Regina and Dougley DoRight

Oct 4 --- We got to Regina about noon and Emily the GPS led us to the home of my Uncle Lloyd and Aunt Jean. We had never seen this particular home --- since the last time we saw them (4 years ago) they had moved from their Regina home of 37 years to a condo. When I heard this I was somewhat skeptical --- I couldn't see Uncle Lloyd (raised on a farm and still farming) confined to a condo with no land to call his own. Turns out I loved the place and actually said to Linda that I could see living in something similar someday --- words that filled her with joy because she has always seen a condo in our future and I have always used phrases like "when the devil goes ice-skating". I'll regret those words later. Really nice condo with shop space for Uncle Lloyd downstairs and across the street from the Regina Legislature with a great view and access to the 200 acres of park and lake that surround it.

Lloyd and Jean from their balcony with the Legislature in the background

Spent the afternoon catching up and were treated to dinner at Luigi's (a great pasta house) --- met my cousins Grant and Holly there and they came back after dinner to continue visiting.

Cousins Holly and Grant

Oct 5 --- Regina is the home of the "Depot" where all RCMP officers do their initial training. My cousin Kathy's husband Ken is a retired RCMP sergeant (and an incredibly good guy) and my Uncle Gordon went through the Depot until an injury ruled out a career as a Mountie --- so there is a bit of family connection involved. So we went to the musuem attacked to the Depot with Uncle Lloyd. Very cool museum with lots of stories and artifacts of the Mounties. We got to the end of the tour and there were racks of RCMP scarlet tunics and one of the famous hats. I beelined for the hat and put it on. Too small --- and I know that my hat size is small as heads go (but it's tightly packed dammit). Linda tells me to throw on a tunic and she'll take my picture. The first tunic is too small and so is the second one ---- I finally find one that I can get into --- I'm not that big --- and we get a pic. When we get home we tell this story to Aunt Jean and she cracks up and says "Doug, those are meant for kids......".

Dougley DoRight

Earlier in the day Uncle Lloyd helped me fix the TV mount in Peanut and provided parts from his shop for a few other small fixes. Always good to have a farmer and engineer offering help with any project. We took Lloyd and Jean out to dinner at "the Lakeshore" --- a really nice greek restaurant --- and were off to bed early for an early start tomorrow.

Michigan to Minnesota -- Autumn Beauty

Oct 1 --- Sarnia ON to Iron Mountain MI

Got away from the mechanic's in Sarnia by 11 am on a beautiful sunny morning. Zipped through the border and headed north at Flint. The autumn colours just got better and better. Good roads and no traffic. Stopped for a picnic lunch at a rest stop

Autumn Beauty

Went over the Mackinac Bridge and onto Michigan's UP (Upper Peninsula).Camped for the night in the Iron Mountain Walmart --- it seems that my expectation that all Walmart's had free Wifi in the instore MacDonalds was based on limited experience in Canada so we are (gasp) "unconnected" -- have to resolve that problem. 

Oct 2 --- Iron Mountain MI to Bemidji MN

A warm place to take a dump.................

On the road early under once again sunny skies. Pulled over by Sunnydale Lake in Wakefield MI to take a few pics.

Zipped through Wisconsin and over the bridge into Duluth --- stopped at the Tourist Info place for another picnic.

More glorious colours.........................

The burning question we had for the tourist folk was, "Where can a poor little RV take a dump". I hadn't really thought how dependent we are on keeping the relevant tanks empty/full as the case may be. When you need to take a dump you really need to. Good things in a dump station are; not too far out of your way, free (I paid $30 once), and warm --- it takes 20 or so minutes of me being outside. God bless nitrile gloves. We were delighted to find there was a free dump station 3 minutes away. We went and did our business and were back on the road with a weight lifted from our minds and Peanut's shoulders. Walmart again for the night --- Linda made  a nice salmon dinner and off to bed.

Oct 3 --- Bemidji MN to Westhope ND

On the road early again and this morning we left the autumn colours for the prairies. I love how the terrain changes as you drive serious distances. Seemingly all of a sudden you're in a whole new type of landscape without being aware of a change. We'd spent 2 days in the the deciduous woods of the UP and now we were on the prairies. Linda asked if it felt like home to me and indeed it did.................

We pushed through to Westhope ND (8 minutes from the border crossing into Manitoba) with the idea of making Regina by noonish tomorrow to spend some time with my family there. Tonight's luxury accommodation was a rather scrubby looking RV Park with mostly permanent dwellers. Full hookup for $15 but no Wifi or hottub. Darn. We'd had rain that day and found that our bed was a lot wetter than it should be --- seems I keep hitting a rear window handle while sleeping and that this lets water off the road in if we don't remember to make sure it is latched. Oops -- we get things dry enough to sleep..............

Oct 4 --- Westhope ND to Regina SK

It was seriously cold last night and this morning. Bless the furnace in Peanut which keeps her interior at whatever temperature we desire with no fuss whatsoever. I was packing up outside before we left and I swore I saw snowflakes. Our uneasiness about the weather was fuelled by the border guard who asked if we were ready for the snow --- when we visibly blanched at this he allowed as how it was going elsewhere. He let us across the border and we sailed into Regina by 1 pm --- with a short delay to let these huge trucks go by.........Wide Load doesn't quite cover it..........they were also taking down hydro lines to let these things by......

Stranded in Sarnia

So we finally get away about noon Sunday, Sept 30 about noon --- it’s a beautiful day, Peanut is on cruise control, the new stereo is blaring JP Cormier and life is good. We\re crossing the border at Sarnia and decide to pick up a few things at the Duty-Free. I’m turning into the parking lot at about 5 kph when an unholy screech issues from Peanuts nether regions --- something is scraping really badly. We both jump out and look – Linda is figuring curb – no curb. I’m thinking pothole – but no pothole. I’m also thinking ‘how could I miss either of those things'. Then I notice that the  body seems to be very low over the left front wheel  --- so much that Peanut has a list to port. Looks like we’ve lost the ball joint and Peanut is not moving another inch.

Sadly Peanut is taking up a lot of room where people wanting to cross the border need to get by. I move a couple of cones and Linda starts directing traffic while I get on the phone to Good Sam Road Assistance. Then a marvelous woman named Anne who runs the traffic on the bridge comes over and takes us under her wing. She sets up cones to direct the traffic around us and offers to call a tow truck. Good Sam is completely useless. They want to set up an RV place to take us before calling a tow truck --- good luck on Sunday afternoon. We finally declare a “safety hazard” and get Anne to get us a tow. She has also been busily getting us motel numbers and a passing trucker recommends a shop.

We end up getting towed to Bill’s Mobile Repair. As I find out later, Bill started out with a van full of tools fixing vehicles as large as semi’s that breakdown on the bridge. He’s not so mobile anymore as he has a shop that will take 8 tractor trailers – but he still has tool-laden vans that will come to you. We talked to someone at his shop who said they could look at Peanut first thing in the morning and the tow truck dude sets us down on a block so we are level for sleeping.

Peanut's first tow --- proud Dad and attending doctor

So we start settling in for the night and I hear a semi pull in. I go out to find out when Bill's opens in the morning. The lady trucker tells me he opens at 8 and I go back to Peanut. Five minutes later there is a knock on the door and the trucker tells us that she has called ‘Billy’ to tell him to expect us and that Billy said we could plug in right near where we were --- and provides us with a cord so we can reach. 

Now we have power so I can mess with the new TV that I have yet to touch. I hook up Peanut’s antenna and after much fiddling around and resorting to the manual I manage to bring in 4 stations --- one of which brings in the season premiere of Linda’s favourite show “Good Wife”. She was ecstatic as she had been a little sad about missing it. I got to look like a hero.

The next morning the boys at Bill’s were working on Peanut shortly after 8 and the ball joint arrived before they had the old one out. While theyL were working Bill himself came by to see how we were doing and offered us a vehicle if we wanted to go and get breakfast or go shopping. His mechanic was almost done by now so Bill told him to take Peanut inside and have a good look underneath to stave off further ‘mishaps’.

Linda waiting to hit the road..........

So everyone was as helpful as could be and we were on the road at 11 am Sunday having had a perfectly enjoyable evening at our free campsite.. When Linda has been telling this story she relates how things always work out for the best when we breakdown. I tend to add that maybe we are just outrageous optimists.