Thunder Bay, ON July 1, 2010

We drove from the lunchground to Thunder Bay, ON today. It took about three hours to drive as we stopped a few times. The terrain changed from Rocky outcrops along the water at Neys to bright red rock then to slate as we neared Thunder Bay. The red rock was beautiful. In Thunder Bay, along the lake's edge, the terrain is less rocky and beaches are sometimes sandy. For every five deer crossing signs on the Trans- Canadian Highway that you would see is one moose crossing sign. The wildlife seems to have changed as well as the terrain.

Boy is gas expensive here . I paid $1.10/liter for gas yesterday. If you factor in the US to Canadian currency exchange rate, that equates to $3.91 per gallon. I am told the difference in cost is taxes. I remember when the exchange rate was 65 cents US to the Canadian dollar and now it is 94 cents US. I heard some idiot at the Sault Sainte Marie campground say that the Canadian government should change the exchange rate so US citizens will go over and spend money. He said "how do they expect us to afford to visit there"? If I get a vote, I vote we deport that idiot.

Deb was talking to somebody at our current campground's dog park (the dogs are happy but are barking 94% less due to the exchange rate) that sighting a cougar was extremely rare. He said he often hikes around all over Ontario and has never seen a cougar. Well he must not have gotten the memo that cougar sightings are only for the US citizens, so that we will come up here and spend money and not feel so bad about it. Geez. As much as gas costs here, that cougar should have put on a tutu and tap danced for us or maybe called a few bears over and had a really wild chorus line.

The reason this blog posting is late is because the wifi in this kiddie laced campground was not working last night when we arrived. But, there was one thing working that we didn't want or need. It was the mouths of the children of the "gentleman" next to us. All evening, his kids circled our motorhome yelling and screaming like the Indians did to the cowboys. One of the little monsters kept running around yelling "Mommy, Mommy, Mommy". Today, if Mommy, Mommy, Mommy doesn't shut that kid up, I will put my foot up Mommy, Mommy, Mommy's..... You get the picture. Why do idiots expect us to put up with their children like that. Had I acted like that as a child, my mother would have beat my..... Again, you get the picture. We saw a sign in Neys Provincial Park on the beach that said, "Parents, you are responsible for your children. No lifeguard on duty". Well that would never go over in the US (or this campground for that matter). Clearly, US parents are not responsible for their children. US parents force their responsibility on the neighbors, teachers, police, camp counselors, or anybody else but themselves. Canadians have strange customs at time.

Get this, it is going to be 81 degrees in Thunder Bay today and tomorrow. What happened to the nice cool weather?

I'll try to update tonight if the wifi works. We are staying in Thunder Bay tonight and leaving tomorrow for Nestor Falls which is 265 miles away. Nestor Falls is beautiful.
Al