Day 27: Hail, Inexpensive Jordan Sneakers, and a Rainout

Day 27: Hail, Inexpensive Jordan Sneakers, and a Rainout

Today marked the end of the retreat in Cochrane, Alberta. It was a wonderful few days, and I was grateful for the opportunity to spend time with old friends, make some new ones, and enjoy the beautiful surroundings. The scenery was absolutely amazing. I could sit and look at the Canadian Rockies all day and never get tired of them.  The retreat was also a great opportunity to recharge my spiritual batteries. After weeks of driving, sightseeing, and constantly being on the move, it was nice to slow down, reflect, and spend some time focusing on things that really matter.

On the drive back toward Calgary, Mother Nature decided she had not quite finished with us yet. We drove through a hailstorm that looked pretty nasty. Thankfully, we arrived shortly after the worst of it had passed. We only experienced a little hail ourselves, but the evidence of the earlier storm was everywhere. The roadway and shoulders were covered with hail, making it look like someone had dumped small ice cubes all over the highway.

After surviving the weather, we made a stop at the Nike Factory Store. The store had some incredible deals. I found two pairs of Jordan sneakers that caught my eye. One pair was marked down to $79.99 Canadian, and the other was $99.99 Canadian. The total with tax came to about $189 Canadian.  When I converted everything to U.S. dollars, I paid approximately $135.55 for two pairs of Nike Jordan shoes. That's cheaper than one full price Nike Jordan shoes! That is an amazing deal. At those prices, I felt like I should have checked to make sure I wasn't accidentally buying one shoe at a time.

Afterward, I headed back to my friend Lorraine's Airbnb. We had originally planned to go to the Lilac Festival, but the weather apparently had other plans. It looked like much of the event had been rained out, so we decided to skip it.

Back in Calgary, I spotted something I don't see very often, a black squirrel. Someone told me that black squirrels are actually more common here than the gray squirrels we're used to seeing in much of the United States. The squirrel seemed perfectly normal, but it definitely caught my attention. I have a friend back home who swears she has albino squirrels running around her yard. Personally, I'm still a little skeptical. Then again, she might be drinking, so I'm not entirely convinced those squirrels are actually albino. 😎

The rain has been one of the most consistent companions on this trip. Mountains have come and gone. States and provinces have changed. Hotels have changed. But the rain has remained loyal.

Tonight is a relaxing evening. Tomorrow's exciting agenda includes doing a mountain of laundry, which may be the least exciting attraction I have visited on this trip.  I may even try to find a place to get a haircut.

Later in the evening, I'll be heading to see The Guess Who at the Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary.

So tomorrow's schedule is basically washing clothes and listening to classic rock.