Chapter 1

May 12

Introduction:  Two older senior citizens serving no useful purpose in life except enjoying their retirement.

Chapter 1. It was dark that early morning of 5 May 2015 when she reached over and shook me and said "Quick, wake up, we should be leaving soon." The temperature was going to be a balmy 60 degrees instead of the past 40's and 50's. Considering we were part of the lucky people who got to spend the 2014/2015 winter in Maine with well over 100 inches of snow, we felt deserving of a trip in the summer to exotic places like Northwest Territories and even Alaska. We were ready and packed except for the last minute items to put in the camper. Now why is it that the last minute things take at least 2 hours to accomplish?  Anyway we were on our way by 9:45 with the sun shining.

All was uneventful that day as we traveled through Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont and into New York and stopped at Walmart in Malone NY.  As we rode along that day, I thought a heard a whine coming from the engine. So in the morning I'd considered buying a belt tensionerpulley just in case.  Instead to the GM dealer we went and left a couple of hours later with two new engine belt tensioners and we were on our way. One happened to be the same one we had replaced 363 days  before and was covered by warranty, so my total cost was reasonable. 

We crossed into Canada at Cornwall and days later crossed back into the U.S. at Sault Ste Marie, Michigan.  The normal questions at customs like, "Do you have anything to declare, tobacco, alcohol, weapons, drugs."  "How much money  are you carrying?"  "Any fruits or Vegetables"  I answered politely, "No" to appropriate questions and minimal money. Ellen said we had lettuce, onions and some grapes. but nothing with seeds and all bought in the U.S. To this the response was "Could I have the keys to the camper?" So handing her the keys, she spends some time inside, doing whatever customs people do, and exits waving two bags with vegies inside, one with grapes and the other a slice of green pepper.  "These grapes came from Chile, and this pepper doesn't have a sticker country of origin."  So these two old people looked like drug smugglers, but all that could be confiscated was two small bags of vegies.

Into Michigan we go, a stop at Seney Nat Wildlife Refuge and a new life bird for us, the Trumpeter swan. An overnight side trip to visit camping friends Dale & Betty, whom we haven't seen since 2009. Had a wonderful time. Now we sit in Thief River Falls, Minnesota.  

Ellen woke up with a cold nose this morning, a sure sign summer has not found this place yet.  The thermometer held at a solid 32 degrees. In spite of the chilly start we went to Agassiz Nat Wildlife Refuge and with my charm I managed to sweet talk the ranger lady into letting me have the keys to all the locked gates, so we went where others didn't normally get to go. No phone for a while.

Tomorrow it's off to Canada, Winnipeg, and beyooooond.

       Steve