You kicked the cow patty didn’t you? Our hotel was exceptional. Quiet, roomy and the bed was just right. Breakfast had plenty of selection and everything was prepared well. I thought about having bangers and beans, just for a second until I spotted the crispy bacon and delicious scrambled eggs.

With our bellies satisfied we had to fill up the car and got it washed. The vast amount of deceased arthropods made it difficult to see. We found a car wash and it cleaned up like it was new. Now remember we got the car with 183 miles on it. It’s now officially broken in.

Our first stop was the meeting with a 30 foot moose. 🫎 Meet Mac. I called him Big Mac but Heather corrected me. Mac the Moose is a giant, 10.36-metre-tall (34.0 ft) steel and concrete sculpture built in 2004 and is located in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, Canada. Mac was dethroned in 2015 by Storelgen (“The Big Elk”) in Stor-Elvdal, Norway, which stood roughly 30 centimeters taller. Sparked by Canadian comedians and international media attention, the city fought back in October 2019 by outfitting Mac with a larger, upgraded steel-and-foam antler rack narrowly retaining his title that is holding on today.

They have a friendly, playful shop cat who roams freely inside the tourism kiosk. Originally kept in the employees-only back area, she now greets tourists at the door, naps in cozy corners, and poses for photos and her name is Cheese. Yep! Moose Jaw, Canada is known for its Mac and Cheese!

We got back on the Trans Canada Highway 1 and headed West. Vast, long stretches of the straightest roads lined with agricultural fields that were in full harvest mode. Combines and trucks were in full swing getting the crops out of the fields.

Heather and I invented a new road game called “Name that Crop.” We played it in the style of “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire” complete with sound effects. Your life lines are Text a Friend, Use AI, or just make up something believable. Heather… done done… done… Won! Go figure. She texted her Dad whom is a ringer in the farm crops. AI wasn’t very helpful so Heather made me believe her answers because I didn’t have any proof she was wrong. 😑 Would you know the difference in a field of mustard and a field of canola? Her prize 🏆 was the gloating rites until our rematch. I think we should play some “5 Crowns” where I have better odds than identifying barley and hops unless it’s in a bottle.

We passed the salt lakes and fields. There was a large lake named Reed Lake. Guess I didn’t get the memo of its existence. Then the extreme winds started. It made for some difficult white knuckle driving. We were praying for all these semi truck drivers to make it to their destinations. So many close calls right in front of us. We only passed when they were forced to pull over. This repeated for several hours.

We changed Providences again. We are now in Alberta. Just one more to go on this journey. I believe the Canadian Territories are definitely not in our plans. The vast distances are definitely not achievable for this old man to travel. We may however complete the missing Province of Newfoundland and Labrador, when we cruise the Arctic Passage one day.

We stopped for lunch at a newly built Carl Jr’s and it was beyond busy. The parking lot was crazy crowded, but once inside Joy filled my Heart. There was an actual person taking peoples orders and not a screen you had to navigate. Ohh Canada, Thank you for putting the human element back into my fast food. Noting that by doing this I now have someone else to blame when my order is wrong, missing, or just plain right! Maybe it will catch on perhaps the checkout at the Wally-World… just wishing.

We made it to Medicine Hat Alberta, Canada. Glad to be here and out of that insane winds. For a moment it felt like home and I thought “Nope!” “The fragrance of the many stockyards was missing from the air!” Note the use of the word fragrance. Only a Texan would use this misnomer… Just sayin’! We are staying at the Days Inn and the room is great. We have had some great finds.

We had breakfast for dinner and a Shoutout to one of our favorite restaurants Denny’s! First one we found in Canada and the food was delicious. 😋

For all you workers out there, take the weekend off if possible and enjoy life. See what’s around you and visit your family and friends. We are grateful for all of you being in our lives and hope you feel the same. If you like our Blog give us a thumbs up 👍 or leave us a comment.

“Where we love is home – home that our feet may leave, but not our hearts.” -Oliver Wendell Holmes

Fun fact: Alberta’s official provincial bird isn’t the great horned owl—it’s the construction crane, closely followed by the mosquito. 🦟 Okay even I think this one deserves a like…🫪