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!??

The Bunnies & Us, Douglas Prov Pk

Douglas PP, near Elbow, SK
Site #242 - $28 (x3, paid 2), p only/water off Sept 20

We travelled from Manitou Beach to Douglas Prov Pk on Sunday. OMG SK Hwy #15 was the worst 'paved' highway we have ever been on. We were certainly questioning our decision and almost changed plans midway there. It took us 2 ¼ hrs. to drive the 156 km. The best section was the converted to gravel section. The remaining highway was all broken and poorly patched pavement. Plus there was a 12 minute stop for construction. Seriously the whole stretch needs a complete re-do. Never again!!

Once settled, Douglas Park was an enjoyable stay. Unfortunately the water had already been turned off. After coming from Manitou where there was a boil water in place, we were not in a great position with our water supply. We drove back to Elbow and were able to get a couple jugs of drinking water. It was enough for our 3 night stay anyway. Note: we may have stayed an extra day if we had more water! 

This was another pretty quiet campground as far a campers go. There were only two to three units per night. We were the only unit on the last night. It would appear that the bunnies have taken over the park. They were everywhere. 

We went for a couple long hikes which had me a little nervous as there was a coyote warning posted at the now closed Administration office which may or may not still be a concern?? Anyway, thankfully there were no encounters! Once again we enjoyed the fires and the free wood. 

Most of our fires involve the umbrella. That is not because it was raining, but we've discovered the umbrella holds in the heat quite nicely and it also blocks the breeze on our back side. Perfect! 

The one slight downside to our stay was the ongoing construction at the Shower Facility around the corner from us. This involved power tools, air compressors and we weren't real keen on their choice of loud music. One evening they worked until 9 p.m. 

As said, we might have stayed longer, but for the water shortage. But also, we have been 3 weeks without doing laundry and are down to our final pair of undies. The final deciding factor was this little notice that has been popping up on social media. Gah! That "s" word.

On Wednesday we packed up and headed home. We won't winterize quite yet as we hope to camp a few more nights should weather improve. We've often enjoyed a camping Thanksgiving so maybe we'll get that chance again this year??

Later: Back at home. The sun is shining and it's 21C and hot!! Short weather again! We should be camping!!!

Life's a Beach

It was fun to return to these old stomping grounds, but I don't expect we will back any time soon. We had our $32. soak in the mineral pool ($16/person), toured about the resort area by bike and by truck, hiked and we enjoyed our evening campfires. 

The campground was fairly busy on the weekend. Some came to golf, some came for the mineral pool and it sounds like many came for the 'famous' Danceland entertainment. This Danceland pic was taken from the lookout point on one of our hikes.

Apparently the well known, always popular "The Fugitives" were playing. We'd never heard of them, but people came from all over and as far away as Calgary to see them - lol. They had arranged for a bus load from the Manitou Springs Hotel to the Hall. 

There is also an annual wood carving competition that takes place here every August. There was that entrance carving I posted earlier. We saw various carvings around the Beach and a few in the nearby town of Watrous. There were a number remaining at the community hall just behind our campground. We aren't sure if these have been sold to be picked up at a later date or just how it all works. I am glad we got to see them though. Very cool! 

 

 

There are also a few interesting iron figurines around the townsite. 

So that is about it from here. Tomorrow is move day. We haven't firmed up our next stop.