My mother remarried a few years ago and has since moved near Windsor, Ontario. So I got this great idea that I'd drive across Canada to visit her with my puppy. We'd camp along the way, take the American route back, and have a great time.
So pack up the car. Check. Camping gear. Clothes. Cooler with lots of good food. Grab puppy. All those great times awaiting.
It was lovely in Vancouver the morning I left. By the time I got to Hope, BC, it was raining.
First stop: Salmon Arm. A good friend of mine I've known since I was four is there on holidays with her family. I decided to check into a hotel because there are supposed to be thundershowers.
Sure enough, it rains.
And then it rained in Drumheller, Alberta. And then in Saskatoon while I visited friends for a few days. It rained on the way to Winnipeg.
It wasn't until I got to Ontario that it finally stopped raining. But it was cold. Freezing!
So, by the time I got to my Mom's place, I hadn't camped once.
But it gets better. While at my Mom's, my six month old puppy went into her first heat. It's rare for a puppy to go into heat that young, but she did.
On the way back, I was determined to camp. And I finally did. In Madison, Wisconsin. And I discovered two things.
1. My air mattress had a leak.
2. Camping by yourself is the most boring thing in the world.
It rained again at Rapid Falls. But not before I got to see Mount Rushmore.
By then, Livy was in full blown 'tart' mode and I thought it was a bad idea to continue camping. Yellowstone Park was our next stop, and the last thing I wanted was to find a bear banging down the tent door in the middle of the night because my puppy smelled like chocolate cake.
So overall, it was a great holiday, even with all that rain and lack of camping. The hotels had great breakfasts!
And yes, glad to be back home. Now it's back to work!
