After arriving in Quebec, we made our way into Sherbrooke.  We pulled into the campground and were met by the host and it was evident that it was not going to be an easy task getting all the way back to our site on the far side of the campground.  There were a few challenges that lay ahead - narrow roads, sharp turns and low hanging electrical wires.  We were a bit concerned and, with all eyes in the campground on us, we slowly crept along with the host ahead of us in a golf cart to guide and spot for us.  We also had a couple of fellows on the ground with 2x4 boards to lift the wires to allow us to pass under.  With the assistance of a professional truck driver our rig was wiggled and maneuvered into place, the electrical wires were lifted and strategically placed between the air conditioners on the roof and we lowered our landing gear to be settled for the next three months.  We were met by a large contingent of Julie’s family, aunts and uncles and cousins, all waiting for hugs that were many years overdue.  There was also a large group that had gathered of campers, spectators and strangers to us, that had come to watch the show.  The host noticed the audience and remarked “as you can see, we don’t get a lot of units like yours in here”.  Once again, we chalked it up to being just a Toothless thing…..

Julie and her family took a quick trip to Montreal to enjoy her step-brother, Marc’s wedding at a beautiful vineyard in the outskirts of Montreal.  The wedding had initially been planned for 2020, but thanks to COVID plans changed.  What is a bit funny is that at that time, before our crazy idea of selling the farm, before deciding that life needed to be simplified for us, before adventure’s calling, I had suggested to Julie that we could drive back to Quebec for the wedding.  Her reply to that was basically “there’s no way we’re driving across Canada again!”.  Little did she know and as fate would have it, we were going to do just that!

In 1990 Julie and her mom, Dolores, left Quebec in a little Mercury Lynx hatchback with a U-Haul tote on the top, stuffed with their belongings and heading west.  They didn’t have a real idea of where they were going, just knew it would be British Columbia, somewhere.  They eventually settled in Penticton in the Okanagan and life began anew for the two of them.  Shortly afterwards Julie’s brother, Joce, also made his way west and joined them in Penticton.  Julie’s mom established herself as one of the most sought-after hairdressers in Penticton and Julie eventually went on to join the RCMP and embark on her career path as a Mountie.  In the fall of 2020 Dolores became ill, eventually being diagnosed with terminal cancer.  Julie took leave from the RCMP and went and cared for her mom in Penticton until her passing in July of 2021.  Death has a way of making one re-evaluate life, what is important, what we wish we could have done differently, what we still could do and how we want to live.  This was perhaps one of the main catalysts that sparked our decision to make some changes.  We realized that we had become slaves to our assets.  We were working to have the things we had, but in order to keep those things we were working too much to enjoy them.  Julie’s mom hadn’t retired prior to her death and worked up until her last days. She didn’t take the time to exhale.  We decided that was not going to be us and so this crazy adventure began.

What was so special about this first leg of our trip is that Julie’s mom came with us.  It was her wishes to be laid to rest with her family in their plot in Sherbrooke.  After 32 years, life had come full circle.  We packed up our belongings (as well as a few of Dolores’) and headed east, once again driving across Canada back to Quebec with Julie’s mom’s ashes to bring her home.

The next three months were spent visiting old friends, spending time with family and enjoying all that the Eastern Township of Quebec had to offer.  We were loaned a car for the three month visit by Julie's friend, Lynda, so we didn't have to drive Toothless around more than we had to.  Initially we spent a lot of time driving to Montreal for follow-up appointments at the vet for our little old Bandicoot and her eye injury.  We purchased some great Rex-Specs goggles for her to protect her eyes, she wore her “cone of shame” 24/7 like a trooper and we diligently stuck to her schedule of various eye-drops and medications.  The end result was that she was able to keep her eye without any further surgery, but she is now permanently blind in it and requires drops for the rest of her life.  But, she is learning to manage her battle scars, which, I’m sure, affect us more than her.  She’s our little warrior and everyday we have with her is a gift.

We spent time kayaking in a few of the many, many rivers that snake their way through the various suburbs, towns and cities.  We took the dogs out to enjoy some free time running in the dog park, and even went for a couple of hikes in The Coaticook Gorge, rewarded with a Coaticook ice cream cone at the end!  We joined a few of Julie’s aunts for Bingo evenings at the campground and even learned to play “Jeu de Poches” (bean bag toss or Cornhole in English).  For the next three months this was as close to home as we were going to have for a while.

Slowly the nights started to get longer, the daily temperatures started to drop, the rains began to last longer and longer as we drew nearer and nearer to the autumnal equinox and thus, the beginning of fall.  Quebec is fondly referred to La Belle Province for a reason. The Eastern Canadian fall colours are an amazing sight to see and are quite spectacular.  The Maple trees’ distinctively shaped leaves turn from green to yellow to orange to the deepest fiery red and all shades in between.  The color of the leaves is dictated partly by genetics and partly due to the amount of glucose in the leaves at the end of photosynthesis which is converted into anthocyanins in a process that is best left for someone other than myself to explain.  Suffice it to say that the result is a most enchanting scene full of vibrant, fiery colours painted on the landscape by Mother Nature in the art gallery we call Earth.

The coming of Fall also meant that it was time for us to bring up our landing gear once again, hook Toothless up to our tiny home and start heading South before the first snowfall.  We said goodbye to family and friends and with a toot of the air horn we bid farewell to Canada and headed for the border.