Alberta Snowbirds Alert

The following letter is from the Canadian Snowbird Association. You do not have to be a member of CSA to support this initiative. If you think that Albertans should be allowed to be out of the province for 7 months without losing their health care coverage, then write today. You’ll find contact information below.

Dear Alberta Snowbirds

As you may have heard, the CSA has been successful in our most recent campaign in British Columbia related to increasing out-of-country stays. With legislative and regulatory changes now law, residents of British Columbia can now spend up to seven months out of their home province and still maintain their provincial health coverage. This is one month longer than previously permitted.

British Columbia is now the third province in Canada, along with Ontario and Newfoundland and Labrador, to allow residents to spend over six months outside of their home province and still retain their health benefits.

In September 2012, we distributed an online survey to CSA members in Alberta, inquiring if they would like the CSA to work on their behalf to increase out-of-country stays from six to seven months. With 98% of respondents ansering in the affirmative, the CSA has made contact with various government officials and their staff in Alberta, with the goal of extending health coverage for residents of the province.

An integral part of our action plan is to mobilize our Alberta membership. We are asking you, as a member of CSA, to write or email:

• your local MLA,
• the Minister of Health (edmonton.rutherford @ assembly.ab.ca),
• the Minister of Justice (calgary.acadia @ assembly.ab.ca), and
• the Premier (premier @ gov.ab.ca)

requesting that the Alberta Government extend health coverage from six to seven months.

In your correspondence we advise that you might highlight the recent change in British Columbia and ask that you please copy the association on the emails and letters you send off. Contact information for Alberta MLAs can be accessed online. Simply click on “Members of the Legislative Assembly”  located on the top right-hand side of the webpage.

We will keep you up-to-date on our progress. If you have specific questions of would like more information on this advocacy initiative, please contact Evan Rachovsky, Research Officer, at:

<csastaff @ snowbirds.org> or toll-free at 1-800-265-3200.

Thank you for your participation in this call to action!

Sincerely,

Bob Slack, President
Rick Thorpe, Director—Western Canada

Canadian Snowbird Association — The Voice of Travelling Canadians

Note: Remove the extra spaces either side of the “@” sign in the above email addresses. It was added to discourage spammers who use scripts looking for email addresses.

 

May Lunch

Wow! What a crowd — 35 people showed up for lunch at Nick’s Steakhouse & Pizza in NW Calgary. The place was hopping with hugs and hello’s and how-are-you’s.

Thanks to our great hosts, Norma & John, for arranging this gathering.

Our next event is the June Rally at Aberdeen Hall east of Innisfail. Please contact the hosts by June 3 if you plan to attend.

 

Mesa Rally 2013 Pics — Judi & Merle

Ladies and gentlemen, launch your boats!

“Yes,” writes Judi, “there was this big BOAT RACE on a desert lake. The boats had to be within certain size guidelines and the object was to see who could make their boat (under its own steam or the wind power of the creator) to the other end of the ‘lake’.  I’m not too sure who the BIG winner was.  I was busy taking pictures and laughing at all the wind being generated to notice who was in the final. Guess everyone who participated was a winner for taking part.”

I wonder if a new tradition has been born?

 

Mesa Rally 2013 — Carol D & Roger G

As in past years a happy bunch of Chapter 44 members and Guests gathered at Usery Mountain Park near Mesa, Arizona. Attendees came from above and below the 49^th and from many locations in each nation. We were missing a number of “regular attenders” due to various other commitments.

Activities for the week included morning walks, crafts (thanks Barb P),  line dancing lessons (thanks Carol),  sharing RV Tech and Phone Apps. A first time (could become a regular?) Boat Race. Bet you did not know there was a lake right there in Usery!

We enjoyed front row seating at the Duttons musical show and a couple of our members were even up and coming stars of the show! No rally would be complete without lunch at Organ Stop Pizza.

One of the park Rangers came and talked to us one afternoon sharing lots of interesting information about this lovely park.

One extra piece of excitement this year involved the attack of a Saguaro on poor Don’s 5^th wheel.  The whole top broke off the cactus and landed against the rig wrecking the awning and landing in a chair that Don had been sitting in not long before. Could have been a terrible event if the timing had been different.

Happy hours, great food and campfires with entertainment including movie night filled the evening hours.

By the time the guys prepared a great breakfast on Friday we all agreed it had been another successful Rally.

PS:  Oh yes, there was a baseball game but I have already forgotten who won. SIGH!

Ocotillo

Desert Marigold

Hedgehog cactus

Many thanks to our wonderful hosts — Susie & Denny Orr, Liz & Roger Grant, Earlene & Jerry Bloomquist, and Barbara & Mike Pickering.

Thanks as well to Don Smith for providing popcorn for movie night, Barb Pickering for crafts, Denny Orr for Tech Talk, Carol Hill for line dancing, and Wendy & Brian Gulliford for the Boat Race. Earlene & Jerry Bloomquist hosted the Duttons’ event and we celebrated Denny’s birthday at Organ Stop Pizza.

 

Hola de Mexico! — Bill & Sharon & Friends

In early February we got an Email from Elaine VandenBerg saying she was going to their place in La Penita for a short visit, accompanied by her friend Inez.

We arranged for a visit and Sharon and I hopped a bus for the hour trip from Bucerias.

The bus was nothing like the rattletraps that ply their trade between Bucerias and Puerto Vallarta! Air conditioned, movie, restroom and comfortable seats. Our bus was on its way to Tepic, so was absolutely full. They don’t announce where they are stopping so you have to keep a “heads up” for signs etc.

We did catch the town sign for La Penita and disembarked, address in hand! Elaine had mentioned that most of the cabbies would know where they were. Our luck being what it is landed us a new driver!  In our more than halting Espanol,we gave him the address. He did smile and say “Si” ! This of course means either A: He knows where it is! or: B: He had no idea what we were saying!

Once in the cab, we find he speaks fairly decent English and is delighted to practice. We also found that he really just had a vague idea about the address.

Some twists and turns through some questionable districts lead us eventually to Elaine’s complex.

Once there, we had a tour of their stunning location, on a tidal estuary, right near the beach, so bird pictures were in my future!

We walked back to town for a delicious lunch, while Elaine chatted with vendors along the way and arranged for needed things.

Inez and Elaine walked with us through downtown to the bus depot where another bus awaited us for the trip back to a  very spoiled, babysat poddle named Cappy!

Not much different than the Red Arrow from Calgary to Red Deer and back!

Life is good!

 

Mexican Update — Sharon & Bill

Where does the time go? To think that we once had jobs and kids and other stuff to eat up the space!

Our “left turn” winter has been marvellous so far! Funky apartment with a resident gecko, great folks, new foods, and wonderful experiences.

We started off with a welcoming cocktail party on the roof patio, hosted by the owner, to introduce new guests to the old guard who winter here regularly.

Then Christmas dinner on the roof with its knock out view!

New Year’s Eve midnight fireworks — the Mexicans love their fireworks!

Parades and festivals? There is hardly a week goes by without one!

We did fit in some visitors on occasion. First Merle and Judy and friends here for a couple of weeks! Then Merle and Judy and John & Judi for a short visit during their Panama cruise!

The blessing of the fishing boats is a major event here, lasting some 10 days. Each morning starts off with cannon blasts around 4:30 or 5:00 A.M. Think window-rattling, bone-jarring loud!

Poor Cappy our poodle is now requiring regular therapy sessions!

Every seat in the large cathedral is filled every A.M. at six! That’s dedication!

Here we are now, entering Feb. with more festivals and parties to come and our time here is already half gone!

Life is good!

Sharon & Bill

asdf

 

On the Fly — Mel & Ann

We have been very fortunate to be able to travel to wonderful places on this planet. Our next trip is to Australia and New Zealand, one that we having been planning to do since we met some 50 years ago. (Oh my, how time has flown.)

The following is an abbreviated itinerary that we will be updating after our visit to each location. Our hope is that you will enjoy our adventure along with us.

Flight to Australia
February 15 – 18 Fly from Calgary to Los Angeles to Brisbane to Cairns

Australia
February 19 – 22 Great Barrier Reef Cruise
February 23 – 25 Cairns Area
February 26 – 28 Sydney
March 1 – 8 Melbourne Area
March 9 – 15 Sydney Area – Hunter Valley

Cruise
March 16 – 30 Cruise from Sydney to Auckland

New Zealand
March 30 – April 28 Rented a camper van – traveling both North and South Islands
April 28 to May 3 Turango Area on the North Island

Flight Home
May 3 – Fly from Auckland to Vancouver to Calgary. (Interesting point — we leave Auckland at 8 pm arriving Calgary at 7:15 pm the same day. Who says you can’t time travel!)

We look forward to sharing our adventure with family and friends. Follow us on our new blog!

“We have too many places to visit, not enough time to do it, and not enough money to do it with, but we are going to give it one hell of a try”.

Hugs, Ann & Mel