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© 2000 Mikey Did IT.
DAILY JOURNAL
This is where I visited.
August 28,2000
First day on the move. Not much distance covered and a lot of time covered. I took the 11:45 ferry from Fulford to Swartz bay. Arrived in Victoria at 1:30 for the 3 pm sailing of the Coho to Port Angeles. It was full so I sat in line for the 7:30 pm sailing. Caitlyn came down to see me off. It was so nice to see her. Later I killed more of the time with a short walk uptown to get the battery replaced in the new Canon. Arrived Port Angeles all ok at 9:30 pm and passed the second customs inspector who was having a hard time believing that I was "on my way to New Orleans in that?"
August 29, 2000
Awoke to a cloudy day in Port Angeles. A few drops of moisture on Morgan. First rain he has seen in a long while. I had a shower, fetched a coffee from the front desk, called my broker, then did some quick banking to have some American cash to fill the tank. The odometer read 35500. We took on $15.00 to top it up and I checked the oil and water and was on the road before nine. It was a very brisk morning drive down the Hood Canal. I contemplated putting on my jacket a couple of times but it was on the bottom in the back. I stopped at one of my favorite stores a funky little roadside at Lilliwups. The rain only sprinkled a couple of times until I hit Olympia where it gradually began to clear. Once on the I-5 I picked up speed and maintained 70MPH. I swear there were twice as many transports on the I-5 as there were cars. Everyone of them trying to pass Morgan, until they come to a hill. The temperature gradually climbed until it was time to take the vest off. By late afternoon it was quite warm, in the high 20's C. I stopped at every second rest area to stretch the legs and back. I have come to the conclusion that driving Morgan on the I-5 is not so much fun, with so many transports on the road. Whatever happened to shipping by rail? I had many questions at the rest areas and several asking if I was headed to the ABFM in Portland. On the freeway as one car passed, a camera popped out the open window I smiled an the flash went off. Grin. A small new town near Salem I stopped for gas at Wilsonville Ore. The odometer read 35807 and we took on 12.3 gallons. By 6:30 I was getting quite tired, and a sign for a super8 appeared ahead and I checked in. A beer and a steak at the local Applebee's nearby where a bimbo blonde from New York, sat on my left and spilled her drinks all night while babbling to the bartender the woes of a poor Lutheran girl from Oregon being married to a wealthy Jew from New York for 11 years, and on my right, a traveling salesman who detected my Canadian accent and proceeded to tell me all about his one fishing experience on Stewart Island in Canada. A welcome rest awaited at the hotel and I crashed.
August 30, 2000
Awoke to a cloudy morning with no rain Overnight. Showered and went to the front desk for coffee and worked on the computer, specifically the Journal. Packed and checked out and headed for the local Gas station. The Mileage read 35970 and I added 7.3 G. And headed for the freeway. I was hoping that the transport trucks would have subsided in the morning but to no avail. Just before Grants Pass Ore I was Being passed by an 18 wheeler, Holding my hat on when he ran over several pieces of shredded retreads left behind by another truck. A couple of pieces flew into the air and one rolled like a spider web right in front of me. I tried my damndest to avoid it but It lodged under the car momentarily giving a large whirring sound from the right rear. I pulled over at the next rest area, checked, and can not see any damage. I decided he 101 route might not be so busy with transports and found I was right. I took the 199 route from Grants pass to Crescent city and although it was a chilly ride through the mountain pass it was fun on winding roads with steep hill. On this route I came across my first driver with road rage, A new Chev pickup truck that was not going to allow anyone in front of him. I was nastily cut off from him passing on the right in a no passing zone as the lanes merged at the top of a hill. He was gone outa sight for a while but I soon found him again waiting for a stop signal at a construction zone. At this point I decided to prove to him that a Morgan could keep on his tail. It did for a long time and he pushed even harder and harder to leave me in the dust. I suddenly had a feeling of being watched and slowed to the limit. About 5 miles down the road I honked as he was handing his license over to a sheriff. From Crescent city I proceeded on the 101, The Redwood Highway to Eureka. It was a chilly but delightful drive, as many of the small valleys and bays we crossed were filled with a wonderful mist rolling in from the ocean. I filled up with Gas again taking on 11.3 gal at an Odometer reading of 36215. I also needed one quart of oil. Several fellows at the gas station admired the car. One told me the story of how he is still kicking himself for not buying one when he was in the army stationed in Lahr in Germany, because so many of his buddies were bringing home German cars cheep. Another fellow spotted the BC license plate, and informed me he was born and raised in Penticton. Did I know Jeff in Penticton.
The Avenue of the Giants is a delight to drive in the Morgan. Zipping past the big trees and stopping for the occasional picture talking. I managed to con another tourist to take Morgan I my picture in the drive through tree. I first remember my dad taking me through here in 1952 in the 47 Nash. The tree is still he same and probably will be for my grandkids and long after that. By taking the coast route and dallying in the forest I was now late for San Francisco. It was dusk near Ukiah so I found a super 8 and checked in. A beer with dinner at the restaurant next door and I crashed.
August 31,2000
Up late this morning, It was a good long sleep. The Morgan was covered in a light dusting of rain but the pavement was dry. Shower and to the front desk for coffee and an hour on the puter. Topped up the Morgan with gas 7.2 gal at a mileage of 36370. It Was a good morning to drive the last few miles into San Francisco. I was waved at several times, once by a nice looking redhead in one of those new BMW Miata look-alikes. I ARRIVED safe and sound at the warehouse in the south of the city. I met Steve and waited around to meet several of the others that are shipping. Steve gave all of us a ride back into downtown. I am glad I took the extra day and Arrived when I did. There is no parking at this hotel and it is not in the best of districts.
The next Couple of days will be used to explore an old friend. San Francisco.
Sept. 1-2, 2000
These two days were well spent exploring this old friend, San Francisco. I happened to trip over Trappes Sutter Street Bar and Grill. Good food, really good food at a really good price and a very likeable character behind the bar by the name of Mike. I managed to hit this place every night for dinner. I also found a nice place a couple of blocks away for coffee and my internet time. The rest of the time was spent exploring the wharf, with many hours in the maritime museum, which included a square rigged 3 mast sailing ship. On my final night in the old hotel, I was awakened by the room swaying and shaking violently at 1:30 am. Another first, my first San Francisco Earthquake experience. I found out in the morning it was 5 on the Richter scale, way up in the Napa Valley near Sonoma. The clerk at the front desk didn't even feel it, but it was enough to rattle the pictures on the walls. I can now proudly say I survived a San Francisco Earthquake.
Sept. 3, 2000
I was up early and off to the airport. It was a good flight to New Orleans. The flight was almost empty but the attendants spent a lot of time looking after us anyhow. The chief attendant told us he was originally from the island of Sri Lanka. He didn't have to tell us he was Gay. Nice and warm here on arrival, 6pm and it is still 93F. I headed for the bar at the hotel. After a beer I asked the bartender about a place for a steak. Smith and Wolensky down the street was recommended. I headed out into the evening heat. Yes found it down the street and 2 blocks over. It looks fancy, so what the heck. One look at the menu, yes it is fancy. Steak any cut, 28.95. I ordered a beer and a sirloin rare, "would you like anything with that?" "Fries please." Later when the bill arrived the steak alone was 28.95 , the fries were 6.95 and the beer was about 4 bucks plus tax..... the total was 43.50. So with the tip 55 BUCKS USD The most expensive steak sandwich in my life. It was good, really good, and big , really big, so big I couldn't finish it. The service was excellent and the place was really fancy, even the bathrooms rivaled the Vancouver Yacht club with green marble booths.
Sept. 4, 2000
A first day in New Orleans. Well it's a hot one, like 7 in from the midday sun. I checked out the local area around the hotel, it's pretty bare. Scouted out the local internet access. Not to bad a shop, the local Kinko's computer/printing outfit.
The Mississippi river is an interesting place but the French quarter has the places of interest. I cruised Bourbon street. Crossing one of the corners something felt weird. The bar on the corner had loud music coming out the doors there were a lot of men hanging out, some whistling at the dancers. I poked my nose in to see and saw one of the topless dancers dancing on the bar-top but kneeling and lip locked with one of the men standing at that Bar. As the dancer stood up I saw that HE was only wearing a white thong. From here I realized this was the other end of Bourbon st. All the tourists and people on the street were male couples. I felt a little out of place so to speak so headed back the other way. I stopped at one of the oldest absinthe bars for an absinthe frappe, very nice, then topped it off with a Coors light. It was now only 2 in the middle of a hot afternoon, I wound my way back to Decatur st. found the house of blues and picked up my ticket for Dr. John. Around the next corner a Wendy's looked inviting and a burger, fries n a coke filled the stomach. Back to the hotel and TV and a good sleep.
Sept. 5, 2000
A lazy day of hanging around the room. I found it way too hot to spend a lot of time outside. I explored stores along Canal street close by and scouted out the Holiday inn French quarter to see where it was and what facilities.
I was ready to leave and discovered another member of the group arriving from the airport. I asked the desk if I could check in early, "why sure"
Another stop at Wendy's on the way back to my hotel to make up for the first night out, and I was off to sleep early.
Sept. 6, 2000
An interesting day. I awoke to a warm morning again but the forecast called for some thundershowers and cooling. I checked out of the hotel and cabbed it to the holiday inn. They accepted my excuse that my car was arriving a day early.
As I arrived at the holiday in I found my old friends The Buttons from Seattle already there. It was good to see them I checked in and booked an afternoon tour of the greater city. The Buttons and Emeile Houle were on this tour too. The tour covered a lot of the history of New Orleans and we got to see how the levee's work and why they use such a different burial system in this city. We actually got to walk around one of the cemeteries. The city is built on a swamp, actually several feet below sea level. Therefore the old houses with little or no pylons under the foundations are sagging and tilting.
On the way back I was dropped off early from the tour bus and went on to one of the famous places here, "Mother's" for a "Po-boy" for a late lunch. Back at the hotel many of he others in the group had now arrived including my friends Ken and Pat Miles from Surrey. It was good to see them. A brief meeting about 5 - 6 pm to meet all that had arrived and a dinner in the local restaurant and I was off on another tour for the evening. I just got there in time for the haunted history. A delightful evening of walking around the back streets and back alleys of the French quarter, listening to the guide telling ghost stories he had collected over the years. Although he says many people sense some "sensitivities" in some of these places none on our tour seemed to feel anything. Except once when he asked us all to come close, look through these bars, into what was a lockup area. GRRRRRRROWWW. He made most of us jump and really got a couple of the ladies in the front row. He then described this was a holding area for the slaves as they waited for the auction block. People that have recently been in there can feel the coldness and oppression. Many other stories were told too of a murder then suicide in what is now an Irish pub, and a local hotel that once was the hospital during the civil war.
I returned to the hotel, downed a cpl. of Dixie beers and headed for a long sleep. At 11:30 on the way to bed I checked the 7th floor parking and our cars from SFO had not arrived yet.
Sept. 7, 2000
I awake early and on the way down for breakfast I check the 7th floor for shipments...YES the cars are here. I look over Morgan he has fared the shipping well. Not a mark, nothing out of place. I rescue my bags back to the room from the car and then take Morgan for a spin down Bourbon street for a photo op. The rest of the morning I take some time to do some shopping. There are several who I have to get things for, all the way from here. Part way through the tour I will have to ship some things home. The evening was spent with dinner with some of the other members at the Acme seafood bar and a walk down Bourbon street in the evening to preservation room. Some nice sounds of traditional Dixie jazz , piano, drums, banjo, trumpet clarinet trombone and sousaphone. A delightful sound.
Sept. 8, 2000
Awakened at 5:30 to flashes of bright light from outside. Hmmmmm ... KABOOOM. The next one was even closer. I hop out to the window to watch. It dissipated quickly and I was not up again until 8:30. I nice stroll in the morning humidity to the café Du Monde for some bignets and coffee. Then to the museum of history at Jackson square, seeing as how the rain had set in again. I checked the email at the local inet café on the way back to the hotel and then was off again for an afternoons tour on the Natchez steamboat. Built in 1972 this is a fully modern furnace oil powered steam engine. 2 large oil fired boilers and 2 large 30" bore and 7 ft stroke pistons to drive the stern paddle wheel. We toured about 5 miles down the river to where the battle of New Orleans was fought in 1815. The tour passed several oil refineries lots of dock space, several freighters, and the domino sugar refinery. Our tour guide told us twice that New Orleans is the largest port in the world. I guess he has not seen Singapore.
I ate a nice dinner at the bar, TGI Fridays right next to the hotel and then off to the House of Blues. The one and only Dr John. The House of Blues is down a back alley off of Decatur st a few blocks from the hotel. The door is lit in black light. The room itself was originally a dance floor with a narrow area for small tables along the railing around the dance floor. This is now taken up mostly by bars on three sides now. The balcony used to hold 2 rows of tables too in 2 tiers. This is all given way to standing room only so they can pack the crowds in, and it was packed. The stage is 3 ft off the dance floor with a 16 ft proscenium. I stage right had stairs up to the green room where windows French quarter style looked over the stage. Stage left was the scene dock. The sound was good...it was loud but not enough to shatter the drums like some concerts. The light show was really something, in my books too much actually, and I found it very distracting. I checked around and noticed there were only 2 men with long hair in the house, Dr. John and yours truly. One lady near me cought my attention with her good looks. A really pretty blonde wearing shorts and runners and a snug t-shirt, BUT when she opened her mouth, the loudest high pitched whiney voice you could imagine. It almost hurt. The Dr. did sing "right place wrong time." It sure made me remember me recording him singing it back in 76. I would have loved to hang around till the last but, was back to the hotel for an early start in the morning.
Sept. 9, 2000
First day of actually driving. Top down we headed out for the bridge south across the Mississippi River for our first stop the swamp tour in Jean Lefitte Park, deep in the bayous of the Mississippi delta. Several of us proceeded to get lost for several reasons. In my case the rain was too much and I had to stop and put the top up. I also filled up with gas. 36,508 miles and 8.1 gal. By the time I had the top put up all the others were ahead, so this left me to my own to try and find the way. After several wrong turns and one dead end road, and then getting some directions from a corner service station I found the way Finally arriving at the tour location way to Late only to find that most had already left on the tour. 2 others and I waited for the next tour and got on it. Honestly it was worth the wait. The bugs during the wait were annoying. A local outbreak of these love bugs as they are called here, they are not harmful to you but just annoying. They are harmful to the paint though so we were warned. This was soon to be solved. The tour was quite interesting. Hosted by a Cajun, they have a totally different accent, and I find them easier to understand than the southern drawl. We saw lots of Spanish moss covered Cyprus trees, a grave site of vaults right by the river, then into the bayous. Alligators, egret, blue heron, pelican, one white tail deer, palmetto, persimmon, eucalyptus, and several other trees I could not identify, some with white or red or even purple flowers like the allamanda flower. I am glad our guide knew his way, he had most of us lost around the second bend. After the tour I headed north again retracing my steps and stopping along the way to check the instructions and the maps. The route we took was through some of the oldest plantations of the south. I wound my way along the levee of the Mississippi river, and traveled through field after field of sugar cane. Hmmm, I wonder if we can grow sugar at home. I had to make several stops to get the wipers sorted out. They only like to work some of the time and often like to get tangled up. There were several outbursts of lightning, lots of thunder and torrents of rain, almost like we saw in Indonesia. Morgan only showed a couple of minor drips and leaks and did quite well despite some of the drop outs in the highway. I rolled into Baton Rouge at 6:00 pm nicely along with most of the others at a party held in our honor by a local friend of one of the group., The party was held at this fellows garage where his main time is spent restoring Rolls Royce's. The shop was full of them, all vintages, plus a 1942 Caddy. A quick stop here then to the Hotel and a welcome rest.
Sept. 10, 2000
It was not a good sleep last night, either too hot or too many noises or too many dreams or something to keep me awake most of the night. I was up at 6:30 and down the hall to breakfast, packed and ready for the drivers meeting at 8:00. Elaine mentioned to be on the lookout for some Mississippi Morgan's joining us from the Jackson area today. A nice warm morning but with still a few clouds in the sky decided to keep the top up. We took a small side tour through the streets of St Francisville Louisiana to look at some of the old architecture. Gas up at 36751 was 7.1 gal and then on to Natchez Mississippi. About 15 miles before Natchez I pulled over to see what was up with so many of us stopped by the wayside. Ben and Judy Fryrear were pretty shaken up but they were not heart. It seems that a buzzard had tried to tackle a red +8 and lost the battle on the front windshield. There was not much left of the windshield so the chase vehicle was called and we could deal with it tomorrow in Vicksburg somehow. I carried on as there was not much I could do and was much more careful watching for road kill that was attractive. So far for road kill, several dogs, a cpl of raccoons, possums, and an armadillo. I have also spotted a small owl this morning on the roadside watching for prey in the ditch. Several miles up the road we stopped in Natchez to see a heritage home called Longwood. It was built just before the civil war broke out, at the then cost of 80 thousand. It is octagonal shape and was to have 32 rooms on 4 floors all under a dome. The construction got as far as the basement for the family to move in to 8 big rooms, when the war broke out, All the owners investments were depleted for the war, and he came down with a virus and died. The family lived on in the house until the 1930s when the house was sold and donated to the state for preservation. There are many tales like this in the south. From here I headed further north passing many cotton fields, another first for me to see, but it reminded me of seeing it on the agricultural experimental farm in Davis CA back in the early 50s As I drove I spotted another Morgan coming towards me, both arms waving in the air. I stopped and met Joe from Jackson Mississippi. We toured the Windsor ruins, another huge plantation home gone to ruin. I explained the plight of the broken windshield and he got on the phone right away to seek help. I drove on to Vicksburg and he headed to seek help from some friends. I am sure in the morning something will come of it. Joe also took a care package for me, a box of stuff, to send home. (some thingz for the kids). As soon as I pulled into the hotel in Vicksburg another 90's green Morgan pulled in behind me. I met Bill Beavers an ex member of MOGNW now moved to Mississippi. A cpl of beers to quench the thirst of a hot humid day and then off to a nice dinner at Harrah's with 15 of us together and then hopefully a good nights sleep.
Sept 11, 2000
Wow what a wonderful day and a wonderful warm drive through the heart of Mississippi. A nice good breakfast at the hotel and then a gas up of 8.6 gal at 36910. The top down and after some corrections due to some construction detour at the morning meeting I headed out. The map was easy to follow and I crossed from Vicksburg to just north of Jackson where we got on the Natchez Trace again. This is now a national heritage road, it was the original road from Natchez on the Mississippi River to Nashville Tenn. It is now a wonderful sight to travel. The speed limit is 55mph and no transport trucks or commercial vehicles allowed so I had a wonderful day of basking in the warm sun of the high 80s temp and Morgan loved the drive too. I made lots of stops to take in the heritage the first being the Cyprus swamps, an awesome sight like scenes from a Disney movie or more like Channelwood from Myst. I also spotted a fox and a wild turkey on the wayside. (live not roadkill) I passed many more cotton fields and several peanut plantations. By early afternoon I filled up again at 37061 with 6.9 gal. We arrived in Tupelo Mississippi by 3 in the afternoon in plenty of time to check in and make the pilgrimage to Elvis. Yes he was born in a 2 room shack in Tupelo Mississippi, and it is still here. A museum is also added full of his early history and artifacts, plus a chapel dedicated to him. I noted that in the chapel there is a kneeler at the front, which looks out a plain glass window which is pointed directly at the old house, whereas the rest of the windows are all modern art stained glass. This town of now 35,000 is pretty proud of him, and so they should be. I found an internet connection to check my mail but didn't have access to transfer the journal files. Perhaps at the next stop. Back at the hotel Ben and Judy arrived with a new windshield all in place. The fellow did a good job of replacing the glass and straightening the frame in Vicksburg. Dinner was at an Italian place tonight, must have been 30 of us there, it wasn't fair on the waitress. We had to have patience.
Sept 12, 2000
We started off to some minor troubles at the start today. The steering is creaking, so with further inspection under the front end and with some others I discover it is coming from a spring steel damper that has seized where it is fastened to the chassis. A little oil and loosening the bolts an tightening them again seemed to make some difference. Inspection of the steering column oil too made me suspect this had not been checked, or topped up. We headed out of Tupelo at about 9 am with a gas up of 4.7 @ 37150. I traveled along with Emile today. Our morning coffee stop recommended was Cherokee Alabama. I found a car parts place and picked up some 140W oil. The steering box took quite a bit. I also picked up some JB weld and metal glued the water overflow pipe back into place. It had come loose and when the radiator overflowed it sprayed all over the ignition and out the louvers onto the windshield. I also found one of those straw seat covers to let the air past. It works well. North again along the Natchez trace into Tennessee. Then onto some secondary roads through the south part of the state to Chattanooga. It was a definite change of scenery as we entered a more mountainous area and the change from Cyprus to Gary Oak, Eastern Pine, some Tamarack and Eastern Maple. Lunch was in Pulaski Tenn. and another fill up of 6.9 gal at 37304. As we passed along the back roads we came across a sign saying Jack Danials - Lynchburg, Guided tours. We made a left and took a 10 mile detour. It was a free tour and I learned a lot, BUT there were no samples, this is a dry county. Some things in the south just don't make sense and some things don't change. As we left there were several wild turkeys in the yard out front, probably hanging out to find out some of the trade secrets. We arrived in Chattanooga to find we are booked into the Holiday Inn Chattanooga Choo Choo Hotel.. Wow what an awesome place. It is the original train station converted. The lobby is the original main hall of the station. There are still lots of all different kinds of railroad passenger cars on the tracks, and later on closer inspection these have been turned into hotel rooms, 2 per car. Yes - track 29 is still here and one of the old funnel stacked locomotives is on it. There are 3 hotel complexes built around this with pools, hot tubs and water slides. Lots of shops and a game room, a model railroad museum and all facilities. I had a nice dinner here and to bed from a long day of driving the beautiful back roads of Tennessee. Rumor has it that one of us got a ticket for speeding on the Natchez trace this morning despite the warnings at the meetings and despite the plea for help from the DA for Jackson Miss.
Sept 13, 2000
A wonderful day for a run through the Smokey mountains. From Chattanooga we went north to Cleveland Tenn then too the back roads through to Ocoee river byway. The Ocoee river was the site for the 1996 Olympics (Atlanta Georgia) whitewater kayaking competitions. It also has one of the oldest Hydro electric operations in the country which is still in operation. It was a wonderful drive through some old familiar territory, as I have been through here before in 97 to attend a seminar in Copperhill Tenn. We gassed up in Ducktown just 11 miles north of Copperhill, at 37516, 10.5 gal. Then on to the Nantahala gorge where again whitewater river rafting abounds. The Cherokee Inn on the Cherokee Indian reservation is the destination today. I inquired about internet, they have one in the hotel, wow what a nice surprise. Better than I could find in Chattanooga. Most of the others arrived early too and spent the rest of the afternoon getting the bugs off the cars. I had done this several days ago so Morgan only has a little dust on it. . I didn't see any of us heading to Harrahs, this is the main industry in this town. Dinner was at 7:30 tonight here in the hotel special banquet room with all 40 of us with guests. We are on a dry reservation so we had to BYOB. Also attending at dinner was Emile's brother and his wife from Florida, and a new member of the group Lita Sheam. She arrived from England to navigate for Liz Ellis.
Sept 14, 2000
It started out to be another beautiful day. A few clouds in the sky, top down and off up the road across the Smokey mountains again into Gatlinburg Tenn. Four of us took off together, the three Canadian Morgans followed by Bob Murray. Bob Murray won the turnsignal award this morning for doing 15 miles with it on. (To those of you who do not know the Morgan well this is a common problem for some reason, which all Morgan drivers fall to several times during their career. Morgan hummed along just fine until we got 1/2 the way down the other side of the pass when it started to splutter. I pulled into a gas station in Gatlinburg but he could not look at it for at least another day. I pulled plug no. 2 as this is the usual one that fouls. It was loaded with carbon and wet. A wire brush cleaned it, but with it back in this still had not fixed the problem. The car is backfiring, spluttering, missing and no power at all. Lots of black smoke so it is running very rich. I could almost watch the gas gage go down. On my way out of Gatlinburg I passed a NAPA. Stocking up on a cheep sparkplug wrench I pulled 2 of the plugs. Both the same, very black. He looked them up but did not have any in stock. I carried on up the road taking the route described in our directions. If Morgan was running fine this would have been a blast. I gassed up at a small place called Cosby with 37662 and took on 7.2 gal. The back road we ended up on was so full of tight corners that we had to slow to 10 MPH and the road ended up into gravel as we crossed the state line into North Carolina again. At the summit of Mt Sterling I returned to the I40 and battled our way into Ashville. We checked into the Hotel. We all were greeted by Charlie King from Charleston SC, who is the rep or MOGSW. He is staying at the hotel and joined in with us for the evening. It is certainly nice to meet so many enthusiastic Morgan owners along the way. I spent some time trying to figure out the plugs again. I pulled all 4 plugs and all were almost totally carboned up. Jim Walters, if your reading this, do you or Matt have any ideas. I checked the points they seemed to be in place, we tried a timing light, but were unable to get a reading I guess because we were in full sun, or the TDC mark was hiding. I cranked the mixture nuts to the top and checked the dampers, raising the dampers now slows the engine instead of speeding it. By this time it was time to get ready for the party. We were all invited to a pig pickins at a local Morgan owners property. We had a wonderful evening on a 22 acre property complete with their own lake. Steve and Phil even tried some fishing off the dock and Phil actually caught one. Now a Pig pickins is a whole pig split in two and roasted on a BIG BBQ grate for about 12 hrs. Then you peel back the crispins and pick out the meat. Ohhh so wonderful plus a Keg of beer from the local micro brewery. All of us agreed, it was a treat for a good IPA. Another birthday celebration, and cake, Jennette, today. On the way to the party Morgan still had no change in performance. So the next thing to try was the air cleaners, they came off but were spotless. Then Henry took the dampers apart, a little dirty but not to bad, springs ok needles seated ok. Next the float bowls, the needles here looked fine and were operating fine too. Henry helped me with these and we set the floats just a little lower in the bowls so to try and starve the engine a bit. We checked the synchronizing of the carbs by watching the dampers rise, the front seemed a little faster than the rear but not enough to make it this rough. I checked the points again they seemed to be secure and the inside of the cap looked spotless. Morgan seemed to idle a little better but the return trip to the hotel it was much the same as before, no change. Our host recommended a local British car shop here so a call in the morning is in order. Off to bed.
Sept 15, 2000
Up early and showered, I had a thought overnight and went out first thing to try it. Remove each plug wire and see if any cylinders are not working. To no avail, it is something else. I phoned the shop recommended and they could take me. I spluttered most of the way there but then just as I was a block away it stopped, the engine was running much better. As I pulled in one of the mechanics came out to great me, he recognized the sound of a Morgan. I told him the history and he pondered for a moment. What kind of fuel pump. Solex electric. That's it, let me check the pressure. He called me back to his bay in the shop a few minutes later and showed me his gauge. It was pinned at 7 PSI. A way too much for a SU carb, they will only handle 1.5 to 2 PSI. Along with other parts he ordered in a fuel line regulator. A new damper spring was exchanged in the left front, and a lube oil and filter. When the other parts arrived he installed the regulator and did a tune up. He and I took Morgan for a spin around the block, Morgan was running just fine. I paid the bill and took off for the Blue Ridge Parkway in hopes of an easy afternoon drive to try and catch up. I left Ashville at 2:30 with a gasup of 8.9 gal at 37776. Wow it was eating Gas 13.2 MPG. Shortly after getting on the parkway I ran into a construction zone. There were several bad potholes and I may have hit one fairly bad. As I came out of the construction zone I noticed much more wheel bounce, and shimmy. I kept on going as there were no turnarounds as we climbed into the mountains.
It has become progressively worse to the point where over 50 MPH is unbearable, the car breaks into a breakdance down the road. About 150 miles later I left the Parkway and took to the back roads north where there was another detour. I encountered some really nice and very pretty rural back roads and countryside. Lots of crops of corn and way up on the side of one hill a big field of a familiar sight, Large long wide bright green Leaves, tobacco. I gassed up again In Independence Va. Taking on 7.5 gal at 37930. 20.5 MPG much better. I drove on till past dusk in Wytheville and found a small hotel. Falling about 75 miles short of Lewisburg Va., our planned destination. The lady at the hotel recommended the log cabin restaurant across the street for dinner. I phoned the hotel in Lewisburg and left a message for Elaine then headed for dinner. Another first, they had Peanut soup on the menu. It is very good. A pork roast steak and a cpl of beers and I am full. Tomorrow is another day to iron out the problems.
Sept 16, 2000
I was up at the crack of dawn and across the street to the gasmart for some coffee. I also asked about a tire store. There is one three blocks down the road. I was at the door at 8 am for them when they opened. The fellow spotted the problem as I drove in, As I suspected it was the right rear, the tire had a big bulge in it in one place. We swapped it out for the spare. WHEW that was an easy fix, however I must remember to carry a knockoff hammer from now on. He explained that the tread had separated from the belt. Likely a good jolt or too much heat will do it. Hmmmm not bad for 40 year old tires, Semperet, they only get a bump in them not like the latest technology from Firestone. I headed for I 81 North. For the next 250 miles Morgan hummed along splendidly. I gassed up again at Harrisonburg Va, and took on 10.65 gal at 38140 miles. Lets see, this calculates to 19.7 Mpg, much better. There were several sights on the road, but the scariest one was when a one ton roofing contractors truck passed me like I was standing still. I was doing a good 75 and he went flying past at what must have been over 90MPH. His tar kettle trailer on behind was missing the left tire, it was screaming down the road on only the rim, with a trail of sparks behind. He was long gone but for at least 6 miles down the road there was a twin scrachmark in the blacktop until the 2 lines had a third in between them. The marks told me he had changed lanes several times to pass others then exited 81 onto route 66. I wonder when he finally discovered it. It was a smooth ride all the way up 81 to Winchester Va then I took the side roads to Cumberland and on 2 miles to Flintstone. When passing through Burlington West VA I spotted an old garage with several of the old hand lever gas pumps. I pulled around and did the photo-op thing parked in front of the pumps. Somewhere also on route I spotted a small shopping complex called "Polish Pines" and in the logo the pine tree was upside down. Just as I pulled out of Cumberland I looked in the mirror to a welcome sight. Emile was right behind me in his white and cream +4. We found the hotel easily and checked in. Everyone else thought they had lost me for good, I was deluged with "WHAT HAPPENED?" Apparently Elaine did not get my message at the hotel last night. I took a quick shower and went back down to the parking lot to visit with our guests. The Washington DC club was well represented. Alan & Chris Stanton, Baltimore MD, Doug Markham, Richmond VA, Richard Fohl, Richmond VA, Ed & Bev Geiger, Reston VA, George and Diane Cobman, Gardensville VA, Carl & Beverly Schriver, Downsville MD, Al Marsh, Washington DC, Richard & Geri Cooperman, Silver Springs MD, Ed Zieliski also from Silver Springs. Ed Geiger will be joining us on the run from here to Quebec. There were 26 Morgans lined up in the parking lot, and get this, I still heard someone ask if they are a Kit Car. Bart and Karey Grant were seen taking a plus 8 for a spin, this was Bart's old Morgan, he assured me it still runs as well as ever. We all dined together in the hotel and had a wonderful dinner. It is so wonderful to see so many guests. We talked Morgan adventures all night. I wore my Morgan tie for dinner only to find Ed Geiger has one too.
Sept 17, 2000
I awoke to shafts of light through the window and looked out to see blue sky and the mist rising off the lake. What a beautiful morning. Drivers meeting was at 8 am as usual and I went back in to check out. It was a nice warm drive, with my sweater on all the way through the Northern Appalachians to Wellsboro and then Mansfield PA. I gassed up in Altoona taking on 10.23 Gal at 38371 miles, on the odometer. It was such a good drive and Morgan just hummed along nicely. We definitely noticed when we crossed the state line into PA. the change in the road surface condition. In this state they do much like California, with the road build in section blocks that later shift over time, causing Morgan to bounce down the road slightly. I think elsewhere I will do a personal rating for all the roads during this tour. Look for it some time soon. The country side was a wonderful sight, fields of corn almost ready to pick, fields of peanuts and Potatoes. We took the side tour to the grand Canyon of Penn State. A nice lookout and views at about 1000 ft over the river below. Again when we came through Wellsboro The Western NY MOG were there to greet us, and joined up at our hotel in Mansfield. Bob & Georgian Abels, Dick Powers and Bob Tescione, all from the Rochester area. I am still amazed at how many people know of us and come out to spend some time with us. In Mansfield we split the dining.. Some went for the restaurant downtown and the rest of us across the street.
Sept 18, 2000
Another delightful sunny morning. I gassed up early in Mansfield PA at 38545 with 10.4 gal. Several members of the tour took a side tour today to Watkins Glen NY, where one of the world famous race tracks is. I called our friends Mike and Donna from Victoria, now moved to Ft Eirie, Ont., but they were not able to join us in this leg of the tour through New York. We were off up the road early to some backroads of Northern PA then across the State Line into New York. It was rather a boring day with mostly freeway driving. New York State comes in somewhere down on the list too for road quality. Several sections of the freeway were done in blocks, which bounce the Morgan. Around Binghamton they loose points for directions too. There are several highways and 2 major freeways that converge here, what a wonderful place to do major construction too. So I was off down I 17 for New York City when I must have blinked once. It took the next exit to correct the error so not much time was lost. Near to Albany we took to the back roads again and wound along to Saratoga Springs. I gassed up again in Ballson NY at 38779 and another 10.8 gal. The Hotel we stayed at was fantastic. One of those old spreading 6 story countryside hotels. The had us park our cars all along the curb of the long sweeping driveway. Fred Fagelman from Queensbury NY met us at the Hoteldriving his Red +8. He spent the evening with us at the patio Bar.
Sept 19, 2000
A cloudy morning. The clouds are high but there is no blue. I dress up warm and scrunched the hat on, and were off to the Adarondack mountains. First stopin Bolton landing on Lake George. By this time the blue sky was starting to show up and as the day went on it warmed up to the best temps yet. Fred Fagelman drove with us this morning in his red +8. We stopped at theSagamore hotel. This place, Steve told us at the drivers meeting, was a required stop. The building is a delight for architecture. They also have a Morgan, an old 100 ft or more cruise boat at their own dock on Lake George,The Morgan she is called. From here on up and across the mountains of the Adarondacks. The famous village of Lake Placid is quite the tourist town with many little touristy shops. It was a wonderful drive as in the upper elevations the trees were beginning to show some colour. I stopped at a rest area just past Lake Placid for a quick snooze curled up in the Morgan. Then on to Plattsburg and our Hotel there.
Sept 20, 2000
What a fantastic day. We started as usual with the drivers meeting at 8am. At this morning meeting we were joined by our old friends Ron & Yvonne Theroux from Surrey BC. They will be with us for the Maritime portion of the run. It is sure good to see them. I opted out of the first part of todays run which backtracked to take in a tour of the Ausable chasm. Some others tell me it was a wonderful sight and well worth the extra miles and time. I took the morning ferry to Vermont from Plattsburg and found 3 plus 8s on board. I kept up with them all the way into Montreal even though Keith and Sue were in the lead. It was a wonderfully warm day to cross lake Champlain and drive up the Grande Isle to the Quebec Border. Montreal traffic is not the easiest to contend with in a Morgan but we made it fine. Wow has this city grown some and changed in places since I was here last in 76, then again in 94 on my way to Kujurapik. There are lots of new buildings taller than those then. St Catherines St. has not changed much, it is still the hub of the city, still the street in Canada to "girl watch". I must have cruised the whole street from Crescent to St Laurent. Crescent has now changed though from the strip joints to yuppy coffee bars and bistros. One of our group was known to look into one of the local car racing magazine shops and look for the latest edition of motor sports magazine. As he looked through it he found that there is an article in it on his recent racing with his blue Morgan +8 (no 29). The clerk asked him to autograph a copy. Across from our hotel I found an excellent internet access and spent a cpl of hours there chatting with home and the family. We gathered en mass in the bar at 6:30 and after a drink headed out for Dunns, Deli for Montreal Smoked meat. The waiter was awesome, really had it all together. The food was excellent and almost all of us had the smoked meat and either the strawberry cheesecake or the chocolate cake. Montreal is still THE PLACE in Canada for good food and service. Everyone had an excellent time. We were joined with good company with Ron and Stephanie Friedman of Montreal, in their Green +8. Ron made arrangements for a mechanic to fix propane problems on one of our Morgans. It was such a nice evening, one of the best yet on this trip with so many good new friends.
Sept 21, 2000
I awoke first at 5:30 in the morning to what sounded like a Morgan out in the street 8 floors below. I looked out the window and sure enough Vern was unloading his Green Mog from the trailer. Hmmm this is weird. It was raining too. I was up again at 7 and down for coffee and then across the street to get on the Net again for a short time to update files. I checked out at 9 And on the road by 9:30. Montreal has failed badly with their city's road conditions. I am sure every manhole I ran over had sunk into the road by a foot. There were ruts, potholes and metal cover plates in the road everywhere. As we slowly progressed out Sherbrooke St. we ran into the shoddyist construction crew I have ever seen, about 3 machines from some private outfit. No road hazards signs, no flagman, just these three machines puttering around cutting up the old blacktop. It was the cause of a major 2 hr traffic jam that could have been taken care of with one flagman, or someone directing traffic. Finally past this the road gradually improved but long out of Montreal before it was drivable at more than 50kph. I stayed on the secondary highway all the way out to Trois-Rivier. The wind was very strong from the west too, enough to blow us around on the road between the potholes. Several miles out the road improved and was quite good in places actually. It was still cloudy low billowy gray ones flying along at the same speed as us. We passed through lots of the small villages along the St Laurence. Many of them with the houses right on the road and the front porch right on the curb. The remainder of the run today was from Trois Rivier to Quebec city via the freeway. The hotel is right in the hub of the old city. Parking is in a building down from the hotel that we had to put our cars up on an elevator. The rest of the afternoon was again seeing this old city. I was last here 24 years ago. The city has not changed that much since then. It still has so much charm. Lots of shops and bistros a very laid back atmosphere. In the evening we went out Le Crepe Breton for crepes for dinner. It was nice to have them again. On the way back from dinner Marj and I stopped in to one shop that caught our attention and I bought another couple of gifts.
Sept 22, 2000
Friday, and a day off from the run. It was a glorious day to tour old Quebec city. It was hard to not wake up early. I rolled over and slept till 8. I was off wandering the streets again to see more of the sights. Many of the group took guided bus tours or walking tours of the city, either with guides or on CD. I went to the fort Museum to get an overview of the early history then off to the Citidel for a guided tour there. The history here in this city predates all others on the continent. It was 1608 that Champlain founded this city, long before the Mayflower. The city has been embroiled in wars and battles for a long time until they defeated Benidict Arnold and General Montgomery who tried to take it for the USA in 1775. This city is the oldest on the continent and the closest to a French city that you will find too, on this continent. The old part of the city is still a walled city and which includes the Citidal, a fortress that is still A Dept of National denfence, military base. The Citidal is also the home of the General Governor Madame, Adrien Clarkson. I found in one of the shops in the old part of Quebec a leather shop that carry leather pilots hats and the last one they had in black fit. This will be perfect for driving Morgan in colder weather. We were joined by Phillip Mason, and Jeremy & Gill Harrison. Jeremy and Gill are taking over the chase vehicle. Phillip is in a rental. We celebrated Eileen,s birthday tonight at our drivers meeting and then off to different restaurants, I took in an Italian one with about 10 others tonight.
Sept 23, 2000
I woke early after a good sleep to a cloudy chilly morning. I had Morgan down the elevator from the garage and we were on the road by 7am. I was certainly glad I had found the new leather pilots hat. It may look funny but damn does it work. I had the heater turned up and my 3 layers on. I was still chattering, so had to stop for a coffee to warm up and get out the windbreaker as a 4th layer. We had a lot of miles to cover today. We refueled at Montmagny PQ, 29.9 L at 39333 Miles. Pascale, if your reding this I hope I have the picture of the sign for St. Pascal, PQ. We crossed the border into New Brunswick and the road conditions got better. Pierre, if your reading this I went through your hometown, yes Madawaska is still there. By the time we were got to Edmonston Morgan was missing and spluttering while under load at 60mph. I spotted a Canadian Tire and pulled in. They had the plugs in stock so I swapped the old ones out finding them looking better than before except for a big deposit on the on in cylinder 2. Strange. I gassed up again here at 39489 with 27.31L. Another 50 miles down the road it started to do the same again. I pulled into a gas station in Florenceville. Checked the plugs again and 2 was a little wet. I added some gas treatment and this seemed to settle it down. With the change in Time zone, we pulled into Fredricton NB at 6:30, the longest day of driving on this run. There was a couple of bits of tough news. First of all Vern had popped an oil line and lost it all possibly doing some damage. He trailered his Mog for the short haul home to Toronto. However Henry had worse luck. A screw had come loose in the distributor and gone down the shaft taking out the cogs on the camshaft. Everyone scattered to find the solution. Vern came up with some contacts and through a few more calls by Henry eventually a shop near Truro NS (our stop for tomorrow night) that has the parts and will help when we get the car there. We made contact with Vern nd he will be back here with the 4X4 and trailer to haul Henry to the shop near Truro. Henry and Barb heaved a big sigh of relief and some of us went up the road for Chinese food and the rest of us ordered in pizza, chicken and Beer. What an incredibly long nerve wracking day.
Sept 24, 2000
A really cloudy morning. It rained overnight and everything is wet. I picked up my laundry from the laundry room last night and it was not dry yet so I had put it around the room. It still was not dry. I folded all my wet clothes and put them back in my new levis bag. The back of Morgan was wet too. I cleaned it all out with the chamois. The forcast was for rain this morning and showers this afternoon so I left the top down Because there was not even a drop since 7 am. Drivers meeting, I gassed up in Fredricton. and we were off down the highway. Just before Moncton (yes George if your reading this I did pass through your hometown and it is still there) I stopped for a break and just as I was about to take to the roads again the sky opened up. The top went up and I buttoned down the hatches. From Moncton to Truro it just poured. Anne, if your reading this, yes Springhill is still there, but it is raining there too today. We arrived out from under the clouds in Truro and get into the hotel only for the storm to come over again. It was tracking us all the way it seemed. Morgan still did a lot of spluttering at cruising speed today. I had checked the plug wire screws in the distributor cap and tightened cyl 2 slightly. Still no change. Along the way I stopped between buckets and change out plug no.2 . Still no change. Traveling at any where around 60mph and 3000 rpm, cruising is fine. I come to an incline and feed it a little more gas, all still seems to be fine until we get 1/2 way up the hill when it starts to splutter, missing on one cylinder, and lost power of course. Once I let it down to about 2000 rpm and 40mph in top gear it kicks in again. Jim, if your reading this help me out here, what is it. At the hotel in Truro they sent me up the street to a coin laundry. I was totally soaked. All my laundry from the night before had not dried yet, and everything I Had on was soaked through to the skin too. I had one shirt and one pair of pants left in the suitcase, everything else went in the dryer. I drove across town to see the tidal bore but the high tides are at around 11 so too late tonight, maybe tomorrow morning. Dinner at the hotel and I was off to bed.
Sept 25, 2000
A beautiful sunny morning, lets hope it is a good one. Most of the group hung around until the high tide would go through up the river. The tidal bores at the head of the Bay of Fundy is quite the sight to see. The river has its normal flow but the banks of the riverbed are much higher than you would expect and the riverbed is filled with fine red silt. The river water is also filled with this fine red silt. From the ocean comes one wave of water about a foot high pushing up river with the level and volume of water behind it just as high. It is traveling at about 8 miles per hour. Morgan now had the right rear tire almost flat. I changed to the lumpy spare and headed back into Truro several blocks to Canadian tire. They were backlogged so when he finally got to it he could not find a leak. He replaced the tube however and all seemed to be fine. Not one of these tireman had ever changed off a wire wheel. They learned which way to turn the knockoffs. At almost one in the afternoon I was on the road. About 50 miles down the road Morgan started to splutter again. I pulled over and pulled out the plugs. This time cylinder 3 is wet. I put in a new plug and tried again. 5 miles later the same thing and progressively getting worse. Just before Antigonish I pulled into a gas station to gas up. I put in another can of gas treatment. I went inside to pay and two guys in their late 60s operated the place. One of them asked me, "wheres ya frum der, lil buddy" . I told him and he chuckled and said "whatsa madda, ya gots no razors in Vancoover?" I turned around and did my Charlie Danials routine and removed my hat to let my ponytail fall out. He left splitting his sides guffawing into the back of the garage. As I progressed further up the road the spluttering got worse and worse. Phil and Elaine pulled in behind me and they followed me down the side of the road with their 4 way flashers on when I had to slow right to a stop and let the car settle down. It seems to be fine when idling, and for slow speeds but once up to 3000 rpm it starts to splutter and miss, and now wont stop until I let it idle some more. Vern passed us with the trailer just before Baddeck, and his Cataham Lotus super 7 on the Trailer. He honked as he passed. It was good to see him back with us. My cell phone rang, "How's it going dad?" "Well to be quite frank Lori, not so good, I am almost in Baddeck but the car is running rough again, not a good time to chat right now." Well at least my phone works here and the kids are thinking of me. I arrived finally in Baddeck and checked in at 6:30. Almost time for supper. A quick cleanup and I was off with the rest of the group to a lobster feast. What an enjoyable evening, steamed muscles by the bucket to start with. Then thick clam chowder soup, followed by a plate of potato salad and cold slaw and a whole big red lobster. Desert was blueberry pie and ice cream. A meal well worth traveling all the way for, good friends and good food, and good beer, made a good finish to the day. Back at the hotel I talked to Vern and he has a coil in the trailer.
Sept 26, 2000
A partial cloudy morning and slightly chilly. I attended the morning meeting but had to stay here to resolve the engine problems. Fortunately we are staying here for a second night as the days run is the Cabot trail around Cape Breton. After morning coffee I opened the hood. First thing to get changed out was the coil. A trip down the road with fingers crossed and no, this is not it. I put the old one back in. Next was the condenser, I checked the points again and they were just fine. Another one down the road, nope didn't think so. Pam who was staying behind too gave me a lift downtown and the local Ford Dealer, had a regular fuel filter. I swapped the old one out that was looking pretty black inside, and dismantled the carbs, cleaning and oiling them and wow she has power back. It was starving for gas on the hills, that's all. I spent the rest of the afternoon, in the Alexander Graham Bell Museum. He spent most of his later life here. For 30 years of my life, as an audio engineer, I measured Decibels. This man had a lot to do with my career. Steve K. arrived back with a problem this time. Somewhere up the road on the run he had a sudden loss of one cylinder. Jeramy got him down the road to the next garage and they diagnosed it and found a popped pushrod. They managed to get it straitened enough to get it back in place and get on the road back here. I watched and learned as Jeramy set up all the valve clearances for Steve. An interesting process. I had dinner tonight with Emile and Ed at a small cheep but good restaurant.
Sept 27, 2000
Awake at 6 am again with thoughts of sugarplums, hmmmm, wrong thoughts, I should be thinking of the days plans. Checking outside, Morgan was soaked and it was raining heavily. I should have put the top up last night. I hit the shower. Then braving the elements I got the top up with great difficulty. The drivers meet had been canceled due to rain, but that didn't mean the days run was canceled. I put my jacket over the radiator in the bathroom to dry it out, I though it was waterproof, nope. Gotta find some scotchguard for it someplace. Sue, if your reading this please bring one of my waterproof jackets. Not wanting to ask the grumpy hotel owner for another coffee, I joined Emile and Ed at a downtown restaurant to warm up, and , then I was on my way. Morgan pulled strong this morning. We cruised at 60 with only a few cars and trucks passing us. A gasup again near Antigonish and it was a smooth strait through to Halifax. The weather gradually improved all day too and the rain soon turned to a drizzle then to only the occasional shower, even a few spots of sun here and there. I had to remove layers. Halifax is a confusing city to drive for the first time and I had trouble finding my way, watching for road signs, traffic and reading maps is difficult. The hotel is right next to the Citidal. Doug, if your reading this, yes your home town of Halifax is still live and well. I found the internet connection and sent files and checked the emails. Then off to walk around for a bit. Back at the Hotel at 6pm we had hotdogs, burgers, veggie plates and wine or beer in the penthouse suite, compliments of the Manager. Then a Birthday cake for Gerri. She would not tell us how many candles for the cake though. Ken told me he found the Irish Rovers pub just 2 blocks down. So after our meeting with several local British car buffs in the Parking lot to see our cars, I was off with several others to check out the Unicorn. We found it, "The Unicorn, mens and ladies clothing." Store. Not quite what I was expecting. We found a pub and had few more drinks and I left the rest of the group to go check into the cybercafe down the street again. I had a good chat on IRC with home until they closed the place. A nice finish for the day. The hotel room is a suite overlooking the harbour. Livingroom, kitchen, bathroom, and bedroom. I could stay here for a while, a long while.
Sept 28, 2000
Awoke to an early dawn over the harbour of Halafax. What a nice view out the window. What a short stay in such an nice hotel. Drivers meeting at 8 in the underground parking then my day began with a tour through the citidel. Wow what a fortress they built. The most impressive. I would have not liked to be caught in the trenches of this place during a siege. Looking up at the hill you would almost think there is nothing there. The only telltale is some small chimneys and the two tall masts for the flag signaling system to the ships in the harbour. However once in, it is built in the shape of a star with all steep angles so gunfire and canon shot will glance off it not penetrate it, a 20 ft deep dry moat for the enemy to fall into and be shot at from both sides. Lots of canons, anywhere from 20 pounders up to several 64 pounders. I took in one of the guided tours and then watched a rifle firing demonstration by one of the 78th Highlanders sergeants. He was demonstrating the use of the Enfield rifle of the 1860s. From the Citadel I pressed on the Peggy's Cove. In Halifax a local TV crew caught Keith and he was asked by a local Halifax video production company to do some shooting for a production. He posed their Morgan for the camera while doing several drives up and down streets with the camera in a van beside him, then he took the cameraman for a drive. Peggy's cove was a special stop. I took several pictures and looked around a bit but the small fishing village was crawling with busloads of tourists. Several of the locals did come over to admire the car though and mentioned they had seen others of our group. From there I took a different route to head on south to see Lunenburg. I met up with The Kellerman's coming out of Peggy's cove so we ran together to Lunenburg. As soon as we arrive we ran into another Morgan, a bronze or gold coloured +8. English plates. I toured the Museum, and the Bluenose arrived in from a tour. I asked and then drove Morgan onto the dock right next to the Bluenose and had pictures taken. The other fellow with the gold Morgan had the same idea too. From there we headed up over the hills through the back roads to the other side of the peninsula and on to Digby. As we neared our destination the clouds blackened and it started with a light drizzle and turned into rain then finally only showers. By Digby it had lightened up enough and we found the hotel easily. I quickly changed and was off to find the Digby Yacht club for a special dinner. We were hosted by the BATANS (British Auto Touring Association of Nova Scotia) tonight and the Commadore of the Digby Royal Yacht club. We were also joined by another Morgan from the Toronto area. Hendrick Rens had driven down in his all black 70 4/4 to met up with us here and was going to travel across with us to Maine. What a great time and what a wonderful club to host a dinner for a car group. The Digby Yacht club and the Batans are to be commended.
Sept 29, 2000
This morning it is cool but clear skys. I am in need of coffee. The motel we are in is a huge single level wide spread complex with cabins and motel room rows scattered all over the place. The complex has tennis courts, a pool and even a 20 ft by 20 ft chess board (nice idea for home). The rooms are nice and large, well appointed and well looked after. However coffee is necessary in the morning. I look around the room, no machine to make it. I don all my clothes and jacket and head for a longs walk to the restaurant. It does not open until 7:30, over an hour away. I can smell coffee wafting out of the kitchen along with other breakfast smells. I head back to my room but stop at the reception desk building to ask if they have any there. No sorry she says, if she had prior notice she could have made some. Drivers meeting was at 8 am in the chilly parking lot, and I was on the road at 8:10. It was a great morning's run down the highway to Yarmouth. I took one small side tour through some of the smaller villages. All over Nova Scotia they have scarecrows out as lawn decorations, and a lot of the communities seem to have scarecrow contests. Some of the designs and costumes were very good, everything from political chracters to even a godiva with only her long hair. (a fall scarecrow - another good idea for home) We found the ferry terminal for The Cat ferry to Bar Harbour, Maine, and went back uptown to check on things. I did some last minute banking before leaving Canada again, stopped at the Pharmasave and stocked up with a doz Fishermans friends which I can't seem to find in the states, then a good coffee and an Apple fritter from Tim Hortons. The ferry arrived and we boarded. Wow is this an impressive ship. It is just huge, does over 40 knots and carries about 250 cars. The loading of the cars is very different though and is a long process as the parking is like a spiral parking garage inside the ship. It is jet propelled by 4 big diesels and 4 jets. Definitely more power than a Morgan. As soon as we got off the ferry there were friends waving at us from the other side of the fence. 1/2 a mile down the road the Hotel was on our right. We were met there by John and Gladys McNaughton in their cream and red Morgan, Tom Langa and Chris Wnek. I had one of the top rooms at the top of the complex with a view to die for. In the harbour is a 4 master tall ship and a Princess ship along with many smaller boats. I toured the downtown area filled with touristy shops and picked up a few small items. I also found a fancy clock shop and learned more about tide clocks. I was back to the hotel before 6 to find several others washing cars. George had "Needs Cleaning" fingerpainted in the dust on his car so had to wash it. He checked, lucky it didn't scratch the paint. I went to the restaurant for dinner, at the hotel then to bed. On the bar menu was a local brew Called Bar Harbour Blueberry Ale. It is marvelous combination, one that will warrant some experimenting with at home. It was a glorious day.
Sept 30,2000
I awoke to the sun streaming in the window over the harbour. Wow what a view again this morning. Henry was out there in the parking lot under Steve R's car. He has had some small problems with the starter the last two mornings so Henry decided to see why. I loaned them some tools. It is good to have so many wonderful people on this tour, with so many talents in mechanical. We were doing touch wood last night at dinner around the table we are now down to Marg, Norm & Eilene, and Bob, M. being the only ones to not have any mechanical troubles. Henry soon had the starter out, apart and back in again but there was no change. Consensus was it was low battery. They bump started the car and all was fine. The generator and regulator should be checked soon. Hendrick left us at this time to return to work in Toronto. We were also joined today by Linda Cannon in her Rental and Warren Martin in the evening, who will be navigating for Steve R. It was a chilly morning but full sun. I put on the leather pilots hat and was off down the road. I took in the transportation museum in Owls Head, Maine, one of the recommended stops. It was well worth it for two reasons, the cars they have are impressive. A 33 Packard, a 28 Mercedes, model A's, model T's, a working replica of the 1885 Benz. Lots of woodies and lots of old airplanes too. Another reason to go to a place called Owls Head will be easy to figure out for those that know me well. Another short run and I was in Agusta, the capital of the state of Maine. Several times on route I had the same old problem of a few drops of antifeeze on the windscreen. The overflow pipe had come loose again from the bouncing in Quebec I guess. Maine gets an 8 for the conditions of their highways, it was smooth driving all the way. As soon as I pulled into the parking lot a lady came over, and asked if I minded if she had her picture with the car. She and her husband are from Bristol, England, and she has wanted a Morgan for some time now, but her chiropractor says no way. I let her have a seat in it while her husband took a few pictures. I let the engine cool for a long while and then made another batch of JB weld and plastered it all around the fitting and put it back together and hope this will keep this time. I checked the plugs and they looked good, some amber and some black, just slightly rich. I walked down the street from the hotel for a cheep dinner and was in bed early.
Oct 1, 2000
Another great sunny Morning. Lisa is back with us and with her 2000 Morgan. Eggplant colour and all the options, what a really splendid car. We had John and Gladys with us this morning but they will be leaving us during the day. I had a slight relaps of directions for some reason as I tried to get on the turnpike this morning, but found it soon enough. A nice tour down the turnpike just to try it out I suppose then off to the back roads of Maine and into New Hampshire. As we went through small towns Like Fryeburg we ended up in major traffic jams. The fall fair was on, and on a Sunday too. The line up down the highway to get into the fair grounds was about 3 miles long. I took to the very back roads to get around it and ended up in Mt Washington in good time. I went on to the Cog Railroad. This railroad we built in 1869 and climbs to the very top (over 6000ft) of Mt. Washington. It is still run by the traditional method, a coal fired steam engine. Narrow gauge track and cogs on a center rail on the tracks. The incline is anywhere from 25deg to 37.5deg. very steep. It is a marvelous piece of old technology and well maintained and well presented. A must see, a must do, if your in the area. On the way back down I noticed some strands of long red hair blowing from the cab of the engine. Karey had conned the crew and was riding in the locomotive. I checked in to the the hotel after this adventure, had a good dinner. Seen on the road today, one late 50s TVR and one mid 60s Ferrari. Ostrich was on the menu tonight, it was good but too much pepper so I still don't know what it tastes like.
Oct 2, 2000
A chilly morning and a little dew on the Morgans. We are off to a wonderful day of driving through the back roads of New Hampshire. I stop at a corner store and two ladies coming out comment on my leather pilots hat. "It's a necessity, not a fashion statement." I tell them. The colours of the trees are perfect. I have been waiting to see this for a long time. The mountainsides are ablaze with reds and golds. It is spectacular. We stop at a lake by the roadside and pose Morgan for a few pictures. The day warms up and layers of cloths come off, I am soon driving in shirtsleaves. Lots of colour. On to a tourist place recommended as a must see, the Flume Gorge. A good long hike is in order to see this and it is quite the sight. A narrow creek runs the gauntlet of sheer granite cliffs 90 ft high. The path leads right up the creek bed. Further up the road I take another diversion to get some pictures of another covered bridge. Then on to our destination for the evening, in Vermont.
Oct 3, 2000
Another not so bad morning. A little high cloud and some morning fog that looks like it might burn off. I look at the maps over and over and after listening to the morning meeting I decide to go my own way today and duck to the south east of New Hampshire, and head for a small community called Dunbarton, where my ancestors, Burnham are from. They emigrated to Canada from here in 1815, so on a whim, I will go see what I can find. I hit the freeway at a good clip and soon pass Phillip in his rental, as he wends he way back to his flight home. Within the hour we turn off down the back roads again. As I reach the area of Dunbarton the first I see is Burnham Lane. I turn in and get photos of the sign and the first residence there is The Burnham Farm. I carry on and stop at the gas station to refuel. I ask, and the fellow says yes there are lots of Burnhams still here. Lincoln Webster Burnham is the famous one. Next up the road is the town Hall, which is right next to the church and school. I ask in the town hall and the clerk goes to the vault and gets out the records. Yes, my GGGGfather is in the cemetery right next to the town hall. I go around with the car to the cemetery and start a grid search. Within 20 minutes I have found at least 20 Burnhams, and then, Yes, Capt. Nathan Burnham. This is the gentleman I have been looking for. At the city hall the clerk also recommended I visit A Lincoln Webster Burnham, a local historian and now in his 92nd year. I drive further down the road and find the old farmhouse with no paint, just as described. Wow an old old place this one is, uneven plank floors and very rustic. I am greeted by a nurse and taken in to meet this distant cousin. He looks every bit a Burnham. I tell him of my ancestry and he related to me the early history of the Burnhams. He is definitely a cousin, what a treat to find him and to find the old cemetery, I am so glad to have made the detour. I now carry on, in the hot sun, it has really warmed up and I am down to my shirt only, zipping along more back roads across the south of New Hampshire and into Vermont. I pulled into a rest stop along the way and a nice fellow came over to admire. He says "I have to tell you this, Last week I saw about 20 of these cars in Fredricton New Brunswick, up in Canada." I asked him if one of them was silver and black. He got the joke, and chuckled. I meet up with the planned route, and only on it 2 minutes, when I spot Henry and Barb in the mirror, George and Kathy behind them, then Keith and Sue (ehwhat? Keith is not out in front?}. We cruise through Bennington and finally come across our hotel. Time to check in then to go to a special guided tour of the Hemmings Motor car magazine plant. They have a garage there and a museum of about 25 cars. First time I have seen a 1930s Brewster, with its heart shaped grill and matching headlights. We were well looked after by the staff there and lots of pictures of us taken so check out the Hemmings web sight and see if there are some pictures of us. From there we went to a nice old restaurant for dinner. Another first, Scrod, which I am told is a relative of cod.
Oct 4, 2000
Another nice weather morning, and we have some fog across the valley at the back of the hotel. Keith decides on a photo op on the lawn out back looking down the valley and we all oblige. There are 19 Morgans lined up in a semicircle, and we all get pictures, then one of the other guests at the hotel offers and we all leave our cameras with her and pose with our cars. This is the group photo. I have pics of the other cars too so I will try and add them later to this photo with Adobe. Drivers meeting and then on a quest for coffee. This motel is worse in one respect than the one in Digby, no coffee in the room and nothing open until 8 am. I finally get on the road at 9am, after a good coffee. I gas up at the hemmings gas station in Bennington and off in search of Morgan Spares. Several of us roll into Morgan Spares at the same time. Larry does some work on Ed's Morgan and the rest of us browse around the shop or chat with Linda, which for most of us includes getting some parts. I stock up on lift a dot fasteners as one went missing several miles back and Emile says I need a new left taillight lamp cuz its been out since Nova Scotia. I also backorder a new dimmer switch. We get a couple of showers of rain while in Morgan spares but the sun is soon back out and I am off down the road again to the next stop. There is so much to see today on the list it is impossible to fit it all in. I opt for the tour of the Franklin D. Roosevelt home. A very interesting piece of history. And a wonderful piece of land they owned looking down the Hudson River. Late afternoon now and the clouds have been ominous all day, but held off while driving. I arrive in Newburgh, New York and we are greeted by 4 more Morgans. Jim Nichols, in a cream/beige +4, Fred Cohen in his white +4, Jim Dickson in a BRG +4 and Greg Calabianta in a red flatrad. Jim stayed to have dinner with us in the local restaurant. From our hotel room we have a view across the lawn to a thin tree barrier and the I87 freeway. On the lawn is a groundhog, munching away on the grass.
Oct 5, 2000
An almost nasty Morning. It is drizzling with rain but not overly cold. I first bring the top in to warm it up over the heater in the room, it is so stiff when cold. Coffee next and then the drivers meeting. The map today is hard to figure. Lots of roads on the map with no numbers. The top goes up and I am off down the road and spot a Wallmart in the next block. I quickly stop and get a can of scotchguard. I spray my coat right there in the parking lot, just in case. I then take to the freeway, then into the backroads of New Jersey along the Delaware River. I stop at a Mobil station in a little village called Montague, to gas up. 41461 on the odo. The directions and the map called to turn at the next right. According to the map we have I take to the back roads, then taking the next right too. Several miles later I come to RT 206 again. Milford this way. hmmmmm I,ve already been to Milford so I better go the other way. Damn there is the same Mobil station, so I pull in for better directions. Didn't I just gas up here, I ask the fellow showing him my map. He clears the situation giving me some directions and I am on my way down the back roads again. I finally come across a fork in the road and there are two fellows fishing in the creek. They point across the bridge, I hope it is right. Yes it is and I meet sevral others on the roadside checking their maps too. I finally come out the other end onto I 80 and on it, we proceed to Pennsylvania, South on I 81 and the finish line is in sight Hershey 80 miles. I pat Morgans dash and say, come on baby we can do it. We get passed by Keith and Sue, with Ben and Judy right behind them. Within 2 hrs it's, "Hershey were here." It drizzled on and off most of the day so it wasn't really necessary to put the top up for rain however it got colder and I did have to stop and put on my jacket. The hotel has a laundry room so I get to work, its been a while.
Oct 6, 2000
Up this morning to the last drivers meeting, then we are on our own. I opt for the car show not the driving tour. I find ,my way into Hershey, first to find some internet connection. The place recommended is a small café in the back of a new, very new, mall. They have 2 macs, sitting in the back. I order a coffee, and the fellow tells me yes its available if I have AOL. Hmmmm they are never going to get customers this way. I find the library and they have 4 computers there, and a big sign saying it is for research only, no chat room and NO email. I look around and pull up inet explorer and log onto my hotmail account. 30 messages in the main and 112 in the bulk mail. I get rid of them and read the important stuff, and get out asap. There was no sight of a tower or a place to put the floppy in my pocket with the files on it so, no sense to send any mail. The east coast of the US seems to be a lot slower on getting hooked on the internet. Next is the car show. I drop the magic name we are given and I am guided into the parking lot at the back of the stadium. Wow this is a big place. I head for the car coral first where there is the biggest car lot of classic cars for sale I have ever seen. They all must be over 25 yrs old. I am sure I saw everything there. A very special one for me was a Nash. My dad had a 53 Nash Statesman. This one was not powder blue but black and had a continental kit on it. I also saw a 47 Crosley, and a 60 Mercedes. Lots of American iron, and several sports cars. One very nice Black Morgan drop head. Price 28,500. I could not cover all of this so on to the vendors stalls. I had no idea there were so many people into this. I walk for hours looking at car parts, tools, diecasts, old car fenders, nothing but ford decals and emblems, replica dash knobs for Packards, tires with wide whitewalls, gas fired coach lamps, old oil bottles from gas stations, old and new automotive wall plaques, owners and shop manuals, if it has anything to do with cars its here, acres and acres of it. I find a headlight bulb for Morgan and a, made in Taiwan, copy of a unisyn, (SU carburetor synchronizing device). At another stall I ask and he has a carb rebuild kit for the Beast, (our 76 Ford van). Another winter project for me to do. By 5 pm my feet are going to fall off and I find my way back to Morgan and head back to the hotel. Bart catches me in the parking lot and says Karey found the part that fell off Morgan. A bumper bracket, had dropped off just as I was heading down the road into Morgan spares in Ancram NY. She spotted it on the way out and picked it up. Good for her, very sharp eyes. Morgan is going to need a full going over for loose and missing parts from the bumpy roads. Philip is washing his car and notices his valve caps are missing, so are 3 of mine, all of Lisa's and anyone else who was parked in this side lot last night. I find out later Marg's Morgan was broken into and some personal belongings stolen. At the hotel tonight a special celebration with a special Hershey chocolate cake tonight, birthdays for Henry and for Larry.
Oct 7, 2000
A wonderful sunny morning and I am off to the car show. The grounds are full of cars. We saw, Maxwell, Packard, Cord, Auburn, Knox, Stanley, Kelsey, A.C. Marr, Olds, Triumph, Cadillac, Dodge, DeSoto, Ford, Crosley, Hupmobile, Franklin, Kaiser, Hudson, Nash, Willys, Henry J, Austin, MG, Chev, Peerless, Buick, Reo, Morgan, Minerva, and so many more. The only car I can remember about that I did not see here is the Tucker. Also the British cars were not very plentiful. Still it is the biggest car show I have attended and in 4 hrs I could not see all the cars in the lot. Tired I returned to the hotel early to get the back bumper bracket put back on before it gets shipped. We all meet in the bar and then to one of the banquet rooms for our final repast together. The presentation of trophys follows, dinner and speeches. Everyone is remembered, all are accepted for who they are, and we remind ourselves that this has been an adventure, a challenge, and not a holiday. We all have got along famously together for 31 days. The organizers, Steve R, Elaine, Kathy, and Steve K are to be commended, and let us not forget Keith Cox, who I am sure was with us all the way. We say our fond fairwells as we will be on our separate ways in the morning. We all hope that we will all see each other in 2005.
Oct 8, 2000
Still another sunny morning, however there is frost on the Morgans this morning. We have finished the tour just in time. Again the planning was impeccable. I get things packed, some to go in Morgan for shipping and some to carry on the flight. I spent the rest of the morning, saying goodbyes to those who were driving out and then I was soon off to the airport for the flight back. Harrisburg airport to Washington/Dulles airport and the flight was delayed as there was too much luggage and a very full flight. Arriving in Wash for the change there was precious time and I had to run to get the next flight. This plane was a boing 777, first time I have ridden in one of these. Sheesh, they are like a football field inside. A long boring flight, I had seen the movie before, so snoozed on the way. In SFO it was still nice weather and I found the hotel. I am a little disappointed in it. Only one restaurant across the street and an expensive one at that. Three long blocks down the street is an Ihop so go for a long walk. Poor service at this place, very poor, dinner was slow and then when It was time to pay I waited 10 min for the girl to show up and finally the cook came out and apologized and said she had gone off shift at 9. Sleep was difficult after the snooze on the flight and several coffee waiting for dinner. I think we will move to the downtown area on Tuesday.
Oct 9, 2000
A cloudy morning and I am up and out at just after 8 am. It's another special day today. I ask at the desk about transport to downtown. Cab at about 40 bucks or the transit bus at 1.10. Not much contest there. I load the laptop over my shoulder and head to the bustop across the street. Within 5 min I was on the way and within the hour I was downtown San Francisco. I changed to the 38 Geary and headed across town to the internetcafe. The fellows had upgraded the server on their lan and it now has automatic detection, we tried for an hour and a half to get the laptop to hook up. We gave up and I transferred the files to a floppy, and as my friend George says, used sneekernet. The files sent to Mike and I check the site to see how it was looking. Mike has done a great job of building this site and maintaining it. Thanks again Mike and thanks Tara for the idea. Next time I will get a roving isp account though so I can dialup every night from the hotel room and not have to try and find netcafes. I headed out to the bus again and through the drizzle went all the way back out in the bus right to the airport. I was really early but didn't want to miss her. Shortly after 2 pm Sue was walking down the ramp from the plane. It was so good to see her. We headed back to the motel in a cab and then across the street from the motel for a drink and dinner.
Oct 10, 2000
A cloudy morning in SFO. We pack and head for the bus about 9 30 after a couple of morning coffees. It is an easy trip to downtown and we book into the Essex Hotel on Ellis street. They have a room ready for us so we unload all the luggage including Morgans, side curtains which are taped up in a cardboard container. We head out down the street for the cable car and Fisherman's Warf. The weather remains cool but we do not even get a shower. By the end of the day the bones ache and the blisters hurt. We stop at the Sutter street bar and grill for dinner on the way back to the hotel. And sleep well despite the noise of the streets.
Oct 11, 200
A slightly better day for weather and early in the morning we head out first to find a drugstore for 2 things, some foot blister treatment for Sue and a restock of Fishermans friends for me. We then hit the cybercafe to check on email and update files, then get on the cable car to Grant street. We wander the full length of Grant until we come out the other end onto Broadway and Columbus. We check out a few of the shops there and lunch at a sidewalk café. We return back on Stockton street to see more of Chinatown, to California St. and the day is almost done. We take the Cablecar back across and stop at the Sutter Bar and Grill again for a couple of Anchor Steam beer and dinner. A phone call to Steve gets only the answering machine again so I will have go try him in the morning.
Oct 12, 2000
A sunny morning with a few clouds around. We hang around the hotel for a while and I try Steve on the phone again at work to find him in and he has good news. Morgan has arrived. We pack, checkout and head by cab to Steve's warehouse. It is a problem to pack everything in, I have acquired too many souvenirs and the addition of Sue's small suitcase and the side curtains has made a big difference. Steve finds a box in his shop that the suitecase that has all my dirty laundry in it will fit in and he will ship it UPS. We head out top down and across the golden gate and up the 101 for a few miles until we can cut across to highway 1 right on the west coast. We pull into a gas station and its pumps want my credit card and no option to pay inside. I try the card several times and it says I have to see the attendant inside. I ask her and she looks at the card, and asks was this card issued in the United States. No it's from Canada. It wont work in the pumps. Sue asks her for the key to the washroom. Ummmm, we don't have one she says. Then she tells me she can take the card at the till inside but not outside. I tell her no you wont, if you cant take a card from Canada, out there you wont take it in here either, I will not be discriminated against, and besides you don't have a bathroom so I will take my business down the street thank you. We go to the Chevron 2 blocks down and get the service we need except we are back in California were they have these fancy nozzles now that love to spill more gas on the ground from a vented gas tank than you can put in it. I have yet to figure what they are supposed to do better than the old ones, and how they will work in this car without spilling all over. We then wend our way on highway 1, right up the ocean coast It is a very windy road and mostly 30 - 40 mph all the way. The weather holds in sun until late afternoon and, the view of the beach and ocean is wonderful. We pass under some long rows of big eucalyptus trees. We stop for lunch in a small town and then carry on to Fort Bragg where we find a nice hotel for the night. A quick dinner at Mickey D's and we settle into a good movie on tv.
Oct 13, 2000
Friday the 13th. Lets hope it is not what it sometimes is supposed to be. A morning of fog. We are surrounded by low fog, but can tell, the sun is up there. Coffee, and we are packed and off down the road. As we wind our way up the windy road the sun gradually burns the fog off and the sun is out. We pass a 1952 Mercury in really nice shape. At a gas station we see 2 more 58 Chevies. Then at the trees of mystery there must be 8 or 10 hotrods. All are going to a car show in Crescent City. We pass through Crescent City and yes there sure are a lot of fancy cars there. But all are big American iron and most are customs or hotrods. Sue has a nice case of windburn that she's trying to pass off as a healthy rosy glow. As the day progresses it gets cloudy, so we had better head for home quickly before the winter weather sets in. We take the pass to Grants Pass and the I 5 where we find a Super8. We enjoy a nice dinner at the Sizzler next door.
Oct 14, 2000
A sunny morning, but chilly. We are on the road by 8:30 and gas up in Grants Pass. As we head through the mountains of central Oregon the clouds get ominous but we press on. We contemplate putting the top up but the shower subsides, it warms up a little. We stop only for quick rests and second gasup. Pressing on, the destination still looked far away. Late afternoon we passed Olympia Washington, and back on the 101 highway. By 6 pm we had only 40 miles to go to get to Port Angeles. It was getting cold and dark now. Headlights on, gloved hands glued to the wheel, Sue with her touque on and her scarf pulled up over her face, we passed the sign saying Port Angeles 12 miles. This I think is the longest 12 miles of the whole tour. It is cold dark and damp, and not worth it to stop and put the top up. We would only get colder. In Port Angles we book into the hotel and then to Joshuas for an excellent dinner, and a cpl of drinks to warm us up.
Oct 15, 2000
We are up and out of the hotel at 7 ... the Coho ferry is at 8.20AM We make it in plenty of time and we are surprised to find the ferry is full of cars for this time of year. We actually left some behind. It was a foggy crossing, smooth but foggy. The customs was a breeze and a quick drive, top still down, through the cloudy morning to catch the 11 am ferry to Saltspring. Home by noon. We did it !!!! We unpack and find there is going to be so much to do. The hops are overdue for picking, the corn should have been picked weeks ago, the apples are all on the ground, and there is a huge crop of grapes. The Squash and pumpkins have to come off first though then we will have to harvest the sunflowers, onions, swiss chard, chickory, barley and tobacco. There is so much to do.
Post Mortem
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