Alberta Bound

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Jim Adams’ challenge this week was to write about a song by a Canadian Artist. With that in mind, I also wanted to use one that referenced Canada as well. I remembered that there was a song about Alberta so thought it would be a good choice. There are in fact three songs with the title Alberta Bound. I was actually looking for the lyrics of the Gordon Lightfoot song when I came across this one, and the third by Bryan Adams. Note these are different songs not just covers or versions. I really like this Brandt discovery, but hope someone else will write about the Lightfoot song. Brandt’s song is from his album. It was released on Orange Music Canada in 2004.

Lyrics:

Sign said 40 miles to Canada

My truck tore across Montana

Ian Tyson sang a lonesome lullaby

And so I cranked up the radio

Cause there’s just a little more to go

‘Fore I’d cross the border at that Sweet Grass sign

I’m Alberta Bound

This piece of heaven that I’ve found

Rocky Mountains and black fertile ground

Everything I need beneath that big blue sky

Doesn’t matter where I go

This place will always be my home

Yeah I’ve been Alberta Bound for all my life

And I’ll be Alberta Bound until I die

It’s a pride that’s been passed down to me

Deep as coal mines, wide as farmer’s fields

Yeah, I’ve got independence in my veins

Maybe it’s my down-home redneck roots

Or these dusty ol’ Alberta boots

But like a Chinook wind keeps coming back again

I’m Alberta Bound

This piece of heaven that I’ve found

Rocky Mountains and black fertile ground

Everything I need beneath that big blue sky

Doesn’t matter where I go

This place will always be my home

Yeah I’ve been Alberta Bound for all my life

And I’ll be Alberta Bound until I die

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Padre

The Expedition

Image © Patrick Jennings

“Okay, before we go any farther, has everybody signed their release forms and handed them in to Sonya?” the expedition coordinator asked.

The dozen or so Unique Discoveries participants nodded in the affirmative.

“Excellent,” Alex, the coordinator said as he pulled a clipboard from out of his day glow waterproof jacket.  He did a quick headcount and ticked the top of the sheet before passing it to Sonya, a plump redhead of about fifty.

“I have had a look at your questionnaires, and I saw that many of you have been on whale or dolphin spotting excursions before.   We may well see some orcas today, but we have ‘bigger fish to fry,’ you might say.  As you know we have British Columbia’s own answer to ‘Nessie’ right here in Howe Sound.  If we are very lucky, I hope that we will all get a glimpse of ‘Howey’ today.  What I am sure of, however, is that we will get some really great views of Pacific Selkies.

At this one of the men in the group scoffed.  He had only come on this “goose chase” in order to humour his wife.

At this a mousy-looking woman in her mid-thirties sheepishly raised her hand.

“What did you want to share, Barbara?” Alex prompted.

“They are real,” she insisted. “And so is Howey!  I saw him near here was I was thirteen.  That’s why I’ve come back today.”

The skeptic mumbled something about wishing he had had some of those mushrooms, but his wife elbowed him in the ribs.

Just then a huge ripple formed on the surface of the sound, and a five foot reptilian head broke the surface and moved towards deeper water for several seconds before diving again leaving only its wake behind.

Padre

 

BEFORE ~ PIC AND A WORD CHALLENGE #190

Haunted Wordsmith Prompt :Prompt B (sentence starter): “What did you want to share?”