Montreal and Moses

   Today was our last morning in Burlington.  I wrote some doggeral in Patrilary's guest book (to the tune of "Sweet Betsy From Pike")  And then we spent a pleasant morning with Hilary and Cary.  The four of us had a light breakfast and shortly after that Cary left for Phildelphia.  Then Hilary dw and I walked to the pedestrian mall and had some coffee (Sadie the dog came along to tell us when there was something interesting and vital to smell)  --  Patrick had already gone to work so we were larking about without him. 
   We left about noon and went to a  kinesthology (huh?) person (for dw) who did some back adjustments and gave dw some exercises to do.  dw's back has been troublesome and she hasn't been able to drive for nearly a week.  (My final pain scale update:  knees:  at rest 1 to 2 -- normal.  walking 2 to 3.7 -- normal --- the passive range of motion worked miracles )  Anyway the adjustments and exercises seem to be helping and dw drove for awhile today. 
   After the kines (huh?) person we stopped at Patrick's place of work.  He works for NRG -- a private company that makes and sells equipment that measures and analyzes sites for wind turbine installations.   It was interesting -- it looks like a great place to work:  the company (about 100 people work there) has a small gym, exercise pool, pool table, ping-pong table etc, etc.  They also provide lunches (we had a piece of cake in Patrick's work area- courtesy of Laura who thought to recognize our visit - thank you, Laura) and incentives to car-pool and to buy hybrid cars.  It's quite a place.  The building has a large solar power installation, and a small wind turbine (it's not in a good place for wind power)  It's about as green as a factory (officially -- light industry) can be. 
   Miscellaneous items about Burlington:  We drove to Barre (pronounced Barry) Vermont (near Burlington) to look at the Hope Cemetery.  Barre has, since 1818, quarried granite of a remarkably fine grade. and they have a long-time history of carving tombstones.  The graveyard has a huge array of truely remarkable markers.  A two-foot soccer ball on a pedestal.  A bi-plane, a couple sitting up and holding hands in bed.  -- Another site to Google and look at the pics.  It's an amazing place -- obviously the local stone carvers use the cemetery as a marketing device.  "Look at the things we can do in stone!!!"
   As we were driving towards Montreal, I saw two fighter jets flying north.  DA:  "I think those are the vangard of our invasion of Canada."  dw:  "It's about time."
   A couple of days ago we drove north, nearly to Canada, on the islands centered in Lake Champlain.  We went to St Anne's Shrine -- now a shrine to St Anne -- rather nice -- but once the site (1667) of a French fort built to defend against the Iroquis..  I heard the following mumbles coming from the passenger seat:  dw:  "If it was kilometers, we'd already be there"  (the site was further off the main road than we expected) and dw: "I'd rather have St Anne's Shrimp"  (after having mis-read the map) 
   Mileage posts in Vermont tell the mileage in tenths of a mile, which is more specific than I need. 
   For weather reasons (too dry, too rainy, too warm) this isn't a good year for the leaf peepers.  (according to an information bureau person.
   All in all we had a very good day until we got to Montreal.  For starters, we didn't get a good map before we got to the city, and then we arrived just at the start of rush hour.  According to our map, there was Tourist Information just off the freeway.  According to reality, not so much.  At some point pre-Montreal we saw a sign for Tourist Information 4 K.  Reality -- 4 K and no exit or any hint of Information.  In the city we saw another sign:  Tourist Info, L 4K.  turned left, drove 5 blocks, came to a T intersection without a hint of another sign.  On we trekked.  Another sign Tourist Info R 1K -- turned right drove 2K and saw another sigh for Tourist Info in another K, and after two more kilometers, still nothing.  At last we decided  "F" this and headed for a main drag out of town.  We turned right and after two blocks saw another Tourist Info sign 2K to our right.  We ignored it. (all of this was during rush hour)
   We have decided that Montreal can do nasty things to itself and we're moving on.  If we gave it another try, I believe I'd sell my soul to the devil to get the power to inflict the Ten  Plagues of Moses onto the city of Montreal.  And whoever put up the Tourist Information signs would get the Ten Plagues plus a bad case of dandruff.  DA
     The above description of the Montreal experience has been downsized and sanitized for the general reading public - trust me.  It was no picnic and I was beginning to feel we were in the Twilight Zone.  To all of you out there who love and honor Montreal - maybe another time.... With better information and timing I'm sure we would be sitting in a Montreal B and B instead of this rather lovely room at the Auberge du Mont Rigaud - 1 hour and 15 minutes from downtown Montreal.  Reading the "Discovery" free magazine (and real estate guide) to this area I am excited to see what daylight may bring.  It could be lovely out there and we have no idea.  Rigaud is on the Ottawa River and may be exploding with fall foliage but we arrived in the dark and don't know.  Since the fall colour festival is this weekend here in Rigaud, I hope there's something out there for the attendees.
     BIGGEST NEWS!  Dennis thought he lost the above posting which he put a lot of effort and time into and I found it!  I solved a computer problem.  Wow.  Feel free to congratulate me in your head if you won't "comment".
     That's the yin and yang of travel - a gorgeous day with family and interesting experiences and the Circle of Hell in the big city.  Can't wait until tomorrow!  dw