Edmontosaurus departed from West Africa on February 1st, and decided to return to a country he called home for a while, Canada.

“It would be nice to vist Canada and eat a few coffee plants with my friend Styracosaurus.” he thought. “Canada is a beautiful place, though it is a bit colder than it used to be, a few million years ago.”

Edmontosaurus stopped by the Red Deer River in Edmonton, where he was discovered in Alberta, hoping to see his fellow Hadrosaur Corythosaurus, but Corythosaurus was not home; he had left a note on his cave that he was very busy this time of year, it being tax season, Edmontosaurus was hungry, but wasn't sure what trees were part of the grove Corythosaurus had set aside for his wood working business, and which were what he considered food, and he didn't want to take without asking, so he stomped further down the Red River until he found a grove of Populus tremuloides he felt were fair game, and dined heartily.

Edmontosaurus remained by the banks of the Red River until February 12th, when he decided to stomp into British Columbia and seek the company of his friend Styracosaurus.

He stopped by the City of Edmonton, where he’d been discovered in Canada, which was a lot colder than he’d remembered from his youth. Edmonton was the capital of the province of Alberta. The indigenous, or First Nations Mammals, were the first mammals to inhabit it, the first records of which date to around 1795. They were few, but they were first to establish homes there, even if they were a hunter-gatherer culture. ( Plains Indians and Woodland Cree ) The population remained sparse up until about 1870, after Rupert’s Land was purchased, formerly part of what was then commonly known as British North America, Rupert’s Land has long since been absorbed by other Nations, most of it in Canada. In fact, part of Rupert’s Land is the Southernmost part of Alberta. In a short amout of time ( as the mammal reconds, ) the area went from sparse to a thriving culture of mammals, which today numbers over five million, a number which astounded Edmontosaurus’ tiny brain.

Among those many Mammals lived Styracosaurus, at what is now the Dinosaur Provincial Park, which was part of the Red River Valley. As you may recall," related Edmontosaurus, "My friend Styracosaurus was classified by Professor Lawrence Lambe ( 1863 ~ 1919 ) in 1913. As soon as Edmontosaurus arrived at the Dinosaur Provincial Park, he looked about in hopes of seeing Styracosaurus, and it did not take long to find him. It was actually Styracosaurus who saw Edmontosaurus first, calling out,

“Hail, Edmontosaurus! Welcome home to Canada !! Welcome to my home at Dinosaur Provincial Park. Come, rest a while, and eat coffee plants with me. I shall speak to you in english, Je vais vous parler en français."

"I suppose I have too much of an American influence, given that I have also been discovered in America, for I do not speak French at all."  said Edmontosaurus.

"Very well, then, said Styracosaurus. To make things easier on you, I will speak The King’s English. Seriously, welcome home, and come dine on coffee plants with me"

 

"I accept!" said Edmontosaurus.  "Nice to see you again, Styracosaurus!"

"The coffee plants, of course, are not native to our homeland, I have to have them imported from the Arabian countries., » said Styracosaurus as he welcomed Edmontosaurus to his cave, and shared coffee plants he had stored in his cave. « How was your trip across the border?"

"Uneventful. The Mammals don’t care if dinosaurs cross borders." said Edmontosaurus.

 

"I stopped in to see Corythosaurus, but he wasn’t home. You know he’s an accountant, and is very busy this time of year."

"Very true, » said Styracosaurus." You also recently returned from other World Travels. I understand you went to Africa to visit with Woolly Mammoth."

 

"I did, but like Corythosaurus, Woolly Mammoth wasn’t home either. I happened to visit at a time he had gone to Egypt on a meditation retreat. I did spend some time visiting with Kentrosaurus, and the Iguanodon family, among others."

"Very nice," said Styracosaurus."We should all pray for World Peace."

"Would you like to travel with me to Colorado to visit Stegosaurus ?" asked Edmontosaurus.

 

"Sure !" said Styracosaurus." It has been a while since I have seen Stegosaurus and traveled to America."

 

"Shall we go now, or tomorrow?" asked Edmontosaurus.

 

"Tomorrow," said Styracosaurus. "You know what goes well with coffee plants?" asked Styracosaurus.

"... a gaood conifer. Let us both stomp into the foothills and see if we can’t dine on a few before we go to Colorado."

 "I agree that would be delicious !" said Edmontosaurus.

The two friends stomped forthrightly up into the Canadian foothills, where they found the Pinus contorta in abundance. After dining on a couple groves of these each, they moved onto Populus tremuloides, a different species of tree ( though related ) than that which Edmontosaurus had consumed on his own, when seeking Corythosaurus. To finish their meal, they dined on groves of Picea mariana, the most abundant tree in the whole province. Then, they chose a grove they hadn’t eaten, and rested under its shade, spending the evening there. In the morning they set off for the United States and the State of Colorado to see Stegosaurus.

It took some time to get to Colorado, since Styracosaurus had to use a raft to get across the water. Edmontosaurus is semi-acquatic, but even he elected to use a raft to cross the Saskatchewan River after a point, because the river is so wide.

Both of them were glad to see land again once they reached the United States, and Colorado in particular.

They were both very happy to see Stegosaurus come out of his cave to greet them once they got to Boulder, Colorado.

“Hail, Styracosaurus and Edmontosaurus! How nice to see you! What a nice surprise, I was not expecting visitors!”

“I hope we are not disturbing you,” said Edmontosaurus.

“Not at all! Please, be welcome! Welcome to America! How was the trip from Canada, come rest your claws for a while!”

“Thank you for your hospitality, friend Stegosaurus,” said Styracosaurus.

“Travel by raft always seems long, but it was fortunately uneventful.”

“I have been resting myself, uncharacteristically remaining home and letting other dinosaurs have adventures; but I am remarkably well, very hale and hearty, and no where near extinction.” said Stegosaurus.

“Glad to hear, indeed,” said Edmontosaurus.

“When I haven’t been resting, I’ve been using my Doctorate to diagnose tree diseases for my neighbors, but I do think that in the Spring I will be ready for adventures again.”

“Your cousin Kentrosaurus sends his regards from South Africa,” said Edmontosaurus, he is presently in charge of the Church as Woolly Mammoth is on a meditation retreat in Egypt.” said Edmontosaurus.

“I heard, but I was too busy being Doctor Stegosaurus to go; I know cousin Kentrosaurus gave the sermon on Sunday the 18th of January. I could not travel; I hope everyone enjoyed the sermon.” said Stegosaurus.

“They seemed to,” said Edmontosaurus. Iguanodon and his family were there from Maidstone, England.”

“I am so glad his family has repaired its rift,” said Stegosaurus. “I am so glad they have restored stability.”

And how are things in Canada, Styracosaurus? I am sorry to say I have no coffee plants to offer, but I have several varieties of tea in my garden behind the cave, and we can go stomping for a grove of blue spruce, if all the travel has made you hungry.”

“That would be absolutely delightful, Thank you,” said Styracosaurus.

“Things are just fine in the Great White North. I just hosted Edmontosaurus of course, and other than that, I spend the slow, winter months playing extinct at the Canadian Museum of Nature. I do it for the children, and hope someday they’ll like me as much as they like you.”

“I am sure you are very popular, “ said Stegosaurus. “Many small children love the ceretopsians as much as they love me, I assure you. We are’t having a contest, I hope you know.”

“Oh yes, of course. I did but your popularity among mammal children since 1877 is astounding and something to aspire to, in any case.”

“I accept your compliment, friend. Let us dine on Picea pungens! Come along Edmontosaurus!” called Stegosaurus. The three dinosaurs stomped forthrightly into the hills, to dine on delicious groves of Colorado Picea pungens, ending the evening with a nice dessert of coffee plants, Echinacea tea and aloe plants. Of course, Styracosaurus brought coffee plants to share.

Edmontosaurus and Styracosaurus remained in Colorado for the last half of February, visiting Stegosaurus for a whole two weeks. Stegosaurus gladly used his Doctorate knowledge to explain some tree diseases to his friends so that they could more easily recognize a distressed tree species and treat it accordingly.