Revision of travel plan

In trying to simplify our travel itinerary I have dropped the plan to visit Quebec City and moved the Acadian Peninsula to the end of the trip (closest destination in the Maritimes from which to launch the long drive home). It means there will be two extremely long driving days, but I expected that when I started planning this thing. It reduces our campsites from seven to six, gives us an extra day to explore the south shore of Nova Scotia, and brings us home a day earlier. Here's a rough outline:

• August 9. Drive to Voyageur Provincial Park. (est. travel time: 6:34)
  
  
• August 10. Visit Montreal (0:59 each way).
  
  
• August 11. Drive to Whycocomagh, Nova Scotia (14:23) (Hoping we can camp at Gary's farm for three nights).
  
  
• August 12, 13. Explore Cape Breton (3 hours around the Cabot Trail, 1 hour each way to Louisburg).
  
  
• August 14. Drive to Kejimkujik National Park, southern NS, possibly stopping in Halifax (5:03).
  
  
• August 15. Explore the south shore.
  
  
• August 16. Explore Digby Arm and Brier Island.
  
  
• August 17. Explore Midas Basin and drive to Prince Edward Island National Park (2:04, 4:18).
  
  
• August 18, 19. Sightsee PEI.
  
  
• August 20. Drive to Grand Manan Island, New Brunswick (6:19).
  
  
• August 21. Chill on Grand Manan.
  
  
• August 22. Drive to Caraquet NB, possibly stopping in Kouchibouguac National Park (7:34).
  
  
• August 23. Visit Acadian Historic Village and explore the Acadian Peninsula.
  
  
• August 24. Return to Guelph (17:14).

Options at the end: if we're really tired, we could stay an extra day or two on Grand Manan and cancel the Acadian Peninsula leg, but this would add a couple hours to the return journey. Either way, if I'm not broke at the end, we could decamp on the 23rd, drive partway home and get a hotel room.

A day of my mouth

Much less interesting than travel plans is the fact that I went to the dentist this morning for the first time in about three years (I haven't had dental insurance since 1996). The good news is there don't appear to be any new pressing problems, although he won't be able to tell for sure until my teeth are properly cleaned. The bad news is that there's so much tartar under my gums that the hygienist needs another session in September to finish cleaning them. She suggested freezing my mouth, but I endured the uncomfortable scraping and a few twinges of cold-sensitivity; nothing is worse than a needle. Most of the toothaches I get are probably sensitivity due to receding gums rather than any new cavities.

The bigger problem is two broken teeth. One is my upper left wisdom tooth (all four of which I've had since I was 14; I have a wide jaw and they're relatively cavity-free, so I've never needed them extracted), but he says it isn't worth saving. We'll keep it as long as it doesn't present any problems, then pull it.

The other is a lower molar, which he wants to save. It will cost about $1,000. He said it can wait for a year or so until I can afford it. Actually, the tooth has been broken more than three years without further incident, so I'm inclined to wait and see.

Just like I've waited to see about the one upper premolar I'm missing. The dental surgeon who extracted it said I might need an implant if my teeth started to shift. That was 1984. The haven't moved.

For now my dentist drilled off the sharp edge of the fracture and put a temporary protective coating over the broken surface. Now it won't irritate my tongue.

The session cost $175, about half what I expected. Of course, she only finished cleaning three-eighths of my mouth.

Okay, that is a day in the history of my mouth. Fascinating, I know.

After the linden flowers

After the linden flowers finish
summer rolls apart:
two lovers sweat on an old mattress
seek hollow solitudes.
The year lasts all afternoon.
One lies wondering
whether wind will turn, kiss dry grass
between the streets.
Ever again cracked skin awake shining
under a flashing cloud.