FROM QUEBEC’S METAPEDIA VALLEY TO CAMPBELLTON NEW BRUNSWICK:: A SHORT MORNING DRIVE, RELAXING SUNDAY AFTERNOON, AND A PROBLEM WITH OUR COACH’S FRONT FURNACE

SHARING THE PASSENGER SEAT WITH MOM

It was a quiet moonlit night alongside the Metapedia River Saturday night.  We could hear the river rustling it’s way through a gentle section of soft rapids downstream as it slowly carves it’s way through the Metapedia Valley.  It was in this narrow picturesque valley with it’s high treed and and sometimes rocky sides we spent the night.

It was under gray soggy skies we woke up to early this morning.  Hate to use the word cold but it was definitely cooler than cool.  Had the big wheels rolling shortly after eight. with a light drizzle following us all the way to Campbellton.  It’s a very scenic winding road all the way with towering hills and rock cuts along the way.  This section of road would be even more beautiful when Autumn displays all it’s fine colors in a few weeks.

CROSSING THE METAPEDIA RIVER INTO NEW BRUNSWICK

NOW HERE IS A GOOD EXAMPLE OF WHAT IS READABLE TO US AND WHAT IS NOT

How nice to cross the Metapedia River into New Brunswick this morning.  The first road sign we saw we understood.  Yaaaay Team:))  Figured we’d find a McDonalds in Campbellton and use their free wiFi to post my Saturday post but the connection proved to be so slow and my post so big it may have taken a couple weeks.  Used our own Bell internet which we were able to re-establish again after leaving our overnight spot.  Grabbed a coffee to go anyway and headed off to a Walmart parking lot on the edge of town we had seen.  We have a nice spot away from the main lot with lots of greenery beside us. 

We are in a different time zone now so have moved ahead in time far enough to have lost an hour of ourselves somewhere between Quebec and New Brunswick.

I THINK THAT IS NEW BRUNSWICK’S MOUNT EVEREST IN FRONT OF US

WALMART ON THE LEFT AND BAYFIELD BUNCH ON THE RIGHT

ALWAYS NICE TO HAVE GREEN SPACE CLOSE BY

We have two furnaces in our coach covering both front and back.  Saturday night we noticed the front furnace was not working properly.  Fan would start up for about 10 seconds then shut off.  Furnace wouldn’t ignite.  Didn’t know what the problem was despite Kelly re-working all the thermostat controls.  Needless to say I had a cool night in the front of the coach.  Still wouldn’t work this morning when we tried it.  I of course immediately assumed the worst and figured we would need a furnace technician.  Or sell the Motorhome.  Kelly of course went to the furnace manual and began reading.  She also went on-line looking for a solution.  I opened the outside furnace exhaust door with a screw driver all by myself and we both had a look inside expecting to find either a Spider or Hornet nest blocking some stuff.  Nope not that  but saw a tiny red light blinking an error code.  Kelly did some more reading while I went out and shot a few good blasts of canned air into the exhust pipe.  Following another possible solution Kelly had all propane stove burners going for a minute or so.  Shut them off then tried the front furnace again.  This time it ignited and we soon had nice warm air inside the coach again.  We don’t know if it was the ‘air blast’ or the burners burning that fixed the problem, or even if the problem is fixed.  At least we didn’t need a furnace technician or have to sell the Motorhome.  We have our own onboard mechanic and problem solving person.  And it sure ain’t me:((  Oh but I did manage to get the furnace cover back on…..all by myself.  I wonder how long it will be before it falls off now:((

Skies finally began clearing mid afternoon and by 5 o’clock we had welcoming sunshine on us again.  We were at 45F with a low tonight of 39.  Out on a walk with Pheebs this afternoon I thought how much better my skin feels in this temperature.  No uncomfortible feelings of hot and humid stickiness.  Don’t get me wrong now, I don’t like cold weather any better than most folks but even at 45F it’s still reasonably acceptable to me.  But just…………

PHEEBS AND I CHECK OUT A HYUNDAI DEALERSHIP ON THE FAR SIDE OF WALMART

WE CLIMB A ROCKY HILL BEHIND THE YELLOW WALMART AND LOOK TOWARDS DOWNTOWN CAMPBELLTON NEW BRUNSWICK OFF TO THE LEFT AROUND THE HILL

NOTICED THEY HAVE SKI HILLS HERE TOO

OUR RIG IS VISIBLE IN THIS PHOTO

YEP, THERE IT IS (SONY CYBERSHOT ZOOM)

Not sure where we will wander off to tomorrow but I’m sure we’ll think of something.  We usually do………………… Oh, and in Saturday’s Submarine photos I wonder if anyone noticed a woman standing inside the Sub??  I’ll give you a hint where she is……Control Room, and she’s listening to her audio guide.

SATURDAY NIGHT’S MOON

GROANER’S CORNER:((  What to say to a telemarketer! One of the things that has always bugged me (and I'm sure it has most of you, too) is to sit down to dinner only to be interrupted by a phone call from a telemarketer. I decided, on one such occasion, to try to be as irritating to them as they were to me. The call was from AT&T, and it went something like this: Me: HelloAT&T: Hello, this is AT&T.... Me: Is this AT&T?AT&T: Yes, this is AT&T.... Me: This is AT&T?AT&T: Yes. This is AT&T.... Me: Is this AT&T?AT&T: YES! This is AT&T. May I speak to Mr. Salem please? Me: May I ask who is calling?AT&T: This is AT&T. Me: OK, hold on. At this point, I put the phone down for a solid 5 minutes thinking that, surely, this person would have hung up the phone. I ate my salad. Much to my surprise, when I picked up the receiver, she was still waiting. Me: Hello?AT&T: Is this Mr. Salem? Me: May I ask who is calling please?AT&T: Yes, this is AT&T.... Me: Is this AT&T?AT&T: Yes, this is AT&T.... Me: This is AT&T?AT&T: Yes, is this Mr. Salem? Me: Yes, is this AT&T?AT&T: Yes, sir. Me: The phone company?AT&T: Yes, sir. Me: I thought you said this was AT&T.AT&T: Yes, sir, we are a phone company. Me: I already have a phone.AT&T: We aren't selling phones today, Mr. Salem. Me: Well, whatever it is, I'm really not interested, but thanks for calling. When you are not interested in something, I don't think you can express yourself any plainer than by saying "I'm really not interested", but this lady was persistent. AT&T: Mr. Salem, we would like to offer you 10 cents a minute, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Now, I am sure she meant she was offering a "rate" of 10 cents a minute, but she at no time used the word "rate". I could clearly see that it was time to whip out the trusty old calculator and do a little ciphering. Me: Now, that's 10 cents a minute 24 hours a day? AT&T: (getting a little excited at this point by my interest) Yes, sir, that's right! 24 hours a day! Me: 7 days a week?AT&T: That's right. Me: 365 days a year?AT&T: Yes, sir. Me: I am definitely interested in that! Wow!! That's amazing!! AT&T: We think so! Me: That's quite a sum of money!AT&T: Yes, sir, it's amazing how it adds up. Me: OK, so will you send me checks weekly, monthly or just one big one at the end of the year for the full $52,560? If you send an annual check, can I get a cash advance?AT&T: Excuse me? Me: You know, the 10 cents a minute.AT&T: What are you talking about? Me: You said you'd give me 10 cents a minute, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. That comes to $144 per day, $1,008 per week and $52,560 per year. I'm just interested in knowing how you will be making payment.AT&T: Oh no, sir, I didn't mean we'd be paying you. You pay us 10 cents a minute. Me: Wait a minute here! Didn't you say you'd give me 10 cents a minute? Are you sure this is AT&T?AT&T: Well, yes, this is AT&T, sir, but.... Me: But nothing! How do you figure that by saying that you'll give me 10 cents a minute that I'll give you 10 cents a minute? Is this some kind of suliminal telemarketing scheme? I've read about things like this in the Enquirer, you know. Don't use your alien brainwashing techniques on me.AT&T: No, sir, we are offering 10 cents a minute for.... Me: THERE YOU GO AGAIN! Can I speak to a supervisor please?!? AT&T: Sir, I don't think that is necessary. Me: Sure! You say that now! What happens later? AT&T: What? Me: I insist on speaking to a supervisor! AT&T: Yes, Mr. Salem. Please hold. So, now AT&T has me on hold, and my supper is getting cold. I begin to eat while I'm waiting for a supervisor. After a wait of a few minutes and while I have a mouth full of food....... Supervisor: Mr. Salem?Me: Yeth? Supervisor: I understand you are not quite understanding our 10 cents a minute program.Me: Id thish Ath Teeth & Teeth? (Is this AT&T) Supervisor: Yes, sir, it sure is. I had to swallow before I choked on my food. It was all I could do to suppress my laughter, and I had to be careful not to produce a snort. Me: No, actually I was just waiting for someone to get back to me so that I could sign up for the plan. Supervisor: OK, no problem, I'll transfer you back to the person who was helping you.Me: Thank you. I was on hold once again and managed a few more mouthfuls. I needed to end this conversation. Suddenly, there was an aggravated but polite voice at the other end of the phone. AT&T: Hello, Mr. Salem. I understand that you are interested in signing up for our plan?Me: Do you have that friends and family thing because you can never have enough friends and I'm an only child and I'd really like to have a little brother......... AT&T: (click) Note From Me: When I get a call from a telemarketer I prefer to give them options. I simply tell them Steve is not here right now but would they prefer to speak to Gomer Goosenuts, Elroy Von Chickenhead, or Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer..... ‘Click!!’............ Or My Other Favorite... Are you single?………..Click!!

=============================

===============================