What a great "storee."  Did you get down to the Evangeline country on Nova
Scotia?  That is another of the peaceful places on this earth.
Sam Conant

----- Original Message -----
From: "Phil W. Zimmerman" <philzimm1@OBERON.ARK.COM>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Sunday, July 01, 2007 7:36 PM
Subject: BusFusion Bound Trip Report #04

> Hi Folks,
>
> Wow, last report was on Day-26. Now, Day-37 for me and Happy Canada Day to
> all the folks of Canada, July 01. Camped on the beach at Carleton-sur-Mer,
> South-side of the Gaspe` Peninsula.
>
> Cooks-tour of the last 11 days. Went to the beginning of the road on the
> North-Shore of the Saint Lawrence River at Natashquan. Really a bit
> further than Natashquan. Another 42 Km up a gravel road to a rather large
> river with no bridge across it! So ends road access to the North-shore of
> Quebec. The weather sucked, the bugs bit in droves so, off back-down the
> road I went. Ferried over to the Gaspe` Peninsula, landing at Matane.....
>
> The Gaspe` quickly took hold of me and has held me ever since. Kinda like
> the Kashbar in the Bogart film where he tells the piano player to "Play it
> again Sam". Bogart couldn't shake the Kashbar in the movie, I can't seem
> to do otherwise on the Gaspe`. Just spent 5 days at Gaspesie Prov Park
> camped on Lake Cascapedia. Canoeing, hiking and biking. Weather unsettled
> but the cooler temperatures made these activities easier for this old set
> of legs and lungs. Darn is that place beautiful. Yeah, I know, all parks
> are beautiful but something about the greenery and the rocks of this piece
> of real-estate. The ancient rocks of the geography some, the oldest on the
> surface of the planet say the rock scientists, they (the rocks) held my
> attention seemingly indefinitely! But nope, this guy prefers free camping
> and no Provincial Park is fee.
>
> Geezus, me and Moose this trip. There I am having a cigarette out by the
> lake (away from all the kiddies now camped near bye for the long-weekend).
> I'm taken in the scenery cuz it wasn't raining at the moment, the evening
> air is fresh and still the lake placid-calm. I hear the sound of soft
> footsteps behind me on the gravel beach. I turn around and heck, there is
> this Cow Moose not 20 feet from me, just stepped out of the bush onto the
> beach and walking towards me! Aaah now what? I am up wind of her so I blow
> some smoke her way. She must be a smoker-moose cuz the smoke didn't phase
> her at all. No Calf insight so I feel I have little to fear.... except
> fear itself said some long dead US President. She looks at me and halts. I
> take a few steps backwards away from her, she stays put. Good, I am making
> progress here... another three feet between me and this 1,000# world's
> largest Cervid! My animal-magnitude must be waning because the Moose was
> drawn to some piece of flora on the!
>  lake-shore and moved to my left to munch on it. Wow, encounters like this
> are wonderful (who sez?).... I still prefer my wild animal sightings at
> the city zoo.....
>
> Time to get out the Canadian Flag... and the BC Flag for Jake and Me....
> and the Quebec Flag so the locals don't think I am some kinda
> Nationalistic flake and get on with celebrating Canada Day. Now, in
> another three days time, I hope to be in Houlton Maine celebrating with
> Chief Mike and Mary Collum at Camp Kelleran... for a real old-time 4th of
> July Celebration in the US of A! As an expatriate myself, I haven't been
> in the US for the Fourth of July in ages.....
>
> Regards from the road.
>
> Phil Z.
> Campbell River, BC