Running back in Saskatoon

Running back in Saskatoon. I ran 5 miles (623 miles) this morning and had a pretty good run. I met some wonderful people (pictures above) along the way including a fellow blogger. I spent the rest of the day with Skender and working in my garden. I marked the plants that need to be moved and put another layer of triple mix in the bed in the front. Just before heading out to work in my garden I had a wonderful surprise, a phone call from one of my oldest and dearest friends Tracey Starkman. Tracey and I met about twenty-five years ago in a hostel in New Zealand. We traveled around New Zealand together meeting two other friends who traveled with us, Barry Barton and Lindsay Fraser (I stayed with Lindsay a few years later in East London, South Africa). Tracey was on her way back home to rekindle a relationship with an old boyfriend and I talked her out of it. Instead we traveled around New Zealand for a month and then headed back to Sydney, Australia where I was staying with a bunch of other people at a hostel near King's Cross. We both stayed in Australia for a few more months and every since have been good friends. I even ended up on Tracey's couch in Victoria, B.C. after I was deported from Australia a few years later (different trip and a story for some other time). Tracey went on to marry a wonderful man, Joe and they have three beautiful children. It was such a joy to hear her voice today and to catch up on each other's life. It had been far too long however despite the length of time, our friendship as always picked up with such wonderful ease, ease that only a life long friendship can give so easily.