July 8, 2014

Three months—two countries. Four provinces. Three cities. Two Islands. One small town. One cruise.  Four Apartments. One suite. Two cottages. One windjammer. Thirteen months in the planning.

I honestly thought July 7, 2014, was so far away the trip would never be; and as usual, the week preceding our departure was filled with a flurry of friends, family, dinners, picnics, meetings, shopping, and more.  I even managed to squeeze in an anniversary (ours), a trip to San Antonio, plus a full day of festivities on July 4th: a chili cook-off at Becker Vineyards and outdoor symphony concert and fireworks in Kyle. I’m tired just thinking about it, and I’m surprised we made it, even leaving a half-hour earlier than planned. Now we are heading straight to the Canadian Border on the fastest roads available.

Our trunk is packed to the brim, and so is our back seat.  We need city clothes, country clothes, seaside clothes, nice clothes, warm clothes — September in Canada can be very cold — and cool clothes. And shoes to go with everything.

Last night we spent the night near the Tennessee border after a screaming trip across North Texas and Arkansas, following a ribbon or silver through a tunnel of forest green, a miniature speck among the countless semis that dwarfed us. Front, back and sideways. It was a near claustrophobic experience.  Maybe we need a bigger car?

After the tree-laden rolling hills of Tennessee, the flatlands and cornfields of Ohio surround us. Perfect farms beckon me to stop, take a picture.  But there is no time.  I manage to capture a lone tree in the middle of a field of corn stalks as we whiz by.

Reaching New York State we drive into a Texas spring.  Wildflowers line the roads, the temperature is in the low 70’s.  The sky is blue.