Blogs

(August 18)

Dear Folks,

Here is another text.  We wanted to give a few shout outs to folks.

The last two legs of our trip are pretty long.  Some people have asked why.  In this part of ON, it is beautiful and rural.  There aren’t many settlements with lodging after this, much less wheelchair accessible lodging.  That is why our next stop will be Kirkland Lake.  We stayed there three years ago.  It is a lovely town.  When we called the Microtel the last time to reserve their wheelchair accessible room, they asked which one.  They have eight.  We were surprised.  They said that they take accessibility seriously.

And why Drummondville, Québec ?  It is on the far side of Montreal.  We want to get through there.

So…Paula, we will be doing a lot of singing and car dancing.  Thank you for that wonderful gift.

We send a huge thank you to Ricky Goupille.  He is BEYOND LIMITS’ media person.  He has been turning our texts into blogs that he puts on the BEYOND LIMITS website.  Ricky, you have been getting readers.  You are helping BEYOND LIMITS so much.

Before we left home, our good friend Pam reminded us that our organization isn’t called “BEYOND LIMITS”  for us to sit home and stare at the walls.  We hear your voice frequently, Pam, cheering us on.

Jill, our writing coach: you said that this trip should be a chapter of our book.  We think this could fill several chapters–maybe even a book of its own.

Kristin, thanks for cheering us on, despite your life challenges right now.  You know better than anyone that this trip is a piece of cake compared to the one in 2022 when Saint was so old and Dusty had not been diagnosed or medicated.

Betsy, you gave us a special strand of beads before our last trip.  It is still proudly hanging on Karma and brings us luck and good things.  The customized muslin bag that you made us has been reinforced by both Sharon and Lucinda.  It has been a perfect bag.  It is falling apart, but will make it through the rest of the trip.  When we send you our reverse care package of mendable items, we will include the bag and hope that you can find time at some point to make another.

Jason, we still love to drive.  We reluctantly think that we maybe should give up on the idea of bringing a long-distance truck driver.  We are not fast, and time is money.

And a big, big shout out and thank you to you, Sharon, for all you do for us–past and present.  You did not have a choice in the sibling market.  But we are so glad you got stuck with us.  💕😇

Hugs and Wags.

The Lowman Family

(August 17)

Dear Folks,

Greetings from the TownePlace Suites by Marriott in Thunder Bay, ON.  We are back in the Eastern Time Zone.  

Thé TownePlace Suites are in a Wal-Mart parking lot-seriously.  It doesn’t look great from the outside.  We have a terrific wheelchair accessible room, though.  There is a full kitchen that comes equipped with dishes and pans.  We have TWO queen beds.  And the bathroom is one of the most wheelchair friendly that we have encountered on our trip.  So although this line is not in the top tier for Marriott, it has a lot going for it 

They also have three extra-wide accessible parking places with striping next to them.

We wanted to share a few observations.  In Canada, when you see a sign with three back triangles next to one another–sort of like the little houses in Monopoly–on either a yellow or orange background, it indicates problems with the road surface–it could be holes, bumps, gravel, heaves, etc., etc.  

The signs here for moose show very determined moose in motion__one leg leading off and forward.  Our northern Maine moose signs are pretty static in comparison.

We had to stop for gas in Upsala, ON.  It is like Watson Lake, Yukon–the only option for many, many miles.  We thought you would enjoy the pictures.  The gas is full serve–but you have to pay inside.  There is a restaurant, convenience store, inaccessible washroom (what everyone here calls a bathroom) and you can get your live bait.

We will send this off and send more after getting the Girls outside.

The Lowman Family

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Dear Folks,

We are back from our last walk of the night.

It seems miraculous how the topography can change so remarkably with only a few hours of driving–not even 200 miles.  You come into ON and there are hills, rivers, creeks, lakes–and lots and lots of forests.  Some are mixed: birch and aspen with conifers.  Some are mainly conifers.  You don’t see logging trucks right through here.  Instead you see lots of signs for wood pulp trucks to check their loads.

The railroad runs right along the Trans Canada.   The banks leading to the tracks are covered in wild flowers.  

We wish that we could have taken a photo of at least one of the lakes surrounded by forest.  They are so beautiful.  We wish that you could have all been with us to see.  

As we were looking at the lakes, we thought: “beer signs.”   Let us explain.

When I was a kid, sometimes, particularly on a Friday night, Dad would take us to eat at our local tavern called The Plainsman.  It was not at all western, as the name might make you think.  It was located in Plainville, MA.  Mom always said that they had the best fish and chips and the worst drinks.  But she hated to cook, so this was a treat.

The decor was typical tavern for that time.  There were a number of lighted beer signs.  These would depict a couple if guys (of course women did not drink beer) out in a boat on a pristine lake, surrounded by trees.  It would be summer or fall and incredibly peaceful.  The scene would be back lit.  And then somewhere discreet but noticeable would be a beer name and logo.  There were more beer brands then.  Craft beers were not a thing.  Our next door neighbor got one of the signs somehow and had it downstairs in her rec room 

I hadn’t thought about that in so many years.  Seeing those jewels of lakes, it all came flooding back.  Those were great memories.  We smile just thinking of them.

This text group means so much to us.  We feel as though we get to talk with you every night.  So we are never lonely.  We feel your support.

Hugs and Wags.

The Lowman Family

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(August 18)

Dear Folks,

Today is a very special day.  Today is Mari’s second birthday.  Huge and heartfelt thanks to ECAD–Lu, Jess, Kathleen, Charlie and the rest of the crew–staff members and canines–for raising and training Mari.  Hard to believe that in less than four months, she has become a part of me and me of her.  Quite simply, I could not function without her.  She makes all things possible.  I must admit that I had a dream last night that Lu was telling me that I was not keeping Mari’s nails short enough.  😇

I told Mari that I wanted her birthday to be special and memorable.  It was, but not exactly as I had planned.

We wanted to visit the Mission Island Marsh, which we did.  It is supposed to have a paved loop, which sounded wonderful.  The site is not attended.  We managed to get up to the payment kiosk and pay the parking fee, using up some loonies and toonies.  Thanks again to Teri’s anonymous donor.  We had a map, but since we are so vertically challenged, we cannot see signs and markers well.  We saw a boardwalk, which, while not exactly “paved,” we thought must fit the bill.  We got some lovely views.  Then the boardwalk ended at the beach.  We thought, well, if this is the accessible route, it must be OK to cut across the beach.  Note to self: always trust your gut.  All was fine, until we went to turn back to the boardwalk.  Karma sank in.  We tried rocking her out.  She only sank in more deeply.

It is a cold, overcast day in Thunder Bay.  At this point, there was no one at the marsh, other than us.  The marsh is in Thunder Bay, but cell service is spotty.  We had a hard time connecting with 911: the call kept getting dropped.  Finally we got through and were able to explain that we were fine: just immobile for then.  They sent the fire department.

In the meantime, it began to rain.  Luckily, I had my raincoat, a blanket, and a bag to shield Karma’s joystick.  The Girls were anxious for Mummy.  Mari tried to comfort me.  Dusty lay pressed against me.

Then the firefighters showed up: a group of angels in firefighters’ clothing.  These are big guys:  I think one or two of them could have picked up Karma with me in her.  They got us out of the sand and back on the boardwalk.  Some had never been to the marsh before.  One of the guys is from Edmonton, although he had never been to Maine.

We told them about BEYOND LIMITS and asked if we could have a photo of them by their truck.  Jeff took the photo so that we could all be in it.  The men in the photo are Ben, Gus (?), and Ryan.  To the middle gentleman–we are so sorry.  We are sure that we have your name wrong, although we know that we repeated it.  It’s hard to explain what a terrible feeling it is to suddenly be unable to move: it messes with your memory for a bit.  Our email is on the business card that we gave you.  So we will happily correct your name if you advise.

I knew that we would be Ok: more people would come to the marsh.  And in a worst case, I would drop from my chair and crawl up the boardwalk.  So glad it did not come to that.

By the way–we did find the paved loop after the fact.

We had a couple more stops to make.  We needed a few groceries: carrots and yogurt for the Girls and a few more items.  So we went to the Real Canadian Superstore.  From what I gather, this is a bit like a Sam’s Club (we have never been to one).

We did find our items.  There was a nice older couple in front of us who let us go first.  Boy, were we lucky.  This is a no frills place.  No one takes your items out of your basket.  And no one bags.  The lady of the couple generously did both for us.

Last, we got gas.  We had to wrestle with the pump when the hose got wrapped around Karma. But we got free.

So…we think that Mari will never forget this birthday.

We will send a little more later.

Hugs and Wags.

The Lowman Family

(August 15)

Dear Folks,

Today is a catchup text day.  We want to tell you a little about where we physically are now, how we got here, and a few general observations that we find interesting and hope that you will, too.  

When you are staying in northern Canada, expect to find a boot tray in your room.  It can snow most any time, so people don’t bother removing them in summer months.

The Trans Canada is a collection of provincial roads.  They vary in quality.  Sometimes you have four lanes: two each way.  But that can be expensive.  So often you have two lanes with periodic passing lanes.  

Until you get into quite urban areas, you do not find the highway interchanges common in the States.  You get a notice and sometimes a traffic light.  But everything is on the same level.  The highway runs right through town.  

Highway speeds are not as high as in the States.  

As is true in northern states, summer is road work time.  

So far, Winnipeg is the largest city that we have driven through.  We have been intrigued that people will park on the street: right in the lane of traffic closest to the curb.

Today we were trying to find a particular road.  There were a number of options, close together.  We hesitated.  There was a guy on our bumper, honking.  We turned.  He kept on us, honking.  I said one of my most severe thoughts toward him: I wish you would swallow your teeth.  He might have done that, but he kept following and honking.  So after a bit, I pulled to the curb and made him pass us.  Then we followed as he crawled along.  We thought about giving him the same treatment–but that would have been wrong.  😇

We left Saskatoon yesterday very late.  Dusty had to go out twice during the night.  Then she needed three more trips during the morning.  So I fed her sparingly and delayed our departure, hoping that she would be OK in the car.

I bundled the Girls into the back and heard nary a peep.  After about six hours, we stopped in Nepawa  for gas.  The girls had a little walk and everyone toileted.  Then we got back into Miracle for the rest of the trip to Winnipeg.  We are thrilled to report that there were no mishaps.

Dusty has another day of meds and prescription food.  She is doing much better.  We all got through the night last night fine.

We are staying in an area of Winnipeg called Fort Garry.   It is an area of older homes and shops.  There is a bakery that was established in 1932.  It is close to things while not being in the heart of the city.  

They have a strong security presence at the hotel: security people on every floor.  This was true when we came the last time.  As was the case then, this is because the Holiday Inn is hosting a large firefighters’ conference.  How sad that they would fear being targeted for violence.

We will plan to send more tomorrow.

Hugs and Wags.

The Lowman Family

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(August 16)

Dear Folks,

Yesterday we went to the Canadian Museum of Human Rights.  It is the first such museum in the world.  It is the vision of Israel Asper, a prominent lawyer and media mogul whose parents immigrated to Manitoba from Ukraine.  He died suddenly of a heart attack before his vision could become a reality.  His family, friends, and foundation made sure that his dream became a reality.  The museum stands on Israel Asper Way.  The tower, which has magnificent views, is called the Israel Asper Tower of Hope.  

The museum can be overwhelming.  There is a large staff. They are there to answer question and address concerns.  People can be overcome.

We were there for about four hours, including a trip into the gift boutique.  We went out before that to find ourselves boxed in by a car that had parked illegally.  Right next to us was not a true parking space.  But someone  had parked there anyway.  But there are cameras monitoring the building, including the parking area.  We shared our dilemma with the museum staff.  They reported it to security, who examined the  video footage and tracked down the driver of that other vehicle, and she moved it–and, we hope, she learned something .

This is such an amazing place.  It can be hard on the soul and spirit.  It tells of human rights abuses, over seven floors.  But it also is an affirmation of strength and perseverance.  The groups who have been abused are still here.  The museum does not sugarcoat what happened.  It tells stories from a Canadian perspective, which makes sense.  So we learn about Canadian prejudice and antisemitism.  We are reminded that the Holocaust targeted not just Jews but also Romany (Gypsies) and people with disabilities–a blight upon a pure race.

Al, there was an exhibit on the Acadians, how they were pressured to take sides during the Revolution.  When they refused, they were disbursed, they were forced to leave and migrate across the world.  But some returned and have finally achieved some recognition.  We are sure that you know all about that.  Now others learn that story, too.

Here is a photo of us with Roxanne, whom we met while watching a film about Rwanda.  Roxanne was a dog groomer.  She says that all dogs love her.  Dusty wanted to climb up into her lap.  She is from Ontario, originally.  She and her husband lived in Alberta for decades.  Now they have retired to upper British Columbia.  She is on a road trip now with a friend back to Ontario.  They are learning lots about each other on this trip–you do when you travel with someone.  Roxanne is always early.  Her friend is always late.  But Roxanne is easygoing.

Bev, Kitty, and Megan, in particular, you would LOVE this museum.  We would recommend it, though, to anyone.  Bev, this could be a great place to take the social work students.  People closer to Winnipeg–Jill, Paula, Lucinda–this would make a great trip.

We had not been to a Walmart in many years–since before the pandemic.  But we sought one out yesterday.  Canada has a great service dog law.  But people’s understanding of service dogs varies widely.  They often do not understand that the Girls have been trained to wedge against my back so that I don’t roll onto my back.  If I do, I can’t move.  So it is a necessary medical intervention.  Still, the Girls are dogs and hence hairy.  So after an exchange with the hotel in Saskatoon, we decided to buy a sheet to put on top of the bed.  You can’t buy just a sheet, though.  So we now have a set of the most economical queen size sheets that we could find.

Not sure if it is because Winnipeg is relatively close to the States or if it is part of the Walmart culture–but there was lots of accessible parking.

The picture of Jacqui by Miracle is with Colby Kiss.  Isn’t that a neat name?  We went to a gas station to fill Miracle’s tank this morning before heading out to Thunder Bay tomorrow.  I was using as much elbow grease as I had, trying to get some of the bugs off the windshield.       (You meet a lot of bugs driving through the prairie.). Colby pulled in with his girlfriend, Vanessa.  It is she who took the photo.  Colby is from Winnipeg.  He lived in Alberta for a bit.  Now they are back in Winnipeg.  He is owner and general manager of Prairie Containers and Total Moving.  We told him about BEYOND LIMITS and our ethos.  We gave him a card so that he could follow our blogs.  Vanessa was especially interested in Mari and Dusty.  So it was an opportunity to educate a bit about service dogs, as well.

So…long text today, folks, to catch you up.  Tomorrow is a travel day.  Then our last two travel days (to Kirkland Lake and Drummondville) will be very long.  Hard to believe that we will be home in a week.  The Girls will be thrilled to have their own, leash-less backyard.  We are determined to make the most of the upcoming adventures.

Hugs and Wags.

The Lowman Family

(August 10)

Dear Folks,

Greetings from Saskatoon.  Our hotel is right on the campus of the University of Saskatchewan, who are the huskies.  One of the interesting things about this hotel is that the rooms have very little furniture.  There is a kitchen, but no table or chairs or desks.  There is a Comfy chair that we put our suitcase in since there is no luggage rack.

If the room was hosting the typical two people, they would have to take turns with the chair.

More tomorrow.

Wags and Hugs.

The Lowman Family

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(August 11)

Dear Folks,

Here is a bit more.  We will include some odds and ends.

We noted that this hotel is on the university campus.  It is right next to the stadium complex.  They also get many guests who have come to the hospital.

We have remarked on the ethnic diversity we have encountered.  Many of the people along the Dempster and Arctic highways are First Nation–it IS their land.  The pilots of the ferries know the water like we know a bath tub.  

In Whitehorse, many of the workers are from India.  In Ft. Nelson, which is in a truly remote area, they have many workers from Bangladesh.  In Grande Prairie, Jennifer, the young person who registered us, is from the Philippines.  She has some family in Grande Prairie, but most of her family is in the Philippines.  She has not seen them since she left.  She hopes to go back to visit maybe next year. 

Accessibility in Canada is a mixed bag.  Most of the hotels have been good.  There are always some hiccups: where they put the towels, where the thermostat is, where kitchen supplies are for a suite.  But with some ingenuity–and a willingness to ask for help–there are usually workarounds.  

Parking is a continual problem.  Often–as at the supermarket here–they designate spaces as accessible, but they are just regular spaces with the wheelchair logo.  So there is no extra room for a ramp or even to get a manual wheelchair or walker out.  So sometimes we have to use the nifty device Al made for us.  You can see it in the picture.  It is the sticks for two driveway reflectors, which have a join and hook at the end of one so that you can hang it on your door handle and extend it outward.  It gets people’s attention and usually raises awareness.

We wind up going to a grocery store every few days for carrots and yogurt for the Girls.  If you’re going to be stopping at groceries across Canada, get the rewards card right away.  It can really save you money.

If you’re going to travel with one dog, why not make it two?  Of course, I had no choice.  I could not get up and function without them.  Having the two of them–Dusty still being so playful–they accomplish good, healing play every day.

This is a long trip for the Girls.  We have already gone more than 8,000 miles.  We wonder if they wonder if we are ever going home.  They will love the freedom of being off leash.

This time around with service dogs is taking more time than in 2022, our last big trip.  Then, Saint was pretty feeble.  So we didn’t have to take a walk/run every morning.  We didn’t have medication every day (Mari does not have meds, but has to have some peanut butter.). We didn’t have daily coat brushing, nail grinding, and tooth brushing.  

This all takes time, but is very grounding for all of us.  It is good for all of us to have some semblance of routine.

At the end of this Journey, we will have a long list of people to thank, including all of you (sort of like the Oscars).  Today we took a few moments to give ECAD a call.  We can never thank them enough for the excellent job that they did with Mari.  They taught her so much.  And they tried to teach me so much.  We continually hear Lu’s voice in our ear saying, “Now, what should you have done in that situation?”  Special shoutouts to Lu, Jess, Kathleen, Charlie, Geyser, and the kennel staff and dogs.  And we hope that Dale is happy to have that ECAD vest going very far afield.  Either way a service dog, truly, there are no limits.

Saskatoon is on the prairie.  So it is windy.  And it is flat.  Jill will understand that better than most.  You get great gas mileage:  it is like driving across a table.  We miss the mountains.

Saskatoon is a very pretty city.  It has tree-lined streets, some side streets even have grassy medians.  

A few things that we already knew and that this trip has affirmed.  We have challenges backing up and parking.  Those who know us are smiling and nodding.  That’s because we have very poor depth perception.  So we do not do it fast.  But we do it.  Persistence is key.

We send you huge wags and hugs and thanks for your support.  We could not do this without you.

The Lowman Family

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(August 12)

Dear Folks,

Several stories from today.

I rolled into the breakfast area )on the ninth floor) this morning to see what they had.  They have an amazing assortment: cut up fresh fruit; dried fruit; yogurt; eggs; meat; hash browns; pancakes; nuts; oatmeal; cereal; bagels; several types of bread, etc.  I am always challenged by breakfast, so I thought I would just grab some whole wheat bread and peanut butter and take it back to the room.  Tom came up and introduced himself.  He and his wife Maria, who took the photo of Tom with Mari and Mummy, are in Saskatoon to drop their daughter off to begin her studies in veterinary science.  They are very proud of her.  They have at least two other children–boys.  One has left home.  The other is still in university and still lives at home.  

Tom is what we might call a public health nurse.  He works out in the community.  He lives right outside of Winnipeg.

Tom had studied Miracle.  When he approached, after asking if he could help us, he said, I see from your license plate that you’re from Maine.  We agreed.  He then said, you have a sticker on the car from a university.  Are you a professor?  We explained that we had recently retired and now worked full time for BEYOND LIMITS.  He had noticed our decals.  We told him a bit about BEYOND LIMITS.  We asked if we could take a photo of him for our blog.  That’s where Maria came in.  We gave Tom a business card so that he could check out our Journey.

Then we went up to the university to visit the Museum of Antiquities.  We had reached out in June for information on where to accessibly park.  Someone in parking had gotten right back to us with information, a map, and a photo.  The University of Saskatchewan uses an app called Pay by Phone.  It is really efficient.  So we got parked all right.  Then it was a matter of finding an accessible route to the Peter MacKinnon Building.  As we got out of the van, Sean happened by.  We asked for help finding the accessible access to the MacKinnon Building and the museum.  Sean did not know where the museum was, but went to find out.  He returned and led us to it.  He said to call when we had finished our visit and he would escort us out.

At the museum, we met Tracene Harvey, who has a Ph.D. In classical archaeology.  She is the director and curator of the museum and also teaches art history, runs a summer art camp, collaborates with others across disciplines, such as in history.  

Tracene got her bachelor’s and master’s from the University of Saskatchewan.  She went further away for her Ph.D.  When her current job opened up, she jumped at it.  

The museum makes an excellent case for replicas.  Many places of former empire–such as the Louvre–now have workshops to make the replicas, the moulds of which are a hundred years old.  So now the replicas may be in much better shape than the originals.  

The museum talks eloquently about replicas.  A replica costs the same, no matter how famous .  The statue pictured is of the sleeping hermaphrodite.  She comes from the Louvre and is their first replica produced from a 3D printer.  So rather than of resin or plaster, it is plastic.

The museum does have some original material: coins, glass, pottery, and a trap door from an ancient Egyptian tomb.  They are supported by generous donors.

The museum started out in 1974, as the vision of two professors at the U Saskatchewan, ancient history professor Michael Swan and art history professor Nicholas Gyenes.  They started with a dozen replicas displayed across campus.  They consolidated into one space on 1981.  In 2005, they moved to their present location.  

Tracene is from about three hours away.  Being the director/curator is like coming home.

Sean grew up on a farm about 1.5 hours away.  He and his wife moved to the area in 2022.

The big news of the day is Dusty.  Yesterday afternoon she was a bit fussy when we got back to the hotel.  That sometimes happens, so we told her that we would go out pretty soon.  Mari was also agitated, trying to get Mummy to respond.  Dumb Mummy.  Dusty had explosive diarrhea.  Mummy had a time cleaning that up.

Lucinda had given us some small containers of instant Minute Rice when we saw her.  So we gave the Girls (Mari was fine, but we try to give them both a treat, such as the rice) rice, yogurt, and a small amount of kibble for dinner.  Dusty’s appetite was fine and she acted as always, except for the diarrhea.  She ate eagerly.  I took the Girls out.  We went to bed.  At about 1:30, Dusty woke me.  We rushed outside.  More of the same problem.

I have to say that if you are going to experience this, it is a great place to do so.  The outside lighting is so good that it is like daylight.  The front doors appear to always be open.  The music in the lobby and entry drifts outside.  The Stones sang about Wild Horses to us.  

After that, Dusty slept through until morning.  

I hoped that things looked a little better this morning.  But when we were at the museum, we had to cut our visit short because she was so uncomfortable.  

As we got outside, Dusty had another episode.  We said to Sean that we needed to take Dusty to a vet.  Although he has no pets, he recommended the U Sask Veterinary Medical Centre.  Great choice!  We had to wait several hours, but what a splendid facility!  And they went way above and beyond.  For example, the accessible parking there was not adequate.  We had tried to straddle the line for two spaces, but did not do it well enough.  A Jeep Renegade pickup parked up against us, making it so that we could not open Miracle to access anything.  You have to register your license plate with reception.  So they tracked down the driver and asked him to move.  Then they guided us so that we were parked better.  They held Dusty and Mari so that Mummy could use the bathroom.

Finally, Dr. Lee saw Dusty.  She examined Dusty and she is in wonderful shape –except for the diarrhea.  So we have a few prescriptions and a bit of Rx food to help her turn the corner.

All in all, it was an exciting day.  We are just so lucky that this happened here.

Wags and Hugs

The Lowman Family

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(August 13)

Dear Folks,

The big news for today is that Dusty  is much, much better.  We left the vet yesterday with three days worth of prescription food and five days of meds.   We didn’t need to go out through the night last night.  Everyone rested better.  

Dusty was well enough that we could pay a visit to the Ukrainian Museum of Canada today.  That’s why we had decided to stay here another day–it is open Wednesday-Sunday.  We had missed it on our last trip through in 2022.  We were not here on the right days.  And, given Dusty’s health scare, how good that we have had another day.  

The museum is the child of the Ukrainian Women’s group.  It was established in the 1980s.  It is built of brick but looks like a traditional Ukrainian structure of logs and mud/clay.  It is a treasure dedicated to preserving Ukrainian culture, language, history–memory.  There are three galleries with rotating exhibits.  The exhibits, in English and Ukrainian, are thoughtfully done.  There are so many parallels between Ukrainians and other oppressed peoples, such as those of First Nations and the Métis.  There are also parallels between the artwork of the groups.  The desire to make even mundane objects of daily living beautiful is so touching.

The photo of the young woman with Mari and Dusty is Marta.  Marta is of Ukrainian heritage.  Her close family is here.  She has extended family in Ukraine.  We asked her how they were doing.  She said OK.  They had chosen to stay in Ukraine.  Even if that had not been their choice, they work in the medical field, so they would not have been allowed to leave.

Marta worked at the museum part time while she was in school, including some internships.  Now she works there full time.  

The museum is open year round.  They get many more visitors in the summer.  We said that we had lived in North Dakota and talked about winters on the prairie: -50 Celsius–not counting the wind.  She said that the most important item of clothing in people’s closets was coats.  Nobody had only one.  Her grandfather used to say that there was no such thing as bad weather–only bad clothing.  

Marta does make pysanky eggs.  She says that she is not so accomplished as the creators of the pysanky eggs that they sell at the museum.  Artists use a variety of eggs–from hen to goose and larger.  They spend hours decorating an egg, using wax and dyes.  They don’t blow out the egg’s interior until after it is decorated, since they want the dye absorbed evenly.  And since blowing out the content afterward can lead to cracking, people often leave the content in, since it will dry up.  

While we were there, a summer camp of children left the building for some time outdoors.  They were mostly new arrivals from Ukraine.  Their leader was a fair-haired young woman (white blond hair in braids) of about 30 who had come to Canada with her teenage brother at the start of the Russian invasion into Ukraine.  Her brother was 16 then.  He could have been drafted at age 18.  Their mother did not come to resettle, but has come to visit.  They do have other family here.  They recently attained permanent residency status.  Do the brother is safe.

The young woman had met her special someone here.  He is of Ukrainian descent.  She is teaching him Ukrainian.  They will be married this winter.

Before we close, we wanted to circle back around to our hotel, the Staybridge Suites.  Yes, the room furnishings are a bit odd.  It is a terrific facility, though.  It consists of two towers.  One is the Staybridge Suites.  The other is the Holiday Inn Express.  Whenever we can, we opt for a suite–they work better for us.  There are LOTS of dogs here.  We have a lovely room on the first floor, at the end of the corridor.  We have attached a photo of the lobby.  We had mentioned that breakfast is provided on the ninth floor.  We think that this is, at least in part, because the elevators are glassed in and you get splendid views of the surrounding area.

Tomorrow we move on to Winnipeg.  We are sure that the Holiday Inn there will not be so nice.  But we will make it work.

Wags and Hugs.

The Lowman Family.

Dear Folks,

This is a PS:  we feel so blessed and lucky that we left the veterinary medical centre with someone who will soon be all well and strong again.  As an animal hospital, they take emergencies, giving them priority.  Some are too sick or injured to help.  That hit us hard as we were leaving the centre.  We were blocked in by a fire truck.  Next to it was an ambulance.  Not for the animals, surely.  

While Dusty was being treated, we heard a woman sobbing hysterically.  We think that the ambulance may have been for her–or someone else with uncontrollable grief.  We are very, very lucky.  🙏

(August 8)

Dear Folks,

Greetings from the laundry room of the Encore Suites in Grande Prairie, AB.  You can see Mari hard at work on the floor.  The man in the striped shirt is Jacob.  His wife just had a baby: their third boy, their fifth child.  They live in Hines (sp.?). He farms grain and beef cattle and does logging in the winter.  They have a big house and yard–a great place for children.  They have grades K-12 in their village.  Jacob has been farming there with his father for about 10 years.  

We thought that you would like the photo of the Girls with the statue for Canadian Guide Dogs for the Blind.  

Lots of cloud photos today.  Most are from the area of Dawson Creek, BC–officially the start of the Alaska Highway.  

We are sorry to leave the mountains behind.

Alberta has farming.  What some folks might not realize is that it is a major source of energy.  There are large groups of refineries.

The lady in the photo is Kim, the restaurant manager at the Woodlands Inn and Suites.  She helped us load Miracle and we got to talking a little.  

Kim has a good friend Christy who was seriously injured in an automobile accident.  She now uses a power chair.  She has had to go through extensive rehabilitation so that she can function and take care of her children.  Her house is wheelchair accessible.  While Christy has been going through this, other members of her family have had different health crises.  

Christy had had to go to a more urban area: Ft. St. John.  She hasn’t really been able to be home in Ft. Nelson in eight years.  They think that she will be able to be home soon.  

Christy is part of an organization that advocates for disability rights.  In Ft. Nelson, besides the typical handicapped signs (blue with a character motionless in a wheelchair), Ft. Nelson has purple signs with an active person in a wheelchair.  

Christy is lobbying for greater autonomy in her personal care.

Kim has been in Ft. Nelson since she was four.  It is where her father, sister, and her immediate family live.  It is where she wants to stay.

More tomorrow.  For now, we will get this on its way.

---

(August 9)

Dear Folks,

Today we went to the Grande Prairie Museum (which has 55,00 artifacts) and the Heritage Village-a number of historic structures donated, restored, and lovingly outfitted.  It’s impressively accessible–ramps and automatic buttons for the doors galore.  The Girls seemed to like the boreal forest exhibit best.  They certainly knew that the animals were not alive.  But they also knew that they HAD been alive.  The amount of work that has gone into that place is incredible.  And it is all free and open to the public.  It also houses regional archives.  It takes its immigrant heritage seriously.  There was a large influx of Poles around the time of the Great Depression, for example.  They homesteaded, worked hard, and helped shape the culture and make Alberta the bread basket of Canada.  

We started out the day receiving an act of kindness.  Grande Prairie is a good-sized hub for the surrounding area.  It has very busy streets connecting one strip mall to the next.  To walk, we must cross a wide street to get to a sidewalk.  We were waiting to do so.  A young woman walked by.  We said hello.  She looked like the stereotypical tough person: black shorts, black tank top, lots of tats.  After she passed us, she turned around and asked if we were trying to cross the street.  When we said that we were, she came back and walked right out into the street, raising her arms to stop the traffic.  She was very effective.  We crossed the road and called a fervent thank you.  She called back, “People here drive like they’re crazy!”  To which we agreed.

After the museum, we went to a gas station we had visited on our last trip to Grande Prairie, on our way up to Tuk.  Then we were able to pump.  This time we could not.  We had to go into the store–an On the Run–and ask the clerk for help.  He could not get that pump to work for us, either.  So he asked us to move to a different pump.  

When we started trying to get gas, no one else was there.  Now all of Grande Prairie showed up.  The poor clerk: he ran himself ragged trying to mind the store and help us.  We did finally fill up for the long trip to Saskatoon tomorrow.  

Just a couple more notes:

In Whitehorse, we stayed at the Raven Inn: the most expensive lodging on our trip.  We had no choice: it is the only place wheelchair accessible there right now.  It considers itself luxury on the edge of the wilderness.  The staff are lovely.  But on our two stays this time: going up and back down from Tuk, they charged us a penalty cleaning fee.  I explained that the Girls had been trained to wedge against my back so that I do not roll over and become unable to move.  It’s a medical necessity.  That made no difference.  We also learned that they ordinarily do not take the duvet covers off and wash them after each guest.  Yuck!

We were wild about the Woodlands Inn & Suites.  It feels like home.  We could completely relax.  Where are you going to go today and find such extras in your bathroom as a sewing kit and a shower cap?  The people are so kind.  Since I am not a breakfast person, they fixed me a little Care package of rye toast , peanut butter, and sliced tomato.  It is worth going out of your way to go there.

Ft. Nelson is also facing the problems that many communities are having: people are living longer and surviving conditions that would have once killed them.  So there are more people with disabilities.  And many businesses and essential services are inaccessible.  Neither dentist is accessible.

Kim shared the story of a man who had had a leg amputated because of diabetes.  He was waiting outside a store in the cold one day.  She stopped and asked him why.  He said he was waiting for someone to come along, notice him, and open the door.  She did so.

We urged her to organize at the grassroots level.  

Tomorrow is a very long drive to Saskatoon.  So you may not hear much from us.  We have wished that you could all be with us for the Arctic Highway, the Dempster Highway, and the Alaska Highway.  They are challenging and yet also magnificent.  

As we say in the County: not gonna lie.  We are not fans of the prairie.  And that’s what’s coming up for the next 1,000 plus miles.

Wags and Hugs.

The Lowman Family

(August 7)

Dear Folks,

Lots to catch you up on.  

The lady with whom we are sitting at the table is Marie DesMarais.  She works for the Yukon Visitor Information Centre out of Whitehorse.  We met her online before our 2022 trip to Alaska.   She gave us much useful information.  We went to the centre then when we were in Whitehorse to meet her.  We reached out to her again early in the planning stages for this trip.  She sent us so much helpful material.  This time in Whitehorse, we wanted to have lunch.  

Whitehorse has some difficulties with vegan options and accessible parking.  So we suggested that we meet at the Railwork Lounge, which is part of the Raven Inn, where we were staying.

We had a nice lunch.  There are several vegetarian options and something vegan.  Marie talked about her trip to Australia and New Zealand.  The last time we were in Whitehorse, Marie had plans to retire.  Now she says she has no plans to retire.  She said that she likes talking with people and is good at it.

Yesterday was the long trip down the Alaska Highway to Ft. Nelson.  Once you get on the highway, it is a straight shot down it for 588 miles.  We would not come all that way, but there is no accessible lodging along the way.  

We stopped at Watson Lake, about halfway  down.  Then we still had six hours to go.  We owe a lot to the Eagles and Billy Joel.  We sang and car danced along the way (thanks, Paula).  We really like clouds, so took photos of those and mountains.  And we saw critters!  We saw caribou and moose.  If you look closely at the photo of the white pickup, we hope that you can see the small herd of bison.  The white pickup passed us and nudged the bison off the road.  There were at least a dozen: a couple of bulls, some cows, and some calves who were frolicking and literally kicking up their heels.  

About the last 50 miles of the trip was pretty straight (not all the hairpin turns) and we could resume 100 km/h.  But it was dark and we were concerned about critters.  We were awfully glad to pull into the Woodlands Inn & Suites.  The parking lot was bursting at the seams, but they had our reservation.  We finally collapsed onto the bed, which felt so good.

The Woodlands is like a step back in time.  It is not a chain.  It feels so homey.  The bathroom has soap and toiletries and also a shower cap, a shoe sponge, and a sewing kit.  The bedroom has a sitting area with a comfy chair as well as a table and chair.  Your room reservation comes with a choice of breakfasts at the One restaurant.  It’s an incredible value.

The young lady with the bracelets has a lovely Indian name that eludes my American tongue.  She said that we could just call her “Ni.”  She is wearing all the bracelets as a sign that she is recently married.  She has to wear them for one year and four months.  She is about halfway through the time.  When she is done, she will remove the bracelets and frame them.  Her husband is also in Ft. Nelson.  They were childhood friends in India.  When Ni came to Canada, she was in Montreal.  Her husband came to Ft. Nelson through work.  He says that he doesn’t want to ever leave: it is so quiet and peaceful.  So Ni has needed to adjust her life accordingly.

We close today with some exciting news!  We had mentioned that Karma’s joystick arm had dropped significantly, making her hard to steer.  We called Acadia Medical back home in Ft. Fairfield, Maine, today and talked with Mike Daigle, aka the wheelchair whisperer.  From what we said, he did a bit of research.  He had asked if she had gotten  bounced around.  Oh, yes.  So he figured out that it was the turn buckle at the back of the joystick arm.  He made a little video explaining this and what to do.  We asked at the front desk whether they had a maintenance person.  Enter, Terry.  He watched the video, understood it immediately, and leveled and tightened up the arm.  Rural places can be more helpful than urban.  People are used to having to adapt, find solutions, and help one another.  Tomorrow we move on to Grande Prairie, AB.

Wags and Hugs.

The  Lowman Family

(August 5)

Dear Folks,

Today’s text is to answer some questions that people have been asking about our adaptations and tech for this trip.

But first, a group of adorable preschoolers going to the park this morning.

If you watched the little video of Miracle all decked out, you caught a glimpse into her camping attire.  

Al had an incredible vision for the curtains.  By the time he got them all installed, they worked great!  They gave us privacy and some darkness.  

Al put an extra piece of foam on the dog couch to even it up.  Then we had a Memory Foam crib mattress topper and  pillow that worked great.  The Girls were not wild about getting off the dog couch so that it could become the Mummy bed every night.

The commode was priceless.  Only Tombstone had an accessible outhouse.  There are some rest areas, but the outhouses are also inaccessible. 

Shoutout to Teri for teaching us about camping.  We brought a lot of the clothing we took when we started hiking the Appalachian Trail  in March 2017.  We had multiple layers.  At night I had flannel pajamas and down booties.  I also had a blanket and sleeping bag.  And the living furnace, Mari, managed to curl up with me.  Along the Dempster, it is pretty much fall, now.  So it got down into the low forties at night.  There was also a good deal of rain, so we used our rain jacket and rain pants often.  

In terms of technology….  We have a nifty little fridge that runs on 12 volt power.  It is positioned in the back and plugged in there.  Since that outlet draws all the time, Al equipped it with a toggle so that we can easily switch it off when we are not driving (don’t want to run down the battery).  You have to keep an eye on that outlet, though.  On these very rough roads, it can come undone.  You have to really stick it into the outlet hard.

Our equipment for the front cab of the van taught us a lot.  We had bought an extension for the 12 volt there from NAPA Auto.  The idea was that it could be plugged in all the time.  When we wanted to use any of our little 12 volt appliances–our coffee maker or microwave, for example, we could just plug one into the extender, turn on Miracle (that 12 volt works only when the car is running), plug in our appliance, and get it to function.  Our first night camping, when we tried to boil water, the 12 volt extender literally melted down, started smoking, and blew a fuse in Miracle.  It took some time to get that repaired.  The repair person said we were lucky we hadn’t had a fire.  

Karma, our wheelchair, needs 110 current to recharge.  She needs a lot of juice: the charger is very strong and powerful.  The plan was that we would be able to charge Karma from our 12 volt to 110 converter.  But the converter is not powerful enough.  So we had to get creative.  We got a site with electricity at Inuvik and ran a cord into Miracle every night to get Karma fully charged.  At Tombstone, we were able to charge at the interpretive center.  Now we know what to plan for, for our next Journey.  We can usually recharge at the hotels we are visiting.

Speaking of Karma: her arm has collapsed.  You may not be able to tell from the photo,  but the joystick arm is now about four inches lower than it should be.  Fortunately, the joystick itself now rests on the seat cushion.  So I am hoping it doesn’t drop any lower.  She is a bit harder to drive, now–but I can do it.

That leaves Miracle.  She has been through a terrible ordeal.  She is very low and not, apparently, built for something like the Dempster.  But what a little trooper.  I worried about every ping of gravel.  The Dempster’s speed is 90 km/h.  We seldom went that fast.  Many others did and the dirt, dust, and gravel flew.  One day there was a large rock embedded in the road that we could not avoid.  We think that’s what made the hole under her door.  Our windshield also has a small chip.   On our way back down the road and while at Ft.  McPherson, we noticed that the ramp wouldn’t deploy quite to the ground.  When we looked at the hinge in the middle of the ramp, we could see that it was breaking on the right side, if you were looking at it from the inside.  

So, since we had cell  reception at that point, we called JC Williams at Mobility Works.  That’s where we go for Miracle’s adaptations.  He knew exactly what we were talking about.  He had such a hinge–this is not an uncommon issue.  We called on Wednesday.  We had an appointment at Metro Chrysler the following Monday.  How to get the part there in time?  JC made some calls and did some networking.  He found the hinge at an adaptive place in BC.  He bought the part and asked them to get it to Whitehorse before Monday.  He also called Metro Chrysler in Whitehorse to explain the situation and gave them his cell  number so that he could walk them through anything.  In the meantime, Miracle also stopped kneeling.  This is something she does–actually lowers several inches when the ramp deploys–so that the ramp is not so steep.

Our appointment at Metro started at 8 am.  The hinge for the ramp had not arrived.  They very kindly tried to fix Karma’s arm.  The nut was already tight.  So they tried zip ties.  But the arm is just too heavy.   

My appointment had been for tire rotation, lube/oil/filter.  We asked them to check all the fluids and the brakes–when Miracle had gone to the spa right before we left, her brakes were still safe but showed some wear.  Along the Dempster, you are continually braking.  So now they were down to the minimum.  Soon it would be metal on metal.  And we have 5,000 miles to go.  So we asked to have all the brakes replaced.  Fortunately, they had what they needed.

And the hinge came in at 4 pm!  So they replaced that.

Most people had left for the day.  But a few stayed to work on Miracle.  They even gave her a bath.  She was very dirty.  That is a photo of us with Logan, from Metro, at around 6:30, right before we left.  Quite a day.  We appreciate all their help.  They could not fix the kneeling–that requires a special tool from Braun, the conversion people.  And in case you’re wondering how we went to the bathroom during all that time…we didn’t.      No accessibility.  The Girls were amazingly good.  They must have wondered why we were just sitting there so long.

So there you have your equipment update.  We hope that it answers some questions.

Hugs and Wags.

The Lowman Family

PS: We will replace that plastic piece under the ramp door when we get home.

(August 4)

Dear Folks,

Not a very long text tonight.  We should have more time to write tomorrow.

The photos are from Shipyard Park, about a block from the hotel.  People really use that outdoor space.  We try to go a couple of times a day.

We may have remarked on what an ethnically diverse place Yukon is.  There are a lot of people from India, in particular.  We have learned more about this from a couple of the young people who work at the front desk.  Mudra is from India.  She works two jobs and is busy learning French.  Joban is also from India.  He has been here as a student.  He will be getting a two-year degree in  Northland Studies.  He is here now on a student visa.  

Canada allows people to come from other countries and work for three years.  There are more opportunities in rural areas.  All of Yukon is considered a rural area.  

There is an opportunity to stay longer if you can satisfy one of two things.  If you can get someone to sponsor you and assert that you have improved the economy.  That program seems to be getting cut back.  The other way is to become fluent in French and pass a test.  Those options buy more time.  And people can work toward that most desired status of permanent resident.

These folks are incredible.  They come here alone, often knowing no one.  They work two or three jobs to make as much money as they can.  Sometimes they are supporting people back home.  They come because India, for example, is so populous, the opportunities here are more plentiful.  

Both Mudra and Joban would like to get more schooling, as well.

---

Yesterday we went to the Yukon Wildlife Preserve, about 20 miles north of Whitehorse.  We had gone in 2022 on our way back from Alaska, and it was one of the highlights of our trip.  So we were eager to go again.  This time, as last, we took the guided bus tour.  We had a different driver this time, so we saw different things.

The property was originally owned by Danny Nolan.  He flew all over until he found a property with different climate zones: prairie, mountains, tundra, etc.  It’s 750 acres.  When Danny owned it, there were no fences.  Danny got to the point of wanting to sell the property.  The local people asked the government to buy it and open it to the public.  That’s when the fences came in: to protect the animals from the people.  The animals could easily jump the fences.  Danny’s house is now the office building for the staff.

Most of the animals came across the land bridge from EurAsia during the Ice Age (well, their ancestors did).  

First we saw bison, the largest animal in North America.  They are hierarchical.  But they don’t like to fight.  The leader, a big bull, shows his dominance by lying on the ground and making a big hole.  He makes the biggest, deepest hole.  

Then we saw mule deer.  They are not sociable well adapted to the climate: they have short, slender legs.  They are not really migratory.  They are dedicated to following the routes their parents taught them.  In summer they spend their time high up a mountain.  In the winter they come down lower and go for the windy side: so that the wind blows away the snow and it is easier to find grass.

The moose will not surprise anyone from Maine.  They have two boys, both orphans.  Moose are not sociable.  They need lots of solitary space.  As people in Maine know, they love to swim and get lots of their summer food from the bottoms of ponds.  They have these neat flaps on their noses that water pressure closes so that they don’t get water in their noses.

We saw elk.  Our driver had a couple of interesting stories about almost being killed by elk.  Their antlers can be lethal.

The musk oxen are the most dangerous animals that they have.  Historically, they are the oldest.  They have survived a number of prehistoric animals.   They are not that large: only one half to one third the size of bison.  But they are the ultimate team players.  When there is danger, they make a circle with the young in the middle.  Then the adults take turns attacking the threat.  

At the preserve, they don’t put two adult males together.  They will fight to the death.  Their ramming power is equivalent to driving a vehicle into a wall at 40 km/h.   

Ah, and their hair!  They are completely covered in an under coat that is incredibly soft and warm.  Then they have a hairier next coat that makes them look as though have on a skirt.  Then they have additional hair that grows from their shoulders.  

It’s the undercoat (kiviet?) from which musk oxen items are produced–very expensive.  

Musk oxen are not friendly or people tolerant.  Their enclosure is the only one into which the staff will only enter by truck.

More soon!

---

Here is some more.  We are at Metro Chrysler in Whitehorse where Miracle is getting some work.  Do we have s bit of time.

At the wildlife preserve, we could not see the lynx: they are really well camouflaged and are good at hiding.

We also did not see the Arctic foxes.  They blend in well now.  They change color to white in the winter.  

We saw mountain sheep–thin horned sheep.  The ones further south have bigger, curled horns.  They used to be white.  Because of climate change and lack of snow, they are now darker–brown or black.  They were pretty peaceful–just hanging out.  

Forgot to mention that the ground squirrels are able to survive the winter because they gather scraps of the musk oxen undercoat when it gets shed and line their nests with it.

We learned the difference between antlers and horns.  Horns are bone and are hollow.  If one gets broken, it may or may not regrow, depending on where the break is.  If it doesn’t regrow and the other horn is big, it can give the animals balance problems.  

Antlers are from the same material as hair and finger/toe nails.  When they come out, they have a soft, mossy covering.  The animals rub that off on a tree, which can get quite bloody.  They are also sharp–just in time for rutting season.  

The preserve has caribou.  They are the only member of the deer family in which both sexes get horns.  The antlers have a section that is like a little spade.  They can use it to clear snow and to scrape lichen from trees.  Caribou are related to reindeer, except they cannot fly.  😇

And we saw mountain goats.  They are aggressively unfriendly.  If people get too close to the fence, they will charge it.  Newborns can climb within hours of birth.  When they are only a few weeks old, they can climb the steepest trails, like their parents.  

Mountain goats have two humps.  The first is over their shoulders and front legs, which are incredibly powerful.  The other hump is over incredibly powerful back legs.  Some people claim that the goats have suction in their hooves, which allows them to climb so well, although there is no scientific proof.  

From birth, the goats have razor sharp horns–which they realize.  So they have few natural enemies.

At one point, some rangers found the remains of a bear.  At first they thought that it was the victim of poachers .  But upon closer examination, they realized that a goat had killed it.   The goats don’t fight in packs, though, or they would be even more lethal.

We will send one more text about this adventure dealing the people in the photo, in a bit.

---

Dear Folks,

Here is the last installment of our time at the Yukon Wildlife Preserve.  We wanted to tell you a little bit about the people in the photo. (Located at the bottom).

The big man on the left is Andrew.  He is one of two full/time employees.  He and his wife lived in Ontario until 2021.  They wanted to buy a house, but couldn’t gather the resources to do so.  Andrew’s mother and stepfather had moved to Yukon some years before and had some property.  So Andrew and his wife built a cabin on it.  He talked about Yukon’s population boom.  In the four years he has lived here, it has gone from 44,000 to 48,000.  He doesn’t think that the territory is prepared.  We had a nice chat about his step-father’s service dog for PTSD due to his time in Afghanistan.  Andrew says that they will stay here–he loves his job–best one he has ever had, he says.

Rebecca is in the middle.  We knew her from our last trip through in 2022.  Back then, whenever we called (which was several times for information about accessibility) she answered the phone.  We joked that she must be the only person who worked there.  The day that we went, she drove the bus for our tour.   We had a tour all to ourselves!  She lived in Ontario, as we recall.  She wanted someplace more wild and rural.  We think that she remembered us, although this time we have a different black lab.  

Daniel is on the right.  His primary job is at the Ice Age museum.  He has tremendous knowledge about the backgrounds of the different species.  He made sure that we had binoculars to use, since the Lowmans could not get off the bus: the dogs could arouse the animals.  

Daniel is from Iran.  He grew up reading about Canada and seeing photos.  We don’t know when he first came to Canada.  First he went to British Columbia.  That wasn’t the Canada he was seeking.  Then he went to Banff, in Alberta–a resort town.  That wasn’t it, either.  Then he came to the Yukon and found his bliss.  

Daniel is quite talented: he is a guide and also a good skier.  He got sponsored, so he could stay and work beyond three years.  He got an offer to teach skiing in Australia.  After weighing it, he decided to stay in Yukon.  He said that the wildlife preserve is one of his favorite places.  That contributed to his decision to stay in the Yukon.  He is going through the process of applying for permanent resident status.

There was a group on the bus who seemed to be speaking German.  It was grandparents, the dad, and a little boy.  At the end of the tour, the dad gave Daniel a tip and wished him good luck on his application.  The dad said that he had just gotten his permanent resident status.  It was a long saga, but definitely worth it.  The family spoke German among themselves, but excellent English with Daniel.  We wondered whether the grandparents were visiting from Germany.

So…that’s a great deal about the Yukon Wildlife Preserve.  We hope that you found at least part of it enjoyable.  It is truly a splendid place.

We’re trying to extensive texts when we can do that we can remember and base more writing on them later.

Wags and Hugs.

The Lowman Family.

(August 3)

Dear Folks 

We are safely back in Whitehorse.  It was hard to leave Tombstone: we would happily return.  We send along a few more photos from the park–including one of Miracle at our campsite.  

There is a LOT of road construction.  One photo is our surroundings as we wait for the pilot car.  

And as we got near Whitehorse, there were wonderful views of lakes. 

We close with a little story from last night.  The park offers educational talks in the evenings and guided hikes during the day.  Last night’s talk was on bear myths and facts.  It was supposed to be in the amphitheater.  We asked if that was accessible.  The answer was, we think so.

When we went to attend the talk, they had moved it into the kitchen shelter, since it had rained.  That shelter is not accessible.  People at the talk offered to help us get in.  We thanked them but explained that Karma is too heavy.  We didn’t want anyone (including Karma) to get hurt.   We don’t think that we could have gotten to the amphitheater, either..  

Olivia was the one giving the talk and apologized profusely.  We said that we hoped that they would work on these issues.  We had given her a BEYOND LIMITS  card.  She said that she would be in touch.  We hope so.  We would be happy to give advice.

(August 2)

Dear Folks, 

We doubt that this will go through.  But we wanted to write while the memories were fresh. 

Those who know us well know that we LOVE mountains.  Those within the park, which is quite large and varied, are among the prettiest that we have seen.  That’s why there are so many photos of them. 

Today was a beautiful day.  We went up to the interpretive center to charge Karma, as we had planned.  We got a warm greeting from the two women at the information counter.  They said, “You made it!”  This surprised us, since we had not met them before, yet they seemed to know about us.  We said, yes, we made it to Tuk and showed them a photo of us at the Arctic Ocean.  They thought that was amazing.  Someone else on staff must have passed the word about us.

They made a space for us by a window so that we could charge Karma.  We also got a cup of Labrador tea.  The Girls were quite excited about that.  They pick the leaves fresh every morning.  The upper side is green and the bottom is red.  The plant grows wild in northern zones. 

We were there charging Karma for about five hours.  So we got to hear a lot of people’s concerns about hiking and driving the Dempster.  Tombstone is at mile 45.  Several of the questioners decided that they had had enough of the Dempster. 

The photo of the ladies is of Olivia and Miriam.  Olivia is the supervisor of the campground staff.  We gave her some feedback on accessibility: not just that the containers for trash and recycling are up on platforms, but to be able to lock the accessible outhouse door from a wheelchair, you have to back down the ramp.  Olivia said that that was great feedback.  She meets with her maintenance team once a week and will see what they can do. 

Olivia worked for Yukon Parks for two years in Whitehorse.  When she saw the posting for the job in Tombstone, she applied and got it.  She has been here 15 years.  She works February-November.  Some of that is in the office in Whitehorse when the campground is closed.

Miriam works seasonally: this her fourth summer.  So she works May-October.  She lives in Dawson City and has an art business.

We send you hugs and wags.

The Lowman Family