The Tale of the Wayward Traveller.
-A tale of modern intrigue and adventure told in 147 volumes.-

Available at good bookstores everywhere.

It was a cold and stormy night. The carriage bumped and swayed along the rutted trail. It's destination the lonely castle high on the crag many miles from the nearest village.
(Well, actually it was a bright and hot afternoon. My car was traveling Canada hwy 1 eastbound to attend the Spokane WA Highland Games. I had just passed Abbotsford.)

The driver sat huddled and wrapped in a great cloak, the collar pulled high to ward off the pelting rain. His hands grasping the reins barely able to control the huge, black stallions pulling the carriage. Their breath forming clouds of mist and their manes plastered to their necks.
(ok, ok, I had the window down, tunes on the radio and was munching trail mix as the car cruised down the highway at a leisurely 100kph.)

Suddenly, from the hedgerows at the side of the track appeared a group of dark and hooded men. They brandished firearms and long swords, which glistened from the rain, as the moon peaked from behind a cloud. The driver at first took no notice of the men and it seemed he intended to run them down. At the last moment he reined in the horses and as the carriage came to a halt he pulled his own weapon from under his cloak.
(Actually it started with a slight hesitation in the engine that brought my years of test flying to attention and I started to make the scan. Scan the road, scan the traffic, scan everything else outside the car which may be a hazard. Then begin the interior scan. First the instrument panel. There it is, the Temp gauge climbing higher by the second.)



To the Spokane Highland Games Committee, To Greg Roth who kindly invited me, to the others who offered to help me, offered friendship, and were awaiting me at the games my humble apologies. I blew a water pump and limped to the next exit. While awaiting the engine to cool I called my wife. She checked the ferry schedule, and because this is a holiday long weekend (BC Day) I found I was probably not going to make it home. So I searched by memory and found I was a few miles away from a cheap motel I had stayed at a few years ago.
Knowing I was not getting home I thought of dinner when I remembered that fellow X Marker Big Mikey lives just a few miles back down the road. So, says I, dinner and company, what a deal. Thank goodness for cell phones. In just a couple of minutes I had an offer of dinner and a place to stay that wouldn't add to the credit card bill.
To Mike and his wonderful wife Shelly a huge thank you. Your invitation to your home and offer of a place to sleep were far and above the call. Top it off with the time spent on your patio with a dram and it turned a disappointment into and enjoyable evening.

I finally made it home this afternoon. The car will go into the shop at 8:30 tomorrow morning. The Spokane Games start at 9:00. Not even a Wizard can make that happen.

The end of this story is that to Greg Roth I say, I owe you one. You expected me at your games and I let you down. I am truly sorry.
To Big Mikey and Shelly, a huge Thank you.
Is this forum great or what? I have made so many friends here.

To the rest of you, thank you for your patience with my little story. It was just my way of publicly apologizing and thanking.