We left NYC late in the afternoon. Our next destination was Boston. But almost simultaneously we looked at each other and announced that we were ready to go home. Home Sweet Home. So we traveled as far north as Albany and then turned west. We didn't stop in Albany and decided to keep driving until later in the evening and then just sleep at some rest area along the way.
We were on a two lane highway (two lanes each way) and were making good time. Dick was driving and Jack and I were trying to sleep. Dick sighted a watermelon laying in the inside lane. He assumed the melon had fallen off a truck and for some reason it had not shattered. "Well, Dick thought, "I"ll remedy that." He swerved out of our lane and hit the watermelon dead center with the front wheel.
The trouble was, it was not a watermelon. It was a skunk. A real live skunk. I can't start to explain how powerful the stink of a real live skunk is, that has just been run over by a moron. Jack and I could easily have killed Dick at that moment. Our eyes watered and our nose hurt and we all felt nauseated. We rolled all of the windows down and sped up as fast as the car would go. But.it was several hours before that smell started to abate. We finally stopped for some rest but didn't sleep too well because even the sleeping bags smelled like a skunk.
Niagara Falls
Our next stop was a visit to Niagara Falls. The Falls were indeed inspiring. We rented rain jackets and went on a tour and were rained on by the mist created by the Falls. We enjoyed this stop.
Into Canada
At this point, we decided to tour through Canada. We could enter Canada at Niagara Falls and exit back into the U.S. at Detroit. We could then brag that we had visited the most import part of the U. S. and in addition toured Canada. As we approached the immigration entrance gate, we were stopped by an inspector who asked to see our immigration permit. When we informed him that we did not have such a permit. he replied, "No problem. Just park your car and go into the Immigration Headquarters and obtain a permit.".
As we walked toward the inspection counter, a very embarrassing thing happened. Dick was obviously watching a beautiful teen-age girl walk by and as a consequence, walked head-first into a steel post. Now I've seen steel posts before and if you walk into them with your head you cause a very mild "Klunk." Not this steel post. It sounded just like the bell at the top of "Saint Mary's Cathedral." Everyone in the area stopped and starred at Dick. This included the "Inspector General of Immigration Permits". He immediately classified us as three trouble makers. When we approached him he gruffly said, "May I see the title to your vehicle. We replied, "We don't have a title but we do an a registration certificate". "That won't do" he said.. "If you don't have a title then get me the motor number. So off we go to obtain this number. We searched thoroughly, top and bottom and sideways. There was no number. When we returned to the inspector, he said, "Look boys, I've got to have a number before I can issue your entrance permit. Go find me a body number." The results of this search was the same. There was no body number on that car.
At this point I believe the inspector suspected that we were teen-age car thief's who were trying to enter Canada with a stolen Cadillac. He said, "I'll have to personally inspect your vehicle. Lead the way." When we were close to our car, the inspector stopped and said, "Is that your car?" We replied, "Yes." The inspector rolled his eyes and said, "Good Grief! "Give me your girl-friend's telephone number and get the Hell out of here." We promptly obliged.
Grandpa's Wisdom:
I've been thinking about what a status symbol cell phones are. Everyone has one clipped onto his belt. Personally, I can't learn how to operate one. So, I'm just wearing my garage door opener.
You know, over the years I've spent a fortune on deodorant. I finally realized that people didn't like me anyway.
The doctor says I have the dreaded furniture disease. That's when your chest is falling into your drawers!
That was the same doctor that said I was in the snapdragon period of my life. Half of me has snapped and the rest is dragon.
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