And We're Off

We left Norma's at 7:00 on Monday morning and had a pleasant day driving to Conrad, Montana.  We were planning on staying in Twin Falls and passed two exits thinking we would get on the other side of town but that was it!  So we just drove on for another 70 miles and I called ahead and got us a room there.  This made us much closer to the border and I think we were there by 8:00 the next morning.  We had to go inside thru customs and were there for over an hour, which really surprised us.  Didn't think it would take nearly that long.  We arrived in Edmonton at Pres. and Sister Campbell's home about 4:00.

The Mission Presidents wife fixes up a little bag of goodies from Canada.

We sat and visited with them for a little bit and then he sprung it on us that they wanted us to go to Yellowknife immediately.  I told him I thought the weather was bad already and he flicked on his phone and said no it should be sunny.  We had told him that we needed to get tires and winter clothes.  He said a sister in the office would help us with that the next day.  When we woke up the next day it was snowing!  It snowed all day till about 5:00.  We got winter tires which cost a lot more than we thought it would, coats and boots and a few more incidentals.

We woke up to snow our first day in Edmonton.  It snowed all day and we were in and out in it going to get winter tires and winter gear.  It didn't stick.

     We headed out the next morning about 6:30.  The office had made arrangements for us to stay with a family in a town called High Level.  These people were the only active members of the church in that town.  He is the Branch President in that little place.  We had an enjoyable visit with them.  It started to snow on us about 2:00 and at one point it was so heavy that we came along behind a snow plow.  I called Bro. Wozencroft in High Level about three and he said it had barely started snowing there so I told Tom maybe we will run out of this and shortly after it stopped completely but started again a little by the time we got to High Level.

 We started again the next morning about 6:30.   When we got up our car was covered in snow.  We were really worried about this but when we got down the highway just a little way there was no snow at all.  Of course this is very remote and we were told all the places we needed to stop for gas.  One place out in the middle of nowhere only took cash because her debit card machine was down.  We had never gotten any Canadian money.   We were blessed, we did have some American cash and she took it.  I had mentioned to Tom after we left Edmonton that we didn't get any Canadian money.  Some places we had been, we got Canadian in change and we had about $15.00 between us.  We were told that buffalo would be on the loose and don't under any circumstance honk your horn  at them or get out and take pictures.  They also get in the road and just stay because the roadway is warm.  Of course we were worried about this.

  We saw a couple of small groups off to the side and then we came along and there were about 15 - 20 and one huge one was in our lane!  We slowed way down and about the time we got to them he sauntered off the road!  We ran into another large herd and they were on both sides but not on the road.

On the second day we had to cross the lake on a ferry.  We were lucky we didn't have to wait to long.  It was unloading when we drove up so we got right on.  This is a view of the bridge they are  building across the lake.  Notice that crane on the bridge.

This is the view from the other side of the car on the lake.  The ride was only about ten minutes.

 Before we got here it started to snow a little and then a lot, it looked almost like a white out.  But then it stopped for a little bit.  By the time we got to the apartment it had started again and we moved our things in in the snow!  We arrived here about 3:30.  It snowed most of the night and there were about 5 inches when we woke up and last night there was another couple of inches.  The Lord blessed us and all went well but we are in the middle of nowhere!!!  There are tall buildings downtown with houses in between.  We spent Friday afternoon and most of yesterday getting unpacked.  We went to the grocery store and that was an experience!!!  We had church this morning with 16 people.  We both had to speak and were told just before.  I talked 10 min and Dad took the rest of the time but we started 15 min. late.  We are going to dinner now with a sister in the ward so will tell you more later.  We love you all and miss you.     

This is what we are all about!!!