What a beautiful fall day! Not a cloud in the sky, hardly a breath of wind, and temperatures well over the 20° mark. To top it off, the foliage is at its brightest. It just doesn’t get any better than this!

There was much traffic in the Park, as people came to admire the fall colors. I went for a short walk, and on the way back met with Glenwood and Edna Johnson, of Spalding. Glenwood belonged to our Photography Club a few years ago, but I don’t believe I have seen him since. He was suitably impressed with the beauty in the Park.

Before I got home, along came Louie and Olga Arnason from Mozart, on a similar tour. Louie wanted to know what shape I left Grimson’s combine in; when I told him I hadn’t put a scratch on it, his expression was either surprise or disbelief. Or maybe disappointment!

We just got back from a little jaunt in southern Alberta. We went to Beiseker, where Sandy and Blaine joined us with their motor home, which is the same size as ours. We didn’t try to stay together, as we are constantly stopping to take photos, but would meet up at some spot. Usually they got there first, and would arrange for campsites.

First night was in Cardston, in a lovely camp right on the river bank. We really enjoyed Cardston, doing all the touristy things, like visiting the Miniature Museum. It was built and is operated by a retired BC Ferries captain and his wife. They have done a remarkable job. Then we visited the Remington Carriage Museum, and it was fantastic. Every kind of carriage from the most primitive to the most regal, beautifully displayed. Quite a bit about harness and hitches, too - Blaine grew up on a farm and was able to explain a lot of things I didn’t recognize.

Of course, we drove by the Mormon Temple, a beautiful building, and to a viewpoint that gave a good view of the river, with our campground on the other side. At the same time, a team of white horses pulling a white carriage with a bridal party aboard gave us some camera fodder.

From Cardston, we went to Waterton National Park. We were surprised to find all the serviced campsites were taken, plus lots of the unserviced. I guess nobody told those people that the tourist season is over - of course, nobody told us either!

We visited Pincher Creek, marveled at all the windmills in the area, and spent the next night at Chain Lakes Provincial Park. It was dark when we got there, and early when we left, so we didn’t see much of the park.

We went to Nanton and spent several hours visiting the Lancaster Aerial Museum plus a few antique and art stores - a very nice town, and worth a visit.

After a couple of days at Beiseker, we took off for Wetaskiwin, to visit the Reynolds Museum. We only got to spend an hour there because we got in late, and it takes several hours to do justice to the place.

There was lots of combining going on in Alberta; think there is still more crop out than in Saskatchewan, and poorer yields. I didn’t see any of the prairie mountains that have sprung up all over our province. The weather has been perfect for harvesting; most mornings lately, there isn’t even any dew on the grass. Laurie tells me they are all done.

That country east of Camrose looked like severe drought country. Many large sloughs were dried up, with snowy white bottoms. In the tourist literature, it was touted as hunting country, but we didn’t see much for waterfowl until we got into Saskatchewan. There were thousands near Perdue, the Canadas in one slough, and the smaller geese in another. At Tisdale, on September 23^rd, there were hundreds of Canadas resting by the Doghide River, right beside the highway. When we returned, on October 4^th, they were still there. At least, it looked like the same ones.