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Sept 16th. to 18th. - On Monday afternoon Rab and Brenda welcomed us to their London home.Tuesday morning was spent looking for a new fleecy jacket for Pat to no avail, and then a look around Covent Garden Market.In the afternoon, a pleasant time was spent with Bill, Jean and family, having a barbeque and a good time.Wednesday saw us being driven by Rab and Brenda to Port Stanley on Lake Erie, a very pleasant fishing town, where we had lunch and watched the boats come and go.It was very windy, so much so that hundreds of gulls were sheltering on the beach.Thursday morning saw us hit the road again, passing through Stratford which is an attractive live theatre town.Afterwards it was the big climb north to get out of Ontario and later, eventually, onto the Prairies heading west.The weather is much better now with sunny blue skies but cooler, especially at night.Made it as far as Sudbury, a 600km drive, and we "braked for the snakes" as suggested at a rest stop in French River!
Sept 19th. - Lots of mutterings from the female crew member last night as the temperature dropped to 5C, so the heater was used for the first time and the second duvet came out.A woman walking her dog came to chat last night.Her son, who is a long distance truck driver, had moved here from B.C., but he couldn't put up with the highway 401 traffic around Toronto.It's 12 lanes per side and friends told us they won't drive it and gladly pay $20 to take the bypass.Now that bypass is so busy, they need a new bypass to go around the first.Luckily we drove well clear of Toronto!No wonder the Great Lakes are called "Great"- we've only just passed Lake Huron after a day and a half and 900km!!At least Ontario has excellent roads - smooooth!Checking on Provincial Park camping fees, we found they wanted $30 per night, with a discount only given to Ontario seniors!Staying tonight just south of Wawa.
Sept 20th.- Last night was so warm compared to the previous night - 19C - that all the windows were left open.There were lots of road works as we continued around Lake Superior.The water looked a beautiful blue due to the bright, sunny day.Fall colours we hope will get brighter so we can take pictures, but unfortunately we are on the Trans Canada Highway and unable to pull over safely.Arriving in Thunder Bay late afternoon, quite a variety of gas prices were seen - $129.9 to $143.9 - guess which one Pat stopped at!!
Sept 21st - Leaving Thunder Bay meant heading west instead of north and Jenny stopped in to see one more friend in Dryden on the way through. Even though it was a Sunday, the library was open, so emails were read and sent. This morning upon making breakfast we found the propane had run out, so had to use the portable stove for coffee. Luckily we found a gas station selling it for 74.9c per litre. This is the fourth lot we have had to buy on the trip. We won't tell you how many times we've bought gas! I'm afraid our blog fall colour pictures will be disappointing as the colours still have not changed. We needed to have stayed in Quebec at least two more weeks.
Sept 22nd. - The Trans Canada Highway has been our route, but on crossing into the next province of Manitoba we had a choice and decided to head to Winnipeg on a more northerly route which was new territory for us and a more relaxed and scenic drive.Lunch was had beside a beaver lake where they had a couple of lodges.We knocked, but nobody was home!They were out giving swimming lessons.Now that we're on the prairie there's nothing to stop that darned wind, and the other male crew member was heard muttering under his breath as he struggled to keep Marigold on the straight and narrow.Passed crops of sunflowers drying in the sun, while flocks of starlings feasted on them.The flax is also drying in the fields, to see it in bloom is lovely, huge sheets of blue flowers. The Canada geese are starting to get themselves organized into groups in order to fly south - we've seen lots flying overhead lately.
Sept.23rd - It was a sunny day as we crossed again to another province, Manitoba into Saskatchewan. Found a new back road, although when it comes to the Prairies one road is similar to another, only this road has less traffic. Sometimes we're the only vehicle from horizon to horizon. Everything was going well until a gravel truck went by spilling it's load our way and chipped the windshield in four places. Passing through Russel we stopped for gas, groceries and lunch. They really throw out the welcome mat to visitors with a large free camping area which includes covered picnic tables and hook ups. Also on display was a 44 seater bicycle which they intend to enter in the Guinness Book of Records one day. Animals seen today were a bison and baby, a coyote, and a big flock of snow geese.
Dozens of libraries have been visited - as has been mentioned- but given the chance what a difference good staff can make. With this kind of trip you tend to evaluate them. Some are so austere that an adult might hesitate in asking a question let alone a child. Others seem to radiate a welcome, which is needed especially in the children's section.
Prairie towns are usually right next to the railroad tracks because that is their lifeline - grain shipments. Tonight we are camped in one such town and the trains are going by about every 45 minutes. That doesn't sound a lot until you consider that they are 110 cars long with two engines in front and one in the middle and they blow their whistle for every crossing. It takes ages for one to pass, and even longer when you are trying to sleep!
Sept.24th - Nights are getting colder now, so last night the roof was left down to conserve heat and also lessen the train noise.The gas jockey said she had to scrape ice off her windshield this morning!Two more gravel trucks passed us today spilling more rocks, thankfully not causing more damage.Maybe these back roads aren't all that we "crack" them up to be!!Obviously there's not many police checks on their load safety.We saw a flock of birds similar to herons, and Jenny thought they might be egrets; also saw bison and thousands of geese.At a little town called Outlook we stopped for bread at the bakery and the woman told us to go and see Canada's longest walking bridge, so that was a pleasant lunch break.It was an old railway bridge that is now part of the Trans Canada Trail, and a very scenic area.Later in the day, crossing into Alberta, Cereal became home for the night.That's right folks, a town called Cereal - on the prairies no less!We've changed our names now to Snap, Crackle and Pop.Suggestions please as to which name applies to whom on the message board.At this site a little badger ambled along the hedge nearby.It seemed as if he had a shawl on his back the same colour as the drying grass and leaves, so he blended in beautifully.Jenny had only seen black and white ones from Britain before.
Stay tuned for one more exciting installment in our"cereal"brought to you by:-
SNAP, CRACKLE, AND Mr. POP.
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