Oct 23 - 26th, 2011 Scotland Trip

Sunday evening Debby and crew arrived in time for The Meeting which cousin Alan spoke at. Afterwards we all converged on David and Gillian for a meal of pasta, home made bread, cake and cookies. All "the wee ones" ran around and the parents talked. When they all get going I have a hard time understanding them. When Deb and David left they had 4 chickens in the back of the van with all the kids. The hens are for friends to raise.

Monday Mom. Aunt Earla, Catherine and I took a trip into Dumfries to the 101 shop ( one of Mom's favourite dress shops )and to have lunch. It turned out to be a beautiful day after the rain earlier. After supper we visited Alan and Ruth to help celebrate Grace's 21st birthday with cake, tea and sweets. There are always sweets whenever you have a cup of tea.

Tues is was cloudy and rainy again. I went off to the market with David and Nathan ( he is learning how to farm - that is his dream ) and had a great time visiting with people, watching the auction, feed stores, meeting Gillian's dad, the scenery, the narrow roads, little villages, round a bouts. Spent the night at Alan and Ruth's.

Wed was cloudy, sunny, rainy, rainbow - a mix of everything. Gillian picked up Ruth and I and then Mom and Aunt Earla and off to Dumfries House we went for a tour. Built in the middle 1700's and filled with Chippandale furniture 250 years old. Prince Charles had a strong influence on it not being sold in auction. Rubin, Hannah and Eliana were perfect little kids during the tour and lunch at the Cafe. Uncle Alan off to the Doctor today to see about his leg which has been botheing him

Oct 17th - Oct 23rd, 2011 Scotland Trip

Mom and I are off to Scotland for 2 weeks to visit Aunt Earla, Uncle Alan and cousins. We flew Iceland Air from Halifax, thru Iceland and landed in Glasgow. David, Rubin, Hannah and Aunt Earla were there to meet us and deliver us to Sanquar after an hour and half trip thru the country side. Rugged hills with the heather all turned to brown and lots of sheep grazing on the hill sides. Roads are narrow and twisty and of course they are driving on the wrong side of the road. Managed to stay awake on Tues and then to bed for a 13 hour sleep. Over the past few days we have walked up to Alan and Ruth's, visited Gillian and David and the kids at home, a couple of visits to the town and just relaxed in their conservatory and enjoyed the view. I went with Catherine on Thurs to drive over to Sarah and Jeff's wedding with a detour to the hairdresser and Deb and David's house. Only managed to get on the wrong road a couple of times:-) Mom drove over with Aunt Earla and Uncle Alan and we met at the Carfraemill Lodge in Lauder where the wedding reception is to be held. Deb and a lot of the kids were in the huge white tent finishing up the decorations. On Friday the wedding ceremony was held at the Baptist church in Musselltown and then to the reception at the Mill. Beautiful meal, cakes, Cehlih and speeches. Everybody had fun dancing and it more like our square dancing at home.Fun, fun. Back to Sanquar on Sat via Deb's home in Edinburgh for another visit with everybody. David's brother Jason, 4 boys and Pricilla were there also. Did stop at the Cotton Patch to "fondle" the fabrics and drapery. What a wonderful store. Sunday morning had a call from Bernie - great to hear his voice.He is off to play golf with Derek and Greg in Moncton. We are now waiting for Deb and David and family to arrive.

Sept 18th & 19th, Sun & Mon 2011 Ont Trip

Up at 7:15, packed, picked two bags of crabapples from the McKee's tree and hit the road. Beautiful Sunday morning, crisp, a little traffic - just beautiful scenery of mountains, the river, farms. We saw more motorhomes today than on our whole trip. Had a phone call from Judy saying that Vicki and LP had a baby girl and everyone is fine. We arrived at Bernie's Mom's at 4 and Rosemary and Brian arrived with supper. What a treat.

On the road by 10:30 and home at 4:30. We stopped in Fredericton to have lunch with Billy before he left for Guelph for 6 weeks. Beautiful day so we had lunch outside at the Lunar Pub.
Last stop at the Green Pig Market in Salisbury to pick up Mustard Pickles for Bernie.

Great trip but great to be home

Sept 16th & 17, Fri & Sat 2011

Had a good day trip to Deb and Greg's - did the scenic route after we drove thru Montreal. A lot of dairy farms, silos and field after field of corn and beans. Their driveway had dried up in the 2 weeks and much easier to navigate. Deb had taught all week so we did appetizers, home grown McKee hamburgs and a cold beer. Lazy night.

Saturday we hit the big city and had lunch with Steph and Nat at one of Steph's local hangouts - an "English Pub". Then off to a STFX - Concordia football game where we watched STFX lose big time. The one happy time of the game was seeing Donnie Davis (UNB mate) who we had not seen in over 30 years. Wow ! Beautiful sunny, warm day so we decided to take in a bit of old Montreal and grab a bite to eat. Oh those nachos with cranberry salsa. Yummy, yummy.
Back to Meizner Road for a quiet evening and night cap. Great to see the Mckees

Sept 15th, Thursday 2011

The rain has stopped and the sun came out. Beautiful fall day - crisp and bright. While eating breakfast with Laird and Elise some wild turkeys walked by, deer in the field, black squirrels running about and a chipmunk chattering away. Perfect scenery. Said our goodbyes and headed to Ottawa where we managed to get right downtown but couldn't find a parking lot. Pulled into a community center on Dalhousie St to get some info on where we could park. They were nice enough to let us stay in their lot. And then we walked and walked. Checked out the Cathedral (a Mass just ending ) and what a huge church and the decor was unbelievable. Saw the Art Gallery (will visit again when we have more time), War Memorial, lunch at the Fairmont (enjoyed all the old photographs), Parliament Hill (only a tour of the Tower and Memorial Room as their was a Head of State visit so all tours were cancelled), the grounds, the War Memorial, Rideau Canal, the Market (picked up items for supper), and a cold beer at an Irish Pub. A very interesting day and we will be back. A lot of languages being spoken, tourists from all countries, fun time people watching and buses everywhere. Have never seen so many buses in one city. After a while we managed to make our way out of the city (they have different routes for trucks) and along the #174 east towards Alfred where we pulled into a campground for the night. Barbecued steak, corn, potatoes and a glass of wine. We did have the furnace on as the temp has dropped

Sept 14th, Wednesday 2011

This morning Bert gave us a quick tour of Aurora and Newmarket. A lot of country, farms, beautiful homes and new condos everywhere. New townhouses everywhere. New houses everywhere. Toronto a nice place to visit but we are glad we are on a country road in the Maritimes. Took off in the rig again and headed east on the secondary roads towards Port Perry where we spent time walking the streets and visiting the shops. Back on the road and headed to Godfrey, an hour west of Brockville. Beautiful drive but the landscape is changing. A lot drier and a lot rockier and more lakes. We found our way to Laird and Elise Weagant's farm house on a lake. They have a beautiful spot on 240 acres - lake with lots of frontage, woods, beaver pond which we saw when we toured with their RTV. Would have been a long walk. We haven't seen them in years and they came to visit NS the same week we were heading to Ont to visit. What are the odds of that. Did manage to have lunch with them in Halifax (after Mike and Alana's wedding ) and then spend the night with them in Ont. Had a delicious barbecue and caught up on news from the last few years. Off to bed with the rain putting us to sleep.

Sept 13th, Tuesday 2011

Up earlier this morning and have recovered from the wedding ! Said our goodbyes to Les (Mom and I will see her the end of Oct on the way back from Scotland) and took the QEW to Hamilton and then the secondary roads north towards Barrie. Made a couple of stops at Dealers (Bryan's and Stewart's) to chat and discuss business. We did stop at one Quilt shop near Georgetown so I could get my fix also ! Saw some great farms, homes and a few dirt roads (trying to get to the quilt shop on the 9th Line). Beautiful drive thru Erin, Morrison, Belfountain, Bolton and ended up in Aurora at Bert and Karen Pendergasts. After supper we hopped in the car and dropped in on Steve and Denyse in Markham. An added bonus as we did not expect to see them again this week. Traffic, traffic, traffic. Bernie has been doing well as we have not yet been in any tough spots with the RV.

Sept 12th, Monday 2011

Slept in till 9:15 ! Couldn"t believe it. Bernie was up quite a bit thru the night with his arm as it is quite swollen and itchy. Leslie had waffles all made and we had another enjoyable meal on the back patio. Dennis took Bernie off to a walk in clinic and Les and I visited the Quilting Bee store. Fun, fun. Picked up a Jelly Roll and borders for a Mystery Quilt class Mom and I are taking at the Fiber Festival in Amherst in Oct. Bernie is going to be fine according to the Doctor - could take 5 days for swelling to go down and he has to keep ice on his arm. We are calling him Popeye. Spent the afternoon touring wineries (Staff, Henry of Pelham, Hernder ) around the Jordan area with Les and Dennis. Fun to see all the vineyards and orchards. Dinner at the local tavern and then Dennis headed back to TO. We spent the evening with Les at Jordan.

Sept 11, Sunday 2011

Oh that night was so short. To bed at 2am and up at 7:30am to pack up and attend a post wedding breakfast at the Inn. All the families and a few friends met to have breakfast, chat about the night before and help remove decorations, etc. For some reason the bridesmaids and groomsmen did not make the breakfast ! Late to bed, late to rise. Annie and Chris enjoyed the breakfast and then they were off to New York for a few days of relaxation. We left, cruised down the QEW and arrived at Les and Dennis's in Jordan by noon. Bernie helped Dennis take off the honey from the hives (the boards filled with honey) and place it in the honey room. They were all masked and suited up for the procedure and no stings. But when Dennis was barbecuing Bernie was stung on the arm by something (bee, wasp or spider). Very itchy and swollen. Looks like Popeye. We had a delicious dinner on their back patio after a thunderstorm rolled thru. The property is surrounded by vineyards and this time of year the "guns" are going off to scare the birds away. It was an early night.

Sept 10th, Saturday 2011

Woke up to a glorious, sunny day - beautiful temp and slight breeze. The hairdresser had arrived at 8am to work on all the girls while we enjoyed breakfast. Off to the mall to find a pair of sneakers but came to the realization that I will wait and buy them at home (more selection). By 4pm we were all dressed and sitting on the patio of the Inn watching all the guests and wedding party arrive. Beautiful spot for a wedding in an old Inn, lovely grounds, patios and perfect weather. The ceremony was outside on a deck, cocktails on the patio and hallway, dinner in a sunken dining room with cathedral ceiling and stained glass window, dance in another room with sitting are on patio and near dance floor. Met lots of Denyse and Steve's friends and Annie and Chris's friends. Speeches were spaced thru out the meal and it was quite entertaining. Steve, Chris's father Bill and Annie and Chris did a fantastic job with their speeches. A lot of laughs. And of course Bernie's blessing was perfect. Billy's influence must be rubbing off on him ! Had a great time wearing my "new fasinator" and even loaned it to Jamie (maid of honour) during the dance. Bernie and I both reminded Chris that now he would have a bed to sleep in at the camp (Denyse's comment years ago " You can have a bed when you marry my daughter") Exited the wedding at 1:30am. Great night.

Sept 9th, Friday 2011

Woke up to sunshine, warm temps, birds singing, coffee by the water. What a day. Bernie washed the RV while I tidied up inside and we were on the road by 10:30. Cruised along the #2 until Port Hood where we picked up the 401. Traffic not bad. Exited at leslie St and spend a couple of hours roaming around Ikea and picking up some bolts for the bed. May have bought a couple of things!! Back on the road and arrived at the Hampton Inn in Mississauga around 4pm. Steve and Denyse arrived shortly afterwards and came to our room for a cold one. And then Annie arrived with her bridesmaids (Jamie, Andrea, Erin, Zoo, Robyn ). Then Steve's family arrived (his Mom - Ruth, Nancy, Mike, Beatrice, Natalie, Kerrin, cousins Rod and Su). The room was full with lots of chatter and laughing. Had a great time. Even did take out from Swiss Chalet with Steve and Denyse. Everything going well and everybody happy.

Sept 8th, Thursday 2011

Slept all night with a marsh full of frogs singing us to sleep. Slept in and on the road by 10:30. We spent the day driving the roads of Prince Edward County stopping at art studios, a cheese store, craft and gift stores,( in Wellington and Bloomfield ) wineries and a fascinating store where I bought a "fasinator"(sp?) for the wedding in Scotland. Maybe I'll wear it to Annie and Chris's wedding ! There are a lot of farms, acres and acres of corn fields, vineyards and it is not as populated as we thought it would be. We found a great campground near Carrying Place outside of Trenton. It is called North Shore camp ground and we are right on the water. Brie cheese, corn on the cob, potatoes, pork chops, donuts, wine. Perfect sunset and evening.

Sept 7th, Wednesday 2011

Had a great sleep, morning coffee and breakfast, Bernie washed the RV. Nice relaxing morning. We drove a few kms down the road to Gananoque where we picked up the ship to cruise the 1000 Islands for a couple of hours. We bundled up to be warm and dry as the temp was 16 degrees, cloudy and some rain. Even though it was foggy and dreary we enjoyed the tour around the Islands with their small, med or huge homes on small, med or huge islands. Some of the boat houses were larger then the homes. To be classified as an Island there has to be 2 trees growing and a area of a 2 square meters. You have to have 2 acres to build a home. 2/3 rds of the islands are in Canadian waters but the acreage between the US and Canada are equal. We sailed around Boldt Island which was very impressive and the boat house was even more impressive to Bernie.(note picture) After the tour we drove west on the #2 and then the #33 towards Prince Edward County.A lot of farms and orchards along the way. Caught the Glenora Ferry (highest rig they ever had on the ferry) and toured along the #33 and #12 to SandBanks Provincial Park. Beautiful big park and campground. Had a walk and then Bernie, as always, did a great job on the pork chops and vegs. Sure glad we brought our long pants and sweaters (as you can see from me being bundled up)

Sept 6th, Tuesday 2011

Woke to a dreary, misty day but soon burned off while cruising thru Montreal on the #10 and then the #20. Traffic not too bad and we soon were off the #20 and onto the #2 running from Cornwall towards Kingston along the St. Lawrence River. Took our time and took in the sights. Stopped at Upper Canada Village and had a good walk around the village. Very deserted, buildings were not open but it was interesting peeking in windows and reading info on the buildings. We had lunch at a park along the river (100's of Canada geese were nearby on their way south). Camping at a KOA outside of Ivy Lea - barbecue, glass of wine, beautiful cloud formation in the sky. Life is good.

Sept 5th, Monday 2011

Had a wonderful sleep in the Rv with the sound of the rain bouncing off the roof. And woke up to it and had it pouring all day while driving. Lots of Labour Day traffic to go with the rain. We drove to Deb and Greg McKee's on the Meizner Road in Bolton Quest (the GPS says they don't exist) which is near Granby but away in the country on a gravel road. Had a wonderful evening and a delicious meal with D and G. and another good sleep in the RV with the rain bouncing off the roof. Talked to Greg today - he spent the day at the cottage with Derek and Katja (who cut her foot on the beach but is OK)

Sept 4th, 2011 Trip to Ontario

We are on the road again heading west, 1 km at a time. Only took us 7 1/2 hrs to reach Grammie Jeanne's. We stopped in Salisbury for a Tims, Fredericton to join Rosemary, Brian and Courtney for Mass with Billy, lunch at the Lunar Rogue and then on the road to Johnville. It will be a long trip to Ont going this pace! Visit from Andy's, Leigh's and Angie's crew at Grammie's house. Great to see everyone. It has been a warm day (27) with a thunder shower.

April 28- May 02, 2011

Thurs - Up early and had last walk on beach - now heading home. Friday morning I stopped at Rainbow's End Quilt Shop in Dunedin and to pick up some material for a wedding gift and enjoy all the colours of the material. Crossed the 52, on to the 75 and onto Ocala to Maltby's home to meet Bernie and his buddies after a week of golf. Barbecue with everyone and then drove to a Holiday Inn just north of Jacksonville, Florida. Terrible killer tornados on Wed thru Al, Georgia, Miss and Lou. Looks OK for the next few days.

Fri - Up at 4:30 to watch "The Wedding" (Kate and William) while Bernie slept. It was a beautiful event and so glad to see something happy on TV. Left at 8:30 and travelled up the I95 to exit #86 to catch the 26 toward Columbia. Then the #77 thru SC, NC and into Virginia. Beautiful drive on the last half of the #77 thru the mountains. Only one slow down around exit #85. Stopped in Harrisonburg at a Holiday Inn Express on the 81. Repacked the car in the parking lot. What a sight. Did 1100 kms today.

Sat -Sunny day - 12 degrees. Beautiful drive up the 81 thru the valleys with the trees in bloom and grass very green. Only slowdown around Scranton (construction) just be before hitting the 84. Staring to notice diff in foliage thru Penn and NY. Continued up the 87 to the Mass turnpike. Less traffic and we miss Hartford. Picked up the I95 to Portsmouth where we stayed at the Holiday Inn Express. Another 1100 kms today. Averaging 100 kms an hour

Sun - Sunny day but have moved onto long pants. Non eventful drive up the I95 and crossed the border at 2:30. Spent night in Bath.

Mon - On the road to home. Stopped and had dinner with Derek and Katja in Moncton. Home by 8:30 to Greg and Sally and election results. Harper won a majority.
Great holiday and I don't have to go back to work. Made the holiday even more relaxing.

April 27, 2011

Last sunset at North Redington Beach

A day of last things - walk on the beach, search for sea shells, coffee on the deck, reading on the beach, sunset. The wind was blowing today and the waves were really high and strong. Tried to swim but the current was too strong to be swimming by myself. Have to leave it till next year. After a couple of hours on the beach had to move to the deck of the condo as it felt like I was being sand blasted. It has been a wonderful time on the beach.

April 22 - 26, 2011

Balcony of condo on North Redington Beach.
Our chairs and umbrella in the background

Another sunny and warm day. Donnie and Karen arrived for a visit and lunch with us and Pete and Beth. After getting caught up on all the news, they took off to drop Karen at Orlando airport and Donnie and Bernie headed to Daytona for a week of golf with the guys. Jen has been left "unsupervised " at the beach. I passed the time by walking every day, a bit of shopping, relaxing on the beach, dinner with the Duvars, Jeannie, Mark, Murray and Heather, a sunset cruise out of pass a Grill with Milners, Duvars and Chapmans, more relaxing on the beach, reading. Having a wonderful vacation. One more full day on the beach and then we head north.

April 16 - 21, 2011

Bernie on beach at North Redington Beach

Saturday in St. Pete's area is market day and you have to experience it once during a stay. Acres of buildings with everything you can think of from food to jewellery. You meet at the beer and music tent at noon time so everybody can show off their "great" buys (and to have a good beer and sing some tunes). It was Marlene's and Joe's last night so we took the trolley to Crabbie Bill's at Indian Rocks Beach and had our fill of deep fried fish and crab legs and lots of laughs. Of course we all bought the group picture to remember the good times.
Sunday - Aaron's 3rd birthday. What a treat for all of us when he popped into our lives 3 years ago. Weather is still beautiful, water warm, sand soft and Jeannie and Mark cooked a big spagetti supper for us tonight. Treat not to cook.
Monday - Sun and more sun. Bernie and I played golf with Eugene and Ginny today at the Mainland course and what a great game - shot 86.(the course is a lot shorter than ours). After lunch at the Fireside and afternoon on the beach we went to the hockey game with Pete and Beth - Tampa vs Pittsburg. Arrived early enough to park ourselves at an outside corner table at Gilligans to have supper and watch the world go by - Tampa fans, Pittsburg fans, scalpers, traffic, etc. Great seats in second level and what a PR job done by Tampa - music, videos, cheerleaders, etc, etc. The game won by Pittsburg.
Tuesday - After our morning walk we drove to Clearwater Beach to visit a couple we met on the Danube Cruise. Sandy and Mike Maslowski are from Chicago and it was great to see them. She is on new medication and it has enabled her to get out of her wheel chair and walk again. They have a beautiful condo on the beach and are able to see both sunrises and sunsets from their balcony. Had a delicious lunch at the Beachcomber (been there since 1958). Beach time and then skyped the kids and heard all about Aaron's birthday and the dragons. Highlight of the day! And then out to eat again - this time with Dianne and Ivan at Da Sesto, an Italian on the corner of 66th and Park. Been there before and would go back again - out of this world pizza.
Wednesday - Bernie leaves tomorrow for Daytona so it was laundry day. Enough work so we hit the beach and ended off the day with Beth and Pete for a barbecue at our abode.
Thursday - Email from Jeff and Angie with news that the girls adoption is final. Fantastic !! They are off to Crystal Palace to celebrate. Donnie and Karen arrived at noon time for a visit and lunch and then the boys were off to play. They will have a great time in Daytona. I'm on my own and as some friends were saying "Unsupervised on the beach". Relax even more especially while Greg is home working on the cottage bathroom. :-)

April 13 - Apr 15, 2011

Oh my, time goes by so quickly and if I don't write it down the days all blend together. Bernie has played golf with Dick, Eugene and Eugene's son Alan. We went to dinner with the Chapman's to Rosie's on 49th and it was an experience. A little family run restaurant with dancing waitresses, a Newfie singer and great seafood ie: clams, grouper, fish and chips, etc. I think 80% of the customers were Canadians. Everyday is walk the beach, swim, cool drink, relax and more relaxation.

April 09 - 12, 2011

Saturday morning up and on the road thru central Florida to North Redington Beach. Came across the Skyline Bridge and it was such a gorgeous day with the sun shining and many, many boats on the water. Checked into Far Horizons and it felt a little bit like being home. Hit the grocery store for that peanut butter and other favourites to have in the fridge. So nice to unpack a suitcase, eat out of a real fridge and cook some meals. The past few days have been sunny and in the mid 80's. Morning walk on the beach, swim, read, snooze. Can't get any better.
Have connected with a few people in the area, Beth and Pete, Jo and Marlene. Supper at each other's units, social time on the beach, dinner at Wahoo's and lunch at the Green Sage Cafe have made the time go quickly. Lots of stingrays in the water this year so the "stingray shuffle" is a must when entering the water. A few dolphins have passed by, lots of seagulls and the pelicans doing their dives. It is a great place to people watch as you see all sorts and shapes. Spent some time on the beach with Jeannie, Melanie and Maryanne yesterday. Got caught up on the news at home.

On the home front it has been busy - skyped Jeff and the kids, Katja started a new job, Anita finished her course, baby brother Alan's birthday, Greg has the bathroom at the cottage all torn a part, Paul"s 60th birthday, Leslie is selling like crazy at the store and will soon be retired, Dennis is in Ireland and there is still snow at home.


Sunset at Redington Beach

April 08, 2011

Beautiful hot, sunny day at Palm Beach. Breakfast, lazy hour on the beach and a swim in the Atlantic and then off to the Barrett-Jackson auction. Met Jane and Gary Stack and we spent the afternoon auction watching, touring the tents, people watching and drooling over some of the cars. Bernie said "If we ever come again, we are coming to buy". Just sitting and watching just didn't cut it. This evening we went for a drive with the Stack's to see again all the gorgeous homes in Palm Beach and ended the night with the most delicious meal at the Palm Beach Steakhouse. Excellent meal, service and musical entertainment. Paul M will be soooo jealous. I had the most wonderful peppered steak.

April 07, 2011

Lazy time after breakfast on the deck. Then off to the Barrett-Jackson auction at the West Palm fairgrounds. Huge tents with cars and more cars - old and not so old. Interesting to watch the auction and just people watch. Even saw two guys from Amherst - Pete Estabrooks and Joe VanVulpen. They ended up staying at the same motel and the boys went for dinner. For Jen it was dinner from Publix and the Masters for entertainment.

April 05 - 06, 2011

Rain, rain, rain. Dark sky, high winds and a temperature drop. Not a beach day. We said goodbye to the Daleys as they were heading home ( with all the bad weather they did not get home until 4am Wed morning ) and we were planning on heading south to Punta Gorda. A last minute phone call from Boyd and Carol (who had arrived on Anna Maria Island the night before ) changed our plans to "doing lunch" at Rotten Ralph's on the bridge St wharf. A sailboat is still sunk from the previous storm. Great visit and then we hit the road. Stopped in Punta Gorda to visit Danny Gallagher from Amherst. And we were in for a surprise. His girlfriend, Dale MacLeod, is from PEI and she went to school with Leslie. Her sister Valerie  and I were in the same class in high school. To make it even more unique, Valerie is married to Paul MacEachern's cousin. Oh the stories and people we chatted about. And Marion and Danny Grant ( who I hung around with on school weekends ) had just been to Dan and Dale's for a visit. The world is getting smaller every day. Spent the night in Fort Myers.

Wednesday the sun was out but temp had dropped. We had a full day with a drive across the 80/98 thru the central part of Florida to Palm Beach on the Atlantic. Miles of sugar cane, orange trees, corn fields, and greenhouses kept us company along the way. We stopped at a Safari compound and had a very interesting drive thru an animal habitat. Saw lions, zebras, rhinos (really ugly big animals), ostrich, many kinds of antelopes, giraffe, water buffalo, monkeys ( they were loose on an Island because they cannot swim). Some of the animals were coming right up to the vechiles. Had never seen these wild animals so close before. The next adventure was Palm Beach. Oh my - the money spend in this town. The houses, the landscaping, the stores - even the Fire Dept was something else. And we have never seen so many policemen in such a short time. They patrolled 2 at a time - not 2 people in one car but 2 cars together. Absolutely no speeding. The homes are huge and one place we are sure had artificial grass because it was so perfect. Our hotel is a bit of a dive but clean, on the beach and reasonably priced - one of the very few under $500 a night ! Before supper we toured the home of Mr and Mrs Flagher built in the early 1900's and is now a museum. The front hall alone is 5000 sq ft. Two stories with several quest rooms, each have their own bathroom and heating, library, dining room, master bedroom, billard room, ball room, parlour and on and on. Their railcar is also on display. After a nice long walk on the beach we toured the city and found a place to eat.

April 01 - 04, 2011

Sunset at Barefoot Beach, Florida



Friday was a boating day with the Dow's along the Imperial River and the Inland water ways. Hundreds of boats, especially the pontoon boats and we had a ball watching the dolphins, boaters, fishermen, peligins, and fish. A little lunch on the boat and a swim in the water to cool off almost ended the day in perfect form.  The perfect end was skyping Jeff and the kids. They were all very talkative.

Saturday was pack the suitcase, load up the car and head north to another adventure. With Steve and Denyse we headed to Boco Grande on Gasparilla Island. What a beautiful town and Island, quaint Inns, no highrises, residents and guests travel around on golf carts, beautiful beach, restaurants, biking and walking trails, and marinas. It was quite a hilarious outing as they were having a "golf cart poker rally" and every cart and every person was decorated to the hilt. They were having fun ! We hugged goodbye to the Dow's and drove to Anna Maria Island to spend a couple of days with Blake and Vicki. They had booked us a room at Bridge Walk condos, bedroom/living room combo and just across the road from the beach. Perfect ! Dinner at the Bistro ( our own little balcony for dinner ) and early to bed. Huge day.

Sunday we went for a long walk along the beach and on the way back to the condo we located the condo where Karen and Donnie Cormier are staying. Little visit with them, and then went to hit some golf balls. That and getting on and off the Island ( the weekend traffic is unbelievable )  took a lot of work so lunch became a high priority - found a local restaurant called the Rod and Reel Pier. Not fancy, picnic tables, great food and loads of people fishing off the deck. They were catching fish left and right. Then it was beach time. Oh, so relaxing. Poor Blake had a bit to much sun the last two days so he had an early night. We and Vicki ate supper at the Beach House Restaurant and ran into the Cormiers again.

Blake, Vicki, Jen & Bernie

Monday - another beautiful day in the 80's, a nice wind to cool things down a bit. We had a great golf round at Manatee Golf Course and saw our first alligator of 2011. And we saw several more alligators, turtles, eagles, a pink flamingo, and ducks. It was a great little course and we all had some good shots. Vicki was the hot one with the putter. Ran into Donnie and Matt Cormier again on the course. After lunch at Rotten Ralph's ( restaurant on the Bridge St pier owned and run by a Canadian ) it was beach time again - lots of waves today and felt so good after all that sun. Mar Vista on the beach at Longboat Key for supper - crab cakes, King crab legs, scallops, flounder, Key Lime pie, Pecan pie on the beach. Can't get any better than that. Sounds like all we do is eat and eat some more. Keep on walking :-)

Mar 28th - Mar 31st, 2011

Picture from Steve and Denyse's deck looking out over the Imperial River

Days in Bonita Springs have been busy and slow - time you get up in the morning, have breakfast, a cup of coffee, read the Canadian news on line, send a couple of e-mails, the day is half gone. We have managed to get in one golf game at Raptor Bay ( won't talk about the scores), swim in the "cool"pool, walks, play bridge, entertain Denyse's brother, sister and spouses for a day, shop for sink faucet for the cottage ( Bernie picked out a very unique one ), tried to go to the beach but the wind and sand were blowing around so much it hurt, lots of great meals and cool drinks, appetizers and happy hour with Judy and Mike ( Dow's Toronto friends ), dinner with Steve and Cheryl (Dow's condo friends ), reading, bed early and lots of sleep.
Texted with Blake and Vicki today and they are having big rain and thunderstorms on Anna Maria Island. Hope it stops soon for them.

Mar 26th - Mar 27th, 2011

Up and on the road by 10 after we picked up our coffee at the Bad Ass Cafe and confirmed reservations at Far Horizons. Beautiful day, a high of 34 C and not a cloud in the sky. Arrived at the Dow's around 3 to a very warm welcome and a map for their "spot". What a gorgeous spot on the river and so quiet. The only traffic we hear is the boats on the river and Denyse's call - 2 stroke, or 4 stroke. Happy birthday to Katja today and Greg tomorrow. A delicious dinner on the deck, cold beer, great wine, a few laughs - great night.

Sunday was workout day, long walk to beach and then a 3 hour cruise on the river and canal in their "party boat". Kids get ready to put us in the old peoples home as the Dow's have a party boat ! Long standing comment made by several of our kids years ago. Reading, swimming, snoozing and dinner on the deck again. Enjoying !

Mar 24th - 25th, 2011

Travel days. Left DC in the pouring rain, traffic, straight down the 95 to the Florida border. 1100 km later thru the traffic, trees popping out in leaf, sun coming out, we stopped at Yulee, Florida. It was bike night at the local pub, a few sights and good food. Fri we made our way along the Scenic Route to Daytona and then across country to Indian Shores on the Gulf side. Bunked in with Karen and Bob for the night and had a great little visit. Missed Angie, Dan and kids as they were off being tourists. Off to Bonita Springs tomorrow.

Mar 22nd - 23rd, 2011

Another warm, sunny day in Washington. The hotel was still on winter heat and soooo hot in room. Windows wide open and a fan going and listened to the sounds of a city. Katie Calder joined us for a day of Old Trolley sightseeing around the city with several on and off stops to see the White House ( a lot smaller then you think and the huge green area around it we had in our minds is not so. Didn't see anybody important - tourists, police, black suburbans and police dogs ) the Capitol, Union Station, the Canadian Embassy on Penn Drive (only one between the White House and the Capitol), monuments of Thomas Jefferson, Lincoln, and the Washington Monument. The Reflection Pool was empty of water as they are in the process of a major restoration. The Memorials for the Korean War, Vietnam War and WW II were all in the same area - the Korean War memorial was quite impressive. Our tour also included a drive thru a high end residential area and Embassy Row. After a great walk thru Georgetown and it's shops, restaurants and architecture we had dinner. Thought we might try a DC Cupcake but the line was around the block - what's with a $2.75 cupcake, packed in a pink box ?  Apparently the shop is owned and run by two Canadian gals from Quebec.

On Wed we woke to dark skies and cooler temps but the rain held off all day. Another Trolley ride to downtown and we visited the Smithsonian Museums of American History, Natural History ( the kids would love this one - lots of animals and dinosaurs ) and National Air and Space Museum ( amazing to see the  space modules they flew in ). A lot to see and take in. You could spend days looking and reading all the info. We spent the evening with Brian and Katie Calder, drinks, a viewing of their wedding pictures and fantastic dinner at Ristorante La Perla where the 70 year old chef came out to chat and then sent shooters to the table. Apparently to cleanse our palette - it did the job. A huge thunderstorm hit while we were dining but was gone by the time we walked back to the hotel. Night, night.

Mar 18th - 21st, 2011 Trip South

( Steve and Mary Lockhart's house )
On the road to another adventure ! We have travelled only 1800 km in 4 days - slow but steady is our motto. Spent a night with Grammie Jeanne and had visits with Brian, Rosemary, Conner, Elaine, and Angie and even managed to get in a hockey game before we crossed the border. The weather has been great for driving with our new vehicle ( and summer tires ). We stayed in Portsmouth, Maine and it is the neatest little town on the water. A lot of old homes, quaint little stores and lots of restaurants. Ate at Rudi's - jazz band playing, waiters all dressed in blue jeans, black shirts and aprons and fantastic food.
On Sunday we made our way to Midland, NJ with perfect directions from Lockhart. Had a great night with he and Mary catching up on news, family, old times and friends, a delicious salmon dinner and a couple bottles of wine. Perfect night !  But woke up to snow Monday morning...... Could not believe it. It didn't last long or interfere with our drive to Washington. In DC, the trees are starting to show some red buds, the magnolias are in blossom and daffs are in bloom - and it is 21 degrees. After our buddy "TomTom" directed us to the Monticello on Thomas Jefferson St, we unloaded,  unpacked, and took off for a good long walk around Georgetown. Ended up at the Fairmont and just by chance Brian and Katie Calder were checking in. He has been transferred to DC. Made our arrangements to meet Katie the next day while Brian is working. Poor boy. Had a fun dinner at Martin's Tavern on Wisconsin ( sat next to the booth where JFK proposed to Jackie ) and on the way back to the hotel stopped at a book store. And quess who we ran into - Brian and Katie. Small world. From snow to daffodils in one day is perfect

Friday, March 11th, 2011

7 more sleeps until we leave for the warm south. Been a great winter for snowmobiling but looking forward to a new adventure.