Cowtown

In Calgary I had the luxury of sleeping in a Queen-sized bed that didn’t rock every time I turned over or the wind blew and soaking in a full tub of bathwater for the first time in nearly 8 months.  I’m not certain that my host has made the adjustment to retirement with complete ease.  Having a wife who still has to go off to work daily doesn’t help matters either.  For a couple days I tagged along while my host made the rounds of his favourite shopping locations and visited his favourite watering holes but in the end my natural antipathy to shopping took over.  I spent considerable time rehabilitating my computer and finishing the picture puzzle laid out on the dining room table. 

 

On Saturday morning joinied my hostess for a walk along the local river trails.  This early in the season everything looked brown and dead with standing water in many locations.  On Sunday joined my hosts for a tour of Gasoline Alley, the latest addition to Calgary’s Heritage Park.  Among all the restored antique cars and trucks plus original gas pumps the only thing missing was a Bennett Buggy.  The vehicles were restored to mint-as new-condition.  Monday saw my host and I take a drive out to Crowsnest Pass to tour the Frank Slide Interpretive Centre.  Mr. Frank, the mine owner, was more concerned with the loss of productivity of his mine than the loss of over 100 lives.  The exhibits and movie theatre were impressive, the hunky scientist explaining the ongoing danger and monitoring of the site lit up the screen; but it was the book of reproductions of letters to friends describing the trauma of the slide which particularly riveted my attention.  For lunch we stopped at a Fifties Diner in Double Diamond that came complete with checkerboard floor, banquettes, jukeboxes, full fountain service and burgers.  Talk about a nostalgia trip.  Driving back into Calgary was just as tedious with someone else driving. 

 

For the remainder of the week I divided my time between getting my computer back up and running, reading, and watching TV.  I did get out to rake my hosts’ lawn and ended up finishing the job as a snowstorm blew in blanketing everything with 2 inches of snow.  I was not amused.  I did manage to get my laundry done using my hosts’ fancy front loading washer and dryer.  On the second weekend my hostess, having heard me talk about the calluses on my feet took us both for a pedicure.  My feet are not as ticklish as they once were and I must say it was a unique experience.  Fear I may be too much a cheapskate to spend $45 on another but the feeling, post treatment was relaxing.  I did not get coloured nail polish but the clear gloss still has the nails looking shiny.  On Sunday we went on a tour of the Museum of the Regiments on the site of the Army Base.  To find out more about this unique and lovingly cared for display of military relics and history see their website:

 

http://www.themilitarymuseums.com/main/page.php?page_id=1

 

I found it particularly encouraging to see that teenagers come on their own to tour the place.  There has been a recent large addition and the displays have been updated to include the regiments’ involvement in Bosnia and Afghanistan. 

 

An interview by phone with people from Parks Nova Scotia forced me to stay over until Tuesday Morning but that call completed I set off for points north.