Please, Let Me Know When I SCREW UP

I mean it. You are too polite to tell me. Like yesterday’s screw-up when an entire paragraph of text was doubled up in my posting. I only learned about it from Bea’s comment, and  I’m almost ashamed that stuff like that passed through the check. When posting this I was sitting at Mc.Donalds, this time with a small cup of coffee, and I had hit the “Publish” button 3 times and every time it returned an error. Yet there was only one other guy with a little note book in the place, so it wasn’t that the internet could have been slow by overuse. Could have been on Blogger’s end that things didn’t go through. Anyhow, this text got doubled up. But I have taken care of it and removed it. While I was sitting there waiting for the posting going through, my friend from Norway called on SKYPE. Have you ever tried to talk to somebody on SKYPE while being in a place like Mc,Donalds? There is not the tiniest chance that neither you nor your partner on the other end can understand a word. The noise level around you is just way over the top. So we did the “chat” which does not involve talking but is utter texting only. I have never been so often in a Mc.Donalds location than over the last few days. I like their coffee and the price of it. Their Banff location is quite different than anything you have seen of Mc.Donalds before. If you’re looking for that double golden arch you’d be looking for ever, cause it ain’t there. No Sir, Banff bylaws don’t allow for such signage. So when I first was looking for ANY Mc.Donalds in town, I drove by twice without noticing it, cause I was looking….right… for the golden arch. Didn’t stay any longer in town and forgot to fill gas too. Had myself home into my trailer to get some lunch going. Cooked up some beans, added the last meat balls, and while the whole thing was bubbling on the range, I took the opportunity to throw in an Italian sausage, but which I didn’t eat yet. Cooking dry goods like beans isn’t what I have done a whole lot and because of that I called the Missus at home to receive a few instructions on how to go about that. Well, it all turned out quite good. There are more beans in the bin and I will have them some other time. While I enjoy a 30amp power hook-up here, I have to pay the sum of $32.50/day, which, needless to say, is too much if you have to stay 6 months. So I have been looking for an alternative which is a real tricky part as I am in a National Park where certain rules apply. So the other day I was cruising around in some places and came across an “Overflow Camping” not far out of town. It’s basically a graveled area, not unlike any rough truck stop, but without the trucks. 2 pit toilets, a garbage container, and a self-registration hut is all there is of services. The toilets were still locked up and the last snow was about to melt away. Checking out the self-registration, it mentions a fee of $10/day, which multiplied with 30 days, is a lot more friendlier to my budget, than the almost $1000/month where I am right now. Yet, it is 10 times over what the winter on BLM-land in California is costing.  But I still have some time until my 2 weeks here are up. Yesterday’s weather has been a typical April-type of weather. Sometimes the sun was out, then again we had a mighty snow shower. Finally, during the late afternoon it all calmed down and the sun came for good. Since I have been cooped up most of the day I decided to get myself out walking. I sure wish Molly would be here as she is always pestering us for going out with her. I went and explored the still closed-off area of the campground. And while I was quietly walking down the paved camp road – not another human being around – I suddenly saw a few elk cows walking through the forest. I stopped and stood behind a spruce tree – observing as the cows stepped out on the road. They had noticed me already and were standing there about 150yrds away, just testing on whether or not I was a risk to them. Finally, 2 of them walked entirely over and stepped in between the trees on the other side of the road. Another couple of them came out and then more and more. I counted a total of 9 cows, a little herd indeed. They were huge, maybe carrying calves some of them. When all of them had gone into the forest I walked on. I glanced over to my left and could see their brown bodies between the trees. They were feeding on the yellow grass. What a great experience here in the park. Getting back from my little walk-about I met the friendly lady from Saskatchewan whose husband had moved my trailer the other day. She promptly invited me over for a BBQ-supper. So all-of-a-sudden I was sitting in their little trailer and having supper with them. What a nice couple of RVers to meet. They have been coming here every spring for 19 years!! So, I’m keeping up, out here, but I’m looking forward to Easter finally being over as both the library and the post office is still closed. Thanks for dropping by again!