My time in Medicine Hat has brought me face to face with what it is like to live in a small city- and in my brother's case - if you live there your whole life!
You know everyone, talk to everyone, you know who has changed the colour of their flowers this year, who has a new car sitting outside their house . who needs to 'get on' their dandelions, etc - the good news is you never get lost and know where your going and how to get there!!

MH is about 60,000pop. Spent lots of time driving around - including past the house where I grew up the elementary school I attended.
Also went to an indoor farmer's market at the historical Medalta Potteries (Medicine Hat has good quality clay as well as cheap natural gas) - there were about 12 vendors including a local green house with their lovely fresh and incredibly clean produce - we had buffalo burgers with potato and green salad but there was also the choice of pizza from a 'food truck' which has a woodfired pizza oven!
My father spent a short time employed at Medalta as it was 'the' place of employment for young men without any training - I have a few pieces and in their gift shop sells reproductions - the museum is worth a visit!

Coffee every morning at 10 - at the Zucchini Blossom - a small quirky coffee shop in our old neighbourhood "Riverside' ..... lunch at Caprice in one of the few old brick buildings to be re- vitalized including the metal ceiling!

Sunday morning leave about 9 for Calgary (3hr drive) - there is something compelling in the 'wide open spaces' the countryside quite green at this time of year - lots of cattle out on the open pasture (most of them moved there in the last couple of weeks) . We see a really, really long train of containers - I learn that the trains today are so long that they sometimes run the track like a one-way street -- and then when that train is through - reverse the direction for the next train - easily 2miles long they have a 'pusher' engine in the middle and 2 engines at the head....
a train that had a recent collision was pulling a total weight of 177,000 tons!! - travelling about 4km an hour (it was 'switching') the accident was worth about 25million - crew was fired on the spot --- what did I say in a small town everybody knows everything thats 'going' on!!!

More thunderstorms going into Calgary - heavy downpours threatening hail and suddenly dropping the temperature.....lunch at Strathmore (about 25k. e of Clagary) and then an 'enjoyable' time with GSM getting lost in the construction of the new Calgary airport road - wow
a massive undertaking - glad I was just picking up a car and not catching a flight - we were quite lost - my brother even had to ask someone directions!!

My car is Toyota corolla, white - arrived in Red Deer about 4.30 - Roanne had a gin/tonic in hand!!   My accommodation is beautiful.......