CALGARY, AB CANADA
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| Greatest Outdoor Show in the World |
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| Bareback riding! |
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| Me with Brent Booth and Brent Williams- named the two hottest cowboys at Stampede |
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| Cowboys- Kurt Goodjohn, Brent Booth and Brent Williams |
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| Cowgirls- Sarah Booth, ?, Cyndi Goodjohn, ? |
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| Wildhorse Beer tent |
Howdy, folks! Well I can’t think of a better place to kick start my next adventure than amongst the stirring hay and dirt of the Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth- Calgary Stampede! This country-themed Mardi Gras was full of merriment and captured the spirit of the city. My brother Glenn’s friend (and my top pick if I were to have a third brother), Brent Booth, picked me up at the airport and made me feel quite at home in the NW quadrant of the city in his community of Tuscany. Brent and his wife Sarah lived with us in Saugus for a bit so it was such a treat to finally see their home out in the wild west!
Although not the gambling type, I visited the casinos on an Indian Reservation that evening and got my first taste of Calgary. Luck was definitely on my side and it stayed there for the remainder of my trip in Alberta. The following morning, Brent was more than savvy when sneaking us into the Stampede grounds and Rodeo. It’s amazing how well ink will transfer from wrist to wrist. The grounds were bustling in the rare warm sun on day 7 of the 10 day celebration. Men, women, and children all tipped their hats to the rodeo cowboys and shouted out 'Yahoo' in praise of their gritty performances. There were carnival rides, ample food stands and expansive (and expensive) beer tents to mark the annual event that brought in over 350,000 visitors. We watched the bareback riding as well as the steer wrestling before the boys were itching to get their drink on in the tents before they filled up. The beer tent was rocking thanks to an impressive band playing country cover songs, just perfect for the cow boys and girls to line dance. In the few hours that followed, I met every coworker Brent has ever worked with and soon realized that there isn’t a whole a lot of work done during Stampede. Like any appealing event, corporations buy out blocks of seats for entertainment and pretend to talk shop while experiencing cool shows. Thank you, corporations. I really enjoyed the rodeo.
On the way toward our final tent destination, Brent and my brother’s other friend named Brent, were corralled by a number of cougars. Apparently these ladies had been flirting their way through the day and snapping pictures with cute cowboys. I felt so lucky to be accompanied by what they called the two hottest cowboys of Stampede. I had to agree with these smart women. YAHOO!
Gleaming with pride, we all made our way into the tent called Cowboys, which was known for its waitresses that possessed Barbie-like measurements. These girls undoubtedly used their tips for two things and I won’t say what they were. The night filled up with lots of drinking, dancing, standing, sitting, people-watching, potty runs, and fake-boob spotting. Whoops, I said it after all. My favorite part of the night came around 12:00am when the dj stopped all music and encouraged the crowd to sing the Canadian National Anthem. Now it may have just been the Bud Light fueling their vocal pipes but I was really moved by their spirit. It’s always cool to be an innocent foreign bystander while a country comes together to show their pride.
Brent’s mother hosted a delicious brunch the next morning to nurse all hangovers and I heard the term ‘I’m stampeded out’ by many people in the crowd. It looked like I would have to press on without the Booths and Goodjohns. I met up with the other Brent and many of his hockey friends for some VIP treatment at the Wildhorse beer tent. They had all golfed 18 holes that day in honor of the shiny cup but no one seemed to miss a beat on the dance floor. The usual hockey bantering ensued throughout the night and I concluded the night by buttering up the security guard so I could get up on stage to make a special song request to the dj.
The taxi driver, Abdul, saved my aching tootsies from my cowboy boots and insisted on calling me his ‘American friend’. He had lived in Pakistan, NYC and here but loved America most. Abdul was a very, very nice man and he insisted that he could find me a job in Calgary. Brent and I had created a fictitious story that I slightly regretted since Abdul turned out to be so helpful. As far as cabbies go, he was top notch.
The last day was filled with lactic acid instead of latigo. The Booths and I headed an hour away to the mountains where we did a modest but rewarding hike to the Grassi Lakes. It was their first hike in about 6 years! I couldn’t believe they hadn’t visited their own backyard in so long. It certainly didn’t show though- they were trekking along with no complaints. The surrounding mountains of Canmore National Park were beautifully carved out by the dazzling Bow River. Even though there is nothing at home that comes close to resembling the pristine glacial water out here, I was reminded that we all live somewhere with a sweet view nearby. Skip the asinine commitment you have this weekend and find that sweet view in your surrounding neighborhood! I know it’s there.
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| Sarah and Brent Booth in Cranmore NP |
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| Grassi Lake in Canmore NP |
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| Kerri and Brent Booth conquering mountains |
