Only in Banff

Yesterday, on my daily morning stroll to work - I saw 4 bull elk down on the river as I was crossing the bridge.  They were all standing on the frozen Bow River, with the background of giant grey rocky mountains behind them. Two of them were doing a little elk dance, a light rut if you will, it didn't look to serious.  They were locked in the classic positon of antlers entwined and I could hear the sound of horn on horn as they connected.  Cool.  I thought to myself.  Only in Banff.

After this auspicious beginning to my day, the day rolled by rather quickly.  Just a usual day, with an unusual beginning.

On my daily stroll home, I stopped by the local ski shop - you know the place, the one the local's hang out at to drink coffee and talk smack.  The owner, my friend Jason - was standing out front of the store when I showed up.  What's going on? I trilled.  We're having a bacon sale.  He replied.   

Whaaaatha'?!

Jason had just got back from a road trip to Revelstoke and he had been delayed on the highways and he was a hungry boy.  My husband who works part time at the shop, was also warming the counter and business was slow.  I think the boys were just bored and hungry, but out of boredom a brilliant marketing idea was born:  A Bacon Sale!

So, they posted the following message to their fans on Facebook: 

FIRST person to bring us 1lb of COOKED CRISPY hot bacon can have ANYTHING in the store at 50% OFF...ANYTHING..

Now, this is a shop that sells $6000.00 shiny bicycles - so 50% off is a seriously good deal.  Soon, there were friends running up and down Bear Street with uncooked bacon in hand.  And pretty darn quickly, my friend Barb rocks up, sweat on the brow - with a box of steaming hot cooked bacon and a big smile on her face.  She had to get creative to cut out of work, make a blitz run to the grocery store - and then convince the chef at the Bison to cook her up some bacon on his nice shiny clean grill.  But, at the end of the day - it all started like the beginning:  

Only in Banff!!