Then we loaded up and headed north along Highway 1 to Canada. By taking the 'scenic roads' we saved a lot of miles, but on the other hand, we couldn't drive 65-70 mph so it slowed us down. We crossed the border at Lubec/St. Stephens. I have to admit to being a bit 'tense' wondering what kind of hassle we would face, traveling with a minor that was not our child. Had to wait a while in line and inch along. Got to the window, and Roger handed him our passports, along with Hunter's ID, birth certificate and Letter of Consent for International Travel. The border officer asked the usual questions about guns, alcohol & tobacco. All the while he is reading the Letter of Consent. He asked Roger how long we would be in Canada. Roger told him and the guy's only comment was "That's some letter!" He handed it back to Roger and said, "Have a good time!" No questions about what we would be doing or why we were going to Canada. We were decked out in our yellow shirts, ready to do battle, and nothing. As we drove away from the entry, I looked at Roger and said, "Are you sure we're in Canada?"
Stopped to get gas next to a KFC, so decided to take a break for a bit of lunch. That was Hunter's first 'fast food' since she joined us. It is amazing how this child who is 'addicted' to TV and fast food at home, has gone for over a week with very little of both!
Had another 100 or so miles to go before we pulled in for the night at our favorite little park in New Brunswick. It had been a really long day for Hunter and she was ready for some action. She patiently gathered rocks, while Roger and I enjoyed a dessert before the little store/cafe closed. We were too full from lunch, but couldn't pass up the opportunity for some homemade apple crisp (Roger) and strawberry rhubarb pie (me). Well worth it!
Afterwards, Roger chilled out in the trailer with his Sci Fi shows and I walked with Hunter across the road to the river and sat on the dock while she skipped rocks (or attempted to) till the mosquitoes came out in full force. Boy, are they healthy here in Canada! We both had so much repellent on us, that I insisted she shower before going to bed. She got herself in the shower - and I thought she was taking a while - when all of a sudden she yells "Grandma!". Seems the hot water had run out and her hair was still full of shampoo. We had warned her she couldn't 'linger' in the shower, but par for the course, she hadn't listened. One of those logical consequences lessons! She sat in the shower, wrapped up in her beach towel for probably 10 minutes, trying to wait on the water to heat, then decided she was tired of waiting. So, Grandma put the kettle on the stove and heated some water to get her hair rinsed. One of the 'challenges' of life on the road!
On to Halifax the next morning. Arrived about 1:00 p.m. and got right to work doing the walk-about. We have seen so much improvement here over the last five years; it is really enjoyable to return. Hunter kept trying to make friends with a little girl at the playground, but the little girl was so shy she wouldn't play with her.
So we worked out a 'deal' that she do the walk-about with us, then I would play with her. Think it probably took us twice as long to do the walk-about, but we’ve also found that extra pair of energetic legs can sure save us some steps! True to form, she was right in the middle of things from checking smoke detectors in kabins and checking out the playground, as you can see.
Work done for the day, she & I headed out to try our hand at horseshoes. That didn’t last too long, and we walked up to the pool. Once there, she decided it was too cold, so we bought some hot dog buns and a bag of firewood and headed back to the trailer. She roasted her a couple of hot dogs and she & I sat there and enjoyed the fire till we were both smelled like smoke.
She then headed off to the shower house so she could ‘linger’ without running out of hot water – and I headed in to cook something besides hotdogs for Roger & I. We all had forgotten about the walkie talkies, since Hunter had been with us all afternoon. She ‘lingered’ so long that I began to wonder about her. So Roger headed out to check on her, thinking she had gone to the back bathhouse. So, of course, she had gone to the front one. So Roger walked all the way to the front one – and by that time she had walked down the other road and came back to the trailer. So I sent her out on the bike to look for Grandpa – when he came back to the trailer! By that time, all of us were upset. Grandpa, because it scared him when he couldn’t find her – and Hunter, because Grandpa was upset – and Grandma because Grandpa and Hunter were upset! Roger was so upset he wouldn’t eat, and me, being as stubborn as him, I wouldn’t eat. So supper went in the refrigerator – and Hunter and I went out to sit by the fire and give us all some much needed space. Guess you could say that was our first ‘bump in the road’. By morning, cooler heads – and some much needed sleep – made us all realize that if we had just used the walkie talkies, none of that would have happened. Apologies all around and an important lesson for all of us!
A new day and Hunter headed up to the store to buy some post card stamps and mail a post card home. She struck up a friendship with a new girl and we basically didn’t see her all day – but kept in touch with those very handy walkie-talkies. She even got in some pool time while we met with the owners to go over the report. We had to call her ‘home’ to clean up to go to Halifax for dinner. That’s the way I had figured it would be, but with school just now getting out up here in the north east, there hasn’t been many kids around. It’s bound to get better. However, she wasn’t thrilled about having to come in from playing just to go to dinner with adults! We drove in to Halifax so she could see the harbor – and found Theodore the Tug Boat in the harbor again. Hunter begrudgingly posed for a picture – but only after I told her Hayden would love it! Then Donna snapped a picture of the three of us.
Dinner wasn’t a hit with Hunter, for she didn’t like her Nova Scotia pizza, so I dug the shrimp out of my seafood gratin and she gobbled it up. I tried to get her to order fish & chips, but she was set on pizza. She then came home and ate a peanut butter sandwich. Kids! But once again, she has decided this is her ‘favorite’ park! Barry & Donna have fallen in love with her too. Donna came up with two yellow shirts that their daughters had outgrown, so she is now really ‘official’!
Laundry in the morning before heading to North Sydney to catch the ferry to Newfoundland.
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