We combined camping with visiting with friends and checking out a Jeffery Straker concert – all in one weekend and all in one spot!
Our friend Randi and her husband have a cabin on the north side of Buffalo Pound, in the resort village Valley View. She invited us to come spend a weekend there with our motorhome. And the invitation was not for just any weekend. They were organizing a “deck concert” on the deck of the cabin with Regina’s singer songwriter Jeffery Straker!
Friday, July 12
We arrived on Friday and parked our motorhome on their beautiful “upper lot”. What a view we had there! Huge panoramic views over Buffalo Pound. We also spent some time at the cabin, their deck and yard and dock. And met son Chase and his wife Lindsay from Edmonton.
Valley View, Buffalo Pound
Valley View, Buffalo Pound
the camping pad by the Hartwell cabin, Valley View, Buffalo Pound
the camping pad by the Hartwell cabin, Valley View, Buffalo Pound
Hartwell cabin, Valley View, Buffalo Pound
Nico on the deck of the Hartwell cabin, Valley View, Buffalo Pound
Hartwell cabin, Valley View, Buffalo Pound
sunset from the Hartwell cabin, Valley View, Buffalo Pound
sunset from the Hartwell cabin, Valley View, Buffalo Pound
sunset from the Hartwell cabin, Valley View, Buffalo Pound
Chase by the Hartwell cabin, Valley View, Buffalo Pound
Hartwell cabin, Valley View, Buffalo Pound
sunset by the Hartwell cabin, Valley View, Buffalo Pound
Saturday, July 13
Saturday was a partly rainy day. Good thing the deck concert wasn’t until Sunday! Whatever rain we got on that day, couldn’t fall on the next day anymore. Right? Apart from some rain, it was still a pretty good day. We saw a LOT of birds. Especially pelicans, but also ducks, a flicker and a catbird.
There were several guests in the cabin for the weekend. Randi is one of Nico’s co-workers and there were a few more visiting: Barbara with her son and dog, Amy and Angela with her niece Sarah and boyfriend Ryan from New Zealand! They are traveling the world, so they had some cool stories. All the kids were present too, I already mentioned Chase and Lindsay, there was daughter Hailey and her boyfriend Evan and son Waylon.
Rain shower rolling in, Hartwell cabin, Valley View, Buffalo Pound
Pelicans on Buffalo Pound
Ryan and dog on the Hartwell dock
feeling peaceful staring out over Buffalo Pound
pelican on Buffalo Pound
Northern Flicker, Buffalo Pound
Pelican, Buffalo Pound
duck family on Buffalo Pound
Buffalo Pound
Buffalo Pound
Rider, Hartwell cabin, Valley View, Buffalo Pound
catbird by Buffalo Pound
Pelican, Buffalo Pound
Charlie and Floyd
sunset by the Hartwell cabin, Valley View, Buffalo Pound
sunset by the Hartwell cabin, Valley View, Buffalo Pound
Barbara and Amy, sunset by the Hartwell cabin, Valley View, Buffalo Pound
sunset by the Hartwell cabin, Valley View, Buffalo Pound
Angela in the Hartwell cabin, Valley View, Buffalo Pound
Hartwell cabin, Valley View, Buffalo Pound
Hartwell cabin, Valley View, Buffalo Pound (Sarah, Barb)
Thankfully it was all blue skies today! And no wind, the lake was so smooth! We made some beautiful pics of the lake and Trails End, the provincial campground on the other side of the lake. Pelicans flew back and forth again and we helped with some preparations for the concert and the pot luck. My job was to paint signs to help people find their way to the resort village for the deck concert and once here, to the entrance or the outhouse.
Buffalo Pound
Buffalo Pound, Trails End campground on the other side
Buffalo Pound
Buffalo Pound
pelican over Buffalo Pound, Trails End on the other side
Buffalo Pound
pelicans over Buffalo Pound
zoomed in to the far far right, Buffalo Pound
pelican over Buffalo Pound
pelicans on Buffalo Pound
Rider by the Hartwell cabin, Valley View, Buffalo Pound
Buffalo Pound
Barb and Hailey, Hartwell cabin, Valley View, Buffalo Pound
making some signs for the concert by the cabin
Buffalo Pound
Buffalo Pound
camping by the Hartwell cabin, Buffalo Pound
Ellie Mae
Smokey and Ellie Mae
Tess and Barb’s dog
by the Hartwell cabin, Buffalo Pound
by the Hartwell cabin, Buffalo Pound
Jeffery Straker deck concert
There were some hiccups in the preparation, but nothing the Hartwell boys couldn’t smooth out for today’s star, Regina’s own Jeffery Straker. This singer-songwriter, there with guitarist Brodie Mohninger, may not be what we usually listen to, but we certainly enjoyed it a lot. I’m not sure how to categorize him, but the one name that popped up in my mind is Elton John. It was also very entertaining with Jeffery’s storytelling in between songs. Loved it!
Jeffery Straker deck concert, Hartwell Cabin, Valley View, Buffalo Pound
Jeffery Straker deck concert, Hartwell Cabin, Valley View, Buffalo Pound
Jeffery Straker deck concert, Hartwell Cabin, Valley View, Buffalo Pound
Jeffery Straker deck concert, Hartwell Cabin, Valley View, Buffalo Pound
Jeffery Straker deck concert, Hartwell Cabin, Valley View, Buffalo Pound
Jeffery Straker deck concert, Hartwell Cabin, Valley View, Buffalo Pound
Jeffery Straker deck concert, Hartwell Cabin, Valley View, Buffalo Pound
Jeffery Straker deck concert, Hartwell Cabin, Valley View, Buffalo Pound
Jeffery Straker deck concert, Hartwell Cabin, Valley View, Buffalo Pound
Jeffery Straker deck concert, Hartwell Cabin, Valley View, Buffalo Pound
garter snake, near Hartwell cabin, Buffalo Pound
Jeffery Straker deck concert, Hartwell Cabin, Valley View, Buffalo Pound
Jeffery Straker deck concert, Hartwell Cabin, Valley View, Buffalo Pound
Jeffery Straker deck concert, Hartwell Cabin, Valley View, Buffalo Pound
Jeffery Straker deck concert, Hartwell Cabin, Valley View, Buffalo Pound
Jeffery Straker deck concert, Hartwell Cabin, Valley View, Buffalo Pound
Jeffery Straker deck concert, Hartwell Cabin, Valley View, Buffalo Pound
The evening
After cleaning up, there was time to relax on the dock or by the bonfire. Looking back on a fantastic weekend, we felt so lucky to have been adopted by yet another wonderful Canadian family. Hartwells, we love you! ♥
At the end of the weekend (we were to leave the next morning) we had one last treat…. northern lights over our RV!
