Adventures With MnM

The Fun Continues

2012-02-16T13:50:00.002-05:00

These past few days have been fun filled. We’ve had lots of parties, dinners, swims and oh yeah… an earthquake.

On Monday morning around 5:00 am the bed started shaking, followed shortly by cups/plates rattling. Within a few seconds all of us were up. Apparently the quake happened about an hour south of us; 15 miles off shore.

It was a 6.0 and as far as we know, there wasn’t any damage done. And all of us were fine. But talk about an exciting way to start the day.

On Monday night the 3 of us headed over to Papas & Burgers and played some good old fashioned Texas Hold ‘Em Poker. There were about 18 people in total and I tripled my money! Bought in for $4.00 and cashed out $12.00. Mike and Victoria didn’t do so well; but I think we still came out ahead.

I ended up taking over the dealing (I know what a surprise!) and wowed and bedazzled all the other players with my poker dealing skills. I’m in my element when I have a deck of cards in my hands. Even tried to convinced a few of the other players that I was actually born with a deck of cards in my hands. Some of them were a little drunk, so I may have succeeded.

We’ve been to the beach a few times; and Mike and Victoria have spent lots of time playing in the waves. The waves here aren’t near as high or big as in Hermossa; so you don’t get tossed around quite so much.

We’ve also had lots of nights sitting around Phil’s pool with the Canadian Crew. Even got together for their last night (which was last night) and went to Jaco Taco for dinner. It was a lot of fun, the food was great; and Phil treated all of us.. Thanks again Phil!

Today we saw them off and have already made some plans to meet up in the Spring when we get home.

My bike had another flat tire this past week; and we have now bought tube #3, a different brand this time; and hopefully it’ll last. Mike has become an expert in changing flat tires. He’s also really really glad that’s it’s the front tire and not the back.

And as of today; Phil has lent Victoria one of his bikes to use for the rest of her time here. She’ll have a much better chance of seeing all of Jaco this way.

A few days after the Canadian Crew showed up, Mike wearing his Tilley hat, looked over the wall to say hi. When Paula looked up; she instantly was reminded of "Wilson" from the TV show Home Improvement. His character was famous for not having the lower part of his face shown. Ever since then, we have unofficially become "the Wilson's". And Victoria is now "Miss Wilson".

So today, before we went over to say our goodbyes, Paula took a few pictures of us, being "the Wilson's".

And not sure how this happened; but I totally forgot to mention it in the last blog or post pictures. But almost 2 weeks ago the bikers started arriving in Jaco for the weekend.

Just a few showed up on Friday night and some booths were up and ready for business. On Saturday morning, there were upwards of 1000 bikes in Jaco.

Most of the bikes were parked around the park; which is just in front of our condo complex. We spent a few hours wandering around and taking pictures. At one point, I was standing on the side of the road; and about a 100 bikes or so passed. I could feel the rumblings in my chest and the smell of gas. It was pretty exhilarating.

Tonight, Phil is coming over for dinner and the 4 of us are going to play some euchre. After a game or 2 maybe we'll teach them pepper, which is "the grown up" version of euchre and much more of a game.

The plan for tomorrow is to be up and out the door by 6:00 am. We’re heading to Manuel Antonio for the day; hope the monkeys are out.

Click here to look at our pictures.

Mike Birthday and Victoria Arrives

2012-02-12T14:39:00.001-05:00

The past few weeks have just flown by. Our new friend Phil, from London, had some friends show up for a 10 day visit; and we also met a group from Pensacola, Florida.

We’ve had a couple of beach fires with the group from Florida; and it’s been a lot of fun. Joey brings his grill; we all bring food and drinks and the party begins!

On a couple of occasions, Joey/Eida’s daughters have come and entertained us with their guitars and singing.

We have also done lots of things with the Canadian Crew. Dinners out; drinks around Phil’s pool; drinks on Phil’s front patio… lots of drinking.

Then on Mike’s birthday, which was on Friday; his cousins daughter, Victoria from Seattle; arrived for a months vacation in Costa Rica.

We met her at the bus station; and it’s been non-stop ever since. After unpacking and taking a swim, we headed off to Rustico’s for dinner. I forgot to mention this in the last post; but we finally saw Sadie, our favourite sister who owns Rustico’s.

She only works the occasional weekend now; and she happened to be there a few weeks ago. She recognized us right away and her face lit up into a huge smile; she then came out from behind the register and gave me a big hug and kiss on the cheek! Don’t think that that has ever happened at home… made me feel good to get that kind of welcome from her.

After dinner, we headed home to gather our stuff for the upcoming party at the beach and off we went.

Joey had gotten a load of wood earlier in the day; and had it all set up for us when we got there. Within short order, there were 20-30 people to help Mike celebrate his 61st birthday.

The group from Pensacola were there; the Canadian Crew; Joey/Eida, and a few other people that we didn’t know. The fire was huge; and we partied late into the night. We had a great time and for both of us; our birthdays this year will be remembered for many years to come. Both of us are Canadian winter babies; and usually a beach fire is out of the question. But not this year; and boy did we ever have a lot of fun.

Yesterday, we took Victoria up the road to Hermossa so she could watch the surfing competition. While Mike watched our stuff; we went into the waves and boy did we get tossed around by a few of them.

The waves were huge; and the under tow was pretty strong; but it was still a lot of fun. We finally decided to get out when a couple of surfers came pretty close to our heads with their surfboards. So back to the beach we went to watch from a safer distance.

Got back to Jaco and off to Papas & Burgers we went for yet another great dinner. There was a street parade going on with lots of marching bands, etc and so after dinner we stopped and watched/listened for a bit.

The Canadian Crew were also out there; chatted with them for a bit; and made plans for us to come over later. We headed home for much needed showers and then back to Phil’s we went for a late swim, more drinking and visiting.

We’ve had a lot of fun this past while; click here to take a look to see some of our pictures.

A Birthday Beach Fire

2012-02-02T16:47:00.001-05:00

For the first time ever in my life, I got to have a fire on the beach this year for my birthday! And was it ever nice.

We went for dinner at Papas & Burgers, and around 8pm we headed to the beach. Joey had gotten some wood for us; and within short order we had a blazing fire going.

7 of our friends showed up and helped me celebrate. Mike had baked me a chocolate cake and we brought that to the beach to serve.

The night was perfect; and we plan to do it all again a week from tomorrow for Mike’s birthday.

On Monday morning, Joey picked us up and off to the beach we went. Joey and Eida wanted to try out a kayak that their thinking of buying. We didn’t have bathing suits with us; or we would have tried it out too. Maybe next time.

A lot of the rest of this past week (or so) has been pretty much spent the same. We go on lots of bike rides; lots of mountain hikes; and we are spending a lot of time at the beach this year. Being this close, plus having chairs makes a huge difference.

We’ve also been down lots of new roads in Jaco this year. And have ridden around a few typical barrios. All I can say, is boy do we ever have it good at “home”. I didn’t take any picture while driving around the barrios, as I’m not yet quite co-ordinated enough to pedal a bike and operate a camera. Maybe by the end of our stay here, I’ll get to that stage; but not yet.

Our neighbour Phil gave us the key to his place and we’ve been using his pool almost daily. And boy is it ever nice. No kids, private, stereo playing; and did I mention NO KIDS!!!

My front tire on my bike has been going flat since my birthday. Mike figures it's been 30 plus years since he last fixed a flat tire; and he's done it 4-5 times in this past week. The first time, he biked over to the bike shop and the guy fixed it for a dollar. That lasted about an hour before it was flat again. Next was a repair kit for about a dollar and 2 patches later, decided to get a new tube.

The new tube within an afternoon had 2 patches; so off to the store Mike went again. This time he bought a smaller tube; and very thoroughly checked to see if there was anything sharp in the tire (there wasn't). So far it's been a few days; and no flats!

And last night; we had another fire on the beach. This time with some American tourists that Joey had met earlier in the week. While enjoying the fire, and cook out, Joey and Skip both caught red snappers.

The first one, was caught by Skip and Joey was planning on turning it into Ceviche for them; the second one; was served within short order. Joey took the fish to his place, cleaned and gutted it. Then he lined some tin foil with salt, put the fish on that; covered it with more salt and sealed the tin foil.

Back to the beach and onto the fire. An hour later, the fish was done and boy oh boy was it ever good! You don’t get much fresher than that. They even had melted garlic butter to dip the fish into and mmm mmm tasty!

So, all in all it’s been a couple of nice weeks, again, in Jaco. Please click here to look at our pictures.

A Quieter Week

2012-01-19T14:40:00.002-05:00

This past week or so has been fairly quiet. Mike had a really bad sunburn and that kept us pretty close to home for a few days. Lots of Benadryl and lots of aloe and a few days later it was easing up.

We also ended up with a broken bedroom window. While out one day; the maintenance guy came and used an electric weed eater on a rock bed. You guessed it, rocks went flying everywhere… including through our window.

Liz, the manager, got on it right away to have it replaced; but the promises of tomorrow never came. After almost a week; she had it replaced herself. We wanted to be here; so there was lots of sitting around time.

Some of you have asked how my foot is doing. The x-rays that I had done in July showed that I had 2 plantar spurs, one on the bottom of my foot and the other on my Achilles tendon.

After waiting almost 5 months to see a specialist, she told me that I had Achilles tendonitis and there wasn’t much that I could do. Because we left shortly after seeing her, there wasn’t any time to pursue another opinion. I will look into in this spring when we get home.

Despite my foot hurting most of the time; I don’t let it stop me much; and have walked up the mountain a couple of times already. And lots of bike riding too. The bike is great for my heel; but kills my knees when starting off. And the walking is hard on my heel; but easy on my knees… oh this getting old sucks!

I also had an cervical ablation at the end of November; and all I can say on this subject is; that it’s worse than I thought it was going to be; but better than it was. Will also be looking into the next step on that when we get home.

So, this past week of lots of down time worked well.

We met another Canadian, who is from London, Ontario, of all places. And his house is out our back room. His name is Phil; and he took us up to his friends place in the mountains the other day. Really nice place, but I certainly wouldn’t want the responsibility. Also just a tad out of the way.

And on Saturday afternoon, we got a cab and headed up the highway to Hermossa, where there’s a weekly surfing competition. About 50 surfers strutting their stuff and hoping for the perfect wave.

The beach is really close to the surf and it made for a fun afternoon. Had dinner at the Backyard (the restaurant that sponsors the competition). They had some live music playing and it was a great way to spend a day.

We’ve also played in the waves quite a few times. Apparently the ocean is pretty calm these days, but it’s perfect for us.

And yesterday Mike and I went to the beach where Joey was fishing. As we were setting up our chairs, 5 macaws flew by. There were 2 pairs and a single. They seemed a little confused and flew amongst the tall buildings like they had never seen them there.

Turning back, they met up with another pair of macaws and the 7 of them flew around, squawking up a storm and showing off their brilliant colours. A little while later, I was walking along the shore; when I saw all 7 of the same macaws land in a tree just up from me! How often does that happen to a Canadian girl? Not very.

I headed on over and the 7 of them were in the tree, just a squawking away and having a feast on the almonds. If you weren’t careful walking under the tree, you could have ended up with one or two being bounced off your head.

Feel free to click here to look at our pictures.

A Busy Week in Jaco

2012-01-08T16:18:00.001-05:00

It’s been a busy week. Joey and his friend John picked us up around 6:00 am on Tuesday morning and off to the turtle sanctuary we went. We were the only ones there; and there was a bucket of baby turtles waiting to be released to the ocean.

Out of a 100 eggs that are hatched, only 20 successfully make it to the ocean and only 1 out of those makes it back to the same beach to lay eggs. Because of the sanctuary, their numbers are now 90% make it to the ocean. The study hasn’t been going long enough to know how many make it back to the beach.

It was pretty cool to watch and learn. And it was pretty cool to see all these baby turtles making it to the ocean. Some would get pretty far and then a wave would come along and wash them back to the starting point. And only 1 got snatched by a hawk.

Back to the vehicle we went to get the guys surfboards and a belly board for Mike. And for the next few hours, I watched the guys surfing and the waves and lots and lots of pelicans flying along the waves. Great way to spend a morning.

On Wednesday we hopped on our bikes and drove to the South end of Jaco, locked the bikes at a gas station and started a climb up the mountain. Wasn’t long before we came to a nice resting place and enjoyed the view of Jaco below.

Continued on up and up and up. Finally near the top, we found a trail that lead us to an old hotel ruins. The owners must have put a small fortune into this place. There was a stone wall along the road, etched with lots of animals, etc. And then the structure itself was pretty amazing.

Apparently the owners were going to bus people up to this fancy resort overlooking Jaco; but the idea never flew; and apparently the owner died a few years ago. What a shame, but it was a nice find for us.

On Thursday with tired, aching muscles, we headed off to the grocery store. Along the way stopped and said hello to Herman and asked if he knew of a good masseuse… what a surprise.. He did! Herman is the “go to” guy. He knows lots of people and has lots of friends. And if you are looking for something, he’s the guy to go to. Handy to have people like that down here.

We got our groceries, and got back to the condo to have lunch before our masseuse showed up. Actually there was 2 of them and it turned out that we didn’t have to flip a coin to see who went first. First time in 16 years that Mike and I enjoyed a massage side by side. It was wonderful!

Friday, we headed off to the beach with chairs and towels. We rode our bikes to the North end of the beach, locked the bikes together at the river and off we went. Never had been to this end of the beach before; and it was pretty nice and quiet.

Found ourselves a nice place to swim and watch waves crashing over the rocks. A few hours later, we had to cross the same river, but forgot about the incoming tide. Ended up with water to our waists; but that why you wear bathing suits to the beach : ))

Later that afternoon, we headed to the extreme South end of the beach; Joey was heading out fishing, so we went along. Had a nice long stroll on the beach and was again entertained by a beautiful sunset.

And last night; to round out a great week; we went Salsa dancing with Joey and Eida and their girls and their friends. I know what a shocker!!! And to be honest with you; we did a lot more watching of other people dancing then we actually danced. But Joey and his persistence, actually got me and then Mike up on the dance floor. We had a great time!

And because of all the sun we got the day before, we both fell into bed around 2:30 last night with our skin on fire. Mike looks like he’s a lobster today. And I’m sure that he’ll end up with a hive or two over this.

Feel free to click here to look at our pictures.

Happy New Year!

2012-01-01T15:37:00.002-05:00

Since the last blog; we’ve seen a turtle laying eggs; bought a bike; and celebrated a new year.

Early this past week, we were at the beach and had just found a log to put our feet up on, when a man came up to us and told us that a turtle was laying eggs further up the beach.

We hopped on our bikes and went over to have a look. There were lots of people there to watch; and he told me about some of the process. Apparently she can be hours, and hours laying anywhere from 60 to 100 eggs.

When she’s done, she covers up the eggs with sand, and heads on back to the ocean. It’s up to the babies, once hatched, to make it to the ocean themselves.

Mike and Joey got to help move some babies to the ocean on New Years Eve day, but no pictures as he didn’t have the camera. They were heading to get wood for our fire and stopped at the turtle sanctuary. We’re hoping to get there sometime this week.

Joe, our neighbour from Indiana, decided to head home early; and sold us his bike for $60; and is it ever nice to have a bike to get around this town. We can get just about anywhere within a few minutes… the grocery store; the beach; restaurants… you name it, and it’s an easy ride.

The bikes that we have are called “beach” cruisers. No gears… only go as fast as the user; and when you want to stop; pedal backwards. They have wide tires, and are great for riding on the beach.

We’ve only taken a cab a couple of times, usually from the grocery store. It costs 570 colones which is $1.35 to open the door; and by the time we arrive at the condo a few blocks up, it’s still at 570 colones. I usually give the driver 700 which is about $1.40... Pretty cheap!

We took our bikes up to our old neighbourhood one day this week. Only got a short ways up the hill before we had to get off and walk the bikes up. Don’t miss that hill… at all!

The place looked the same and we stopped in to say hello to Michael. He and a few guys developed the whole area; and he also helped to call a cab for us when I needed medical attention last year. Very nice man, and he was really happy to see us.

Then on New Years Eve, we headed over to Papas & Burgers for a late dinner, before heading over to the beach to meet up with Joey & Eida for New Years Eve celebrations. We had been eating turkey since Christmas Day, turkey pieces at lunch, turkey sandwiches for supper, then when the meat was done, turkey soup. And even though we both really like turkey, we both really wanted something different.

There were probably 40 in our group; their daughters and all of their friends; plus lots of Americans and Tico‘s. Joey had a separate fire for a grill; and during the night; hot dogs, fish and corn were on the grill.

Of course, we just blended in to the 1000’s of other people that were out there. First time in mine or Mike’s life to spend New Years on a beach; and it’s something that we won’t forget for a long time.

Some of you will remember me talking about the fireworks from last year. Started shortly after 6pm and stopped somewhere around 5 in the morning. At midnight there were so many fireworks going off that you didn’t know where to look… Well, it wasn’t quite as long, or as many this year; but boy oh boy, what a show!

Like I said, there were 1000’s of people on the beach; didn’t matter where you looked, there were groups of people. Playing music, beach fires blazing… some of them were massive! And of course at midnight the beach was just lit up in all directions.

People cheering, whistling, horns beeping… what a sight! And yes, Mike and I even got a bottle of Malibu rum to sip on for the night… I know what a shocker eh?!

We finally gave up and headed home just before 2 and were in bed by 2:30. What a night! We hope that all of you had also had a memorable, New Years Eve. And we want to wish all of our family, friends and followers a safe, healthy and happy 2012!

Feel free to click here to look at our pictures.

Christmas Week

2011-12-25T22:22:00.002-05:00

Monday afternoon, we had a full house of teenagers over to help bake shortbread cookies. Kayleen and Jessica are Joey and Eida’s teenage daughters and they and their friends, Diana and Joshua came over to help.

It was an interesting baking experience, as we don’t have a lot of tools to use here. The batter takes about an hour to cool in the fridge before you can bake; and during this time, I gave the 3 girls French manicures. They loved them!

I found out though; that with 4 teenagers helping you bake, there weren’t a lot of cookies at the end; but we all had a lot of fun. In fact, Jessica wants to get together again real soon to bake cakes.

Unfortunately, because the butter and flour are so different here; the cookies were good; but not near as good as what we make at home.

We are located right behind the main park in Jaco; and there have been lots of activities going on there lately. On Tuesday, we heard music and lots of voices; and walked over in the afternoon.

There was a very long, slow moving line of very well behaved children. Figured they must have been waiting to see Santa, cause where else would that many children behave so well for so long. I was right.

Because we are so close to the beach; we’ve headed over 3 or 4 times already for sunsets. Much nicer to live this close to the main part of town than tucked away up on the mountain.

Thursday night, we headed over to Joey and Eida’s for a visit. She made a delicious pork appetizer called chicirona’s and we shared a Christmas drink. Along the way, we stopped and wished a few of our friends a Feliz Navidad and gave them maple candies and chocolate loonies… they were a big hit and I felt like Santa for a few minutes.

Before we left home; we bought a few “truly Canadian” presents. A micky of Canadian Club; a bottle of 100% pure maple syrup; hard maple candies; chocolate loonies; a deck of cards with a map of Canada on the back; and a set of Canadian coins. From the penny right up to the toonie; all made in 2011, so nice and shiny and new.

We gave Joey/Eida the bottle of Canadian Club the night they picked us up; and it turns out they liked it so much; that while in Panama earlier this week; they bought a bottle at the boarder.

And today, we cooked an old fashioned North American turkey dinner, complete with all the trimmings; and shared it with our new friends Bob and Sherry from B.C. and Joe from Indiana.

It was very tasty and the 5 of us enjoyed a nice evening together. We bought the turkey a few days ago; and got the smallest one we could… turned out to be almost 20lbs. Thank goodness we like turkey leftovers.

The past 4 days have seen little to no rain; and today was hot and sunny. Glad that the turkey was being cooked at Joe’s place and not ours.

We would like to take this time to wish all of our family and friends a very Merry Christmas! It was great to talk to so many of you today.

Feel free to take a look at our pictures.

2011-12-17T22:29:00.001-05:00

Now that we have a “home”; this past week has just flown past.

We live in a “gringo” area of our complex. The first condo are Bob and Sherry from Salmon Arm, BC. Behind them is Liz, a Canadian ex-pat from Alberta. Then us; attached to us and to the left is Joe from Fort Wayne, Indiana.

Liz owns her unit; and manages the other 3. The owner of our unit usually doesn't rent; but his health is not good; and he's not coming down this year; and since we're "friends" of Liz's, he agreed. The cable was hooked up a few days ago; and is included in the rent. We also have free wi-fi from the park that's in front of our condo.

We all get along really well; and it’s nice to have English speaking neighbours all around us. On our 3rd day here; Liz got out her Ladder Golf game and Liz and I took on Joe and Mike.

We had good old fashioned Christmas music playing; and Liz had her Santa hat on. It was a lot of fun. If it ever stops raining; we’ll play again I’m sure.

We have the most “equipped” condo out of the group. And it’s quite nice. And even came with a bike. We’ve borrowed Joe’s a few time; and it’s great to be able to pedal around town. A little wobbly at first; but I’ve got my bike legs back again.

We're getting used to only having hot water in the shower. Most Tico homes do not have hot water; so dishes and hand washing is cool. To get hot water in the showers; most Tico's have rigged up something called a "suicide shower". There's an electrical heating element above the shower head, which the water passes through before coming out. Most people don't mix water and electricity; but sometimes you do as the locals and don't ask too many questions.

We also really love living so close to the town. Very convenient to get to the grocery store; go out for dinner; or down to the beach for a sunset. We’ve only been to the beach twice; as it’s done an awful lot of raining here since arriving. We’re still at the tail end of the rainy season; but still mid to high 20’s daily. And very humid.

We had a couple of close calls relating to wallets. Last Saturday after picking up all of our stuff from Joey/Eida’s we took a cab to our new place. Since they didn’t know us at the gate; they wouldn’t let us in until we showed some I.D.

I had taken my wallet out to pay the driver; and when I got out to go talk to the guard, I dropped it. Thankfully he wanted to see my passport; and when it wasn’t in my purse, or pocket, I panicked, for just a bit… there it was lying on the road… phew!!! Needless to say I’ve been extra vigilant since.

A few days later, Joe left his wallet on the table at Rustico’s after his breakfast. Didn’t notice until hours later. Tore his place apart before panic set in. Went to Rustico’s… just in case… and luckily for him; a worker cleared his table shortly after he left; and they had it for him; money intact; at the cash register. Talk about both of us getting lucky.

We biked over to the clinic to say hi to Dr. Brenda; but she’s moved on and no longer works there. Also our favorite pharmacist David (he helped us last year when we had the parasites) is no longer there; and Sadie, one of the sisters who owns Rustico’s; is now working in San Jose.

But our friends Herman, Jose, Chris and Joey and Edia are still around. Felt like old homecoming week around here the first few days. Lots of smiles; hugs and handshakes from people who remembered us from the spring.

Mike has used the pool a couple of times; I’m waiting for a bit more. But there hasn’t been too many hot sunny days yet. Also not near as private as the last year’s but no stairs… yay!

Feel free to click here to look at our pictures.

A Catch Up

2011-12-11T22:23:00.002-05:00

I know that it’s been forever since I last wrote a blog; so bare with me if this one is a little long.

We arrived back from our East coast trip middle of August; and the rest of the summer just seemed to fly by. Lots of dinners; cards and campfires with family and friends.

Then some sadness settled in on Mike’s family. We lost 3 of his beloved Aunts, Jeanette, Claire and Marie since the end of August. All 3 were loving, caring, happy women; and all 3 will be missed. Also in September, Mike’s brother Rob lost his battle. We had a celebration of his life in October. His life was way too short; but he’s in a better place now.

Amongst all the sadness though, was lots of laughter. Sharing memories and stories. And although the circumstances weren’t great, it was really nice to see so many family members and friends.

We both also had surgeries since my last posting. Mike’s hernia surgery went off without a hitch in early October, and he’s completely healed from it. Then I had a surgical procedure on November 29th and that caused our delay in leaving for the South.

This past week has been pretty caotic to say the least. On Sunday we had a Christmas get together with Mike’s family; then busy packing on Monday; closed up and winterized the rig on Tuesday. Had dinner with my folks in London; then off to Toronto early Wednesday morning (thanks again Dad, we really appreciated the ride!).

Wednesday was a very long travel day, but we arrived safely at the Best Western Irazu in San Jose around 10 pm. Our friend Joey picked us up the next day and we drove through downtown San Jose to pick up his wife Eida and daughter.

There were literally 1000’s of people roaming the street complete with the crazy drivers. Glad that I was a passenger. We then stopped at Pricesmart (Costco) and picked up a few items that we knew we would be needing. Ended up getting a double bag of cereal for free! 3 different people to check you out; and all 3 missed it sitting clearly in the cart… thanks!

We then took the scenic way home and stopped at a quaint little Soda (tico food) restaurant. It was in the middle of nowhere; but the food was good and the ambience was amazing.

The owners family has had this property tucked away on a mountainside for over 100 years. They run the Soda; and have livestock, orange trees and sugar cane out back. She toured us around and it was very interesting. Much more personal than Gray Line, thanks again Joey and Eida for picking us up.

We found a hostel to spend the night; and off to Papa’s & Burgers we went for yet another delicious burger. The hostel was pretty bare bones, but cleanish and safe.

Friday and most of Saturday we spent walking up and down main street; talking to anybody that had a condo for rent sign. We ended up back at the hostel for yet a 2nd night; and things were looking grim. Off to Rustico’s we went for dinner, and it was just as good as we remembered.

By late Friday afternoon, we had met up with our old friend Herman; and he took us to see a couple of potentials; but nada. Next day, we finally met Liz and she had a place, but only til the end of this month. Well it was the most decent place we had seen and affordable to boot. We grabbed it.

Found out just an hour or so ago; that the owner isn’t coming down this year; and if we want it; it’s ours til May… yay! We’re a couple of blocks from the beach and right off main street. Minutes from our friends business and restaurants.

Glad to be settled. The condo is cleaned and we’re all unpacked. Even went and got a few groceries today; so we’re good to go.

Last night there was a horse parade down main street. Started at 6 pm, only about 3 hours later than advertised… that’s tico time. About 150-200 horses walked, danced and pranced down main street.
1000’s of people lining the side; Salsa music playing. It was pretty cool to watch.

And tonight, we had a first sunset at the beach… ahhh the life!

Feel free to click here to take a look at some pictures.

The Last Few Days in Nova Scotia

2011-08-19T17:00:00.002-04:00

We’ve spent the past 2 days watching the tide go out; then come in; then go out; and then in again. Aaah! What a life.

We found a nice little campground and pitched our tent about 20 feet from the Tatamagouche Bay in Broule, Nova Scotia. And since we had packed up a little on the damp side, the open space with lots of wind and a sunny sky was a welcome sight for us.

In short order we had the tent set up; but before we put the fly on; we used the poles to hang all our linens; to either dry them out or give things a chance to freshen up a bit.

And then we just sat back, relaxed and enjoyed the view in front of us. We have been pleasantly surprised with amazing sunsets while out East. We thought for sure that we would have to get up pretty early to see some spectacular sunrises; but that hasn’t been the case.

The first night there; once the tide had gone out; with the aid of binoculars, you could see all kinds of seals. Playing and cavorting with each other. The next morning; the tide had gone out again; and with just your eyes; you could see all kinds of seals sunning themselves on the exposed rocks. As the tide came in, they would seek other places, or just start swimming around again.

There was also a family of 4 who went in swimming just in front of us; and they had a couple of seals swimming not far from them. The water was pretty cold; but we did manage to wade around in it for a bit. Not hearty enough to actually swim in it though.

When Mike went to the office to get wood; he asked where there was a nice place for seafood in town. The workers response was the Chatter House. A few hours later, when heading out; we stopped and checked with the fire guy to make sure that we were on his list (as they delivered the wood to your site); and asked him about this Chatter House; told us it was good; and about 10 minutes away. So off to Tatamagouche we went.

Driving through the town, we often read out loud names of places, especially when we're looking for a particular place. Within a few minutes, we passed the Chowder House. Hmmm, could both of the workers meant the Chowder House and not the Chatter House? Turns out that the accents here are a little strong; and yup, the Chowder House was what they meant; and it was very tasty. No lobster; but scallops and a seafood bake instead. I told our server the story; and she got a laugh out of it.

Also the past few nights; after being awed by incredible sunsets; within short order a yellow/orange moon can be seen on the low horizon… nice.

Today, we left Nova Scotia; with a little sadness. I totally fell in love with this beautiful province; and if it wasn’t so darn cold in the winters and so far away from our families/friends; might even consider buying out here.

We are now in Miramichi, New Brunswick. We followed the Acadian Coastal Trail for most of today, we can’t seem to get enough of the coast. And are currently set up in a quiet little park, far off the highway.

Feel free to click here to take a look a some more of Nova Scotia’s beauty.

A Few Days at the Tip of the Cabot Trail

2011-08-17T15:37:00.004-04:00

The past few days have been filled with lots more of Nova Scotia’s beauty. We headed up the Cabot Trail on Thursday morning; and unfortunately it was very foggy and misty. And we didn’t get to see very much of the breathtaking views that it’s known for world wide.

We did however, arrive at the Jumping Mouse campground right on the tip of the trail at Bay St. Lawrence. Our sister-in-law Rosie, has 2 sisters who live on Cape Breton Island. Marg and her husband Fred own the campground; and have a beautiful place to call home.

Shortly after arriving and setting up; we headed down to the harbour to give Fred a hand preparing their sailboat. Within a short time Fred, Ken and Mike had a lot of the gear set and ready to go. The sailboat hadn’t been used in 7 years and there was a lot of prep work to be done; before Fred, Marg and Ken headed out for a sail.

We got an unexpected sail on Friday; Fred wanted to give the boat a “shake down” cruise; and we were quite happy to oblige. The day was beautiful; and it felt good to have the wind from the Atlantic blowing you along… nice.

On Friday, we met Rosie’s other sister, Claudia and her partner Rejean. Nice couple and we helped them pick berries for them to bring to the local market to sell on Saturday.

On Sunday, we took a drive over to Meat Cove and the end of the road; literally. The day was clear; and we were awed by the amazing views. There’s a campground with a great view of the ocean and just around the corner, you’re in some guys driveway.

We also got treated to a couple of saunas while here; and both times the heat felt wonderful. Also enjoyed a full moon and a few fires before it was time to head.

Last night was spent at Cheticamp; a nice place beside a cove; and we finally got to enjoy our first lobster dinner… and mmmm mmmm was it ever tasty.

Today, was spent driving along the Northumberland coast and we are currently camped about 20 feet from the Tatamagouche Bay… WOW what a beautiful place. We plan on spending two days here before we starting slowly heading West.

Overall, we have really enjoyed this trip and are glad that we did it. Feel free to click here to see some of the beauty we’ve been seeing.

A Beautiful Drive along Nova Scotia's Shore

2011-08-10T19:26:00.002-04:00

We packed up and left Sunday from Five Island Provincial Park before the rains started.

And although it continued to rain steadily for most of the day, we still thoroughly enjoyed driving along the coast of this beautiful province.

We are both really impressed with how beautifully maintained homes and yards are. I was under the impression that the East had been hit hard economically; but so far, we haven’t seen any signs of that.

The houses here all seem to be unique; and although most of them seem to be white or beige; once in awhile you come across some outlandish colour. Fuscia greens, oranges and pinks. My favourite so far was the pink with green/purple trims.

Some of these houses have absolutely spectacular views. There are plenty of islands along the coast; and lots of coves. Mike mentioned that he’s never seen so many names with “cove” as along this coast. Makes for a very interesting ride.

And curves! Holy smokes we’ve gone around countless curves. And although I miss my big, stinky, noisy truck, can’t say that I miss it on this trip. Much easier to zoom around some of these curves in our Escape than it ever was in the truck. Also much easier to stop at the side of a road for a picture, or to take in yet another breathtaking view.

After spending 6 months in Costa Rica, I can’t believe how clean things are in Canada. Don’t think we’ve seen enough garbage along any of the roads to fill a small bag yet; and we’ve come a long way so far.

Because of the rains on Monday, we totally wuused out and stayed at a B&B. It was very nice on a quiet road, with the ocean right out the back. There was also a nice tub, which I totally took advantage of; what a nice way to soak away 5 days of driving. Our hosts were very nice; and after a hearty continental breakfast, we were on our way.

Part of yesterdays stops included The Bluenose II, unfortunately it’s under re-construction, so other than seeing a whole bunch of scaffolding, there wasn’t much too see. Next we stopped at the Swiss Air monument, and then on to Peggy’s Cove. Lots of people at both. And with Mike’s hernia and my foot, we’re both content to see things from the car. We do get out and walk short distances to see the things that we need to see, but the emphasis is on short.

Last night we camped in a very quiet campground on Murphy’s Cove (about an hour East of Halifax). We were at the end of the road, nestled up to the water; and not a another person in sight or hearing range… nice! And although it’s right on the Atlantic Ocean, we were nicely protected within the cove.

Today's drive was pretty much of the same. We've been following trail markers and today's was the Marine Trail; oddly we hardly even saw the water today. We did have to take another short cable ferry and the drive reminded us both of Northern Ontario along Lake Superior.

And after a long day's drive, we are camped at the head of the Cabot Trailer in Baddeck. We'll head out late tomorrow morning and head for the tip of the trail to the Jumping Mouse Campground, and where our sister-in-law Rosie is house sitting for a while. Looking forward to it.

All in all it’s been a great tip so far. Here’s some of the beauty that we've seen so far. Feel free to take a look.

Summer of 2011 and East Trip

2011-08-07T19:58:00.003-04:00

I’m not sure where the summer of 2011 has gone, but snap your fingers and here it’s already the first week of August. I don’t know if the time is going faster cause I’m getting older, or I’m getting older cause the time is going so darn fast.

Our busy summer has been spent visiting with family and friends. We’ve had BBQ’s, get togethers, poker tourney’s and lots of cards nights with Ken and Rosie. Rosie loves to cook; Ken, Mike and I love to eat whatever it is that she comes up with; and the 4 of us love to play pepper. It’s a win win situation for all of us.

We’ve also had lots of campfires at our place, but oddly, we’ve only burnt one load of wood so far. The summer has been so busy, that we decided that it was time for a good old fashioned camping vacation.

So this past Wednesday, after loading up our new escape, we left Strathroy shortly before noon and headed East. We had pretty heavy rain through Toronto and it wasn’t until around Kingston that it finally eased up. We spent a night just West of the Quebec boarder. Within no time at all, we had our camp set up.

Mike and I haven’t been on a camping trip since the summer of 2004 and it felt pretty good to be spending a night in a tent.

Thursday we continued along and found our selves in old Quebec City. There was some kind of festival going on and there were 10’s of 1000’s of people roaming the streets.

We ended up driving around as much as we could, as there was also a fair amount of construction going on. After spending a good couple of hours driving around, it was time to head on. We drove for a few hours more and found a campground for the night.

The next night we spent in New Brunswick; and arrived in Nova Scotia around noon on Saturday. Roughly 1900 kilometers from leaving London. And only 3 ½ tanks of gas.

The weather has been wonderful so far. Mid 20’s and today is the first day of rain since leaving on Wednesday.

We are currently camped beside the Bay of Funday in a place called Parkers Cove. And we are heading counter clockwise around the province of Nova Scotia; along the coast as much as possible.

This is my first time here; and Mike hasn’t been here in 40ish years. It’s absolutely beautiful. Lush green rolling hills. Well maintained houses on beautiful lots. And hardly a piece of garbage anywhere. Most of yesterday and today were spent driving through the country side and we passed one farmers field after another. And going through one little quaint village/town after the next. What a great way to spend the day while driving through a beautiful province.

We also stopped in at Anne Murray’s center in her hometown of Springhill, NS. I’ve been a big fan of hers since I was a young girl; and it was pretty neat to walk around, see her history and hear some songs.

Please click here to see our pictures.

Settled In; New Wheels and A Golden Anniversary

2011-05-27T16:02:00.017-04:00

The time has just flown by since we’ve been home. Busy cleaning, unpacking, opening up the rig; and lots of shopping. Throw in a few visits with family and friends; and just like that, 2 weeks have gone by.

To some, we live in a trailer; but to us, our rig is “home sweet home” and boy does it ever feel good to back amongst our “stuff”. You don’t realize how comfy you got it; until you leave for 6 months and then come back to it all.

We had a few decisions to make this past winter; and one of the big ones is that we’ve decided to park our RV wheels… at least for a bit. We’re not giving it up totally… but for now we’re going to call Trout Haven in Strathroy home; and we’ll head to a tropical destination for the winter months.

Our truck needed a lot of work and money to be brought up to snuff; and we felt with it being a 2002, it just didn’t seem worth it. Also with the price of gas rising on a daily basis (it seems), the cost of pulling our rig will only sky rocket.

We’re pretty content with where we’ve been and what we’ve seen over the past 4 ½ years. We’ve been from PEI to Key West and from Vancouver Island to just North San Diego; and lots of points in between.

We always said that once Molly was gone, that we would be able to travel in a different way. Her last gift to us was the freedom to travel; and although we still really miss her; we're filled with great memories of her.

We thoroughly enjoyed our time in Costa Rica this past winter; but the beauty of our lives is that we’re not committed to going back. We’ll spend some time looking at maps over the summer and figure where we want to go.

As a result of this big decision, we traded in our truck for a brand spanking new 2011 Ford Escape. We absolutely love it! One of the things that I’m going to look forward to the most is no more outrageous mechanic bills. Other than an oil change every 5000 km’s or so, there won’t be much for us to do. Going to love that! It was a little bittersweet trading the truck in; as it had a big role in pulling us around the continent.

And 50 years ago on May 27, 1961, my parents Jack and Joyce got married. Congratulations to my parents on this milestone. My brother, sister, grandkids, Mike and I, took them out for dinner a few weekends ago. And this weekend their celebrating in Toronto.

Not many people celebrate 50 years of marriage; in fact my Dad is the first in his family; and my Mom is second only to her older brother. I’m sure that it wasn’t always easy; but they persevered. And in a world where divorce happens more and more all the time; I’m proud of my parents for sticking it through the rough patches.

Have a great time in Toronto Mom and Dad… we love you and look forward to celebrating many more years together.

Please click here to look at our pictures.

The Rest of our Costa Rica Trip

2011-05-15T14:59:00.001-04:00

We thoroughly enjoyed the rest of our stay at Arenal Lodge. Unfortunately the rainy season had begun; and for most of Sunday and until we left on Monday afternoon, it was rainy and very foggy.

The best view of the volcano turned out to be on Saturday afternoon; and even then we didn’t get to see all of it. The volcano has been quiet for the past 8 months now; and we didn’t even get to feel a tremor.

The lodge itself though was beautiful; and despite the rain, we walked around the grounds Sunday afternoon. We spent a few minutes in the butterfly garden. Only 6 blue morphous butterflies, but apparently there weren’t any last month.

We then went on a mile hike through a rain forest, right on the lodges’ property. It was a little hard on my foot, as we spent most of the hike climbing and the descending stairs. It was a beautiful hike though; and we got to see lots of beautiful foliage.

Monday afternoon we were picked up at 2:30 and off to San Jose we went. It was about to be a 3 ½ hour roller coaster ride. The driver wasn’t near as crazy as the two previous ones, but I was still holding onto my seat in front of me a few times.

It poured rain for most of the way, and the further up the mountain we climbed, the foggier it got. You could see very little and I was relieved when we got into San Jose, where there was no fog or rain.

We had dinner, collected our deposit money, well some of it, and headed off to bed. We were out the door and headed to the airport by 5:00 a.m. We passed through customs without any problems and started the long journey home.

The flight was uneventful; we arrived in Atlanta and by the time we went through customs and security… again… we had roughly an hour to grab something to eat, before the next leg.

We arrived in Toronto; cleared customs without any problems and were met by my parents a few minutes later. It was great to see my folks again, there’s nothing like a hug from family. We stopped for dinner at Kelsey’s and arrived in London at 10 pm. Visited with Ken and Rosie for a bit, before hitting the hay. It was a long day, but we were happy to be back in Canadaland.

It’s wonderful to go away, but there’s nothing better than coming home. I’ll write a new blog in a day or two with what we’ve been up to since being home.

Please click here to look at our pictures.

We Dined with A Macaw

2011-05-07T22:33:00.002-04:00

Our last few days in the condo found us busy packing and cleaning. It’s hard to believe that 6 months have come and gone already.

Joey picked us up late Friday afternoon, we stopped at the cable place to return the modem, then stopped to say goodbye to our tour friend Herman. A quick stop at Joey’s to put some of the perishables we gave them away; then off to a beautiful sunset spot we went.

We drove up the highway for a bit, before heading up the mountain. When we reached the top, we parked and hiked a short distance to a spectacular view of the Pacific, Jaco, Hermossa and surrounding area below. It was beautiful. Unfortunately the sunset wasn’t very spectacular; so after a few pictures we headed back to Jaco.

We had dinner at the Taco Bar and then stopped in at Joey and Eida’s to say goodbye. A very nice couple and we thoroughly enjoyed our time with them. Only wish that we had met them sooner.

This morning, we headed downtown to catch our bus that would take us to Arenal volcano. I got to sit in the front passenger seat; and the driver pointed out a pineapple orchard, and a dinosaur (okay, it wasn’t a live dinosaur); unfortunately I wasn’t able to get a shot of either.

The surroundings were beautiful and we got to see a little more of Costa Rica. We stopped after a couple of hours; at a restaurant and had a half hour break. We had a piece of banana bread; and then headed around back to see what was there.

We were not expecting to see a half dozen or more red macaws. All hanging around, squawking and posing for the many cameras. Also a couple of peacocks and some other birds. It was pretty cool. We transferred our luggage to a second bus; and off to Arenal we went.

More beautiful country side all around. Lush green foliage. I was really glad not to be driving. The road was filled with lots of twists and turns and more than once I was grabbing the seat in front of me to keep from being tossed out of my seat! Both of today’s drivers were crazy drivers; but fortunately we arrived safely and there was lots to see along the way.

We even had to stop for 3 wild horses to cross the road. If it wasn’t for the jeep behind us, that passed us and broke us the little soiree; we would have also watched some “afternoon delight” between 2 of them.

After almost 2 hours of a roller coaster ride, we arrived at the Arenal Lodge. And boy is it ever nice! We didn’t have too much of a chance to wander around yet; but what we have seen is pretty nice.

We did find time to relax in the hot tub with Arenal Volcano right there. How cool is that! Then late afternoon we headed over to the restaurant. The black cloud had lifted and more of the volcano was exposed.

As we were ordering dinner a blue and yellow macaw came and landed on the patio. Sweet!!! When our smoothies arrived, she landed on the chair right beside me and then on the table. She was heading for Mike’s smoothie when the waiter scared her off. Her name is Stephania and she just lost her partner a few months ago; and she’s a regular here.

While we ate, she sat in front of us squawking. Mike then hand fed her a strawberry and orange. When the waiter took our plates, she flew away, squawking the whole time. Like she was upset that the food was gone. It was the first time that either of us had a macaw join us for dinner; and it was quite an experience.

The last hour mother nature again has entertained us with an amazing lightning show right off our patio. Plus there is an orchestra of frogs, crickets, etc. all around us. As I finish writing this blog, the storm has moved on; hopefully we’ll be able to see some lava running down the volcano; or at least feel a decent tremor.

All in all it’s been a pretty amazing day.

Please click here to look at our pictures.

A Drive Through the Mountains

2011-05-05T14:08:00.001-04:00

Early Tuesday morning, Joey and Eida picked us up; and we headed for the mountains. We’ve been looking at these mountains for the past 5 ½ months, and finally we were going to drive through them and see what was over there.

The day was beautiful, hardly a cloud in the sky; and soon we were driving through the dense, lush foliage of the country side of Costa Rica. It was beautiful.

It didn’t matter which direction you looked, there was beauty to be seen. The road was narrow and gouged with pot holes, but there was very little traffic.

About an hour or so into the drive, we stopped at the top of the mountain, and found a local soda to have breakfast. A typical Tico breakfast is rice, beans and an egg mixed together.

The food was good; but the views were breathtaking. 360 degree of beautiful, lush, green mountains. Nice way to enjoy a meal.

We then continued on and eventually drove right across the ridge. Jaco was spread out below; and it was a great way to see the town that we’ve been living in. We could even see our condo; but not our balcony, cause there‘s so much foliage in front of it.

And it was pretty cool to see the Pacific from this great vantage point. Along with a lot of the many buildings and businesses that we’ve been too. All in all it was a great way to spend the morning; and we all enjoyed it.

We then stopped in to stay good bye to our favourite doctor Brenda; we wish we could bring her home with us. Then we continued downtown, picked up a few more souvenirs stopped in at the pharmacist; but the rest of our pills still weren’t in yet; so we headed home.

We ended up having to go back downtown later that night; and thankfully the pills were in. We’re both starting to feel better; but it’s important that we get all of our meds in us. Also turns out that we both picked up a different kind of parasite. Both amoeba family, but different. Hopefully by the time we arrive home on Tuesday, we’ll both be rid of it; and feeling 100% again.

Including tonight; it’s 6 sleeps til home and 7 til our own bed. Looking forward to it.

Please click here to look at our pictures.

Still Sick

2011-04-30T13:11:00.002-04:00

The last blog update had us meeting our friends on the beach for a cookout. By the time our friends arrived, the winds had picked up and it started to rain. So much for the cookout on the beach.

It was pretty funny though at one point. Now bare in mind, the temps were still 25-27 (80-84) and the wind was actually really refreshing. One of the young girls with our group, stood up, wrapped her arms around herself, and declared that she was freezing! I thought, sweetheart, you don’t have a clue what freezing is.

I wasn’t feeling the greatest at this point; so we headed home. I won’t go into details, but by Sunday I was having dry heaves and pretty much felt like crap.

Mike wasn’t feeling much better and at first we thought it was something that we ate. A few days later, we thought maybe we had picked up a virus or something.

We stayed pretty close to the condo for the next few days; but finally on the Saturday of the Easter weekend, we headed downtown.

There were 1000’s of people walking the streets of downtown. Thought the week of Christmas was busy, but nothing compared to this weekend. We stopped and said hello to a few of our friends; had a burger at Papas and then headed to the beach.

A few weeks before, you could have counted the people on the beach; a huge contrast to the amount of people out this day. The tide was also in, which made the beach even smaller. It seemed like the majority of the people were teenagers to late 20’s.

People playing games, having cookouts, surfing, playing in the waves. Every direction you looked, there were people… and lots of them. I personally prefer it when the beach is almost empty.

Still feeling crummy, we headed off to the clinic this past Tuesday and by Thursday afternoon, it was confirmed that we both picked up a parasite. Great! We started the 10 days of medication last night; and with any luck, we’ll start to feel better sooner than later.

When we got home on Tuesday from the clinic, we had a tucan land on a branch right off the balcony. It was pretty cool. And we even got a picture of it.

As a result of our being sick, we’re going to stay in the condo for an extra 3 nights. We’ll hopefully still have a chance to go to Arenal Volcano for the weekend, before heading home on Tuesday.

Please click here to look at our pictures.

The Sights and Sounds of Nature

2011-04-24T23:19:00.004-04:00

Mike has been having some issues with his hernia; my foot is still sore; and this past week, we’ve both been battling some kind of “stomach flu”. If we’re not over it later this week; we’ll head to the clinic and see if we’ve picked up a virus, or worse a parasite.

As a result of so much “down” time; we’ve spent a lot of time on our balcony over these past 6 months. Talking, discussing our future, and enjoying the sights and sounds of nature.

Too many of us don’t ever stop to “smell the roses” and it’s amazing the show that is being put on around you, if you only stop to notice.

Here’s some of the amazing things that we’ve seen and heard off of our balcony.

Before coming to Costa Rica, I’m not sure if I really knew what a macaw was. Well, after having them fly over us, almost daily, for the past 5 months… I do now!

They almost always travel in pairs, squawking the whole way; and they have beautiful brilliant colours on their backs and wings.

Almost every morning, we have a squirrel who makes his way from one almond tree to the other; and it’s quite the process watching it eat.

A few weeks ago; a beetle landed on a leaf right in front of the balcony. I grabbed the binoculars, and quickly discovered that she was in labour. Watched her for almost 3 hours; and eventually there was a line of tiny white eggs. She quickly gathered them up; as a group of ants were quickly moving in on her; and away she flew.

We also had a few leaf cutter ant colonies; and it was quite amazing to watch them devour a huge leaf within a matter of hours; leaving nothing but the stem.

Most days, we have a hummingbird flying around; we’ve had 2 turtle doves land on our railing; and we seem to have a resident motmot that likes to live in the tree in front. Yesterday, we had a group of 4 tiny brilliant green birds fly past us; we think they were either budgies or parakeets.

We have also heard the noisiest sicadas… ever! We thought the sicadas at home were noisy; but they ain’t got nothing on the sicadas that we’ve had here. From dusk up to an hour; there were half a dozen of them right near our balcony; and talk about loud… Sounded like chain saws choking and sputtering, and then this high pitched screech that went on for a few seconds; before starting all over again. Glad that they’ve moved on; now we get to listen to the frogs and crickets instead.

We have also been entertained countless times by mother nature’s fireworks. The manmade fireworks that we enjoyed between Christmas and New Years, were nice, but nothing compared to the lightning shows that we’ve had right in front of us.

For a couple of people who love to watch a lightning show, it’s been a pretty nice place to do it. We’ve only been chased off the balcony twice due to heavy rain, but most nights we’re able to sit out there without getting wet.

So, even though we’ve both been sick from time to time over this past winter, we picked a heck of a nice place to do it! And got to see some things that were new to both of us.

Please click here to look at our pictures.

Playing in the Waves... Again

2011-04-15T12:48:00.002-04:00

Bright and early on Wednesday morning, Joey and his friend Kevin picked us up and off to Hermosa beach we went for another morning of surfing and playing in the waves.

Along the way, we stopped and picked up another friend, Augie, and then we continued to the beach.

We parked the SUV at a friends place in a beautiful gated community. Got a little glimpse again at how the very wealthy live. The houses in this area are all well over a million. With the Pacific Ocean, right out their back door… nice.

We found a log to sit on; and within a few minutes the guys were off surfing; and I was starting to take pictures.

There were a group of surfers up from us; so there was plenty to watch. I walked along the beach for a little bit; taking pictures as I went.

Mike got a really bad burn on his back the last time he played in the ocean; so this time he kept a t-shirt on. He played in the waves and managed to successfully body surf a few waves, before heading back in.

We were back to the condo late morning and spent the rest of the day relaxing.

On Thursday, Mike headed to the grocery store to get a few supplies. Joey and Eida joined us for dinner. I made shepherds pie and Eida brought a delicious avacado/pineapple salad.

After dinner, we got out the cards and played some “high stakes” poker. Since were weren’t playing for money, we “valued” the chips starting at a $1,000. Eida had never played poker before… so of course she was the big winner.

Joey and Eida also brought us a dream catcher wind chime from their store. He had seen me looking at wind chimes earlier; and brought us one as a gift. Very nice of them; and it’ll look great hanging from our rig’s awning this summer. Thanks guys, it was very thoughtful of you.

And tonight, we’re meeting Joey, Eida and their friends for a cook out on the beach. We’ll head down for the sunset; and then meet up with them.

We are really glad to have met such a nice couple; and look forward to spending some more time with them before we leave. Which is quickly approaching. We leave Jaco on May 4th and fly home on May 10th.

On a good note, Mike’s Aunt Marie is now out of the hospital and back at her own home. Thanks for all the prayers that were being sent her way… it seems to have helped.

Rob is still deep in a coma, and could still use some extra prayers.

Please click here to look at our pictures

Playing in the Waves

2011-04-08T18:37:00.001-04:00

The mornings seem to be the nicest and sunniest part of the day. The humidity hasn’t had a chance to build yet, and the skies are usually clear and sunny.

When we got up yesterday, the sky was sunny and blue; and it seemed like a perfect day to spend some time at the beach.

We had a bag packed and were out the door shortly after 10. Because of my foot, we’re now taking a cab both ways.

The beach is very quiet these days; and there were only a handful of people down near the area where we chose to swim.

Mike headed out first; and within a few minutes lost one of his aqua shoes; found it; and lost it again. After looking around for sometime, he gave up, body surfed a few waves, and then headed back to shore.

A few minutes later, it was my turn to play in the waves, and that’s when Mike’s shoe showed up! How lucky to have found it twice.

While Mike watched our stuff, I played in the waves. The water still felt like bath water; and it was a lot of fun.

A while later, we strolled along the beach; and then back out to the main road. Stopped in to say hi to Joey and Eida; and after a bit, we headed to the Café Del Mar and all got a cool drink.

By this time, the humidity had really built up; and the skies were once again threatening. Stopped and picked up a few supplies; and got back to the condo; to be entertained for hours by mother nature.

We had an amazing lightning show right off our balcony. No rain, very little wind, just a few rumblings of thunder.

This morning, Joey picked us up shortly after 9 am to take us to some of his favourite surfing spots. We went to Herradura first, but the waves weren’t very good, so up the road to the South end of Jaco we went.

While Joey made his way down the cliff to the surf; I watched a couple of macaws having one heck of a squabble! They were fighting over one branch; and both successfully pushed each other off. A few more loud squabbles, and off they flew.

We watched Joey surf for about a half hour or so; before he dropped us at the condo. The next few days are supposed to produce big waves, and he will give us a call the next time he’s going.

It’s a great way for us to see some new places around here; and get some local stories; plus watch Joey surf. It’s a win win situation for us.

The thunder and rain that never materialized last night; showed up this afternoon. And although the rain has stopped for now; the sky is still pretty threatening.

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The rest of Jenn's visit

2011-04-01T18:11:00.001-04:00

The rest of Jenn’s visit just flew by. We spent part of Tuesday in the pool, until the thunder and lightning started. We made it back to the condo just as the skies opened up; and Jenn got her first tropical storm. When the rain stopped, we headed up to the road, and continued to watch the lightning for quite some time.

Wednesday, we took a cab downtown; and stopped in to say hi to Joey and Eida and let them know how much we enjoyed the tranopy tour.

We stopped and said hello to our friend German, and he took us to see some iguana's. Never saw that many iguana's together before. They were all gathering at the back of the restaurant, getting leftover bits of vegetables etc. We then continued along, stopping in a variety of stores along the way. We then headed to Rustico’s for an early dinner; and then off to the beach we went.

Jenn isn’t much of an ocean swimmer; so while we played in the waves, she kept an eye on our stuff. The water was a lot warmer than either of us thought it would be. Almost felt like bath water.

We played in the waves for about a half hour; and after being thrown around, slammed a few times; and tossed into the “washer machine”, a half hour was plenty, and I was happy to be heading back to shore. I took one pretty hard wave to the side of my face. I was just getting on my feet from the previous wave, when - bam! Ouch!! I had time to plug my nose, and for a minute there, I thought that maybe I had broken it from the force of the water; but thankfully I didn’t.

Thursday was spent hanging at the pool; and early this morning, Joey picked up Jenn and took her back to the airport. All in all it was a nice visit.

Today marks a special anniversary for Mike. He retired 5 years ago from Ford! He doesn’t miss it one iota and hopes he gets as many years of pension as he did work. Only 26 and a half more years to go. And also related to this topic, Mike received his first Canada Pension Plan cheque! Whoo hoo!! After all those years of contributing to it; the government will now be putting money into his bank account every month.

A medical update about Mike’s Aunt Marie, she is no longer in critical care; but she is still in the hospital; and could still use some prayers.

And 3 weeks ago tonight; Mike’s younger brother Rob, fell into a diabetic coma. It’s been a rough time for all of his family; and our hearts go out to his daughter Emalynn and his wife Karen. Any extra prayers and good energy that can be spared sure would be appreciated.

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Jenn comes for a visit

2011-03-29T13:38:00.010-04:00

The past couple of weeks have been pretty quiet… again. My foot is still giving me a lot of problems, so a lot of our days are just spent lounging at the pool and basking in the sun.

The rainy season is quickly approaching; so we’re trying to soak up as much sun as possible. The locals that we’ve talked to, are expecting the rains to start any time now; hope that we get a few good thunder/lightning storms while were still here.

Last week our friend Jenn confirmed that she was coming to Costa Rica for a weeks visit. We started to look for a way to get her from San Jose to Jaco.

While in a shop looking for souvenirs, we got talking to one of the shop owners. Joey has lived in Costa Rica for 22 years and is a wealth of information. He offered to drive us to San Jose to pick up Jenn; and it was the cheapest and most direct offer that we had so far… so we accepted.

We got to the airport with plenty of time; picked up Jenn and started heading back to Jaco. Along the way, Joey stopped at a bridge that is known for the crocodiles that hang around there. We stopped and got a few pictures. We then stopped at a local fishing village and took a look at a fish market.

When we arrived back in Jaco, we were all pretty hungry, so off to Rustico’s we went. We then headed over to Joey’s house; and we were all impressed with his little piece of heaven, right downtown Jaco. While having dinner, we made plans to get together on the beach for a fire. Joey and his wife Eida gathered a few friends and we had ourselves a nice beach party.

Sunday, was spent at the pool and a trip to the grocery store for supplies. And yesterday, the 3 of us booked a Tranopy tour through Joey. He’s just started doing tours again; and it turned out that we were his first tour customers.

Off we went, and the 3 of us, along with our guide Nathan, headed up through the rain forest. Since we were the last group of the day, we were able to stop our cable car whenever we saw something of interest.

We saw lots of interesting wildlife; including a kuwati (relative of the racoon); a turkey vulture; a iguana and a tucan. You could hear the tucan better than you could see it.

Once off the tranopy, we were toured around the grounds and saw lots of beautiful plants and flowers. Also stopped in to see some snakes.

The whole tour was about 2 hours, and we all enjoyed ourselves.

A few weeks ago, we discovered a new restaurant. Papas & burgers and their sign said that they had the best burgers in Jaco. So we gave them a try; and their food was great. We’ve been back one other time since. This is where we took Jenn for dinner after the tranopy.

Chris, the owner, was quite happy to see us again so soon; and once again, the food was great.

Not sure what were doing today; as the sky isn’t sure if it wants to rain or not.

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A quiet couple of weeks and then a scare

2011-03-01T13:36:00.003-05:00

It’s been a couple of pretty quiet weeks around here.

Some of you will remember that I hurt my foot a while back on the boat for Mike’s birthday. Well 3 weeks later, and my foot is finally on the mend.

I somehow pulled a tendon (or something) in my right heel. It was pretty sore; and I couldn’t put any pressure on my foot. Walking was a real challenge. You don’t realize how much you use your feet until one of them gets hurts.

Even going to the pool was a challenge. We have 3 flights of stairs to go up just to get to the road. The pool across the street has a steep ramp to go up to get to it; and the other pool is 65 steps down a switchback staircase.

I was able to develop a “walk” that managed to get me around a bit. Turned my foot to the right; and took a step with the whole foot moving, instead of having to move it up and down. Seemed to work; but it still made it interesting to get around.

Finally started to feel better and we headed down to the beach last Saturday. Watched the sunset for a bit and then went for dinner. Tried a new place this time. We shared a pizza; and it was just okay. We then headed to the grocery store and took a cab back.

My foot was a little sore the next day, but much better than I thought it would be. And now that another week has passed, it’s that much better again.

Yesterday, I had quite the scare. We decided to move the couch and sweep underneath it; and I must have pulled a muscle. About an hour later, I was having pretty sharp pains in my chest and was having troubles getting a proper breath.

I thought I was having a heart attack. But thankfully I wasn’t. I didn’t want to alarm Mike, but with each breath becoming harder to get; I knew I had to do something. After looking on-line for some information about a heart attack, I knew it was time to call for help. Because my family has a history of heart problems, I didn’t want to mess around.

Mike went up the road and found Michael, who called a cab… which was faster than an ambulance. He also was able to tell the cab where we needed to go.

We arrived at the walk-in clinic. I went directly in to the front desk. There were 3 people behind, and I asked the first person if she spoke English. A little was her response. I then told her that I had been having severe chest pains and was having troubles breathing.

Before I knew it, the other 2 people (one the doctor and the other an orderly) from the desk were leading me down a hall. Helped me onto a bed; and had an EKG hooked up to me before Mike had even finished paying the cab driver.

Thankfully, I wasn’t having a heart attack. Turns out that I had a muscle spam in my left chest cavity. Within a few minutes I had 2 shots in my hip, one to relax the muscles and the other to open my air waves. I began to instantly feel better.

The doctor kept me hooked up to the EKG for about an hour; and commented that she felt like she was looking at the heart of a 15 year old and that I had 99% oxygen replacement in my lungs. Boy was that good news!

The doctor, Brenda, that took care of me did an excellent job. The clinic was small but very clean and well organized. Turns out that I was the only patient, and she gave me care above and beyond. Once I was stabilized, she asked me my name and then asked where I was from. When I responded that I was from Canada, a big smile came upon her face and I quote “I love Canadians, you guys are all so friendly and polite”. Made me feel good to hear that.

My blood pressure did drop a bit while there; but an IV solution soon changed it back to normal. 110 over 60. The total bill was $250 US and after talking to the insurance people last night; a full refund will be issued upon filling out the forms after we get home.

Needless to say, I was pretty scared and had lots of horrible thoughts going through my head. But I am thankful that it wasn’t anything serious.

On another note of health, Mike’s aunt Marie is in the hospital right now and could sure use some prayers, good thoughts and good energy to be sent her way.

And from the time we got home late yesterday afternoon until we went to bed, mother nature entertained us with an amazing lighting show. We even went up to the road at one point to watch it.

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Sportfishing on the Pacific

2011-02-08T12:09:00.001-05:00

Yesterday, we checked another item off of our “bucket list”. We spent the day sport fishing out on the Pacific Ocean.

On Sunday, we had walked downtown, to see the sunset, have dinner and talk to our tour guide friend Herman. We told him that Mike’s 60th birthday was coming up this Thursday, and wanted to know what kind of a deal he could give us.

We settled on a full day of fishing for a great price; and bright and early Monday morning, the van came and picked us up.

We were joining a couple of guys from the U.S, Chris from Minneapolis; and Mike from Chicago. It seems like almost every guy that we’ve met is a Mike. Makes it easy to remember names.

We arrived at the drop off point and were water taxied out to our boat. We were heading for the open ocean by 7:30 am.

By 8:30, we were “fishing”. Well the lines had been baited and put out. It was probably the easiest fishing trip that I’ve ever been on. Didn’t have to touch any of the bait, or bait the line; and we didn’t even get to touch a rod.

We had a really nice day out on the ocean. Blue skies with just a bit of cloud. And a really calm sea; which was a real treat. And a couple of really nice guys to chat with.

The day couldn’t have been any better… except if we had actually caught something! What a bummer… 8 hours spent trolling out on the sea… and nothing… not even a nibble. There were roughly 30 boats out; and only 2 of them caught anything. The day before, a 400 lb marlin had been caught.

There were lots of fish jumping all around us; but none of them seemed to be hungry. It was like they were teasing us. A couple of times, we saw a school of sail fish. 4-6 of them in one spot. Over we would go; and by the time we made it the area, they were gone. A few minutes later, you would see them again in a new area, and if you looked real close… you could almost see them laughing at us.

We also had a school of dolphins swimming around us; and at one point, 3 of them swam under the boat at the same time. It was pretty cool to see. There were also countless turtles; floating out in the sea; one even had a freeloader… a bird was riding on it’s back.

We arrived back at the shore and were picked up by a van and driven back to Jaco. The guys were all starving, so we headed to Rustico’s for dinner. The food once again was great. One of the workers has gotten to know us; and is always happy to see us; especially cause we keep on bringing new people with us. Everyone that we’ve brought there so far also loves the food.

All in all it was a great early birthday present for Mike; and even though we were skunked, we still thoroughly enjoyed our day on the Pacific.

We were both thankful for the calm sea; as we were both “swaying” pretty good for most of last night. Felt like the whole condo was riding the swells. I also did something to my right heel; and since late yesterday afternoon; I’ve barely been able to walk. Not sure what I did… but boy oh boy does it ever hurt. It’s making it difficult to walk right now…cause I can’t put any pressure on the heel or walk on the ball of my foot… cause that makes it pull… what dilemna. Hope that this doesn’t last too long.

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Manuel Antonio Park

2011-01-30T13:07:00.002-05:00

Mike, the owner of the condo that we’re renting, showed up on Tuesday. We heard some noises coming from upstairs, and assumed it was him. We went up sometime after dinner; and introduced ourselves. Nice guy, and within a few minutes we hit it off.

He told us that some of his relatives were here from San Jose and that they were going to Manuel Antonio park on Friday; and asked if we wanted to come along for the day.

We packed a lunch; and headed out the door late morning; and arrived in Manuel Antonio about an hour later. Nice drive along the way and Mike was able to give us some history about the area.

Within a few minutes of entering the park, we saw a 3 toed sloth. He was pretty high up in the tree; and the only picture I got is a bit fuzzy, but it was still cool to see one.

We then continued along until we got to the beach. We found a place to sit; had some lunch; and just enjoyed the beautiful beach.

After a while, Mike and I took a walk and came across some monkeys and raccoons. There were half a dozen monkeys and just as many raccoons. The monkeys were mostly up in the trees; and some had food that had been snatched from people.

We stood and watched their antics for a while; and then continued along our walk. There were lots of young kids here; turns out that school children are on their summer break. The weather is a lot nicer at this time of the year then in the summer months; so it makes sense that their school break is now; instead of during the rainy season.

I was surprised to see all the raccoons here. They were very aggressive; and more than one tried to go after food brought by the people. A few times, we watched as people tried, unsuccessfully, to shoo the coons away with a stick. The coons here are also a lot skinnier here than at home.

We left the park late afternoon; and went in search of a restaurant for dinner. We finally found one that was right on the beach. Kind of a strange place. Figured it was the kind of place that the “Rubbles and Flintstones” would eat at. The tables and chairs were all stone and very uncomfortable. Guess its easier to take care of, being right on the beach.

The food was okay, and Mike’s cousin Joseph treated everybody, as well as us. Very nice of him. We left there, and headed to restaurant #2... Never before have I left one restaurant and gone directly to another. Everybody ended up eating again… except for me and Mike.

While the others were eating, Mike and I looked in some of the shops; and then headed across the street to watch the waves. There were also a couple of bonfires going; and we stood for a minute to watch the fire. Way to hot to stand close for too long; but it was nice to watch a fire. One of the things we miss the most from home is our nightly campfires.

We arrived back in Jaco around 9pm and Mike took the first exit in to town. Lots of people out and about. Within a few minutes we started to see motor cycles. There must have been a couple of hundred of them; some really nice looking.

It was a little disconcerting to see the colours and names of “The Hells Angels” and “Bandidos”. I’m sure that the hotels and restaurants downtown are thrilled though; as business would be hopping.

Yesterday, Mike took us shopping to get a few things that we needed for the condo; we then picked up his 2 older cousins; and headed back downtown for dinner. The whole main street of Jaco was alive with 1000’s of people. We ended up finding a quiet little place and all chowed down on pizza.

Over all, it was a nice weekend; it was nice to finally meet Mike the owner; it was also really nice to finally get to Manuel Antonio park.

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My Birthday in Los Suenos

2011-01-23T22:24:00.001-05:00

On a cold winter night (-18c), in Fort William, Ontario, a beautiful baby girl was born on January 22. And that's when I entered the world. I weighed in at 8lb 5oz and was 24 inches long. I was always grateful that I had long legs, never in my life have I had to have a pair of pants shortened.

For those of you who don’t know this, Fort William no longer exists. It’s kind of cool to say that I was born in a place that is no longer. On January 1, 1970, Fort William and Port Arthur, along with two townships, Neebing and McIntyre amalgamated and became known as Thunder Bay.

It’s hard to believe that 45 years have gone by. And this birthday, was definitely the warmest I’ve had yet. It was very overcast, but still 31 c. A long way from those freezing cold ones up north. Much prefer spending a winter birthday in shorts and t-shirts rather than parkas and long johns!

We had heard about this place called Los Suenos; a marina with boats to take out tourists. We had looked on the map for it; and since it wasn’t listed, thought it was a small fishing village.

I couldn’t have been more wrong! We called a cab and headed up the highway just a few minutes before we turned off heading towards the ocean. A few minutes later, we turned into this absolutely beautiful resort. Called Los Suenos. And for the next few hours, we got a glimpse of how the wealthy live.

Along the way, there was one beautiful condo after the next; and according to our driver, the really “nice” houses were on a private road. Apparently Michael Jordan has a place there; and prices were said to be in the millions.

We also passed the Marriot hotel complex, and were told that a night there is $500 plus. We then drove to the dock; left our cab and started looking around.

There were lots of really really nice boats. In fact there were 3 of them, that we figure we could afford about a half a tank worth of gas with our yearly income. Oh to be that rich!

There was a Tiki Hut style restaurant that wasn’t open yet; but we poked our heads in to take a look. The first entrée listed was filet mignon for $40.50 - Yikes! Obviously we weren’t going to be eating here.

We headed out to the pier and found some rocks to sit on and just watch the comings of goings of a marina. We even stopped at a fishing tour company and inquired about some prices.

First price was for a boat, 3 bedrooms and holds 6 people. Full day $3595.00 - YIKES!!! The cheapest boat available for a half day was $995. You guessed it… we didn’t go out for a fishing tour!

Around 4:00, the boats started coming in. They used the dock closest to where we were sitting; as a drop off point. And not one of the boats had a successful catch. A couple of them had “bites”. Seems like a lot of money to spend to have a “bite”. But to live and play in this area, you have to have a lot of money; and for some of these people, 4 grand is just a drop in the bucket.

We headed over to The Hook Up for dinner. It had been recommended to us; and turned out to be a good choice. Most of the people in here seemed to know each other. Lots of the boat captains; and many of their passengers. The place was really hopping. The food was great; and it didn’t cost an arm and a leg to eat there.

All in all it was a great birthday.

There was also a special birthday in our family on Friday. Mike’s baby brother turned 50!!! Tomorrow, our niece Stephanie turns 24; and on the 27th the latest addition to the family turns 1. We wish all a very happy birthday and hope that everyone enjoys their day.

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A visit to Carara National Park

2011-01-11T13:55:00.002-05:00

Yesterday was spent at Carara National Park. We got up, packed a lunch; and headed out the door shortly after 11 am.

We walked down to the highway; and luckily for us; there was a bus just a few feet up. There is some road construction going on; and the bus was in a stopped line. Worked out perfectly.

We spent roughly 20 minutes on the bus; and got to see some new parts of Costa Rica. We had one quick stop in a small town; and it gave us a chance to see how the locals live.

This is when you realize how good we have it at home. Even some of the poorest homes in Canada or the States are in better shape than a lot of what we saw. Will definitely have to go back; get off the bus; and wander for a few hours.

We arrived at Carara National Park just before noon; paid our admission, got our map; and away we went for our first Costa Rican rain forest hike. We had heard about this place; and the draw of lots of monkeys, plus a roosting site for macaws was definitely the main reason for going.

It was a pretty humid day to begin with; and within minutes of walking on the trail; we were both soaked. Good thing that I bought a new bandana to help stop the sweat from pouring into my eyes.

The foliage was beautiful; very lush and green. Reminded me of being in the Avenue of the Giants in California; or of being in Cathedral Grove on Vancouver Island, BC; and of the Achafalyan Basin in Louisiana.

The huges trees in this park weren’t giant redwoods or cedars, but cypress trees and cashew trees. Some of the roots along the trails were really high. And standing next to some of the trees, you looked and felt pretty small.

There were also tons of leaf cutter ant colonies. And watching these critters in action is something else. Walking along the trail you would see the ants, carrying leaves heading in one direction. Some of these would be up to 6 inches deep; and the width of the trail. Some of their nests were right up to the trail; and others were quite a way into the bush. We must have seen at least a couple of dozen colonies in action; and it was pretty cool to watch.

The reason for heading to the park was of course to see the monkeys and macaws; but the total for monkeys in the park was 0; the total for macaws in the park was 0; the total for macaws outside the park; while waiting for a bus to take us home was 3.

Other than the ants, we also saw a lizard basking in the sun. We’ve seen more macaws from our balcony than we did there. But the hike was still nice and we enjoyed it.

Hopefully there’s more wildlife at Manuel Antonio, which were hoping to see by the end of this week.

We were both pretty tuckered out when we got home; and really really sweaty! So needless to say, after each having a nice long shower; it was a pretty quiet evening. In fact, I was in bed by 9:30. Guess the 4 km long hike through a really humid rain forest just knocked it out of me.

And although it's a day early, Mike and I want to wish my Dad a very happy birthday for tomorrow! Hope that he has many more; and enjoys his day in Florida - Love you Dad!

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New Years in Jaco

2011-01-09T21:36:00.000-05:00

It’s hard to believe that the first week of 2011 is already done. Where does the time go?

During the week between Christmas and New Years, there were an awful lot of fireworks being shot off on a nightly basis. We wondered a few times what New Years was going to be like.

We ended up seeing one of the best and longest fireworks displays… ever! Shortly after dark, which was about 6 pm the fireworks started. We couldn’t see all of them, but you could certainly hear them.

At 11 pm, we watched the ball being dropped from Times Square. And about 11:50 we headed upstairs to watch the ever increasing booms in the night sky.

Didn’t matter which direction you looked; there were fireworks being shot off. And when midnight struck - holy moly! Never saw or heard that many being shot off at once. We had a really nice view of two displays that were going off at the same time; and both were non-stop for a good 45 minutes or more.

We headed to bed shortly after 1 am and were jostled awake a few times with more going off; and the last time Mike heard one, his watch read 5:15 am. Guess Tico’s really like their fireworks; and love having a reason to shoot them off.

Years ago, I had an opportunity to watch the Benson and Hedges Symphony of Fire on the Toronto lakefront. Until this recent display, that was the best fireworks that I had seen; but New Years in Jaco, Costa Rica topped it by a long shot! It wasn’t a fancy choreographed production; but the length and the amount were amazing. At least 15 - 20 displays being shot off at the same time; and that was only the ones that we could see. Both mountains surrounding us; were lit up from the far side. It was an amazing sight to see.

This past week; has mostly been spent lazing around the pool. Now that it’s empty again. Three times during the holidays we headed over, to look down and see 15 or more people. Much more enjoyable when it’s just us.

On Tuesday, we headed down to the beach; and watched another spectacular sunset. Strolled along the beach and then to Lemon Zest for some crème boulee; but unfortunately they didn’t have any.

We then caught a cab; and when stepping up and in, I experienced one of the worst Charlie horses that I’ve ever had! I had this excruciating pain rip through my right calf; and within seconds, also in my left one! Ouch!!! It’s a good thing our cab driver understood enough English; cause it made me yell out in pain; and he might have thought I was crazy or something.

As a result of this, it’s been a quiet past week. Other than hanging at the pool and out on our balcony. You never know what you’re going to see out there. Along with a slew of beautiful birds, we’ve had a hand glider, a helicopter and recently, a colony of leaf cutter ants. We been entertained for a few hours, watching these amazing little critters destroy a couple of big leaves in a mere few hours. I’ve got some pretty good shots of this.

And this morning, I was woken by a torrential downpour. You couldn’t see the mountains, or hear anything except for the rain. And just when you think it’s raining harder then you’ve ever heard, it rained even harder. Lasted for roughly 3 hours; but by the time we got up it was over.

At this time, we want to wish all of our family and friends a great new year. Happy New Years one and all!

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Christmas in Costa Rica

2010-12-27T21:21:00.001-05:00

Our 15th Christmas together was certainly a great one! We spent the morning and part of the afternoon talking to many of our family and friends via skype. What a great way to talk to loved ones; and we were even able to see some of their presents! Thanks Dave!

Then, late in the afternoon, we walked down to the beach. It was by far the busiest day on the beach so far. Lots of families playing, swimming, surfing and just plain old having fun!

We found a nice place to sit and watch the activities going on around us. Lots of dogs playing in the waves too. Many of them chasing… coconuts! That’s right coconuts. At home, people throw balls or Frisbees, but here, there’s so many coconuts on the beach, that that’s what people throw.

There were also lots of people surfing; as the waves were plentiful; and I’m sure that one or more of those boards were Christmas presents.

We sat and watched an incredible sunset; and then strolled up the beach and then along main street. I was surprised at how many shops were open. Our friend Herman was out selling tours, and wished us both a Feliz Navidad.

We continued on up main street until we arrived at Lemon Zest. We met Nellie Lemon, the owner of this restaurant at the bank a few days earlier. She is from Florida and was able to ask a few questions on our behalf. She also told us that she and her husband ran this restaurant. We had seen it advertised; and that’s where we chose to have our Christmas dinner.

And boy, was it ever good! Mike had a yellow fin tuna steak; and I had filet mignon. Both accompanied by a fruit smoothie. And Mike had his all time favorite desert… crème broulee. Although it wasn’t a traditional turkey feast with all the trimmings; this certainly was a yummy second choice.

A few friends have asked if we miss having a white Christmas. And the answer to that is an emphatic NO! I was born and raised in Northern Ontario; and have had my fair share of white Christmases. In fact, the past 2 have also been white; and I much prefer being in the tropics. This is in fact our first tropical Christmas (you can’t really count Florida as tropical, can you?) And it was very different.

Not many decorations up; and so many of the shops being open; it seemed like just another day.

Mike and I haven’t exchanged presents for a few years now; and enjoy the stress free Christmas that we have carved out for ourselves. It works well for us; and don’t miss any of the pressures for a perfect Christmas.

Then on boxing day, sitting out on the balcony, I spotted a couple of scarlett macaws flying around in the trees just up the road from us. Grabbed the camera, and off we went.

There were two of them in this tree; and we had a pretty good vantage point; as we were above them. Ended up watching them for about an hour. The last shot that I took, the macaw moved as I was snapping. So it’s not the greatest picture. Just then, my camera lens closed; and the “change batteries” icon was displayed.

And at the exact moment when I was changing the batteries, that’s when the macaws decided to fly off!!! The timing couldn’t have been any worse! We had a beautiful vantage point; and they were spread out from tip to tail in absolute beautiful colours! Hopefully, I get another chance to take a full shot of them.

And mother nature gave us another absolutely beautiful sunset last night. We made it up to the road just in time to take a few shots of it.

All in all, Christmas in Costa Rica, was just absolutely perfect! Hope that all of you had just as perfect a day.

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First Pacific Sunset

2010-12-23T20:53:00.001-05:00

Not sure what has happened to this past week; but poof, just like that it’s gone.

Last Thursday, or maybe it was Friday; we decided to make an effort to watch our first sunset on the beach. We headed downtown later in the afternoon; and ended up having dinner at… you guessed it… Rustico’s. The food is so good there; and after looking at a few menu’s along the way; Rustico’s it was.

We then headed to the beach to watch the sunset. Lots of people walking along; and some people up from us were having a bonfire on the beach. There’s lots of burnable wood that’s on the beach; and it’s a good way to clean things up a bit. The clouds helped add to the colours; and it was a nice way to spend another day in paradise.

Saturday and Sunday were pretty overcast, rainy days. But on the brighter side of things, we talked to my family via skype on Saturday. They were all together at my folks to celebrate Christmas. Then it was another skype call to Mike’s family on Sunday.

We got up in the early hours on Monday to watch the lunar eclipse. The “best” time to watch according to NBC was about 2:40 est. We got upstairs to the road at about 2:30 and just the very bottom of the moon was still visible. Most of the moon was red; and we watched for roughly half an hour; before the neck muscles started to hurt. Did get to watch the whole thing on the news the next night; and it was pretty neat to see.

We were planning on heading to Manuel Antonio (big National Park) on Tuesday; but we were pretty tired from the night before. We also needed to pay our rent; and that pretty much took care of Tuesday and Wednesday. Long story, but we keep on being told that things happen differently in the tropics. And I’m starting to believe it. After 4 days of trying; we were successful by Wednesday afternoon.

We also had 2 walks back and forth to downtown; and it was really hot here on both days. By the time we got back yesterday; I was pooped and the idea of heading to the park today; was totally out of the question. We’ll try again next week.

When we arrived home from the sunset on the beach; we had taken a cab; with lots of bags of groceries. Turns out that we had a “freeloader” sitting on the sill of our door. Mike had put down his bags to unlock the door and reached in to flick on the lights. I was right behind him; when I heard him say “Oh, wow, look at this”. My first thought was that we had been robbed. But nope, it was just a 3 inch scorpion. Yep, you read that right… he came in with us. And was heading into the apartment.

We put a pot lid on top of him; and took care of the groceries. A few minutes later, Mike tried to get him into a plastic container; but no go. He started to get away; on with the lid again. Now what? That’s when I suggested the tongs. Mike got him in a tight hold; and as I was getting the patio door open; the little bugger got free; and was gone just like that!

Not sure where he went; and needless to say; for the next few days; we walked around inside with our heads down.

We have seen lots of critters around here. We have a couple of resident lizards inside our condo. A couple of tree frogs that like to hang out on our balconies overhang at night. Lots of birds that fly by; including a couple of macaws. Almost every night at the same time; you can hear them coming. They always fly in pairs; and are really noisy as they fly. A pair of them flew by the other night; fairly close; and then turned and flew past a second time. Up to this point; we thought that they were only red. But on the second time by; we saw not only the red; but blue and fuscia yellow and green. Pretty cool. Hope to be able to get a shot of them real soon. Haven’t seen the Tucan’s lately; but with spending the day at Manuel Antonio (real soon); we should be able to get some good pictures.

We would like to take this opportunity to wish all of our family and friends a very Merry Christmas. Feliz Navidad everybody!

Please click here to look at our pictures.

Beautiful Sunsets and Sunrises

2010-12-14T20:04:00.000-05:00

Last Friday was the first day that we had our toes in the Pacific. And much to our surprise, it was a lot warmer than either of us thought it would be.

We headed down to the beach in the afternoon; and found a nice little quiet spot; and sat on a log and watched the waves. There was a man up the beach from us a bit; and he had 3 dogs with him. The 2 bigger ones had no problems going into the ocean; but the little one wanted nothing to do with the water. It was fun watching the antics.

There doesn’t seem to be any dog laws in Jaco. We have seen countless dogs walking around the streets. Some with collars, but a lot without. We haven’t had any problems with any of them being aggressive. And it was nice to see the dogs on the beach. At home, there’s a lot of places that you can’t bring your animals.

We continued strolling up the beach; and then headed for our favourite smoothie place. We had also been told about a grocery store downtown. Much bigger selection and the prices were comparable to the other place. This time, no overcharges, and the cab ride was $5.00.

A few weeks before arriving in Costa Rica; there was a big storm that went through. Tore up parts of the highway; and did lots of damage. Glad that we weren’t here for that. The road leading up into our complex was in pretty rough shape. Big gouges in the road; and the drive up with a cab was usually pretty interesting. The other day we walked down; and it had been graded. What a big difference, not only for walking on it; but the last cab ride home was way less bumpy than usual.

We also found a new way to walk to the grocery store. We don’t have to walk on the highway anymore. But we do have to walk up the hill to our place. Thankfully, the road levels out just as your legs are at the screaming point. Then as you’re getting closer to the condo, one more hill to go down, then straight up to our place. Like I’ve said before… no need for a gym membership here.

Last night, we were entertained by a beautiful sunset. The sun lit up the clouds over the mountains; and it made for a nice photo op for a while.

Then early this morning - 4:15 am to be exact, we got up to watch the meteor shower. We had a nice patch of open sky above us; and after watching from the balcony for a few minutes; we headed up to the road. Ended up seeing about 25 in total.

We also noticed for the first time since being here; the big dipper. Mike had thought that we wouldn’t see it because of being so far south. But turns out, we just weren’t up late or early enough.

Mike went back to bed shortly after 5 and I sat on the balcony; listening to nature and the waves hitting the shore. And just as the colourful sunrise started; I woke Mike up; and the two of us were once again entertained by mother nature’s magical beauty.

Some of you know that I wear a red-tinted sun glass; and boy does it ever add beautiful colours. I’ve shared that with a few of you over the years. Well with my glasses, the sunrise looked like hot lava. What a great way to start the day. Of course, I went back to bed and got up at a more reasonable hour… well for me anyway.

We were back at the pool for a few hours today. The rain seems to have come to a stop; and the past few days have found us at the pool. It’s a great way to cool off.

Click here to take a look at our pictures.

Escaped Just in Time

2010-12-07T23:35:00.001-05:00

From the looks of things at home; we got out of there just in time! It’s been snowing in London, Ontario since Sunday; and as you can see in some of the pictures being sent to us; they’ve got waist high snow; and it’s not over yet.

It sounds like the city has been almost shut down. I’ve been seeing the “cheers” about no school or work for many on Face Book. With this much snow, it certainly does help one get into the upcoming Christmas spirit. So look on the bright side of things… an extra short work/school week; more time to bake all those Christmas treats and decorate the inside for the holidays.

Saturday night, we watched quite the fire works display off our balcony. We finally went up to the road, just in time for the finale. Huge bursts of red, white and green fireworks for at least 10 minutes. Then about 10 minutes later, it started up again. Not sure what the celebration was, but it was nice to watch.

We were back at the grocery store on Sunday to return our blender. And apparently the “Taurus” brand that we bought, turned out not to be such a good product. Another lady was standing in line to return a Taurus coffee pot.

We also found out that the cashier overcharged us for our bottled water. We buy 2 cases of 6 bottles at a time. Instead of charging us for 12 bottles, she charged us for 24. Hope that was the only time.

The only reason I noticed this is because we needed to return the blender; and the water was on the same bill. I got looking at it; and realized the overcharge.

When we arrived at the customer service desk; a man came over and started speaking Spanish to us. I told him, that I only speak English. He said no problem; then turned back and asked if we were Americans, I said no, Canadians. He then smiled; and said he’d be right back.

He sent Ricardo over to us; and thankfully his English was way better than my Spanish. I explained that the blender started to leak within a few seconds of use; and then a piece went flying off. No problem he said, we could get another of the same or upgrade to a better one. I also then explained about the water overcharge. Without hesitation, he also refunded the overcharge on the water.

We upgraded to a much better blender, bought a loaf of bread, a container of milk; and the difference was about $2.20. We’ve made fruit smoothies every day since; and the new blender works like a charm.

Sunday, there were Mayoral elections being held. And for most of the day; people were driving around, honking their horns, waving their flags, playing music; and just plain old celebrating.

A couple of times there were parades of cars going up and down the boulevard in front of us; and also along the highway. Lots of happy cheers.

And today; as London was being dumped on; we took a walk around our complex again; and took some pictures of some of the beautiful foliage around here.

Hopefully, it’ll help with some of our family and friends. They can dream about the tropics; and hopefully warm up a little.

To warm up, take a look at our pictures

Still Raining

2010-12-03T20:15:00.003-05:00

Another week flew by in Costa Rica. I would recommend to anybody who wants to vacation here, to wait until after the rainy season is done. We have had rain everyday since arriving on the coast. So far we’ve only been caught in it once.

It’s usually sometime in the afternoon; and it’s very refreshing to have the humidity let up while it’s raining. We aren’t complaining though… cause it’s way better than snow. Looks like we escaped just at the right time.

We have our own washer/dryer in our condo; and it was an added extra bonus. I've been using a laundry mat for 4 ½ years; and it’s wonderful to have on-site facilities. So that’s what we did on Tuesday, some laundry and some cleaning. And a relaxing day for the rest.

A few weeks back we needed to get some money out; and it was our first introduction to the banking system here. Very small bank; with an armed guard, who opened the door for us. He then asked us to remove our hats. There was only one teller; and he was behind bullet proof glass. We were the only ones in there. Only problem was, they wouldn’t let us take money out of our account, only off the credit card. And they didn’t have a bank machine.

On Wednesday, we needed to get some more cash out; and stopped at the first bank that we came across. This time there was a bank machine; but you can only get US funds or colones. You get more colones for a USD than a Canadian dollar.

So into the bank we went. This time, as the 2 armed guards were pointing at our hats, we were one step ahead, and the hats were already in the process of being removed. Guess a hat obscures your face too much; if you were ever stupid enough to try to rob a bank here!

This time we were also wanded down and I was asked to open my bag. There were lots of people in the bank, but the air conditioning felt sooo good after a long walk; that we decided to wait. The guard directed us to a machine; where we got our number. Then he pointed to chairs; and indicated that we sit. Kind of reminded me of waiting at the passport office, or to renew your drivers license.

It’s a good thing that there were chairs and that it was cool in there, cause it took us 45 minutes to change some US funds to colones. Also, nobody stands in the bank, except if your already at the teller. Like I said, you’d have to be a “few bricks short of a load” to try and rob a bank here.

Mind you, you also have to be very patient. The tellers and slow and even our simple transaction took the better part of 5 minutes.

We then continued on to walk the rest of main street. We were hoping to stop and get a fruit smoothie, but they were closed. So onto the post office we continued… which was a the opposite end of town. Off the main street, in a dilapidated old building. Costs more for 8 stamps then it did for 2 smoothies. Then off to Rustico's for another delicious dinner. $8.00 for both, and that includes a huge plate and a drink!

And today we headed back to the grocery store for a few more things. We decided to buy a blender to make our own smoothies; and don’t you know, the thing broke within the first few minutes. Guess we’ll be back there tomorrow to get another one. We did manage to puree the fruit enough, but something else was missing; and it wasn’t near as good as the place downtown. But we’ve got 5 more months to master making a smoothie. Any suggestions out there in blog land for a fruit smoothie?

Take a look at our pictures.

Living in Paradise

2010-11-29T17:13:00.000-05:00

Well, we’ve been on our own for an entire week. And so far, so good.

We ventured into town last Monday, and took in the sights and sounds of downtown Jaco. Very reminiscent of most beach communities. Lots of shops selling their wares on both sides of the street.

From our condo to the edge of town is roughly a half an hour walk. Once on the main street, we slow down and just stroll taking in as much as possible.

That first afternoon, a man was selling adventure tours. We said no thanks; and continued on walking. He then asked if we were from Canada. Which we responded yes to. He had noticed the Canadian flag pin on Mike’s Tilley hat. Turns out he lived in Vancouver, BC for a few years. Herman already asked for the pin; which we will give him, but not until we leave here.

I do get a kick when people ask where were from and we respond Canada. They then ask where in Canada; and we say London, Ontario. Which, usually brings on a response of “London, England, I thought you said you lived in Canada?” Much easier just to say we live in Toronto. Everybody knows about Toronto. And this isn’t just people here… many Americans have asked the same thing.

On Tuesday, we walked around our complex just checking things out. We live up a hill; and there’s a few more complexes, plus a couple of fancy hotels all in the same area. By the time we got back to our place, we were in desperate need of a shower. Everything seems uphill around here; plus throw in high humidity; and boy oh boy the sweat just pours off of us!

Wednesday, we hiked to the grocery store. It’s only about a 20 minute walk from here. Found a nice short cut, down the stairs for our pool; down a short hill and then it’s only another 700 metres up the road.

Thursday, we spent some time lounging at the pool. It’s three condos over from us; but 65 stairs down a switch back concrete staircase. Can’t see a need to have a gym membership here; you get quite the work out just opening the front door. It’s 3 levels up to the road.

Friday, we discovered an unsecured internet connection at the complex across from us. Posted the blog; and then made some Skype phone calls. It was wonderful to talk to so many of our family and friends.

While on the phone to Dave, Mike’s youngest brother, a Tucan flew right past us and landed in a tree. But unfortunately the camera was at home. It’s the second time we’ve seen Tucan’s over at that pool complex, and I’m sure we’ll get a shot sooner or later.

Saturday, we walked back downtown. We stopped and talked to Herman again, and asked him where the locals ate. He told us about a place called Rustico.

We continued on down the main street; stopping again for a fresh fruit smoothie. This time pineapple, banana and strawberry… boy what a refreshing drink after a long, hot walk.

We then continued on til the end of the main street and headed towards the ocean. Watched a few surfers and families playing on the beach; and then found our way to Rustico. Discovered very quickly why the locals ate there. The food was amazing!!! It was about 4:00 in the afternoon, there wasn’t a seat to be found; and a line-up out the door.

Mike had a bowl of seafood soup that was enough to feed a small family; plus he helped me eat most of my dinner. Rice, beans, beef, fried plantains and salad. The portions here are huge; and so far we haven’t spent more than $10 on a meal and that includes your drink!

Sunday, we did a whole bunch of nothing. In fact I didn’t even get out of my p.j.’s yesterday. We had been on the “go” since before leaving home; and a day of doing nothing was much needed.

There was some kind of street party going on downtown. We could hear music and drums from our balcony. But the day was very overcast and had been raining on and off since getting up.

Last night we had our clearest night so far. And there are some beautiful constellations in the sky. Don’t know what any of them our. Guess we’ll have to get out a star chart so that we know what were looking at.

And today, we were up and out the door shortly before 10; heading to the grocery store for a few things. We had worn our bathing suits under our clothes; and stopped at our pool on our way back. Again we were soaked from the sweat; and the cool pool felt wonderful!

We have turned into morning people since being here. Mike and I have always been night owls; and we find by 10 pm, we can hardly keep our eyes open. Most mornings, were up and ready to face the day by 7 am.

And today, we got our cable and internet. Most of the stations are in Spanish, but there’s a few in English.

Oh, yeah, and for a cab ride home from either downtown or the grocery store, is $3.00. Don’t think you can even open a cab door at home for less than $5.00. And it’s well worth the price, for the cab to take us and our groceries up the long hill from the road!

Take a look at our pictures

First Week in Costa Rica

2010-11-26T16:28:00.001-05:00

It’s hard to believe that we’ve been in Costa Rica for over a week already. It still feels like we’re dreaming.

Mike’s brother Ken drove us to Toronto on November 15th to begin our Costa Rican adventure. It seemed fitting, as we drove Ken and Calen to the Toronto airport to begin their adventure summer of 09. We were up bright and early and headed to the airport shortly after 4:00 am.

We sailed through customs and security and then flew out at 6:30 am. I had never flown over Toronto with the city lit up; and it was quite pretty to see. Within a few minutes we were over Lake Ontario; and then a short 2 and a half hours later in Atlanta, Georgia.

We barely had enough time to get to our connecting flight. In fact, they had already called the final call by the time we got there.

The flight went well; and we were greeted to a warm, sunny afternoon upon arriving in Costa Rica. Mike’s luggage got lost somewhere along the way; but it was delivered to our hotel the next afternoon.

We stayed at the Best Western Irazu and it turned out to be a good choice. On the first afternoon, we started walking around; and found a small mall beside our hotel. In the mall was a realty office; we were looking at some of their properties, when Tom from Georgia came out to say hello. We told him that we were looking for a short term (3-6 months) condo rental.

He had a couple for us to see. And one of his agents, Merari, was asked to show them to us. This young lady, turned out to be more help then we could have possibly hoped for. Her English was very good; and she was quite eager to help. She had a couple of places in mind; and was confident that we would take one of them. Having found a agent to help us so quickly; freed up the rest of our time in San Jose.

Wednesday, we took a cab to Sabana Park; and enjoyed strolling around for the afternoon. We stopped to watch some locals playing soccer. We then had a glass of fresh squeezed orange juice from a vendor. And we just took in the sites and sounds of San Jose.

After walking back to our hotel; we had an hour or so before happy hour started in the bar. That’s where me met Jeff and Cathy from Port Elgin, Ontario. We shared all kinds of stories and ended up joining them for dinner.

After dinner, we headed down to the hot tub; and soaked away the days walk. Also met Canadian Gilles, who turns out to be renting not far from us.

Then early Thursday morning; Merari, our agent picked us up; and off to the coast we went.

The drive was very beautiful through the country side of Costa Rica. And I was glad to be a passenger and take in the scenery.

The first rental that she showed us turned out to be the one that we took. It’s in a little beach community of Jaco (hawk-o). Our condo is owned by a Canadian named Mike - how ironic is that?!?

We have the lower unit; of this 2 story chalet. We’re on the side of a hill; with a private balcony looking directly into beautiful, lush green foliage and a mountain. Pretty nice!

The town of Jaco itself is about an hour walk from here; but it’s nice to be away from the noise.

Merari ended up staying for the weekend; in the unit upstairs. On Friday we took care of the rent details; and she helped get the cable/internet ordered for us. It was supposed to be here by today; but looks like that’s not going to happen. Another neighbour in the complex is also waiting for his; and said a week here isn’t like a week back home.

Merari also took us to the grocery store and made us dinner on our first night here. She made us a local delicacy, ceviche. Which is fished “cooked” in lemon juice with spices and vegetables. The fish is only cooked by the acid of the lemon. A little different for my taste buds. She also went shopping for us; and got us a TV, a slow cooker (to cook beans in, which she also showed us how to do); and a patio table for our balcony. Of course, this was all on Mike’s (owner) nickel.

So far, the hottest part of the day is first thing in the morning. Our balcony is facing East and we get the early sun. And boy, oh boy, is it ever hot! Seems though, that that is the hottest part of the day so far. By mid to late afternoon, the skies open up and the rains come. Since being in the condo, it has rained at some point everyday.

We’ve also had ourselves a few really nice lightning shows. Our balcony is perfect for storm watching; and we’re nicely protected from the rain.

On Monday, we walked into town; and spent the afternoon looking in shops. We also stopped and had ourselves a fruit smoothie; and watched all sorts of people on the street. And so far, we’ve been able to get along with just English. A lot of people that we’ve had to communicate with, have some degree of English. Hopefully, we’ll start to understand some Spanish as the time goes on.

Please take a look at our pictures

Decisions... Decisions

2010-11-12T17:37:00.002-05:00

By now we should have already been long gone. We were supposed to have left Ontario back on October 31st. Destination was supposed to be Oklahoma City first; to meet some new friends of ours; and then we were supposed to head to Texas. This is the second time that we've planned a winter in Texas. And this is the second time that that isn't going to happen.

We've been having some problems with our truck; and decided to have it looked at one more time before heading out. Boy, was that a good decision. It turns out that we need a new engine! But that's not all. We apparently have a blockage of some sort in the coolant system. Because of this, we had too much pressure, which in turn messed up our torque converter; which in turn messed up the crankshaft; which in turn messed up the engine. Kind of reminds me of "the ankle is connected to the shin bone, the shin bone is connected to the..." well most of you would remember that. I have learned more about diesel trucks and engines than I ever cared to in this past while; and know that any way we choose to go equals expensive!

If we choose to only put a re-built engine in, then we're back to square one. So that means fixing everything; and the cost of this is astronomical. We've been quoted up to $12,000 to do this - yikes! Our other options are to trade our truck in and hope that the next one is okay; or to buy brand spanking new. What to do, what to do.

So... after much consideration, we've decided to go and bury our heads in the sand for the next six months. Literally. We're heading to Costa Rica this Tuesday morning; and we'll figure out what to do with this truck in the spring.

As I write this blog, the rig has been winterized; the truck has been parked; and our bags are packed. We are house sitting in London for the weekend; and will leave on Monday night to head to Toronto. We fly out bright and early on Tuesday morning; and will arrive in Costa Rica by early afternoon.

We can hardly wait! We even stopped at Chapters today and bought ourselves an English to Spanish dictionary. Might come in handy, as neither of us speaks any Spanish. But the name of our blog is Adventures with MnM and we are about to go on one heck of an adventure! This feels like Molly's last gift to us; the freedom to go and adventure abroad. Wish us luck.

Thank You

2010-10-28T23:45:00.000-04:00

Mike and I would like to take this opportunity to say thank you to all our family, friends and strangers that have sent heartfelt messages to us about Molly. It has touched our hearts to know that she touched so many. I was in tears by the time I finished reading each message; but it's all part of the healing process, and it's helped greatly.

We would also like to thank the staff at Abbeydale Animal Clinic in St. Thomas. Molly's very first visit was there; and although the staff has changed over the years; the care that we have received over the years was great. A special thanks to Dr. Yvonne Ennis for helping Molly (and us) make the transition to dog heaven a little easier.

Even today when we went in to settle the bill and get her clay paw print, they showed nothing but care and concern. I would recommend this clinic to anybody.

Now for a few more "fun" facts about Molly.

When she was a year old, we found out that Molly was the most popular name for female dogs in 1999. We met at least a dozen Molly's over the years.

She was small but mighty when she first came to us. And Mike loved to do his magic tricks on her and tease her. She loved to tease him right back but when she had enough she had no problem letting Mike know. Whoever said that dogs can't talk never owned a dog.

A few of you asked about Molly's nicknames. Mollygirl, cause that's what she was... our Mollygirl. The Mollster, cause that suited her. Pita stood for Pain in the ass, which on many occasions she was. Houdini because she was great at disappearing into the night. Snorty Snorterson was because she would snort if she didn't like something. And Mutt... well she was a cup of lab, a tablespoon of shepherd, a dash of collie and a pinch of husky... add it all up and she's 100% mutt. You should have seen some of the looks people gave me when I called her that. But she was our mutt and we loved her.

Molly was a very kind, submissive dog; and we're proud to say that in her lifetime she never once snarled, bared teeth, nipped or bit a human or another animal. She was just a happy well tempered dog.

Over the years, people would cross the street or a park to come and comment on her. And although people seemed to line up to pat her, unless you had food, she wasn't much interested. If you did have treats or food, then you had a friend for life.

Her favorite time of the year was the fall and winter. She would walk off trail through piles of leaves and romp in the snow til she looked like a snowman.

She brought a lot of pleasure into our lives. And she will be greatly missed by both of us. It's already way to quiet around here.

Again, thank you to all for your comments,

Love and hugs, MnM

A Tribute to our Molly

2010-10-26T10:52:00.002-04:00

I would like to take this opportunity to tell you about the life of our wonderful dog Molly.

The week before Christmas of 1999; we had the chance to rescue a puppy from a not very good situation. After some discussion; a little brown bundle of energy came into our lives. She wasn't quite 6 weeks old and weighed about 5 and a half pounds. Barely old enough to be weaned. Molly was the first name that came to mind; and after an hour or so of tossing around names, she became our Molly.

She answered to many names over the years; Molly girl, the Mollster, Mutt, Pita, Houdini and Snorty Snorterson; just to name a few.

The first few weeks with a new puppy was a lot of fun. She was the runt of her litter; and was used to being pushed aside at feeding time. That wasn't the case at her new home; and it was quite comical watching her eat. She was so little that she would end up standing in her bowl to get to the pieces that she had pushed with her nose. Little sips of water in between. She was so dainty. Of course, that changed over time; and she would gulp her food down pretty quick. She always came over to both of us afterwards to thank us.

The first lake that Molly swam in was Lake Erie. That would be the first of many swims. She is the only dog I know that has been in 3 of the Great Lakes - Erie, Huron and Superior. She has swam in the Gulf of St. Lawrence and the Gulf of Mexico. Also along the way, she swam in the Bay of Fundy and the Colorado River. And she has had her paws in both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Plus many lakes, rivers and streams in between.

Mike and I were avid campers; and the first time we took Molly camping, we weren't sure how it would go. We headed up to McGregor Point on the long weekend that first May; and she took to camping like a duck to water. This is where she received Houdini as one of her nicknames. The first night; we had just gotten all tucked in and turned off the lights. Within a few seconds it sounded like a huge animal or person was walking close to our tent. Got up, turned on the lights, and Molly wasn't in the tent?!? Unbeknownst to us, she had put a hole in the side of the tent; and had gone back outside. Because of her dark fur, she also blended into the night and many times sitting around a campfire, we had to really look to see her.

In all the years that we interior camped with our canoe; she only ever tipped us once. Mike had gotten out to look for a well camoflaged portage and Molly jumped out to follow. Over the canoe went, with all of our stuff and me! But thankfully we were on a small lake, at the shoreline.

The first time in the canoe, she was snoring along with her chin resting on the gunnels, when all of a sudden, she spotted a couple of deer on the shore. She never did bark at them, but did a low, gutteral growl instead. It was pretty funny, she was a tenth of the size of the deer.

I can't begin to add up the kilometres that Molly has put on over the years. Whether it was from all the drives for the many camping trips, plus the last 4 years of full time rving; or from all the hikes that she went on. For the first 7 years of her life; most weekends we took her to a conservation area. The walk took us about an hour; and she did it 10 times to our once. From the start of the walk, she was either running full tilt after her frisbee, which she loved; or chasing squirrels or rabbits. She was great at catching the frisbee, but never did catch a squirrel. But I gotta give her an A+ for trying.

Molly came nose to nose with a Massassauga Rattler and a tarantula, but luckily nothing bad happened. And in all the years that we had her, she never got sprayed by a skunk. Came real close to that happening this past spring, but lucky for us, the skunk went a different way.

The first time that we had Molly in the desert, we hadn't gotten more than a few feet away from the truck, when she came back with half a dozen cactus "bulbs" stuck in her fur. I had holes in my fingers for weeks after I pulled them out of her.

Molly was always an avid traveler, and as long as we were there, she didn't care where we were. Over the years, Molly has been in 8 Provinces and 29 States. When we first started this lifestyle; she would get really anxious when it was time to leave. But once she was in the truck; she was a happy girl. She knew that she was coming with us; and wouldn't be forgotten.

A few years ago, Molly had a bad injury to her back legs, and that seemed to be the beginning of the end. The past year or so has been hard on her; and despite giving her shark cartiledge and glucosamine, old age and arthritis caught up. She was having a lot of problems with walking and negotiating the stairs into our place had become a challenge.

On October 25th, Mike and I were both with her when she passed on to dog heaven. She will always have a special place in our hearts and we will both miss her greatly.

Please take a look at some of our favourite pictures of her

Summer of 2010

2010-10-18T21:19:00.000-04:00

It just seemed liked yesterday when we arrived home from Florida. And here it is middle of October, and we leave in less than 2 weeks. Where did the time go?

The summer of 2010 just flew by for us. We have lots of family and friends in this area; and it seemed to be non stop visiting, parties, dinners... etc...etc.

We had Rob and Emalynn join us from BC for a few weeks; then a couple of our nieces spent a week with us. Lots of days at the beach during that time.

My long time friend Claudia and her kids came for a overnighter. And the list just keeps on going.

Don't forget the poker tournaments that we held at our park; plus lots of cards nights with Ken/Rosie and Tina/Randy.

Then just a few nights ago; I threw a early 60th surprise birthday party for Mike. He actually doesn't turn 60 until February, but by then we'll be deep in the heart of Texas.

To get Mike out of the house for a few hours, me and Mike's sister and sisters-in-law sent Mike and his brothers Ken and Dave out for a horse back ride. They spent an hour out at the Horseshoe J Dude Ranch in Iona Station.

Mike frequented the ranch for many years, and he figured that its been close to 40 years since the first time he went there. Like I said at the beginning of this post... where does the time go?

When the boys returned to the park; there were close to 20 family and friends waiting at the rec hall to help Mike celebrate. He was very surprised. It's always great when a surprise party is just that... a surprise. But then again, his birthdays not til February.

A great time was had by all. And mother nature made for a beautiful fall night to sit with good friends around a campfire.

Take a look at our pictures taken during this time

June til... Now

2010-01-27T17:33:00.000-05:00

I know that's it's been forever since I wrote a blog; so I'll give you a quick recap of what we we're doing from the summer til now.

We set up home for the summer out at Trout Haven Park in Strathroy. It's a great park; and conveniently located to a lot of our family and friends.

We have a lot of family/friends in this area; and most of the summer was spent visiting and playing cards. Fortunately for us; lots of our family and friends are card players, and both of us got our fill. We spent a lot of nights at either Ken/Rosie's for pepper; or Tina/Randy for Blak-bone. Lots of fun.

We had a couple of nieces spend a few nights with us in July and both Megan and Jamana had a lot of fun. Mike's brother Ken and his son Calen, headed off on an adventure of a lifetime; and spent 5 weeks driving from London England to Ulaan Bataar Mongolia as part of the Mongol Rally. We had the pleasure of driving the first leg of the rally, by taking them to Pearson International in Toronto; and 5 weeks later, drove the last leg, by picking them up.

We also had a lot of visitors out to the park; and we managed to burn roughly 4 truck loads of wood. All in all, it was a great summer that went by way too fast!

At the end of October, we winterized our rig and moved into my folks apartment, downtown London. We really wanted to be in Canada to watch the upcoming Olympics, and their apartment is empty in the winter. I also had a girls weekend with some old friends from highschool. Reconnected with these girls through Face Book; and it was nice catching up.

December 5th, we got a phone call early in the morning; and our winter plans we're about to quickly change. My Dad was having some health issues; and ended up being medi-vacked home. He's doing great; but his insurance won't let him go back to Florida for the rest of the year. So... that's where this blog is being updated from.

Fortunately for us, we just "happened to be free" and we're more than happy to house sit for them in Florida. We arrived late morning on Sunday (Jan. 24th) to a balmy 78 degrees; and will be here until the end of April. Luckily we'll still be able to watch the olympics.

On December 22nd, my friend Jenn and I took part in the Community Olympic event in St. Thomas. There were 1000's of people who came out to take part in the flame relay. Then a few days later, on December 24th, Mike and I watched the flame come up Wellington Road in London, being carried by... Santa Claus! There was a pass off right in front of us; and it was pretty cool to take place in Olympic history. Can't wait for the Olympics to begin.

And yesterday, our niece Natalie, gave birth to a 7lb 10oz baby boy! Way to go Natalie! Can't wait to see the pictures. According to grandma; mom and baby are both well; and she should be home tonight.

Molly is still with us and doing great. Still a little slow; and completely deaf now; but she's still motoring along and doing just fine.

Well that pretty much catches up the past few months. Will try to do a blog more often.

Take a look at our pictures

The Visiting Continues

2009-06-07T15:00:00.000-04:00

It's hard to believe that we've been home for a couple of weeks already. The time has just flown by; and we've had more hugs in these past two weeks then we've had all year long. And I can tell you that there's nothing like hugs from family.

Last Friday, we spent the afternoon visiting Mike's sister Marlene. Molly's litter mate, Sadie, lives right across the street from Marlene, and the two "girls" were quite happy to see each other again. Both are a little slower, but they still acted like puppies. Molly is also continuing to improve. Thanks again Gary for suggesting the shark cartilage - it has worked wonders.

Last Sunday we drove to Corunna to see some friends of ours perform. The Satiniques are a singing group that mostly sing hits from the 50's and 60's. We met up with the group a few years ago; and became their unofficial "groupies" back in Punta Gorda, Florida. While we were waiting for the show to begin, Mike's cousin Ray and his wife Linda sat down right behind us. It had been 7 years since we had seen Ray and Linda; and it was nice to be able to catch up. The show was also terrific; good job Rick, Donna, Joe and Anne! A great time was had by all.

This past Tuesday we moved to our new "home" for the summer. We are currently set up at Trout Haven Park in Strathroy. We spent most of the day setting up; cleaning; organizing and doing laundry; and by that evening, we were pooped! We had done very little "living" in our rig over the past few weeks; and the inside needed some TLC. The beauty of living in a small space though is that it doesn't take too long to clean or tidy up.

Wednesday was our first day of doing nothing since arriving, and it felt wonderful to do just that... a whole bunch of nothing. We did have some wood delivered though; and Wednesday night we sat out by the campfire for quite some time.

We went to Grand Bend to visit Mike's sister Lyn on Thursday; off to the dentist on Friday morning; more visiting in the afternoon with niece Natalie and then yesterday back to London for a birthday party for another niece - Happy Birthday Jen! Today, is a relaxing day.

I've been writing our blog for just over a year now. And have been pleasantly surprised at how many are reading it. I always put on the bottom of the email update that if you want to be removed from the list or are having troubles with the link to let me know; and I'm happy to tell you that nobody wants off the list or are having troubles... yay! Keep on sending those positive comments and emails.

Oh yeah, Mike and I celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary on Monday! Enjoyed a nice lunch with my folks, then a nice dinner with friends Sally and John. Topped off with a bubble bath and a back wash from my hubby; what a wonderful day!

And by the way, the camera was tucked away quite nicely in our entertainment centre and not lost at all (what a relief!). As a result of this, there are just a few pictures to post.

We're Home

2009-05-29T11:19:00.000-04:00

We arrived "home" on Thursday night; and the first of many surprises began. Even though we had told everybody that we wouldn't be home until the end of May early June, nobody seemed to believe us. A few of the family had suspected that we might be home by the weekend, but nobody was expecting us on Thursday night. We showed up at Ken and Rosie's at 9:00 PM and totally surprised their son Calen. Rosie arrived shortly after and was also quite surprised to see us.

We spent the night at their place; and showed up at my folks on Friday afternoon. It felt good to get hugs from my folks again, as it had been a while. Saturday, the surprises continued; and we caught Dave and Anne off guard. It's not too often that we are able to pull off a good surprise; and we managed to pull this one off perfectly.

One of the reasons that we wanted to be back by the weekend, was a big family party in Blenheim. Mike's Uncle Leo and Aunt Marie were celebrating milestone birthdays; his cousin Ed is off to Quebec for the summer for naval training; and his brother Ken and nephew Calen are off to do the Mongol Rally this summer. It was nice to be able to see so many family and relatives all in one shot.

This last week has been spent dropping in on more friends and family. We have barely stopped since arriving; and by Wednesday, I was pooped! I also don't have much of a voice right now; and sound like I've swallowed a few frogs. We were back in Port Stanley late afternoon, where were staying with goods friends Sally and John; and went right to bed, slept right through til 9:00 the next morning. Guess I needed it!

Molly is doing much better and has improved a whole bunch! We are still giving her 2 glucosamines everyday and have added a shark cartilage to that. She still needs help going up stairs, but overall is much better! Thanks for all the good wishes being sent her way.

We are still looking for a place to call home for the summer; and will let you know where we are once we get set up.

Take a look at our pictures

A Visit in Dryden

2009-05-25T11:55:00.000-04:00

One of the best things about this adventure that we're on, is the family, relatives, friends and new people that you meet along the way. We have visited people that we know from the East coast to the West coast; down to the Southern states and points in between. We have stopped in to see people that we know; haven't seen for a very long time; or have never met. We always seem to have a great time; and always manage to find something to talk about.

This was the case this past weekend. My Uncle Ted and Aunt Bonnie are from Thunder Bay, Ontario. A few weeks back, we contacted them to let them know that we were going to be passing through on the May long weekend; and to see if they were going to be free. They were, and suggested that we meet them in Dryden, Ontario instead. Bonnie's youngest sister Kim and her family live there. I hadn't seen Kim in over 25 years; and both Mike and I were looking forward to it.

We arrived at their place on the lake on Friday afternoon; and were welcomed with big hugs all around. Kim is exactly how I remember her from before - warm, friendly, inviting and always a big smile on her face. And her husband Gary and their girls, Alex and Tayler, are also the same. It was also great seeing Ted and Bonnie; and a great weekend was had by all!

We spent the weekend catching up, sharing old and new memories and lots of laughter. It was tough to leave on Tuesday morning, as not only was the company great, but the meals that they made for both breakfasts and dinners were truly delicious! They have extended an invitation back to us anytime; and we hope to take them up on that offer one day.

We got an early start the next day; and arrived in Thunder Bay with plenty of time to get a much needed hair cut and buy some Persians. For those of you who don't know this, Persians are a bakery treat that are only available in Thunder Bay. And boy are they tasty!!! Mmm mmm good! I had promised one of the workers from Living Forest, who was also from Thunder Bay, a package of them, so had to also find a Canada Post. She should have them by Friday. We may have 1 or 2 of them left by the time we make it "home". Hope that you all had as an enjoyable long weekend as we did.

Tuesday through Thursday were spent driving East along #17. Northern Ontario has always been a favorite place of ours to drive through. There is lots of nature to see along the way and the scenery is beautiful. Lots of little rivers and streams; and of course Lake Superior along the way, plus rock and forests. On Tuesday evening, we saw 2 fox, 3 moose and a bear. Most wildlife we've seen in the Thunder Bay area in a long time.

Take a look at our pictures

A visit in Alberta

2009-05-15T13:42:00.000-04:00

The reason for stopping in Kananaskis was to do some visiting. My cousin Kelly came from Calgary with her 3 dogs on Saturday. She arrived early afternoon; and even though there were some rain showers, we still managed to have a campfire going. We enjoyed having Kelly for the afternoon and had a nice visit. The next day, my friend Sam and her husband Lou and their dog Barnie came for a visit. We were also able to have a campfire and spent the afternoon catching up; and learning about all the places we needed to see while in the area.

Monday, we drove North; and started out at Johnston Canyon. The day was beautiful; and off on the hike we went. We finally ended at the falls; and were again awed by mother natures beauty.

After making our way back to the truck; we continued on to Lake Louise. Unfortunately, this early in the spring the lake was still frozen, but the mountains surrounding the lake were still beautiful. Guess we'll have to come back here in another season to see the emerald colours of the lake.

Next stop was Banff. We spent roughly an hour driving around Banff, with stops at the hot springs and then the gondola. We didn't actually use the hot springs, as it was getting late in the day; but it wasn't anything like how I remembered it as a kid. And because we had just taken the Peak 2 Peak Gondola at Whistler, we decided to pass on the Banff Gondola. It was pretty overcast and we wanted to get home to Molly. Monday night we decided to burn up the rest of our fire wood; and plan our route home.

We left on Tuesday and by the time we stopped at the dump station, we were only the road by 10:30. Kelly had told us of a by-pass for Calgary, and as we try to avoid most big cities; we paid close attention to her; and found the by-pass easily. We ended up only seeing the backs of homes and the downtown skyline in the very far distance.

Within a short period of time the landscape had changed drastically. Behind us the Rockies were quickly disappearing and ahead lay the Canadian prairies. The temp was hovering around 17 again; and mostly sunny. The Trans Canada highway is a great highway to drive on. It's a divided highway and a lot of the time you can't even see the west bound lanes. Nice not having to have lights in your eyes, or have traffic bunching up behind you. However, there were quite a few areas that are in desperate need of repair.

We ended up just East of Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan and found a Husky Truck stop to spend the night. The next morning we woke up to SNOW!!! BRRRRR it was freezing! And after filling our tank, we were soon on the highway again. The price of diesel has drastically dropped in price and the lowest that we have seen it for was 69/litre. It's a darn sight better than the $161.9/litre last summer. We hope that this trend continues, and of course we had just filled up for 73.9 when we passed the 69. Never seems to be in your favour. But were still not complaining!!!

Mike was driving at this time; and all I had to do was take pictures; especially the one that said Welcome to Manitoba; well, don't you know, I missed it! But trust me, we were there. We seemed to breeze across the prairies; and last night we found a truck scale with a lot for truckers right at the Manitoba/Ontario boarder; so that's were we spent the night. And boy was it cold! I don't think that Mother Nature has gotten the memo that it's spring yet. Sure hope that it warms up soon.

And today, we are currently in Kenora, Ontario. We have been invited to some relatives/friends in Dryden for the long weekend; and we thought we would hang out here for a day; and rest up from the long drive. Molly is glad to be out of the truck; and we're glad to have warmth again. Nice hot showers, and then off to the Walmart to send this blog. As the Internet is also not working here. Canada needs to "kick it up a notch" as far as Internet for travellers goes.

Take a look at our pictures

A drive through the Rockies

2009-05-14T20:57:00.000-04:00

We finally left Vernon late on Thursday afternoon. The pocket book was roughly $2500.00 lighter; but the truck was much quieter! The park that we had been staying at was right on the highway; tight small spots; and the Internet wasn't very good either. We were quiet happy to see the end of Vernon.

We drove for 2 hours up the Okanagan Valley, with breath taking beauty all around... again. The Canadian Rockies were certainly giving us a beautiful show right out the front window. Most of the mountains are still snow covered; and that just made everything prettier. There are tree covered, rounded, jagged, snow covered and a mix of all; and it didn't seem to matter which direction you looked, there were mountains... nice!

We arrived just East of Revelstoke around 7:30 and found a truck stop to spend the night. We had an open view of mountains all around; and after having supper, we were all in bed shortly after 10.

The next morning, we were up and on our way shortly before 6:30 am - yes I said am, I know that doesn't happen too often, but once in a while we manage to get up with the sun.

The drive from Revelstoke heading towards Alberta put the WOW factor in overdrive! Around every curve, and in my estimate we went around a gazillion curves (give or take a few) the words wow, oh wow, holy wow, unbelievable, beautiful, etc, came out of our mouths for most of the day. This is where one of the rigs with the big windows would have been nice. Oh well, maybe one day. Because of the easy navigation, were heading #1 East; Mike was able to do his other "job" while I drove. Picture taking - and believe me, he took lots of pictures - roughly 150, but don't worry, not all will be in the album :)

The very first day we drove with the rig (almost 3 years ago); we passed another rig and the driver waved to us; since that day I have waved to all RV's when we're pulling and sometimes you get a wave back but a lot of times you don't. On this day, I got a triple wave. One from the passenger and driver, plus the driver of the big truck that was right behind.

The weather for most of the day was around 17c and once we passed the rain clouds, the sun was shining. Just an absolute perfect day to spend driving through the Rockies! We arrived in Kananaskis, about an hour west of Calgary, on Friday afternoon. We booked in at the Bow Valley Campground for 4 nights. Nice big private sites, with plenty of trees around. In fact, from our site, you couldn't even see the mountains that were all around us.

Trying to be optimistic, we thought that the glucosamine was making a difference in Molly. But in reality, it doesn't seem to be. We now help her into the truck and rig with a sling. We know that "the day" is coming soon; but with all the travelling that we have coming ahead of us; we're hoping that she can make it home. We keep her as comfy as we can; and give her lots of TLC.

We haven't had the Internet since leaving Vernon; so will post another blog next chance I get.

Take a look at our pictures

A layover in Vernon

2009-05-05T22:30:00.000-04:00

We left Osoyoos yesterday; and drove North along 97 heading towards Vernon. Beautiful drive through the Okanagan valley with mountain views all around.

A few days earlier, our truck started making strange noises. It's never a good thing when your vehicle starts making strange noises. And it turns out, this wasn't going to be an exception. After getting set up yesterday in our new park in Vernon, Mike brought the truck to the local Ford dealership.

Turns out that one of the cylinders is leaking at the exhaust manifold. They've been working at this since yesterday afternoon; and are having quite the time getting the rusted bolts off. One of the bolts was giving them quite the hassle; and had to be sent to a machinist to get it off. The bill, so far, is roughly $2500.00 - ouch!!! Hopefully, with any luck, this will be the last thing needing fixing for a while - wish us luck. We're hoping to be back on the road again tomorrow.

Molly is doing okay though. She still needs help getting in and out of the truck and the rig; and she doesn't get very far very fast; but she seems to making small improvements on a daily basis. Hopefully the glucosamine and aspirin will only continue to help. Thanks for all the warm wishes being sent her way... now can you also pray to the truck gods for us... and the lotto gods... thanks.

No pictures today.

Onwards to Osoyoos

2009-05-04T16:15:00.000-04:00

I know that it's been a long time since I posted a blog. So I'll fill you in on what we've been up to. After leaving Sqaumish, our next destination was Chilliwack. The reason for this stop, was to have another visit with Mike's brother Rob, before we left the area. The park itself was crammed in tightly and overpriced and right on the Trans Canada, so very noisy; but the visit was great. There were also nice mountain views all around, but we were happy to pull out on Monday morning.

We took the Crowsnest Pass, Highway #3 heading East towards Osoyoos. Very little traffic; and the views all around were again breath taking. Didn't matter which direction you looked, there were mountains.

We arrived early afternoon; and were enjoying the hot tub and heated pool, shortly there after. Very nice park, well layed out; lots of trees in between sites, and a lake out the back window - pretty nice! The internet however, wasn't the strongest; and that contributed to the long blog delay.

Tuesday was a pretty rough day. Molly isn't doing very well these days - the arthritis in her back legs has gotten worse; and she having a tough time getting in and out of the rig. And going for walks is painfully slow. We made a few phone calls to local vets, to see about having her put to sleep; but when she looked at us with those big brown eyes, we both melted and neither of us had the heart; so off to the pharmacy we went instead. She's now on glucosamine sulphate and an aspirin. It's been almost a week; and even though the improvements are small; she does seem to be improving.

Thursday found us heading East on #3 for a day trip. The "hill" heading out of town is the Anarchists Highway; and even with just the truck; it was a workout. But once at the top... you guessed it, breath taking views all around, with Osoyoos spread out below. There was barely a cloud in the sky; and you could see a long way. Including our campground. From there, we continued on a gravel road up towards Mount Baldy. The skiing is done for the year and most of the snow is gone. On towards Oliver, and then back to the park.

Another adventure on Friday, this time the Desert Cultural Centre. Spent some time in the centre; and then off on the hike we went. I haven't mentioned this yet, but Osoyoos is in Canada's Senoran desert. And very reminiscent of our time in the south west.

Another day drive on Saturday and a hike on Sunday. The weather turned out to be pretty nice this past week, low 20's and mostly sunny and it was great to be out and about doing things.

Take a look at our pictures

Shannon Falls and Sqaumish

2009-04-24T20:33:00.000-04:00

Turns out the "day after" skiing wasn't near as bad as Mike thought it would be. Maybe having a steam room and hot tub, plus a naproxen was a good idea.

Also turns out that the last run wasn't on 7th Heaven, but on Whiskey Jack and Olympic Run; on the Whistler side of the mountain. Mike's still smiling; and I'm sure he will be for a while yet.

Wednesday we ended up taking a drive to Shannon Falls. This little gem of a place is just south of Squamish; and was worth the drive over. The roar of the water rushing down the mountain side is deafening; and the views and sights around are breathtaking.

Thursday, we drove back north of Squamish and took a rough gravel road towards the Tantalus Mountains. Lots of pot holes to dodge on this road; but Al, we didn't lose any fillings - not a one!!!

Last night, we had a campfire as it was also our last night in Squamish. The 9 nights there flew by; and the weather turned out to be way nicer than was predicted.

Today, we travelled to Chilliwack. There was lots of construction along the way, but the traffic moved along pretty good. We were here and set up just after 2:30 this afternoon. The park is right beside the Trans Canada and the sites are pretty small. But, there are mountains surrounding us, in any direction you look - pretty nice. We're only here for the weekend; and isn't too far for Rob to come for a visit.

We've been getting lots of comments on the blog plus lots of emails with lots of really nice comments about our travels. It puts a smile on our faces knowing that so many of you are enjoying our travels and blog. We'll be doing lots of travelling in the next while, so there will be lots to see, do and share. Hope that you enjoy it was much are we are!

Take a look at the pictures

A Long Time Dream Comes True

2009-04-22T20:17:00.000-04:00

From the time Mike was 18 right through until his late 30's he loved skiing. Many of his holidays from Ford were to places such as Mount Tremblant; Smuggler's Notch; Madonna Mountain; Stowe and Killington just to name a few. His dream however was always to ski Whistler. And even though he lived in BC for a year; and came out on many visits, it just never seemed to happen.

When we went up the Peak 2 Peak on Saturday, I was quite content just to look around; and take in the views, watch the skiers, etc. I thought that Mike was too, but once up there, he was itchin to have a pair of skis on.

On Tuesday, his dream finally came true!!! We headed up to Whistler on Tuesday morning; and arrived there with lots of time to get outfitted with boots, skis, and poles and get his half day ticket. Since he hadn't skied in over 20 years, I suggested that maybe a half day would be plenty.

Back to the truck we went, so he could get dressed and then off to the lifts. The beam on his face as he came down the first time back to me was the biggest I've ever seen on Mike's face! Reminded me of the Visa commercials...$38.84 for half day ski equipment rental, $64.45 for half day lift ticket, the smile on his face PLUS fulfilling a long time dream... priceless. It was a great day for Mike, and I'm glad to have shared it with him.

I decided to pass on the skiing, as I haven't skied since the winter of 1985, and with my bad knees, I was quite content to wander around the stroll, people watch and souvenir shop.

When I met Mike back at the base shortly after 4; he looked tired, but happy. When I asked him how it was, the answer was "I'm pooped, but WOW, it was totally worth it!" Best skiing he's ever done, and his last run down started at the top of 7th Heaven and non-stop to the bottom. He managed to get 8 or 9 runs in and also got to take the Peak 2 Peak again. And trust me, the half day ticket was more than enough! :))

Figured he would be a little sore the next day, so off to the recreation centre for a steam room and hot tub we went; for "just in case". And it felt wonderful - and I wasn't even skiing!

Take a look at Mike in "action"

A visit to Vancouver

2009-04-22T00:46:00.000-04:00

On Monday we were up and out the door shortly after 9 and headed down the Sea to Sky highway to Vancouver. Beautiful views the whole way.

Mike's brother Rob, drives for a transit company; and we met him on his lunch break. We ended up sitting in a park near Commercial and Grant; and spent a good half hour catching up. Rob's break came to an end; and back to work he went.

We however, had another stop to make. Our good friend Sally's daughter lives in this neighbourhood; and just had a baby girl back in November. So after stopping to buy a yellow stuffed elephant for baby Jubilee; we met Leslie and then stopped and shared a pizza.

Next, we took a self-guided tour of downtown Vancouver. We drove past the Pan Pacific hotel; drove through Gas Town; along west Hastings for a bit; and then eventually over to Stanley Park. We drove the perimeter of the park and took lots of loops along the way; plus when there was something nice to look at, we got out and looked around, took some pictures; and then moved on.

Once we left the park; we drove over the Lions Gate Bridge. Beautiful sites all around; and the sun glistening off the mountains, made things really pretty. We drove over to the Capilano Suspension bridge, but it was pretty pricey to walk across.

We only get one station, the CBC, at our park. And of course the NHL playoffs are happening right now. So, I'm pretty sure we watched a hockey game after supper and before heading off to bed.

Another perfect day on the West Coast. Take a look at our pictures.

Peak 2 Peak in Whistler

2009-04-18T22:00:00.000-04:00

Today turned out to be a beautiful day for the Peak 2 Peak Gondola ride in Whistler. We left our park around noon; and headed on up. There was very little traffic; and no road construction going on today. On our way up on Thursday, the crews were out working in full, preparing for the upcoming Olympics.

We took the first part of the gondola ride up; and were in our own car. The views all around were breathtaking, and both the upper and lower villages of Whistler were right below us as we climbed up. The first ride up was roughly 25 minutes and no matter what direction you looked; there were snow covered mountains, skiers/boarders and breathtaking beauty.

Once at the top, you have a chance to walk around for a bit; watch the skiers/snowboarders; have a bite to eat; shop for souvenirs; or just enjoy the views around. Then you continue on in the Peak 2 Peak gondola; which takes you from Whistler Mountain over to Blackcomb. This ride is roughly 11 minutes; the cars are much bigger - holding roughly 12 people; and again breathtaking views no matter where you look.

When we reached the end; we again got out and walked around for a bit. Even with sun glasses on, the glare from the snow was hard on my eyes. We walked into a few of the buildings; watched some more skiing/boarding action for a while; and then took the cable ride back over to Whistler. Took a few more pictures; and finally took the cable car back to the bottom.

The Peak 2 Peak Gondola is the longest and highest continuous lift system in the world. The highest part is 1472 feet above Fitzsimmons Creek.

Mike couldn't believe that he was actually spending the day at Whistler and wasn't going to be skiing! He did a lot of skiing in his past; but it's been a long time and with no equipment, etc.; he was content to just be up there.

The sun was shining the whole time; and there was no wind. Just an absolute perfect day to spend at the top of Whistler.

There was a big music festival happening on The Stroll, so we stopped and got a burger and poutine and listed to the music while watching thousands of people walking to and from the slopes.

Take a look at our pictures

On the Road Again

2009-04-17T13:47:00.000-04:00

Well, after a day's delay, we pulled out of the Living Forest RV park on Wednesday morning. We had said our goodbyes to a lot of people on Monday, but Bob and Alvisia came over to wish us safe travels and to see us off. After a quick stop at the office, we were on our way to Departure Bay ferry terminal. We had less than an hour wait; and the sailing went by smoothly. And this time, Molly's face didn't swell - yay!!!

We had beautiful snow capped mountains to watch on the 1 1/2 hour crossing; and as you approached the mainland, you could see Vancouver's skyline in the distance.

We got turned around a little bit getting off the ferry due to a detour; and ended up driving through a pretty swanky neighborhood in West Vancouver - pretty nice.

We are now settled in our new park in Squamish; and are completely surrounded by mountains. It's beautiful here. The park is quite new and the owners are busy making new sites, etc. But we are at the far end of the park; no neighbors; and our patio faces a wooded area.

Yesterday, we drove up to Whistler, which is under an hour; and spent a couple of hours driving from the upper village to the lower village and driving through some really nice neighborhoods. In fact, I don't recall seeing one single place in need of repair. And it's quite apparent, that you need some moola to live here. We finally made our way to the downtown shops. This area is called "The Stroll" and is pedestrians only; roughly 800 meters from start to finish and stores and restaurants on both sides. Some of the shops were pretty expensive; even the sales racks were a little steep for me!

The "stroll" eventually ends at the gondola and there were tons of people with ski attire on and carrying their skis or snowboards. Lots of restaurants down at this end of the mall to treat yourself after a long day on the slopes. We were planning on heading back today, to take the Peak to Peak gondola ride; but it's really overcast and drizzly. Guess we'll have to try another day.

Take a look at our pictures

Getting Ready to Roll

2009-04-13T13:06:00.000-04:00

Well, this past month has been spent mostly doing what we normally do - going for daily walks; playing cards with friends; enjoying the steam room/hot tub at the aquatic centre and just enjoying spring on the island.

We also had some friends come for a quick visit. We picked Sally and Latisha up at the ferry at noon and dropped them off the next afternoon around 4. During their short 28 hour visit; we spent the first afternoon touring around Victoria. Latisha had never been to BC before, so it was nice to be able to show her the capital. Plus Victoria is a really pretty city and any excuse to go is good enough for us. We also found a really nice place to have a chinese dinner right in China town.

The next day, we were up and out the door fairly early and off to Cathedral Grove we went. We have now been to Cathedral Grove in all 4 seasons, and regardless of the season, it's a beautiful place to spend an hour or so walking amongst the giant cedars and douglas firs. We also stopped at Qualicum falls and Coombs - still no goats on the roofs!

After they left; we go serious about getting ready to roll. Every drawer, cupboard, closet and bin has been emptied out and reorganized. I figure we tossed out roughly 50 pounds worth of stuff that we had no use for, or was broken. That's a job that you really need to keep up with, when you're living in a small space.

We also spent the better part of a day washing our rig from the roof on down. What a job that was! Both of us had sore shoulders the next day. But it looks good! Mike and Bob also checked a couple of our axles/bearings on the rig; and everything looked fine.

We also brought the truck in for a tune-up and oil change; and everything is working well. We also put a new set of tires on the truck. First time in 13 years and 4 vehicles that we've had to replace a full set at once.

Yesterday, our friends Barb and Marjorie came up from Victoria; and shared our Easter dinner with us. And it was delicious - turkey and all the trimmings... mmm mmm good!

We leave the island tomorrow; and our destination is Squamish. We've been across from the Sqamish/Whistler area for the winter; and are looking foward to being in the mountains, instead of just looking at them. Hopefully our sailing will go smoothly; and we should be there by late afternoon. I'll do a blog once we get set up.

Take a look at our pictures

The rest of Jenn's visit

2009-03-04T22:17:00.000-05:00

A few weeks back, we found a nice place to go for a walk along the ocean. It's a park called Neck Point, and on Saturday, we had a beautiful day to take Jenn there. Although there was still snow on the paths and boardwalks, it was an easy walk.

There's only a few short uphills; but the views are totally worth it. You also drive through a very nice part of Nanaimo to get there. No cookie cutter homes in this area; and beautiful properties and views all around.

On Sunday, we toured around the harbour and downtown Nanaimo, before heading off to do some shopping. One of Jenn's favorite meals that I make is Chimichanga's from left over pot roast, so on Sunday night we feasted on chimi's. And then headed off for a hot tub and sauna.

Monday, Jenn and I headed off for a day of touring. We started mid morning in Chemainus; which is a small artsy community; with beautiful murals painted on buildings throughout the community. Made our way through half a dozen shops; but didn't do too much damage to the wallets.

Next stop was a picnic lunch at the summit of the Malahat. And then into Victoria. We toured around the cruise ship pier first; but didn't see any ships. Next stop was fisherman's wharf. Had my camera with me this time; and took some pictures of the house boats. Came across some harbour seals, just in time for some locals to feed fish to them. We then stopped at mile marker "0" on the Trans Canada where there was also a statute of Terry Fox.

Toured through some pretty nice neighbour hoods for a while and then made our way back to downtown, where we walked through the Empress Hotel; past the Parliament building and along the inner harbour before meeting my friend Barb for dinner.

Yesterday was spent at the casino, where we won; followed by a session of bingo, we both won; how often does that happen? And a stroll along the river in our park. We dropped her off bright and early this morning, at the ferry terminal and this time, there wasn't a speck of snow anywhere!

We had a great time with Jenn; and thoroughly enjoyed our visit with her. Who will be our next guest? We hear our couch is really comfy!

Take a look at the pictures

Winter Came Back

2009-02-27T23:03:00.000-05:00

Well we thought for sure that winter in Nanaimo was done, but apparently we were wrong! It started to snow late afternoon on Wednesday and by the time we left here to head to Duke Point to pick up our friend at the ferry terminal; it was a full fledged blizzard! We are putting all of the blame on Jenn, as she has come from cold, snowy Ontario.

We left here just after 7:00 pm and with the quarter sized snow flakes blowing directly into our headlights, making out the road was a little tough. The speed limit on the highway there was 90 km's and I was driving along at 40 km's just to be on the safe side. I haven't driven in a blizzard in 3 winters, as the first two were in the south; and this year when it has snowed, we usually just stayed in. On the way back things appeared better; and we decided a nice hot tub and sauna at the aquatic centre would feel great; about half way there, we decided that it was time to turn back and try again the next night.

On Thursday we spent the afternoon shopping and taking Jenn for a quick tour around Nanaimo; and had that much needed hot tub later in the evening.

Today was beautiful; and we drove over to Cathedral Grove. This is a preserved area of forest with some of Canada's oldest Douglas firs. There was a smattering of snow on the ground; and it was a beautiful way to spend an hour walking through the forest. We then continued our drive and just outside of Port Alberni, we stopped at Sproat Lake for a picnic lunch and a nice walk out to some Petroglyphs. Heading back home, we stopped at Little Qualicum water falls; and found ourselves on a hike heading down to some falls. Again, just a little bit of snow, but it added to the ambiance. Our last stop on our way home was Goat on Roof in Coombs. This is a little tourist attraction that has an array of gift shops and a market. We were here earlier in the fall and both times, the goats haven't been out.

We arrived home around six and enjoyed a slow cooked blade roast dinner. Mmm Mmm good. A lot of the snow has already melted and should be gone by tomorrow.

Take a look at our pictures

February in Nanaimo

2009-02-25T00:01:00.000-05:00

I know that it's been forever since I did an update on the blog; but we really haven't been doing too much exciting stuff lately.

Most of the snow was gone by early January and the winter up to this point has been really nice. The day time temps average around 8 and we haven't been below freezing over night in over a month. We've also have had very little rain. And when it does rain, it seems to do it over night.

We go for daily walks in and around our park. There's a really nice trail that boarders the park; and takes you along a river. The river is a playground for all kinds of birds. Just today we were over there and were entertained by a flock of Canadian geese.

Depending on how high or low the tide is decides how far we walk along the river. There's a couple of low places along the way, and when the tide is high, there's no way to cross. A few weeks back we had a really nice big rainbow going across the river; but we didn't find the pot of gold, oh well, maybe next time.

We have also been going to the aquatic centre quite a bit; and have been enjoying the sauna, steam room and hot tub. We usually go in the evenings; as there are less kids at that time.

A friend of ours is coming for a weeks visit starting tomorrow; and we'll be taking her to all kinds of places. We're both looking forward to it.

We also both celebrated our birthdays recently; and we both enjoyed our days.

Take a look at our photos

Christmas on the Island

2009-01-04T21:48:00.000-05:00

Wow, it's hard to believe that Christmas 08 has come and gone and we're already into the 4th day of the New Year! Where does the time go?

We had a pot luck dinner at the club house before Christmas; and the turnout was really good. 32 people braved the cold and snow to indulge in a turkey dinner with many fixings to go with it. Mmm Mmm good. We also have gotten together many nights to play cards with Bob and Alvisia. Mostly pepper; but have also started to play frustration; and trust me - it is very frustrating!

Christmas day was spent talking to our family and friends through Skype. It was so nice to hear so many familiar voices; it melts the miles in between. It's great to be able to make as many calls as we want without costing us a thing. Okay, $24 for the year is pretty close to nothing. We some how managed to get our turkey in the oven between phone calls; and indulged in a turkey dinner later that day.

New Years was spent watching Shrek 2 and watching the ball drop from New York - 3 times. With the time difference, we were able to watch it from coast to coast. We were also treated to fireworks going off at midnight. Could only hear them; and intermingled with the fireworks were guns shots being fired into the air. Along with that, a ferry in the bay beside us blasted on the horn for a few good minutes. First time for gun shots and boat horns. What will next year bring?

The past couple of weeks have been mostly spent trying to keep the awning clear of snow; trying to figure out how long it will last before things go back to "normal"; going for walks; and just enjoying the winter wonderland we been living in for the past few weeks. We've had roughly 2 and half feet of snow in total.

We want to wish all of you a very happy, healthy and prosperous 2009! Thanks also for those of you who check the blog often; makes us happy to know that you're enjoying our adventure with us.

Take a look at the pictures that are posted.

"It hardly ever snows on the Island"

2008-12-15T17:13:00.000-05:00

"It hardly ever snows on the Island"; "If and when we do get snow, it's usually just a dusting; and gone the next day"; "The winters are generally really mild here; and very little snow". These are just some of the things that we've been told by the many locals that we've met. Well, we did "get just a dusting" on Friday; and with the rain that shortly followed, most of the snow was gone quickly.

However, we woke up on Sunday morning; and were quite surprised to see more than 9 inches of freshly fallen snow! And with the freezing cold temps that we are also experiencing, my guess is that this snow will take more than a few hours to melt! In fact, I'm pretty sure that it will still be here for another day or two. So much for local weather forecasting!

We are also having problems with our water freezing. We bought some insulation for the water hose; but it still froze at the connection leading into the rig. We managed to get everything thawed out with the help of a blow dryer and pan of hot water - not together, so no worries! lol We then wrapped the connection. Seems to have worked until last night; when the temps were down to -7 brrrrrr! So Mike spent part of today thawing out the hose again; and trying to come up with something better. Might end up turning off the water every night; and just use our fresh water tank for overnight usage instead.

We are nice and toasty warm inside though. We have 2 space heaters and when it gets really cold; the furnace comes on. Also been doing lots of baking and cooking and having the oven on seems to really help.

Molly's been having a great time romping in the snow. We weren't sure how she would react to it; as it's been a couple of years; but she's loving it! Buries her nose right it and surfaces looking like a snowman.

Take a look at our pictures.

Fall in Nanaimo

2008-12-10T16:02:00.000-05:00

We met a couple from our home town of St. Thomas, Ontario, back in mid September. Bob and Alvisia are also full timers and have spent their fall out on the island. They are also card players, and we have gotten together quite a few times to play cards. Mostly euchre, but we've also taught them Pepper, which is a variation of euchre.

We also shared a thanksgiving day turkey with them; and took a drive over to Coombs. We went there specifically to go to "Goat on Roof" market. It's a tour attraction, with lots of gift shops offering a wide variety of goods. There's also a indoor market with a cafe and lots of fruits, vegetables and cheeses etc to choose from. There were no sign of the goats though, but the roofs are all grass. Pretty neat.

We've had a pretty nice fall so far. The day time temps hover around 9 and we've only been down to freezing once during the night. We've also had a break with the rain. Mostly seems to rain over night; and during the day it's been quite nice.

We spend our days, going for walks; puttering around the rig doing odd jobs; shopping; playing poker on-line; and sometimes just a whole lot of nothing. Suits us just fine.

And just as I'm getting ready to post this blog; it started to snow. So, went out and took some pictures. It looks really pretty, but I'm hoping that it doesn't last too long.

Take a look at some of our pictures of our rig and campsite

Recap of our adventure

2008-11-25T17:52:00.001-05:00

I'll give you a little recap and some of our favourite things that we've done so far. We started our adventure in September of 2006. We can't believe that we're already in our 3rd year; and we both absolutely love this new life of ours.

We have stayed in or driven through 5 provinces and 29 states. We have put 57,936 kilometres on our truck; and our gas total is $9,693.04. We have stayed at 78 campgrounds and stopped in 20 casinos to play poker. It took us 18 months to go from the Atlantic to the Pacific. And luckily, we've only been snowed on twice.

We arrived at the Atlantic Ocean in late September of 06; and I finally put my feet in while in South Carolina, Dec. 06; and it was freeeezing. We arrived at the Pacific in March 08 and didn't put my feet in until August 08 on the Long Beach, Vancouver Island. Almost as cold as the Atlantic.

Our top 5 favourite places we've parked our rig on are:

1. The desert in Ajo, Arizona. Hands down the nicest place we've parked our rig on in 2 years.
2. Our current park - Living Forest Oceanside RV Park, in Nanaimo, BC. Lives up to it's name, beautiful tall cedars and giant leafed maples all over the place.
3. Goblin Valley State Park, Utah. Cliffs and slot canyons in our background.
4. Lake Fausse State Park, Louisiana. Back yard had a private dock on the bayou.
5. Glenwood Canyon Resort, Glenwood Canyon, CO. Colorado rushing behind us, with a railroad, mountains and a full moon. Beautiful.

Our favourite national parks

1. Bryce Canyon; hands down the most beautiful place I have ever seen. Undescribable beauty.
2. Mesa Verda; close 2nd to Bryce with the cliff dwellings dating back to the 1200's
3. Arches; incredible arches shaped from rocks, in beautiful reddish tones.
4. Rocky Mountain; snow capped, tree covered, bare, big and breathtaking.
5. Grand Canyon; deep, wide and majestic.

Some of our firsts, mostly mine, as Mike has done or seen some of these things before:

1. Seeing so many types of cactus - saguaro's, ocotillo's, prickly pear, cholla, teddy bear cholla, barrel, organ pipe.
2. Walking through a slot canyon. Antelope slot canyon in Page, Arizona was incredible.
3. Having a crawfish boil and seeing a tree house in the Achafalya Basin in Louisiana.
4. Joshua Tree National Park. Had never heard of or seen a Joshua tree and now I have.
5. Camping in the desert. Loved every minute of our 23 days there.
6. Snorkelling in Key Largo, Florida; swam over Molasses reef and saw amazing ocean life.
7. Seeing a Gannett colony; there were 10's of 1000's of them on Bonaventure Island, Quebec.
8. Seeing our first ghost town, Tin Cup, Colorado.
9. Crossing the Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco, CA.
10. Seeing the amazing cliff dwellings throughout Southern Utah.

I've included just a few pictures from each area; but if you wanted to see more pictures of one area, go to that specific album.

Hope you enjoyed this little recap.

Visit in Victoria

2008-11-22T00:18:00.000-05:00

We ended up going to Victoria late September for another visit with Barb, Liz and Lorne. We met some new people in our park, from St. Thomas of all places; and drove Bob to the airport in Victoria; and then spent the night with Barb.

We went out to a nice pasta place and met Liz and Lorne for dinner. We had a nice time; and when we arrived back at Barb's she told me that her bathtub was all ready for me to indulge in! The thing I miss most is my bathtub; and when the park doesn't have a hot tub; I miss it even more.

I must have spent close to an hour in there; and enjoyed every minute of it! The next day, Barb toured us through Sooke; and part way to Port Renfrew before heading back to Victoria. We enjoyed seeing the gang again; and have plans to do it again.

Roughly a week later, we had some excitement at our site. We had a really bad wind storm; and this place is filled with trees. Lots and lots of really tall trees. We had just gotten off the phone with Mike's brother, Ken; and went out to get some fresh air before dinner. And much to my surprise, a tree had come down and was lying right across our fire pit; extending right across the road! WOW! Didn't even hear it come down. Our guardian angels are still looking out for us though; cause the tree fell away from our rig; and didn't do any damage to us. The park workers came and cleared it off the road the next day; and finished the clean up on Monday. Only tree in the whole park that came down.

Take a look at our pictures

Living Forest, Nanaimo, BC

2008-11-21T23:21:00.000-05:00

We arrived in Nanaimo, BC in the early part of August. Within a short time of setting up, both Mike and I agreed that this was the nicest RV site that we had set up on, in close to 2 years.

The park is called the Living Forest Oceanside RV Park; and it certainly lives up to it's name! We have a two tiered campsite with the rig parked on the upper level and our fire pit on the lower level. We are completely surrounded by large cedar trees and can see Nanaimo Bay from our site. We are surrounded by roads; and cannot have a neighbour! It makes for good privacy.

A week or so after arriving here, our good friends, Sally and John; came for a visit. It was nice to see some familiar faces and get one of Sally's infamous hugs. While they were here, we took the opportunity to drive over to the west coast of Vancouver Island.

On the way, we stopped at Cathedral Grove; and saw some of BC's oldest and largest douglas firs. They were massive! This area is known for it's rain; and judging by the moss on everything; I believe it.

We continued on to Long Beach; and enjoyed a picnic lunch on the beach with the Pacific Ocean as our view. Sally and I also braved it; and strolled in the water for a bit - pretty cold!

We ended our drive in the roaring metropolis of Tofino. It took us all of 10 minutes to drive around the whole community 3 or 4 times! On the way back, we stopped so I could get a photo of me and my namesake creek, well at least the sign.

We also did some blackberry picking while they were here; as this place has 1000's of bushes along the river; they were quite tasty on the cheesecake and pancakes.

We thoroughly enjoyed our visit with Sally and Johnny.

We spent labour day weekend up at Salmon Point; with our newly acquired friends - Liz and Lorne; and Barb, Marjorie and Alyssa. We drove up on Saturday for dinner and a campfire. And went back again on Monday to tow Barb's 5th wheel back to Victoria for her. She doesn't own a truck; so we volunteered our services; and got a whole truck load of wood (twice) and a nice dinner for our efforts. When you meet really nice people along the way; it's nice to help out.

Take a look at our pictures

Victoria, BC

2008-08-13T19:53:00.000-04:00

After spending 3 months at Salmon Point, near Campbell River, it was time to move on. We headed towards Victoria, and spent a couple of weeks near the Malahat mountain on the Island. Very nice, woodsy campground.

We drove in one day and toured around downtown Victoria. Walked around the harbour, past the parliament buildings; and past the Empress Hotel. We then met our new friend Barb, for dinner; and then she toured us around Victoria for a couple of hours by car. It was a nice way to see a new city.

For the August 1st long weekend; we moved into Victoria. The park wasn't the greatest, jammed in like sardines, and close to the Trans Canada; but it was only for the weekend.

B.C. is celebrating it's 150th birthday this year; and there were lots of activities downtown Victoria for the whole weekend. On Saturday, we spent the afternoon wandering around Fisherman's Wharf. It's pretty neat to walk around. There are lots of houseboats moored to the docks; they are real houses, but look like doll houses, everything pared down. Also very expensive. We then had a fish dinner at Barb's fish restaurant - very tasy; and shared our table with a couple of locals.

We then headed to where the cruise ships come in; and got out on the pier just in time to see a cruise ship docking. It was amazing watching something so huge, manuever with grace, right up to the dock. A few minutes later another one came in; and again parked with ease. I think sometimes I have a harder time parking the F-350!

The next day we went back to the downtown core; and were among 40,000 plus people! All out celebrating B.C.'s birthday. The 19th annual symphony splash was happening this year, among many other activities. There's a symphony orchestra set up on a stage in the inner harbour. And they played lots of different accompanyments. There were 10's of thousands of people sitting on the front lawn of the parliament buildings; and 1000's in front of the Empress.

We found a place to park our chairs; and listen to the music and watch people. We were also entertained by a marching scottish band; between the symphony intermission. The finale for the night was fireworks; cannons; and bells chiming. It was quite the day. We normally avoid big crowds, but it was neat being in a capital city for such a big celebration. Normally we would have been in Victoria park in downtown London Ontario, for ribfest, but this was way neater!

Take a look at the pictures

Salmon Point, Campbell River, BC

2008-08-08T11:58:00.000-04:00

We left Mission on Monday, May 5th and took the ferry over to Vancouver Island. We noticed at this time, that Molly's face on the left side had started to swell. We spent the first night in Parksville; and continued on to Salmon Point the next day.

By Wednesday morning, not only the side of Molly's face had swollen, but also her eye; and under her chin. So off to the vet in Campbell River we went. Turns out she had an abcess. She had emergency surgery on the abcess and we picked her up the next morning. She had a drainage tube; along with her stitches; and with the cone she was now wearing, looked like frankenstein's bride wearing an easter bonnet!

She had the stiches in for roughly 3 weeks; and the cone remained on for another week after that. She was quite happy to see the last of the cone. And she has healed completely.

We had a nice view of the Straight of Georgia, with the snow capped mountains on the mainland as our main view. It was a nice place to call "home" for a few months. We also met some really nice people here. We ended up sharing a few fires with Liz, Lorne and Barb. Also met up with them in Victoria; and hope to see them again.

We ended up spending 3 months at Salmon Point; and the weather for much of the spring and early summer, was rainy, cold, windy, overcast; and generally yucky! I thought that we would have been a lot more protected from the wind, being on the east side of the island; but I was wrong! It seemed like the wind was a constant. Watching cruise ships pass by, also became a frequent thing to watch; as well as the many barges that bring supplies to the island.

Gas on the island is also quite high. The highest was 149.9/litre for diesel; so we spent a lot of time going for a hikes along the ocean or for walks around the park. We certainly did our share of boycotting the gas stations this summer. Although eventually you do have to stop; and it was $172.00 to fill the tank - ouch!

Take a look at the pictures we posted.

Mission, BC

2008-08-01T17:42:00.000-04:00

We arrived in B.C. mid April; and the cold, wet, windy weather followed.

Mike's brother and family, Rob, Karen and Emalynn live on a ranch; just outside of Mission, B.C. After a little maneuvering to get our rig settled in; we took a tour of their place. They have 10 acres and 6 horses. And their property is beautiful. You can see a mountain top from just about anywhere on their property.

The first day was a beautiful, sunny, warm day; and Mike and the others were raring to get a ride on the horses. I had never been on a horse; so wasn't quite as anxious. Emalynn got me settled on Sky Dancer; and walked me around the ring for a while. I never really did get comfortable; and wasn't in any big hurry to ride again. Mike hadn't been on a horse for a really long time; and he was in his glory.

Molly, on the other hand; never really did adjust to living with 6 horses. She finally did get brave enough to sniff one, without barking; but most of the time she just barked and tried to avoid them. One of the horses, Dylan, ended up going after her twice - picked her up by the scruff of her neck and dropped her. I know she wasn't liking this - at all! Needless to say; she did her barking from a safe place after that.

It was nice being on the ranch with Mike's family; and getting to see the daily workings of a ranch. We both decided it was way too much work. We ended up staying here for 3 weeks; and then we headed to the island.

Take a look at the pictures.

Avenue of the Giants

2008-07-25T00:33:00.000-04:00

Our trip north found us driving along The Avenue of the Giants. This 33 mile stretch of highway found us surrounded by great, big, huge, 350 plus foot giant red wood trees.

And what a sight that was. We were pulling the rig at this time; and more than once were hugging the yellow centre line. Thank goodness this highway was pretty quiet.

There are trees in this area; that are hundreds of years old; among the oldest in north america. Some of these trees were so wide; that you need 20 plus people, linked by their hands; to fully circle a tree.

We continued north through Oregon, and spent roughly a week in this beautiful state. We found a couple of nice state parks to stay in; and found lots of neat places to take day drives. Next stop was Washington. The weather on the West coast; is usually fairly moderate in the early spring; but this year was an exception. It was cold; wet; and windy for most of our time here. Great planning on our part. The state parks from California right on through to Washington are beautiful; with large, private sites. And great hiking trails, usually close by.

We also spent a week on the beaches of Long Beach, WA. It was still pretty chilly at this point; but the park we found was nice and right at the beach. In fact, we were able to drive our truck along the beach for a bit. Molly also spent a lot of time chasing her frisbee and had a great time.

While in Washington, we visited another relative. We hadn't seen Victoria for close to 9 years; and it was nice to visit and catch up. She treated us to a nice Mexican dinner; than toured us around Seattle; before coming back to our place, another state park, out near Puget Sound to hear some stories and see some pictures. A good time was had by all.

Next stop, Canada.

Take a look at the pictures.

San Francisco and area

2008-07-24T23:58:00.000-04:00

Our next stop along the way was San Francisco. We stayed at a nice RV resort about an hour south of San Fran. We drove in one day and did a self guided tour. We drove past fisherman's wharf; alcatraz; went through the golden gate park; and of course, we drove across the bridge. That was pretty neat. We also drove to haight/ashbury. Mike lived in that area, briefly, during the early 70's; and although that was a long time ago; he pointed out the house he lived in. The whole area is pretty preppy and a lot different from those earlier days.

We also followed a cable car up and then down, one of San Fran's really steep hills! We were here during the spring break time; and couldn't find a place to park our F-350 - anywhere! So needless to say, we didn't have a chance to get out and walk around. But we were satisfied with what we did see.

We also spent a day in Carmel. Again, we picked a really busy time to go and see this little gem of a town. But we did manage to find a parking spot down by the beach; and spent an hour or so walking and watching the waves.

We also took a few more scenic drives around this area; those twisting, curving, tight roads. And again were wowed by the beauty of the area.

It was on one of these drives, heading "home" for the night when we passed a pier, completely covered in sea lions. There must have been hundreds of them. All piled on top of, or right beside each other. It was quite comical watching the jostling when a new one came out of the water. After an hour or so of being entertained, we had a nice fish dinner at the restaurant beside the pier; and for desert, we watched the sea lions before heading home.

We then headed north up the coast; and were wowed by the rugged beauty of the Big Sur Highway. Unfortunately we couldn't stay in the park as we're too long for their spots.

Take a look at the pictures.

Driving along the coast in California

2008-07-08T15:53:00.000-04:00

After pampering ourselves for a week at the Fountain of Youth Spa, we started to make our way to the Pacific Ocean. Again we found ourselves on a secondary highway; one of those twisty, curvy roads; and all of my driving skills were put to the test.

We spent a night in San Matteo; and although we had planned on spending a week in this area; it was really booked up due to Spring break. So we moved on the next day. We drove through places such as Laguna Beach, Newport Beach, Huntington Beach, Long Beach; Redondo Beach, Santa Monica. These are places that the Beach Boys sang about for years; and many of us dreamt about. We also drove under LAX, while a plane was landing. That was as close to Los Angeles that we came to. As we avoid most big cities like the plague.

We ended up spending the night in Ventura; and were parked right up to the ocean. This park was also a dry camping park - no facilities; but for one night; we managed just fine. We also had surfers right behind us; and they kept us entertained until sunset.

Take a look at our pictures.

California, here we come!

2008-07-08T15:37:00.000-04:00

We arrived in California early March; and were met by a beautiful warm, sunny day.

At this time, we decided to head to the Sultan Sea; and spent a week at The Fountain of Youth Spa. Talk about going from one extreme to the next. Dry camping to more spas than one person needs. This place had 4 spas; a couple of steam rooms and we tried out everything.

We also took a tour through Joshua Tree National Park. I had never seen nor heard of a Joshua Tree before; and it was pretty amazing to see.

Take a look at the pictures.

Back to Mesa, Arizona

2008-07-08T15:12:00.000-04:00

After leaving the bliss of the Ajo desert; we headed back to Mesa, Arizona. Another of Mike's Aunt's from Ontario was there for a visit; and we decided that one more visit with the relatives would be a good thing before leaving the area.

We also took this opportunity to get hair cuts; wash our really dirty truck; re-stock our fridge and freezer; and get a few good games of pepper in while there.

We only stayed a week this time before moving on towards California. We spent a few nights in the desert near Quartzite, Arizona, which is really close to the California border. During the months of January and February, Quartzite is booming. There a 1000's of RV's parked throughout the desert; and 100's of vendors selling their wares. Thankfully, when we arrived; there were only a handful of both. We found a nice place to call home for a few nights. Although it's wasn't near as peaceful as the first boondocking experience. The I-10 was only a few miles behind us; and the traffic never seemed to let up.

Take a look at our pictues that we posted.

Ajo, Arizona

2008-06-19T14:12:00.000-04:00

We left Mesa on February 1st, and headed south towards the Mexican border. We spent a week in a small town called Ajo (pronounced Ah-ho); which was roughly 40 miles north of the Mexican border. While there we met up with some nice people, Pat and Phip, from Wisconsin. We shared lots of stories and a few meals with them while there.

We spent one day touring around the Organ Pipe National Park; and were again wowed and bedazzled by the beauty of the desert. I had never seen an organ pipe cactus before and it was quite the introduction to them.

At this time, we also met up with Kelly and Al, from Ontario; and decided to look into boon docking - aka dry camping. We found a beautiful place roughly 8 miles outside of Ajo on BLM land (Bureau of Land Management). This land is free; and although there is a 14 night limit; it was on day 12 before the ranger caught up with us. So we got a bonus 11 nights there. Our closest neighbour at this time was about 1/2 mile up the road; and it was so quiet and peaceful.

We only have 1 battery on our rig; and thought that we would only last a few nights. A week later, our battery was empty as well as our water tank; so off to Ajo we went to recharge and dump/refill our tanks; and then right back out we went.

We ended up spending 23 nights in total in the desert; and absolutely loved it! Mike and I used to drive deep into Northern Ontario, load up our canoe; and paddle for hours looking for peace and quiet. So this was a real treat for us. Having a nice bed to sleep in; a shower with hot water; and all the comforts of home.

We spent our days going for hikes; bike rides; wood runs; and just enjoying mother nature at her best. We were serenaded by coyotes on a regular basis; and had a nightly camp fire. The night sky was incredible there; constellations that we had never seen before; a full moon cycle; and strange lights in the night sky... which turned out to be flares dropped from the military planes flying over the desert. We were fairly close to an airbase; and during the week warthogs flew over us - night and day. Glad that we found out that they were just flares... and nothing to worry about. While there, the lunar eclipse happened and it would have been the perfect place to see it; but unfortunately the sky was overcast that night; and we missed the show.

We were also surrounded by mountains and a wide variety of cactus. Molly ended up getting some cactus spines in her; and we had to use pliers to pull them out.

We went back to the Organ Pipe national park a few weeks later; and were met with 1000's of blooming desert poppies. As far as the eye could see. It was really pretty. We also went into Mexico, just briefly; and then right back out to the desert. We thoroughly enjoyed our time while here; and would go back in a heart beat!

Take a look at the pictures that we've posted.

Christmas in Mesa Arizona, 2007

2008-06-19T13:35:00.000-04:00

We celebrated Christmas with Mike's relatives in Mesa Arizona. We had a great time; and it was nice for us to have family to spend Christmas with.

While in Mesa, we went to a few basketball games. Pati's 13 year old son Zach was on his school's basketball team; and we took in a few games. The second game was a semi-final game which they won; and a few nights later we went to the championship game - which they also won. First time for his school. We celebrated afterwards with a pizza dinner.

Take a look at our pictures that we've posted.

Mesa, Arizona

2008-06-02T19:49:00.001-04:00

We arrived in Mesa, Arizona, which is a suburb of Phoenix. Mike has relatives that live in and around this area. Some he hadn't seen in over 20 years.

Our home base was Apache Wells RV Resort; and it was a nice place to call home for a few months.

We took a beautiful drive through the Superstition Mountains. And what a drive that was! The first time we got as far as Tortilla Flats; when we were met with water rushing over the road. Not sure if we wanted to go on or not; we decided to ponder this over lunch.

The only restaurant was old and delapitated. There were signed $1 bills stapled all over the walls, window sills, bars, etc. And the bar stools were saddles. The food was great, but I'm pretty sure the place wouldn't pass a health inspection.

We decided not to go on; as we weren't sure if there would be more running washes or not. A few days later, we decided to take this drive again. This time we approached it from US 60; and started the drive at the Roosevelt Dam.

Now, we have been on some beautiful drives; but this one takes the cake - so far. The road was dirt and very narrow. Now keep in mind, we drive a Ford F-350. The posted speed limit for this road was 15 mph and for the most part I averaged around 5 to 8. The mountains were on our left; and there were 3 lakes on our right. First the Roosevelt; then the Apache; and then Canyon Lake.

Of course there were sagauro's and other variety of cactus all over the place. It was a little surreal though; as it was just before Christmas and we were singing along to "let is snow" "white christmas" etc.; as the sun was shining; and no sign of snow anywhere.

The drive ended at Tortilla Flats; and the water was still rushing; but not as deep or as fast as before; so we went through. The drive was from start to finish was roughly 40 miles; and took around 5 hours.

There were a few times we had to pull over for another vehicle; and hoped that our mirrors wouldn't hit each other. That's how tight it was. This is also where we earned our first "desert pinstriping". Desert pinstripping is like a badge of honor. Shows you're not afraid to take your vehicle off road. Well, we met up with a nasty looking ocotillo. The scratch starts at the headlight; and goes right to the tail light on the passenger side. It was while passing another vehicle when this happened. And trust me when I say this, it wasn't the only scratch that we got.

A few days later, December 21st, we took this drive again; and took part in a special tribute to our sister-in-law Rosie's, mom. It was a very special day.

Take a look at the pictures we've posted.

Camp Verde, Arizona

2008-06-02T18:57:00.000-04:00

We left Page, Arizona, early December and started to make our way to Sedona. Well that was the plan anyway.

The drive from Page to Flagstaff was fairly uneventful, except for the beauty surrounding us. But from Flagstaff to Sedona, it was a bit of a challenge. The reason we couldn't bring our rig into Zion was that we were over the 50 foot maximum, but just. The highway that we wanted to take from Flagstaff to Sedona had a 50 foot maximum also, but we decided to risk it.

The road was curvy, twisty, tight; and all of my driving skills were put to the test. But since I had already done the north rim of the Black Canyon and the hogs back; I figured I would do okay. So off we went. Some of the hairpin switchbacks were a bit of a challenge; but I took my time. I'm sure that the train of cars I had behind me were wishing that I wasn't ahead of them; but I do pull over whenever I can to let people pass.

Sedona is a pretty little town. All the houses and business have a real "southwest" feel to them; and the views surrounding the town are beautiful. The park that we planned on staying in was outrageously priced; so we continued on to Camp Verde. About an hour south.

We found some really nice scenic drives to take - what a surprise - and also played a bit of poker while there. The rv resort was fairly new; and very well put together.

We then left Camp Verde and headed towards Mesa. Took a secondary highway and this is where we saw our first saguaro cactus. We were again on a twisty, curvy highway; when Mike saw a saguaro. I was in a really long curve and couldn't take my eyes off the road. When we came out of the curve, there were hundreds, maybe even thousands of saguaros! They were everywhere! And this was just the start of them.

They come in a variety of shapes, and sizes. Tall ones, short ones, skinny, fat, one armed; multi armed, it was pretty cool.

We also took a nice drive into a place called Jerome. Very small, quaint village. Glad that we only had the truck with us; as the roads were very narrow. There was a pizza "bordello"; but it was closed.

Take a look at the pictures that we've posted.

Lake Powell

2008-05-30T23:46:00.000-04:00

Page, Arizona was our next stop. When you first enter Page, you are greeted with the Glen Canyon Dam; this dam is responsible for Lake Powell. And is a beautiful area.

We found a few neat places to visit while in this area. The first was Horseshoe Bend. This is a natural bend in the Colorado River; and you don't get it's full effect until you're right up to it. There were some boats in the river; and they looked like tiny little spots from where we were.

This is where we also tried our first deep fried turkey. Our new neighbour treated us to one; and we enjoyed it so much; we had another one a few days later. Even though it was tasty; I still prefer the old fashioned way.

We also took a slot tour while in Page. The antelope slot is on Navajo land; and the only way to get to this amazing place is with a Navajo guide. Al, our guide, picked us up in a chevy suburban and off we went.

The slot canyon is only a couple of feet apart at it's widest and a few inches at it's closest. Here, mother nature worked her magic. This is probably the coolest slot canyon I've ever been in. The tour starts at the entrance to the slot; and from the first moment; you're awed by the beauty. Wind and water has shaped the inside of this canyon; and the shapes were incredible. The walk through was roughly and hour and when you get to the other end; you turn around and walk through again. And the shapes are totally different. It was pretty cool.

We also found ourselves on a hike in "cathederal wash". This dry wash starts out at road level; and drops a foot or two every 500 feet or so. As you walked along; the walls got higher and higher; and from the water, wind and stones working their magic; there was amazing details all around. We eventually go to a point where we had to turn back; as the drop was just too high. As it turned out, Mike had to help Molly up a few times on the hike back.

This whole area was beautiful and we really enjoyed our time here. Take a look at the posted pictures.

Onto the Grand Canyon

2008-05-30T23:27:00.000-04:00

Our next national park stop was the Grand Canyon. Our home base for this amazing place was Kanab, Utah.

The drive from our park to the Grand Canyon, was roughly an hour; and there was significant fire damage for quite a few miles heading into the park. The park officially closes mid October; and although we were now into late November; the weather was still unseasonably warm and there was no sign of snow.

We were on the north rim of the grand canyon; and the views were spectacular. It certainly is big; and deep. There was some haze in the air; but you were able to make out the cars parked at the south rim; roughly 11 miles across; from the sun glistening off of them.

Take at look at the pictures of this natural beauty.

Zion National Park, Utah

2008-05-28T01:30:00.000-04:00

Our next stop was Zion National Park. The "plan" was to camp inside of Zion; but we ended up being too long to bring our rig into the park. We ended up staying in Mount Carmel Junction instead; and it wasn't too far from the park.

The switchbacks leading down into Zion were pretty steep; and as it turned out; I'm glad that we didn't have the rig with us.

Zion was also very beautiful and we took a driving tour and a couple of hikes through the park.

Take a look at our pictures.

Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah

2008-05-28T00:39:00.000-04:00

Bryce Canyon National Park is also on my list of the most beautiful places I've seen.

Our home base for Bryce was at the KOA in Cannonville, Utah; and this is where we met fellow Ontarians, Al & Kelly from Bayfield. We were going to the same places; and ended up travelling together for the next couple of weeks.

The first day at Bryce, we did the driving tour. There were many stops along the way, and the scenery was breathtaking! The rich red colours of the "spires" or "hoodoos" in this national park were incredible. The drive took us to the end of the park; where you're eyes are treated to the Bryce Amphitheatre - and WOW! Didn't know which direction to look first and the camera went into overtime while here. It's a good thing we have a digital.

The next day we went back to Bryce and took a hike down into the Navajo Loop and then into the Queen's Garden. Wow! We started off on a pretty steep tight switch back trail; once you were down into the canyon, it was just a normal hike. Except you're surrounded by these amazing "hoodoos" and it's incredible. The loop then takes you into the Queen's Garden; and I guess it got it's name cause there's a lot of "royal" shaped "hoodoos" in this area. And again, absolutely breathtaking.

The whole hike was roughly 4 hours; and we thoroughly enjoyed our time there.

Take a look at our pictures that we've posted.

Goblin Valley State Park, Utah

2008-05-25T20:34:00.000-04:00

After leaving Moab, we continued on our loop through Southern Utah and found ourselves at Goblin Valley State Park. This park was very secluded; 25 miles to the next town; and was filled with "goblins".

These goblins are shaped from the sandstone that's very prominent in this area. Over a very long time; the wind along with mother nature has worked their magic. It's best to take a look at the posted pictures to get a better idea of what I'm talking about.

We took a 3 mile hike through 3 fields of goblins; and we were surrounded by beauty at the end of the walk.

We also had some pretty neat looking cliffs behind us; and the full moon only added to the ambiance. Having only one other camper in the park was also a nice treat.

Capital Reef National Park was our next stop. We had more deer for neighbours than we did people. We took a few neat hikes and drives through this area; and came across some petroglyphs.

The beauty of Utah

2008-05-21T21:17:00.001-04:00

Utah is possibly the prettiest place I've ever been too! And it's mostly rock!

We started our adventure through Utah in Moab. From there we toured both Arches and Canyonlands national parks. Both are completely different; and beautiful. At Arches, you can see the arches and sights for a long time, before you actually get up to them; and by this time, they look totally different.

With Canyonlands, you have to be right up to the rim to see anything; but equally rewarding. These 2 parks are pretty close to each other; and Moab was a perfect place to visit them from.

We also found ourselves on scenic biways whenever the chance arose. And boy, have we found our share of scenic biways.

I've put these pictures into their own albums. Hope you enjoy them. Canyonlands

Mesa Verde, Colorado

2008-05-21T21:11:00.001-04:00

Mesa Verde is one of the coolest places I've seen, ever.

There are pit houses that date back to 575 AD; cliff dwellings that date back to 1200 AD; and tons of history. It was pretty cool. We were parked less than a 1/4 mile from the national park; and spent 2 days there. The first time was a driving tour; with many many stops along the way. The 2nd day was a walking tour. And we actually went right down into one of the cliff dwelling ruins. Took tons of pictures during this time.

One of the best purchases we bought this past year was a national park pass. We ended up going to 13 parks/monuments and in order for a place to get national park status, it has to be pretty special. And all 13 of them were.

While in this area, we also spent time in Dolores, CO; the Anassazi Heritage Centre; Hovenweep National monument; and monument valley. We got lost on route to the "4 corners" where Arizona, Colorado, Utah and New Mexico all come together. And the opportunity didn't seem to arise again.

It was at this time, that we decided not to go to Texas, as planned, but to head through Utah, enroute to Arizona. The beauty of this lifestyle is no plans!

Take a look at the pictures we've posted.

Gunnison Mountain, Colorado

2008-05-21T21:07:00.000-04:00

Next stop was the Black Canyon of Gunnison Mountain. It got this name because the canyon is so deep, no human as ever been down in it.

We took the north rim drive to get to our campground. And it was quite the challenge. Two lane road, winding, twisting, curving through the mountains, with an 8000 foot drop on your right. While Mike oohed and aahed, I drove on; carefully I might add. If you have a fear of heights, not a good place to visit.

This whole area was very beautiful; and being there in the fall with the fall colours, it was beautiful. We both love being surrounded by mountains; and all their beauty that comes along with it.

From here, we also found our first "ghost town". Tin Cup, CO. Although there is some evidence of people living here, it is mostly being preserved as a ghost town. The only road out of town led us up a mountain pass, where we got stopped at the top from a 3 foot snow bank.

Take a look at our pictures.

Rocky Mountains, here we come!

2008-05-21T21:02:00.000-04:00

We left Ontario mid October; and drove for 3 1/2 days through the prairies. There were farmers fields right up to the highway on both sides. And cows! Holy cow!!! There were two stretches for quite a long while were there were dairy cows and then beef cows. As far as the eye could see.

And then on the 4th day of driving, there they were - the Rocky Mountains! And boy did they look nice!

We spent roughly 3 weeks in and around Colorado. Our first weekend there, while Ontario was having 80 plus degree weather; we were 23 and in a blizzard! Looked and felt like the middle of winter. BRRR! Took a couple of drives through the canyon heading up toward Rocky Mountain National Park. And even this early in the season; the higher elevations were already closed.

Didn't know that Colorado had casinos; and ended up staying on a mesa overlooking the city of Central City that was nothing but casinos. In fact the place we stayed at was called Gambler's Edge - No kidding!

We then headed to Denver for a night; and had some work done on the truck. Nothing too major though. And then on towards Glenwood Springs. While in this area, we drove to Aspen for dinner. How cool is that... Aspen for dinner! Didn't see any celebs, but if I ever need custom made linens for my yacht; I'll know where to go.

Glenwood springs was a beautiful site. The Colorado River rushing behind us; a railroad track; and then mountains. The trains that went past just added to the ambiance; along with the full moon. Nice place to call home for a few nights.

The scenery around us was breath taking; as you'll see in our pictures. And this was just the beginning.

Summer of 2007 in London, Ontario

2008-05-21T20:57:00.000-04:00

The "plan" was to only spend a month in London, but that quickly fell apart.

We had some warranty work that needed to be done on our 5th wheel; and it took longer than expected. We ended up house sitting for some friends; so it worked out well.

While in Toronto, we stayed with a friend for a couple of nights; and then headed back to London.

We then spent the rest of the summer at Fanshawe Park. It was close to Mike's brother's and he was there daily to work on finding us an internet marketing business.

It was a great summer; we saw lots of family and friends. We also spent a lot of time at Ken and Rosie's. Rosie is a great cook and fed us a lot; plus we also played a lot of "pepper". A card game that's a variation of euchre.

By mid October, Fanshawe was closing; and it was time to head to the south.

Just a few pictures were taken during the summer.

Next was Tunica, Mississippi

2008-05-21T20:52:00.000-04:00

After leaving Lake Fausse, we headed on towards Tunica, Mississippi. There are 2 things in Tunica; casinos and cottonfields. We arrived in early April; and were shocked - lol - to find out that the cottonfields weren't in bloom yet! So there was really only one other thing to do, play poker of course!

And that's what we did for the next couple of weeks. Had a great time; won a few tournaments; lost a few tournaments. Met some really nice people. And moved on.

Next stop was Graceland, Home of Elvis Presley. The tour took around 3 hours and we had a great time there.

Then we headed to Kentucky and we took a tour through Mammoth Cave national park. We took a 2 hour tour through the "Frozen Niagara" cave. It was pretty neat. Some of our pictures turned out pretty good.

From there it was "homeward" bound to London Ontario.

Lake Fausse State Park, Louisianna

2008-05-21T20:46:00.000-04:00

From New Orleans, we headed out to the coast; and spent a week out at Grand Isle. Being at the Gulf; most of the houses were built on stilts. The park was also very isolated, but nice to be at the ocean.

Next was Lake Fausse State Park.In the first site we had a dock behind us to sit out on the bayou! Very beautiful and nice big sites. This area is mostly Acadian - their roots are mostly traced back to New Brunswick. So the french/catholic influence is large. We were in this park over the Easter weekend; and on Good Friday; crawfish boils were happening all over the park.

We moved to a new site after the weekend; and met the people beside us. Pat took us out to his tree house in the basin. Coolest tree house I've ever seen. And they also made us a crawfish boil. Their daughters got a real kick out of having to teach us how to eat them. We had a great time; and this experience will always be remembered.

Take a look at the pictures.

Biloxi, MS was next

2008-05-21T20:33:00.000-04:00

We ended up in Biloxi Mississippi; one and a half years after Katrina; and was shocked by the devastation. We took a 20 mile ride along US 90 heading West. The Biloxi Bay bridge was still out so that was our starting point.

This area was not only hit by the wind; but also by the storm surge. And although there is work being done; it was painfully slow.

Next stop was New Orleans. We took a 3 hour "Katrina Tour" and was again shocked by what we saw. Whole neighbourhoods waiting for demolition, because there wasn't any thing left worth saving.

Most of the neighbourhoods were still without water or electricity. The Greater New Orleans area was normally 1.5 million people. At this time there were less then 300,000 people living there. Mostly in their cars; and with little to their name.

It was hard to believe what we saw. And pretty sad.

Take a look at the pictures we've posted.

Ft. Meyers Beach to Miami, February 2007

2008-05-21T20:30:00.001-04:00

We arrived in Florida mid December to a sunny 80 degree day! It felt wonderful.

We spent the next 3 months in Florida. Started out in Northern Florida; Old Town; from there we spent a few nights with my folks in Largo; next was Lutz; Miami; Punta Gorda; Homosassa; and then Milton.

Went spent the month of January in Fort Meyers Beach, Florida and met some really nice people. We took a boat to Key West with them for a day; and shared lots of evenings with them.

February found us in Miami; and a visit from some good friends of ours. Sally and John stayed with us for a week; and we took an airboat ride; saw the everglades national park; took a snorkelling tour; and just enjoyed the sun and fun of Florida.

March was mostly in Punta Gorta with Sally and John and the singing group "The Satiniques". Our 3 days quickly turned into 3 weeks; and we had a great time with the group. Felt like groupies there for a bit!

Stopped and visited my folks again en route to Homosassa and a visit with Mike's sister and husband. Toured around Tarpon Springs for a day; and also visited the Manatee Wildlife Centre there. Very nice place.

We posted lots of pictures of our time there; and that will help tell the story.

Then the Carolina's

2008-05-21T20:26:00.000-04:00

Early December found us heading towards the Carolina's. The fall weather had finally caught up with the East coast; and it was time to head for the south!

We spent a week parked beside the Atlantic Ocean just south of Myrtle Beach in South Carolina. I was shocked at how commercialized the area had become. I was there 20 years ago; and I remember being able to see the ocean the last time. Not anymore. There was one condo; resort; or hotel after the next along the strip. And in between more businesses. But thankfully our resort was right on the beach; so we at least got to see the ocean!

Got my feet caught by a wave; and let me tell you; the water was absolutely freezing!!!

Took a few nice strolls along the beach; and just enjoyed life while there.

Next stop; Florida. Take a look at the pictures we've posted.

Massachusetts was next

2008-05-21T20:22:00.001-04:00

After leaving PEI; we headed back to Ontario; for the passing of Mike's dad.

When we left Ontario; a few weeks later; we headed straight for Boston, MA. We have a newphew there; and had some stuff we wanted to bring to him. We took a DUCK tour while there; and had a nice tour of the harbour and downtown Boston.

From there we headed down the coast; and stopped in Connecticut. Mostly to play poker at Foxwoods Casino. The World Poker Tour was on while we were there; and we both enjoyed our time at the tables. Even got some good tournament experience while there.

Next stop was Atlantic City; New Jersey; again mostly to play poker. Spent a few nights at the Taj Mahal and the Borgata. Met lots of interesting characters.

Not too many pictures were taken during this time; but we did manage a stroll along the famous "boardwalk". It was a really cold and windy day; so didn't linger too long.

Take a look at the pictures we've posted.

New Brunswick and PEI

2008-05-21T20:16:00.000-04:00

From Quebec; we headed into New Brunswick. Only ended up spending 2 nights there. The Provincial park that we stayed at turned out to be really out of the way; and it rained the whole time there.

We then headed on towards Prince Edward Island; and loved it there.

The only park open that time of year was the KOA in Cavendish; and it turned out to be centrally located. There are 4 island driving tours; and we did all 4 of them. We loved the island. The rich red earth; the lush green rolling hills; the laid back atmosphere and the friendly people.

We ended up staying there for 2 weeks; and indulged in 3 lobster dinners while there.

Take a look at the pictures we've posted.