The DeKuiper Curse and Blessings!!!

The pictures above are from the Bellerive's "sugar shack" so that you know what a delightful cabin we are staying in with our friends! the top 2 show the actual "syrup manufacturing" area and the bottom 2 are of the living quarters of the cavin with some of our "stuff' around.

Up this morning at the “crack of 8”, the lone soldiers in the dog parking area of the race- thought we better hustle so we could still feed dogs breakfast and get to the ferry for the next run at 9 am . Travel down to the ferry, and as we remembered……stuck waiting on the down hill with a 10% grade down to nowhere but water (the St. Laurence Seaway with iceburgs floating in a very fast current) for the ferry to unload and the cars ahead of us to load…at least the road was pretty dry so we didn’t end up sliding like we did 2 years ago and had to turn the wheels into the snow bank to stop!! Uneventful until the “DeKuiper truck curse” struck again!!!!! Going up one of the very steep hills back on the engine just up and quits…and Randy pull over to get out of traffic and try and get the motor running again so we don’t roll all the way back down the hill! So I hear Randy say “I didn’t mean to pull over that far” as the truck slides into the snowbank on a deceivingly sloping shoulder and sure as the lilacs bloom in the spring, we are stuck…..really stuck….stuck so tight on the driver’s side you cant’ get the only door open (like in a motor home) He got the engine running (for those of you who don’t know the engine is in the inside of the truck under the “doghouse” and we have to move everything we have handy in the front while going down the road – like coffee, snacks, maps, etc. every time we have an engine problem) by pouring gas in the carburetor but it kept quitting, so he changed the gas filter, and switched the gas tanks (of which we have many- but none of them register on the gas gauge). So we have the engine running but are very stuck and so Randy rolls down the driver’s side window so he can crawl out and assess the situation….. well he shovels and shovels and then tells me I have to try to move the truck….this is way beyond my expertise…..I hate driving this truck!!! I try moving it despite my reservations, and no go! We keep sliding farther into the bank! So a very nice guy in a pick-up truck that also happens to speak English stops and asks if we need help and thinks there is no way he can pull us out…..just as I am getting really frustrated and Randy yells at me to get the tow strap out (and I throw it out the window to/at him) a wonderful snow plow driver comes along and “the DeKuiper Blessing” is in full effect!~! the guy hooks us to the snowplow (you have never seen such huge snowplows as they have in Quebec!) and ….zippppppp… we’re out!!
Nothing earthshattering happens the rest of the drive back to Charrette…..until we get to the hill going up to the “Bellerive’s sugar shack”- our “home away from home” In our absence over the weekend I notice that everybody’s driveways and parking lots look like ice skating rinks and I say to Randy “maybe you should start up the hill as far back as you can so you can make it up the hill” – “naw, we can make it no problem” is the reply I get. Once again, up to the crest of the very icy, slippery hill and have to back down, sliding/backing and re-start from farther back. Again up to the crest of the hill a little closer…..and for the second very nervewracking time of the day….stuck!!!! This time on ice and the wheels spinning. I say “is there something we can put under the tires to get out” and Randy thinks to use the garage floor soak we put in the dog boxes (for those girls with small bladders) and it did the trick!!! Needless to say folks, it was time for a glass of wine!!!
Had dinner at the Bellerive’s home (soup, salad, chicken with gravy and peas on bread and dessert – we think they are trying to fatten us up so we will go slower dog racing!! Ha!ha!) with Lou Serre also and we found out that the race scheduled for this weekend north of Montreal has been cancelled due to warm weather (and the race is on a lake- not a good plan) so a lot of the evening was placing calls to see where else we could all race.
Upper body muscles are a little sore today after wrestling with the dog sled yesterday…..like every time I move after being still for awhile! At least I won the wrestling match!