Well helllooooo Spring we thought you'd never arrive!

So it seemed the grips of winter didn't want to ever let go! Although there were a few nice warmer days of late they were immediately and constantly overshadowed by the swift return of cold and snow. Considering the stuff began to fall back in October and hadn't really let up since it's became increasingly difficult to hold on to a positive mindset amid the less than enjoyable conditions. At first it was new and a bit of a thrill but the deep freeze definitely started to affect my feelings towards living in Canada - with the added factor of settling into a routine life here the excitement of our big adventure had certainly died down... Until this week.

D was approached by a friend at work to do crowd control at a Motley Crue concert in Lethbridge this week and because we hadn't had the chance to visit that far south in the province yet we decided it would be a good opportunity to go. So we packed up the car and drove 2.5 hours south to the 4th largest city in Canada that is famous for the tallest and longest working railway bridge in the world. I wasn't really expecting much from Lethbridge as it's not somewhere I have heard a lot about but upon arriving I instantly felt at home. The day was stunning and the grass was noticeably green - something we haven't seen since our arrival in October last year!

I was initially roped into the crowd control job but piked out at the last minute so spent the night watching the sun set over the viaduct and watching Seinfeld reruns in the hotel room.

Lethbridge Viaduct at sunset

The next day after our buffet breakfast - oh yeah waffles with bacon & maple syrup - we hit the road headed west for Head-Smashed-In-Buffalo Jump which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This place documents the native people who lived and used the cliff face to drive herds of Buffalo to their deaths for food & fur. The centre was very interesting and we both really enjoyed our time there. On our way out we spotted a flying squirrel hovering above our car which was freakin' hilarious!

Naughty people have been shooting at the sign!

Gorgeous Southern Alberta

The 'Jump' where the Buffalo fell to their deaths. Doesn't look like much of a drop but the bones go down 10 metres into the ground from 6000 years ago!

Back on the road and further west for another hour we drove to the Crowsnest Pass and to the small mining town of Frank that was buried under Canada's biggest and deadliest rock slide in 1903. It was unbelievable to see the sheer vastness of rock that crumbled off Turtle Mountain and covered the valley below. What a reminder of mother nature's power!

Photos don't do this massive rock slide justice

'The mountain that moves' - Turtle Mountain

The rock slide covered the valley all the way to the bases of surrounding mountains

Finally we headed north on one of the loneliest highways i've come across that followed the rocky mountains and passed countless ranches. A short stop at a 'world famous' jerky shop for some Buffalo & Turkey Jerky (I didn't partake in the tasting) then onwards to the Okotoks Erratic - the worlds largest glacial erratic.

Apparently their jerky was awesome

Giant rock brought here by glaciers thousands of years ago

Finally we arrived back home to Airdrie. The sun is shining (it's up until around 9:30pm now), the grass is green, the squirrels are out and life is good! Spring has FINALLY sprung!