We said goodbye to Banff this morning and headed out with Red Deer as the end game for tonight. We fuelled up in Calgary's city limits (96.9 cents/litre) and stopped at a huge shopping mall - I guess you could say it was a different kind of wilderness than what we have been used to lately!
The CrossIron Mills allowed me to spend a few minutes in one of my favourite stores - Chapters/Indigo. Retail therapy at its finest! We also grabbed a bite to eat at the food court. All was well until...Dave realized he was without his wedding ring. We have been racking our brains trying to determine when we last saw him wearing it, but in my mind, he always is. We retraced our steps at the mall and talked to security as we were directed but to no avail. Hopefully Roberto is keeping it safe for us somewhere - maybe in a tiny corner we overlooked. If you could help us, St. Anthony, I would greatly appreciate it!
We split a Starbucks for our journey north, knowing that our day would improve once we got to Red Deer. And did it ever. I have known Brenda (who hasn't changed since high school - how does she do it?) and Carl since high school, and Dave feels like he has known them for that long as well! They are two of the friendliest and kindest people you could ever meet. We saw three of their four great kids - I can't believe how much they have grown up! There home is like a beehive of activity with part-time jobs, 4H, etc. It was so nice of them to take time out of their busy day for us! Brenda and Carl served a wonderful roast dinner with all the trimmings, and we had homemade apple pie for dessert! They could not have been more gracious. It was so much fun going down memory lane! Our discussions were lively - as one would expect if you know how animated Carl and Dave can get - and covered all sorts of topics, including Carl's food truck ideas, of which there are many! This evening's topics of conversation also indicate that we have lots of solutions to many of Canada's problems if only the people in Ottawa were wise enough to consult us!
Good friends + good laughs + good food = a great evening.
Thank you, Brenda and Carl! We are so blessed to have you in our lives!
As the Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton song goes, "You can't make old friends."
Today definitely got so much better! With a smile in my heart, I bid you good night! xo
What a wonderful reunion with Brenda and Carl!