The very very last day

After a great breakfast we are off to Sherwood Park and the Westboro Elementary School for our "second to last" presentation. In front of a gym, full of students, we do our best to promote literacy and tell a few stories and poems. The students are great and we have a surprise gift for one of the teachers. Helen and David's daughter in law (Allison's mom), Jenny, is on maternity leave and has come to listen to our story telling. At the end of our presentation we give her a book about mom's love and how much they love their babies. First, Grandpa David reads it out loud to the assembled students. He bought the book while on tour in Prince George with the thought of giving it to Jenny and Allison. After our presentation the kids crowd around Jenny to see Allison and the pictures in the book but we are off down the road for our last stretch of highway that needs to be travelled in this tour.

At the junction of Highway 14 and 21 Alan gets on his bike and heads off east. Helen and David drive forward to the junction of 14 and 833. Secondary Road 833 is new and the pavement is smooth. Helen jumps on her bike and in no time has crested the small rise in the road leaving David to wait for Alan to arrive. Before David can listen to one episode of Afgananda on CBC radio there is Alan! "Mr Zoom - Zoom" of cyclers.

Off we go to catch up to Helen, which we do just at the Camrose Hutterite Colony. At that point David decides to ride, but instead of taking his bike out of the van he decides to ride Helen's bike! Big mistake - it's a great bike for Helen but the frame is too small for David and it will proof to be the last time he ever rides her bike.



We have agreed to meet the Camrose City Police on the edge of the city. From this point until Chester Ronning School, in the heart of Camrose, we will have a police escort. Very cool! One squad car in front and one following us with Lights flashing. Officer Matt asks how fast we want to travel but I'm sure his speedometer can not go that slow because it is the fastest 10 km we ride! By the time we get to the school we have had a very good work out! I have a vision of a Camrosian wondering why the police are chasing the cyclers down the highway.

We have arrived at the school before the students are ready for us so the vice principle asks us to disappear for fifteen minutes. We escape to Alan and Ruth Ford's deck for a quick glass of ice tea. Then it's back to the school and what a reception they have planned for us. We are treated like heroes which is a very humbling experience. This is our home school, our children attended this school and we greatly enjoy having the opportunity to return something to the school and teachers who helped our children learn.

Thank You Chester Ronning!

Alan David and Helen display the map with all the places they have stopped along Highway 16 over the past two tours.

The trip is over for 2007. Thinking has already started for next year as there may be chapter three. Stay tuned.