On The Road 7 (OTR7) 2014: Day 13, tuesday, september 16, Aaron Provincial Park, Ontario, 2154 miles

Left Sleeping Giant to head for Thunder Bay Fedex, hoping that my AC blower arrived. It had just arrived two hours before i did. Decided to move on west to Aaron Provincial Park near Dryden instead of spending the night in another Provincial Park near Thunder Bay. Made it to Aaron right on time, 5:40 (i like to arrive between 5-6) and got my favorite site, where i stayed in 2000 with Sonntag and in 2001 and 2013 with Leben and Erde. If campsites are graded on a scale of 0 to 100, this particular site 35 is a 100 for me. Sites do not get any better than this.

Erde clearly recognized the site and made herself at home. i immediately took her to the water where last year i would not let the dogs go in, to their great disappointment, because the water is undrinkable for humans. She immediately lay down in the water and treated it like one big dog drinking bowl. Another night with a wet dog in the tent.

We are alone in the camp tonight except for the squirrels and bears. I don't mind the bears, but it's the squirrels i worry about because i fear for their lives with Erde around.

Set up the tent in a record 15 minutes today, beating my previous record of 20 minutes. Little things like this go a long way in making a happy camper.

Erde still is a picky eater. She eats 80 percent of the food i give her, which most dogs would kill for, and i have to spoon feed her the rest. Hopefully, she will soon figure out that she does not get a "bust bone" until she finishes her food. Leben, by contrast, never once failed to eat immediately all of the food i put before him.

Next morning...

After we got into the tent at night it started to rain, and rained all night, stopping just a few hours before we got up. Perfect.

Every morning, before i leave the tent, i let Erde outside to sit, which she loves to do. She sat out there this morning moaning, clearly missing Leben. Later, to show her that life goes on, A woman passed by our site with her beautiful dog, Lily, a one-year old shepherd, and her young son. Erde bonded with Lily right away. The woman told me she wants to get rid of Lily as she is too needy. Why do people treat animals this way? I wanted to ask the woman if her son was needy, but my better judgment told me to remain silent.

Off to Winnipeg on Wednesday, where I will get the Defender serviced and the AC repaired. Since it was 48 degrees this morning, i won't need it here in Canada, but it will be needed on my return trip in the states for Erde. After that, we head to bison country at Riding Mountain National Park, then to Jasper by way of Edmonton on the Yellowknife Highway, Route 16, the highway of tears.

Photos include

Ed and Erde at Sleeping Giant