Pearls On Wheels

This cream separator brought back memories of my uncle's cowshed. I can remember someone got stuck in an empty cream can while we waited for the school bus. Who else learned to sew on a Singer treadle sewing machine, or made butter with a churn, or scrubbed the washing on a glass scrubbing board? Or, lit a lamp when the power went off, and used a dry iron? Location: Radium Springs, British Col via

A deer sentinel on watch as we rode along Highway 93. Dragonflies abound. Last night we saw a hummingbird sucking nectar from delphiniums. None of us had a camera to record this first hummingbird sighting in our lives. The banners over the road had hummingbird illustrations. A bald eagle with her eaglets in a nest the size of a single bed on top of a bridge- look carefully at the top of the fourth span for the left Some sheep - eating road side gravel?? Near Banff The weather forecast in New Zealand look dismal. Here is some of today's sunshine for you. As we left Radium Springs we rode through a stunning rock chasm and entered a world of giant rock mountains; some like layers of croissant, folded clay and castles in the air. We had ridden south on this road on Friday. Today the views were so different it seemed as if I had never been here. Location: Radium Springs, British Columbia: Banff, Kananask

was too much for my camera to capture. The Rocky Mountain scenery along the Icefield Parkway journey filled me with silent awe. Thanks to Bruce and Mary Thomas who showed us special places along the way. There are 100 glaciers along the 100km Icefield Parkway(highway). There were three buses crawling along the surface of this glacier in the Columbian Icefield and lots of people walking across. As we rode into Lake Louise I recalled a wonderful family holiday we had over New Year the late 1990's in the winter snow. Skiing, horses and sleighs with bells, a massive bonfire on the frozen lake and huge ice sculptures. Today.... Location: Jasper, Lake Peto, Lake Louise.

Next to our hotel. He had his own water bowl. Out grazing. I am now certain that I have seen a live bear. The bear was nibbling young shoots. It was unconcerned about the people and traffic that had stopped to watch him eat. Some people got put of their cars and went up close. I stayed on the bike to take the photo.

A day of visual drama and delight. Take a peek at the video of the Athabasca falls that I posted here via my YouTube koru01 account. Lake Peyto is turquoise because... the sockeye salmon have sucked up all the orange and red wavelengths. The kasseler mitt sauerkraut I had for dinner. Location: Jasper to Radium Springs

Today I met a man with amazing tattoos. His left arm has images of St Peter and the gates of heaven with angels. His right arm has images of evil. We had a chat about the design and symbolism of the artwork. He talked to me about the choice we can make between good and evil. At the beginning of our ride from Prince George to Jasper yesterday a huge billboard shouted to me "Let the mountains move you". They did. We have become aware of how little we need and of how much more aware we have become of people, our spiritual selves and our surroundings...when all else is stripped away. This song came to me as a gift. "When all else is stripped away When all else is stripped away I come to your throne... And worship you, Lord, you reach out your arms to me And welcome me home... When all else is stripped away." I shared the lyrics with the man bearing tattoos of heaven and of hell. His name is Adam.

A lovely short ride today through serene lakesides, roaring waterfalls, and rivers braiding their way along the valley floor. We had breakfast at Tim Hortons at Chetwynd. The store serves coffee ( the nearest to a flat white that we have found so far) and cafe food. Beware of the tempting doughnuts. It seemed so clean and new that we thought it had just opened. We discovered it opened 28 December 2011. 26 staff from the Philippines were recruited to staff the store. Recruiting local people had not been successful. The two coal mines and two lumber companies offered jobs at better pay so locals were not tempted by the service jobs. Apparently the supermarket and a burger store also are staffed by filipino staff. Imagine coming from the from tropical Philipines to snow deep winter in Canada. I was told that the locals had made the staff feel very welcome and had provided Christmas dinner and continued support. Whenever I see Tim Horton I am reminded of Tom Horton a wonderful man who u