HOWARD AND "AL" ~ STILL CROSSING THE US-CANADIAN BORDER

DERBY LINE, VERMONT | Howard Langdon, 74, of Tomifobia, Quebec, says he " has no trouble getting through either US or Canadian border check points with my old fashioned rig -- Al and I get plenty of smiles."

Langdon, formerly of West Hartford, Connecticut, was a speed boat racer in Connecticut and is a retired engine designer.

© 2012 Gordon Alexander

"I still have my swamp yankee accent even though I have been away from Connecticut for quite a few years," says Langdon. He.and Al, his faithful quarter-horse-mix, make the slow six-mile buggy trip to the US-Canadian border twice a week, depending on the weather.

© 2012 Gordon Alexander

Langdon makes sure that Al is warmly covered with a horse blanket before he goes for a cup of coffee at the Irving gas station across the street from the US Customs check point here. It's a favorite stopping place for Canadians who often make the trip up the hill "to the States" for cheap gas and a quick coffee. At last check, they didn't carry fuel for hay burners.