After putting the phone down and assuring me that is girlfriend would be okay with my staying at their house Brandon and Chris drove me through Grand Prairie and on to the small hamlet of Sexsmith where Chris lived some 21 kilometers out of the city.We drove straight to the local pub and had ourselves a beer while we got to know each other.This gave me a chance to plug into the inernet and let everyone know that I was indeed still alive.It also gave Brandon the chance to call his girlfriend again and reassure her that after a couple of beers with me he had figured I was not going to be a worry and that she should calm down and embrace the strange Australian that they found on the side of the road.I don't think she had been sold on the idea but he seemed to think all would be good.
With a couple of beers safely stowed in our bellies Brandon bought some supplies for the night and after dropping Chris off we headed on to his place another ten minute drive away.Driving up the tree-lined dirt road to Brandons property I wondered what sort of reception I would get from his girlfriend Lisa and it wasn't long before I found oout and was put to the test by one of her two dogs,a giant Great Dane.Apparently this dog has held a few visitors captive inside their vehicle bit I was deemed no threat and was soon covered in dog slobber.Lisa literally called off the dogs and I was invited into their home.What a surreal experience to be stranded on the highway in the morning only find myself sitting at a starngers kitchen table the same daywith a beer in hand some 140 kilometers from where I was lying in a ditch wondering what to do with my bad luck.What bad luck I say,this life of mine was coming up trumps every day,thank's to the amazing generosity of some truly wonderful people.
With the first beer down and the initial round of small talk over Lisa suggested that I should do some laundry and judging by the goowing pile of road grit forming under my seat I guess she made the right call.I told her that alll my stuff was wet and dirty and that I had no dry clothes to wear.She looked at Brandon who is a big burly cowboy with broad shoulders and a slim waist and figured that there was no way I would fit any on his clothes so she went into her bedroom and came out with something special from her own wardrobe.She handed me a pair of red pyjama pant with white and pink kisses on them and a bright blue long sleeve top with little yellow flowers.Awesome,now I felt like a real Alberta cowboy,Not!!
As I was in the shower de-greasing myself Lisa apparently decided that all the neighbours should now come over to meet their Australian hitchhiker and an inpromptu party was organised.I came out to the kitchen all clean and prissy in my new girlie clothes to be told of the impending gathering and Brandon wanted to know if I was comfortable wearing those clothes in front of eveyone.I just said "Wait until you see me wear her cowgirl boots".To which her stood there speechless while Lisa laughed her head off and told me that as far as she was concerned I was not going to go anywhere for the next day or so as she wanted me to stay for at least another day so she could cook me a roast dinner.Who are these people!!
It wasn't long before the first of the neighbours arrrived and the beer (and a lot of scotch) was flowing freely.It was so much fun to hang out with these great people as we all sat around a big bonfire in their back yard until the early hours of the next morning telling stories and solving the problems of the world.It was one of those beautiful experiences that happen more and more to me as I let go of all the problems in my head and open myself up completely to the unbridled generosity of ordinary folk who seem,for some reason I can't explain,take to me so quickly and without judgement.It is times like these that I feel truly blessed and my faith in my reason for living on this planet is restored.
The next day was spent doing some chores inn town with Brandon,one of which was to by nyself some clothes to wear that weren't made from lycra.That mission was deemed redundant when he went into his bedroom and found a pair of jeans he hadn't worn for year.He told me to try them on and when I looked a the size 32 printed inside I thought,"There is no way I will fit into these pants".I had put on so much weight ovver the last two years that I had been approaching size 38.I went in and tried them on anyway exoecting to be totally embarrassed but to my surprise they fit perfectly.I my head I was still fat but being on the road for so long riding had whittled my pudge down to a size that I hadn't been in years.I was shocked!!What made my day thoough was when I walked out into the kitchen shirtless in his jeans and Lisa looked at me saying they look great before she through me a shirt and said "Those clothes are yours now,keep them".I could only look at her in wonder.Brandon gave me a coffee and we were off out the back dooor and into his truck for the trip to town.Now at least he wouldn't be embarrassed to be seen with me.
We did a whole bunch of running around doing errands in and around Grand Prairie that morning before heading back to the farm to find Lisa hanging out out in the yard with a young girl who I found out was a neighbour that frequently come to visit in order to escape from her two younger siblings at home.This girl was pretty funny little thing and was one of those ten years old,going on thirty who seemed far more comfortable hanging with the adults than with kids her own age.Her name was Lairn and chatting with her about her short life was nuts as when you looked in her eyes it was as if there was an old soul living inside of that little body.She was a remarkable young lady and it was great fun doing all kinds of chores with her.The main reason she was there though was to do some riding on one of Lisa's three horses,so after weeding,cleaning up the yard and helping us fix and tag the adjoining property's fenceline she was free to hop on board with Lisa and get a riding lesson in.
Later that afternoon the women put together the finishing touches on the roast that had been cooking all day and we all sat down to a great meal,which apparently was so great that it attracted even more neighbours who seemed to come 'round for a visit at just the right time.They brought beer though so I guess it was a fair trade.It was during dinner that they convinced me to finish up my ride there and then and get on a bus to Calgary.I had intended to get Brandon to drive me to his work on the outskirts of Grande Cache and continue on from there but they had seen me struggle to lift a few things that day with my sore arm and the limp from my sore knee was more pronounced.They all suggested that if I really wanted to finish this crazy race I was wanted to badly to do that maybe the best thing would be to rest up and start healthy.I couldn't fault their reasoning and agreed to let Brandon drop me off at the Greyhound early the next day.
Just like that my ride was over but the journey to Ultraman continued.
