May 2009 - Road trip

So, about a month ago, I got a great idea: visit some people I had not seen for many, many moons. All in the eastern side of the US of A, but well seperated. After a few emails and some (minimal) planning, I was off. The basic plan was to arrive somewhere in the afternoon, hang out all the next day, then head back on the road the following morning before noon. That way no one had to deal with me for too long, and I got a good visit in.

Oh, yeah, this was just me and the truck. Penny stayed home. So away we go, through Sarnia, overnight in Paw Paw, Michigan. Maybe May 8th.
Next morning, drove through Chicago and on into Brookfield, Wisconsin to see Frank & Nancy Boutilier. Got lost in Brookfield, but that was OK. I was early, so taking 2 hours to find their house wasn't really a problem.

Got to see LOTS of Brookfield that way.

Frank and I worked together at Nova Scotia Savings & Loan. Then we worked together at Practical Business Software until I left (and we moved to Markham) in 1985.

My former truck was brand new when we went to Nancy & Frank's wedding - 15 years ago!

We, all three, had a grand time. We had a very late chat in the "Spa Room" the first night. Eventually we all got up and Frank & I went all around Brookfield (and maybe into Milwalkee).

As it turned out, I had seen most of the area the day before. When I get lost, I don't kid around.

Frank took me to the Christian church he and Nancy attend. What a place! It can seat about 3,500 in the main assembly room and has a couple of overflow rooms. There is a very large library, lots of other function and meeting / conference rooms, and a super "resource" group. We met people from the church all around town - in the hardware store, at the neighbourhood pub (great dinner).

Nancy made a lovely breakfast, more chatting, then I was off to Deactur, Illinois. Brookfield had been a bit ahead of Markham Spring-wise, but as I went another 250 miles south to Decatur, Spring started to look more like almost Summer. There were plowed fields and some new corn shoots sprouting.

The plan was to find cousin Laurie Glencross at an agility trial somewhere "really easy to find" on the edge of town. Actually, edge of towns, as Decatur is part of a cluster of four or more towns that meld into each other. The surrounding counrty is very large farms, but Decatur has a small university (Milliken U.) and lots of laid-off factory workers. Big manufacturing, in some cases.

For clarity, Laurie has three lovely, big dogs. Two of them do the agility thing (with strong urging from Laurie, I suspect). By the time I found the field where the trails were held, the dogs had been gone for two hours.

Laurie lives in an area that could be in almost any university town. Very nice, quiet streets, well maintained properties, with an academic feel.

We went out to dinner at a Tuscan restaurant in downtown Decatur. Had a lovely dinner. The restaurant reminded me of our favourite "Lemon Bistro" in Markham. Pleasant, friendly and super menu and food.

We did the hanging out thing the next day. That involved a six mile walk with the two younger dogs - Lilly and Chaz. Kelly had a pulled tendon (or some such) and was off strenuous exercise.

And a breakfast at an old-fashioned diner place that I would go back to often.

We might have visited a couple of wine stores to see how much the local selection differed from the LCBO, and maybe to become introduced to "Norton", a local grape variety. Known in some circles as Snortin' Norton, but I did not understand that comment until later that evening when we had ample Norton at friends of Laurie while watching the penultimate episode of "24". Yup, Laurie is a fan and the weekly viewing with friends is a bit of a ritual. Not sure how much the Norton is a part of the rite.

The dogs are about the luckiest animals in the world. And sometimes very well behaved.

Back to the Decatur diner, then away on the long leg to Florida. That took a couple of days. The books on CD from the library were really useful through this part. Nothing like a whodunnit on 14 CDs to help the miles roll by. Through Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia and Florida. Locked the keys in the truck at a Waffle House just a mile north of the Georgia state line, but AAA came through. Wow, is that ever the short version of THAT story.

Crystal River, Florida is the current abode of John (aka Seppo) Hauhia, my modern-day migrant worker pal from away back in Montreal bofore either of us were married. And here we both are over 40 years later, both still married to the original babes.

This is the baclony on the condo that Sep's work provides. Sep and Sandy have a more permanent abode in Alabama. I think that technically makes them rednecks. Maybe Sep even looks like one. Definitely has the political views down cold. We had some wonderful gabs with lots of very nice wine and rum.

I don't have any pictures of Sandy. I didn't take any before I dropped the camera on the cement balcony and the shutter stopped shuttering.

Crystal River is part of Old Florida: the fishing and marshes and wildlife part, not so much the beaches part. As a result, you can sit on the veranda and watch boats, birds and manatee (sometimes). We went to the local wildlife park and spent some time roaming around. Very well done park with lots of birds, fish and manatee. Really. Sandy took the picture of the two old foggies at the park.

Then we went to lunch and a sort of afternoon pub crawl. Very interesting places. Got up quite late the next morning. then started the long haul back through the seasons to Markham.

In all, a great trip. 5,660 km on the truck. Safely. No road rage. Back home May 18th.

Next time I go with Penny and we allow twice as much time. I hardly got off the throughways this time. Not the way to see the country, and there is a lot of great country to see. But I did get to have some super visits.