Grimshaw....

Peace River near Grimshaw-click

...Alberta, plenty of road switching, and plenty of wheat,
this ag shipping town, although small, is hard to beat;
things have slowed down in the last sixty years,
so they have taken their time, switching gears.

There was a time, back some time ago,
when more wheat was loaded then we could know;
train after train loaded with local grown gold,
but land gets developed, no wheat, that's cold.

1953, four elevators



2008 two elevators, the blue one is a "double"



Downtown Grimshaw 2010

Saratoga National Historical Park...

THIS WAS INTENDED FOR larrysramble BUT THE GEEZER PUT IT HERE!

The Battlefield

...New York, site of the very first American victory, in these four square mile,
which caused the French to join us, and the King of England no reason to smile;
there are some buildings which appear as they did then,
you should come and visit, the only question is when.

Forty miles north of Albany, New York is the location of the site,
take and look and see, history of America's first victorious fight;
there are re-enactments, done up very well,
but please don't arrive in winter, you'd freeze your (|) off as well.


Revolutionary Cavalry re-enactors



State of the art - in 1777





Yellowknife....

Yellowknife, 2010

..Northwest Territories, known for it's copper and gold,
named for the tools the First People made, in the days of old;
the population decreased as the gold output was down, measured not in ton but by the pound,
then some people started to move back in because in 1991 diamonds were found.

It's the Capital of the Territory and the largest city by far,
and things have changed quite a bit, now you can go by car;
it's isolated and possibly cold, and either light or dark,
but 250 miles for the Arctic Circle, it's not a walk in the park.

Yellowknife in the 1940's and 1950's (when this geezer was a boy)

Daytime in the winter (reminds me of Iceland)

The "Ice Road", winter means a shorter trip

Great Slave Lake...

Utsingi Point Great Slave Lake

...Northwest Territories, over four times the size of Delaware,
ninth largest in the world, deepest in North America, wind can cause a scare;
and if all of that isn't enough, it's not the largest up here, so all records are not set,
Great Bear Lake is larger, but we're not going there, at least not yet.

Hay River is the town on the south shore of the lake,
Yellowknife is larger, north shore, what can it take...
..to drive around of go across, 6 months of the year,
when the ice is on it's straight we go, with just a little fear.

Northern Bay

Red granite cliffs-click

Hay River Inlet, the McKenzie is the outflow

Hay River...

Inuksuk at Town Hall-click

...Northwest Territories, on the south shore of Great Slave Lake,
people gather in winter for the drive across, don't forget to take..
..two sets of chains for the dangerous ride,
featured on TV, now that's civic pride!

A fur post established in 1868, now the center of the sea lift..
to the Arctic Ocean researchers, who accept the gift,
this was the first town in these Territories connected by road...
..to the rest of Canada, the McKenzie Highway now carries the load.

Shore, Great Slave Lake - click

Alexandra Falls on the Hay River-click

Hay River Gorge-click

Wood Buffalo National Park...

A Wood Bison (Buffalo)

...Northwest Territories,this is one cool place,
there is so much here, I feel like I'm in a race;
the last surviving herd of the namesake creatures,
only nesting place for Whooping Crane, among the features.

Glacier leftovers like a "salt" lake,
karst sinkholes, how much can I take;
it is a very large park, I guess it needs to be,
oh, and a beaver dam people in space can see.

Notes at the end.

A saline (salt) lake, the white stuff is salt.

American White Pelicans at the Rapids of the Drowned, Slave River.

Pine Lake

Notes: A karst (dissolved soft rock) sinkhole is a cave with an open roof, that sums it up.
           The beaver dam is 2750 feet long, that's a little over a half mile, it's very old and
           still active, the recent work has taken 20 years.

High Level....

High Level at night (sometimes)

...Alberta, it's on the high point of land between two rivers,
not settled until 1947, new, does it give you shivers?
Now you wonder why we see this brand new place,
the answer is easy, oil fields won the race.

We've got the Peace River and Hay River too,
and it had another name before, but who knew?
Tloc Moi, that's Hay Meadow, for those of us who didn't know,
well...at lease the lights at night gives us a good show.

Highway 35, going into town

It has an airport...



...and winter too!



Manning....

Nice Town Office!

...Alberta, shipping point for lumber and wheat,
an important small town, they can't be beat;
natural gas is shipped from here too,
and the outlying area would like to see you.

It's on the highway that goes up north,
on to Yellowknife, shall we go forth?
the Northwest Territory is in our sights,
but we won't be there for a couple of nights.

Another load rolls out-click

..just passing through-click

River front view

Greene Valley Provincial Park....

It's green, this Greene Valley

...Alberta, part of the Heart River valley along...
..the Nampa River, not a bad association in which to belong,
hiking trails are many, some easier than others,
so come take a look, be sure to bring your brothers.

It's named for Dr. William Greene, a settler of sorts,
he was a physician and dentist who helped gold miners lots,
in 1910 he was one of eight men with license to fly.
They've named a cairn here, for climbing, want to try?

The Renfew Museum

Nice view from a hill - click

from another hilltop, autumn - click

Lesser Slave Lake Provincial Park...

Lesser Slave Lake

...Alberta, home of the Boreal Centre for Bird Conservation,
home of 246 species, more than most parks in the nation;
twenty-six kinds of wood warblers in here,
that should be a reason to stand up and cheer.

It is a large park, on a very large lake,
but "Lesser" has meaning, so it will take...
a really large body or water to make...
a "greater" Slave Lake will take the cake.

Mourning Warbler

Ruddy ducklings

Wild Alberta Rose

Queen Elizabeth Provincial Park...

Lake Lac Cardinal

...Alberta, kind of off the beaten path, and out of the wheat,
we find this smallish park, with a lot that can't be beat;
if you like walking on good trails, or fishing with a lure,
you'd like this park, is just for you, for all your ills a cure.

Playgrounds for the little ones, big thing for the more adult,
drop on up, if you get a chance, and see what's it all about;
it's on 15 kilometers west of Peace River, we've been there before,
so pack that car, fill up with gas, through the arch, there's an open door.

Raged rapids

Fall colors on the trail

Full fall-click

Hines Creek....

Going into town...-click

..Alberta, wheat to bread, bread to table,
these are some of those who make it able...
..to live in plentiful times, wheat to market starts right here,
we owe these four hundred people, a hundred cheers.

Grain elevators full to the brim,
waiting for the train, rail cars to come in,
there is no telling where the wheat will go,
eaten here are going to sea, golden cargo.




Lots of cats, lots of mice-click



Country road and tractor tracks-click

Saint Pokrovshye Old Russian Orthodox Church
-click

Fort Saint John....

The Peace River runs through town

...British Columbia, headed back east now, ever so slow,
there's no need to hurry, let's just see where we go,
the trouble is that there aren't many roads to choose,
but I'll find a way, that we can see the most, don't want to lose.

This City is oil, a pure simple fact,
back in 1950, that's when they got in on the act,
it's an unusual place in that the people are all young,
only 6 percent over age 65, oh wow, that stung.

The area in winter

A downtown park

Take a walk on the river front