May 26, 2019
The sun was peeking through clouds this morning as we ate breakfast and readied the trailer to get on the road. We said goodbye to Curt, Pat, Serge and Lindsay, then stopped to say goodbye to Laura and John.
Leaving Bragg Creek and heading down Highway 22 was a treat that we did not expect. The scenery was spectacular with the rolling hills and ranch lands back against the Rocky Mountains that were still filled with snow. The fields and pastures were green, the trees with new fresh leaves and the rivers were swollen and filled with rushing water.
As we rolled down the quiet highway, we stopped at the Bar U ranch a National Historical Site. The ranch is an iconic part of the western Canada ranching history and is being maintained as a working ranch as well as a tourist site with historic blacksmith, bakery, and wagon tours. We learned about the history of the ranch, saw the many tools, harnesses, and machinery traditionally used in the working of the ranch. They had “Finnegan” the resident bison that is often used in movies.
We arrived in Cowley late in the afternoon. Clive and Willie have a small lot on the Oldman Lake, which is actually the Oldman Reservoir. They own a large trailer that is their main summer home and a 26 ft. trailer that is Willie’s sewing room/guest home as she is another avid quilter. Their site overlooks the lake and faces the Porcupine Hills with the Rocky Mountains in the distance. After parking our trailer and setting up for the night, Clive put burgers on the barbeque and we enjoyed telling stories, catching up and having a great conversation around a roaring camp fire.
Quilting in a Kayak 