Category: Cowboy

The Blue Canadian Rockies / Valdy

 

Early days North West Mounted Police outpost 

My roots are deep in Calgary
My Dad was born here and I was told 
that my great grandfather was a member of the 
North West Mounted Police

North-West Mounted Police of Canada, 1887 (colour litho), Remington, Frederic (1861-1909)

Jeremiah “Jerry” Potts (1840 – July 14, 1896), (also known as Ky-yo-kosi, meaning “Bear Child”),
was an American – Canadian plainsman, buffalo hunter, horse trader, interpreter, and scout of Kainai (Blood) and Scots heritage.

Potts is just one of many early Canadian Explorers and Frontiersmen.
Canadians know disgustingly little of their own History or of such people.
We don’t celebrate them. We never developed a film industry like the US
that tells of them in any way. Their exploits were easily equal,
but they are almost completely unknown. Because of this I would guess
that the average Canadian knows more about US History than Canadian History.

Don’t know who these cowboys are? but it looks like 
they got a bag of pancake mix and 4 beers for posing.

The Calgary Stampede Song / Wilf Carter 

When I’m not trying to wake people up – including myself,
I do ordinary things – like go to the Calgary Stampede. 

The Stampede is a 10 day event and Rose and I go down to the
Stampede Grounds for one day every year – usually Seniors Day (get in free!).
We take transit because driving around downtown is insane. 

Calgary – not a town anymore.

The Saddledome. Soon to be torn down and replaced 
by a new $550-million arena.
(Would we be surprised if that reaches a billion before it’s finished?)

Anyway … The Calgary Stampede: quite an event.

There’s action all over town.
Horses get ‘right of way’.

It’s crazy at the transit station.
Hope you don’t mind crowds.

The gates are in sight.

No drunks; No drugs; No guns; No smoking; No tasers; No blades; No drones;
No explosives; No baseball bats, hockey sticks, golf clubs, bows and arrows;
Etc; Etc; Etc …
Geez, you can’t do anything.

On the grounds.

Lots of people.

Free entertainment.

Places to rest.

But you can win stuff: cars, trucks, motorcycle, a house. lottery … many things. 

Things like this car. 

Have a silly pic taken.

The Return of the great Western Painter C. M. Russell.
Awesome.

Russel masterpiece. 

We always go to the Art Exhibits first.

“Go ahead … try t’ steal me.”

The Queen rode in.
But I had to loan her a quarter.

Lots of fun !