Day 5

Lady luck has smiled on us again. Martha made it out here this morning, though we had to run 200 miles down to Calgary to fetch her. Unfortunately, she immediately reasserted her fickleness when we discovered that our gas cap was missing. Fortunately, we'd last bought gas just across the road, so we drove over to the station. Unfortunately, somebody had claimed Scott's cap by mistake. Fortunately, they offered him another one which we could have if it fit. And it did. Unfortunately, we didn't realize until too late that it was a *locking* gas cap. Fortunately, we quickly located a locksmith who freed the cap and made some keys for it. Well, it's all part of the adventure.

As I type this, we're northbound once again, en roue (hopefully) to NW Alberta. It's a windy afternoon, and the termperature is obviously on the way down. Tough day for playing golf, but that's not deterring Alberta's duffers. And they have plenty of choices as to where to send their balls sailing away. Nearly every exit or turnoff so far has boasted a course, even the rural areas. I'm starting to miss my sticks. With my luck, though, I'd probably keep slicing it off into the oil fields. There are automated pumps EVERYWHERE here: in farm fields and front yards, in town squares and shopping center parking lots. The Edmonton Oilers' nickname has become more significant.

Another amusing sight: a real, live Mr. Bean car (an Austin mini) puttering down highway 19. The driver didn't look anything in the least like Roland Atkinson., but the possibilities for a "Mr. Bean Goes Camping" episode are staggering.

Stopped in the small town of Onoway for some gas. On the way out, we saw a sign for the Hungry Hunter Cafe, "Food so fresh, you have to slap it."