The moose network busSo this is how I spent my last week, and to be honest, there is a lot to tell, but I will try and make it as little writing as possible, especially as I am known to write an awful lot! Ok so this will still be a lot to read, so get some tea/hot chocolate/some whatever, then sit down to read this.
OK! My last week in Canada was spent on a Moose Travel Network trip that was supposed to last 5 days, but Sabrina and I decided that we would "jump off" the bus in Banff so that we could partake in Caving. Oh yes, it was good, but I will get to that later, my point is that the trip was 7 days, and so the whole week. There was obviously lots to do and see, so I decided to keep a diary of events and things we did. This Blog entry will pretty much be straight from that. So here is the Moose trip starting from the Monday!
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Moose on Monday - Vancouver To Shuswap Lake
Ok, so trip started off at the good 'ol Jericho Beach Youth Hostel, where me and Sabrina got on the bus and met the other Moose travellers and our "not quite so English anymore, but is a legend" driver called Jason.
Jason tells us what to do when seeing a Bear/Cougar(put up your hands and back away)/(don't run, it has been stalking you, fight it!)
Not much was done while on the bus on the first day for we had much to travel, but here are some interesting facts learned:
While travelling through the Cascade Mountains, we learned that the pretty red trees you see on the mountains are dead/dying trees. They are being killed by the Pine Beetle and they can't do anything about it. This is why you see them large patches of Red pine trees, and then grey ones when they are completely dead. Hmm, the trees seem less pretty now, and more sad.
While travelling through the Cascade Mountains, we learned that the pretty red trees you see on the mountains are dead/dying trees. They are being killed by the Pine Beetle and they can't do anything about it. This is why you see them large patches of Red pine trees, and then grey ones when they are completely dead. Hmm, the trees seem less pretty now, and more sad.
Random patches of red treesWell, the places we stopped to take a look at. There was the Bridal Veil Falls, it was fairly big, quite wet (duh) and we could get right next to it providing a cool view.
I think that there is water up there.We stopped at a place called Hope for lunch. It was a dull place, but it's claim to fame is that Rambo was filmed there.
On the minibus we listened to Jason's iPod, which is full of music that he liked from people he has taken on the bus. Anyway, after a fuel stop at another dull place in the middle of nowhere called Meritt, he asked us if we wanted to listen to a song that people may not like. We said yes. The mystery song was by blink 182, and called "f*** a dog". It was Hilarious, and we all had a good laugh at that. It was needed for the ride was long to our first stop, which was Shuswap Lake. Along the whole ride, I decided that This part of Canada is really a place you can just look at and think it is beautiful. Anyway, at the lake Jason told us that all the other groups that he had taken had swam in it. Well then, we just had to go swim in it too! Me having experience at Jericho, and remembering that it was cold decided to run into the water. Lake water, that is fed from the cold cold mountains is unsurprisingly, COLD! Mind you, after submerging yourself, it's not so bad, until you all spend half an hour in there!
On the minibus we listened to Jason's iPod, which is full of music that he liked from people he has taken on the bus. Anyway, after a fuel stop at another dull place in the middle of nowhere called Meritt, he asked us if we wanted to listen to a song that people may not like. We said yes. The mystery song was by blink 182, and called "f*** a dog". It was Hilarious, and we all had a good laugh at that. It was needed for the ride was long to our first stop, which was Shuswap Lake. Along the whole ride, I decided that This part of Canada is really a place you can just look at and think it is beautiful. Anyway, at the lake Jason told us that all the other groups that he had taken had swam in it. Well then, we just had to go swim in it too! Me having experience at Jericho, and remembering that it was cold decided to run into the water. Lake water, that is fed from the cold cold mountains is unsurprisingly, COLD! Mind you, after submerging yourself, it's not so bad, until you all spend half an hour in there!
Why do I always swim in the freezing lakes?People (left to right): Alison, Me, Bertie? Chantel
Laurence, Hannah, Rebecca, Hitomi, Sabrina.
Here are all the mad people that swam! I was feeling thoroughly cold in the photo!
The place we stayed at was great though, right next to the lake, and had a BBQ every night. I had Steak and a pint of ale! Only the German girl Bertie (I hope that's how you spell her name!) had a pint too. I would expect no less!
The place we stayed at was great though, right next to the lake, and had a BBQ every night. I had Steak and a pint of ale! Only the German girl Bertie (I hope that's how you spell her name!) had a pint too. I would expect no less!
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Tuesday Moose to Banff (a.k.a. The Rockies! woo!)
Today I learned that everyday we will be leaving at 8. Fun. Also, that on most mornings, we have breakfast at Tim Hortons. Good good. Ok so today was a day of go-karting! I hadn't been go-karting before, so this was fun on so many levels. One we weren't really racing as much as nudging, punting, pushing each other off the track and spinning each other! Also, our driver Jason was getting in on the action. He does so everytime apparently, and so he was fairly awesome. And spun me around good. Sabrina Shoved me off into the grass after a brilliant overtaking manoeuvre, and Hannah (a random English girl with my type of English accent, yay) caused me to be covered in mud. I was trying to pass her on the inside of the track but cutting a little bit off... yea, well the there was no grass, just muddy water!
Me, Hannah, Eric, we are ready for madness.
And we're off !
Afterwards: I sense that I am covered with mud.
Also, here are some notes I wrote after go karting. (Yes, I am being lazy... kinda)
Hehe. Yes she did put the helmet on backwards, and Jason took the piss. Well deserved I say =b
Right anyway. Here are some more notes from my journey, I shall explain bits as they are shown.
The people on the other side of the bus shouted out grizzly, we couldn't stop, and it was gone.
At Banff there was the option to go caving, this sound awesome! So jumping of at Banff we did, along with Hannah and Rebecca (An Aussie).
We stopped at Emerald lake along the way (apparently every lake was called Emerald lake at one point, but every time they found a new one, it was called it instead) While there I swear 1000 pictures were taken... "a 1000 pictures?" you are wondering. Well basically, everyone wanted a photo of all of us. EVEN THOUGH Eric, the man with the awesome SLR Camera, took a photo that everyone can take, and here it is!
Here we all are at Emerald Lake. Look how blue it is! and look, no tourists (besides from us).
Yay.
Hmm, pool. Yes, Canadian rules are stupid. We entered a competition, and by no means do I use the rules as an excuse as loosing. I was rubbish, one might even say that I"got pwned". Anywho, the reason the rules suck, you don't get 2 shots, if you pot the white at any time while shooting for the black, your finished. So Hannah, lost, everyone lost at some point, however Chantel (Australian girl) who hasn't really played before, won her first game! To the amusement of everyone else as the guy who lost was very professional, and looked very unhappy at loosing!
Hmm, one thing that I failed to mention in the notes was the last spike. Probably because it was the lamest thing to ever be seen. Ok, the last spike is essentially the last nail to be put into the railway between the east and west of Canada. The story behind it shows that Canadians weren't always friendly and kind! Anyway, after walking to a bit of rail track with a hammer so you can pretend to put in the last spike,
Rebecca showing her Spike Hammering skills.
and looking at flags from all the provinces, you got to see the spike in all it's glory. And here it is!
"Look Sabrina, it's the last spike. Over there, where that arrow is pointing. Yes, the golden spike! It's beautiful."
Yep, lame eh? (how Canadian do I sound?)
---
Wednesday - cave moose.
That's Right, me and Sabrina went Caving! Here's what I thought afterwards
Ok. Basically, caving was not like the touristy walk through a cave and make woo-ing sounds. This was crawling through caves, rappelling down shafts (that's abseiling to us non-americans), and crawling through the tiniest holes through the cave system, essentially moving by shuffling. At one point I was using my shoulder blades to move! It was brilliant! but yea, my shoes, they are very dead, before they were only slightly dead, but now, geeze.
We got back to the SameSun Hostel and looked at the room we booked...
After that was sorted, we went downtown with Hannah & Rebecca. All the shops are in a log cabin style, making for a very cool looking downtown, especially with the Rockies all in the background. On the way back to the hostel, I bought 2 chocolate cupcakes. After dinner, we played card games until midnight. Then when midnight came, Hannah got her Bacardi Apple out, and I whipped out the "ChocolateBirthdayCupcakes!" (this was to be the first 2 of many birthday cakes).
I had tried to find candles earlier, failed at that. Tried to find matches (to use as candles) as there are always smokers about, but what do you know, they all disappeared.
---
Thursday - moosed in Banff on Sabrina's Birthday
Today was do whatever we wanted in banff day. So breakfast in a place called the Wild flower was where we started. It was good, nice atmosphere, great chai tea latte. I like local cafe houses. We then walked explored the native museum. Filled with interesting facts. The two things that I will take back with me are that: Chief Walking Buffalo was an awesome guy, and that the Sun Dance was a painful looking ceremony. Next was playing in the swings, where I learned to swing stupidly high thanks to Sabrina, then the see-saw. After much shopping and walking, we were reunited with our Moose tour group, with whom we had a special birthday meal with. After that was a birthday cake (that would be #3), then partying in a random nightclub.
From left to Right: Sabrina enjoys her waffle breakfast, mountain that looked pretty, Sabrina show she is queen on the swings.
We find a see-saw and Sabrina officially becomes 21, A dodgy label on bins here, My large beer I bought for the meal.
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Friday - Banff to Revelstoke (wolf moose in a kayak)
Places and things we saw: Takakkaw Falls, Johnston Canyon (Johnston Falls) where my holey shoes let my feet wet, saw some deer, some moose (no picture I'm afraid), and Jason doing a dance.
Alison can see the deer!
He was doing a dance honest, not looking scared!
We also got to see some wolves at the wolf centre. The talk was brilliant, great and sad. The lady giving a talk obviously loved her job and it made the learning experience all the more enjoyable. Plus at the end we got to howl at the wolves. Yes you read correctly, the reason for this is that the wolves treat howling a lot like singing, they like to join in! And sure enough, they did. It was amazing, I certainly wasn't expecting to be howling with the wolves on this trip!
At the centre, we also got to see Karelian Bear Dogs. They are used for scaring Bears away from the town centres. At first this is hard to believe as all they do is lounge about and generally look cute. However, what you don't see is that when they see a bear, or something they may want to hunt/defend, they become very vicious, and think they are in fact a creature that is about 10times bigger that they actually are! Apparently there was a cat that lived with them, and thought it was a dog too, I asked about it after seeing the sign... yea, apparently it dissipated a few weeks ago, the the lady talking was sad about that. Whoops! I felt kinda bad about that. oh well!
There were also Giant Cedars, seriously giant! We got to walk around them on this boardwalk.
Then a few of us decided to go Kayaking. This time on a lake, and in wooden kayaks. It was spectacular! I'm not just saying this either, for you see, most people thought we were crazy, for the weather did not seem great, rain rain rain, but when we went, it was only a slight drizzle, and not even raining most of the time. What made it something truly great to remember was that the scenery was so beautiful, the clouds were so low that they were whisping of the lake, and low enough so that you could see the very tops of the mountains (which you normally can't). We also got to see a Beaver damn, heard some Coyotes howling, and some Loon birds (this is where the loony comes from - name of CAN$1). Obviously, I didn't take my camera out to the lake, however, Our guide took his water proof one out, and many pictures can be found here! My favourites are below.
We are all doing the moose pose, aren't we soo cool!
People I can remember!: Me, Rebecca, Sabrina, Jillian, a pair of Aussies!
Clouds whisping along the lake, very cool.
Check out my reflection on the water, oh yea.
We spent the night in Revelstoke, in Log Cabins. One word, Awesome (I plan to use this word as much as possible!). Hot tub outside (we didn't use in the end for it was cold and rainy, but nice to know), pizza inside, cable, comfy rooms, chairs everything!
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Sat - moose is in the sun again! Revelstoke to Kelowna
All this is true!
the winery, geeze, seriously, it might have been ok if the tour guide wasn't so into what she was saying and just mentioned stuff off hand. Imagine this, we walk into this pyramid, and she goes on about how because of the pyramid shape, it make all drinks (not just wine) taste better, also, it help cure a man from parkinsons. I'm sorry, but ok, maybe, maybe not, but she was so Serious! I was very tempted to take out my water bottle and say to the people next to me, "Hmm, my, water has never tasted soo good!", but they were already trying to hold in their laughter. Yes I really mean you Laurence!
The winery tour was rubbish, but the view was lovely!
We got to the hostel, ate out with everyone, and what do you know, the food was good! This was while sitting outside and a band played in the park. We then got Ice cream at a place called 'Moo Lix'. At the end of the night I was deciding weather I should skydive or not on my last day of the moose trip.
Kelowna, it looks good day or night.
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Sunday - skydiving moose! (direct from notes I made)
Decided I will skydive! + Sabrina + Hitomi (A Japanese girl who is here to learn English). It shall be Brill-o-pants! Clear blue skies! But wasn't before, may have been called off, bet we are good to go.
... did have to take money out of UK account though. Ha, definitely haven't made money on this trip!
On bus now, Sabrina is sleeping with anticipation... ok, she was.
Will be an "awesome" way to end the trip, which feels like a holiday from my life in Vancouver, than part of my holiday from England. I don't want to say it, but I am really going to miss all the people I've met here. It feels like my home now, besides from the way that the Canadians talk! Hmm, anyway, 12,000ft with someone strapped to my back while being filmed... Ok this will indeed be something to remember!
Made a playlist using Alison's iPod with Sabrina, what we didn't know was that you can't play said playlist on random. So this meant that the first 3 songs were ABBA. Oh dear, well Jason skipped them after the first! Hehe. I also put a song in there to see how long it would be on for, some may know it, "The Avalanches - Frontier Psychiatrist".
OK, back to the skydiving
I think we enjoyed the skydive!
Hehe, yep, we were happy, the dvd we got was also great. but here were my thoughts...
The View was amazing from up there. Everything looked so small, I was excited all the way up! Just watch my DVD! (ask about it when you see me)
The guy on my back must have known that I was loving free-falling in the air, so he did a spin. After that the parachute came out, I'd say this was a great part of it, falling slower lets you have time to look around and see everything as a bird would. Up there my guy said, "look there's your friend, Irish". This was brilliant, as that came from no-where, and Jason kept calling Sabrina Irish too. So I laughed when he said that. He and Sabrina's guy got us really close together which was cool, but I failed us. I was meant to do an "Air-Five" to her (High five through the air, duh!), but completely forgot, I thought she was waving at me! Anyway, I had a very smooth landing, unlike Irish. hehe. Needless to say I had an amazing experience!
Sabrina is excited about something in my diary/book... oh yes, SKYDIVING!
After Skydiving: Hitomi, Sabrina and I are ecstatic about our dive!
The day ended with us all being sad of leaving each other, so I got many people doing a moose pose before they left the bus, and here they are... while Jason drives the minibus.
Some people that are moose (right to left): Eric, Jason driving, Rebecca
Hitomi, Laurence, Alison, Chantel (with Jason in the background)
Me, Hannah, Eric, we are ready for madness.
And we're off !
Afterwards: I sense that I am covered with mud.Also, here are some notes I wrote after go karting. (Yes, I am being lazy... kinda)
Hehe. Yes she did put the helmet on backwards, and Jason took the piss. Well deserved I say =bRight anyway. Here are some more notes from my journey, I shall explain bits as they are shown.
The people on the other side of the bus shouted out grizzly, we couldn't stop, and it was gone.
At Banff there was the option to go caving, this sound awesome! So jumping of at Banff we did, along with Hannah and Rebecca (An Aussie).We stopped at Emerald lake along the way (apparently every lake was called Emerald lake at one point, but every time they found a new one, it was called it instead) While there I swear 1000 pictures were taken... "a 1000 pictures?" you are wondering. Well basically, everyone wanted a photo of all of us. EVEN THOUGH Eric, the man with the awesome SLR Camera, took a photo that everyone can take, and here it is!
Yay.
Hmm, pool. Yes, Canadian rules are stupid. We entered a competition, and by no means do I use the rules as an excuse as loosing. I was rubbish, one might even say that I"got pwned". Anywho, the reason the rules suck, you don't get 2 shots, if you pot the white at any time while shooting for the black, your finished. So Hannah, lost, everyone lost at some point, however Chantel (Australian girl) who hasn't really played before, won her first game! To the amusement of everyone else as the guy who lost was very professional, and looked very unhappy at loosing!Hmm, one thing that I failed to mention in the notes was the last spike. Probably because it was the lamest thing to ever be seen. Ok, the last spike is essentially the last nail to be put into the railway between the east and west of Canada. The story behind it shows that Canadians weren't always friendly and kind! Anyway, after walking to a bit of rail track with a hammer so you can pretend to put in the last spike,
Rebecca showing her Spike Hammering skills.and looking at flags from all the provinces, you got to see the spike in all it's glory. And here it is!
"Look Sabrina, it's the last spike. Over there, where that arrow is pointing. Yes, the golden spike! It's beautiful."Yep, lame eh? (how Canadian do I sound?)
---
Wednesday - cave moose.
That's Right, me and Sabrina went Caving! Here's what I thought afterwards
Ok. Basically, caving was not like the touristy walk through a cave and make woo-ing sounds. This was crawling through caves, rappelling down shafts (that's abseiling to us non-americans), and crawling through the tiniest holes through the cave system, essentially moving by shuffling. At one point I was using my shoulder blades to move! It was brilliant! but yea, my shoes, they are very dead, before they were only slightly dead, but now, geeze.We got back to the SameSun Hostel and looked at the room we booked...
After that was sorted, we went downtown with Hannah & Rebecca. All the shops are in a log cabin style, making for a very cool looking downtown, especially with the Rockies all in the background. On the way back to the hostel, I bought 2 chocolate cupcakes. After dinner, we played card games until midnight. Then when midnight came, Hannah got her Bacardi Apple out, and I whipped out the "ChocolateBirthdayCupcakes!" (this was to be the first 2 of many birthday cakes).
I had tried to find candles earlier, failed at that. Tried to find matches (to use as candles) as there are always smokers about, but what do you know, they all disappeared.---
Thursday - moosed in Banff on Sabrina's Birthday
Today was do whatever we wanted in banff day. So breakfast in a place called the Wild flower was where we started. It was good, nice atmosphere, great chai tea latte. I like local cafe houses. We then walked explored the native museum. Filled with interesting facts. The two things that I will take back with me are that: Chief Walking Buffalo was an awesome guy, and that the Sun Dance was a painful looking ceremony. Next was playing in the swings, where I learned to swing stupidly high thanks to Sabrina, then the see-saw. After much shopping and walking, we were reunited with our Moose tour group, with whom we had a special birthday meal with. After that was a birthday cake (that would be #3), then partying in a random nightclub.
From left to Right: Sabrina enjoys her waffle breakfast, mountain that looked pretty, Sabrina show she is queen on the swings.We find a see-saw and Sabrina officially becomes 21, A dodgy label on bins here, My large beer I bought for the meal.
---
Friday - Banff to Revelstoke (wolf moose in a kayak)
Places and things we saw: Takakkaw Falls, Johnston Canyon (Johnston Falls) where my holey shoes let my feet wet, saw some deer, some moose (no picture I'm afraid), and Jason doing a dance.
Alison can see the deer!
He was doing a dance honest, not looking scared!We also got to see some wolves at the wolf centre. The talk was brilliant, great and sad. The lady giving a talk obviously loved her job and it made the learning experience all the more enjoyable. Plus at the end we got to howl at the wolves. Yes you read correctly, the reason for this is that the wolves treat howling a lot like singing, they like to join in! And sure enough, they did. It was amazing, I certainly wasn't expecting to be howling with the wolves on this trip!
At the centre, we also got to see Karelian Bear Dogs. They are used for scaring Bears away from the town centres. At first this is hard to believe as all they do is lounge about and generally look cute. However, what you don't see is that when they see a bear, or something they may want to hunt/defend, they become very vicious, and think they are in fact a creature that is about 10times bigger that they actually are! Apparently there was a cat that lived with them, and thought it was a dog too, I asked about it after seeing the sign... yea, apparently it dissipated a few weeks ago, the the lady talking was sad about that. Whoops! I felt kinda bad about that. oh well!
There were also Giant Cedars, seriously giant! We got to walk around them on this boardwalk.
SABRINA HAS PHOTO! SORRY! SEND ME PHOTO DAMN IT!
Then a few of us decided to go Kayaking. This time on a lake, and in wooden kayaks. It was spectacular! I'm not just saying this either, for you see, most people thought we were crazy, for the weather did not seem great, rain rain rain, but when we went, it was only a slight drizzle, and not even raining most of the time. What made it something truly great to remember was that the scenery was so beautiful, the clouds were so low that they were whisping of the lake, and low enough so that you could see the very tops of the mountains (which you normally can't). We also got to see a Beaver damn, heard some Coyotes howling, and some Loon birds (this is where the loony comes from - name of CAN$1). Obviously, I didn't take my camera out to the lake, however, Our guide took his water proof one out, and many pictures can be found here! My favourites are below.
We are all doing the moose pose, aren't we soo cool!People I can remember!: Me, Rebecca, Sabrina, Jillian, a pair of Aussies!
Clouds whisping along the lake, very cool.Check out my reflection on the water, oh yea.We spent the night in Revelstoke, in Log Cabins. One word, Awesome (I plan to use this word as much as possible!). Hot tub outside (we didn't use in the end for it was cold and rainy, but nice to know), pizza inside, cable, comfy rooms, chairs everything!
---
Sat - moose is in the sun again! Revelstoke to Kelowna
All this is true!the winery, geeze, seriously, it might have been ok if the tour guide wasn't so into what she was saying and just mentioned stuff off hand. Imagine this, we walk into this pyramid, and she goes on about how because of the pyramid shape, it make all drinks (not just wine) taste better, also, it help cure a man from parkinsons. I'm sorry, but ok, maybe, maybe not, but she was so Serious! I was very tempted to take out my water bottle and say to the people next to me, "Hmm, my, water has never tasted soo good!", but they were already trying to hold in their laughter. Yes I really mean you Laurence!
The winery tour was rubbish, but the view was lovely!We got to the hostel, ate out with everyone, and what do you know, the food was good! This was while sitting outside and a band played in the park. We then got Ice cream at a place called 'Moo Lix'. At the end of the night I was deciding weather I should skydive or not on my last day of the moose trip.
Kelowna, it looks good day or night.---
Sunday - skydiving moose! (direct from notes I made)
Decided I will skydive! + Sabrina + Hitomi (A Japanese girl who is here to learn English). It shall be Brill-o-pants! Clear blue skies! But wasn't before, may have been called off, bet we are good to go.
... did have to take money out of UK account though. Ha, definitely haven't made money on this trip!
On bus now, Sabrina is sleeping with anticipation... ok, she was.
Will be an "awesome" way to end the trip, which feels like a holiday from my life in Vancouver, than part of my holiday from England. I don't want to say it, but I am really going to miss all the people I've met here. It feels like my home now, besides from the way that the Canadians talk! Hmm, anyway, 12,000ft with someone strapped to my back while being filmed... Ok this will indeed be something to remember!
Made a playlist using Alison's iPod with Sabrina, what we didn't know was that you can't play said playlist on random. So this meant that the first 3 songs were ABBA. Oh dear, well Jason skipped them after the first! Hehe. I also put a song in there to see how long it would be on for, some may know it, "The Avalanches - Frontier Psychiatrist".
OK, back to the skydiving
I think we enjoyed the skydive!Hehe, yep, we were happy, the dvd we got was also great. but here were my thoughts...
The View was amazing from up there. Everything looked so small, I was excited all the way up! Just watch my DVD! (ask about it when you see me)
The guy on my back must have known that I was loving free-falling in the air, so he did a spin. After that the parachute came out, I'd say this was a great part of it, falling slower lets you have time to look around and see everything as a bird would. Up there my guy said, "look there's your friend, Irish". This was brilliant, as that came from no-where, and Jason kept calling Sabrina Irish too. So I laughed when he said that. He and Sabrina's guy got us really close together which was cool, but I failed us. I was meant to do an "Air-Five" to her (High five through the air, duh!), but completely forgot, I thought she was waving at me! Anyway, I had a very smooth landing, unlike Irish. hehe. Needless to say I had an amazing experience!
Sabrina is excited about something in my diary/book... oh yes, SKYDIVING!
After Skydiving: Hitomi, Sabrina and I are ecstatic about our dive!The day ended with us all being sad of leaving each other, so I got many people doing a moose pose before they left the bus, and here they are... while Jason drives the minibus.
Some people that are moose (right to left): Eric, Jason driving, RebeccaHitomi, Laurence, Alison, Chantel (with Jason in the background)
Thus, ending this epic tale of the moose tour.
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