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So, besides the friends and family and good health that I am naturally thankful for, I ask myself, what ELSE am I thankful for? Seriously? Canadians. For several years now, I have had very positive experiences with Canadians – as friends, neighbors, and generally helpful people. Having camped near some Canadians, they have provided high quality booze, henna tattooing, instructions (to campmates, not me) on Vodka Snorting, stories of long tractor-trailer travels through the Northern Lands, gracious offers of glass recycling, Newfie jokes, and friendship. I’m always glad to see my Canadian friends, and am continuously impressed by their generosity. This is the background that leads into a story from this summer, when I was traveling about the western U.S.

Sam, a friend and I were walking through a casino in Nevada after a week of desert camping when we heard behind us someone muttering (in a Canadian accent) something to the extent about how dirty and desert-weary we appeared. This is not really true, since we had showered, rested, and ate regular food at this point, but sometimes people can still spot things like that. We whirled around to face the accuser, to find a pleasant looking fellow and his friend smiling broadly.

“HEY!” The friendly guy said. “Want some Canadian socks?”

DO I!!!  Sam and our friend pointed at me, and the guy thrust a pair of socks in my hands and walked away. Both teased me about how impressed I am with Canadians, but upon further inspection, these are some of the highest quality socks I’ve ever owned. Sam may argue the point, as he salivates over Smartwool socks, but as a person with simple needs, these socks are excellent. Besides the attractive Canadian Maple Leaf at the top, they are made of a high quality cotton, double-stitched at the toe, and with extra padding along the sole. What a great idea! They have already proved themselves as excellent for staying comfortable through lots of walking and standing, especially in cold weather (you can see they’ve been used quite a bit the last couple months). So, that’s what I’m thankful for. Kind Canadians handing me socks in casinos.