Day 43 Through New Brunswick

Uneventful travel day – amen! As we head toward home, even though it’s several days away, we can feel ourselves slipping into the “home” mode. “When we get back…” is starting to appear ever more frequently in conversation. Of course home mode is also prompted by the splotches of change in the New Brunswick forested landscape. It is amazing how the view has changed in little over six weeks. As we head toward the Quebec border the first brilliant colours of autumn are showing. Certainly the trees have not all changed colours, but there is unmistakable evidence of the show to come!

Despite being confined to the truck all day, or maybe because we were, we had several times today where we laughed until tears ran! I fear they may be “you had to be there” situations, but since this blog is for me, I will try to recreate some of them so that Mary-Kate and I can laugh again later.

At one short stop, long enough for a leg stretch, we were listening to crickets. I was explaining to her that we didn’t have crickets in Newfoundland so I was very excited the first time we traveled to Montreal and I heard them. She was surprised that Newfoundland didn’t have crickets so I was moving on to explain some of the other critters not found there. Instead of starting with “crickets and racoons”, I began by saying “rickets and cracoons” and the wheels were off the bus! David came out of the trailer to find us both doubled over with laughter and the poor man was trying to figure out what was going on. Neither of us could sober up enough to explain! Mary-Kate finally managed to choke out, “Mom’s a cracoon” and we were off in hysterics again! Like I said, it may not translate but it was hilarious at the time!

I’ve explained before that some of the TCH is in rough shape. At another point today, on a particularly bumpy stretch of road, we thought Mary-Kate was asleep in the backseat when we suddenly hear an indignant tone saying, “No one told me I should wear a sports bra for this trip!”

Now maybe because it was a day of giggles but when we passed the highway sign for Saint-Louis-du-Ha!-Ha! Mary-Kate was far more amused that one might consider normal. She claimed it was the name actually including exclamation points that really got her. Some might suggest cabin fever! Whatever it was, it was good for another belly laugh!

Today was a long day and by the time we arrive in Riviere du Loup Municipal campground we are ready to get out and have a stretch. Parc de la Pointe at the end of the campground road provided the perfect place with a stretch of shoreline along the St. Lawrence that we have mostly to ourselves! A few hours to beachcomb, walk and just generally engage in a little silliness was the perfect end to the day!

Saint-Louis-du-Ha!-Ha!

Great spot for windmills!

Rock painting along the shore.

Shadow silliness

Apparently dancing helps us stretch!

More silliness

Such interesting rock formations. Tons of quartz!

Posing on world's largest piece of driftwood!

Mary-Kate making bear claws from beach rocks.

Sunset on the St. Lawrence.

More silliness

The Interpretation Centre

Of course as much as we don't want this vacation to end, the thought of going home isn't all bad! Missing people like crazy! Got this picture sent to us today, reminding us of what we're missing!