Fall Camping 2021

Rolling Hills Reservoir Campground 

Site #26: $40 (x8) p only wifi

Well this great Fall weather forecast has lured us back camping. It took us a little longer to prepare this time as much of the food and supplies had been emptied out before summer. Also we experienced an unfortunate little incident a few weeks back. A "homeless fellow" (???) broke in to our trailer at the storage compound and spent some time there. I was therefore very thankful we had emptied out most of our food supply!  About the only edibles available to him were Ichiban soup and a jar of honey. There were bits of dried noodles everywhere, including in the bed. So yes, he was "camped out" for a night or two.  He used the can... ugh... and left a crack pipe and lighter on the night side table. It appeared he left in a hurry leaving the door swinging open behind him. That is what alerted our neighbours driving by. 

The police checked things out and removed the pipe.  They said we were lucky as many places are left totally trashed. I don't expect we will hear any  more as no major damage was done. It just took a lot of scrubbing and laundering to remove the unwelcome presence. One certainly feels violated. 

Anyway here we are at Rolling Hills Reservoir south of Brooks and about an hour out of Medicine Hat.

It felt good to be camping again and it didn't take us long to get 'back in the groove'.  We love the quiet of the off season.  There are only a few campers hanging at the campground with us. We went for a couple of walks, did a little reading, painted a couple rocks to hide and just enjoyed the views.

That weather? Perfection! We were cozy by the campfire and we were treated to a spectacular full moon rising over the water. 

Last night I had one of the best sleeps I've had in a long time!  That warm weather continues today. Although a little less wind would be welcome today! 

Well time to get some footsteps in!

Roasting on the Oasis

Well it's not very often we have used our air conditioning in the fifth wheel. This trip was the exception. Holy hot! Like 30C+ and this only the first week of June.

Understandably were a lot of day use people driving out for the day. This is a great beach only 30 min. from Hanna.

We spent one aft with our toes in the water but mostly just hung out in the shade. Evenings cooled down enough to allow for a fire.

I painted and hid a few more rocks. A couple were found and posted on Facebook! Always fun for me!

Oh. When we unhooked in this campsite, the RV rolled slightly forward and a little off the wheel blocks. On Night 4, middle of night and this starts to bother Ron. What if we roll further ahead and off the jacks he thinks. (Yes this after 4 nights.) So naked old man is outside, putting chaulks in front of wheels. Fumbling around, no glasses. I guess he figured no glasses, noone would see?? (Hoping!!??) But I kind of wonder if that is why 3 neighbors pulled out the next morning??

We debated staying longer than the 6 nights, but with the campground filling for the weekend and a prediction of thunderstorms on Saturday, we packed up and headed home Friday morning. 

This was not best time to discover the truck air conditioning was toast... ugh it was a 2 hour 27C sauna. Back home never looked so good!  And once again, yay for air conditioners.

Round 3 - Prairie Oasis, Hanna, AB

Site #32: $35. (x5) p/w

The week forecast was HOT HOT. So Prairie Oasis sounded like the perfect place to hang. We loaded up the RV Sunday morning and 2.5 hours later we were enjoying a cold one. 

The beach was busy, but all those Sunday day-users headed home for dinner. We were surprised to see a number of young families arrive to camp however. Usually we just get fellow Seniors this time of year. Things are certainly different during the Covid times. Parents not working and kids not in school.

Someone was in our usual site so we parked next door. I think I like it better. Ron didn't like the dandelion puffs, so they got broomed. Lol...

But I have to admit, it did look better after! 

As predicted the weather has been awesome. We've enjoyed walks along the beach and throughout the campground. 

We've had two great evenings around the campfire.  We will be chillin' out here until Friday or Saturday.... (Ha! Right! "chilling out" in the upcoming 28C, 32C and 34C temps.)

Storm Stayed

Thurs: I was afraid to get out of bed. And yes, my fears were realized. That "s" word. Our neighbours who checked out early were probably the smart ones.

However, if we would have gone home Wednesday, we would have missed out on a very lovely evening around the fire. This Sports Brella is awesome. It protects from wind and holds in the heat. Thank you, Dave!

Although a few people headed home, there were still many checking in. You can always count on die-hard long weekenders despite some ugly forecasts.

So, Thursday was mostly spent indoors. We watched curling on my tablet and Ron did his daily Ancestor and dead people searches. Yay wifi! I did get out for a couple walks and yes there were other crazy people out and about. 

As mentioned earlier, I love to paint and hide rocks for the little ones to find. I label them all Facebook: "Medicine Hat Rocks" and some people will post their finds there. It warms my heart to see my rocks being found and posted!

Friday arrived and we had planned to head home. There was no snow accumulation in the campground, but unfortunately the same was not true for Medicine Hat. In fact, the highway eastbound from Redcliff to Med hat was closed in the morning due to a semi rollover and a multi vehicle accident. So decision made. Another night of camping. It turned out to be a great day. No wind  makes such a difference. Really..an afternoon delight.

And with empty fridge and no clean underwear it will be back to city life tomorrow.

Tues: "It's All Good in the Trailer Hood"

Sunday and Monday were perfect in the Rolling Hills. Today?? WIND! Yikes, like BIG wind.  Thankfully we are a bit protected at our site. On the upper rows of this campground, hang on to your hat! And your kids!! You can't tell how windy it is from this pic. There are white caps on the water. We are hearing zero visibility on Hwy 1 near Brooks from blowing dust.

I forgot to mention the funny thing that happened when we checked in here. Ron came for me when our first choices for a campsite were not available. I went back into the office with him plus our campground map to point out another choice and to see if that one was available. The check-in lady looks at me and says "You have an old man."  My mouth was literally hanging open (underneath my mask of course) and I was left rather speechless.  I looked at Ron then back at her with wide eyes not quite sure what to say.  "Your MAP... your map is old." she says. We had quite a chuckle and Ron informed her I had both - an old man and an old map! lol...

After the Sunday crowd left, things have been pretty quiet. Well, except for those lawn mowers. This place just opened last Friday and the yard maintenance staff are busy. This has to be one of the cleanest, best kept campgrounds we visit. (Much to Ron's disappointment -- there are no surprise treasurers to be found here!)

We continue to enjoy our usual biking and hiking.  This big guy ran out and startled us during yesterday's walk! I've never seen such a huge jackrabbit!!

I have painted and hidden a few more rocks in the playground. Hopefully the little weekend visitors will find them.

It's great to have wifi here.  I actually caught a few ends of the World Curling Doubles competition that was shown on YouTube yesterday and today. Go Canada go!

We are hoping we can make it to Friday without the rain or snow showers they have hinted at. I am opting to use the weather app that isn't showing that particular forecast.

We may not be able to have a campfire this evening due to the wind, but I do believe a cocktail is in order. Cheers!

Round 2 - Rolling Hills Reservoir

Rolling Hills, Rainer, AB

Site #26: $40. (x6) p only

Our mobile RV Mr Fix-it stopped by on Thursday and patched our leaking water tank and hot water heater for $60 !! You can't beat that service. We should have used him for our other repairs. I'm pretty sure he would not have charged anywhere near the $900 we paid at the RV shop!

After taking a look at at the weather forecast we decided to try another campout. This morning, Sunday, we brought the trailer home, packed up some beer and beans and here we are at Rolling Hills Reservoir south of Brooks. Just over an hours drive from the Hat.

The weather wasn't looking great for the upcoming long weekend so we decided we'd only stay to Friday morning. However, after paying for the 5 nights, we now see that the ugly weather could be creeping in as early as Thursday. I hope we don't regret that extra night! Anyway today was perfect. There are people on the beach and in the water!? The weather was awesome at 26C. Summer!?

At our last camping spot we saw nesting geese and eggs. Today we enjoyed all the gosling's. It was a great day of biking, walking and an evening fire and sunset.  It was particularly enjoyable when the weekend crowds and boaters headed home. So quiet and peaceful!  Looking forward to a great week!!

Back in the Hat

Well that was short and sweet. We really hated to come home, but water is a big issue -- or the lack there of!! Our fresh water tank was leaking (on the ground) and we were running out of water. We had this problem a few years ago and had a patch job done. I'm not sure if it can be patched again or if we will need a new tank. That could be a problem!!?  There is no potable water in the campground, so when you run out, that's it! And our hot water line is also leaking. That one means a wet floor. ugh...

Anyway, we did have a good time. It was great to be out in the 5th wheel again. More biking and walks and I did manage to paint and hide a few rocks around the campground.

There were a few more campers that arrived for the weekend. That was unfortunate for our nesting goose as a family ended up parked right beside the nest. The eggs didn't survive those interested little fingers and the prodding.  

It was disappointing to see some larger 'gatherings' without social distancing or masks in place. With rising numbers in Medicine Hat (200 +) I expect we will soon be added to the provincial restrictions list and find our activities limited again. I just hope this isn't my first and last camping post for the season! Oh, and curling on TV?? Not going to be happening for a few days. We are hearing co-vid amongst the broadcasting crew. The curlers have been cleared and will be back on the ice, we just won't see it for a few days -- or maybe not at all?

Dark clouds rolling in Saturday evening at Golden Sheaf park leading to a short light rain.

We're Camping!

Golden Sheaf Park, Seven Persons, AB

Site #20: $38 (x4) p only

Our set up at the park went smooth. I guess it's kind of like riding a bike!
We had a great spot overlooking the reservoir. There were only about 6 units in this loop. The seasonal area was pretty busy with campers either all set up or out doing yard work before bringing their units out. 

We had a off work pipeline fellow parked behind us. With a chihuahua. OMG do those yappy little things ever loose their voice? I swear he barked 30 min nonstop when we arrived until the owner finally shut his trailer door. Luckily he was away much of the time!

It was great to be able to walk somewhere different for a change. We enjoyed cocktails around the fire, had some great cookouts and more campfires. The weather has been awesome.

All in all it's a great break from home isolation. Good sleeps, fresh air, a robin continually serenading us, and some nearby nesting geese.

We are missing the start of the Women's World curling, but I'd say it's worth it! Oh, and we just paid for 2 more nights!

Our Co-vid Times Campout 2021

Well I'm sipping my morning coffee in my comfy home chair waiting for Ron to get up. The 5th wheel is out front and we are preparing for our first outing since September 2019. 

After some minor fixes, we picked up the RV from the shop yesterday. Well, minor in problem, major in cost - like $900 worth! Once home Ron had to deal with a plumbing leak and our water pump is 'iffy' but we are packed and ready to go except for the fridge items and clothing. 

We plan to head to a nearby spot today to give this camping thing a try -- to make sure we remember how to do this, have everything necessary and hopefully will confirm all is working in the RV. The weather, in the 20C range looks great and just maybe we'll be eating lunch at Golden Sheaf Park 27 km from home!

2020 Spring Camping and Co-Vid

Well damn... Here it is the end of April and time to think about camping once again. We LOVE this time of year. Not so much Spring 2020. There is no 5th wheel coming out of storage and no RV packing has taken place. The Co-vid blues have hit. The world has changed big time.

This Spring we are figuring out how to avoid one another. What is the best way to disinfect our groceries. Should we be wearing a mask? And oh yes, "Have you washed your hands with soap and water for 20 seconds?" Another day of Physical Isolation and Zoom visits comes and goes.

Truth be known, our lives haven't changed as drastically as some. We are quite familiar with staying home and living a quiet social life. Yes, we missed some of those end of season curling games on TV that were cancelled and we had never experienced online grocery shopping before. (That has actually turned out to be quite the treat!!) We consider ourselves very lucky. Many continue to work amid this virus crisis. Many work from home. Parents are pushed to home school some pretty restless and bored children who want to be out with friends. These are crazy and different times indeed. Our day to day activity and our monthly pay cheque hasn't changed so much. Well, admittedly we ARE avoiding any and all thoughts or mail pertaining to that recent stock market plunge!! That envelope sits unopened.

So May camping is a no go. Hello Home Stay-cation. We have been for a few country drives. It was amazing how much snow is still in Cypress Hills. We slid backwards down a seldom used road that was covered in ice and snow. yikes! There have been walks through the pasture and the golf course below. This is actually the first time I have walked that course. Made possible due to the closed golf courses and new knees. There are some pretty cool old Cottonwoods down there!

We continue to enjoy the wildlife entertainment. Cock pheasants are having 'little discussions' while the ladies just go about with their feeding and nesting. The deer continue to hang about and it would appear that we also provide them with entertainment as they watch us through our windows.

And of course there are propane campfires on the deck below. Most include a little wine or a sip of Irish Cream. We would enjoy a few more of these fires if only this wind would disappear! So cheers to a very different Spring 'camping' 2020! Hopefully the next post will include our 5th wheel!??