Bay of Fundy, NB, Canada

I'm always super nervous about border crossings, despite having braved some of the crazier ones on the road in Central America. And of course, going into Canada is nothing, especially after stopping on the U.S. side for a contraband lunch of egg salad, avocados, strawberries and blueberries.

Yet for some reason, I get all flustered when they start asking questions. Today, crossing into New Brunswick, the customs agent asked what we both did for a living. I answered "real estate investment" and @advodna_ann answered "mom." In my scattered brain, her response didn't sound "official enough," so just in that weird moment, some process reached back into an antiquated corner of my psyche and decided to add "housewife" - yes, out loud - to her occupation. Ann was horrified, but not as much as I was. Fortunately, we both kinda laughed about it, and he seemed to understand that there was nothing he could do to me that would be as uncomfortable as the rest of our drive and let us through.

After another 2 hrs, we reached St. Martins on the coast and a full campground. Unbeknownst to us, it's the "New Brunswick Day" weekend, and they were completely booked. Well, except for these crappy "unserviced" sites right by the beach. 😜

We should have a good view of the fireworks tomorrow night to celebrate New Brunswick, but we've already seen a super American bald eagle and (seriously) borrowed "The American" and "American Sniper" on DVD from the office. #merica #usausausa #newbrunswickday #airstream #liveriveted #myrivetedlice #stmartins #newbrunswick

Tiny house living. Every space must have multiple uses. You can't beat the family intimacy. #kitchenpotty #aintnopottylikeanairstreampotty #tinyhouse #tinyhousewithkids #tinyhouseliving #airstreamwithkids #reallifeairstream #toddlerlife

Happy (apparently it's) New Brunswick Day, you guys! The fireworks didn't start until 9:30 which meant that Mae passed out in a camp chair in @advodna_ann's lap and Wynne watched them wrapped in her blanket lying on the sand mat in front of the trailer. Oh and Gorilla, of course, enjoyed them while quivering in some unreachable corner. #ilovefireworkssaidnodogever #ocanada #ohcanada #newbrunswickday #airstream #liveriveted #myrivetedlife #airstreamwithfireworks

We've gotten two epic weather days. This picture is a few hours after high tide covered most of this beach. The water will slink back slowly for another 3 hours or so, leaving rocks with crazy colors and mineral veins, small one inch sand dollars and a tidal flat extending a couple hundred feet. #newbrunswick #stmartins #tides #bayoffundy #kiteflying

Low tide was 4:42 pm today, so we walked all the way out onto the squishy ribbed sand of the tidal flats. The kids immediately wanted to strip naked and crawl in and out of the ocean, so we made it an impromptu #roadschool lesson on evolution while @advodna_ann struck a pose as a shoutout to @pyster68. #stmartins #newbrunswick #bayoffundy #lowtide #yogapose

The parking lot at the St. Martins sea caves is busy at low tide partially because you can walk far out onto the rocks and pools and into these large caves carved by the ebb and flow of the tides and partially because of the fish and chips at the restaurant with a deck overlooking it all. We came for both. The girls left with a Tupperware full of seaweed and "cute" sea snails, one of which Mae snuck into the restaurant. #seacaves #stmartins #newbrunswick #tides #familytravel #travelwithkids

While unhitching at the last campground, I was lifting the tongue with the electric jack to loosen the WD bars and it suddenly slipped back down. I thought it was the jack itself slipping, but when I tried it again - this time with the kids clear of the steps - it worked fine. This afternoon, the same thing happened, but this time I noticed the shaft of the jack slipping down into the metal "foot." Credit where due, that was actually @advodna_ann's hypothesis. I popped the foot off and looked inside to find the metal "shelves" created by bent in slits on the sides of the foot tube had been pushed outward, letting the shaft fall. I got out my bashing hammer and managed to bend them a little back inward and tried it again. Same result; the tapered bottom of the shaft kept pushing them back out. Well, even though my heart has finally stopped beating out of my chest, I think I'm done with this foot. And BTW, I managed to punch a hole through a stack of Lynx levelers as well trying to use them instead. Anyone have a different "foot" solution they like? #airstream #jackedup

The Bay of Fundy has some of the highest tidal variation on the planet, something like a 50 vertical ft from high to low tide at some places, leaving boats like these "on the hard" twice a day. With each cycle, 100 billion metric tonnes of water fill and empty out of the bay and actually create a "sloshing" effect like water in a bathtub, rising high on one end and then rushing back to the other. There's also supposed to be a "bore tide" - a surge of tidal water that rises up and over the stationary water to create a wave - a lot like the one we saw in the Turnagain Arm in Alaska a little over a year ago. #lowtide #newbrunswick #bayoffundy #tides #boretide

You guys know about AAPZ, right? It was actually nice being in a busy family CG over the Canadian holiday weekend with lots of kids around, but the Airstream Awning Pony Zipline #parentinghack still bought us about 45 minutes of camp chair sitting time the other evening. #parentingontheroad #airstreamwithkids #familytravel #travelwithkids #mylittlezipline #airstreamawningponyzipline

We usually need to do laundry about every 10 days, but the timing seems to accelerate when you're potty training a 2 yr old. While we waited, we pieced together a grocery run from the scarce shelves of the two general stores in the 200 person town just outside Fundy National Park (guess I'll be drinking Nescafé for the next few days), split a sticky bun at the bakery and tried to keep the girls from touching anything in the laundry shed. #stinkybunsandstickybuns #laundryday #lifeontheroad

Happy Hour tonight was at our place with @mali.mish.dan, @mali.mish.marlene, @bodes.well and six kids. #nomadicbreedersunite #fulltimefamilies #airstream #liveriveted #myrivetedlife

Small House Update: We're fielding questions from our contractor every couple days as he and his team finish framing and start the electrical and plumbing rough in on our 800 sq ft house in Petaluma.
Meanwhile, we're trying to make final decisions on stuff that needs to be ordered like tile for the bathrooms. We're tending towards more neutral colors like beiges and grays since the ceilings and floors will be natural wood and there will be tons of light from this wall of windows they're cutting out, but still, there are so many shades of gray to choose from. In fact, I was grabbing something from one of @advodna_ann's drawers and found a book about 50 of them! She must really be taking these decisions seriously 'cause the book was really worn. #50shadesofgray #smallhouse #remodel #remoteremodel #secretlivesoftinyhousewives #advodnasmallhouse

Low tide at Hopewell Rocks. Good thing they have a hose-off station back up at the top of the stairs. "Home" shirts by @followthesun.earth #sisterhoodofthetravelingparents #mudbugs #childhoodunplugged #familytravel #airstreamwithkids #travelwithkids #newbrunswick #hopewellrocks #airstream #liveriveted #myrivetedlife @airstream_inc

A very cool spot (and a very muddy 4 yr old). #hopewellrocks #newbrunswick #travelwithkids #airstreamwithkids #familytravel #lowtide #handswhereicanseethem

Playing hide and seek in under 200 sq ft is never easy, but some kids are better at it than others. #airstreamwithkids #roadschooled

Definitely the best National Park swimming pool we've ever been to. Wait, I guess it's the only one. Solar heated and overlooking the Bay of Fundy. They also have a nice looking golf course. #fundynationalpark #parkscanada #newbrunswick

Up your pool game, people. #toddlerlife #toddlerstyle #swimittowinit #floatstesswiththemostess #mermaed

Nomadic breeder happy hour can mean the screen rules get bent. Wynne and Mae were happy to join Luka in the top bunk of the downsized @mali.mish truck camper for a 5:00 pm screening of whatever. #truckcamper #truckcamperkids #littleairstreamfriends #unicornsandrainbowspajamas

Fixed it. I had this piece of poplar in the storage compartment left over from our sign at the Signpost Forest in Watson Lake, Yukon and cut one piece with a 2" hole, another piece for support (with two metal mending braces for the jack shaft to rest on) and a octagonal piece that nests into our Lynx levelers. Now we can use any height stack and only extend the tongue jack as much as needed. #roadfix #lifeontheroad #airstream #liveriveted #myrivetedlive #betterthanstock