ENTER AS STRANGERS, LEAVE AS FRIENDS. (ROSEBUD PART ONE)
THIS WEEKEND TERRY AND I DECIDED TO TAKE A CHANCE (RE:COVID) AND SPEND A NIGHT AWAY IN ONE OF OUR FAVOURITE B & B’S IN ALBERTA …. THE ROSEBUD COUNTRY INN IN THE LOVELY HAMLET OF ROSEBUD. THE DRIVE OUT WAS FANTASTIC WITH BLUE SKIES TRYING VALIANTLY TO PEEK OUT FROM THE SMOKE DUE TO THE CALIFORNIA WILD FIRES THAT HAS DRIFTED ALL THE WAY OVER TO HERE.
YOU MIGHT RECALL THAT QUITE RECENTLY ‘SPIRITLINE’ DID OUR VERY FIRST ONLINE/STREAMING CONCERT AS A FUNDRAISER FOR THIS CASH STRAPPED PLACE AS VIRTUALLY THE WHOLE TOWN DEPENDS ON CROWDS GATHERING FOR THEIR INCOME. THE MAIN FOCUS OF THE TOWN IS THE THEATRE SCHOOL AND LIVE THEATRES. BUT THERE ARE MANY LOCAL B & B’S SUPPORTING THESE AND MANY OTHER BUSINESSES ARE STRUGGLING AS WELL LIKE GIFT SHOPS AND RESTAURANTS.
WHEN WE WERE INVITED TO PARTAKE IN THIS RECENT FUNDRAISER AT ‘B.J’S’ COUNTRY INN B&B WE KNEW THAT SHE WOULD HAVE THINGS SPOTLESS AND ALL THE COVID PROTOCOLS IN PLACE. THE EVENT WAS A FINE DINING EVENING WITH MUSIC FROM LEWIS AND ROYAL ,TWO MAINSTAYS OF THE ROSEBUD MUSICAL SCENE.
WHEN WE PULLED UP TO THE FRONT OF THE BED AND BREAKFAST WE HEARD LOVELY ‘MADRIGAL’ TYPE MUSIC BEING PLAYED ON THE FRONT PORCH TO WELCOME GUESTS. THE LARGE HOME HAS A FRESH COAT OF BRIGHT YELLOW PAINT AND THERE ARE LOTS OF COLOURFUL FLOWERS IN BLOOM OUTSIDE AND PLACED HERE AND THERE INSIDE THE HOUSE TOO.
WE BOOKED A ROOM ON THE GROUND FLOOR AND OUR DINNER WAS LAST NIGHT . ROYAL(SPROULE) THE OTHER HALF OF THE SINGING TEAM IS ILL WITH CANCER I BELIEVE, SO LEWIS PERFORMED ALONE AND DID A REALLY NICE JOB OF CHOOSING CROWD PLEASING ‘CAMPFIRE’ TYPE COVERS THAT MADE US WANT TO SING ALONG. THE DINNER ITSELF WAS A FIRST TRY FOR A NEW CATERER AND THERE WERE 4 COURSES WITH WINE PAIRINGS. THE DESSERT WAS THE BEST PART!(STRAWBERRY SHORT CAKE)
WHEN WE FIRST ARRIVED AT AROUND 2 PM WE MET WITH OUR FRIEND, PAUL MUIR, THE DIRECTOR OF THE THEATRE SCHOOL, AND WE ALL ENJOYED SOME OF B.J.’S FAMOUS HOMEMADE PIE SELECTIONS. I LOVED MY STRAWBERRY RHUBARB AND WE HAD A WONDERFUL CATCH UP WITH OUR FRIEND WHILE WE SOCIAL DISTANCED OURSELVES ON PART OF THE HUGE,WRAP AROUND VERANDA.
WHEN IT WAS TIME TO CHECK IN I WAS DELIGHTED TO SEE THAT B.J. IS STILL OFFERING SOME OF THE CHILDREN’S BOOKS THAT I ILLUSTRATED AS PART OF HER WEE GIFT SHOP! SHE IS DOING EVERYTHING SHE CAN THINK OF TO ‘STAY AFLOAT’ AND ONE OF HER NEWEST VENTURES IS TO SELL FRESH MARKET FRUITS AND VEGETABLES.
THAT EVENING WE SHARED THE LARGE DINING AREA WITH JUST FIVE OTHER TABLES ALL SPREAD SAFELY APART . I JUST LOVED THE SIGN OVER THE ENTRANCE TO THAT ROOM : ‘ENTER AS STRANGERS….LEAVE AS FRIENDS’. IF YOU LIVE IN ALBERTA YOU MUST VISIT ROSEBUD AND EXPERIENCE ALL THE TOWN HAS TO OFFER. ALTHOUGH THEY HAD TO CANCEL THE REST OF THEIR THEATRE SEASON THEY HAVE DECIDED TO PUT ON A ONE MAN SHOW AT CHRISTMAS …A PERFORMANCE OF ‘A CHRISTMAS CAROL’! IN A THEATRE THAT NORMALLY SEATS AROUND 270 THEY ARE GOING TO CORDON IT OFF TO 60 PEOPLE.
IN MY NEXT FEW BLOGS I’M GOING TO SHARE WITH YOU A BIT MORE ABOUT THE TOWN AND WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE AND HAS TO OFFER….
WE’VE BEEN COMING TO ROSEBUD AS GUESTS FOR ABOUT 30 YEARS AND WE HAVEN’T BEEN DISAPPOINTED YET IN THE WONDERFUL PEOPLE OR THE GORGEOUS SURROUNDINGS. YOU MUST CHECK IT OUT SOMEDAY!