Today, we went in all different directions, Guzettas, Fontaines, Hazeltons and Eldertons to Kimberly for the accordian festival (report was that it was great), Meneelys and Days to Radium Hot Springs, and Jones, Richards, 'wilkinsons to Lake Louise. Rices meandered around on their own. We had Model A's going every which way and kept crossing paths, (fortunately as it turned out). In Radium Hot Springs, Jays crankshaft pulley broke off into three pieces. We got on the cel phone and contacted the Kimberly group, which as luck would have it were at some deceased gentlemens house looking at Model A and Model T parts. (You know how Ray makes friends, so that story first). They were eating breakfast in a restaurant, and Ray saw a picture on the wall of a Model T and a man called Ed Mills. So Ray asked the cook, is Ed Mills still around? Oh, yeah, go to the stop sign, and straight ahead 3 klics down the road, ehhh.  They found two beautiful 1940 Fords in the front yard. Asked the young girl in the front yard for Ed, reply, "he's been dead for 10 years!!" But the place now belonged to Eds brothers widow, Heidi, and there are boxes of car parts laying around everywhere, these 2 guys left quite a mess for Heidi. So pretty soon they are going through the boxes looking for a pulley. When none was found, they called another brother-in-law in Cranbrook and found one. Ray went off to Cranbrook to get the pulley, and Heidi made lunch for the group. As Chuck said this evening, "we're all family now."  It is Heidi's daughter Carolyn's birthday Friday, so how about everyone sending her a birthday email and thanking her for taking good care of the Model A group. Email is auri77@msn.com

Meanwhile, back in Radium, Bob has found a welding shop back down the road in Invermere, so just to cover all the bases in case the pulley does not fit, down the road to Invermere lickety split. Noel looks at it and says "Yeaahh, I can fix it, come back this afternoon." ]"Can we wait?" "No, these things take time, call before you come back." We don't argue with the only welder in town and back up the road to Radium for lunch. Sure enough, about 2:00, the part is finished, so one more green roadster run down the road to Invermere. By this time, people must be wondering why this green roadster is (driving up and down route 95.

About this time, the group from Kimberly arrived with the pulley. It sits 1/2" forward of the old one, so we elect to go with the welded one and keep the new one for a spare, as it could be used in a real pinch. Just as we are wrapping up, a couple cowboys came along and inquired whether we still needed a part. (How news travels) They knew a man in Windermere who also has Model A parts. We allowed as how we were okay, and Ray and Bob ended up talking to them about elk and grizzly bears, (too damn many now that the pencil pushers are protecting them). The one gentleman has a cousin missing a part of his butt, the other knows someone missing part of a hand, both to grizzlies, so they don't have many romantic thoughts about grizzlies.

Finally, off to Banff for Meneelys, Days, and Eldertons, and off to Golden for Hazletons, Guzzettas and Fontaines. We hope to hook back up in Lake Louise tomorrow for lunch. Coming thru Kootenay Park, saw a moose and a herd of bighorn sheep.

Had dinner tonight at Wild Bill's Legendary Saloon in Banff, they even had a foot stomping band, so we danced a jig or too.

Hope you are all having as much fun reading these as we are recounting the days events. Can't send pics until Calgary.

We are thinking about our "kids" and wonder if they really understand how much fun a bunch of ole people can have traveling together day after day.

Good night,stay tuned more adventures later.
the traveling A's