Gooood morning from Hazelton, B.C. Canada!!  We arrived on Saturday, June 23 at the starting point for our Alaska tour.  About half of the people who had signed up were already there.  We registered, paid up and got our bright, yellow tour vests.  We met the Wagon Master, Spike, who is a mild voiced, grey haired/bearded 65 year old who has been leading caravans since he was in the military.  So you see, we are in good hands.  He has such a wit, which we all enjoy.  There are 20 rigs in the caravan and we have had one orientation and will have another this afternoon.  Lots to learn.  We will have 2-way radios to listen to his information along the route, ask questions and stay in touch if something goes wrong.

On the way into Hazelton, we of course, found fabric shops.  Connie is taking photos of each one we find.  The one in Vanderhoof, B.C. got a piece of me.  Couldn't help it.  Such beautiful fabrics.

The countryside on the way to Hazelton was just amazing.  The mountains really showed their "stuff".  The stunning mountain that we see from our rv park (see picture below) is named Roche de Boule (French) or Mountain of Rolling Rocks.  I don't know how high it is but it dwarfs everything beneath it.  Our elevation surprised us.  We are at 200 feet above sea level.

Connie says she will give us a daily learning.  Today, she learned to keep a jacket or sweatshirt handy.  Besides the fact that it is unusually cool and oh so rainy, she says I run too warm and try to freeze her out.  To make up for her uncomfortable situation, I baked her a strawberry-rhubarb pie yesterday.  Yes, she is sharing.

The flooding around us is bad but our route out of here is safer.  The river here at the rv park is so high, muddy and angry that it takes bites out of the banks, trees and all.  The speed of the water is way faster than Connie and I can run, so I think we will stay out of the water.  Being from the desert, I see all this water going to the ocean and wish we could have just a little of it.  The ocean wouldn't miss it. 

 Abby and Mimi are getting acquainted with some of the dogs that are on the tour.  Almost every rig has at least one dog.  Oh, yeah, we didn't bring Hannah because she made the decision to go hunting just before we left home.  She wouldn't come when I called, so I just unloaded all her stuff.  She's probably better off at home.