My first priority this morning, as I drove, was to get gas. I almost didn't make it in time, but found a small village. Phew. While filling up I noticed one of my tires was really low. By the time I got to Saskatoon It was almost flat again! Luckily I was only a minute away from a Kal-Tire store and they were able to patch it right away for $15. Phew.

    So with the tire patched, I parked and got out the bike. It was an awesome day out today. 29 degrees C and sunny! I spent the next 2 hours exploring this wonderful city. Lots of people were out and about, smiling down the sidewalks. The vibes here are good.

    As I rode near the University, I found a large mound of dirt with 2 smaller mounds beside it. These smaller mounds worked perfect for a nice big set of double jumps. I tested it and gradually got the nerve to bomb the gap, probably 10-15 feet wide. Done! That's the largest gap I've done yet and it was a blast.

    I headed back to the truck and had some time still, so I found a nice little coffee shop, read, and enjoyed an iced mocha.

    Now to find a campground. I drove a while to Wilkie, a very small town, no more than 2000 people for sure. I was able to find a campground in the town's park for $15. No one has been around yet though to pick up the money. Haha. And I am the only one here.

    I wanted to watch the sun set tonight, but hedges and trees were blocking the view. The only way to see the horizon was to climb onto the roof of the shower building. It worked. There wasn't much of a sun set, but the sun did turn a clear, cherry red. The clouds hardly lit up at all. Strange.

    The warm evening defiantly didn't carry through the night and I woke up shivering. I'm surprised I haven't caught a cold yet. Haha.

    I drove through farm land and small towns for about 4 hours till I reached Sylvan Lake, Alberta. I was originally going to go to Edmonton and then south through BC, but then my friend Scott Seelhof said I should visit him instead, in Sylvan Lake. So that was the plan, but after calling I found out he was way down south in Texas for work training. I decided to go to Sylvan Lake anyway, and tomorrow I'll go back to see Eric in Calgary.

    So I got to Sylvan Lake and it was a nice sunny day. Sylvan Lake is a nice little town built around a portion of a lake, very touristy in the summer I'd imagine but not so much right now. There's a long beach front and many big houses. I explored on my bike hoping to find something to ride, but found none. Non the less, the city was nice to look at. Later on in the evening I ate at a place called Pete's On The Beach. Excellent food.

    Just outside of the city is Jarvis Bay Provincial Park, where I'm camping for the night. Dense forest and vegetation separate each camp site. There are trails along the lake and a few places to swim. From the shore is an easily seen view of Sylvan Lake.

    I think tonight I'll be able to finnish reading Slaughter House Five, so I'll be anxious to find something new once in Calgary.

    I did finnish Slaughter House Five and it was great! If anyone wants a good book, pick it up. Before I left Sylvan Lake I stopped at Spinnaker's Coffee Bar for a green tea chai and a bagel. The chai was one of the best I've had, and a first of that kind.

    Then it was off to Airdrie to visit my Aunt Nancy and the kids, Johnny and Ben. My Uncle Pat was working. I stayed for lunch and had a good chat with Nancy.

    Now to Calgary to drop in on my buddy Eric again. He wasn't aware I was coming, and when I arrived he was drinking a beer outside in the sun. Sounds about right. :P Haha. Jaime was home too and Bob came home later. Sylvia was out of town.

    Bob and Sylvia have a puppy now. Awww! It's a rotty/black lab and is very cute, but doesn't listen well yet.

    We went to Forbes pub for pizza and beer, and then to Moose McGuire's for more beer. The people we met up with throughout the night were Cory and Sabrina, Sean, Darren, Lance, and 3 others. Mostly the people that I was around the first time through. I also met Eric's new sweetheart, Debbie. She baked us cookies!!! Nice!