National Adult Literacy Database

October 22, 2001

This week, we have a story written by Earl Atwater, from Rocky Mountain House, Alberta. Earl was born in a little town near Stettler, Alberta in the 1920’s. When his father took up a homestead in the “Dirty 30’s”, his family moved to the Rocky Mountain House area. Earl’s family was very poor and life was hard during those times. There was no opportunity to go to school as Earl had to stay home to help his family do the farm work. He never learned how to read and write. He grew up, raised a family of his own and enjoyed his life. When he was 70 years old, he decided it was time to finally come to terms with his inability to read. He was retired and now had the time to devote to learning full time. A good friend encouraged him to go to the local literacy program in Rocky Mountain House. Earl's tutor Marilyn has also helped him learn how to use a computer. Now he enjoys learning new things every day. Earl says that it is never too late to learn and anyone can do it at any age. He tells his story to others to show them that with literacy, anything is possible.

A Memorable Bike Trip

by Earl Atwater

Back in 1989 our daughter, Ruth Ann, and son-in- law, Paul, lived in Fort Saskatchewan. I told Paul that I was going to come and see him some day on my bicycle. Paul said, "Oh, yes, Dad, that is a long ways to come on a bicycle." I lived at Crimson Lake. "Well, I am going to try it some day!"

Well, that day came in the middle of July that year. Early one morning I started out on my bike. I thought I would make it as far as Buck lake the first day. Along the way I would see a deer or two. They would look at me as if to say ‘he is going almost as fast as we go.’

I made good time to Buck Lake so I thought I would keep on going to Wetaskiwin. About two miles out of Buck Lake my bike pedal seized up so I rode on with only one pedal the next two or three miles to a little country store named Pendryl. It was an old-fashioned store. The owner took me out to his garage and found me some oil to free the pedal and then I was on my way again.

I stopped for lunch beside the road and rested awhile. This route has a lot of hills and I still had the Winfield hill ahead of me. When I got to that hill I had to use my last gear. I had an eighteen-speed mountain bike. But when I got to the top I had a free ride down hill. At one time I was going 55 miles per hour. This free ride down compensated for the long hard drag up the hill. Now my next stop was Ma-Me-O Beach. I had friends there. But when I got to Me-Me-O Beach there was no one home, so I rested awhile on their sun porch. Then, on my way to Wetaskiwin. I thought I should get there about 7 o’clock. Once more I stopped along the way to have a bite to eat from the lunch my wife packed for me in my saddlebag. Then I proceeded on to Wetaskiwin, arriving a little after 7 o’clock.

I went to my sister’s place, but nobody was home there either. So I went over to my brother-in-law Ernie where I stayed overnight. This was a long day. I had gone over 50 miles further than I planned on going. That first day I pedalled my bike over 100 miles. Well, I really slept good that night.

I woke up early the next morning, had a good breakfast at Ernie’s and then I started out for Fort Saskatchewan. Now I am on the old number 2 Highway. Traffic is heavier now. I stopped by the roadside to eat the remainder of the lunch my wife had packed. I carried two bottles of water with me all the time. Now I was on my way to Nisku and crossed over to Beaumont and then to Highway 21.

I was out of the hills now and making good time. At a little place near Sherwood Park I had my first coffee and a bite to eat. I rested quite a while here as this was about noon and my last stop before Fort Saskatchewan.

About twenty miles from the Fort I met Paul coming in to Edmonton. Well, we were both surprised to meet each other on the highway. He told me that Ruth was working so there was no one home. Paul gave me the key to the house and said they would both be home later. I arrived at their home at 2:30 p.m.

On the weekend, Paul and I drove to Edmonton and went to a car and truck auction sale. My other son-in-law, Gery, also drove up from Red Deer to this auction sale. Here I bought a pickup truck. Now I had an easier ride home with the bike in the back of the new truck. However, I did enjoy my 293 km bike trip!

(Editor's note: Earl, now 75, was about 63 when he made this bike trip.)

[This story was taken with permission, from Word Ways, published by Literacy Alberta, Spring 2001.]