June 9. Random thoughts from the road.

All wifi sites are not created equal. I thought Watson Lake was slow.... but Whitehorse is REALLY SLOW.  So slow I can't load photos at all.

We drove through a huge area that had a forest fire two years ago. Now the woods are crawling with Canadians looking for morel mushrooms that only grow after a fire. Up until now, every time we've seen someone pulled over to the shoulder of the highway it's to watch wildlife. All these parked cars are very confusing to us senior travellers.

20 miles outside Dawson Creek (right after we got our truck back) the truck started making this terrible noise. Jim and I both had a coronary, he's saying NOW WHAT? and I am hanging out the window trying to figure out where the hell the noise is coming from. All I can tell is the noise is coming from somewhere at the front of the truck. Jim checked under the truck - nothing. He's drives some more while I hang 1/2 out the window listening. By now we are discussing turning around and going back to Dawson Creek to the transmission guy. Then I see something.......... I get out, Jim drives forward a few inches -VOILA! Stuck to the tire is a long piece of electrical tape which is slapping the truck every time the tire turns. So I pull it off and the sound goes away. I have a headache, I am sick to my stomach, my heart is racing,  it takes all day for the terrible feeling to away.


Like all reputable publishing houses I have a correction to issue. In an earlier posting I called the incredibly stupid sheep that stand in the highway licking rock salt off the asphalt rock sheep. We'll they're not the only stupid mammals walking the face of this earth. They are STONE sheep.

Yesterday we crossed the great divide. The mountains were gorgeous. Wish I could show you the photos. So now the creeks and rivers are running kitty whompass. Weird!

We stopped at the George Johnston Museum. He was a Teslin Tlingit (pronounced klink it) Indian. As a young man he purchased a camera and photo developing supplies. He could not read, but he figured out how to use the camera and supplies. He took pictures of everything. He had a knack for composition and subject matter and his photos are amazing. After his death in 1972 a film company interviewed friends and family and created a documentary about his life. In addition to the film there is this HUGE pictorial history of  his life and the Tlingit Indians.

Last night we had dinner at a real Mexican restaurant in Whitehorse - it was delicious. They served the best black beans I've ever had.  I also had a huge margarita with dinner. Jim ordered his dinner spicy, which surprised me. Afterward he said his lips were burning and he should have ordered his enchilada mild.

Maggie continues to be a good traveler and companion, we are lucky to have her!