I was glad when morning came – had breakfast at Subway and used their free Wifi to check my email. Then I went to the Soo Locks, and saw two huge ships go through – one was 1004 feet long, the second about 750 – amazing to see how quickly the water rushing into the lock pushed them up 21 feet – the pictures should show the change in height. I remember once many years ago, when my daughter and I were driving through the Welland area in Ontario, and in the middle of a big field appeared a full size cargo freighter – that's how I learned of the existence of the Welland Canal, between Lakes Erie and Ontario. At the Soo Lock yesterday, I met a couple from Ireland who told me about the locks that have been built between two lakes near Dublin I think, which are self-operated, and you pay by credit card – the wife said it's quite amazing the first time you do it, following instructions on the LCD screen. But the fellow says he prefers the canals that have lock-masters who do all the work, winching the gates up and down, open and closed, and guiding the boats by hand.. He knew of our locks in Ottawa, which operate on that principle. I told him they were built by Irishmen, and he was pleased to see their influence in the New World.
The locks were the most interesting thing for me in the Soo, although being stuck in traffic at the top of the international bridge for an hour had its moments.
My trip to Iron Mountain was uneventful; about 5 hours I think, with an unexpected time change as I got close. I learned today that the four counties that border Wisconsin are on Central Time, rather than Eastern – that explains why my GPS kept telling me I'd arrive at 4:40 pm when I knew darn well I wasn't going to go 120 miles in one hour. Going across Highway 28 I was struck by how straight the road was for maybe 50 miles – there were several places along the route that looked like former air-fields or something – maybe a WWII training area? I'll have to look that up. But, for the most part, just small pine trees; no towns, no houses; a village of 2 or 3 houses every 15 – 20 miles – pretty empty!! I see on the map that this is the Hiawatha National Forest.
I did stop for 2 hours in Manistique, Michigan, which is where my ex-mother-in-law was born more than 90 years ago. Took many photos, and happened to meet a historian who's just published a book about the history of the town. I was interested to learn that the lumber industry there was fading by 1913, because all of the big trees had been cut – isn't that what happened in our Ottawa area as well – and about that time?? I'll send photos to the lady I mentioned, and can meet with the historian again in two weeks if she has questions. It's a quaint little town on the North Shore of Lake Michigan, and absolutely beautiful in the views of the Lake. It was fun to have the historical photos, and match them with the ones that I took of the same land-marks. Manisique is well worth a stop, with several good museums.
Going back to Friday, I had a learning opportunity that morning at the Walmart in North Bay, where I had stayed overnight, uneventfully. I had gone to MacDonalds for my coffee at 7:00 a.m., just in time for the morning staff meeting of Walmart employees. The meeting was held in the MacDonalds, and free donuts were available to all, even the non-employees. It began with the manager asking about birthdays or anniversaries; then the crowd was cajoled into doing the Walmart cheer – did you know there was a Walmart cheer? It was led by two who were coerced by the manager into doing so – one, the only dark skinned person in the place, the second the only identifiably mentally challenged person in the place. They began reluctantly, but the manager cheered them on, and then the whole group of employees joined in. Let's hear it for Wal-mart – give me a “W” . . . .
Then there was bingo, for about $120 – maybe they had to buy the cards, and that's where the money came from? Then, a few words of encouragement, from the manager, and the meeting broke up.
So that's how the day begins for employees at that Walmart – wonder if they're all like that?
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