Banff and Canmore

Banff and Canmore
Well today just could not have been a better day. To start off we went over to the Bow River Falls just the other side of town in Banff. This was after stopping at the local grocery to do some stocking up and then a hot dog from the women’s civic group and Bev bought a cookbook from them outside the market.
At Bow Falls we had our picture taken with Sgt Terrance Zeniuk of the RCMP. Yessirree, they were there showing the bright red tunic for all the world to see and the PR that it would give the group. I must say that of all the world’s police forces this one still awes me. Started in 1885 I believe as the Northwest Mounted Police it was later given the Royal designation by King George.
After that we had lunch of clam chowder (mmmmmm gooooood) at what else but the Fairmont Hotel of Banff on the terrace overlooking the Bow Valley and the weather for a change was just great with the sun coming out and really great views. Then of course Bev had their famous cheesecake for dessert. I really impressed her with lunches at two Fairmont Hotels in a row. Wow, what a great guy I am.
Next we went to Canmore just down the road and they were celebrating their 31st Music Festival. This goes on for 4 days and they have great bands (about 4 stages) in the cities Centennial Park. In giving us our entrance bracelets to the festival the person selling them said that we would get the dinosaur ones (I wonder what he thought I was?). We sat and listened first to a Cajun group from New Orleans and then to a French Canadian group that sang French-Canadian folk songs some in French and some in English.
The next round was given to a band from Alberta and again mostly folk songs similar to John Denver. After that and in between were some individual’s on who was kind of Janis Joplin but with a Mississippi southern theme. Really a great time and Bev bought a basket from of all places Ghana.
Almost forgot for all of you family members they had a perogies stand. Mmmmmmm, with sour cream even though no bacon bits and they were potato filled they tasted great. Boiled and fried just like the ones grandma made.
We will probably head out of Banff tomorrow as planned but just go to Canmore (maybe 15 miles and stay there for the night or down a ways further as it is the last day of the music festival and we did enjoy it.
I also have to deliver the book Mrs. Mike the true story of a woman who marries a Mountie in the early 1900’s and goes to the far northwest and the trials and hardship of the life there. I told Sgt Zenuik that if I finished it tonight I would try to drop it off at the RCMP office tomorrow.
Well so much for the life of those who wander, try if you can to still remember who we were or are.
Lorne
1 Bow falls
2 Canmore Music Festival
3 Desert
4 Faimont Hotel