July 25 back in the lower 48

We left the Canadian campground about 11 am and headed south.  It really wasn't far to the US border.  There are two entry points just a few miles apart and the digital sign said one had over an hour wait and the other was unknown.  We went to the "unknown" at the Peace Bridge crossover. 

Waited 1 hour 32 minutes to get to the border patrol agent.  She asked what food we had and we told her.  Next thing we were pulled over for an agriculture check.  I had a Costco receipt from Anchorage where we bought tomatoes and oranges.  Went into the building, gave them all the keys and waited 33 minutes.  Guy comes back with one apple, the box of tomatoes and several oranges.  Said they were not legal to come into the US.  I showed him the receipt from ALASKA--the US.  "Items loose their citizenship in Canada."
Got our passports back, went to the truck, relocked the trailer and off we go.

Stopped for lunch and found:

Half of the SACK of oranges that didn't fit into the refrigerator drawer in the cabinet right next to where the tomatoes were located.  An apple in the refrigerator drawer, right where the other one was located.  Put off to put it mildly.

So, if Obama wants to put some of the unemployed to work I suggest:

1. Hire more border agents.
2. Put up signs with the restricted items you can't bring back into the US since things "loose their citizenship in Canada."  If you wait for over an hour, you could easily dispose of the items and thus save patrol time in searching and disposing of items you can't bring in--or do they eat it on the job?
3. Buy signs from a printing company that isn't working at capacity to list all items you can't bring in.
4. Hire a company to install such signs.
5. Buy trash containers from a small business to collect all the items listed on the list as per number 2 above.
6. Buy plastic bags from another small business to put into the trash containers in number 5.
7. Hire someone to install the signs and the trash containers.
8. Buy some port-a-potties to put in the miles leading up to the border crossing.  Several people had to get out of their cars, go to their trailers or walk to the duty free shop to potty, buy food, change diapers or whatever else one does with at least an hour wait at the border.  (The minimum of an hour was information provided in conversation while we were getting ready to leave.)

John said I needed an attitude adjustment, that the agents were just doing their job.  I say if they are doing their job, then do it right--what crap!

There was an elderly man (not a WASP) who parked his van on the north side of the road, in Canada.  He got out a cart, put in some ice cream bars and cold bottled water.  Made his way across 4 lanes of traffic, lifted the cart over the Jersey Dividers and was walking between the two lanes of traffic selling refreshments.  That guy will retire a millionaire while the rest of us put up with total governmental inefficiency.  Maybe an urgent care facility for those whose blood pressure goes up too high...that would employ more people.

Anyway, good to be back in the lower 48.  John was stationed at Widbey Island, just a few miles from here when he was in the Navy.  We're going to tour his old haunts tomorrow, Tuesday it's to Seattle where we'll announce a surprise tomorrow.