Alberta and Calgary in Crisis

The amazing thing about googling New Zealand, which it has to be said is having its own weather crisis, in the form of storms. Christchurch has wind and snow. Wellington, is the one in particular with gusts of wind reaching unheard of speeds of 200 kms per hour. I phone home, and  the damage is huge. Power is out and our house is one of 30,000 households without electricity .Candles and tea lights. I look on Stuff.co, for mention of Alberta's floods but no. Nothing. I know exactly why I do to support Fairfax media. call themselves news. Anyway 1300 troops are called in and the 70, 000 evacuated are not allowed to return.  Everyone is pulling together and only 1500 of those thousands evacuated, need to use the public services , so that means people are opening their homes. 

It is lovely and crisies,  like these make you feel good to be a human. Horror stories abound. The river is nearly three and half times as great a flow as in the  notorious 2005 floods.

 Huge power and speed there and lowlands gobbled up. Sandra has been phoning to say that there is no way a Greyhound can get trough to Banff even iit were possible o travel out as the road p,is cut off. Could I get to Golden and she could meet me there. That is my project for the day. How to get to Golden. It is an hour and a half away.a

Breakfast in the Hotel  is rationed as far as options are concerned as there have  been no deliveries and fresh bread etc is the first affected. a little hint of wartime. But we all understand, and my bagel type concoction of the day before is not on offer. bacon and scrambled eggs and it is self help.

The Jasper people are still around. They are sitting this storm out.

part way through the day, with her direction, and because we both have Apple, Sandra and I connect and kind of Skype on 'Face Time,,  an Apple form of Skype. 

Well, that is a good thing to do if you are ready, which I wasn't. Suddenly frowsy old me was thrust into public , so it felt, as we worked the system on my iPad. oh these devices are a mixed blessing, I can tell you. I deflected away from myself by showing her that the day was clearing, and in my new room, I can see out the other side and hence, a bit of mountain (which I can). She responds by showing me their view of the lake Okanagan,  out her window and below them and I am blown away by the beauty of it.

I venture out to town primarily to get an update from the Information Centre which the hotel staff have not been forthcoming about directing us to,  and the sun is trying so hard to win through. And so here we go with town in sunny scenes and the odd hint of the peaks:

All the street verandahs here are glass, very styly and with quality tourist stuff.

Aha almost a mountain , taken on way to check up at Information Centre.

Taken out of the window where I eat Spaghetti at the old Spaghetti Factory, where I kept my eyes on the view

Same church close up. very Scottish origins this place the name Banff is ScottishMountain between branches.

Well, its (the montain) is trying to show.. this is the Main Street called Banff Avenue. Note the street lights have little pointed roofs over them .

As you can see I mentioned my view as I ate and this was the Old Spaghetti Factorybthat the truckie told us about yeaterday. He also told me hat the 21st is the first day of Summer. "But".I said  to him,"it is your longest day Are you telling me the longest day of our year is your first day of Summer. That can't be".I said, ever the authority on things I know nothing about.

The waitress who was a teacher from Brisbane who loves snowboarding here, told me that June is called June monsoon, because of the rain they often get. So effectively it is vey early Summer here in Canada, and I experienced the last of the spring rains.

Doesn't it look Continental? Swiss ?

I go back and keep networking for people wanting to go to Golden and try the same old routine with the non-English speaking fraternity at Greyhound. I will know about the  bill for this when I  leave.The news  and repercussions of the rain keep growing in Alberta. Agghh! ANd has Fairfax reported it yet ?

 I don't know. Sandra is checking and thinks Ashe will give it a to get through tomorrow. The road to Golden is  open but unprecedented delays cold occur. ravel at your own risk. could be closed again.

Sandra is philosophical and circumspect about travel and distance in Canada.  they are used to long distances. I feel frustrated  I can't get down to Golden. I talk with a chap from Napier , Clive actually and they are in the same boat. had to cancel a night at lovely Lake Louise, which I am not going to. 

Anyway another day done, but the weather is clearing. I can communicate with Sandra via  email as she gets them on her phone. You need Wifi for FaceTime, for which we can be thankful.