TUESDAY,
SEPTEMBER 13
After a two-day stay at
the KOA in Cloquet, MN (near Duluth), Navidad and I were ready this morning to aim
our sights on Gatineau, Quebec, Canada.
I had plenty of time at the KOA to plan the route from here to there and
pick out the RV Park stops along the way.
The plan is to cross the border into Ontario at Sault Ste. Marie,
Michigan - tomorrow! The primary purpose
of this trip has been a long time coming – a visit with Lee-Ann Pugin and her
family, whom I have never met! I’ll get
to that momentarily…
Heading out, we got
back on I-35 N towards Duluth and then got on Rt. 2 E which took us through
Wisconsin into Upper Michigan. After
several hours of driving, I stopped in Michigamme, MI and got a site at the Michigamme
Shores Campground. It was cool and
cloudy but I did have a partial view of Lake Michigamme. Navidad didn’t even notice but other sounds
outside did get his attention for awhile.
Inside the camper this
evening, I quickly deduced, based on recent observation, that something was definitely
amiss with the camper. It’s been just a
little over a week now since the mechanical problem with my truck [in Nevada] and
I’m now apparently having some sort of problem with the camper’s batteries. This is quite concerning because the
batteries are essential to overall camper function and both of mine are brand
new. At the last two RV Parks, I had
noticed, immediately after plugging the camper to shore power, a distinct “burning”
odor coming from beneath the kitchen sink.
I texted David, who sold me my camper (Galaxy Campers, Ontario, CA –
wonderful guy, fantastic staff!), about the unusual odor, which did dissipate
after awhile both times, and he suggested that I keep an eye on it (or, rather,
my nose).
At my site tonight, there
was no odor, BUT the status monitor for the batteries indicated battery power
to be “weak,” even while plugged to shore power. Pretty soon, the panel on the camper’s fridge
continuously flashed “Lo DC” and other stuff started happening, such as dim
lights. After more texting with David,
he concluded that the camper’s charger unit (which is indeed in the vicinity of
“that odor”) had quit working and I should go to an RV repair place.
It was late, 10:00 p.m.
or so, and this ole gal was tired, but I got on my iPad, did a search, found an
RV dealership and service facility (Christie’s RV) in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario,
and sent an email announcing that I was going to be there around 1:00 p.m.
tomorrow. Then I went to bed. Battery problems notwithstanding the heat
worked fine, fortunately!
WEDNESDAY,
SEPTEMBER 14
I got up this morning
at 6:30 a.m. with a great idea. Since
Christie’s RV had a toll-free number I texted David and asked if he could please
call them and give them a heads-up that I will be there around 1:00 p.m. today. That he did.
It was still dark outside but I was ready to go. Navidad begged to differ – he really doesn’t
like spending hours in his carrier in the truck. As soon as it was light enough we left the RV
Park, turned back onto Rt. 2 E and encountered -- fog! I couldn’t see anything in front of me and
could just barely make out the yellow divider lines on my left. I can’t remember when I last drove in thick
fog but adrenalin and determination - and probably a bit of a Taurus attitude -
all kicked in and…soon… the fog lifted. Visibility
was nice and clear for that four-hour or so drive to the border.
We made good time,
reached Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan via I-75 N, stopped for fuel, and then took
the International Bridge across the St. Mary’s River to Sault Ste. Marie,
Ontario, Canada. The lady at the border
was satisfied with my Passport and Navidad’s rabies certificate and I was told
to go and enjoy my visit.
It was 12:30 p.m. when
I walked into the Christie’s RV service unit and met Kevin, the guy who received
and responded to my email and who also spoke with David earlier that
morning. Learning that the techs were
all at lunch at the moment, I took that opportunity to transfer Navidad from
truck to camper so he could use his litter box and have access to some water
and dry food. Ralph, my tech, soon came
for the keys and as he drove the truck around to an empty bay I thought, ooops,
the sensation of that unrestrained motion inside the camper must be weird for
Navidad! Before Ralph got to work I put
Navidad in the bathroom and closed the door.
David’s initial diagnosis
was spot on – the camper’s power converter (charger) was burnt out and I needed
a new one. Being that Christie’s sells
Jayco trailers and services large RVs, it was extremely lucky for me, according
to Ralph, that they had just one of my type of power converter in stock. New converter in place, Ralph said that my
batteries should fully charge overnight after I plug the camper to shore
power. I thanked Ralph and Kevin for
assisting me – especially since I didn’t have an appointment – drove just a few
miles to the Glenview Cottages & Campground, got my site, plugged into the
shore power, and felt like I had hit on some good fortune and could finally
relax.
THURSDAY,
SEPTEMBER 15
With the heat on during
the night (set on low 68), Navidad and I were fairly comfortable. Then, in the wee hours of the morning, a
squirming motion from Navidad woke me up and I saw that he had found a way to
get under the sleeping bag. “Great discovery, Baby Boy!” He sure was warm to the touch when I reached for
him under there.
Around 9:15 a.m. I was
ready to get going, get on Hwy. 17 E (the Trans-Canada Highway), and put
another four-hour drive behind me, heading for Sturgeon Bay. By chance this morning – or by Divine Grace,
most likely - I stowed away the shore power cord before realizing that I had forgotten
to close the slide-out. Not a
problem…battery power will do it. It’s a
bit of a stretch for 5’1” me but, standing on my tiptoes, I can just reach the
slide-out “in” button and when I pressed it, nothing happened. I stood stock still, on my tiptoes still, and
tried again. The slide-out remained
where it was. I turned to the status monitor
panel only to find all the lights were not lit up in any of the assorted green,
yellow, orange, and red colors. The
little green “on” light for the fridge wasn’t lit up either. Nothing was on inside the camper! The batteries! They’re not working! Why??
Divine Grace again – I
had picked an RV Park just a few miles from Christie’s RV and they open at 9:00
a.m. Moving quickly, I plugged into
shore power again, closed the slide-out, stowed the cord again, and went
straight back to Christie’s, to Kevin, to Ralph. I had to wait for maybe 15 minutes but Ralph
soon came out, looking all puzzled and concerned. Within five minutes, he found the problem. The two batteries, which rest on a sliding
tray, are located inside a compartment on one side of the camper. There’s a push-in/pull-out knob inside that
compartment that activates and deactivates the batteries. When Ralph slid that tray back in the
compartment yesterday, he accidently pushed the knob to the off position. Pulling it back out, he tested everything
again and said all was good.
Finally on our way by
10:30 a.m., we didn’t arrive at the Sturgeon Falls KOA until just before 4:00
p.m. We drove through a string of small
towns and encountered several road construction delays, the longest wait being around
20 minutes. Before getting on Hwy. 17
earlier this morning, to make sure I stayed within the posted km/h speed
limits, I jotted down on a piece of paper the mph equivalents. I didn’t see any wildlife (despite moose and
deer warning signs), but I did see, just a little bit ahead on the shoulder of
my lane, a horse-drawn open buggy (Amish or Mennonite?). Drawing closer I saw the horse, the reins,
and the couple on the seat. At the last
moment, as I slowed down and veered to the left, I was surprised to see the
faces of the two little boys strapped to the lower rear seat. That must be quite a view they have from
there!
FRIDAY,
SEPTEMBER 16
Navidad has decided
that he really likes to sleep under the sleeping bag…and I don’t blame
him! After I fed him this morning, he
squirmed right back under, hoping to hide, too, I’m sure. With apologies to this dear boy, I uncovered
the layers covering him, picked him up, gave him his medication, put him in his
carrier, and carried him out to the truck.
I closed the slide-out and then went back outside to unplug the shore
power cord. Did the batteries recharge
overnight as they’re supposed to?
Checking the monitor -- they did!
Seems everything is hunky-dory now!
Thank you, Divine Grace!
Needing fuel first, I
took care of that and then, by 9:30 a.m., we were back on Hwy. 17 E heading for
Renfrew, Ontario. We made excellent time
and arrived at the Renfrew KOA just before 1:00 p.m. I spent the afternoon updating my travel
records and reviewing my route for tomorrow.
Tomorrow is the highlight of this trip – the day I finally meet Lee-Ann
Pugin! And her family, in Gatineau,
Quebec. Lee-Ann and me, this is our
story --
Some seven or eight
years ago, I received an email from Lee-Ann.
She introduced herself and said her husband’s name was Richard Pugin and
that they lived in Gatineau, Quebec. She
found my name and email address and expressed interest in finding out if my
family might be related to Richard’s.
I forwarded her email to
my older brother Welby, who was then, and still is now, the sole researcher of
our family’s ancestry [on the English side].
Although I understood at the time that we were unable to confirm any
kinship with Richard Pugin, Lee-Ann and I continued to stay in touch, exchanging
birthday/Christmas greetings and sharing family news.
Despite DNA testing,
between Richard and Welby, and later between my brother Bill and Pierre, one of
Lee-Ann’s sons, there is still no conclusive evidence that we are related. The Pugin name, from both the French (theirs)
and British (ours) lineages, is rather uncommon and it is a long story how we
could and might be related.
Lee-Ann, having
followed my camper travel blogs over the past several years, asked me when I
was going to head up their way and visit.
What a great idea and a most heartwarming invitation! So, that’s tomorrow!
SATURDAY,
SEPTEMBER 17
It started to rain when
Navidad and I left the KOA at 11:00 a.m. I took Hwy. 17 back west to the town of
Pembroke where we then got on Hwy. 148 E and crossed a couple of bridges over
the Ottawa River into Rte. 148, Quebec.
Despite the rain, it was a nice hour or so drive through the
countryside, with glimpses of the Ottawa River on my right. Being that Quebec is a French-speaking
province, all the road signs were in French but I knew to stay straight on Rte.
148 until it ended in the Aylmer section of Gatineau.
I soon arrived at the
home of Pierre, Lee-Ann Pugin’s son. He
came outside just as I parked on the street and we greeted each other and
exchanged hugs. He then directed me as I
backed in to a grassy space behind his driveway. And then there was Lee-Ann! She came up to me and gave me a warm hug, a
warm welcome, and we both were just so delighted to finally meet each other! After taking a few minutes to plug the camper
into an exterior outlet and transfer Navidad from truck to camper, I entered
the home where I met Pierre’s wife, Sylvie, Sabina, their 18-year-old daughter (I
later met Marianne, their 12-year-old), Merlin, their Australian Shepherd, and
Tasha, their cat. Pierre showed me a framed
wall photograph of him astride Tuff, his pure Canadian horse. I would have loved to meet him, too!
Sitting at the dining
table, we all began to get to know each other.
Lee-Ann and I had much to talk about and the family vibe sure felt very
strong. Feeling very comfortable with
each other, the conversation flowed easily.
Although French is their primary language, Lee-Ann, Pierre, and Sylvie
all speak fluent English as well. Every
now and then I’d have to ask them to repeat themselves or, since I came
prepared with notebook and pen, they’d write down whatever I wasn’t understanding.
I told Pierre that I
thought his name was pronounced “pee-ree” and when I said it that way in a
conversation with my sister Evelyn earlier this summer, she corrected me and
said it’s like “pea-air.” I learned from
Pierre that Marianne’s name is not pronounced like mine and that the French and
English pronunciations of the name “Pugin” are also not the same.
Lee-Ann’s husband, Richard,
the patriarch of this family, passed away in 2014. They had five children – Michel, Denis,
Rachel, Pierre, and Lynn. Denis and
Rachel also live in the area and they soon arrived with their spouses, Helene
(Denis) and Alain (Rachel). Michel lives
in Florida and Lynn passed away also a few years ago.
It was a lively family
affair at the dinner table and I found it interesting to observe everybody
interact and converse with each other. I’d
been taking pictures and video throughout the day and took a few more after
dessert. By 8:00 p.m., we all called it
a night and I went back to the camper.
SUNDAY,
SEPTEMBER 18
I joined the family for
breakfast and lingered for a while longer so I could continue my visit with
Lee-Ann. We talked about her family and
mine. Marianne was interested in my
background as a Deaf person and while she was tinkering around with her mobile,
she found an image of the hand alphabet.
That led me to tell them about the historical significance of Laurent
Clerc, the Deaf Frenchman, and how Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet met him in England
and brought him to America.
Soon it was
time for me to leave. We said our “good-byes”
and I told Lee-Ann that I was very hopeful we will meet again.
Crossing a bridge over
the Ottawa River, Navidad and I were back in Ontario. Some miles later we reached the border and crossed
into Ogdensburg, New York. After a few
hours on I-81 S, we arrived at the Oneida Pines Campground in North Bay,
NY.
Lee-Ann Pugin, you are
a most endearing and lovely lady! I am
so happy and honored that I have finally met you and your loving family! Thank you for your warm hospitality!
![]() |
Denis, Lee-Ann, Rachel, and Pierre. |
Back - Denis, Pierre, and Alain. Front - Helene, Sylvie, Sabina, Lee-Ann, and Rachel. |
![]() |
Helene and Denis. |
![]() |
Alain and Rachel. |
![]() |
Sylvie and Pierre. |
![]() |
Lee-Ann and me. |
![]() |
Pierre and Merlin. |
![]() |
Tasha. |
Glad all is going great most of all you are safe and enjoying your trip also so pleased you were able to get your charger
ReplyDeletereplaced,,,
all is great here, released the pressure from your water lines again- Travel on safely-
Luv ya Mike and Bud-
LOVE this entire post EXCEPT for the truck drama you are enduring on this trip. Lee-Ann and her family sound so wonderful. SO cool that she caught Bill's picture and name in People magazine so long ago. I wish we could confirm our family relationship. Glad the lip reading went well. xoxo
ReplyDeleteMAP, wonderful story... I'm glad you finally met Lee-Ann and her family. Gee, Navidad found a right place to sleep into your sleeping bag. Keep up posted.. Happy Traveling... Hugs
ReplyDelete