Day 173 - Gleichen

Today was a very calm day and this stretch of the road had more to look at. There were some nice valleys and rolling hills, more traffic. There was even a gas station halfway to Gleichen. I was looking forward to meeting Jen today. She's picking me up when she finishes work.

When I got to Gleichen I had some time to kill before Jen arrived. Gleichen is a small town and not to many services. I went to the gas station and asked them if there was anywhere to get a coffee. There were no restaurants but the local food store had a take out food bar so I headed over there. The Gleichen Hotel was right beside it and there was a man sitting on the steps throwing up. Not a pleasant sight. I left Gidget outside the store and a lady in an SUV offered to watch her while I went in. I bought a coffee and some snacks and when I left the store she was still there. I thanked her and she drove off. I walked across the street to a very small park with a very large stone monument and sat down. An elderly man followed me and started to tell me how he was trying to walk off a hangover. I couldn't make out what else he was saying and then he asked me for some money. I gave him some change and then he left. Another elderly man came out of the post office and started picking up papers along the fence as he passed by. I said hello and he came over to talk for a minute. He told me they use to have benches in the park but they took them away because the natives would sit and drink their whisky and made a mess of the park. Once they removed the benches they stopped hanging out there. He told me the monument means alot to the town and its history. At one time there use to be a lot of military people. The plates with all the historical names had been removed to be refinished. Before he left he said the town had really changed. Another native man came over and sat down beside me. He was also suffering from a bad hangover and wanted some money. I gave him the little bit of change I had left. Once he left I went back to the gas station and waited for Jen. I called my sister but she wasn't home so I talked to her husband for a bit. Then Jen pulled up and it was great to see her. Her and her husband have two cats and two kittens and I was looking forward to meeting them all.