Farewell Canada

Jane and I spent the last day at the St. John river reversing falls. It was unreal. The tides are so big, about 30 feet in the Bay of Fundy so the water belts in and out. The high tide pushes the river backwards and creates massive waves and whirlpools . Low tide was even more spectacular and I lost all interest in my Thelma and Louise dream of running the car off the cliff when we saw how huge the wash was coming out of the gorge as the tide receded. Jane said a few unholy words and we parked well away from the edge. It's hard to believe that the river flows in different directions at each tide. The force of the water is phenomenal. We did see 6 harbour seals swimming and fishing just out of reach of the turbulence.  They'd get mashed fish I think.
We met a stranded older American tourist at the river who insisted that the river was not like that at high tide and no we did not see it at all at 1pm. He said that the river was just q river and when he compared it to the Niagara Falls and I asked him if the Niagara Falls climb back uphill again , he just looked confused. Why bother? It was too much for his brain to process.
 it was a very emotional time at the Saint John airport when Howard, Jane and her mum Marian came to say goodbye. It really is goodbye Canada. Hello Oconomowoc Wisconsin. Hello Wisconsin. 
Marian does the same work that inspired Elizabeth Fry all those years ago in the brutal Newgate prisons . She has worked with women in prison and with their children to try to make changes. It's very similar work that daphne does through Project Esther. Remarkable women.
The trips to Toronto and then onto Milwaukee were 2 easy short flights of 4 hours total. Phew.
I was met in Milwaukee by Barbara Kramer and her granddaughter Melissa. Both utterly gorgeous and totally proud of their country. Barbara took me to a famous fast food outlet for a fish burger  and a  dish of frozen custard. Whoa there horsey. I had a baby dish and it stonkered  me. Tomorrow we go to a teachers breakfast. Barbara learnt about reading recovery at noon hay school and it transformed her teaching. She teaches the pedagogy and practice to other teachers. She is 81and still loving reading recovery. She still loves teaching teachers how to teach reading with reading recovery. Amazing generous woman. I need to brace myself for the next few days as I think Barbara has plans to run us ragged. Bless ever. Canadians and Americans are hospitable and generous people.