Taber to Medicine Hat

Since where I had cycled yesterday was aboyt 35 km from where we camped outside of Taber we packed up camp early with the thought that we could get breakfast in Taber and hopefully tap into some wi-fi. Even though we got up before 6:30, by the time we packed, ate breakfast and drove to Grassy Lake it was nearly 9:00 a.m. when I started to cycle.

Another hot and windy day. To begin with I had the wind at my back but as I headed towards Medicine Hat and the road turned I found I was fighting a crosswind that made cycling a challenge. Deb headed up the road until I caught up and we continued this leapfrog maneuver for the entire drive into Medicine Hat.

After a nice lunch at Moxies we weighed up our options and in the end the high winds and heat of the afternoon made the decision for me. We stayed the night at a Municipal Campground (Gas City) in Medicine Hat. The daily temperature is supposed to drop off later in the week. If it actually does, I will try to get in a couple of longer rides.

While sitting outside reading an elderly man on a scooter stopped by to chat. He lived about 3 km from the park and since his wife had passed away, he had started visiting the park to chat with the campers. I guess a way of filling the void while having a chance each day to talk to someone. He mentioned that he had fought in the Second World War and after returning to Canada had moved from Manitoba to Alberta ti find work. He had built his own house on a lot on the prairie outside Meducine Hat in 1959 and moved in, in 1960. He still lives in the same house some 62 years later. He indicated that he still drove but preferred his scooter to his car. I asked him about children. He stared that his oldest, a daughter, was 70 and his oldest son would be 70 next year. He never mentioned how many children he had. When I asked him his age. He said 96. Nice old man. Everyone has a story. They just need someone to listen.