Homeland Security Detects Border Crossing

Crossing into Canada (You’d think you were in another country or the UP eh!)

Wow, August 3 and we made the border just 40 mile north of Burlington, VT. Just think, we could have driven north from Boise about 240 miles and been in Canada but instead we drove across the country and then went north for a different Canada. The maritime provinces. Guess Quebec isn’t really a maritime province but New Brunswick, Prince Edward Isle, Labrador, and Nova Scotia are. We have a Labrador so no need to ferry out to that northern island but will see the rest.

I had all the passports, dog vaccinations, and vehicle insurance forms at the ready in the truck. As I neared the front of the line with only one car in front of me I was feeling rather like the international traveler I used to be.

Then the border guard came out and said something that I thought was turn off my lights, which I did. Then he muttered again and I turned lights back on. Then he said to turn off the engine, as the rattler was making so much noise under the canopy that he couldn’t hear the people in front of me explaining that they were refugees from NY importing explosives into Quebec. So by the time I got to his window he was a bit pissed (pisseur, in French) and no amount of apologies could appease him. I figured I would be subject to a probing strip search at the least. But the planets were aligned and we escaped with a good day, eh! I promised to strip search my wife in return for his blessing of our travels.

Now to figure out how many miles per hour 90 kilometers per hour are and how many liters in a gallon. Maybe I don’t want to know. Good thing they speak French up here in Quebec Province as I am highly conversant in it. Bon Jour, Sa veh, Merci, Oui Oui is about all that is coming back right now. But it will come back fast. All that work in the former French colonies in Africa will come in handy now. Canadian money is now close to par to US dollars so there are no sales up here for Suzy. But the money is "pretty".

We are planning three days in Montreal, three days in Quebec City and then three days along the St Lawrence Seaway (Fleuve Saint-Laurent) before turning inland to New Brunswick and working our way to the Atlantic shores of PEI and NS.

Oh Canada, Oh Canada, tum tum tum tummm taa daaaa etc. and then something about the Queen………