[where adventure begins... and where I get drunk on wine and play songs way too fast]
Contrary to popular belief - or at least MY belief - Rocky Mountain House is a city, not a house. Apparently it's the place where the Hudson's Bay Company started and people regularly revisit famous Canadian voyageur routes from here in giant canoes and sled dogs. It's motto is "where adventure begins" and I wish I could stay long enough to play. Travelling north, I pass buffaloes, lamas, and cows in golden fields glinting with snow - it's very pretty. I also pass a small town called Caroline - I roll the windows down and sing my song "Caroline" to them. No one seems particularly impressed, but I'm happy.
Sadly again, even though I have an address, I get lost - the house is brand new and my GPS doesn't think it exists. I drive through a game of ball hockey twice before my host, Cheri, comes to my rescue. She and her husband, Doug's place is beautiful - all wood and stone and set against a backdrop of trees and mountains. This is their first house concert and they've gone all out, borrowing a popcorn maker and stocking up on wine.
After another great home cooked meal (okay, I'll stop talking about them now - but Mom, I'm being very well fed), I take ANOTHER steam shower and, freshly cleaned, I set up as Cheri and Doug's friends arrive. It's always interesting to see where people come from for shows - this crowd is filled with Doug's Shell co-workers, Cheri's swimming coach, and teaching friends - all very sweet.
The show is a lot of fun. Doug puts a cowboy hat on my head for Caroline and a fight breaks out between Calgary and Edmonton football fans. Everyone sings along and heckles me happily. I sell a LOT of CDs. Again, I improv up a verse for Victoria:
Well they said that it was far out
They said 3 hours out of town
But they never told me how much fun I'd be having
At Rocky Mountain House
Afterwards, after everyone left, I play cover tunes with Doug, Cheri and a couple of their friends as we drink wine. I babble my way through one-week and end of the world as we know it, realizing that I haven't really drank much recently and am suddenly a super cheap date.
The next morning, after another steam shower (where have these things been all my life?), I eat breakfast with Cheri and she tells me that there's routinely moose, cougars, and deer outside their house. Luckily I don't see any cougars, but Rocky is definitely where adventure begins.
