Why on earth did I wait so long to learn pie crusts?

mmmmmmmPEACH.

and on the one hand, it was a nice, easy long weekend. On the othr hand, I've been in since 5 a.m. updating drawings to get them in the drafting queue before I'm back on the road. And speaking of road: Chino at the end of the month. Zippity zoom!

this is why I can't smuggle a pie to scout1222

A few weeks ago we drove out to north of Lake Superior for a week at the cottage. This is a long haul drive (considerably less so since we moved from Kingston to Waterloo) and made a bit quicker, in theory, by travelling up through Michigan, across the Mackinac Bridge to the Yoo Pee, and back into Canada.

So, on the way up, we had a small cooler bag packed with some fruit and granola bars, and a package of pepperettes. There are signs at the border crossing (Sarnia ON <-> Port Huron MI) reminding you to declare all fruits, meats and exotic pets (right above the large signs stating that Homeland Security Pledges to Give You a Polite Crossing Experience). I've seen these signs a dozen times or more but hadn't given them much thought...I always considered them to refer more to importation, or at least food that you know is staying in the country to be eaten by natives. The stuff we had would probably never leave the car, and the odds were reasonable that any digestive output would occur back in our home borders.

Well, the Customs Man worked us over but good. Examined every fruit for a label, took the trunk apart to get at the cooler, checked the seals on the tetrapacks, confiscated and turfed the meatstuffs, all the while enumerating the fines that were climbing skyward with each item. "Fruits, vegetables, and produce not originating within the U.S.A. are pro-HIB-i-ted. Fines run to $300 per item. Meat items are similarly pro-HIB-i-ted." He also gave me a good blast and stinkeye when I said I wasn't sure what all was in the cooler (since I hadn't packed it).

2 hours later: "You COULD have been charged quite heavily today. Enjoy your trip!"

Anyway. Entirely our fault, ignorance of the rules is no excuse, etc. In any event we took the ferry back and stayed away from U.S. Customs, for $50 in fares and slightly more expensive gas along the route, and no net time impact. Highly recommended!







_{thankfully he didn't find the box of Portuguese pastry in the back seat}