As I walked outside into the crisp morning air, it dawned on me that I should have put my hoodie on. Instantly woke me up! Yes I’m in Canada people. The chill is real. Heather and I loaded our luggage into the car and off for today’s ventures.

So our first stop was at an active mining operation. Here is a giant nickel. We took turns holding it up lol.

This is where we met three passionate Canadians. One female and two males. They don’t want to be mentioned by name for travel reasons. They ask us if we would take each other’s group pics. We said sure. The conversation shifted to where are you from? We said Texas and we were immediately categorized as a tyrannical supporter. They vented on us and we responded back with respect, inclusivity, and righteousness indignation. It was very humorous of their descriptions and realities of American politicians and how proud they are of their leadership for standing up to an orange dictator.

They wanted us to attend church with them on Sunday. Apologies and condolences for all! We explained our journey. They told us that it was good there were two of us. They said “When you get to Saskatoon, switch drivers and keep going!” “There’s nothing to see there!”

Next stop was a Provincial Park Chutes. The outhouse was a little stinky, “butt” tolerable.

Such a relaxing stop. We were all alone to enjoy the falls and the beautiful views. Some vibrant reds along with some colorful flowers and trees.

We stopped for more petrol ⛽️ and fuel for our bellies. Again, the go to is Tim Hortons. Heather had a BLT and I got the Turkey Club. Both excellent choices. Very good sandwiches! We drove on to one more stop before our hotel. This was at Echo Bay. The Canadian Dollar Coin is called the loon or loony. The original designer was from Echo Bay and this is a monument dedicated to him.

I had to endure the dreaded porta-potty and believe me. Nightmares are a coming! It’s beyond stinky. It is morphing mode. Somehow after I escaped from its mind numbing grip, I think it moved trying to follow me.

And onto the drive heading to our hotel in Sault Ste Marie, CA. Not the American side. We unloaded the car and worked out a dinner spot. When we arrived the restaurant with high ratings was an empty ghost town. So we changed paths and headed to a Pizza Hut. We pulled up expecting to eat inside and it was takeout only. Strike two. Then we saw a Dairy Queen and many cars parked outside. This was dinner. Chicken strips, French fries, with some weird sauces. Ketchup was the only normal Texan option. Heather got a brownie, caramel, blizzard thingy. She shared a few bites with me. Again, I state that every fast food restaurant we’ve ever been in needs a good cleaning and proper sanitation protocols initiated ASAP. Yuk! I will say a few prayers for all Canada’s Tim Horton’s, Dairy Queen’s, and American Consulates aka McDonalds… for a cleansing of all that is in need of.

Today’s shoutout is to my beautiful wife Heather. Who is dedicated in believing every person is born with a core of goodness or the capacity to choose it.

I however, am quick to point out how much I doubt the inherent goodness of all people. Some people are just plain evil. They do have the option to redeem themselves, however they are incapable of changing direction.