Super 8 Midland

First port of call - Visit Elsa and Ken who are about to become first-time parents at the end of December. We're very excited to meet our new grandchild, probably by Skype the first time, in late December. Our travels will take us to Florida, Texas, Arizona and Utah, with a possible trip to India in May to celebrate Eugenie's 50th. birthday.

The bump is very big!

Decided to write down info about our travels. First leg is not very long and not too far. Nottawa, Ontario to Maitland Bridge, Nova Scotia, distance of about 6300km or 3700miles (i think!).

Dave, myself and Ozzy dog are off on the weekend for a couple of months, with moving van and all our worldy goods, to our little fixer upper (well quite big fixer upper really) in Maitland Bridge, NS. Only us 3 as both kids (Hi ...

... since I had had a Harvey’s Hamburger, a chain that seems to only do business in the province of Ontario (I found out later Quebec has them too). Good greasy grub.

Sleep came quickly. I dreamed about climbing a mountain, and flying with just my arms. Upon waking, I felt revived, like the dream was a promise of good things to come. I went to the hotel gym for a quick workout.

Olivia and I ...

Great family camping weekend of campfires (i think we must have burned the equivalent of a small forest), frisbee, swimming, volleyball, canoeing, hiking. And the main event of the weekend: eating.

Some of us camped over night (me, Matt, Anice, Piyali, Calvin, Aunty Ivy ...

... It lasts at least five minutes so you can sit by the lake, drink a glass of red wine, and watch the clouds reflected in the still surface of the lake at night. It stays light until 10:30 p.m. and the loons call to us.

You know you are a long way from California when you have run out of Peets Coffee, use up the Caribou Coffee and there is nothing but Folgers on the shelves of the grocery store in WAWA. Yes, that is the name of the ...

... small 2) is absolutly breathtaking. this is the experience I'll looking to share with other's there is nothing like being fully exposed the forces of nature and to be at one with living things around you, to make you feel alive! So we turned the boat and started to head down wind from where we had just come from, with assistance from the US coast Guard guiding us in. kotoos to the coast guard those guys are amazing and where so much help! we got to rpovince town Cape Cod safely

... pictures will explain ;-). The party was a house party in a nice neighborhood. The neighbors seem very tolerant. I suppose since this is an annual event that they have become used to it. The food was great and the music was awesome. I got to hear Shane sing a lot of tunes that he typically doesnt sing. The classics that I like. He even dedicated a pretty obvious one to me...... you'll have to guess the one he ...

After a long 7 and a half hour flight Leaving Canada landing in Gatwick London airport I found myself alone and waiting. Excited as I was and not knowing a thing about England my first experience of British culture was not that welcoming at all to say the least. Tired, Alone, and wondering when that boy would show. Curious of this new life I had coming for me, I stepped off the coach bus and had a drunken man yell in my face...................

... and in those 2 weeks I probably learned more about what I was capable of doing and wanting to do, and will to do. How much effort I was will to put into something, and I don't think my heart was truly in it at that time in my life.

I ended up spending the rest of the summer at home.

This was my first attempt at basic, I was pumped to be there, but the reason I was sent home, was because I had a panic attack while doing the shuttle run and couldn't get to level 4. Now that just totally bummed my summer, I ended up going back home, and was put to work on the farm. That so was not what I thought my summer was going to look like.