Fun with cars

Yesterday I had a friend help me out with picking up the car. He picked me up, drove me to the bank to get a bank draft. Off to the dealership to sign the paperwork and hand over the money. I decided I wanted something added to the car so off to the registry to register the car.

I kept my plate from my prior car that was involved in the crash and I would transfer it to the new one. I planned to use a registry just out of town as they are usually not busy. I got there only to find it closed for the day. I found out later it was closed because a bat was in the office and the office was closed until someone could be found to remove it.

Back to my town, used the registry there which was busy. Standing for long periods of time on crutches is not fun. Later in the day I got back to the dealership to pick up the car. Of course you cannot just drive off. The sales guy has to show you how everything works and then get you to sign more paperwork saying he showed you everything and explained everything. Then you get to drive off. I said if I could not figure out some stuff I would be back. 

Out for a two hour drive last night to get comfortable with it. For a base model it has a backup camera and a tilt and telescoping steering wheel. It is the first time I had either of those in a car. I ran into a bit of rain and looked for the wiper controls. Those look like the most complicated wiper controls I have ever seen. I might need a tutorial on those. I have no idea on how to listen to music on my iPod. All in good time. It does what I want it to - get me from A to B - and is a nice enough ride. 

I woke up this morning in a lot of pain and I had to take something for it. Bending my body to get in and out of a car and sitting in a car seat will take some work. I am still a ways off from getting my flexibility back and twisting my body to move around is not fun. It will get better with time. 

The car arrived earlier than expected

New car. 2025 Mazda CX-30.

Elevator Friday - On a farm northeast of Edmonton

Thank you to Dale Redekopp.

53.13444, -114.47722

I managed to get out last Friday and do a bit of actual exploring thanks to Dale Redekopp. It felt good. I did not take enough photos for this post as I am out of practice. I was on crutches walking through this cemetery and was paying too much attention to my walking and not enough on material.

About one thousand Black American settlers from Oklahoma, from about 1908 to about 1912, came to Alberta. Amber Valley is the most well known settlement in Alberta. Some settled in Keystone, now Breton, Alberta. It did not last long. After WWI many moved to other places and other opportunities. This area would have been very isolated back then.

This cemetery is a short distance off the highway beside a township road. I have literally driven by this on the highway dozens of times without ever seeing it before. There are only three marked graves, two of them from the 1980's. The plaque lists the original settlers.

"In memory of Molly

Beloved wife of

W. M. Hayes

Born 1865

Died May 24, 1928"

She is listed on the plaque. This is the only settler marked grave with a headstone.

The grave below has no headstone. The small rectangular stone on top has the initials M H on one side. I suspect the stone might belong to the Mollie Hayes grave. There are no other names on the plaque that would have these initials. You can see the outline of several graves in this small cemetery. Their markers are lost to time.

Elevator Friday - Poe, Alberta

Thank you Dale Redekopp.