We did get to Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, and have been having so much fun that it’s been hard to sit at the computer.

Tomorrow we are off to Medicine Hat Alberta and Calgary after that.

As an introduction, here’s Mac the Moose, the town mascot. Unfortunately now he has had a fence put around him, not to keep him from getting away, but to keep the local artists from painting his under parts and doing other damage to the beast.

This is a beautiful town and very surprising for the amount of culture and greenery present for a place in the middle of the prairie at a high latitude. Moose Jaw is about 35,000 folks but has the culture and other infrastructure of a town of 75,000+. Here’s main street. Just to the left in this picture is the building where we took a tour of the “Tunnels” which were apparently used by Al Capone to evade the feds as this was another of his headquarters during the prohibition era. One tunnel goes under this street from the building on the right over to the left side; fascinating.

Our hosts, Ed and Rita Beth at their place.

All around the town are 35+ murals painted on the buildings, all done by well known local artists and there is a tour that includes viewing and being told about the meaning behind all the murals. Here's Rita and Jo-Anne in front of one.

Ed as a retired Lt Colonel works during the week as a simulator instructor at the local Canadian Forces Base and then on the weekends works with the air cadet program as a glider instructor and tow plane pilot. He and I went up in the Bellanca Scout and did a couple of glider tows which was a real priviledge ... super!

Also in Moose Jaw are several very picturesque and well done parks … extremely green and the flowers are still beautiful. Swans are always photogenic. Someone needs to tell this guy that it’s going to get really cold really soon and that Texas might be an option shortly.


Because of his connection with Americans, here’s Ed trying to imitate the Statue of Liberty. Actually all you had to do is hold out some feed and the chickadees would eat out of your hand.

For the ol’ guys and gals out there, Art Linkletter was a famous favorite son and as both Jo-Anne's and my parents know, "Old Age is Not for Sissies."