Souvenir Photo Studio, by Al Bourassa: Thursday April 21, 2022 Visiting

Friday, April 22, 2022

Thursday April 21, 2022 Visiting

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Thursday April 21, 2022

The weather is always changeable in the shadow of the Rockies but that does not stop any of us from moving about.

The plethora of birds at Betty's feeders keep us entertained all day long.

My cousin Marius (Big Mac, because I have another cousin with the same name, Little Mac who we visited in Regina ), had called me to meet for lunch today so we chose again to eat at the Black Diamond Hotel. I tried the Country Fried Steak to see if it was like the Chicken Fried Steak at Joe's Secret Garden, and delightfully, it was very similar...

Mac and I hadn't seen each other since 2006 so it is always wonderful to get caught up on each others' family news. I gave him the links to my Grandpa's colorized photo of our fathers clearing snow with their John Deere tractors in 1949. In turn, he later sent me some research his family had done into a Metis connection of our family 8 generations back. I will have to digest that information when I have the time to devote fully to that.

Sadly, my friends who own the Black Diamond Hotel were not in eveidence this day, and I have been unsuccessful in contacting them.

Betty returned from a funeral and had to drive to Cochrane for a 5pm appointment with her Accountant, so I went along for the ride because I had once worked there. Like all cities and towns in the Calgary area it has grown a lot since my tenure there. We had a quick supper at Dairy Queen and made our way back.

My niece, Karen, had invited us to stop in on our way at their palatial (and I do mean palatial!) home hidden off the Priddis Greens area, so we accepted. I certainly did not expect to find her in this monster mansion with 6-car garage and acres of pasture land! This home has rooms bigger than a lot a lot of small homes! On room is basically a gymnasium, complete with putting greens! Good grief! I could play volleyball in that room! The kitchen is any cook's dream and every room is oversized. The property was once listed at $14,000,000....!

We had a really sweet visit with Karen and Roger before heading home, and almost colliding with a young deer crossing the road. We stopped in the dusk at a pond we had seen on the way in, holding several swans! The photos aren't great, but it was an unusual experience.

Betty and I sat up talking for a long tie over a glass of wine while I worked on the photos below. I am so blessed to have such great family and friends.

I hope you enjoy the pictures. That was the day’s excitement.

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