Going Coastal

My last few days have been the best riding days since Cape Breton. I left Halifax 2 days ago and when I arrived at Barrington, I slipped onto NS #3 and rode up the coast to Yarmouth. That was a nice change from the busy port towns near Halifax. The next day saw rain, but I went ahead and took NS #1 following the coastline. Yeah, it was raining but it was a gentle, warm rain and the country road was all mine. By the time the rain had stopped, I’d landed in smooth and curving country lanes. This is biker country. Not quite as busy as the south side but definitely attractive to a 2-wheeler. Stayed on #1 all the way to Windsor and after negotiating a few changes, I took secondary Hwy 215. What a beauty. It continued to follow the Bay of Fundy to Truro where I swung to Hwy #2 so I could hug Fundy some more along her north side. This was even more enjoyable.

I’ve been hard on her, but I give credit where credit is due. The contrast of colours of red mud from the Fundy’s receding tide, notably the highest in the world, lush greenery in the Annapolis valley, and fresh blacktop all combined to serve me a 5-star helping of fun. Follow Fundy if you’re biking. You won’t regret it.

Report Card #2

It's raining this morning in Yarmouth, NS so I thought I should delay my departure for as long as possible as it should clear up later on. What to do? Hey, I know: report card time.

The Glide and I've been on the road now for 48 days, over 9,510 kms, and through 8 provinces. So what does it all look like:


* Food: EXCELLENT
Strangely, I've not had one, that's right, not one steak since my last report card. But, as any of you following the blog have read, food continues to be outstanding with a wide distribution of my hosts' specialties: perch, ribs, chicken, mussels, lobster, cod, scallops, pork tenderloin, ... all with their own blend of flavours and spices. I was even tempted a few times to ask them to let me lick a skillet or two.

* Facilities: EXCELLENT
Again, my hosts have made my stays very comfortable.

* Roads: FAIR
Construction hold-ups have not been overly bothersome but I did issue one post regarding the road conditions in Cape Breton. Not to single out Cape Breton, the Gaspe peninsula had its share of rough roads as does lower Nova Scotia. These places need not be concerned on speed limits as the road conditions take care of that. More signage warning of the upcoming war zones would be good. The odd sign indicating a hwy # in Nova Scotia would be helpful as well.

* Bike: EXCELLENT
What can I say about my Glide. The reliability factor has been 100% this month. The mild power upgrades have proven their worth countless times when a quick pass was needed. I decided to "push" her a little leaving the Gaspe and entering NB, just needed to let her know who's boss.

* Cost: GOOD
Staying on budget; a true testament to my (over)budgeting capabilities

* Weather: EXCELLENT
I've been gone 48 days and have actually been delayed only 1 day as a result of rain, rerouted my plans once due to rain, and have been caught in rain while riding 3 days. Fog has been a bit of an issue on the NS coast but nothing unmanageable. Another noteworthy point is while in southern Ontario for at least 2.5 wks, not once did we get one of "those" storms.

* Company: OVERWHELMING
This continues to be the home run of this trip.

* Converting Non-Believers: POOR
Little success here. In fact I've never seen so many foreign HD clones. Can't understand why you would buy a look-alike when the real deal is sooo much better.

* Team Recruitment: BELOW AVERAGE
Not doing so well in this area. I will follow the advice posted on a reply and focus my attention on curves, road curves that is.

Report Card #2 has me passing along with flying colours. I've turned the corner in south-east Nova Scotia so as I've replied in a post, I'm officially beginning the return leg of this trip. Only another 7000 or 8000 kms to go. I'll be in NS for another day or two and then I'll be heading to Fredericton to meet up with Deb, George, and Sam.

Mort, Peggy, & Me

A few pictures that require some words for context. The top photo is a photo of Mort and the signature shot of Peggy's cove. Blink as you're walking by and you'll miss this tiny but classic scene. I would have if Mort had not pointed it out. It always helps to have a "local" with you.

The second shot was taken in Mort's kitchen.

The 3rd picture is a memorial for Swissair Flight 111 which crashed within sight of Peggy's Cove. I was drawn to the site and in an odd twist of fate, if you click on the picture to expand it, you'll note the reference to "Sea to Sky".

I left Halifax this morning with a sense of satisfaction of having had the opportunity to catch up with Mort. We last spoke in 1978 as I was graduating and heading off to Montreal to work. Since then, we've never been in contact. The short time we spent together this time around has reaffirmed my judgment of character. Still the same good-natured man, full of energy and ideas. See you in Red Deer sometime Mort.

By the way, if anyone reading this has a yen for Gilbert & Sullivan, Mort's your man. Them be "his Harley", if you know what I mean.

Halifax

Landed in Halifax on Monday. My destination here was to arrive at Mort's home near the downtown area. Mort is one of my professors from my Lakehead U. days, some 35 years ago. Thanks to google maps, I've been able to get to everyone's home so far but Halifax was going to be a challenge. These very old cities weren't built with a municipal (road) development plan in mind so I had discussed the best approach over the phone with Mort. On the outskirts of town, I met up with a local biker and asked him for directions. He said: "... Easy. Follow me."
I love the biker community.

This particular stop is different from my others. When he was lecturing at Lakehead, Mort gained my respect based not only on his knowledge and intellect, but also on his down to earth attitude. No pretentious, arrogant doctor/professor was he. I even spent one summer working for him at the U as a student researcher. Good memories. We've been doing some serious catching up on family and peers and he's committed to being my guide for the day. We'll be heading to Peggy's Cove this afternoon.

Cape Breton's Shocking Impacts

I was hoping to do a cannonball run to the fortress this morning but in the end, left the island without going as I had hoped. A reaction to the weather but another reason to come back some day. So I need to share something about Cape Breton that I haven't said anything about yet.

I'm a road traveller more than a countryside observer, if you know what I mean. Hard to be watching those beautiful cliffs when you're countersteering at about 30 kph over the recommended cornering speed. One thing you do notice as a rider is the road condition. Now, if I'm busy focussing on scenes I may never see anywhere else in the world, I can be forgiven for not mentioning road conditions. But I'm riding here, so road conditions always jump into my assessment of new areas.

Like the rest of Canada, Cape Breton has its issue with rough roads. However, they've set what I believe is a new standard for the definition of "pot holes". It's not so bad if you stick to the main routes like the TC or the Cabot Trail. But make no mistake should you decide to get away from the main lines: things shore get interesting! Take any secondary highway like Hwy 216 or any such like and road conditions become a significant variable in whether you'll need spinal adjustments, medical attention, automotive repairs, or all of the above. We're not talking about your nominal road depressions here. We're talking about geological anomalies that university students make pilgrimages to in order to develop new theories on impacts caused by the shifting of tectonic plates. These craters can swallow up a small motorhome, never mind an 8 foot HD.

My message to you is this: Cape Bretoners use "BUMP" signs sparingly. Like a sage who says few words but each one of them with deep meaning, pay particular attention to these signs as they also have deep meanings.

I'm just saying, is all.

The Cabot Trail Fix

Maybe you love cheese cake and at some point you find yourself in a cheese cake cafe. What are you going to do? Pretty obvious I would think. You dig in and eat as much of it as you can. So, what if you're a road junkie and you find yourself staring at the motherlode fix. You can't be blamed for making it the day's main event. So it came to happen.

Everybody out here and throughout the country for that matter talks about the Cabot Trail. "Oh, you gotta ride the Trail. And make sure you do it counter-clockwise." How many times had I heard this refrain. This ride had been built up to a point where I was almost expecting to be disappointed. I wasn't.

On this sunny day, the Cabot Trail opened its door and we rolled right in. I meandered around the lazy turns for the first hour and from Ingonish on, it was spectacular. It continued on over the north around Aspy Bay all the way into the west coastline at Pleasant Bay. Cheticamp on the west side has an Acadian flair and lunch was all about a bowl of chowder at Le Gabriel restaurant. Delicious. The day wound up on back roads that eventually led me back to Sydney to spend the evening once again. The Cabot Trail doesn't disappoint, no matter which direction you take it. This fix should last me a while.

The plan for tomorrow is to go to the Louisbourg Fortress before I leave Cape Breton. Weather looks iffy so I'll wait and see what develops.

Silver Is Golden

Raining though it was on Thursday, one more day in PEI wasn't going to be hard to take, not when your gracious hosts decide to treat you to supper and horse racing, trotter style. It was a great spread with the race track right in front of our table.

I did the ususal, contributing steadily to the municipal tax base throughout the evening, that is until it was time to go. That's when I spotted Silver Streak. On his warmup run, he stood out with his silvery colour and right away I bonded with this horse. A silver horse and a silverback. A match that would not let me leave, at least not before I'd seen him whip those standardbreds around him. I looked at the odds and ol' Silver Streak evidently wasn't raising the same energy levels with the other bettors because he was paying out $28 on a $2 bet. I placed the $2 minimum on him to "show". Hey, I'd lost all night and let's face it, this was a sympathy bet.
The damn thing started off in 2nd last place, had moved up to 5th by 1/2 mile, took the lead at the final turn, and finally finished in 3rd place. I felt like like I'd won a million bucks. So I picked up my 70 cents winnings and went home feeling like a wealthy man. The Silver Streak can still deliver.

I had a great time visiting with Judy & Hans in Charlottetown. Good people, plain and simple. We talked some, we played some, we ate good, and we reminisced with old photos of Candace and the Jeffery family. You know, every one of these meetings makes her passing easier to take and moves me more towards being happy to have spent the time together we did. Right on!

This morning (Friday), I sailed out of PEI on the Confederation Ferry and landed in Pictou, NS. I'll spend the night in Sydney and take a ride around the Cabot Trail on Saturday.

Can't Leave Just Yet

Spent another great day on the island with Judy & Hans. We actually went golfing by the sea. The undeniable beauty of the red cliffs surrounding the ocean and green fairways is hard to describe.

My plans were/ are/ could still be to leave tomorrow but it appears that Nova Scotia and PEI will be rained in all day Thursday. Depending on the severity and range of the system, I may have to burden my hosts for an additional day. We'll see in the morning as I intend to ride to the south-east end of the island (Kings County) to take the Wood Islands ferry that lands in Caribou, N.S.

In the meantime, Hans insists we have more steamed mussels for supper and a couple of oyster shooters as well. The man has some serious issues... and trust me, I'm bringing some of these issues back to Red Deer along with their respective remedies for prairie consumption.

Charlottetown

Landed at Judy & Hans' home in Charlottetown Sunday afternoon after going over the 13 km-long Confederation Bridge. I'm happy to be able tell you it wasn't TOO windy. In Pretty Easy Island, we've been eating very well: had some fresh mussels (prepared au jue a la Hans), some oyster shooters, some lobster of course, and some pork tenderloin with chanterelles mushrooms picked by Hans the morning of. Oh, and I believe the menu tonight calls for salmon, scallops, and cod. Steak, who needs steak?

After some time on the north beach, it's easy to understand why you never see PEI plates travelling across the country. This island IS a resort. It's the destination so why would you ever leave in the summertime. Beautiful beaches, lush rolling hills, relative low costs (gasoline currently at $0.98/ l), rich red earth contrasting against the blue sky and dark ocean, and with 135,000 islanders, a relatively small community. Not to mention the diet consisting of foods most of us can only wish to have at some point throughout the year.

I'll be here until Thursday when I will (sadly I'm sure) leave PEI and ferry out to Nova Scotia.

Mercy, Mercy, Mercy

Ended up in Bathurst, N.B. after another good riding day. Oh yes, she's tired and she's dirty. The Glide definitely has limits.

Guess the boy's still got some jam.

Gasp - Eh!

Of course, Candace is with me in spirit always during this voyage. And she appreciated some mornings were just about mounting up and heading out for the ride. Today was "ridin' the Glide" day. About 1.5 hrs after I headed out, I was entering the Gaspe Peninsula and into some of what I've been waiting for. For any riders that may be following this, picture a little Shuswap, a little East Kootenays, a little north Superior, and then throw in an ocean and countless fishing villages with all those colorful homes. An Atlantic scent sets it all off.

It was about the Glide and me. I asked her to pull, she pulled. I asked her to slow, she slowed. I asked her to move over a wee bit, she moved. Everything I asked of her, she did. In fact, I think she wanted more. She gave me all I asked for, and at the end of it all she was still rarin' to go. I may not be as demanding as I once was but the fact is she came through with flying colours.

So, I couldn't find her limits. Am I just getting older and not pushing as hard or, is it her build? I think it's the jugs. Gotta be. Those two 48 inchers pack a lot of oomph when you really need it. Or, it could be the stroke. Never rode one with a 4-3/8" stroke before. Those rods will pull a stump clean out of the ground. It's probably a combination of the two but one can never forget timing. Timing is everything. I'm not even going to get into the (gasp-e) intake. The Glide rides, she rides like the best of them.

Still ... maybe I was a little too easy on her... . I may have to ride her a little harder next time and I'm guessing tomorrow morning is just about mounting up and heading out for the ride.

Frenglish

So, I haven't spoken much french over the last 35-40 years but I like to pride myself in trying to stay somewhat fluent and conversational in my mother tongue. Tonight at a local restaurant in Rimouski, where english is slightly behind Uzbechi as a second language, I was doing my best to "fit" in and speaking what I thought was fairly reasonable francais. Then, as I was settling my bill, the 20 year old blonde waitress said, "Wood you lack too leeve a teep?".

I need lessons.

Cantons de l'Est

Sweet country roads, long twisties, scents like blue cheeze and herbs, vineyards galore, little traffic. That's what the Eastern Townships are like. Hidden to outsiders but well known to Quebecers, you could spend a summer here and while away your time. I barely brushed the canvas, and yet I could sense the countryside. Avoiding Montreal traffic and extending my travel time by one day was a very good decision.
The sweet aromas especially got my attention today, for whatever reason.

Roots

After 55 years on this planet, I finally laid eyes on my paternal grandparents' resting place in St. Mathieu-de-Rioux, Qc. It was a very good moment.

Kingston Pen & Pals

I'm moving to Kingston. I mean, if I ever leave Alberta for another place in Canada, that's where I'm going. What a town, what a hidden gem, and what good people. That last point probably influenced that huge rating I'm giving the place but it really is a gem. All Red Deer-ians would love it for its history and its downtown which goes on forever. John A's buried here and the limestone buildings just beg for attention.

I stayed at Michelle & Bob's, very special Kap people to Candace and I with whom we had wonderful times during our days in Sarnia. Some bonds are made that seem indestructible and this is one of those. While I've been separated from them since 1985, they're like family only different, because they're not. I got to meet both Danielle and Andrew and together they are a very close family. Hey, I also got to eat some "creton", or french head cheese. Gotta love it (with a little Dijon, of course).

There's a lot of bustle in Kingston, pretty much all of it due to your and my tax dollars. We've got your penitentiaries (4 or 5 of them), we've got your hospitals, we've got your schools/ colleges/ Queen`s University, we've got your RMC, we've got your army base, we've got your air force base, ... should I go on? The sreets are being repaved, the suburbs are growing, hell I feel like I'm in Alberta. Only difference is... they have none of those ponds.

Leaving Kingston, I'm heading into Quebec, way south of Montreal. Not sure of the route I'll be taking, just know I want nothing to do with the big city. I'll probably head into the Eastern Townships, for those of you from Ontario, this would be like cottage country north of T.O., only add in the wineries. Very nice country riding (I hope).

Michelle & Bob: thanks for the warm reception, the festivities, the love and that ol' time religion.

The Little Voice

Principally, my purpose for this road trip is highlighted in the opening header of the blog but I'm discovering another of my functions on this voyage is that of a messenger: answering questions and sharing information about the folks I've seen on the trip as they typically have not been in touch with each other frequently over the years. Now, how much I share or more importantly what I share could depend on anything altering my mood at the time: how the bike's running, the weather, how I've been fed, etc. Its a situational thing and I've got to be careful. I've just got to make sure that little "devil voice" doesn't take over when I'm sharing info and kickstart rumors and those sorts of things ...

Bob: just keep repeating ".. Go away little devil, go away little devil, ...". That usually works. Then again, so do bribes.

Betty, Bill, and the Test

I've known Betty & Bill since my days living in residence at Lakehead U. and have maintained a long distance friendship ever since, thanks to Bill's persistence in keeping in touch. When I rode into Dundas, Ontario where Betty and Bill live along with their two sons, Robbie & Brian on Thursday night, I was literally soaked from the temperature and humidity and loving it. I had "google-mapped" my way to find their home prior to leaving the farm but somehow the road I ended up on was a twisty gravel mountain road under construction. It got me where I needed to go and was interesting, but not a way I would recommend to others... .

Friday was a wet day in the area with showers throughout. Interestingly, we didn't get those big thunder boomers you would expect with a cold front. Mind you, a southern Ontario Cold Front is a bit of a misnomer. They could call it a "Little Less Frickin Hot" Front which would be more appropriate. Still, this is the first significant rainfall I've had since leaving Red Deer and the outlook for the next few days is for sunny days in the mid-20's. How're you liking this so far?

Friday afternoon, Bill and I went for a walk through the HMCS Haida, a Destroyer used during WWII and which continued in the naval service until 1963. This killing machine was fascinating to tour, and would house over 200 men, was armed with 2 torpedoes, 2 - 100 mm guns, 2 - 40 mm guns, 2 - 30 mm guns and depth charges to take out subs. Not your usual recreational toy but one that we would all appreciate at rush hour, even just once.

The true test of our physical deterioration was undertaken on Saturday when Bill casually suggested an extended walk up the Hamilton Escarpment. "Walk". Right. This was not a walk. This was a full blown Survivor episode where repelling equipment should have been standard fare. Where comments like "... watch your step, it's looking a little rough here", should be read as "... I ain't gonna be able to help you if you slip". It was tense at times but worth it in the end as we saw spectacular water falls: Walker Falls (~ 35 m), pictured above, and the Tews Falls (~ 50 m) as well as Dundas Peak. The "walk" up the Escarpment that is roughly 100 m high took 2.5 hours. Quite the hike and we were feeling pretty smug until those young girls with backpacks walked by us like we were standing still. They hadn't even broken into a sweat. So, though we felt good in completing the test, the best we could do was reward ourselves with the "Accomplished Silverback" medal.

Betty & Bill have been kind and wonderful hosts. I find every stop interesting catching up on how old friends have grown over the years as well as sharing Candace's life with them. This one was no different and I even got to exercise other muscles than the molson muscle. Why do we always wait so long...

Rural Renewal

Sue and Reg have full time jobs. Then, in the morning they go to work. So me showing up (hey: it's all about me) at their farm could be quite interfering with any couple's lives in a similar situation, but not here. Their warmth and welcoming nature would never allow that. Then again, I did make myself somewhat useful. And no, they didn't put me to bailing hay, hauling water or brushing horses. Reg has for several years been dabbling in the art and science of wine making. His emerging skills and successes have been rewarded of late with numerous medals not to mention cultivating a growing reputation in the area. On this particular day, his cavernous wine cellar required impartial palettes and "voila!" just in the nick 'o time, the Glide and I show up. It's a long and highly technical story but basically it's been very hot, so hot in fact that his wine carboys needed to be dropped in level somewhat. I was simply doing my part helping a farmer.
God, you feel good to be alive whenever you can help a farmer.

On a personal note, the transition is certainly underway. While I've been at Sue and Reg's farm for the last couple of days, the calm of rural living combined with extreme temperatures have provided me with the environment to sit back and notice the subtle shift away from feeling like I'm on a typical 2-3 week vacation. I'm roughly only 1/4 into the mileage I need to cover but after nearly 4 weeks on the road, the nomadic nature of this journey is gradually creeping in and with it a certain strangeness that is new to me. Not to mention certain elements are beginning to emerge validating the importance of the effort and pushing me to continue.
It will be interesting to see how the next leg of the trip evolves as I travel through Quebec and towards the Maritimes.

Thanks for your hospitality S & R, and the "ol' time religion".

Cool Turtles

It gets very hot in southern Ontario. Actually, it gets very hot across the country other than Central Alberta. Right now, it's hot, hazy, and humid in s-w Ontario.

The fact is, once the outside temperature reaches 38 dec C, there really is no point in riding your scoot if you expect to get some temperature relief. Beyond 37 deg C, your body's normal temp., you actually start to be warmed up proportionately to the speed at which you ride. So the slower you ride the cooler you are and turtles, by extension, are real cool. They didn't teach us that back in high school, did they?

It always comes back to slow speeds in Ontario.

I'm heading into London this morning to visit with Wanda and Keith and will return to Sue & Reg's farm for the evening. I'd forgotten how peaceful evenings are in the countryside and the beauty of the warm evenings to just kick back and ponder. I'm looking forward to it.

Albertans & Their Horses

Rode out of Windsor yesterday in very hot, humid weather. Also had a great tail wind along Lake Erie. I wasn't in any rush as the Windsor to Appin distance is roughly 200 kms. So, I had the Glide on cruise at a respectable 108 kph in a 90 kph zone and gently leapfrogging cars when I picked up on these 2 vehicles in tandem doing the same thing behind me. Rather quickly, they were both behind me and I noticed they were the county mounties in unmarked Dodge Chargers with roof lights that barely are identifyable in a bike mirror. Not wanting to be obvious, I kept the cruise on, you know making that statement: " What!? I ain't hurtin no one". After an uncomfortable 30 sec or so, they still had not turned on their lights but I figured I'd made my point and began to slow down. They must have seen the Alberta plates and thought, we do need their oil, or he's an old flatlander out in the godforsaken prairies, or some such thought because they both slowed and turned away.

When I consider the weather I've been enjoying, the company I've been keeping, the relatively low volume of commercial traffic, and almost no road construction, it would seem I've got 2 horseshoes shoved so far up my ass, no cop is going to pull me over (or them out for that matter) during this trip .

Windsor, Figuratively Speaking

Another couple of days has passed and I've been treated royally by Deb & Vito during my stay in Windsor. The last time I was in this city (1993), it was so hot, you dealt with it like we do the winter in Alberta. Run outside to flip the burgers and run back into the controlled-climate house. This time, as Deb put it, "... you're getting perfect southern Ontario weather." I couldn't agree more. Icing on the cake was having Momma Wanda and Keith both here as well. Great family and great company.

I learned something this past weekend that concerns figs. Now, prior to this I only new 2 things about them: they're used in "fig newtons", and sometime long ago, a fig leaf was very prominent in my mind. What I learned here was that figs grow on trees. This fruit is predominately harvested in countries like Italy and Greece and not common in my environment. I didn't even know what one looked liked until Vito purchased fresh figs and offered me some. I can't describe what they taste like but they're very good. If you get a chance, eat one, raw. The reason why I'm talking about figs is that there's been a minor international dispute that seems to have been resolved of late. You see, for centuries Italians and Greeks actually agreed on something: that in order for a fig tree to be bountiful, it needed to be covered during the winter months. This was accomplished by growing the tree at an inclination that would allow it to be pressed to the grounds and buried during winter. Well, a woman (nameless, but originally from northern Ontario, now living here in Windsor, married to Vito) didn't believe this was necessary and, god forbid, didn't cover the tree. The local Greeks and Italians were somewhat aghast and all agreed this tree would never bear fruit. It would be a fig-less tree!
The photo of Deb & Vito is accompanied by two other photos, one being the fig tree in their back yard, and the other, you guessed it - the same tree with FIGS! Vito tells me that this is a significant event and will continue to be the topic of many after dinner discussions. How did she do it? Can it be done again? Was it luck, climate change, witchcraft, a hybrid fig???

When I asked Deb about all this fuss, she simply replied: " It's no big fig-ging deal!"

Point Pelee

Left Chatham Friday and decided to travel along the Lake Erie shore on Hwy 3 as this would be a short riding day, the sun was high and not a cloud in site. Stopped in Point Pelee, Canada's most southerly point. Had to get a photo o course and nearly killed myself doing it. Let's just say that anyone witnessing my "tumble and roll" exercise should have had a good chuckle. See, I set up the camera a distance away from the sign due to its width and once the camera timer started, I had to boogie to get into position. Even I was laughing after that show of athletic poise. I could have still used the shot in the blog, but all you could see of me was my heel (appropriately enough). Opted for the duller but more classic snap shot you see here.

Arrived in Windsor greeted by Deb & Vito as well as Keith and Mama Wanda. The weather is expected to hold and I'll be with family for the weekend. Looking forward to it.

Ending with a Bang

It's a beautiful morning in Chatham and the cardinals are singing outside. I do miss the cardinals. At any rate, it's decamp time which always gets my blood flowing eventhough I've had a very nice time visiting Lise & Mike (pictured) as well as their two dogs, Pebbles & Cody. I'm also including a photo of an old family friend, Kaz (with Dusty), who for years lived in Kap and now resides in Chatham as well.

Last night was Canada Day celebrations here and they do things slightly different than out west. It would seem that pretty much anyone can have as many explosives as they can purchase, and ignite them anywhere and anytime. The off-chance that the neighborhood could be torched or that impulsive kids could rip bones and tear flesh right off each other's bodies from ill-timed detonations or poorly prepared bombs didn't seem to phase anyone. My sister said that this was the "american" influence down here. Ok. So, what to do. What else? We went for a walk in the neighborhood to witness the carnage. If we're lucky, we'll be close enough to see some of the "fireworks". Sure enough, things were going off in all corners. She actually had to give one of the dogs a sedative (???) to calm him down from the incoming missiles. This in a land where thunder storms shatter windows and tornado warnings are pratically daily nuisances. A concussion blast here, rapid burst of petards there, "... Oh, how I love the smell of burned gunpowder last thing before going to bed..." Remind you of any movie? One where you thought that this guy was nuts? Not so nuts anymore ...

Ah, what the years of accumulated wisdom allow you to do, n'est-ce pas?

So onward to Windsor and let's hope road damage from last night's festivities has been minimal.