Black Flies and Rain

We’re in Southwest Harbor, Maine, which is on Mt. Desert Island, which is where Acadia National Park is Located. We were planning to spend just a couple of days here, but I’m uncomfortable with an issue with the truck which  I need to have looked at before we head into the Great White North.

We’re at a nice campground in the less-touristy part of the island, meaning away from Bar Harbor. We were a bit surprised by the black flies which swarmed all over us when we set up camp. Those little suckers bite worse than skeeters. And we’ve had a bit of rain, but that’s not surprising for this time of year here.

The truck issue – a couple of months ago I received a recall notice from Ford telling us to bring the truck in to have the power system reporting module recalibrated. This is the computer chip that reports certain engine functions and malfunctions. One of the things it reports is “Cleaning Exhaust Filter” which, prior to the recalibration, occurred a couple of times with each tank of fuel, maybe every hundred miles or so. This is part of modern diesel engines that makes them run cleaner – no clouds of black smoke like in older diesels.

But since the recalibration the “Cleaning Exhaust Filter” indication hasn’t come on once, and we’ve driven more than 600 miles since the service was done. The truck is running okay and no warning lights are coming on, but I don’t want to head across Canada with what may be a budding malfunction. I can’t imagine breaking down in the middle of Manitoba or, even worse, in Quebec where many people like to make believe they don’t speak English.

Anyway, the next available appointment at the closest Ford dealer is Monday afternoon, so we’ll be touring this island for a bit longer than planned. It may not even be a problem, but then again, it might be, so based on previous experience, we decided to stick around and have it checked out.

The campground has good wifi and cable TV, and there’s lots to see in the area, so all is fine.

Our next planned stop will be Lubec, ME, which is the entrance to Campobello Island, FDR’s summer retreat. I never knew FDR retreated to Canada, but the Roosevelt Estate is now an International Park, one that requires a passport to enter, even though the only way off the island is back to Lubec, Maine. There is a ferry on the Canadian side, but that only runs during July and August.