Making a splash

David and I, along with the trolls, have been taking the “sheltering in place” thing very seriously these past several months.  In fact, our only time outside of the neighborhood was to pick up Gibby from his winter storage location, back on April 3rd.  So.... when Parks Canada started opening up in early June,  we decided to celebrate our anniversary (35 years - OMG) by venturing out for a quick one-night get away... just to see what it looks like “out there.”  We actually did quite a bit in only 24 hours.

Our first stop, at my insistence, was to try to find a way to spot "The Whale."  Now, if you are a Montrealer, you will know exactly what I'm talking about.  For anyone else, I'm not sure if the first sighting of a humpback whale in the Old Port of Montréal made international headlines or not, but it should have. Rest assured that this sighting, which began on May 30th, was a sheer delight and joy to all of us here. Amidst the dark Covid-19 cloud that has enveloped our lives recently, this single mammal brought the biggest ray of sunshine to so many of us.  I don't know why the sightings of whales, and dolphins too, can create so much excitement.  Maybe it's because of their massive size and elusiveness?  We (well, not me personally) have seen sightings of minke and belugas before, but not a humpback at this particular location.  Many people were actually able to get a glimpse of The Whale breaching and spraying, so I was really hoping to do so as well.  I also hoped she would find her way back to the saltwater because this is not a healthy long-term environment for a whale to thrive. This gal is actually about 500 km away from “home.”  

I really wanted to see if we would be lucky enough to catch even a glimpse, since this is such a historical moment. David indulged me and we drove to Parc Jean-Drapeau to see if we could find a viewing spot.  Unfortunately, this park has not re-opened yet, so we were forced to drive along a specific route, and all the parking lots were roped off.  Needless to say, we did not have a whale sighting.  One of the local DJ’s suggested we come up with a name for the whale... his entry was "Whaley McWhaleface."  For some reason, that really made me laugh.  The upside to our drive around the park, was that Gibby got to make his Grand Prix debut!!! That's right!  We were driving on actual parts of the race course.  Sadly, the grandstands were empty but, in my head I could hear the fans cheering us on!  I suspect all those 30 km speed limit signs were some sort of new addition, ya' think?  

From there, we drove east a short distance to a place we've never been to before. Île de Boucherville sits in the middle of the St. Lawrence River and has plenty of hiking trails.  We had a picnic lunch first and then set off on a hike.  The parking lot was never full, but people were definitely out and about taking advantage of the warm weather.  The trails were wide enough that we weren’t forced to pass too closely to other people and there were many times that we didn’t see another person on our section of trail at all.  I say trail, but it was really more like a bike path.  Still, it was absolutely wonderful to be outside, away from the city, enjoying nature. It was actually quite warm, by Montréal standards - requiring sunscreen and lots of water.  We made it to the tower, a nice scenic overlook of the river, and then headed back to the RV.  The van is perfect for these days of self-isolating and social distancing.  We have our own private toilet, dining room, fridge and bedroom. We even took a short nap before we continued on! 

Since most of the overnight campgrounds are not open yet, I found a boon-docking spot along the Richelieu River. Boon-docking just means there are no water or electrical hookups like you would have in a campground or RV park.  Our rig is totally capable of going “off grid,” so we ended up at a lovely spot with a wonderful view of the river.  Luckily, the jet ski and boat entertainment ended before dark.  Camping in Québec seldom requires air conditioning.  The nighttime temps were perfect and the skies provided a beautiful sunset, as well.

The next morning, we had a leisurely cup of coffee and breakfast before we headed off again to check out Fort Chambly.  Situated on the Richelieu River, Fort Chambly was constructed between 1709 and 1711 to protect New France against threats posed by Great Britain. In 1760, Fort Chambly surrendered to the British and a new chapter began.   

We also strolled along the Chambly Canal.  The canal began construction in 1831, was suspended in 1835 and then resumed again in 1841.  When the locks were completed in 1843, the connection between Lake Champlain and the St. Lawrence River was opened to navigation. Initially, barges were towed through the canal by horses, taking 10 to 12 hours to complete the journey.  Today, a motorboat can make it in 3 to 5 hours.  

We returned home to Maison d'Être and were greeted enthusiastically by both kitties.  They really missed us, even after just one day.  

So... to continue the saga of Whaley McWhaleface, she continued to be spotted on June 5th and 6th and, on June 7th, was no longer at the old Port but further away, headed in the right direction back down the St. Lawrence. Tragically, on June 9th, a humpback whale carcass was spotted.  My heart sank when I heard the news.  A necropsy was performed and, even though there were no apparent injuries that could have directly triggered the mortality, injuries consistent with a collision (most likely a boat) were found.  It was such a tragic ending for this poor whale.  We will never really know why she ventured to our port but she brought a lot of smiles to our faces and warmth to our hearts.  We grieved for her shortened life (she was only 2-3 years old) and take it in stride as yet another not-so-subtle reminder (as if we really need it) of the precariousness of life.   

If you are interested in reading her story, I have included the link I was using to track her sightings: baleinesendirect.org/en/quebec-city-hosts-stray-humpback