Sebastian Inlet State Park - Florida

December 14-21, 2004, we were at a campsite that overlooks the Sebastian Inlets emerald green waters. This was an unusual campground in that 80% of the folks staying there were there for the outstanding fishing. Many sites were comprised of men only with their fishing gear and many had boats. It reminded me that people can get really addictive and obsessive about a hobby or interest.

Many of the fishermen were using tents for camping, and it happened that the time we were there, Florida was having historically low temperatures. Mornings were in the low 40s and daytime temps were in the 50s. All this with 15-20 mph winds which made it feel much colder. However, by 8 a.m in the morning, we would see dozens of small fishing boats out in the inlet. They seemed to be out most of the day. When they returned to the campsite, they would have to get a fire going for warmth and many did not seem to have any electricity going to their tent. They had to have been cold at night!

There were some fishing for shrimp near shore, but this had to be done at night. We could see streams of light pouring into the water to find the shrimp, and when we turned out our lights to go to sleep, they were still out on the waters. Amazing!

It seems like fishing is a sport where you sit or stand around for hours with nothing happening, and then, a fish bits and everyone is scrambling. Often it looked like the pelicans and ospreys were catching more fish than the fishermen, and they would fly right by the fishermen carrying their catch!!

tg

The Old Man and his Dog - Jordan Lake - North Carolina

It had been pouring rain for two days, and on the evening of the second day, we were desperate for a walk. On goes our rain coat, rain pants, and boots, and being that it was dark, we take our flash light with us.

After a short distance, we see another flashlight shining and a dog (big dog) barking, barking, barking. Someone calls hello to us on this dark foggy night and with caution we approach.

An older man with his older dog are also out for a walk. We stop and talk. He is a former fisherman from Morehead City. That is Morehead City when it had only 7,000 people. Now says the old man with 70,000 people it is much too crowded for him and his dog.

While a commercial fisherman, he fished the waters off of New Foundland and decided it was one of the most beautiful places he had seen and decided to buy some land and a cabin and has been spending his summers there for the last decade. He was here to spend the Thanksgiving holiday with his daughter in Durham.

What was unusual was that he camper was a converted horse trailer. He asked if we would like to see it and come in for a bit. Now you have to remember it is raining, it is foggy, it is dark, and not a cricket or other living animal to be heard. The wind is blowing, the dog is barking, and we have yet to see the face of this stranger. We missed a great opportunity to hear wonderful stories of this man's life because caution prevailed. We thanked him, but we needed to get on with our walk.

The next day, we really regretted our decision. Not only would he have been very interesting to talk to, but I think he was a bit lonely after spending two rainy days in his horse trailer with his pal. We passed by his campsite, but he had gone to Durham.

tg

Thanksgiving - Jordan Lake - North Carolina

Home for the holidays and sharing a wonderful Thanksgiving with our family.

The biggest surprise was the happenings at the campground.  We thought we would be the only people there over Thanksgiving.  Were we ever surprised.  We arrived 8 days before Thanksgiving and found only one other RVer plus the host couple at the campground.

The weekend before Thanksgiving, the campground began to fill up with people arriving for a weekend of camping, fishing, and boating.  I would never have thought people were still camping here in November, but they were and having a great time.

By Monday prior to the holiday, the campground had only a few RVers, but come Wednesday before Thanksgiving every site that had electric and water was filled.  We were in section B of Loop 4 with section A closed, but section A was opened for the Thanksgiving holiday and also began to fill up.

Thanksgiving was a very festive day here.  We, as others, had family over for the Thanksgiving dinner.  Others were gone for the day at relatives homes, but the big surprise was how many families were here having Thanksgiving dinner at their campsite with just their immediate family.  There were other families taking up three or so sites together and each family had their own RV and spent their holiday camping.

As we took an afternoon walk around the campground, we saw many people playing games like horseshoes, sitting around a campfire with their family, and in the air the smell of roasted turkey.

It was really amazing as there were many tents with no electricity or water and many pop-up campers that have a good amount of canvas and probably not tight when it comes to keeping out the cold and dampness.

During our time here, we experienced a few days of fall, then a few days of rain, then a few days of winter, and finally a few more days of fall.  By Sunday afternoon after Thanksgiving , we and the host were the only RVs in the campground.  Marc and I took Wubie for a walk around the campground and it was so quiet.  We could here birds, crickets, and the wind blowing through the trees.  The lake was shimmering in the sunlight with the sound of water lapping against the shore.  What a great ending to our visit here.

We spent time with family, friends, had appointments with our doctor, eye doctor, and dentist which made these two weeks go by in a flash.  It was a great recharge to see those who mean so much to us.

tg

 

 

 

 

Brookgreen Garden - South Caroliina

We rode our bikes through Huntington Beach, across busy Route 17, to Brookgreen Gardens. Sometimes you plan an excursion and get surprised--that was Brookgreen Gardens. It was 100 times better than we ever imagined. Gardens is a misnomer as it is a garden, but much more. The so called garden is a collection of South Carolina low country flowers, bushes, and trees. They are interspersed with over 900 sculptures by famous American sculptors, and many water fountains and ponds. Along all the paths, there are benches where you sit and enjoy the wonders around you. The area is filled with massive live oak trees with Spanish moss hanging from the branches. These live oaks are over 250 years old.

This land, in the 1800s, was made up of tree separate rice plantations. Once slavery ended, the owners of these plantation went bankrupt, and the land lay fallow; eventually turning into forest, fields, and marsh land. In the mid 1930s the Huntington"s from New York (a very wealthy couple) moved to the area and purchased the 9,000 acres that had made up the three plantations.

They wanted to preserve for future generations and they did this by having the gardens represent the plants and trees common to this area at that time. They set up another large area where you can take a pontoon ride out onto the river to see the remaining rice fields along with today"s alligators and sea life. This area also contains domestic animals common to the 1800s. There is another large area where there are modern habitats for wild animals common to the area at that time.

As we walked through the gardens, I felt like I was for a short time in another world, in another period of time, and with the beauty of this setting, I felt tears well up in my eyes and a knot in my throat when I realized all the lives and all the history that has happened on this land that today is in repose from years gone by and now reflects only the beauty and endurance of time.

tg

Fog at Huntington Beach State Park, SC

Yesterday during the late afternoon it was low tide.  So we took advantage of this more than 100 foot  wide beach and rode our bikes on the beach to the jetty which is about 3 miles from our campsite access to the beach.  We had never ridden our bikes on the beach and what a thrill to ride on this very hard packed sand that had relatively few shells.

The waves were gently riding on the beach, terns were making their sky high dives for fish, and a gentle breeze was at our backs.  As we walked up to the jetty, we could see lovely houses along the beach front among the tall sea oats just across from us.  As we walked along the jetty, we saw a loggerhead turtle swimming near the rocks.  It raised is very large and muscular head and neck up out of the water while its flippers were gently following the waves out to sea.  What a moment!

On our way back we noticed a fog bank forming and slowly moving towards us.  A mile or so from the jetty, we could see the sun being encased by the fog bank.  Within a mile of the boardwalk to our campground, the fog overtook us.  We could barely see 30 feet in front of us and the folks we just passed on the beach could no longer be seen.  Our skin felt wet.  It was a spooky feeling.  We could begin to feel what it must be like to be out on the ocean with water all around you, hearing sounds, but not seeing anything.  At times we were completely alone on the beach as we could not see anyone around us.  Finally, we spotted where we thought the boardwalk was, and yes, it was there, and within minutes we were home in our rv. 

tg

 

 

Huntington Beach State Park SC - A Moonlit Night

It was 8 p.m. and dark.  A cloudy night with just a clear ring around the half moon.  We were walking along the beach and as high waves came in, they bask, momentarily at their height, in the glow of moonlight.  From the shore, it looked like a shiny monster was rising from the sea, and then the waves would swoosh upon the beach.   It was eerie and wonderful all at the same time.  We were alone on this expansive beach to hear the crashing of the waves as they rose to their heights and the soft roll of waves as they came upon the beach.

Near the horizon, we could see the lights of commercial fishing boats heading out to sea.  They looked so small compared to this massive ocean  as they made their way slowly into the dark sea to find their catch. 

tg

Fryeburg, Maine Country Fair

Your old fashion country fair where animals and agriculture are the main event. Of course there is fair food galore, but rides and games are a more minor part of this fair.

We went day one of the fair and got there at 7:30 a.m. as we knew it was going to get crowded, and we might have a harder time find a parking space for our dually truck. Residents lining the way to the fair are charging same price as the fairgrounds to park your vehicles. We stopped at one of the homes and the couple was so very nice and made sure we were parked in a way that we would be able to easily get out later.

We were not alone at 7:30 in the morning. The fair was already a-buzz.

First stop was the 4-H horse show. Youngster were giving their horses a final groom, then getting themselves into their riding outfits. It was great to see these youngster manager this rather large animals, and they did a fine job.

Next, we saw Sheep herding trials, and this was so interesting. The breed of dogs at this trial was the Border Collie, and the precision of teamwork between the handler and the dog was so good. The dog at times is quite a distance away from the handler and through various whistle sounds will perform the necessary activity to get the herd to where they should be.

Apparently, separating one sheep from the herd is extremely difficult, but with timing between handler and dog. The dog is able to separate the desired sheep.

Horse pulling. Contestants came from all over New England, and the winning team of two, pulled 9,700 pounds 17 feet. The trickiest part is after getting the horses in front of the weight to be pulled and getting the harness connect to the sleigh. As soon as the horses are in position, they want to take off, and if they are not connected, they take off pulling the four men behind them. The men have to get the horses to stop as soon as possible under this condition, because they have a limited time to get the pull done.

The people at these events were quite different. At the horse show, they seemed financially well off and dressed very stylishly for the event.

The sheep herding handlers seem like your average person in jeans and tee shirts, but with a single focus with their dogs. These dogs need a good deal of training and only have a few years where they are fast enough to manage the sheep. You can see the enormous love these folks feel for the dog. Even when a dog did a horrible job, the owner/handler never yelled at and was very affectionate toward the dog after their trial.

The folks watching the horse pull seemed to be farmers and locals for the most part. They look like they have had a hard life, worn out and looking older than they probably are. Nice, hard working people who love the land and respect the animals they tend to.

If your spouse eats a bloom” in onion, you will remember it for days! TG

Camping Lac Frontier - Quebec Canada

This was an over night stop, the last camping in Canada for us, and what was amazing about this stop was the people we met.

 

We happened upon a group of retired folks from Montreal who were folk music lovers and were meeting for a long weekend to play music together.  As we were setting up camp, several of them came over to meet us.  In hindsight, I think they thought we were part of their group, but when they realized we were not, and we were only staying the night, they did not care, they just pulled us into their fold.

 

After we were set up, several came by to tell us they were getting together for a practice session to play some folk music with fiddle and guitars and would we like to join them.  We did and we had the most memorable evening.  We are out in the middle of no-where, a sky full of stars and a near full moon.  The air was crisp and about a dozen of us gathered around the players to hear great music.  The owner of the campground had donated wood for a campfire, and the folks whose campsite we were all at, passed around cheese and crackers. 

 

The warmth and friendship we felt with these folks were amazing considering we had only know each other for a few hours.  It was so cozy under the stars, hearing geese from the nearby lake competing with our music under thousands of stars. 

 

The night ended too soon.  As we were preparing to leave, many of the folks stopped by to wish us well, and we drove away, several were waving good-bye to us.  TG

Animals

In Quebec City, we saw, for the first time ever a black squirrel.  They are as deep a black as you can imagine and larger than the gray squirrel.  We were with a couple from Quebec, and they told us that these black squirrels are very aggressive towards the gray squirrels. 

 

Driving along the scenic highways of New Hampshire, we spotted a moose drinking from a water hole along a swamp area.  We stopped to get a better look, and it is amazing how massive these animals are.  Their leg diameter is at least 10 times that of your average deer, and their shoulder mass is impressive.  The moose kept drinking even though there were a number of folks stopped to watch it.  Eventually it went into the woods.  One thing for sure, you do not want to have a collision between your vehicle and the moose because whether you hit the moose or it hits your vehicle, it is going to be bad for you!

 

Yesterday as we were driving out of the campground, there in the middle of the road stood a red fox.  This road is a country road that only goes to and from the campground and is surrounded by woods.  We stopped the truck to watch as the fox crossed the road and then turned around to watch us!  This is a magnificent animal.  It is golden red with a plumy, fluffy tail, medium long coat, and the most beautiful head and intense eyes.  TG

 

On October 18, we were driving along one of the mountain roads, and a young male moose with full set of antler s ran out of woods and along side our truck for about 30 seconds.  What a sight, this massive animal striding with us, but thankfully we were able to stay out in front and he didn't try to run into us. 

Queen Mary 2

Last evening we attended the most spectacular event. Real and Nicole invited us to go to Old Quebec City and the Port of Quebec to see the arrival of the cruise ship Queen Mary 2 as there was going to be a big party for the arrival.

A few quick facts - the Queen Mary 2 had its maiden voyage in January 2004. It cost 800 million Euros (about one billion US dollars), can carry 3,090 passengers and a crew of 1,254. It is the biggest, longest, highest cruise ship of all time. It is longer than 4 football fields and is 23 floors high. Its energizing power station produces enough electricity to illuminate a city of 200,000 people and has complete internet access.

The ship was to arrive some time around 5:30 p.m., and we were there with thousands of others by 3 p.m. The city had arranged parking at some distance away with free shuttle service to the port. All this was handled very efficiently. (The next morning, we learned that over 10,000 people were there to greet the Queen Mary 2.)

It was one of the most interesting evenings. While we waited among this huge crowd, people were talking to each other--complete strangers. Laughing, giving information about what was to happen, discussing so many things. At about 5 p.m., two pilot boats and a tug left the harbor and the band started playing. In about 15 minutes, we began to see the ship enter the harbor.

It was a sight to see with over 80 personal motor boats, sailboats, ski-doos, cabin cruisers all out in the harbor on either side of the Queen Mary and at least a half dozen planes and helicopters flying overhead. It took over 45 minutes for the ship to get to the dock, turn around 360 degrees, and fully dock under its own control.

During this time from 5 p.m. - 8 p.m., the city was giving all of us free hot dogs and soda. There was a small open air amphitheater and they had such an efficient set up that no matter what line you went to, at most there might be three people in front of you. Another amazing thing is that everyone threw their napkins, cans, and paper holder for the hot dog in the garbage bags, and I did not see any garbage whatsoever on the sidewalks and boardwalks. The city had people stationed to change garbage bags as soon as they were full, and others were milling in the crowds with large garbage bags for folks to put their paper and soda cans in. I have never seen crowds this size handled so well. The most thrilling part came about 7:30 p.m. when the ship was docked and they were setting up for a walkway to connect to the ship. The passengers were all out on deck and the lights of the city were ablaze as were lights on both sides of the St. Lawrence Seaway, and then the people on the dock started clapping, whistling, cheering, and waving flags. In response the passengers began to clap, whistle, cheer, and wave anything they could get hold of.

This cheering when on and off for over 45 minutes. It just sent chills up my spine. I could not imagine how these passengers must have felt coming into the harbor with all these small boats out to greet them, and then seeing a sea of people out to welcome them.

Another remarkable thing is that there was zero visible security. Quebequers are not in fear of terrorist attacks like we would be in the US. We were told that there is usually great security around this ship and that in most ports you cannot get close, but that was not the case in Quebec City. The first row of people where literally at the docks edge. The passengers and dock visitors could yell to one another and be heard. At one point, a passenger called out is so and so there, and the crowd yelled back yes--even though they had no idea who this person was. This set off a great deal of laughter and smiles.

At one point, we were standing at about the middle of the ship length. In my field of vision, I could not see the top and waterline of the ship at the same time, and I could not see the bow and stern at the same time. There was a large condo building nearby and the ship was taller than this building of many floors.

It was a grand evening, and when we decided to leave to catch the shuttle back to the parking lot, we turned and saw Old Quebec City all in lights and there was the Chateau Frontenac which is a hotel that looks like a castle in the upper city with all its splendor shining bright. This would be our last day in Quebec City. What an ending!

Real and Nicole

I met Real when we were camping in Montreal. When I walked Wubie, often Real would stop by to pet Wubie, and he grew fond of how friendly Wubie was. Later he met Walter and they enjoyed talking with one another.

Real and Nicole had lived in Quebec City for over 30 years and retired last year. They began full time RVing by spending 6 months near Montreal where their grown children and grandchild live, and then spend 6 months in southern Florida.

A few days before we left Montreal for the Gaspe, they invited us to breakfast and from there they spent several hours showing us around the beautiful Richelieu River Valley. We had a great time visiting a sunflower farmer who was giving a presentation on the growing of sunflowers from his field of flowers. All the sunflowers (because of the sun"s position) were facing the visitors. It was a sight to see. We saw quaint small towns, river views, and visited a great friend of theirs.

Real and Nicole are very interesting and fun people to be with. They are very knowledgeable about Quebec's history and its politics, and we learned much from them gaining a better feel and understanding of Quebec. They have been so kind and generous to us.

We left Montreal agreeing that we would visit them in Florida as, a one point, we will be in a campground not too far from them.

While in Gaspe, we received an e-mail from them saying they would be in Quebec City at the same campground as us for our last week. It turns out they had some business to take care of and friends and relatives to see, but mainly, they came to show us their city, and we spent part of most days visiting Old Quebec and seeing it through their eyes.

Real and Nicole both graduated from Laval University in Quebec City. We stopped by one campus of their university in the Old City, and Real took us on a short tour inside the historic buildings and that was quite a special treat. It felt so good to be in the hallways, seeing the classrooms, and looking at the campus. It stirs up such wonderful feelings about education and it made just want to grab a book and start studying something.

We were hoping to meet folks from Quebec to gain a better understanding of this part of Canada, and we were so fortunate that Real and Nicole came our way. It feels like we have started a friendship that will endure.

tg

Leaving Quebec Province - Canada

The three months we have spent in Canada have been wonderful.  We have met so many wonderful Canadians and it is too bad that Americans do not hear more about our neighbors and their wonderful country.

Since September 15, the leaves have been turning beautiful colors of yellow, orange, and red.  Each day the changes are more dramatic and yesterday I heard Geese for the first time, and a few days before on a walk through the campground Walter and I could smell and feel Autumn in addition to seeing the obvious changes.

I have gained a new perspective on those immigrants to the U.S. that can not speak our language, can not read it, do not understand it well.  I have a great deal more admiration and understanding of what my parents and Walter's parents had to overcome when they came to America to make a new life.  I feel for all those Mexicans that have been moving to North Carolina.

You see a road sign and it is obvious that it is a warning sign, but you do not know what it is warning you of.  You want to buy a book, but all the books are in French.  You would like to see a movie, but they are all in French.  At the supermarket you can not figure out what cut of beef you are buying.  The liters and grams can really mess you up.  Butter is sold in one large chunk; no four sticks with measurements.  Also, it is sold as slightly less than one kilogram.

You meet new people, but they speak little English and you speak little French and how you would love to have a conversation with them, but it is just too difficult so you both smile speaking in your own languages, not understanding each other and then move on.

I will miss so much about Quebec, but I would be less than honest if I did not say how excited I am to be returning to the U.S.  It will be much easier knowing the language, understanding the culture, knowing what to expect, but I have grown in a way I did not expect; one of the things I cherish most about our new life style.

tg

 

Quebec City - Canada

This is a city you can't help but love and can understand the great pride the residents have in Quebec City. 

Old Quebec City is one of history and the people seem to know its history well.  There is an upper and lower city.  You climb a series of steps--about 100 steps in all--to go from the lower city to the upper city.

The lower city takes you back to the 1700 and 1800s.  It has cobbled stone streets and light gray stone buildings in elaborate and wonderful ornate architecture.  There are old homes with their wooden porches and balconies and their metal roofs.  The streets are narrow and are flanked with lovely shops and many many outdoor restaurants.   Parks are everywhere as you walk through the city, and musicians are singing and playing various instruments along the streets--classical and contemporary music.  It is so delightful!

The upper city has the Chateau Frontenac hotel.  It looks like a magnificent old castle with many steep conical roofed towers.  It is the basic landmark of Quebec City.  Below the Chateau is the Terrasse Duferrin, the Boardwalk, which overlooks the magnificent harbor on the St. Lawrence Seaway. You always find people strolling along the Boardwalk and again a number of musicians singing and playing instruments.  Beyond the Chateau are many restaurants and up-scale shops and interesting museums. 

The people of Quebec City, and in general Quebec province, are friendly, curious, helpful, and interesting.  We have not found anyone who refused to speak English with us and even when they did not know but a few words in English, they made every effort to try to understand what we wanted and to help us.  We found that when we asked in French, can you speak English, they would say yes and speak English beautifully.

A few statistics that came over the news while we were here.  Quebec City is the safest city in North America and until now had the most educated people in any province in Canada.  Now Alberta holds that honor.  However, 20% of Quebequers do not believe in God and very few are active in any religion yet they behave in a very Christian way looking out for each other and accepting of differences in people's cultures and beliefs.

Some examples,  we left a backpack we were carrying full of things we needed at an outdoor restaurant and did not realize it for some time, when we went back, the backpack was still there with everything in it. 

We were told there was a parking lot near the harbor where we could park our dually truck, but we could not find it.  We saw a worker along the way and asked him,  He walked down the street with us where we would be able to see where the lot was and explained about parking there and payment.

When we were in the parking lot, we did not see any person to assist us, there were only credit card machines and we were having problems with the machine.  All instructions were in French and we felt we must be doing something wrong.  There was a couple leaving their parked vehicle who we ask for assistance.  Not only did they come over to the machine and review the instructions with us, but when they realized the machine was broken.  The walked with us to where they knew there was an attendant.

Whenever we are taking pictures, it is not unusual for a Canadian to cover over and offer to take a picture of both of us with our camera. 

We have had only wonderful experiences with the Canadians and Quebec province is a most beautiful place--whether it be Montreal surrounds or Quebec City and its surrounds or the wild and natural wonder of the Gaspe peninsula.

 

 

 

 

 

Parc Gaspesian Update

The final chapter of our new radiator for the truck.  The folks at the Dodge dealer were unbelievable in their efforts to get us on our way to Quebec City.  The receptionist kept tracking the whereabouts of our new radiator and managed to get it to the dealership late Friday afternoon. 

However, this was the Labor Day weekend and it would be Tuesday before any work would be done.  But, to our amazement, two mechanics volunteered to come in on Saturday morning to replace the radiator; a huge job!  They did wonderful, professional work on our truck, and we were on our way to Quebec by 1 p.m. that afternoon.

It is almost three weeks later and not a problem with the job they did.   It is quite amazing since they did not often get to work on diesel engines, and we immediately drove it over the mountains pulling 16,000 lbs of RV behind it.  We have been driving back and forth to Quebec City without a problem.

Sometimes bad luck can turn into good luck.

tg

 

Parc Gaspesien Misadventure

 Parc Gaspesien (8/31/04) was to be one of two overnight stops on our way to Quebec City.  However, when we began the departure activities, we did not see a steel fire rim that was in front of our truck.  Walter started to drive the truck to hitch to the RV when he ran over the steel rim.  The steel rim is fine, but our truck's radiator was punctured and twisted.

This is a somewhat remote location in the Gaspe with a small (very small) town, Pointe La Croix, 3 miles from camp.  One good thing is that Campbellton, New Brunswick is just across the bridge from Pointe La Croix.  They have a Dodge dealer there for our truck to be repaired. 

This is what being remote means:  We need a new radiator and it will take a week to get one from Toronto; then they said it would be delivered on Friday, September 3, which it wasn't, but if it was delivered on Friday, they don't work Saturday or Sunday and Monday is Labor Day (didn't know this day was a holiday here); and in remote locations,  there is a more philosophical approach to getting things done--there is always tomorrow.

We are in a campground where only two or three RVs come in for overnight stays because the tourist camping season is over.  There are about 5 seasonal RVs here.  Seasonal means they are folks from nearby who stay here for the warmer weather (50 is considered warm weather). So we are in a good size area of the campground by ourselves. 

There is good to all this.  This is beautiful country--salmon country.  There are mountains with beech, birch, and fir trees surrounding three sides of the campground, and then flat terrain that goes to the Bay of Chaleur; the dividing waterway between Gaspe and New Brunswick.  There are several mountain streams at and near the campgrounds.

The owner Andre Desrochers owns the campground and a bed and breakfast adjacent to the campground.  Andre has been wonderful.  Andre's family owns quite a bit of property here.  His dad owns and operates a ski resort which is a few miles into the mountains from here and the sons seem to have businesses in the area.  Andre is in his 30s and has been running the campground and bed and breakfast for 7 years.  He told us to stay as long as we needed and without charge which is extraordinary, but he says it is what those who live here do for visitors.  He has agreed to accept 50% payment from us, but he says it is not necessary or expected.  I know this seems amazing, but it does seem to be the way of these folks.  You cannot exist in such a wild and remote place without helping one another.

Andre has offered to drive us to town for supplies or whatever, and we did need him to help get our propane tank filled--the nights are dipping into the low 40s now. We have our bikes and have cycled to town for groceries and to ride through a bird watching preserve with bike paths which Andre told us about.  We had a hard time finding the right path, but then Andre came along with his truck to help us as he said it is hard to find the first time.  It was very serene as the path was lined with birch trees with their very white barks and light green leaves.  We could hear birds alerting the animal kingdom that we where there--how nice!

We stopped at the local Quebec Information Center and went into a log cabin from the early 1800s.  It was a post office and home at that time.  When we entered a young lady dressed in the Acadian French settler garb of the time was there and started to talk to us in the French Acadian dialect of the time, then in English - asking our last name because there might be a letter for us there, and surprisingly there was.  A newsy letter from one of the families of that time--she quickly wrote our name on a letter and stamped it.  Quite a clever idea.

We spent some time with her asking about the area.  She told us that in winter, school is not closed because of snow but because it gets too cold.  When it is  minus 30 degrees, schools close.  It was so cold last year - with temperatures as low as -57 degrees...  I think conditions like those build character, but I'll let it build someone else's character.  We're going South for the winter!  tg

 

 

 

 

Gaspe Folks and their Ways

We noticed how colorful the houses were as we drove through the area around our campground.  I mean really colorful--fushia, lime, pink, bright blue, baby blue, midnight blue, purple, sunshine yellow, lavender, and I'm sure I missed a few.  Also some of these houses had  more than one of these colors on them.

I asked Dan Rose, the owner of the campground, about this.  Of course, there is history to this!  Gaspe has fishing and tourism as their main industry, and tourism only more recently as an earlier blog entry describes.  Also agriculture is very limited as this is a beautiful, but harsh land.  Consequently, most of the year many folks have no income other than what comes from the Canadian unemployment compensation.

So, in early spring, folks who are needing to paint their homes, go to the paint store and buy what is on sale and the amount of paint that they can afford.  If lime is on sale, that is your color.  But, they have only enough money for part of the job.  Next spring, you guessed it, they go back to the paint store for paint that is on sale, and, you guessed it again, lime is not on sale this year, but purple is.  So we paint another part of the house purple and so on and so on.

Dan, said until more recently, they never painted the back of their houses since no one could see back there.

However, once the folks realized that economics could improve if they could bring more tourists to the area, they did and their economy improved somewhat.  They bought televisions for the long winters and learned that white houses apparently (I never realized this) meant you had arrived.  Now many houses are painted white, but I will tell you those colorful houses bring character to Gaspe.  I figured, they did it because it really brightened (really brightened) up the landscape in the long, cold, dreary, winters in the Gaspe. - tg

 

 

 

 

RV Musings

When we started our full time rving, we had not camped for nearly 18 years.  A campground is a small town, but a gated community where you can only enter if you are camping there or have a pass to visit someone in the campground.

There are your different cultures--so far:  French, British, Oriental cultures, Mexicans, Americans, Canadians, Germans--there are those who are very well off, down to those who are just starting out in life.

Mornings are interesting.  Tenters, pop-up campers, and travel trailers without bathroom facilities bring out folks in their pjs.  There is an endless variety of pajamas which I would never have imagined.  People go to the bath house with their shower kits and come out sparkling clean with wet clinging hair.

Mealtime!  The food smells are wonderful.  Today, I smelled beef stew.  Yesterday, it was vegetable soup from our RV and corn chowder from our neighbors'', RV .  We have heard the sizzle of grills and woks.  The smells of China and  American grilled steak.  Before dinner, most people sit out with a glass of wine or a bottle of beer, just relaxing and chatting before dinner.  Of course, mornings bring out the bacon and coffee aroma.

Evenings--there are always the glow of campfires and that wonderful smell of wood burning in the fireplace.  A night stroll finds a sky with stars that shine like diamonds.  I had almost forgotten how wondrous the sky is when it is full of stars.  I love evening walks because it is cool in the North and you see people around their campfires or lights from people in their tents, pop ups, trailers, 5th wheels and motor homes, and you are walking in a silent world--no cars, no horns beeping, no loud music, no bright lights, just the silent beauty of nature.  tg

 

 

 

 

Gregg - Retired Truck Driver from New Hampshire

Since we own an Alpenlite Fifth Wheel, I always try to talk to any other Alpenlite owners in the campground.  This was how I met Gregg.

 

I introduced myself as the other Alpenlite in the campground.  His New Hampshire rig has a map of North America  - like many Rvers - with many states in the US and Canada already colored, but the West Coast states - California, Oregon, Washington, are still white.   His Alpenlite fifth wheel is 5 years old and has a lot of small and major enhancements.  His truck, a Ford Powerstroke Diesel, has a chip ( modified engine control computer software to boost diesel engine power beyond the parameters set by the factory).  His wife prefers to stay inside her RV.  They RV 6 months each year and have been doing this for 5 years. 

 

We compared maintenance issues, and since he was a self avowed gadget man, I had to show him the GPS, WiFi wireless network, computers, TiVo, and other gadgets in our rig.   When I invited him in the first thing he saw was Teri at her notebook computer, and he exclaimed, "" Oh man - you guys are real computer nuts!""  He confessed he knew nothing about computers and that while he worked computers were the ""enemy"", because he worked for over 30 years a s a truck driver and the computer would always indicate he should already be at such and such place - which would have him always under pressure.

 

As he left I asked if he and his wife would join us some evening for a fireside visit on our deck overlooking the cliffs and the Gulf of St-Lawrence.  We had enjoyed the same with Klaus and Margaret, so - we keep doing what works!

 

We had a few stormy and foggy evenings after that, so we could not have our get-together the next night.  It turned out that Gregg was always outside chatting to someone, and that his wife never came out.  

 

Finally, we had a nice evening and made a good fire in our outdoor deck fireplace.  It was a chilly evening so we reserved the deck spaces closest to the fire for our guests.  We finally had a chance to meet Greggs wife.  She told us that she had bad knees.  It turned out that Gregg''s family were Rvers, and that she was not as enthusiastic about Rving as he - especially now that they had a grandchild.  We had a nice evening chatting about our Rving experiences.   They told us that they are Catholics, and talked about their faith on a few occasions.

 

One shocking story from Gregg: when they were kids their mother gave them a bag every time one of their female cats had a litter and asked them to put the kittens in the bag tied with stones inside and throw them in the pond.  

 

We were interested to hear that contrary to our style of always planning our itinerary in detail and making reservations well in advance, they never make reservations.  They do not use computers, so must depend on paper guides and maps, which can often be outdated.   The Ford is their second truck.  They had to trade because their first truck was a short-bed and this led to an accident when they were doing a sharp turn with their rig and a front corner of the fifth wheel hit their back window.

 

I had told them during our fireside chat that I had messed-up by getting a digital only cell phone instead of a trimode, and that we were spending a lot on public phone calls.  The next day Gregg brought us one of their expired Sams Club Calling Cards; it turns out we could buy a refill and continue using their card without any issues.  That was really thoughtful.

 

On the other hand, Greg surprised us on a number of occasions with his comments.  For example, he called the Quebec unemployment compensation system here ''communistic''.  It turns out that in the depth of the winter here in Gaspe the unemployment goes very high because the atrociously cold winters and relative remoteness of the area.  Apparently, Quebec provides fairly generous unemployment compensation and it is difficult to hire people cheaply at those times.  He also complained that they had no current newspapers in English here, and projected a somewhat condescending attitude towards the French-speaking population of Quebec.

 

On another occasion he brought us a Montreal newspaper he had finished reading.  He told us that it was full of  ''bad things about America''.  It turns out that when I read it cover to cover there were two articles that could fit that category: one was a report about a republican congressman from either Arizona or North Dakota - not sure which - who had declared that ''knowing what I know now I would not have voted to support the invasion of Iraq''.   It turns out the congressman was a senior republican member of the House Intelligence Committee.  He dared say this only because he was retiring from politics and sent a letter to his constituents declaring that he now believed that there had been significant distortions of the available pre-war intelligence and that he as well as the American people had been misled.  The other article was about the American biowarfare program between 1946 and the early 70s.

 

On Sunday morning I happened to run into Gregg by the service building and he told me that they were going to Church.  He then told me that they were going to pray for us.  I smiled and waved goodbye, and then he told me louder ''we are going to light candles for you''On the day before his departure we were chatting with another Rver from California and Gregg told us that he had found Quebecois were against the US invasion of Iraq.  He told us that he declared to a Canadian ''America is being nice - we can take over the world if we want to and nobody can stop us - we can take-over Latin America with a couple of well-placed bombs''.   He told us that the Canadian ''did not like it''.   I later noticed that his truck had one of those yellow ribbons with the words printed ''Support Our Troops'' and that he had placed an American flag on the hitch.

 

This experience showed me well that we will gain insight on a variety of people''s attitudes and beliefs.  Learning about people is one of our Rving adventures.

Dan Rose, Owner of Tete D Indien Campground, Gaspe

Dan is an American who operates the campground from April to mid October, then winters in Mississippi where he has a number of rental properties.

Dan came to the Gaspe in the early 60s and bought about 100 acres of land with side acreage along the Gulf of St. Lawrence and then the rest surrounded by hills and pine trees.  It is a hilly piece of property.  Once you hike up the forested path he prepared, you come to the back side of the property which goes down to the sea.  There are large rocks and caves which are very common along the shores, and to our great surprise, there are several colony of seals offshore.

Dan built these campsites himself in the summers while teaching biology in Mississippi during the school year.  He has a wonderful small two-story red house with red metal roof that he had restored.  One interesting thing is that is has two beautiful two-story high stain glass windows which he said he bought from a local priest to discover after they were in place that the priest had stolen them from the church. I am not sure how all that was resolved as the windows are still in place at his house.

Dan was here during the stormy separatist movement of the French wanting Quebec to be a separate country from Canada.  He said in earlier years, the French owned and worked this land.  Some were uneducated and basically farmers and laborers.  The more educated French were the shop owners, town council, and people with businesses that made money.  After Americans won their independence from England, Loyalist Americans to the crown were forced to leave America and came to Quebec where they forced the business French out and basically confiscated their property leaving only the poorer French.

Now fast forward to Dan's beginnings here in the early 60s.  He said if you were not French and went into a store to purchase something from the non French shop owners, if there were French customers ahead of you, the shop owner would attend to the non French.  Dan said the French were treated like the blacks had been treated in the U.S. prior to the civil rights movement.  They were very humiliated by this treatment.  To this day, on their license plates in Quebec providence, is the saying we remember which refers to this treatment. 

Eventually, the French separatists came to Gaspe, murdering a number of the shop owners and basically having a bit of a violent re-taking of their lands.  Dan said it was a very difficult time.  The French went through stages after that.  At first if visitors came and didn't speak French, they were not served by the French.  This put a big dent into any tourism in the area.  Fishing and farming were and are their main way of earning a living and both in this climate are seasonal.  Finally, the French realized that if they were more tolerant of others and made the tourists feel welcome, then they would find their economic situation improved and that is what has happened.

We have found, the people here to be friendly and helpful.  When we go to the shops, the French owners will spend time speaking with us and telling us about their business--like the fresh fish store, the owner showed us his freezers and holding tanks and discussed the different fish and how to prepare them.  like the goat cheese farmer who explained the different cheeses to us and that they had 97 goats.  It has been a wonderful experience.  A smile goes a long way to breaking down cultural barriers.

 

 

Hiking in Forillon National Park of Canada - Gaspe

We drove to Forillon National Park over roads with 15% and 17% grades.  It was spectacular with the forest on one side and the Sea of St. Lawrence on the other.  We went to the north side and decided to hike (2 1/2 miles) to the observation tower.  From the parking lot, the tower was atop a shear cliff that seemed impossible for any human to reach.  However, there were humans on the observation decks.  So, we decided to start and see how far we could go.  We saw some very young people and some very old people heading up the trail so why not us?  It was such a crisp, clear day how could we not try?

To our great surprise the trail was wonderful.  After an initial very rocky, very steep part, the rest of the trail was prepared well with caked dirt and small flat stones and when you came to very steep parts (like a 20% grade) they had provided wide wood plank steps going gradually up the grade.  It was unbelievable because without this great trail, you would die before getting to the top. 

The trail had many sections with fir trees and once in these groves, the scent was that of Christmas.  It is amazing how that aromatic scent can conjure up winter, Christmas trees all decorated, and all those warm memories of Christmas.  I could even smell cookies baking.

At the top, we could see 80 or more miles in every direction.  We could even see our r campsite through our binoculars.  We were above the trees and above the birds and the view of the land and sea was that like you see from an airplane.  This is such a beautiful beautiful place.

Once we descended from the top of the cliffs, even though our legs felt like Jello, we descend down to the rocky beach.  There was a cascade of water coming from the mountains and when we put our hand in the pools of clear water, it was like putting your hand in a bucket of ice water.  Two or three seconds was maximum tolerance in this icy water.

The beach is unique from our beaches in the U.S.  You have a crescent bay with huge rocks and caves along the sides, the sand is really all smooth flat small to medium size rocks.  There were dozens of rock sand castle (minus the sand) that people had made all along the beach.  It is like building with lego blocks, and they were very creative.  Elaborate like the sand castles you see at our beaches.  They find flat, lightweight stones and try to skip them across the water.  Walter was very successful at stone skipping.

We took our weary bodies and headed home.  What a place!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Klaus and Margaret

Tete D Indien - Gaspe

This star filled evening we sat around a roaring fire and our neighbors Klaus and Margaret joined us.  They are in their 60s and from Germany.  Klaus is tall with balding gray hair, a distinctive German accent and a very interesting and intelligent person.  Margaret is slim and petite with a head of white hair and beautiful blue eyes.  She is sweet, very smart, and so soothing when she speaks.

They were so interesting.  They immigrated to Montreal in the late 50s or early 60s.  He was a merchant marine.  After being in Montreal for a couple of years, he read an ad in the paper for diesel mechanics to work at gold mines in northern Quebec providence.  He went to an open forum on the jobs offered , and said he was interested in this diesel mechanic position.  He and Margaret were sent to northern Quebec for a look see and Klaus accepted the job.  He had never worked on diesels in his life.  However, once there, other jobs, using his engineering training, were found for him.

All the homes in this community were brand new for the workers.  Stores, etc were built and opened.  After two years, the mine was depleted and the next mine would be in Africa.  Klaus and Margaret did not want to go there.  Also, the French separatist movement was in full swing, and anyone not speaking French was being treated badly.  They don't speak French so they decided to leave Quebec because of the hostile environment. 

Once the mine was closed and all the families on to other mines or other places, the town with all its houses and stores was bulldozed and the mine owners were required to re-plant the area as they found it.  Interesting!

From there Klaus and Margaret moved near Ottawa, Ontario where Klaus was hired by Nortel, ended up in management and retired 5 or more years ago.  They bought a 60 acre farm when they moved to Ontario and planted many acres of trees and grew vegetables for their own family consumption.  Both worked full time and tended their farm evenings and weekends.  Since retirement, they sold their farm and have RVd all over Canada, Alaska, and all the rest of the U.S. except for about 7 states.

 

 

 

 

 

Whale Watching

August 12, 2004 - Perce, Gaspe

Today arrived bright and clear in the mid 60s and it was our morning to go whale watching.  With great excitement, we boarded the pontoon-like yellow and green boat.  The sides had windows that could be raised for better viewing or closed to keep the wind and splash out of the boat.  The French boat captain was your sea man with ball cap, weathered skin, and deep blue eyes that penetrated the horizon as he looked for whale and guided the boat.

The water was calm at the start and by 1 1/2 hours, no whales, clouds lowering over the water, and rougher seas.  At times, it seemed like the boat was going up hill, but in the way of the seas, this was really not anything outstanding.  At this point, I felt we would not see any whales. 

We passed in front of Bonaventure Island which is the nesting place of thousands of birds and seals.  Looking at the cliffs of this hilly island, it looked like the cliff was covered in snow and that it was actually snowing, but it was thousands and thousands of white gannets and sea gulls on top of the cliff and the snow was gannets and sea gulls flying above the cliffs.  What a sight to see. 

Just in front of Bonaventure, a school of whale was spotted.  How exciting.  There must have been 8 or 10 whales and for the next 30 minutes or so, they put on a display.  They would blow water out of their blow holes to a height of 50 feet and then rise out of the water--not fully out, but enough to see how wide they were and what we saw looked to be about 40 feet long.  These were Minke whales and at times they were within 10 feet or so of the boat.  Several times, two at once would blow these water spouts and then in unison rise over the surface of the water. 

The captain received cheers and clapping for his accomplishment.  We were very fortunate to see the whales in their own environment.

On another note, on our drive to Perce from Tete D Indien, we went down a 17% grade.  Imagine reaching the top of a ferris wheel, seeing only sky, and then plunging down; that is a 17% grade.

 

 

In the Gaspe Peninsula

August 4, 2004

 

This morning we left Alouette near Montreal to begin our journey to the Gaspe Peninsula.  We said good-bye to our Canadian friends Real and Nicole Savard.  We hope to visit them in their Florida winter site in early January.  For the first time, we are beginning to see road signs that say Moose crossing.

 

August 5, 2004

 

We stayed the night in a lovely campsite in Montmagy called Camping Parc Sirois La Baleine.  It had about 105 sites with about 25 for long-term residents.  Their sites were beautifully landscaped with flowers, fencing, and waterfalls in a garden setting. 

 

On the day we departed, we had decided to leave several chocks behind for some other camper, as these chocks were too small for our big rig.  They were hardly used, and we hated to throw them out.  After we were traveling about 20 minutes, a van pulled in front of us signaling us to pull off the road.  We figured something was wrong with our rig, and they were trying to warn us.  Walter got out and immediately started checking the rig, but could not find anything obvious.  He started waking toward the van when the driver stepped outside, and I recognized him as our neighbor at the last campground.  He thought we left our chocks behind and was hoping to find us to return them to us.  He spoke only French and when he tried to give us the chocks back, Walter motioned to keep them; we do not need them.   After going back and forth over who should have the chocks, finally the neighbor kept them, and Walter and he shook hands.  The neighbor had a unit in which he could really use these chocks.  I can not imagine anyone trying to catch up with an RV to return something they left behind.  For one thing he did not know if we were going west to Montreal or east to Gaspe.  He guessed and guessed right.  It was a great moment when we were all smiling at each other and shaking hands, people from different cultures and different homelands, but really all one.

August 6, 2004

 

Today we left Matane for the final 5 hours drive to Perce and Camping Tete D Indien where our home for the next 25 days will be.  Across the street from our campground in Matane, we could walk the beach of the Sea of St. Lawrence.  It was so interesting.  It looks, smells, and acts like the ocean, and from this point, it is so wide that you cannot see the other shore which is 90 or so miles away.  The beach has black and white fine sand and the mixture makes it look dark charcoal.  There are very few shells, but many river rocks from about a few ounces to a few pounds in size.  The interesting thing is that they were many colors like mauve, green, gray, white, etc, but they were all smooth from the pounding of the surf.  When the surf pulled away from the shore, you hear a clack, clack, clacking sound of the rocks hitting against each other. 

 

Leaving Matane, we are really in the Gaspe Peninsula and this is one wild and beautiful place.  The road we are on follows the St. Lawrence shoreline on our left and on our right is the end of the Appalachian Mountains.  What you see are high, steep mountains coming down to the sea, the mountains meet the road.

and then there is a final cliff drop to the sea.  It is spectacular.  The road becomes very hilly with road grades as steep as 11% to 15%.  The effect is, you go up a steep hill and as you get to the top you see sky or just sea.  It looks like the road ends and you just drop off to the sea, but then you descend such steep grades that it gives your stomach a little jolt.  It is the same feeling as getting to the top of a roller coaster and then the sudden decent.

 

We passed many beautiful villages and small towns.  Looks like people farm and fish basically.  We also crossed over many salmon streams, and we saw ridge after ridge with windmills generating electricity from the wind.  Almost every town has a beautiful church in the old world tradition with outstanding steeples.  The landscape is large and sweeping.  Your eyes can almost not take it all in.

 

Mid afternoon we reach Tete D Indien.  This is a gorgeous place.  We have the greatest campsite.  We are on a cliff overlooking the Gulf of St. Lawrence.  Out our living room windows, we see the Gulf of St. Lawrence and out the dining room side we see a ridge of pine trees and out our kitchen side windows we see cascades of flowers.

September 7,2004

Tete D Indien  -  Today it is raining.  The sea is wild with white caps and high winds.  Temperature in the low 60s.  Before the rain began in earnest, we walk along the cliffs overlooking the sea.  It was so great.  The landscape is varied with cliffs with pine trees a top of them, and then abundant flowers right where the path drops down to the sea.  There are seagulls flying overhead and gannets which are sea birds much larger than seagulls with large wingspan.  They have an all white body with black edging along their wings, and they swoop down into the sea to catch their prey.

 

August 8, 2004

 

Tete D Indien - Today we went to Ferme Chimo (Goat Cheese Farm) a few miles from the campground.  It was a small farm with the homey kind of house, white with red trim and shutters.  It had a red metal roof.  Metal roofs are very common in Quebec.  They are in bright colors of red, green, blue, white, and sometimes black.  This farmhouse had the big front porch with roof over it that was somewhat in need of fresh paint.  The store was in a building next to the house.  A couple in their 50s owned the farm and ran the shop.  The women had graying hair and soft blue eyes.  She was so friendly as she explained the different cheeses to us and telling us they had 97 goats.  These people are so friendly asking where we were from and wishing us a very good stay in Gaspe.  The cheese was good.

 

 

 

Checking in. Two and a half months before start we are quite busy preparing the house for sale and assembling the components of our rig. Today the bike carrier arrived. Investigating Bellsouth message link to have a commercially visible telephone number where all unwanted calls will accumulate.