01Aug05 - Bugs, Driving & Hey Mom you can tell your friends "Your son went to Yale"

Well we've been here for a month now. In that time we have unpacked, bought a car, washer and dryer, dehumidifier and various other items needed in a house but not in a condo (eg.hose that Brodie thinks is a toy!). I thought I'd give everyone a few impressions of some differences between Connecticut and home.

Bugs - the first night we arrived Rayne was wondering what all the flashes in the bushes were. It was dark when we arrived and at first she thought they may be distant fireworks. They turned out to be massive numbers of fireflies (confirmed the next day when walking past the pond on the golf course). Very cool indeed to have natural Christmas lights blinking all night!

So far we have seen a number of bug species that we don't have to think about at home. I pulled a tick off of Brodie the second night we were here. We have seen dragon flies that have sails like a chinese junk. I have destroyed 3 wasps nests either on the house or in the yard (regardless I have killed an average of 3 a day inside the house, even though we have screens).

Rayne has had a couple of mysterious bites on here feet that have resulted in pretty significant swelling and blistering at the site. As well we have both had a few mosquito bites.


Driving is not for the faint of heart - the speed limit here is merely a suggestion. On the major highways the speed limit is 65mph. Exits and entrances to the freeways are on both sides (left and right) and so warrant attention ALL the time. If you are going to enter a freeway via a ramp you had best be doing the speed limit when you exit the ramp and do not expect anyone to move for you (they won't). A distance of 5 feet between vehicles is acceptable.

In all honesty I have seen more excessive speeding here in a month than I have seen in BC is 5 years and that includes the Coquihalla! I guess that alot of people commute long distances to and from work and justify their speeding thusly. The other day there was an 18 car pile up, 4 dead and dozens injured (included a bus and a dump truck).

There are some weird rules in Connecticut with respect to driving. It used to be against the law to turn right on any red light. Now it is just illegal when there is a sign that says no right turn on red....In many places each lane has a light of its own. If there are two lanes each one will have a light. Seems a waste to me. Arrows are often used instead of normal lamps. Arrows can be used to tell the driver to go straight, right or left or any combination of those. I found this very confusing at first. Many traffic lights are right above you when you stop at the intersection (instead) of across the street so you have a better field of view.

Roadkill is a daily occurence. I'm not sure why it is so prevelant here (I wonder if our wildlife has a healthier respect for the automobile??). The things we see most often are possums, unfortunately I've yet to see one living.

On the bright side we are very close to all the major freeways without being bothered by the noise! We are essentially in the middle of the state so getting around is quite easy. The commute to Rayne's work takes about 12-15 minutes.

Our first Road Trip - A couple of weeks back we decided to take a trip to New Haven (on the coast). We packed the dogs into the Forester and headed down the I-91. We arrived at New Haven about 45 minutes later and stopped for a bit of coffee and a bite to eat in a great little spot beside Yale University. After that we took the dogs for a walk through the campus. The first thing you notice about Yale is how old the buildings are. The university was established as a college in 1701 and moved to New Haven in 1718. Many of the building date back to the late 1700's and early 1800's. It became Yale University in 1887.

It was pretty awe inspiring to be walking around a campus that had been established for higher learning before Canada became a country. Some of the more famous alumni include Samuel Morse (of morse code fame), Benjamin Spock (not the Star Trek one), Jodie Foster (actress), Meryl Streep, Sigourney Weaver, Vincent Price, Oliver Stone.......hmmm no wonder they have produced a few presidents (including 2 Bushes, a Clinton, one Gerald Ford and a fellow named Taft. The acting department must be bang on!

Yale students invented the Frisbee by tossing around empty pie tins from the Frisbee Pie Company.....wonder if the pie company is still around.

Brodie and Kyla enjoyed the grounds too. I wanted to buy a t-shirt that said "My dog went at YALE" but alas there were none to be found.