Border Patrol

This coming Monday my beautiful wife and I will be celebrating one year of wedded bliss.

Our wedding was at the Chocolate Chip Cookie Church in Embarrass, MN. The weather was perfect except for the torrential downpour that lasted 10 minutes that morning. The skies cleared up to a balmy 85 degree day of sheer joy.

After the wedding we rented a cabin in Thunder Bay, Canada, on Dog Lake. Everyday we went canoeing on the lake and hiking in the hills around the resort. We picked raspberries and took pictures of wildlife. There were deer squirrels and a ton of vultures. Something must have died. We drove into town one night, which was about 20 miles from the resort. The roads were not well maintained, so it took almost 45 minutes to get there. On the way back to the campgrounds, there was a sign that said, "Dog Lake Resort, 3 miles ahead. The longest three miles you've ever driven!"

And they were the longest 3 miles we had ever driven. The road was narrow and windy. It was hilly. When we came around a curve there was a beautiful view of the lake. It was very distracting. Oncoming traffic was a beast to get around, though there were very few cars out there. The warning sign at the head of the driveway made the trek that much more enjoyable.

When we were coming back into the States, the border patrol officer was taking his job very seriously.

"Where were you?" Thunder Bay.
"What were you doing?" Camping at a resort.
"Are you related?" We just got married last week.
"Where do you live?" Minneapolis.
"What part of Minneapolis?" Northeast. Do you know where that is? (We didn't ask him that.)
"Hmm..."

The entire time this guy was eyeing our passports as if something was amiss. Then he brought my passport to his nose and sniffed it.

"Smells like marijuana."

At this point, I had to bite my cheek to keep from laughing.

"Do you have anything to say about that?"

"Are you a drug dog? I couldn't tell with your lack of snout."

I didn't say that, either. I told him that I wear pachouli oil sometimes, but that's all I could think of.

"Ok. Drive safe."

And we were off, thankful for the security our country enforces on the borders.