#Author-Intuitive to Flee Calif. for Canadian Adventure

My goal: Quebec City

By Cal Orey
The end of August is here with Labor Day weekend as a finale. Living at Lake Tahoe I admit I don't look forward to this last celebration. Tourists and fireworks irritate me and ruffle my fur kids' temperament. The upside: Off-season and pre-fall are up next so "this is the last weekend" is my mantra to get me through the end of summer crowds.

Looking forward to fall at Tahoe

Enter Pre-Fall... It's the prelude to my fave season of the year. Ironically, I'm preparing like the squirrels to make my departure despite I wait for this time to come.

Will a stronger quake happen before Oct 31?

Last Monday on the 25th I was a News Segment Guest on Coast to Coast. George asked, "Was this the Big One?" in regards to the 6.0 strong and messy Napa earthquake that rocked Northern California and Nevada. My answer: "Probably not." As I told him and listeners from coast to coast. It could cause a trigger effect (like in CA, June 2005 and Ring of Fire 2010/2011) in our Golden State and gave it a two month seismic window. 

Aging is bonding me and Simon

Back at Home...Simon, my 11-year-old Brittany passed the titre test. Translation: He doesn't have to have more doggie shots because his immunity is all good. The cat in my life is back to normal and in my mind used up one of his nine lives. The urinary woes he experienced a month ago has passed and his new prescription food is working like a charm. So for now we are all happy and healthy.The downside: I've run out of excuses to postpone my trip to Quebec. Evidently my dental appointment next week will not affect me going or not. So, it looks like I'm going to Quebec after all life's obstacles.

Hello Montreal!  I wish it was that easy. The thing is, it's not that I'm afraid to go back to Eastern Canada. It's my tiny fear of flying: Not a fan of small plane with too many strangers and dealing with the flight plan made for a survivor reality show contestant. Let's see, it goes like this: Cab, Shuttle Bus, Reno to Utah (super short flight connection), Utah to MN, and then Montreal after 12 hours...then going back home it's Atlanta, Utah, Reno with a long layover in Utah. The trek is a trip in itself. If I were a witch I'd gladly just twitch my nose and put myself in Canada--and in the room with the city view. But it looks like I'm going to have to put my hiking shoes on and be bold before I get my wish and greet Montreal.

Not my room but sort of like it I hope

Every time I leave Tahoe I enjoy returning to the trees

Goodbye Cold Feet... I've watched the spooky films with spook plane scenarios in "Alive" to "Final Destination" one too many times this month. Not sure why I'm doing this but I suppose I want to be prepared even though control is out the window. And, of course, friends and family are sharing their scariest airplane flight--the one where it dropped 1000 feet like a roller coaster. So far, it looks like there is 1 to 2 percent chance of a thunderstorm happening at Tahoe the day I leave. Isolated storms in MN (but don't they usually happen in the afternoon?).An Atlantic tropical storm or hurricane brewing? Too soon to tell. I'm a little squeamish when I think about that jet going from MN to Montreal in dark skies--but I'm caving. I could walk outside--a pine cone could hit my head.

So, for now, I have the annual Pet Horoscopes to complete and psychic networks to work. But soon I will be packing my bags, taking a big jet plane(s) to a faraway land. I'm leaving my fur children, my life as I know it and entering the unknown. And it's starting to get exciting, sort of like a sequel to "Travels with Charley" without the dog and a woman in the air and on the road once again.  I have this fantasy of taking a train from Montreal to Quebec City. With a long-haul flight it may indeed come to fruition--and be different this time around in contrast to when I was the 21-year-old hippie chick frightened in the French speaking province. I vowed I'd go back and that's what I'm setting out to do.