Saturday, September 02, 2006

THE ALBERTA SECTION OF THE BLOG BEGINS HERE....

I can't believe it's already September. The summer has vanished like a wisp of smoke, though the memories linger -- a bit less wispy perhaps (aided by photos, of course).

Bruce and I returned home from our second fishing trip of the year last Monday, August 28. The flight back to Chicago from Calgary was held up by mechanical problems with our plane, and then when we were transferred to another carrier, that flight was several hours late. So by the time we got home and to bed, it was very late, and I had to get up on Tuesday to go to work. But I couldn't get too terribly grumpy about it because we had had such a wonderful time.


I am still new to the whole world of fishing. The June trip was my first attempt at bait fishing; this flyfishing trip to Alberta, Canada, was my fourth. Bruce, however, has been making this same trek for 9 years now -- going with our good friend Jerry Gerson, who introduced him to fly fishing and to the bed and breakfast where we always stay. Bedside Manor (above) is nestled in the foothills of the Canadian Rockies in an area called the Crowsnest Pass, which is a two-hour drive south from Calgary.

Bedside Manor -- in fact, all of Crowsnest Pass -- is a wonderful, beautiful place. Not at all glamorous or posh, the B and B is on a farm-type ranch owned and operated by Bill and Shirley Sara. The guest rooms have been built in what they call "the barn," and breakfast is served in the dining room of the Sara's charming Victorian home, which was moved to its present site from the town of Lethbridge. In addition to the five rooms, the barn also includes a modest kitchen on the first floor complete with sink, fridge, microwave, and a large freezer and grill on the deck. This is the sitting room upstairs outside of our room. Very cozy.

Those of us who are "regulars" at Bedside Manor -- and there a good number of us -- come back year to year, often planning our times so that we can at least overlap some portion of our visit with our fishing friends from other parts of the U.S and Canada. It is sort of a merry band!

Bruce and I got to the B and B at about 4:30 p.m. on Friday, August 18. We immediately went to buy our fishing licences and several bottles of wine. Shortly after we settled in, we heard that Bill planned to grill elk steaks for everyone in the barbeque pit/shed next to the river. (That's the Crowsnest River -- approximately 3 1/2 kms of which are on the Sara property!)

Shirley was out of town on family business, so all the guests were asked to chip in with food contributions. Lynn (who you will meet soon) organized things, and the evening was a delight. In addition to the elk steaks (which were delicious), Bill brought plenty of his own home-brewed beer -- a smooth, even elegant, beer with a flavor like pale ale. I'm not a beer drinker, but even I could appreciate it. Since Bruce and I had not yet picked up a few groceries (for lunches and snacks), all we could contribute was wine.

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