I love shopping. I mean I LOVE shopping! As the owner of too much…..most of my shopping is looking….and a few targeted purchases. A good day of shopping is better than a bad day or good day of fishing. I’m definitely not a mall person loving small, independent shops.

As kind and wonderful as he is, Jim hates shopping and refuses to pretend otherwise, much less than participate. I must raise a great fuss to get a little shopping time in on our trips even though it puts me in a GREAT MOOD!

And so it was, with bad weather pending in the NW, we slowed our trip and I got a chance to do a little shopping on the main downtown street of Smithers, which I quickly perused as we drove through town.

Jim dropped me off and went to get fuel, arranging to meet me in the Sprinter on a designated corner. First stop was the “sausage shop” where I bought a package of dried pepperoni and a pastrami and pickle sandwich on dark rye and an egg salad sandwich for lunch on the road.

Next stop, a gift and clothing shop. I purchased some small gifts and discovered incredible slippers by www.padraigcottage.com ,a small artisan shop in Northern Vancouver. U.S. $1 = $1.34 Canadian. Ok, I also bought a Canadian made soft wine coloured, knobby sweater. I asked the owner about a yarn shop. He drew a map though he apologetically couldn’t remember its name or the street. I dropped my bag at the Sprinter with Jim trying to look cold. I ignored him.

Off to the book/stationer store. I paused at the window display. Smithers is an area well known for superb fly fishing, The display included beautiful prints, quotes and books. Sometimes I wish I liked fly fishing. I limited myself to an Emily Carr book, a making crackers book and two $1.59 micro point pens that I immediately loved and will never find again.

Back to the Sprinter, I convinced Jim to stop at the fabric shop. It did not have yarn but several women enthusiastically recommended the Wooly Ewe in the next town. We headed out of town and I suddenly remembered that I had I left my cane……again. Back to the bookstore and they happily handed me my cane. I assured them that I only leave my cane in the best stores.