LTS, thanks for the greeting! No offence taken at all.

Moonchild, what a wonderful story. I do appreciate this country, and having enough to eat!

So what are we to call ourselves if not "Americans" here in the USA? That's what I grew up calling myself, so I never thought otherwise. Is there another name that is proper, and not slang? Surely not Yankee, as it has been pointed out that Yankee means different things to different people.

Yes, the Canadians were paying taxes to Britain on goods imported from the colonies. Incidentally, Benjamin Franklin's cousin (Folger) and a group of loyalists set up a whaling enterprise based out of Nova Scotia. Folger was loyal to the crown and refused to stand against England. The Nova Scotians were very happy about it because they were paying taxes on imported whale oil.

So you see, all's whale that ends whale!

Margo, ducking for cover :o)