A Quick Dip Down to the USA

When we reached Sault (rapids) Sainte Marie (Pronounced Sue St. Marie in Ontario) we visited the Bush Plane Museum and the river Mary that drops from Lake Superior into Lake Huron.  

Bush Plane Museum

Russ is Cleared For Take Off

While spending a few nights here, we contemplated heading north around Lake Superior through Canada or dropping south through Michigan.  The decision was dependent on making connection with my cousin Jim who lives in northern Wisconsin.  At the eleventh hour we connected with Jim and headed south to his patch of paradise in the north woods of Wisconsin.

We resurrected our passports for the crossing back into the USA, easily went through customs, only giving up our oranges and lemons.  

Rapids (Sault) of the Mary River flowing from Superior to Huron

Crossing Back into the USA

Lake Superior

We spent a night on lake Michigame in a lovely, peaceful campground.

Late on Thursday afternoon, we arrived in the little town of Cable, Wisconsin.  Jim lives a few miles south.  

He and his wife Susan have a lovely home and property with "Walden's pond" in the north woods.  What fun it was to see them both.  We enjoyed two nights with them and their two friendly long haired guard shepherds Chewey and Misty, who kept their eyes open for bears and wolves.  

SPRING MEETS FALL....Not much of a summer this year.

Jim's "Walden Pond"

Dogs' ears and noses are alert for wolves and bear

Jim must keep the the boiler going 24/7 which means a midnight feeding of the fire.  Chewey and Misty make sure that he is well guarded for these nightly visits to the barn.  

Laying in Wood for the Winter

Boiler says FEED ME, FEED ME

Jim said this last winter, he ran out  of wood because it was one of the coldest winters they have had since living there.  This winter he will have extra wood, approximately 70 cords!  That's a lot of wood and work.  Fall is in the air already and it's only late August.

We were able to get away from the "lodge" for a little bit to introduce Jim to geocaching....turns out there are over 20 of them within just a few miles of his home.

We find a geocache on Silver Lake

Jim whipped up some great pizza and smoked chickens while we were with them. 

We had an opportunity to meet one of the local dignitaries with deep historical roots in these north woods and he shared some tips about Voyageurs National Park in Minnesota where we were headed next.

Russ, Bob, and Roz

Jim, Susan, Roz and Russ in front of an old manure spreader

We spent a couple of nights at Voyaguers and enjoyed some kayaking and hiking.  We even found a geocache on a little island in Rainy lake.

Getting ready to kayak

A walk on the Oberholtzer trail, lots of fungi

Fall is in the air

All to soon we were back in Canada.  We crossed the border into Manitoba.  Sapphire lakes dot the landscape of knolled plains of grain.  

Trees border wherever the lakes, creeks, and rivers flow.  Before we realizes it we had buzzed through Manitoba without taking a single picture, so I got out the camera and took some pictures of Saskatchewan which looks pretty much like Manitoba. 

Grain elevators in this part of the Canada are prevalent.  Most now are cement or metal, few of the wooden grain elevators still exist today.  

We found some in Inglis which are now a historic monument to the grain industry in Canada.  We took a tour to see how the farmers brought their grain to the elevators, dumped their loads and sold their grains. 

Grain slides down the shuts into the rail cars

 The elevators scooped the grains skyward and dumped the grains into various hoppers depending on type and quality of grain.  The grains were then loaded on to rail cars and sent to processing plants.  It was really pretty interesting.  Even when we think we know where our food comes from, it is amazing the love and labor that goes into the bread, muffins, and oil we take for granted in the grocery store.

Immigrant farmers from all of over the world came here to homestead.  Ukranians were a large part of the population and though many have scattered, remnants of their churches and villages still remain.

Today, we crossed the border from Saskatchewan into Alberta.  We are spending the night in a Walmart parking lot and heading out again early in the morning.  We are anxious to get to Jasper and Banff where we plan to spend the next week.

We are still having fun.  

All is Well with the Worrall Travel R's on RV Trail Blazer