The clock ticks, the hand moves past twelve and voila!  It is a NEW year……..

…..but nothing much really changes by the minute or even by the hour or the day…….the weather is rain, grey gloom and usually pretty cold…..and likely to stay that way til March.  And Governments only rest before their next major incursion into violating our lives – likely to happen several times before March at least.

Sal and I continue to inch further towards the Rivers Jordan and Styx one day at a time.  (Wouldn’t you know…there’s a ferry fare to pay to cross the Styx!  Jordan is free.) Face it – this winter is bleak.

Our usual way of handling bleak and cold is to leave for sunnier climes but not this year.  This year is stay-at-home.  We do this about once in every five years – earning again our OTG Residency badge.  This is the year for that….. and….well, I am not quite ready….

The problem, tho, is travel.  I am definitely NOT ready to travel either.  So, “Should we go or should we stay”?  We decided on ‘stay’ this year.  We’ll see how that goes.

That is the segue into this new topic: travel… next time and into the future.

I am not so sure I will ever travel again.  Not only has the wanderlust waned but the travel bug is dead.  I no longer yearn for exotic locales.  I dunno….call me old.  Call me jaded.  But you cannot call me Ishmael any longer (although travel by sea is about the only way I would consider).  Airports, planes, immigration, customs, expense, security checks and the odd terrorist-placed bomb or shooting has kinda put me off….ya know?

So, by the way, has the cost of travel insurance.

I’d ‘motorhome’ (maybe) but Sal and I have covered the bulk of the North American continent and, to be blunt, right now we will NOT visit the US voluntarily.  Mind you, involuntarily is now a much greater likelihood.  Homeland Security can now travel freely fifty miles into Canada anytime they want.  And they can take you away into the USA and no one will stop them.  Essentially, Trudeau just signed into law legislation that officially allows US policing into Canada.

“Unnnhhhh, Justin?…..I think they just invaded us……with a pen!”

This freedom-to-operate/invade has been in effect for their benefit for some time.  When you pass through a major CANADIAN airport and get ‘pre-screened’ by US Customs and Immigration, they tell you that you are no longer on Canadian soil and that they can take you away on a whim.  If you balk and turn around to walk back ten feet ‘into Canada’, they can go get you.  Run fast and they can still get you if they can catch you within fifty miles of the border.  Canadians in Canada?  Sitting ducks.

For your consideration: the protests in Hong Kong (going on for more than six months with several thousand citizens already ‘disappeared’) is ALL ABOUT THAT!  The Chinese government introduced legislation to allow extradition of HK citizens to Mainland China ‘on a whim’. HK had the British ‘rule-of-law’ with proper process and all that.  Mainland wanted rid of that.  The people went nuts.

Canadians?  Faced with virtually the same threat from the USA…..don’t even know!

Our now two year old book: Accidental Fugitives envisioned that.  How could we?  Because it was already happening when we wrote it.  Canada is no longer a sovereign nation, we are a wholly owned subsidiary of the USA.  And their CEO is a mad man.

Put another way:  If I ever do travel again, I may NOT come back.  I love my life, I love my home, and I love my family.  But I hear goose-steps in the future.  I see Bubbas-in-uniform.  I hear choppers and sirens.

“Geez, Dave.  Bummer, man.  Get happy again.”

Right.  Good advice.  I will get happy again.  Many people turn to drugs for that.  I used to dream-up stupid projects and try to DO adventures with Sally.  Adventures With Sally…..hmmmm….maybe a fourth book….?