Im-pressed

As time goes by ....
We think it was 1980, 30 years ago, when we packed up Ian’s Chev panel van with our deluxe camping equipment — a Coleman stove, some rudimentary dishes, a mattress and sleeping bags — to head out on the road.
We stayed at the Lions Campground in Neepawa, Man., for one night on that trip and tossed coins at the base of the weir on the Whitemud River, wishing for exactly what we’ve enjoyed all these years.
On this trip, we pulled in late on a Thursday evening. By Friday morning, we had some old friends to see.
One of them was the weir and with some coins, we did it all again.
Ian started his journalism career with the Neepawa Press, which still publishes today. In those days, Jack Huxley was the publisher and one of the owners who hired Ian straight out of Red River Community College in Winnipeg as a green reporter.
“You were the best reporter we ever had,” Jack said more than a few times over coffee at the Neepawa Golf Course. Ian blushed, protested and then simply gave up and enjoyed the praise.