Week 2: Farm Country!

Dad, Cecile, Stan, Luke - note the Canadian suspenders

Reunited with Dad, the three of us set out on the 4th of July on the 5 hour drive north of Edmonton to Donnelly, what Dad has always referred to as "Farm Country".  In fact, fields abut the Edmonton City limits in some areas!  Very little development along the way, mostly vistas of farmland to all horizons.

Grain storage units, Falher

Dad didn't have a street address for the family in Donnelly; postal strike over, the friendly post office staff gave us stamps and directions.  The Cote family lives on a farm just outside the village center, and all welcomed us with open arms.  We enjoyed a walking tour of the farm - cattle, sheep, chickens, large equipment, hay barn, grain silos...  Here is some footage of Raymond cutting the hay near the house. Raymond Cote, mowing one of the hay fields in Donnelly, Alberta

Frank, Monique and Ariane were kind enough to offer us a place to stay, and we were spoiled with good company, good food, and good sleep while there!

Family came from far and wide to visit with us and each other; each night of the 3 in Donnelly we were feted royally (a nod to William and Kate's tour of the area coinciding with ours) and treated to stories that wove a fabric of our family's past, greatly enriching my knowledge of the Beaudoin background - thank you, all!

We joked that Dad didn't stop talking for two weeks straight!  Of course, it was generally recognized that Andy could out-talk Dad - Andy and his wife Fern have retired, sold their home, and now travel extensively in their RV.  So, what are the chances that Andy and Dad would cross paths?  Picture this:  on Dad's first Sunday in Alberta, Bob and Perri took him to church in Red Deer.  They usually attend Mass on Saturday night, but they put it off to welcome us that evening.  In addition, they usually go to a different church, but wanted to take Dad to this one so he could experience the spectacular architecture of this church.  When they sat down, they noticed that the gentleman in the adjacent pew looked familiar - it was Andy!  Well, they were quite excited to see Dad, and made time to see him three times during our visit.  Dad has now been invited to visit them in Phoenix next February - I'll personally drive him to the airport!

Andy, Marcella and Dad near Girouxville, Alberta

Mr. Lucien and Mrs. Albertine Cote took us on a tour of the area.  First stop:  Falher, well known for its honey and Father Bee, billed as the World's Largest Bee! For more on these, see Falher and Father Bee.

On through more small villages and farmland, including Girouxville, Normandville, Jean Cote, Marie-Reine, and Judah, ending up in Peace River.  A local family donated land to be forever used as a small park, and what a vista is to be seen from there!  The Smoky River, Heart River and Pat's Creek join to form the Peace River at the base of this bluff.

Peace River, west from the Sagitawa Lookout

Dad and Luke at the Sagitawa Lookout, Peace River

Canola field near Peace River, Alberta

Peace River, Alberta

Note:  the Peace Garden Restaurant, which offers Chinese food and a whole lot more, was unfamiliar with duck sauce, a staple in Chinese restaurants in the U.S. - the equivalent in this geographic area is plum sauce.  The link to the menu is included, as I don't think I have ever seen such an extensive and varied menu anywhere, ever - Kink?  Your thoughts?  Peace Garden Menu

The sun set around 10:30 p.m. in "Farm Country".  Monique loves this time of year, as the longer days are more productive - work at a job during typical work hours, then accomplish a lot at home until the sun goes down.

The strong sense of family we enjoyed here was welcome and very much appreciated!