When Carol and I were both living in Alberta, we stayed a month at the Gushul Studio for Artists in Blairemore, Alberta. The town was near Frank Slide, the tragic site of a small coal mining community crushed by a mountain slide. The area felt eerie to begin with. It was late spring, and some snow was still on the mountains. We decided to take a small road off the beaten track. We found a very isolated spot to set up. “What should we do if a bear or somebody comes out of the woods with a gun?” I asked, out of the blue. Carol looked at me as if I were crazy. She replied, “We hop in the car and lock the doors.” Wouldn’t you know it? We heard a gun shot. Was I having psychic experience? We looked at each other in disbelief. Two men with rifles walked out of the woods saying they were out shooting gophers. Instead of hopping in the car we stood there like idiots and nervously giggled. They explained that their vehicle was stuck in the snow. “Can you give us a shovel and a lift into town?” they asked. It is difficult to say no to men holding guns. “We will, but you have to wait until we finish painting and the guns have to go in the back of the van,” I said. After listening to them shooting gophers while we painted, we worked ourselves into a panic and decided we were doomed. Once in town, and feeling very traumatized, we headed straight for the ice cream parlor.
