Day 15 - Rest Day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It's a rest day!!!!!!   How exciting to NOT have to get up early and have NOTHING on the agenda for the day. I am getting lazy!!!!!

I was awake at five and not because I wanted to be. The birds have a thing about making tons of NOISE at 5 AM. Crows and various other birds are a bit noisy!!!!!  To say the least.

This stop was the first of six mail stops and I got MAIL!!!!!!   I love getting mail.

Before I get to the mail - we have had some EXCITEMENT at camp. I bought my new internet time and was sitting on the deck of the office trying to upload pictures which was VERY SLOW. Joyce comes out to tell us that there is a TORNADO WARNING in the area. YIKES. A few minutes later the winds picked up and we all scurried off to batten down the hatches (or should I say the tents). We loaded everything back on the truck (people were in the process of making their dinner) and we headed to the rec hall where we waited for our pizza to be delivered. The pizza arrived and so did the wind and the rain. It was crazy - lightening and thunder, but thankfully NO tornado.

The rain let up a bit so I grabbed some stuff off the truck and now I am in my tent where it has stopped raining I think, but the wind has picked up and it is crazy outside. The sun is shining - oh yes - it is crazy weather!!!!!!!   And I forgot to bring in my clothes for tomorrow's ride, so I still have to get out of the tent!!!!


OK - now back to the mail stop.

Got FIVE letters - I was so excited!!!!!!

My aunt sent me a small piece of orange fabric so I would remember what quilting is all about!!!!  I LOVE IT!!!!!!

Mary sent me a bookmark that she made and so appropriate for the area!!!!!!!

And how did she know that I needed a book mark. Do you want to see what I have been using?????

Yes - my boarding pass and it is looking pretty weak!!!!!!    THANKS SO MUCH MARY - I LOVE IT!!!!!!

Thanks to Ronda and Liz also. Liz - YES - we are going to be in the same area at the same time. We have had crappy cell service where we are so hopefully tomorrow, I can get the dates and locations to you and hopefully we can hook up!!!!!

But the best letter was this one (and Adam insisted that I sent it to myself), but obviously he did NOT read the back of the envelope.

Yep - got a letter from M

And look what she sent to me..................

I LOVE LOVE LOVE this card. And so true!!!!!

She also sent me this saying which I LOVE. Now I have to get these things in my inspiration journal which I have to say is still in my box. Just seems like there is no time or place to play around with it. OK - so there is, but I am lazy!!!!!!!

And lest you think that M just sent me those things - no she sent a nice letter as well and got Sammy and Sparky to sign it as well!!!!!!    So cute!!!!!!!    Thanks so much M - love you to bits!!!!!!!

Thanks for all the wonderful cards and wishes. And from those following me on Facebook and the blog. I really treasure all your thoughts - makes me feel like you are on the trip with me!!!!!!!


Well what did I do on my rest day?   A couple of us got ready first thing and went to the Royal Tyrell Dinosaur Museum. It is about 5 K away from here, so hopped on our bikes and away we went. We drove past it a couple of years ago, but no chance to stop in. It is well worth it to visit if you are in the area. The displays are well designed, clear and just fascinating.

Here is one of the displays

And another display

Hard to believe the size of these creatures and how different they all were. Let's just say that I would NOT want to meet any of them in the dark!!!!!!!  Or perhaps better to meet them in the dark when you couldn't see them coming.


OK - the rain has stopped and the wind has died down? somewhat - I am going to make a dash to the truck to get an apple and my clothes for tomorrow. Be right back.

Got the apple, got the bag of clothes, went to the washroom. I am set for the night. And yes the sun is shining, the sky is almost clear!!!!!   Ah - the prairies - I have forgotten how crazy the weather is here.

Saw this saying at the museum. Love it!!!!!

Then we climbed up to a lookout at the museum.

Here is Yukon Greig, Gerald (or G or PP for pink pants) and Adam (our driver)

Then Adam and I switched places. Yes - I know my face is red - I have raccoon eyes!!!!!

Then the four of us headed into Drumheller where we stopped at a restaurant that served flapjacks. I cannot remember the name, but I wasn't going to stop  -then changed my mind and it was AWESOME. I had an omelet and it was delicious. All the food we had was awesome.

They had a train that ran on a track around the ceiling of the restaurant which was pretty cool too.

The train in the restaurant. 

Gosh I wish I could remember names of places better. Well it doesn't really matter, but if ever you come here - it is great. Unfortunately it closes at 2 PM so when I recommended the place to Danny, Eric and Rob - well when they got there it was CLOSED!!!!!   Serves them right for NOT coming with us earlier in the day!!!!!


After lunch, I went into Drumheller where my first stop was the bank. My interact card has been acting up - getting accepting at one place and not another. When I went to the ATM - it wouldn't work. Thank goodness the bank was open so I got a temporary card and added a vacation schedule to my profile and hopefully I will be good for the remainder of the trip.

Found the drugstore and bought a couple bottles of sunscreen and another tube of Afterbite. I have more at home, but the one I have won't last until then. I must start making a list of things I want to get from home and things I want to drop off. Of course I won't be home for a couple of weeks, but I have decided to go home for the day. I hope I don't regret it.

Then I took a ride down one of the streets in town and guess what I found??????   A quilt store!!!!!   Who knew! So I popped in and got another piece of fabric - yes another FQ. I should take a picture of the ones I have so far. This is going to be one mixed up looking quilt for sure!!!!!!   Then stopped at the Thrift Store where I bought a paperback for fifty cents.


I am hearing people return to their tents and some people got water in  for various reasons - fly not on properly or not done up tight, tarps sticking out from under the tent. Very important to get that tent set up right. I am nice and dry so no worries - YET!!!!!


After I got my items in town, I scooted myself back to the campground. On the way I stopped for a couple of pictures.

Hey Mom and Dad - this one is for you!!!!!   My parents had told me about this little church and we all stopped here two years ago and took pictures. Who would have thought I would be back!!!!!   If you are a geocaching - there is a geocache there as well. My goal this trip is to get ONE geocache in Manitoba and one in NFLD. The only two provinces I don't have a cache. 

In the distance you can see the first hill that we climbed yesterday to get out of Red Deer Valley on The Dinosaur Trail. This was the easy one!!!!!!!!

We decided to order pizza for dinner and although I only had half of a 12" pizza, it was TOO MUCH. I really can't eat big meals at once. And I think we stopped at Tim's once so far!!!!!!


Some people were talking about how much weight they have or have not lost on the trip so far. I asked how they knew - apparently there was a scale at the museum!!!!!   I didn't see it, but I don't think I have lost much - well maybe some, but so hard to tell.


On that note - I think I am UP TO DATE with the blog. We are riding for FIVE days before our next rest day. As I have said before - internet in camp grounds may or may not exist. So if I don't get a chance to blog - well I will as soon as I can. But I almost always have cell service, so I do try to post on Facebook at the end of the day.


Have a great day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



Ciao!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!