June 10, 09

6-10-09

Today started off with trouble. First the hot water heater wouldn't light in our motor home, it happened before and it's happening again, no idea what is causing the problem, I will have to take it somewhere for repair.

Pat, one of our traveling group woke this morning in severe pain, nothing we could do seemed to help. We called an ambulance, it was 2 1/2 hrs away. Her husband drove her in the motor home and met the ambulance half way to the city of Watson Lake. She is in the hospital there waiting to be flown by air ambulance to Whitehorse where they have better equipment to treat her. We don't know what the problem is, but she has a history of blood clots. Her husband left in their motor home to travel to the White Horse Hospital. We all wish her well but her condition seems serious. Margaret rode with her and her husband to Watson Lake.

I drove the 128 miles to Watson Lake by myself. I missed by co-pilot very much and hope not to travel any long distances by myself again. On the way we saw two groups of buffalo and one small bear running along side the road. Unfortunately my co-pilot photographer was missing so we didn't get pictures.

After they left for the hospital, I found the battery in the Honda was again dead. We were finally able to jump start it and get on the road. In order to tow it, it has to be started and run through the gears and then run in neutral for a few minutes, this is to prevent damage to the transmission when it is towed.

All the phones in the area were dead when we first arrived, at the hospital even their satellite phones were dead.