I always look forward to the drive from BC to Alberta. It is just so fascinating to travel from the green of the lower mainland, through the desert of Kamloops, up over the mountains and foothills and finally to arrive in the sprawling city of Calgary. On previous trips Heather and I have driven at a rather quick pace so as to reach Calgary in a timely fashion. Already having Lisa with me made the need to speed redundant. So I think I may have logged my longest trip from Abbotsford to Calgary at 12 hours (Heather and I once did it in 9.5). The drive was uneventful as usual, and thankfully due to the long weekend the was no construction to slow us down. I'd have to say that the worst part of the trip was totally my fault.Lisa drove the majority of the time, but I did log a little time behind the wheel. The Subie drives like a dream and is exceptionally comfortable. As we came into Kamloops to grab a quick lunch and potty brake, I began to slow down. Unfortunately I am very used to driving a standard vehicle and the Subie is not equipped with a clutch pedal. As I approached the light my left foot naturally pushed into the closest pedal. It was a bit of a shock for all of us as the car came to a rapid and complete stop.
The next day was spent in preparations for Emily's departure for a week at camp. Not wanting to be away from the fun I decided to take advantage of Emily's loft bed. From that vantage point I could observe so very clearly all the 'fun' of packing. Both Lisa and Emily had very different views on how to pack for camp. It brought back memories of my mother and me. I found it absolutely necessary to argue about everything all the time. Thanks mom for putting up with my youthful arrogance.
On Sunday after a great church service Lisa and I gathered up Emily and all her belongings. We drove out into the foothills of Alberta to deliver Emily into the capable hands of the horse camp leaders. During the drive Lisa spotted an 'anvil' cloud. Apparently these are the clouds that can quickly turn into tornadoes. I know you may find this a little disturbing but I was totally hoping to see a real tornado. But it was not to be. In hindsight I suppose it was for the better. The camp was quite rustic, which is totally up Emily's alley and it looks like she will have a great time.
On our way back to the city we spotted 2 young elk (or caribou) just sitting 10 feet away from the road. We snapped a couple of pics and then began our visit sans teenager. We quickly transitioned from listening to the nonstop chatter of a teenager to the nonstop chatter of ourselves. It was just so amazing to connect with each other with no children/teenagers in the background. Lisa and I were able to catch up in a matter of hours without distractions. Before our trip I was concerned that only two and a half days in Calgary would not be enough, but it was just the right amount of time.On my final day of peace and relaxation we found ourselves walking in the chilly air though Prince's Island Park. I found it a little offensive that all the skinny healthy crazy people decided to use this area as a gym. There was a "boot camp" or something like it set up all around the island and Lulu Lemon attired, pony tail haired wackos would run their skinny butts past us to their next station to do push ups or chin ups. We just walked at a leisurely pace enjoying our sweetened coffee drinks. Another bizarre sight was a hybrid squirrel we spotted running through the park. Over the course of the afternoon we spent a little time wandering through Eau Claire Market and I took Lisa to enjoy her first taste of Vietnamese food for lunch. All in all it was a pleasant and memorable trip.
Thank you wise and knowledgeable sister for a weekend filled with honesty and laughter.
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