Canada Day convoy south of Ottawa

[maple_leaf_eh]

Just about to dress and fire up the M151A2 for the annual road move from Mike's place in Kars to Merrickville to Kemptville and back to Mike's.

The contribution from his collection is more modern than previous years, but such are the vagaries of old technology.

""The Swords and Ploughshares Museum will be hosting the annual convoy to Merrickville and Kemptville to participate in each town's parade, fire the minute gun and enjoy the hospitality of the Legions in each town.

Rendezvous at the museum at 0830 hrs. Convoy briefing and Road asignments at 0900 hrs. Line up and roll out by 0930 hrs. Parafe in Merrickville at 1100 hrs. Convoy to Kemptville at 1445 hrs, parade in Kemptville at 1600 hrs. Return to Museum 1800 hrs.""

[James P]

Post pics............. or it never happened.

[maple_leaf_eh]

It did happen, but there was so much rain, I wasn't going to get the phone out for pictures.

- Raining when I left the house. Chose to put the doors on.
- Heavy rain after about 20mins on the road. About an inch of standing water on the road in places. It was deep enough form little round divits with each rain drop.
- Raining less heavy, but still substantial all the way to Mike's. Windshield fogged up often. Heater just dried the water that leaked inside, and made the interior really humid.
- At Mike's the rain backed off enough to let people walk around and get things finished.
- Rained enroute to Merrickville. Slacked off only before the parade start. I peeled back the tarp and folded it on the hood under the windshield.
- I had the Town Crier riding in the M151A2. He lost the clapper from his bell before the start. Oh darn. So he clanged his handbell on the roll bar.
- Rained some more for the gun salutes, the speeches and the band playing the Oh Canada and God Save the Queen.
- The Legion Colour Party disappeared to get back to the branch. We'd been warned they had 300 chicken legs ready for lunch. My words of command included, everyone had to eat their body weight in chicken before we could leave town. It still rained on the drive to Kemptville. Fortunately the rain relented long enough for me the embark the band's pipe major. (I wore an ear plug, and he commented.)
- I got to tell off the Mayor and Council for making the parade caterpillar. "It's hard on the vehicles", didn't have much effect because once a politician is in public, he/she is up for reelection.
- Peeled off the parade route and drove three kilted band people back to the start line. I don't believe I have had that much human weight in my Jeep ever.
- By doing that I got out of the parade finale gaggle-cluster and was first vehicle at the next Legion where townspeople offered me all sorts of stories about Jeeps in their family history. Technically, an M151A2 is an AM General and not a Jeep.
- Got fed again. Mike and the gun crew fired more salute to the delight of the moms and little kids.
- I put the roof back up. And everyone used hot vehicle hoods to dry wet clothes, hats and gloves.
- Saddled up for the return run to the yard. One vehicle developed a front end death wobble which scared its unfamiliar driver and passenger. Somehow everyone managed to overcome the problem and with a long pause in the middle for catching up, all vehicles, trailers and guns got back to the yard safely.
- I took one door off for the drive home. It went back on 3/4 way there, and was needed the last kilometre.

My only casualty seems to have been ripping the arse out of my yellow rainsuit.

[James P]

Sounds like a really wet and wild day.

[Ed Storey]

Mine was spent investigating surviving West Wall Dragoon's Teeth outside of Aachen, Germany.

[James P]

^ Did you bring one home as a souvenir ?

[Jordan Baker]

I see a few different kinds, so Im guess one of each.