Oct 9 - posted in arrears -- the adventure continues

This was sitting in my drafts folder !

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We did make it to Erie PA but it was late ,,,,

Leaving the cottage close to 10 a.m., everything buttoned up (I hope !) my checklist all checked, we got to Stef's close to 1pm.  We stopped in Parry Sound for fuel and Starbucks.  I'd forgotten my coffee on the kitchen counter .... rats !

I tried to get Jim Brendel, our contractor, a couple of times as I was planning on stopping at Princess Auto for a couple of tarps and perhaps Home Depot for some shingles.  I was only able to get his voicemail, and it was full.  Dang.

We did hook up with Lisa, however, and according to her there are about 10 shingles off, no exposed roof, the only exposed plywood being at the soffits on the one side of the house.  I'm now thinking that those shingles are actually from the dock, where we had lost shingles the summer of 2015 and, those being exposed, they are more prone to the wind catching hold of them.  I can only hope !

We do have those pieces of soffit out and could have some moisture in the insulation up above.  That remains to be seen.  One problem is that I don't have a ladder that high; will have to deal with that somehow.

So, bottom line, we didn't stop for tarp or shingles.

The barbecue did roll over by the kitchen and get blown over.  It may have pulled the gas piping with it.  We'll see.  I never contemplated the wind moving that barbecue but should have known better after Jason's was blown off his deck 10 years ago, yes, a long time.

There was an incredible amount of teamwork at the Hendriks house.  Everyone was working to get out dinner for 13 ready.  Whoops, I didn't do anything.  No prep, no cooking, no cleanup !  Lauren made a cake for Sandy's birthday.

It was a good crowd -- Stef's gang of 4, John (Aarons' Dad) and Cheryl; Sandy and me; David and Vanda, Leah and Lisa (think that's her name) and JK.  Leah and JK are Aaron's sibings.  A good crowd. 

We hit the road again around 4:30 and in the border queue the car beside us told me that my trailer connection was hanging on the ground.  Rats.  It had been plugged in and working; must have worked itself out.  We were chosen for an agriculture inspection and they were thorough, finding the Grandma plant, obviously and, no so obviously, checking it out and letting us keep it. 

I checked the trailer connection and it had actually been dragging, ruined.  Rats.

So ... it was dark by then.  I didn't fancy driving with no trailer lights, even though it's narrow and you can mostly see the car's lights.  I found a Walmart at Niagara Falls Blvd and picked up a new trailer connector and a pair of pliers.  I have vicegrips in the back, under all the luggage;  the new pliers were $5, no contest !

That fixed, we got to Erie just before 10pm. All the restaurants were closing, of course, other than fast food like MdD's or IHOP, so we opened a bottle of wine in the room and snacked out of the cooler.  We were still mostly full from the turkey dinner, so that worked.

Today we head to Orangeburg SC.  Soon ...

Onward !