On the Road Again 2016 (Heading West) #4

Much to my surprise - we got in and out of Edmonton in record time. In fact we may have clawed back forty or so minutes. It doesn’t sound much but it is a start. If we can do the same in Jasper and the snow in the mountains is not too deep - at least we won’t be any later than we are now. As frustrating as it is to be on the train, waiting for some freight train to pass, it must be so much worse to be in a train station and have to wait for  five hours - especially if one is travelling with kids.

Speaking of which - there are a few families with kids and they are the quietest kids I have ever travelled with. I suppose that it is because they all have their devices. I never thought I would say it but I almost miss kids running up and down the aisle. There have also been a few dogs around. I can’t imagine putting one’s dog in the baggage car. It would be, I think, so cold in there. - but I have seen at least two people walking their dogs during the brief breaks. We also have a small dog in the car. Apparently it is some sort of emotional support dog. The young lady was saying it was good with kids who are sad. I think that is great and certainly the dog is not causing any problems. If people were not making a bit of a fuss about how cute it was - I would not have known there was a dog here at all. But given the owner is encouraging people to pet it etc…. I am not sure if it is really a working dog.

At Edmonton I got my seatmate. A quiet young man whose family may have come from China. There were other empty seats - I don’t know why he picked me. Perhaps my hairiness doesn’t scare off some racial groups as the last time I had a seat mate, he too was from China. I don’t think he is very talkative but perhaps when he comes back from the Dome car he and I will chat. I could use the company.

Lovely bright and sunny out there. The sun makes looking out the window so much more interesting. With snow covering most of the ground between Sudbury and Edmonton - the scenery is a bit boring. Because of the shorter days and running behind schedule, we have missed some of the more interesting sights along the way such as Longlac in Norther Ontario and the Qu'Appelle Valley in Saskatchewan.