Wednesday 22.2 miles, 41,114 steps

Saturday 14.5 miles, 24,714 steps

Wednesday was an interesting day in that someone forgot to charge the radios!!!(walkie-talkies)...out in the middle of nowhere with no cell service, like a lot of other experiences it brings home the significance and importance of clear communications, CLARITY IS A GOOD THING!!!...we made it to and through Castlegar with little incident...one thing I had to chuckle over was the biker from outside of Edmonton, about five bikes passed me with one lagging behind, initially I thought engine trouble, the tier hoped off his bike and looked both ways and proceeded to answer natures screams!!!, by this time I was almost next to him and I yelled over "when ya gotta go ya gotta go!!!", Harry F thought that was a bit funny and after the job was complete we started a conversation, turns out he was originally form Souris and played football against the Brandon Krugers, he got out in '79, while my last year at Neelin was '72, he had worked on the CPR as did I so we had a little bonding moment, he dug into his pocket and handed me a handful of coins 4 toonies, 3 loonies, 10 quarters, 9 dimes, 3 nickels and 5 pennies, he indicated that this would somewhat lighten his load, nice contribution to Habitat for Humanity...one of the things that has impressed me about this trip is the friendliness of the people I bump into along the way, "Gotta Go Harry" is just one of many, genuinely nice people, THANKS HARRY!!!...since Castlegar is the home of my under-paid pilot car driver I decided to give her three days off (with triple pay, of course!!!) so my baby brother Bob gave me a hand today...yesterday the coach was taken to Columbia Truck Centers in Castlegar to see what the issue with the cab A/C was, as it turns out it is one of many things in a long line of blatant dishonesty, that said the guys at Columbia ere EXTREMELY professional and very helpful, Scott going well beyond the extra mile in getting the brake lights back in order at NO CHARGE!!!, I know a few people who would be well served to take lessons from Scott, THANK YOU, SIR!!!...just as I was leaving  bumped into one of the Chambers truck drivers who give me a tune on his horn each time he passes me, Dan McDonald, nice guy...looks like I may be out of Chambers territory as I did not see one of their trucks today...tomorrow is another day off for the driver (with pay, of course!!!) while our walker has a massage and a date with the car-wash and some tar-remover!!!...Monday will be back on the road until the coach gets moved down the road...some parting words of wisdom, since some of the grades get rather steep on the upgrades I came up with a little cadence that seems to flatten them out just a wee bit: "I don't know but I've been told Key West Florida's but a little stroll, left, left, left, right, left" repeat several times until the hill has been conquered!!! (operative term being SEVERAL!!!)...cheers from just west of Salmo, BC