On to day 2

Good Evening ZigsandZags Some things I forgot to mention last night--well maybe just one, my notes are in the car--we were amazed that all the signs were in English and then right after the same sign was posted in French. I thought that we were awfully far from Quebec to do that but then I looked at the map and my geography lessons of grade school returned--The Ottawa River is the boundray between the two provinces and though I think of Quebec as due North and East of Vermont it actually extends West north of Ontario. So until Sudbury we traveled with the Ottawa on our right side and looking across we gazed upon Quebec. I should have remembered, too, being in Ottawa and going to Hull which is in Quebec.Oh, well, it all makes sense now. Today's pictures begin with a shot of our cozy room in Pembroke last night and its landscaping this morning as we departed. A bit of a gray day but primarily because the proximity of the water kept the fog from lifting very early. When at last it did, the day was simply beautiful---sunny skies with beautiful puffy clouds. As you can see, the TransCanada is mostly two lanes with little traffic and long, long ribbons of roadway. The trees are deciduous but somewhat scrubby but the evergreens are lovely. They hug the road on both sides providing a natural hedge between the road and the villages and the River. Lots of rock, too, BIG ROCKS. There is no doubt of the glacial activity that took place here--these boulders having been dropped as the ice melted and receded. Off to the South of us the large gouges in the earth made by these rocks as they were carried beneath the receding ice. Of course, the big holes are filled with water and are the Great Lakes. But we could not see Erie or Michigan--so far south of us. At Sudbury we made a detour to see the World's Largest Nickel. When Bill was a young boy he traveled this road with his parents and 17 went right by the nickel so he had seen it. When he and I traveled this way ten years ago, I wanted to see this fabulous coin but, alas, 17 had been rerouted and we didn't take the time to try to figure out where the thing was. I put it on my part of the things to see list and so, there it is. It is lovely and I'm glad we made the effort to find it. We had to go through the town to get to it. The lady in the info center said yes, Sudbury is hard to get around, it isn't laid out in a grid, it is twisted around all the rocks and we love it. Well, we did, too. Especially since OLD 17 still runs by it and leads to NEW 17 without having to go back through town. After taking too many pix we decided to eat our picnic lunch right in their park so out came the pita bread and ham and cheese and we had refreshing sandwiches with water and iced tea before tackling the next 200 miles. Once we left Sudbury we were surrounded by Ontario and before long we were literally running along the northern edge of Lake Huron. Again, we only got an occasional glimpse of it through the trees but when we did, it was incredible--soooooo large and endless. Almost ocean like without the waves! About 20 miles outside of Sault Saint Marie I caught sight of huge flocks of birds in several fields. I realized they are cranes landed for the night but on their way South. No way to pull over so I had to try to take them through my side window moving along. Only caught three and they are sort of blurry. I will try to crop that picture tomorrow night and see if I can get a better view of them. By the time we reached the Soo it was around 730. The sun was very low in the Western sky blinding us. I suggested that we find a place on this side of the bridge for two reasons--it is a smaller place here and finding a motel would be easier. Considering our fatigue after driving 420 miles or so and having gotten up at 6, it seemed less stressful. Furthermore, we got to the bridge and realized we would be driving right into the sun--forget that. Especially the way I love bridges. Ugh. I must say, we weren't sure how we'd be treated by the locals being from the US but everyone has been incredibly friendly and nice. The drivers in Ontario are unbelieveably polite. We have not heard one horn --not one-over two days and almost 800 miles. No tailgating, no mad racing by when passing, no cutting in sharply when past, stopping and letting us in when we make a mistake and waving and smiling as they do it. The only time we had someone pushing us etc, about two or three times? Quebecois! They are as bad in Canada as they are at home and of course on their own turf in Quebec. Just awful and rude. But, not surprised and not worth counting at all. So, here we are comfortably ensconced in another Comfort Inn and full of quiche once more. Who wanted to look for a restaurant. So, Quiche again. Good thing we both like Dr Atkins recipe for crustless quiche. And am I glad I took the time to bake it. Last night Barb fell asleep at 8 and I followed soon behind at 930. But I did start The House at the Edge of Night--too early to tell how I like it. LOL Not sure when lights out will be tonight but I'm ready to at least get comfy with my book. Sooo, until tomorrow and the return to USA, good night all BarbZig and KatZag