A 12 Hour Drive and We're Back Home

That is all it took; a 12 hour drive - leaving Edmonton, Alberta, at 7:30 am and parking in our driveway in Langley, British Columbia, at 7:30 pm. We drove 4,061 kilometres (2,538 miles) since we left on July 31, 2013.

From our son's home to our home, we clocked 1,230 kilometres (702 miles) door to door. The one day motorcycle ride with my nephew added 850 kilometres  (510 miles) to the two wheel log book. 

Way far in the extreme background (hard to see) is the modern and progressive town of Vegreville, Alberta.  This photo was taken near Jeanette's parents' farm.  Vegreville was made famous for being the home of one of Canada's well respected Deputy Prime Ministers, Don Mazankowski.  He represented this area, as a Member of Parliament, for many years.

On Sunday, Jeanette had planned to drive 90 minutes from Edmonton to the Town of Two Hills to pick up her mom and take her to St. Albert - a suburb of Edmonton - to visit with an aunt who was in hospital.  Following the visit, they came over to Deni and Courtney's home for the afternoon and for dinner.  Later that evening, Jeanette and Deni drove Mary back to her long term care facility, then back to Edmonton.  Although a long day....it was  a most worthwhile one for Jeanette's mom......and us too!

Deni is showing his grandmother the little garden that he and Courtney planted.

For most of her life, Mary had some of the largest and most beautiful vegetable gardens imaginable.  

Mary shared a few little gifts with Deni and Courtney.  Courtney was dressed to leave for he nursing shift at the trauma centre at the Royal Alexandra hospital.

A wonderful Sunday dinner was served.  Deni, Courtney and Jeanette prepared an awesome meal. The fresh green beans came from their garden.  Yum!

Some of Mary's special Ukrainian dishes were prepared for the occasion.  One dish was 'Perishke' (tiny dough buns that are filled with cottage cheese and potatoes, then baked and smothered in a cream sauce with dill and green onion).  The other dish was sour cabbage rolls.  Deni had slow cooked a tasty beef roast and, with the other food trimmings, we were in for a great feast.

'Perishke'....the little Ukrainian buns that are so scrumptious!

With our meal completed, Courtney left for her 12 hour nursing shift and we settled into comfortable chairs before Deni, Jeanette and Mary left for the drive back to return Mary to her assisted living facility.  Deni and Jeanette were back home, in Edmonton, by 11:30 pm.  A long day, for sure, but what a gift for Jeanette's mom to get a long desired visit with her sister in law who is in hospital and to visit her grandson, Deni, and Courtney at their Edmonton home.

Deni and Courtney in their kitchen...

Deni showed his grandmother the work that had been completed before the renovation begins in earnest in their basement.

Sunday afternoon, a framer that Deni knows came by to estimate the time and $$$ required to frame the basement.  Although he is quite capable to frame it himself....Deni's professional daytime work is taxing enough and to have an experienced framer do the job will speed the build up process.

Driving west on the Whitemud Freeway in Edmonton, early on Monday morning, as we made our way west towards the Yellowhead Highway 16 West.

By 7:30 am, the truck was hitched to the motorcycle trailer and our stuff was loaded.  We said our good byes and headed west.

On the Anthony Henday freeway....making sure to exit for Jasper Park National park.....

It was a perfect day for a mountain drive.  The sun was out, the landscape was changing by the minute and we again enjoyed our journey......as we always do on this route.

Approaching Jasper National Park in western Alberta.

This beautiful national park has speed restrictions due to the large wildlife population that graze along the highway.  The scenery below is just magical!  The countryside is so magnificent.  We never tire of driving through here.....and we've driven or motorcycled  this route well over 100 times.

Beautiful landscape in Jasper National Park.

Tourists are attracted to the wildlife along the parkway. 

Another view of a shallow lake in the park.

Before long, we were exiting Jasper National Park as we continued our journey west on Highway 16.

Moose Lake - to the left - shortly before we crossed from the Province of Alberta into British Columbia.

The impressive Thompson River that skirts Highway 5 south....toward the city of Kamloops, in the BC Okanagan Interior.

This scene was taken on our descent into the BC interior town of Merritt - while on the Coquihalla Highway. Merritt is in the Nicola ranching valley.

Before long, we had exited Highway 5 south - where it ends in Hope, BC - and joined Highway 1 (Trans -Canada Highway 1) for the 80 minute drive to our south Langley home.

We backed the motorcycle trailer near the garage and unhitched.  Our travel bags were brought into the house - along with a few other things - but the rest of the stuff (motorcycle too) stayed locked inside the trailer.  That work was left for today.  After this blog is posted, I will empty the trailer and begin the clean up process.

It was a good trip to Edmonton - and the other Province of Alberta places we visited - but it is good to be back.

I just found out that our good friend and golfing buddy - a retired RCMP officer (Royal Canadian Mounted Police) and most recent fraud and security expert for Canada Safeway - Don Brost - passed away while we were away.  We will celebrate his life in earnest at his memorial this Friday afternoon, in White Rock, BC. He was 65 years young.  Don had dealt with heart issues for many, many years. Another really good fella gone!

Onwards and forwards.  

Thanks for dropping by.