September 9, 2009 - Wifi Finally

After editorializing about campgrounds, internet and WiFi, I took my laptop and walked the 100 yards to the pool. There I sat on a bench with my back to the morning sun and initiated contact with WiFi. Please understand there was no possible way for me to sit that the bright morning sun didn’t either create massive glare or completely washout my laptop’s screen. Through it all, I managed to get onto the internet, retrieve from Word all of my writings and get them posted.

While all of this was going on, Carol packed the RV. She also was nice enough to wash the windshield (me thinks she had a motive here) and the front of the RV to remove yesterday’s carnage. With everything done we rolled out at 10:30 A.M., Atlantic Time. First stop, the gas station. We were came through town yesterday evening, we saw the Esso station (yes folks, it is Esso, not Exxon) but no posting of price. With over 450 miles on the RV since the last fill-up, we knew it was thirsty and the last price we saw was $1.059 a liter. Lo and Behold, Esso was 99.9. 400 liters and $400 later, we were on our way again.

They actually come out and pump the gasoline for you; it was like being in Oregon. So while Carol oversaw the filling of the RV, it was my job to get post card stamps from the P.O. across the street. The cost of a postcard stamp for mailing to the U.S. is 98 cents per. And, don’t forget, it’s taxed. Final accounting: six stamps, 98 cents each for a cost of $5.88; tax, $1.06 for a total of $6.96. But the health care is free.

As we motored south, we saw more and more farmland. The mountains have moved west and the terrain is gently rolling, not unlike Iowa or central Illinois. But at the edge of the highway right-of-way, the pines, spruce, maple, elm and what ever else, block any view you might have. We are seeing the first vestiges of fall as the maples are beginning to redden. There is also some yellow or gold starting to show, but I don’t know what trees are changing.

If you were a white paint salesman and this was you district, you could make a fortune. The bright hues we saw in Quebec and Gaspe have been replaced with white. No trim color for accentuation, just white. Roofs are black or grey, some deep green. Our travel takes us more inland, something the terrain in Gaspe did not allow and we see fewer villages and more farms or small acre plots. Conversely, the towns along our route have grown larger. The people we have met are open and friendly. Perhaps it is the language thing, because English is the language of preference in New Brunswick.

This afternoon, we crossed the causeway from N.B. to Prince Edward Island. It is 12.9 kilometers long or just over eight miles in length. Like the bridges in the Bay area, you only pay one-way and that way is out. So we’re looking at around $60 when we leave. PEI is a tourist destination and as such, it begins to close down in September. We hadn’t planned on doing any touristy things, but the campground suggested we check our daily itinerary as some operating hours/days have been cut back. We are at a K.O.A. and while Kids normally Outnumber Adults in these parks, with school back in session, this one is pretty empty. But it has WiFi (he wrote with the sounds of the Hallelujah Chorus in the background).

We’re going to explore for the next few days. So, we will be on-line for mail.