Leaving Canada tomorrow (just for a while)

For the past week or so we've been preparing for our upcoming trip to New Mexico. The time has come, we're crossing the border tomorrow (Oct 1).  

We've been busy with visiting friends, getting travel medical insurance (MediPac), route planning, van maintenance, etc. It may seem early, but we have the car in today to swap the summer tires for snows, preparing for our early November return. 

Of course we've been over to Bayfield Mews several times too, varying the route in this beautiful (most days) fall weather. We came across a soybean harvest, using some equipment we haven't seen before (not that we're soybean experts!):

Maybe a standard pull-behind harvester?

We're more used to seeing self-propelled combines these days

Serious tractor power!

Notice how short the beans are cut

 

In a Furry Gnome blog back in the spring, Mr F.G mentioned that soybean fields must be worked very level when preparing for planting. Now that we've seen how short the harvesters cut, it's clear why a level field is a requirement.

On our way to Goderich today we were struck by the number of power-generating windmills on the inland horizon from hwy 21. We've seen them before, but maybe because the sun highlighted them, they really stood out today:

Cathie's checkup at the dental surgeon this morning in Port Elgin was positive. Earlier this year she had some surgery there to fix a problem with an old root canal. All better now!

Not a whole lot of progress visible at Bayfield today. There's lots being done inside, but mostly a lot of prep work for insulation and drywall etc. The bricklayers have been busy though:

One neighbour's end wall is done

Our patio area is being bricked today

Later today we're heading to the Sarnia Walmart for overnight, and into the US tomorrow morning. We expect to head for Ft Wayne, then westerly on state hwy 24 for a while.