12 Oakdale

Although advertised as a train ride through the Canadian Rockies, this is actually a moving cocktail party and marvelous buffet with good scenery. But first, I walked a short block in the drizzle to Tim Horton’s for coffee and a couple of Tim Bits. I must not have spoken distinctly because I ended up with a couple of doughnuts. Which Grant and I ate to tide us over to boarding the train across the street from our hotel. While we waited in the train station’s lobby, a First Nation woman told stories and sang, accompanying herself on a small deerskin drum the shape of a tambourine. She also showed us a picture of Brutus, the huge local grizzly, which, if I’d known about, probably would have discouraged me from taking our walk in the woods behind town.  Once on board, we settled in to watch gorgeous scenery as we rode. We had opted for the Gold Leaf level, with raised glass domed train cars with the dining room below. My thought was this was a once in a life time trip, * so I was goin...

I’d been obsessing about testing negative for Covid, a requirement to join our birding tour. My anxiety level went even higher when a couple were forced to drop out because he tested positive. Yikes. Finally time to test, and all good. Both Grant and I are negative. Which I was sure we would be, since we really haven’t been around anyone. Except for all the people at Bob’s funeral 11 days ago. Surely, we’d have symptoms by now. Except Patten tested positive and didn’t feel bad. Round and round the hamster wheel turned. What a relief to be done with that! We drove really long the first day and got to Fayetteville, North Carolina, staying at the Baymont by Wyndham, mostly because it claimed a hot breakfast. That is always desirable so we can eat, then get on the road, rather than spending an hour debating where to go. Evidently, Wyndham and I have different definitions of “hot breakfast”. The cereal choices were corn flakes or Fruit Loops.  Another long day to Carney’s Corner, New Je...