Disaster en-route to Maple Creek

Saturday 14th June
After the goodbyes I was off with a tail wind from Medicine Hat to Maple Creek. M H has its own natural gas which was discoverd about 100 years ago. I was belting along and it was fairly flat. Early evening I stopped at Eagle Way Camp Site. I wanted to make it to Maple Creek so I looked in my back pack for Janice's book re camping and then I remembered that I had transferred the book into a front pannier. I put the back pack on the grass to read the book. I was 8kms from Eagle Way C S when I realised that I had not picked up my B P!! I about turned to face a severe head wind but cycled as fast as I could. I checked the ground where I had left it - but there was no sign of it . I belted to the office to ask if it had been handed in. Sadly, no. In it were all my personal papers, Meg's camera I was using to record part of the journey and using as a video diary (there was some good footage in it) my flight home ticket and Penny's, my insurance policy and lots of cards I had collected from friends along the way with contact numbers (sorry to those whose cards I had as I won't be able to get in touch) and also my very best rain coat. It is difficult to explain how I felt at this point. The thief who took it will know that Grannymave is cycling across canada as all that inf was in it. Perhaps he is able to read my blogs if so "you are a RAT" I cycled to a camp sit at Maple Creek where the owner listened to my tail of woe. He was sorry for me and phoned the police. It has not turned up. I was the only camper that night as everyone there had an RV that seemed to be without people!! Just as I was about to nod off the RV's came alive to the sound of music. There was great merriment. It was Saturday night after all. On top of this, the freight train came thundering through with horn blasting WOOH WOOH. The trains were passing through every half hour blasting away. It was impossible to sleep. I was amazed Maple Creek had any residents!!