Water Water everywhere

August 29, Ontario

We crossed into Ontario at Kenora, some 100 km or so north of the 49th parallel. This region is called Northern Ontario. Considering that Ontario goes clear up to the Hudson’s Bay this is confusing to me. It’s not so very far north as far as north in Ontario goes I don’t think, however, that is what this region is called in the parks books. Perhaps anything north of Toronto is considered Northern Ontario? Lorne says when there are no more Birch trees we will be in Southern Ontario.

The area just after the Manitoba border is nothing but water, its like we are island hopping there is so much water! We have been driving by one picturesque lake after another and the trees grow lusher the further south we go. We stopped for lunch on Lake Superior and I had a glorious swim. Lorne played lifeguard. The water is so clear and clean I could see a long way underwater. So far Ontario is not so terrible.

The street names here are very practical, Old School House Road, Railway track Road, Mine Road, Bridge Road and Church Street, different from Old Stone Church Street to name a few. Then of course there is Squirrel Town Road, Slash Road, and Wobanganada Road.

The Provincial Parks are numerous and beautiful, and of course all of them so far have been on a lake. We are now behind schedule so are hustling along as quickly as possible, dang. Long hours of driving with no exploring time. Some of those hours in darkness!! (We have an appointment to get a rebuild engine from a GMC specialist just outside Hanover)

Lorne was having a wee rest while I was driving when suddenly we were spewing blue smoke!! Yikes – stopped by the side of the road, gave it a quart of oil, drove down the road to where we could really stop, and checked the transmission fluid, seems ok. Decided to drive on down the road in search of a gas station to load up on oil…. The blue smoke is spewing on deceleration….. Lorne thinks that means rings…. Guess it’s very good that we are getting a new engine on the 2nd – hopefully we can drive there and don’t have to get a tow!! The transmission seems to be slipping. Perhaps we have two problems??? Yikes.

Yup our mistake, we are loosing transmission fluid. We think from the cracked pan that we had welded last year when we cracked it on a big rock coming back from Torquart bay last year. Hopefully our relatively new transmission installed by Mannie is not broken!!

Stopped in Sault St. Marie for dinner along the St Mary’s River. If there are locks there we didn’t see them. We’re heading for Chutes Provincial Park just outside Massey along Lake Huron. We should get there after dark, about 9:30 or 10. We will have 144 km to get to the ferry in the morning. We need to be in Hanover by tomorrow night for our engine replacement and we are concerned that the ferry may be busy on this long weekend.