Thursday, 21 May 2009.  I woke to a mostly cloudy skies and no idea of how chilly it may be.  Now for some breakfast and then to load the car and get on the way a the Alcan Highway.  The breakfast as with the day before was excellent and almost too much.  I can’t recommend the Sunset Farm B&B enough to you. 

I had to back to Dawson Creek and swung around the round about which marked milepost zero and headed up the Alcan.  I quickly found that the milepost were not well marked and one had to really look to see them so much for the tourist industry.  A number of the milepost were missing.  They were either taken as souvenirs are knocked down and never replaced.  The highlight of the trip north was going on the old Alaskan Highway and taking the curved wooden bridge that was built in 1943. 

I continue to leisurely drive up the road occasionally stopping to take a photograph.  

The day abruptly plummeted into the abyss when I got to Fort St. John.  First, was the lack of milepost’s.  I mentioned this to the information office, who sympathized, and mentioned they had received other complaints.  Obviously, complaints are not to be taken seriously nor fixed. 

I went out to Charlie Lake.  At that point I found out I could not turn off the car.  There was a GM dealer in town and I drove there.  Some 7 hours later and 500 plus dollars poorer I drove out with a jury rigged ignition system which allowed me to turn the car on and off.  The alternative would have been to wait six days for the parts.  I still would have had to pay for everything and try and get my money back when I got home. 

I now have a hot wired toggle switch, actually two toggles, ignition system.  The mechanic feels this will hold me until I get home.  I hope so. 

I checked out the local Super 8 Motel.  They wanted $185 Canadian for the night.  This is an oil town.  Nobody pays for their own bills.  They are all charged to the company.  One of the ladies at the dealership mentioned a hotel that had a special.  I found a hotel and did get a night’s room for only $99.  It was very nice room.  Unfortunately, the front desk did not know how to set the alarm and I overslept. 

One nice saying was that the ethernet connection allowed me to send mail directly from my Outlook Express rather than having to transfer everything over to Gmail. 

I finally crashed out at the end of a long and aggravating day.

Thursday, 7 May 2009. I sort of slept in.  It was a beautiful day both sunny and pleasantly warm.  A puttered about doing some e-mail.  As I wasn’t immediately driving off into the distance, I went across the way it had an actual breakfast.  After getting slightly organized I got my car and headed over to Robin’s horse farm.  It was an easy 30 minute drive.

The day continued to be warm and mostly sunny.  Robin and introduced me to her companion John and then showed me about the farm.  They have about 40 horses on their farm.  While we were walking about the farm John let the horses out of their winter grazing area and into a grassy paddock.  The horses were most happy to get out there.  They have about 90 minutes early for being herded back into their regular area.

Once the horses were back Robin cut Speckle from the herd and brought him into the stable.  I helped her brush the dust from his coat and gave would assistance I could as she put the saddle and other goodies on the horse.  As songs are not the best shoes to wear while riding a horse, I dug out my hiking boots which barely sufficed.

This was my first time on an English saddle not to mention riding a thoroughbred.  We then spent the next I’ll work with Robin trying to get me to do the proper things.  I worked up a good sweat, I didn’t fall off the horse and Robin didn’t scream.  Oh yes, the war seemed to have survived the episode uninjured mentally or physically.  I’m not sure I can say the same about myself. 

After turning the horse out with the other horses and Robin and I nattered away for a little bit longer.  I then headed back to my motel stopping off along the way to get gas for the car and some Pizza Hut pizza for me.  I also get into a discussion with the waitress with her life.

Back at the motel I sorted my stuff out so I could get on the road fairly quickly the next morning.  I had to be up at 6 a.m. and have a reasonably fast drive to Fargo.  A generic ambien tablet helped me sleep the night away.

This country will not be a permanently good place for any of us to live in unless we make it a reasonably good place for all of us to live in. -Theodore Roosevelt, 26th US President (1858-1919)

I pronounce the Cubs FINISHED!  As long as the Cubs’ Organization ignores my request for tickets to a Cubs’ World Series, I’m more than willing to pay for them, the Cubs will NOT get to the Series!  –  The reason I want the tickets is for “Closure.”  I was there at Wrigley Field in 1945 for Game 5 of the World Series.  I would like to return there for another World Series.  I have suffered pain, loss, tragedy, etc. for 63 years & counting.  –  THE CURSE OF THE WOMBAT IS NOW ON THE HEADS OF THE CUBS’ ORGANIZATION!  I HAVE SPOKEN! [It actually began in 84 when they first dissed me.]

I’m including this under SF as the thought of the Cubs winning a World Series is classic fantasy.  –  Okay, I haven’t looked at the score from last night’s game.  My prediction, and I hope, I’m worng, is the Cubs will lose the first two games, win the 3rd and lose the 4th and the playoff series.  –  Now to go and look [a slight cringe here].  –  Oh yes, I’ve been a suffering Cubs fan forever.  I did, in fact, attend one of the World Series games in 1945!  –  Sigh!  I was correct.  They did lose.