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Journal for CollieSmileJournal for CollieSmile
Nov
20
Happy



November 2016

On October 24th 2015, I was in a car accident that broke my right foot in 2 places. That put me in a wheelchair for 6 months, as I waited for the foot to heal. Definitely a life changing milestone for me!

On October 24th, 2016, I had another milestone that was a lot more enjoyable. I went to Canada for the first time in at least 25 years. I live in the metro Detroit area, not far from the Canadian border. So what took me so long?

I won\'t go into all of the details, but I can easily account for the last 15 years. After 911, Canada (and the USA) tightened border restrictions. Before 911 crossing the border for most people was as easy as answering a question or two and driving away. After 911 things changed drastically. For quite awhile, you could only go into Canada if you had a passport.

There was no way that my husband and I were going to spend over 200 dollars on passports just so that we could go to Canada occasionally. We didn\'t have that kind of money. I remember gloomily wondering if we\'d ever get to see Canada again.

Eventually the enhanced driver\'s license was created. It was considerably more affordable. We didn\'t apply for them, however. I guess by that time, we were resigned to staying on our side of the border. There was plenty of great stuff to do in Michigan anyway.

Then, our son started talking about a cabin just over the border. It belonged to his girlfriend\'s family. He had obtained an enhanced license and started going to the cabin with them. It wasn\'t long before he was urging us to get enhanced licenses so that we could come also. It took us awhile to get interested enough, I guess. He married his girl (much to our joy) and we still had not gotten enhanced licenses.

Finally, when I renewed my drivers license in 2014, I went through a bunch of extra red tape and got one. I didn\'t want to go to Canada without my husband, however, so I joined in with my son and his wife in cajoling my husband to get one too. Less than two months after my husband finally got his, off we all went to Canada to spend the day in this (by now) legendary cabin.



The cabin really was a cabin. My daughter in laws grandfather had built it himself in the 1930\'s. He did a wonderful job. He used round logs, rather than lumber, and "chinked in" the cracks between them. He started with one room and eventually added another one.

One of my first impressions of the cabin was that it looked very small. It was surprisingly roomy on the inside. It had a large room (that included a kitchen) a bathroom, and a small bedroom. With clever use of 2 pull out couches and bunk beds, it could sleep 8 people, or more if sleeping bags were used. My daughter in law has many fond memories of spending summer days there with her parents and 3 siblings.

The cabin is on a wooded lot and the property overlooks Lake Huron. I took many photographs of beautiful scenery. The photos will have to last me for awhile, because the cabin has been prepped for winter. (That\'s why the picnic table is tilted up by the side of the cabin.) The cabin will be opened up again next Spring.

We had a wonderful day. I\'ll be uploading some of my pictures on DN from time to time, as I got many good ones.

I\'m so happy to be able to go to Canada again at last! My brother and I used to spend part of our Summer vacations on a farm in Ontario, and I used to go to Stratford to see Shakespeare plays. There is a lot to love about this next door neighbor! It\'s great to be reunited at last.

Elaine :)





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