Crossing Borders

Crossing borders nowadays is like playing Russian roulette. You never know what to expect, even two greying old timers like us, pulling a funky little trailer. It hasn’t always been this way. During the years we lived aboard our sailboat, we often crossed the international waters between the U.S. and Canada. Usually all we had to do was phone the customs officer from the dockside call box to report our arrival. I remember once when Bob had finished giving the officer our passport and ship identification data, the officer said, “Welcome to Canada, and wish Morningstar a Happy Birthday.” Can you imagine that happening in these post-911 times? Sunday, while waiting in the long line of cars at the Canadian border we felt some anxiety, but after we assured the beefy customs officer that we were not carrying any alcohol, firearms, or ammunition, he merely waved us on, “Enjoy your stay in Canada.”

Once we crossed the border, our first stop was what has become a ritual for us – the Abbotsford Tim Horton’s. The first time we stopped here was on our way back to the states after making an offer on our northern British Columbia property. Timmy’s was having its annual ‘Roll Up The Rim to Win’ contest. One of us won a free cup of coffee, and the other won a free donut. We decided it was a good omen – we had to come back to claim our prizes! Tim Hortons is a Canadian icon – it was even asked by the Canadian military to open a franchise at the Canadian Forces operations base in Kandahar, Afghanistan. If you want to see a good cross-section of the Canadian public, just sit for awhile in a local Tim Hortons… you’ll see everything from turban-wearing Seiks, cowboy-hatted ranchers, construction workers, old gaffers gathered for morning coffee, RCMP officers, teenagers, and business people. It is a community gathering place. Tim Hortons commands 76% of the Canadian market for baked goods (based on the number of customers served) and holds 62% of the Canadian coffee market. Sorry Starbucks!
... P. L. Morningstar