Our next sighting of the Aurora Borealis was back home in Clyde, faint streamers trailed across the sky, filling the expanse from horizon up and over the bright moon. They weren’t as brilliant green as up north, however we were able to stand on the back verandah, wrapped in a blanket without freezing to the core.
The temperature climbed into barely positive territory during our last week, touching on 2 degrees C…we all had to double check there wasn’t a minus sign in front of the 2! Mum and I went walking around the town, revelling in the sunshine bouncing off the sparkling white snow. Clyde is a small town with a community hall, a post office with rather casual opening hours, a corner store a bar, a nursing home, curling club, baseball diamonds and a playground…and not one but two trailer parks. All around stretches to the edge of the sky with fields and silos.
On our way to Edmonton we took a trip around Dave’s workplace, up near ‘Refinery Row’ a series of gas, oil refineries that billow steam into the sky displaying their size. With the cold temperatures, the steam hung above the refineries, punctuating the white and grey dead tree horizon like giant cloudy pillows. In summer it would look completely different – green without the steam clouds.
With the luxury of relaxed family time I realised again what I like most about traveling. Experiences. I can be awed by monuments, spectacular vistas and historic sites and it’ll be the fun times playing cards with family or a tour group barbeque with spontaneous caipirinha boat races that make the trip really memorable. It’s the times that resonate with the heart, not just the sights for the eyes that take my breath away. You can’t get that on a postcard.