Dear Kids,
      I’m writing from a motel in Great Falls, Montana, because Dad and I are on our way to Canada! We left home yesterday morning, after taking the bird to Nora’s house and the kitten to McGettigans, and leaving food and water for our two big fat cats, to fend for themselves. We drove to Pocatello and visited with Vanessa and the kids, and had a delicious lunch there. Then we drove up through Idaho Falls into southern Montana. We weren’t much impressed with the scenery until we got to Butte, but from there up through the mountains to Great Falls, it’s absolutely gorgeous. Yep, “A River Runs Through It.” This morning we’re going up past Glacier (where we’re bound to see more gorgeous scenery,) to Cardston, where we’ll be going to the temple, and then driving on up to Calgary, where Rich and Jeanne live.
      Meanwhile, back home . . . oh, yeah, Paul called last Sunday, to wish me a happy Mothers Day, and boy have things changed for him! He’s been sent down to Ft. Lauderdale, because they simply didn’t have many installs in Jacksonville. At least five of their salesmen were fired, and two more just left in the middle of the night, and drove straight to the airport. So Paul and another guy, John, drove down to Ft. Lauderdale, where they’ve had more work. At least, that was the situation last week. Paul says that while he’s so far south anyway, he wants to drive the Overseas Highway from Miami to Key West, like Dad and I did last fall. I totally recommend that drive! Especially the 7-Mile Bridge!
      Let’s see, what else is going on at home? At the Cabin, it’s open season on the Magpies! They’ve driven off the other birds, and they fly into the garage and rip open the garbage. They even flew into Kim’s car, when she left the door open for a minute, and tore into some crackers. They’ve gotta go! Dad located his air rifle, that he used as a kid 50 years ago, (still in perfect working order!) and Tom’s looking on the internet for ammunition. When he finds it, look out magpies! If anybody else wants to get in on the fun, it’s OK with me!
      Dad and I are taking off from this motel in just a little while. When we get into Canada, we’re going to be turning off our cell phones, because the roaming cost is 40 cents a minute. If you really, really need to get a hold of us, you can call Rich and Jeanne’s house at 403 695 0370. We hope there are no serious emergencies while we’re gone! We should be home again late Friday night, the 23rd.
      Lots of love, Mom