Canada Part 5.....

Sorry to those who couldn't see anything I mistakenly published before I'd actually written anything!   Anyway here it is now. 

Day two of our Rocky Mountaineer trip dawned and the coaches were waiting to take us to the station.  However there were another eleven carriages to add to our train, which had arrived in Kamloops from Jasper, making it 26 carriages long.

Our stewards from the previous day were waiting to greet us as we boarded our carriage to take the same seats we had vacated the day before.    Before too long we were underway and breakfast was being served for those who had been on the second meal sitting in the restaurant the day before, whilst those of us on second sitting were served fresh juice, tea/coffee and Danish pastries to tide us over until it was our turn to have the full monty.

The train headed out past Kamloops Lake

 and followed the Thompson River on the next leg of our journey.

As the train came through a tunnel we were told the amusing story of the owner of the farm at the side of the railway tracks.   Apparently the sound of the train's whistle, as it emerged from the tunnel, was disturbing his sheep, so he used to come out and start firing his gun at the train.   As this was highly dangerous he was taken to court and told not to fire his gun at the train again and the train is not allowed to blow the whistle. He obeyed the court ruling but in protest he regularly appears naked apart from his boots to passing trains.   We didn't see him!

If we thought our train was long we were amazed to see the freight train on the opposite side of the river, just look at this video.

We saw some teepees.

We were coming up to The Cisco Bridges, a pair of railroad bridges where the Canadian Pacific Railway and Canadian National Railway both follow the route of the Frazer River one on each side, and the routes exchange sides at this point. 

There was much excitement on the train as the drivers reported that something was about to happen that had never happened in the history of the Rocky Mountaineer and we should get our cameras ready. Another Rocky Mountaineer train was coming in the opposite direction to us and we were going to cross over at Cisco Crossing.    Luckily we managed to get a video of this momentous occasion, you will see us crossing on the top bridge as the other train crosses below.

Here's a shot of the other train on the other side of the river as we began the crossing,

 you can see the Gold Leaf carriages with the dome on top in the next photo,

 and here it is beneath us as we crossed over.

After all the excitement of 'the crossing' we settled back into our seats to watch for wildlife.   We saw lots of eagles and other birds but we all wanted to see another bear or some big horn sheep which were supposed to be prevalent in the area.   We had an agreement with our fellow passengers that whoever spotted wildlife would shout what it was and which side of the train it was on so we could all get a photo, suddenly I shouted "Chinook, on the left" which prompted cries of "where, where, what's a Chinook?"   LOL of course I was admonished when people realised I'd seen a Chinook helicopter, naughty of me I know but I just couldn't help it.

The next part of our journey took us over Hell's Gate an abrupt narrowing of the Fraser River where the towering rock walls of the Fraser River plunge toward each other forcing the waters through a passage only 35 metres (115 ft) wide.

 It is also the name of the rural locality at the same location.

 We shot some video of the raging waters going through Hell's Gate.

Oh I didn't mention the food did I? Just a little taster as I can't remember what we had and didn't take any other photos.It was just as scrumptious as Day 1.

The next shot is of Mount Baker (3,285m), a Glacial Volcano, which is actually across the border from Canada in the United States.   Mount Baker has the second-most thermally active crater in the Cascade Range after Mount Saint Helens, it is the youngest volcano in the Mount Baker volcanic field

Before we knew it we were on the outskirts of Vancouver.

We pulled into the station and our coaches were waiting to transfer us to the city and on to our hotel.

We went out to eat but weren't late in bed that night as we were shattered but spent some time looking at the photographs we had taken from the train on both days - lots, lots more than I've shared here.

We were looking forward to exploring Vancouver the following day, I hope you will join me for Canada Part 6 to share what we saw.

Happy New Year...

May everything in the greeting above come to you in the coming year.

Most of all I wish you Happiness.

xxxx

It's that time of year again.....

 

Merry Christmas 

to 

All My Readers

Love you all!

The Christmas Tree....

I know you've read this before but I'm posting it in remembrance of my Dearest Dad, as I will every year.

They were dirt poor, living in a poor neighbourhood but Christmas was always a magical time for Kit.  There was no money for fripperies but Kit needed a Christmas Tree.

"Joe, make me a Christmas Tree" she said to her youngest son.

"What?  How am I supposed to do that?" he asked.

"Use your imagination" said Kit.

Why did she always demand such things of him, Joe wondered, just for once couldn't she ask one of the others to come up with the impossible.   Oh well, there was no use in sulking, he would just have to get on with it and do his best because his mother would not accept anything less.

On his way back from work that day he decided to take the short cut through the park, as for once he didn't have any errands to do for Kit or the neighbours to whom she so readily offered his services.   Busy wondering how he could fulfill Kit's latest request he was not looking where he was going and suddenly found himself flat on his face having tripped over a broken branch off a tree, which had fallen as the result of the storm the day before.   Drat it, he thought as he dusted himself off, then *ding* a lightbulb lit up in his head - he could maybe do something with the branch!  It was quite a big branch with quite a few forks and twigs attached so he grabbed it by the thickest part and dragged it as carefully as he could along the streets until he got it back home.  

Once home he found a bucket and filled it with stones and soil and planted the branch carefully so that it was secure and standing proud.   He searched the cellar and found some white paint and set to work to paint the branch.  Whilst the paint was drying he searched the house for anything that would liven the tree up; bit of tinsel from a previous Christmas, a couple of paper chains Kit's grandchildren had made at school, a small doll one of the grandchildren had left lying about dressed in crepe paper would make a fairy for the top of the branch.  He carefully moved the branch to the front room and set it in the front window, it actually looked like a Christmas Tree he thought when he'd finished dressing it!

"I knew you wouldn't let me down" a delighted Kit told Joe.

Soon word got round the neighbourhood that Kit had a Christmas Tree, something no-one else had, and that's when the frequent knocks on the door started.  Neighbours arrived asking to see the Christmas Tree bringing little gifts to hang on it - an odd earring, another piece of tinsel, a long forgotten fripperie from more affluent times.  Before long the Christmas Tree was shimmering and sparkling and was truly magnificent.    Kit was thrilled and so were the neighbours who claimed part of The Christmas Tree as their own. On Christmas Eve Kit's family and neighbours gathered in the front room and sang traditional Christmas Carols whilst marvelling at the Tree.  Everyone agreed it was the best Christmas Tree they had ever seen and vowed that every year they would do the same thing again.


This is a true story - Joe was my Dad and Kit my grandmother.

39....

Thirty Nine years ago today I married the love of my life.

A wedding.....

Sorry you will have to wait a little longer for the next part of our Canada trip as I have to tell you about my niece's wedding, which took place on 23rd November.   We had to meet at a designated meeting place in Manchester to board the coaches which were to take us to the church. Here we are waiting for the coaches.  Youngest son and his family went to the church under their own steam as they live not far from there.

 Me and Harry

 Daughter-in-Law, Harry and Sam

 Eldest grandson Sam

 Mother-in-Law and eldest son, Nick.

MWM, his mother and Nick

 The wedding was at St. Hubert's Church, Dunsop Bridge, Near Clitheroe in Lancashire.

 The Roman Catholic church of St. Hubert's was built to the design of Edward Pugin, from, it is believed, the winnings of the racehorse Kettledrum owned by Colonel Charles Towneley of Towneley Hall, Burnley in the 1861Epsom Derby.   The Toweneley stud was at Root Farm. The Towneleys' agent and patron of St Hubert's, Richard Eastwood, is entombed outside the front entrance to the church.

In 1992, British Telecom installed its 100,000th payphone at Dunsop Bridge and included a plaque to explain its significance - the plaque reads "You are calling from the BT payphone that marks the centre of Great Britain." The telephone box was unveiled by Sir Ranulph Feinnes.

 Pronounced Man and Wife

Just Married

The service was beautiful and the church was crammed full, as there were a lot of guests and it's tiny.

 Rachel & Dean outside the church

After photographs at the church we boarded the coach again to be taken to the venue for the reception, Browsholme Hall in Clitheroe, where we were greeted with a glass of champagne in the Tithe Barn before walking up to the hall for more photographs. The Hall is an Elizabethan House claimed to be the oldest surviving family home in Lancashire. Since 1954, it has been designated a Grade I listed building. You can read more about it here.

 Rachel and Dean

 Bridesmaids and Bride's Mother (my granddaughter Gracie the little one in the centre)

Emma (on the left), Rachel's sister, chief bridesmaid

 Father (my eldest brother) and Mother of the Bride

 Youngest son and his family

 My family

 After the photocall it was time to walk back down to the Tithe Barn for canapes and another drink before the reception.   The venue was beautifully decorated.

We took our seats and listened to the entertaining and moving speeches.

Father of the Bride making his speech

 Rachel and Dean relaxing



We had a superb meal after which Rachel and Dean cut the cake.

After the meal we retired to an ante room whilst the staff cleared the remnants of the reception and prepared it for the evening.    There was a singer entertaining us and we took some candid shots of the family enjoying themselves.

Eldest grandson Sam

 Eldest Son and MWM

Nick and Dan, our two sons

Me and MWM

G

 Gracie, Sam and Alison (my DIL)

 Me & Nick

 Me with my baby brothers, Tony & Stewart

We were soon able to  go back into the reception room where Rachel and Dean had the first dance

before everyone else joined in and we were able to take some more photographs of the rest of the family.

 My youngest brother, Stewart, middle child Lauren and his wife, Karen

 My youngest brother's children, Bradley, Lauren and Kirsty

Cousins Lauren, Emma and Kirsty

Liam (the bride's brother) and his friend

Nate, our youngest grandson, and his Mum, Fiona

Harry and Kai (grandsons) enjoying a coke

Rachel and Dean have been together since they were 15 years old, nine years to be exact, they met at school. The wedding had been two years in the planning, I hope you enjoyed seeing my family enjoying a   very special day.