FMCC Holds Thanksgiving Breakfast on a Ranch in the Mountains

Joel, MJM, Brian, Ron, Mark, Jim with Gordon, Bill seated

The Friday Morning Coffee Club, aka FMCC, launched Thanksgiving weekend with Breakfast on a Ranch in the Mountains, a huge change from its usual meeting place at Starbucks in the Cranbrook Target store.

Organized by Jim Roberts and Mark Spence-Vinge, with Joel Vinge and Bill Nightingale as the chauffeurs, off we went to the Fort Steele area where Jim lives. Others along for the special occasion were Brian Passey, Ron Mcfarland, Gordon Ingalls and of course me.

On a bright sunny clear Fall day, it was the ideal place to spend a morning with good friends, and has left me listening to and humming  "Climb Every Mountain" made famous by Julie Andrews in "The Sound of Music" by Rodgers and Hammerstein ever since.

Jim Roberts

When I arrived in Cranbrook for the first time in 1988 to look around, on the first morning I was here, I looked at those very same mountains, and said to myself, "I think I would like to live here," Just over 25 years later, I am still here, and have always lived where I could see "my mountains".

This time, as Joel pointed out, we were looking from the "other side" from Cranbrook and what a spectacular, humbling experience it was. No wonder I stayed here.

After enjoying a mountain breakfast of scrambled eggs, sausages, toast and coffee prepared by Jim with Mark as "overseer", we went up to a higher level from where we were and looked far and away at "the back" of Fisher Peak and the Steeples.

Justin (Jim's nephew and assistant)

Joel, Brian, Justin and I walked up while Jim drove Bill, Mark, Ron, and Gordon in an ATV.

Then, because of my bragging about the two times in my life when I was on a horse, it was time to visit the corral to meet Winston. Justin looked after the visit. To be honest Winston did not like me very much -- for some reason, horses, (ponies) don't, although Cinammon, one of the ranch dogs became my instant buddy.  However, for the historical record, Joel did manage to get a photo of me with Winston. Joel was official photographer.

What a wonderful place to spend some moments with good friends, for some laughter, good food, fellowship and spectacular scenery. Thanks so much guys and here are some familiar words from "Climb Every Mountain".

"Climb every mountain,
Search high and low,
Follow every byway,
Every path you know.

Climb every mountain,
Ford every stream,
Follow every rainbow,
'Till you find your dream."

May all climb their mountain and find their dream!  My email is mj.morris@live.ca