June 14, 2008

FRUSTRATED AT THE FLYING J
Fueling up at the Flying J Truck stop proved to be quite a challenge. The diesel pump would not give us more than $75 worth before it shut off. After a couple of times of starting over and only getting to $75 each time, Lamont went inside with her credit card and they told her we could now pump $200 worth before it stopped. Not good enough. We have a 150-gallon tank. Totally frustrated with this crazy rule we stopped fueling and the Flying J was the loser. We also needed to top up the coolant. This is the result of a slow coolant leak that we discovered just a couple of days before we left on the road trip. We were told it was a 20-hour job to take off the head gasket and replace the seal. We didn't have 20 hours to spare so we decided to gamble and hope that, with a little top up now and again, it would take us 14,000 kms. We struggled for half an hour to get the radiator cap off. Lamont used her damsel in distress look to summon a trucker who turned it off with little effort. It took only two cups. The trucker left and we struggled to get the cap back on again. Easier than taking it off but not an easy task.

THE ROAD TO CRANBROOK, BRITISH COLUMBIA

On the road at last, we headed towards our next event in Cranbrook, British Columbia.

The scenery was spectacular. Snow capped mountains. Green foothills. Big blue skies and white fluffy clouds. We had a picnic lunch just before Frank, Alberta. We stopped at the location of the Frank slide and Crowsnest Pass.

We dropped in at Fernie Home Building Centre in Fernie, British Columbia, to see Heather and Walter Ingram. Heather and Walter are friends we met at the Home Hardware Market in St.Jacobs, Ontario.