Walking Into the Weekend With Dixie

 

Wind, Waterfalls, and Good Company — Our Oct. 17 Waterton Run

Oct. 17 turned into one of those Alberta days that reminds you just how alive the prairies and mountains can be. Kim and I headed out to Waterton in the middle of a severe windstorm — the kind that makes the highway feel like it’s breathing, pushing, shifting under the tires. Even before we reached the park, we saw the power of it: a trailer tipped over on the side of the road, waiting out the gusts. That set the tone. Wild weather, wild scenery, and a day that felt like it had its own pulse.

We started early, voting first thing, then doing the classic “Lethbridge loop” — back home for food, back again for a parcel, and once more because Kim needed to change pants. Three tries to leave the city, but eventually we made it. Once we finally hit the open fields, the mountains pulled us in like they always do.

Despite the storm, Waterton was beautiful. The temperature dropped fast, the clouds rolled in, and by the time we were heading back it had started to rain. But that’s mountain weather — dramatic, quick to change, and always worth the trip. We didn’t walk too far, just enough to stretch our legs and take in the waterfalls. Kim had her camera out constantly, catching the mood of the day in photos. She was in her element, and it was good to see her enjoying it.

Dixie came along, of course. She had a full-on laughing spell at one point — that goofy, happy dog grin she gets when she’s excited. The wind and motion made her a bit queasy, so she spent most of the drive lying down, but she was a champ. A good highway rider, well‑behaved, and clearly thrilled to be out with her people. Trips like this light her up.

On the way home, Kim grabbed Chinese food, and I covered the cost of the Waterton run. Simple things, shared things. The kind of day that doesn’t need anything fancy to feel good.

We talked about new friends, new faces, and finding more people to walk Dixie with. The idea of growing that little circle — more folks who know her as “the black dog” — feels right. She’d love it. And honestly, so would we.

In the end, it was an awesome outing: windstorm, waterfalls, rain, laughter, photos, and the three of us together in the mountains. A day that started with voting and a bit of chaos, but settled into something calm and memorable once the scenery opened up. One of those trips that leaves you tired in the best way, happy to have gone, and already thinking about the next one.