FRIEND OR FOE FRIDAY!!

Wahoo!  The long-awaited segment has finally arrived!  Take your best shot at these friends and foes from our neighbors up north.  It should be noted that, despite what Americans think, none of these Canadians live in igloos….or so they said.


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1) FRIENDS!  Brent and Sarah Booth are family.  It may have started as a friendship between Brent and Glenn at Union College but it has certainly evolved into a family affair.  Brent and Sarah lived at 15 Central with us before spending a couple years in the back bay of Boston.  Now they have a humble abode in the NW quadrant of Calgary called Tuscany.  They would make great Sanders if we were able to legally adopt them.  They really know how to show their guests a stampede-tastic time!

2)  FRIENDS!  My dad’s cousin, Keith, gave me the hot tip that these two campers were going to be in Calgary at the same time I was.  Defying all traveling odds (no cell phones and limited internet), we were able to meet up at Banff National Park where they invited me to their campground and shared their fresh catch of the day with me.  Heinz had worked with Keith at the US Air Force Base in California until January when he retired.  His wife and he sold their house, bought an RV and have plans to tour around the US and Canada for the next year.  They had such a refreshing outlook on life…and really know how to sautee some salmon!

3) FRIENDS!  So there I was riding along the banks of the Bow River in Calgary when this 65 year old biker sped up on my left side and asked if I was wearing a biking helmet or climbing helmet.  I had borrowed the helmet from a friend so I didn’t know for sure…but the fact that I was getting beaked by a 65 year old told me that I must look ridiculous.  It turned out he was a self-proclaimed tour guide of the Calgary area and told me everything we passed along our 15 miles together.  I followed him down to Prince’s Island in downtown Calgary where we listened to some nice tunes by his friend John.  They both gave me some great tips for my trip through Canada and Europe.

 4) FRIENDS!  These boys were hanging in a pub in Banff complaining about the women in their native country of Switzerland.  They respected the extroverted Western women they had met in Canada while working in Ontario over the past 4 months.  They were both farming engineers who thought Canada offered beautiful mountain scenery comparable to Switzerland plus a much more active lifestyle.  It sounded like they had outgrown the happenings of their small town back home.  They were really surprised with how much I knew about their country- they had never met anyone who knew anything about Switzerland.  Perhaps I’m becoming more cultured? 

5) FRIENDS-  I was in Calgary for just a week but that was enough time to join a volleyball team.  Brent and Sarah had signed up for rec beach volleyball and I was able to tag along on opening night.  I had SO much fun!  They had legit sand, legit v balls, and legit tunes rocking out while we whooped our competition and won 4 out of 5 games.  Pictured here are “Green”, Henry and Sarah.  Green was about 6’4” with a heart too big for spiking inferior opponents.  Henry yearned to be in the 1986 volleyball scene from Top Gun.  He had more skill than Maverick and Ice Man combined and, as this picture indicates, more personality as well.  Sarah Butts/Booth was an absolute dominator.  She played doubles beach volleyball in high school and served as the intimidator around the net.  She’s also an excellent nurse who looked after my infected hangnail both on and off the court.

6)  FOE!  Ok that’s a snap judgement on my part.  I didn’t really get a chance to know this cute little black bear cub that stopped traffic throughout Banff National Park.  It was my first bear sighting and perhaps I had set my expectations too high.  Like any greedy American traveler I couldn’t just be satisfied with seeing a bear.  I wanted to perhaps pat him, go salmon fishing and feel what it means to receive a good old bear hug.  So maybe this little guy didn’t do anything wrong but I wouldn’t consider us friends just from this one interaction.

So within one week in Alberta, I couldn’t find one human foe!  Perhaps they are in British Columbia- I’m going to check there next.