executive Director of "Hardly Normal Signs" sarge.signs@bigpond.com 3 Balyando Drive Nerang Queensland 4211 Australia 61 07 5578 2495 Posts: 255 | From: Nerang, Queensland, Australia | Registered: Aug 1999
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posted
Jon & Sue are here painting up a storm on the parade float project on the go in the shop. Yesterday was spent here as well. We are having lots of laughs inbetween the painting! We had a nive leisurely dinner last night at a local establishment...
I'm off to Juno, Alaska tomorrow morning early then back on Saturday... Sunday morning on a plane for Minnesota until late Wednesday night...
Some of the crew will be in the shop on the 27th but I'm not back until almost dark... But I should be in the shop on your return Sarge... Then we can have some fun!
Its all too crazy and fast this year!!!
-grampa dan
[ June 21, 2007, 02:12 PM: Message edited by: Dan Sawatzky ]
-------------------- Dan Sawatzky Imagination Corporation Yarrow, British Columbia dan@imaginationcorporation.com http://www.imaginationcorporation.com
Being a grampa is one of the the most wonderful things in the world!!! Posts: 8765 | From: Yarrow, B.C. Canada | Registered: Nov 1998
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...and lots of sign talk.....
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