TORONTO AUGUST 03

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It was warm in Thunder Bay (TB) as I locked my truck in the long-term parking lot at the airport there.  The new wheeled monster bag I had elected to bring rolled easily across the typical cracked and weather tarmac typical to northern Ontario.  My laptop hung from my right shoulder and the digital camera around my neck I was all set for a connected foray into the biggest city in Canada.<o:p></o:p>

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It didn’t bode well for the trip when I was confronted with possessing 3 lighters at the airport security checkin.  When I asked why it had been ok to fly on 16 April with those same three lighters, out of TB and return from Winnipeg, with no problems I was told that they had no control over Winnipeg.  I calmly pointed out I had flown from TB first.  I was told I can’t take 3 lighters�?I could however run back to the Air Canada counter on the floor below and see if my bag was still at the counter and put them in there.  When I asked them how long I had they again said I could only take 3 lighters.  Due to the fact that I had to be in Toronto (TO) the next morning I left the 2 lighters, one a Ronson lighter bought in 78 and the other a Zippo bought about 10 years ago.<o:p></o:p>

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The flight itself was pretty good, being on an airplane in April had prepared me for the minimum fit accommodations, there was enough room for your legs, not enough for my butt and luckily the seat next to me was empty so my shoulders could fit.  On board I didn’t purchase the new meals, a 6$ selection nor the 12$ selection, I felt confident I could find something decent to eat in TO.  I did however decide on some liquid refreshment�?.vodka and tomatoe juice seemed to be the right choice in the heat, two went down well.  The decent into TO went real well until we were some 40 miles out, the captain had warned us there were thunder storms in the area and that turbulence could result.  Turbulence resulted, between my ears popping and my stomach dropping and hopping I wasn’t all that sure I wanted to go to TO after all.<o:p></o:p>

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We made it down!  The plane a Airbus 319 spent the next 25 minutes giving us a guided tour of the old and under construction portions of the TO airport as we taxied in the general direction of Terminal 2 at Pearson Airport.  We hooked up to a discharge ramp finally at gate 202 and the heat rolled into the aircraft.  As we slowly untangled ourselves from our flying positions and headed into the terminal I took final note of the young lady across from me, she still looked perfectly composed and happy in her seat.  I couldn’t judge if she was a size 6 or a size 4, both in petite of course.<o:p></o:p>

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In the terminal an overhead sign indicated the direction we were supposed to find our luggage in.  I started walking, along with the rest of our flight members, the sign kept repeating on each successive overhead board and we kept walking.  I thought that with all this walking the taxi ride to the hotel should be cheap; I found out later we were walking in the wrong direction.  We kept walking.  Our group was now stretched out for the full 5 mile length of the terminal, in the heat it certainly felt like I had gone several miles.  A sign overhead indicated a drastic change…a turn to the left…and more walking.   This seemed to be an airport thing this walking but then an escalator dropped us one floor and there was a number of moving platforms that had luggage rolling past eagerly grasping hands.  I looked it wasn’t for my flight�?more walking.  Then I noticed miss size 6 and sure enough others from our herd were here too.  My new bag was the last one to come.   It was outdoors for a smoke�?.it was so warm and sticky I was just barely able to fire up a smoke.  A shill wanted me to walk across the busy road to get a taxi�?more walking was not on my agenda.  I finished my smoke and collected my stuff, and a taxi pulled up beside me.  In the air-conditioned interior I was told that the next taxi in line would have been a smoking taxi.  In some 20 minutes my hair colour went from sun bleached white to several shades below and I’m now not sure if I’ll ever live to collect old age, that ride cost me 10 years and 35$.<o:p></o:p>

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In the hotel check-in went well until I asked about the procedure to connect to the Internet.  From the blank looks I got I figured we had hit a snag.  Through the hotels best efforts I never got a connection to the internet until on Friday afternoon when I picked a ISP from the yellow pages and made a phone call.   They were more than happy to connect me and did 45 minutes later.<o:p></o:p>

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Thursday and Friday mornings were spent being “evaluated�?  What this was composed of was the positioning of my body into postures I hadn’t assumed since gym class in grade 6.  Another gent going through some other stuff almost caused me to burst into laughter, until I realized that I most likely would look like him when it came my turn for that particular configuration.<o:p></o:p>

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I did survive it all and Saturday rolled around.  I had the hotel people come in and give some order to the room; at home my dear wife keeps track of floor and bed space, before the time I knew Trap would show.   In fact it wasn’t five minutes later that I thought I heard something at the door.  A few seconds later it was confirmed�?why don’t people pound on a door?  I opened it and there was Trap.<o:p></o:p>

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I was engulfed in a giant HUG!  As best I could I swivelled my eyes about to see if anyone was looking.   Where I come from you hug kids, the neighbours wife gently at Christmas and your own wife somewhat more…�?well let’s not go there.  Trap picked up his ‘cooler�?a fold top plastic tote and came in.   It seemed like Trap and I had just parted the day before, though I don’t recall the HUG, there he was just as I had pictured him.  In short order lines were being cast, game was being skinned and politicians were being lambasted for their stupid laws and ideas.  Oh yes, we had managed to pour several vodka before there was another timid tap at our door, for indeed Trap was staying the night.<o:p></o:p>

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Several peeks through the spy hole confirmed it wasn’t the gun control police and I grabbed my camera.  Trap opened the door and a flurry in pink and wrapped in another HUG.  I knew immediately this was ok though I did keep and eye on the tall gent still standing in the hallway�?.did I smell apples?  I handshake with the gent confirmed he was indeed Camper and I had just been hugged by Trina.  Come in .. come in.<o:p></o:p>

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In the course of the next few hours we managed to talk and laugh on many subjects.  Mixing pork burgers was one subject as was the contents of a large box covered with Audrey Hepburn stamps, a few Wright Brothers stamps and several other official markings indicating it came from Virginia.   It was, as I had suspected my Dalls Sheep ram head that had been shot in Tennessee by our very own Gray Ghost.  This ram’s head had traveled from VA to northern Ontario, where it could find me, back to VA…on to New York…been found at a new address there and across the Canada/USA border in a Cadillac’s truck.  It was a beaut.  It did just fit into the monster wheeled bag I had brought for just reason.  As I write the head is behind me on a shelf, I need to make a mounting bracket for it so it’ll be beside me on the wall.<o:p></o:p>

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We talked on the way to super, we talked at super, we talked on the way back from super, we talked as I tried to get connected to the Internet.  My hard won connection had broken down  and the support line was busy�?so we talked some more.  Trina found that indeed vodka can taste great and Camper assumed his 10�?0 pm position, though by now it was 11�?0.  His vocals hardly interfered with more talk as Trina and Trap didn’t seem to run out of words.  A little after midnight Camper indicated he had had enough of Trap’s camp chair and needed to stretch out…Trina served as a guide to take him back to their room.  Trap thought he had more to say to Trina so he called their room and right quickly Trina was tapping at our door.  Seems Trina also had more words.  An evening that started at around 2�?0 was over all too soon at some where around 4 am when we all finally ended up in our respective rooms and went to sleep.<o:p></o:p>

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The next morning saw Trap wake up to fresh brewed hot coffee.  As we showered and slowly packed Trap made arrangements for our breakfast.  We finished packing everything and made our way down to the restaurant.  Some time after breakfast was over I found I needed to go for a smoke.  As we left Trina found some boutiques that needed looking at, so us gents went outside and found a spot for some relaxation, surprisingly we still had more to talk on.  We questioned Camper on what he had found so fascinating in the pool, our room on the 14^th overlooked the pool, but he was a bit short of facts.  The grand opening of BPS’s TO store was discussed as a possible reunion time.  <o:p></o:p>

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All to soon it was time to check out and find a cab for the airport and the flight home.  We did find time to pose for a few pics in the hotel lobby.  As we waited outside for my cab I found that I wasn’t really ready to leave yet.  The cab had other ideas.  Another HUG from Trap, again I surveyed the area, and more hugs from Trina�?was that apple smell in the air again?  It was time for home.<o:p></o:p>

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I finally arrived back home amidst a flurry of black dogs at about 8 pm.  After nearly missing my flight to TB because of Air Canada bumbling, an almost hour wait in the plane as ‘lightning�?forced the workers to shelter before they could get us off.  Lightning from a clear blue sky?  The landing in TB was again rough but I have to hand it to those flyboys; they sure know their job.<o:p></o:p>

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The faint of heart missed a great time.  My dear wife was wrong…I didn’t scare anyone away with my ‘wild look�?  I had a super time with dear friends that turned a big city stay into a great time.   We did try our best; we only lost less than 4 hours outa the 24 we had.<o:p></o:p>

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I’m already looking forward to the next ‘meeting�?of outdoors site members�?wonder who will come and where will it be?<o:p></o:p>

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