They were the best of times, they were... pretty much exclusively the best of times 😉 It was a beautiful drive from Edmonton to Mahood Lake, nestled deep within the beautiful Wells Gray Provincial park in interior BC. The purpose: to celebrate my oldest friend Chris' birthday. He had moved to Vancouver, so his wonderful wife, Ashley, had planned a get-together with friends and family halfway between Edmonton and Vancouver, and at a beautiful, remote, BC lake. Lacking social skills and tact, Chris does not have a deep pool of friends from which to draw, so I was the sole representative from that contingent. Family was well represented and there in full force, along with the lovely Lucia. As always Lucia was as full of grace and dignity as one would imagine such a beautiful dog should be. It was truly an amazing solo drive out to the lake and the weather couldn't have been better. One night certainly was not enough time, but the time was well spent. It was great to catch up and on a personal note, a wonderful drive full of silent moments in awe of the natural beauty of western Canada. The magesty of the mountains, and deep blues of the placid lakes made a perfect backdrop for self-reflection, appreciation and the pride that one feels when driving through a part of the world largely responsible for helping shape the character and identity of the people we grow up to be.