Tin Poodle

Rainbow over Codroy Valley Newfoundland Just got off the ferry in Nova Scotia. Smooth roads...traffic lights...traffic...highway graffiti...cars that aren't pickup trucks...dead raccoons. Ahhh...civilization! Can't wait to go back to Newfoundland! Sunset Codroy Valley Newfoundland BTW...All of those things above point to the fact I'm no longer in Newfoundland. But one says it more than the others? Sunset Codroy Valley Newfoundland

Kings Point Now that Nancy's gone it's just me and the dogs. As a result the divide and conquer routine we had is now just conquer. I haven't lost a dog yet so I guess it's working.  At the next campground a couple cool things happened.  I unexpectedly found a an EV charger that wasn't listed on Plugshare.  This meant I could charge the car faster than the campground plug I was planning on using and plug in the trailer at the same time. The second was that the campground was right on a bay.  And a couple of whales decided to visit. They were close enough that you could hear them. The final thing though was the most unexpected. As I'm setting up at the campground a gentleman who I've never met comes up to me and welcomes me back. I'm confused since I've never been to this campground, which I explain to him. He then tells me that a trailer just like mine was here a week ago. At this point I assume he is

5AM...not 5PM! Not the words you want to hear from your wife as she's checking her flight time for the next day. Especially not the words you want to hear since you're the one taking her to the airport. Meaning you'll be waking up at 3AM too. Why even bother going to sleep the night before? And that's not the worst part. You are now solo and still have fifteen hundred miles of towing a trailer over ten days and a six hour ferry ride ahead of you. And did I mention the three standard poodles. What was I thinking... More to the story Nancy ended up driving herself to the airport. I ended up sleeping in <yeah>.  The airport was only four miles away.  So I just ran over to the airport to pick up the car. When I arrived at the exit gate the machine only took credit cards. I only had cash in the car. So I drove back to the terminal to pay by cash.  Problem was I had a $50 and the machine only took 5's, 10's, and 20's.  I end

This next story happened earlier in the trip in Nova Scotia. I'm just getting around to recounting. It takes place in the parking lot of a small shopping center. As per our usual routine we parked the trailer and the Tesla on the edge of the lot. We were both going into the store so we left the dogs in the Tesla with the A/C on for the dogs. (One of the great things about the Tesla is that the AC can be on without the car otherwise being on. No idling engine needed.) Also per our routine we plastered several signs on the windshield and windows alerting people to the fact that the A/C is on, the dogs are ok, and a phone number they can reach us is they have concerns. There is also this on the center screen of the Tesla. 77 degrees in this picture but usually 67 degrees As we're leaving the store Nancy decided she needed something from the store next door. I decided to check on the dogs, then meet her. As I leave the store I noticed a poli

Continuing on a theme...beer, book, and birds.   Camping in a shiny trailer, pulled by an electric car, and populated by three poodles makes for a frequent conversation starter. Everyone in the Maritimes has been super friendly. And wherever we've been we met people who have shared things with us.  Usually tips for what to see and where to eat. Outside Twillingate our fellow campers were even friendlier than usual. After inquiring about the Bowlus, Jeff told us about a brewery we needed to visit. Then he proceeded to give us a growler of beer from the brewery :-) Then there was Jerry who upon hearing that we were physicians lent us a book on the physician who founded a hospital in Twillingate almost one hundred years ago. These are two of many stories I'll try to remember and recount in the blog. As for the birds, I'll have a whole post just on puffins. But for now, here are some pictures of Twillingate and the surrounding areas.

...The Four F's. 😁 While diamonds are described by the four C's, our Newfoundland trip can be described by the four F's...fjords, fog, food, and frogs  Fjords and falls Much of the western coast of Newfoundland consists of rocky harbors formed by glaciers. Some of these harbors over time became landlocked, forming scenic fjords and magnificent vistas.   Other times the same glaciers form "hanging valleys" that create falls. Fog Earlier in the trip I mentioned that we gave up on the weather forecasts. Too many sunny day forecasts turned into rainy day actualities. In Newfoundland it's even worse as every location seems to have its own microclimate. At our campground, about 300 feet elevation, it could be hot. Go over the ridge on the ocean side and it's windy. Drop down to sea level and it's cool and misty. Turn the corner around the next point and it's sunny...or hot...or cloudy...or something

One of the challenges of being on the road for three months is the efficient use of space. The Bowlus is a roomy, comfy, cozy camper for two people. Plenty of drawers, closets and storage space.   But when you add in three dogs it becomes a little less roomy and a lot more “cozy” 😟 In order to stay sane we've managed to develop a routine for storing stuff so as to maximize the space. It consists of repurposing space for different tasks. On travel days: Back two rows of seats in the car are for the dogs. Basically the size of a small pickup truck bed when the seats are folded down. Second row floor and under seats holds seldom used stuff (extra food, paper goods, tools, etc) Storage space underneath back floor of car is for water hoses, Tesla charging cords, Bowlus electrical cords, and dog food. Frunk holds all the outside and dirty stuff (mats/rugs, canopy, big green tent, grey water hose) In the Bowl