As a young man growing up on the prairies, I often found myself gazing toward the distant Rocky Mountains to the west. One of the first novels I read was To the Far Blue Mountains by Louis L’Amour, which quickly became my favorite book, and L’Amour my favorite author. I dreamed of those mountains for years, and eventually, I crossed them and settled in British Columbia for a while. There, I lived out my dream of owning a small acreage in the peaceful, ancient community of Notch, close to Shuswap Lake.
The view from my property was breathtaking—serene and picturesque, with the valley stretching out below, horses grazing in the pasture, and trains winding through the distance. Work in the oilfield eventually brought me back to Alberta, where I now reside.