On The Road Again


First of a Series --

Today was the start of a three week adventure with my niece-in-law, Terry Cipriani. Terry is the wife of Mark Cipriani, Bill's nephew. She is stroke victim three and one-half years into recovery. For the next three weeks she will be in a therapy program offered by "Ability Camp" in Picton, Ontario, and I'll be her companion during that time. They offer hyperbaric oxygen treatment and intensive physical therapy. Terry's first session here produced positive results so she is looking forward to her return visit.

Phase one -- traveling from my house in Johnstown to Terry's in Rocky River -- was problematic. The GMC Envoy started and then wouldn't start and then did and so on. Bill smelled gas and the engine light was on. Apparently we have a gas leak. (Of course, it is leaking the $1.61 gas I was so happy to find for its last fill up!) Rather than catch fire en route, we repacked in waterproof receptacles and loaded the back of the pickup truck.

Rocky River was in the rear view by 2:00 P.M. and we headed east. Hard rain and lots of wind almost the whole way. We did get about ten minutes of clear skies near the OH/PA border. I attribute that to being in close proximity to my sister Cindi's place on the day of her birthday. She must have been sending out great birthday vibes to clear up the rain like that. Thanks, Cin.

The border crossing was uneventful -- just needed to show the passports, purpose of visit, date of return and off we went. The 401 into Toronto is huge -- 24 lanes in some places. And it was slow bumper to bumper at 7:30 at night. It was still busy at 10:30. I'm thinking this place has changed since I visited in 1970 and become the city that doesn't sleep. This place is going on my travel list.

A late pizza dinner was a treat provided by folks who were Mark Cipriani's neighbors during the time his family lived in Toronto -- the Donnelleys and the Prangleys. The two neighbor families and Mark's have maintained close ties over all these years -- something like 40+ years. As nice as these folks are, it is certainly a relationship worth the effort.

Wow, is Canada ahead of the States in the area of recycling. EVERYTHING gets recycled, by EVERYBODY. I don't know what the political persuasions were around the table but the general tenor of the take on the Obama election was positive -- "hopeful" and "relieved" to be moving to a new administration. Folks were willing to give the new guys a chance.

We stopped for the night in Whitby, ON, arriving about 11:00 P.M. The rain is now sleet and the wind blows it pretty much horizontal. Guess Indian Summer is over.

So is this day.

Signing off from that country to the north -- Oh, Canada!

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