Exploring the past...

Many years ago in a far away land, Montreal, Canada, a family, who’s father worked as a salesman selling candy, cigars and cigarettes store-to-store, decided to pack it in and move to a warmer climate. In January the Dad, who had worked too many freezing winters and humid, hot summers, applied for visas and passports for each member of the family. The eldest son was stoked as he would no longer have to shovel snow off the driveway almost every day before he went to school which was two miles away…(uphill both ways)

In May the Visas and passports arrived, the house was quickly sold and furniture, appliances, and everything in the house was given away, trashed or sold including the eldest son’s Lionel train sets which were given away to one of his Dad’s favorite nephews. He hated this cousin for many years after. The set included scaled villages, bridges, tunnels, mountains, trees, houses, cars, trucks and little village people, as well as the engines, tenders, passenger cars and cabooses. He loved cabooses. These days the train engines alone would bring $10,000. “RATS”, actually it was a French cussword, said the son, but it was too late. The Dad had no intentions of shipping or hauling anything on this dream trip. The Dad drove down to Burlington, Vermont (where cars were less expensive) and bought a brand new 1956 Buick Roadmaster four door hardtop without air conditioning. While driving on route 66 thru the south and deserts of New Mexico and Arizona in 100 degree plus temps, with a gunny sack of water hooked to the front bumper, the car was renamed the Roadbastard.