Alberta - a special place!

​ALBERTA
This could be a long post, as Alberta is dear to my heart; it’s one of my homes. I taught three years in Mayerthorpe, a little over an hour northwest of Edmonton. I also spent many summers near Bay Tree, AB, living in a house on my dad’s farm and working for him in between my teaching jobs. Last, but not least, I summered west of Fairview on a different farm Dad bought, as well as spent half a year there helping as Dad was dying from bone cancer.
Again, Alberta is huge and vast and diversified. In the south there are many more people. Oil and cowboy country are the first words that come to many people’s minds. Besides the Calgary Stampede they have the splendour of the Rockies. But as usual, my heart is in the northland, which is just as magnificent in a different way.
My Mayerthorpe era was full of trips to the West Edmonton Mall.  It is an extremely interesting place to go – however, if you are not a shopper, don’t go with shopaholics. The family I lived with took me with them one Saturday shortly after I moved in. We left home at 6:30 am and returned about 11:30 that evening – and only went to the Mall. They were indefatigable! I soon realized that you have no need for a gym membership if you spend a day at the Mall with those two ladies. You get a massive workout! But it was an interesting experience. I also learned never to tell a student they can’t do something you won’t do. Another Sat the family gave Barb and I wristbands for a day at Galaxyland. Dumb me – I didn’t realize she was a ride-a-holic as well as a shopaholic! We alternated choosing rides, and she always headed for the worst ones! We did the Drop of Doom three times in a row because there was no one in line! Sheesh. Then when we headed for the Mindbender, I nearly cracked. I’d never been on a rollercoaster before, and to have my debut on the world’s largest indoor, triple loop one – when we got off that, she turned and grinned. “Well, you only screamed once!”
“Really?” I hoarsely croaked. “I was pretty good, huh?”
“Yep. You only screamed once – at the beginning, at the end, and the whole way through. Just one long scream!” After that, I learned to say I’d try almost anything a student would!
Another special time was skiing. The school always went skiing for the 3rd quarter honor roll, so no one missed making that! We only went to Rabbit Hill outside Edmonton, so it wasn’t huge slopes, but a good learning place for students. Then since we were only 3 hours from Jasper, about twice a year I’d get invited to go to ski in the Rockies. That is a phenomenal place if you like outdoor sports. Marmot Basin had awesome slopes – the Tranquilizer was my favorite. Now with the tears and arthritis in my knees I’m not sure if skiing will ever be an option again, but there is nothing like standing on the top of the mountain and seeing the view as you gently (or swiftly, depending on your mood) glide down across the shimmering white snow. Ps 125:2 states:  As the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so the Lord is round about his people from henceforth even for ever. Being outdoors seeing God’s splendour helps me to feel the goodness and bigness of God in a personal way.
Of course, I can’t leave out farther north. The Peace River country has a special flavour too. When you cross those river cuts and think about the trappers and pioneers and what they went through to settle this area – oh my! It’s only about 6-7 hours north of Edmonton to get into the Mighty Peace River Valley. When I lived out there, I was fine with taking the “Dunvegan Hill” in the summer, but really didn’t want to test that mile down and up river cut on bad snow days! (If you can, stop at the bottom right at the bridge and explore the tiny settlement there. It's worth it.) There are two roads to get there and not much mileage difference. Since I still go out there often to visit my stepmom and to speak or cook at the David Thompson Bible camp, I try and go one way and return the other. That way I can get the view from going through Peace River one time, and get through Grande Prairie the other. You know you’re in the north when you pass the road that has the signpost – “To Hay River and the Northwest Territories.” I may not have been brave enough to be one of those pioneers, but I certainly love and enjoy the north in the comfort of my easier lifestyle.