This evening I was thinking about Canada.  We lived in Canada from 1971 until 1987.  Our departure was not because we did not like Canada, it was because we wanted our kids to be near their grandparents in the states.

I was also at a time in my career with Apple when if I wanted to advance, Toronto was the next stop in Canada.  Toronto did not appeal to me.  Perhaps if the choice had been Edmonton or Calgary, the decision might have been different.

So we moved back to the states with our first stop being in Columbia, Maryland followed by a quick exit to Roanoke, Virginia where we remained for nearly twenty years.

Now we are splitting our time between Roanoke and the North Carolina coast.

In spite of over twenty years elapsing since we moved from Canada, I still love the place.  Though it is of Bogue Sound in NC,  the picture to the left actually brings back memories of living on the Nova Scotia coast and watching the sunsets over the Bay of Fundy.

I think that I came back from Canada with a greater appreciation of the world and how what happens in the United States can either positively or negatively impact other countries.

We lived in Halifax, Nova Scotia for a few years.  It was a wonderful melting pot of cultures. We have wonderful memories from our few years in Halifax.  As is always the case, places are not the same as they were when we left them.  I had my Nova Scotia thought bubble broken when someone told me that camping was problematic now that the province had so many deer ticks.

Camping along the Nova Scotia shore was one of my fondest memories after getting out of college.  I could wake up to the sound of waves and building a fire for dinner was never a problem with all the driftwood.

I also brought back some memories of some severe cold.  In fact our son was born twenty nine years ago this March weekend.  When we left our farm for the hospital it was minus twenty degrees Fahrenheit. 

Pretty much all of Canada is cold perhaps with the exception of parts of British Columbia.  I do not miss the Canadian cold.  I do miss Canadians and their sense of propriety and their endless ability to have a seemingly rational debate.

Maybe that has changed also, but it was refreshing to live in a place where the government could change when it lost support.  I also miss the quiet of the restaurants and the grocery stores closing on Saturday afternoon, but I suspect that has changed even in the Maritimes.  I never did get used to the absence of a Sunday paper, but it probably would not bother me as much now.

I never was a fan of Tim Horton Donuts, but there was plenty of great Canadian food and beer. 

I am surprised with the exchange improvement in the dollar that we haven't seen more Canadians headed to the US for a warmer retirement.  Perhaps it has something to do with health care rules or loyalty to being a Canadian in spite of the lure of a warmer climate.

As I started up a new blog, The Canada I miss, I could not help but make a note that our high temperature tomorrow on the Carolina coast of 74 degrees Fahrenheit or 23 degrees Celsius is going to be a long time coming to Canada or the northern tier of US states.

I am happy to see some warm days. As the real estate market stays quiet and many people delay their real estate decisions, it is nice to know that the warmth that I moved to the coast to enjoy remains on track.