Life on the Bluff

Next stop - Amsterdam - Rhine - Zurich

2011-09-05T12:03:00.003-04:00

Itinerary - two days in Amsterdam, Rhine cruise with AMA Waterways on Amacello to Basel, train to Zurich where we spend two nights and then fly home. More details at http://amawaterways.com/itinerary.asp?iticode=AI11

AMACELLO

We're only participating in the cruise portion of this itinerary and 'doing our own thing' in Amsterdam beforehand and from Basel to Zurich.

NYC, Florida and Bahamas Here We Come!

2011-03-24T16:58:00.003-04:00

We're off tomorrow bright and early for Syracuse, where we catch the train to New York City. Although the purpose of the trip is not really to visit NYC, it seemed a shame to be there and not get at least a small taste of the Big Apple. We're staying at the Westin New York at Times Square Friday and Saturday nights. On Saturday we're taking a bus tour of the city and then in the evening we're going to see "Mary Poppins" at the New Amsterdam Theatre.

Sunday is pretty leisurely and we're off to the Port of New York to board the Norwegian Jewel. We chose this cruise particularly because a) it departs from NYC which is easy and cheap for us to get to and b) there are not shore excursions which are very demanding in the walking department. We stop at Port Canaveral and could take a tour of the space centre, but it's expensive and long and we may just investigate the port or stay on the ship and enjoy the empty pool and hot tub.

Next stop is Great Stirrup Cay, an island that Norwegian Cruise lines owns. They have apparently done quite a lot of development, particularly of the area where the tenders dock and food facilities, so that would be interesting to see (having been there on our last cruise).

Then we're off to Nassau, and it is apparently easy to get a real taste of the city without walking too far from the ship.

Then a couple of days at sea while we return to New York. We dock at 8 am on Sunday (April 3) and plan to get a 1:15 train back to Syracuse. Then we'll motor home to Gananoque.

Not a patient patient

2011-02-05T08:07:00.004-05:00

I have to admit, all in all, that there is improvement in my mobility since my AVM surgery. I'm still recovering from the surgery - I had a misguided mind set that once the incision was healed I could get on with the rest of my recovery. Unfortunately, back surgery is a slow, painful process and it's going to take longer than I thought.

The day I had my stitches out I made an appointment to start physiotherapy. I want some guided exercises to help recover muscle strength in my hips, legs and feet and to learn to compensate for those deficits which are long-term (I can't bring myself to say 'permanent' yet). Unfortunately, the first two sessions have been spent concentrating on ifc (interferential current) treatment of my back. I'm quite prepared to have the physiotherapist heal my back, but I'm afraid I'll be out of insurance long before she gets to exercises for my muscles. We'll see how it goes for a few sessions. It's quite enlightening to be faced with health insurance limits that Americans must face for even their basic health care let alone surgery or hospitalization.

Dateline - surgery plus one week

2011-01-26T12:10:00.006-05:00

An email update to my friends following my AVM surgery:

It's now been exactly a week since they rolled me into the OR at Toronto Western.

Here's how things stand. The surgery went well, as far as I can determine. I heard precious little from the surgeon - no details whatsoever afterward about the surgery (McP: this is where I could have used you) - and a very small amount second-hand through PetDoc and Colleen from a chance meeting they had with him in the hall while waiting to hear about me. They really had to get quite aggressive in order to get more than a dismissive "We know what we're doing." He did tell me I no longer have a spinal dural arteriovenous fistula and, after all, that is what it's all about. The goal of the surgery, his assistant reminded me repeatedly, is to stop things from getting worse; any lost function which returns is bonus.

I was supposed to return to PetDoc's apartment later the day of surgery - wasn't gonna happen! I had excruciating pain moving and was admitted to get that under control (ya gotta love the morphine pump - wouldn't let me take it home, though). Thursday I would have gone home in the evening but we discovered a pretty significant rash which the doctor couldn't explain. I was given Benedryl and moved to a semi-private for the night. The next morning Colleen and I got a cab to PetDoc's (she was working Friday). I was still, at this point, experiencing the excruciating pain but pain is not a hospitalizable offence. The pain was never from the incision but more generalized and quite intense when I would move - I mean scratch-my-nose move. Just as I was beginning to fret about how I would arrange for more pain medication (the hospital's pain-doctor-expert-lady had prescribed what appeared to be a very short course of medication) PetDoc (nice having a real doctor in the house) diagnosed some of my pain as muscle pain and we found that an extra-strength Ibuprofen in addition to what I was taking did the job!

Yesterday we returned to Gananoque - Toronto to Colborne with PetDoc and Colborne to Gananoque with Dadamom. It is nice to be home and as I become more mobile I'm looking forward to getting back to familar activities. I'm pretty much over the trauma of the surgery and weakness, etc. of lying around for 2-3 weeks and it's time to get on with it.

The major deficit is muscle stiffness and weakness in my legs and feet. I have the strength to stand and could kick a soccer ball - it would just feel very different from this time last year: more like I was swinging a log attached to my hip that was jointed at the knee. I can feel my legs and feet just fine and bend my knees, ankles, toes; it just feels very stiff with a sensation of numbness. I still become numb through the whole pelvic region if I sit without my 'special' cushion.

We were told that the compression of my spinal cord would be relieved over a period of weeks and what is going to happen quickly should happen within a couple of weeks. Any further recovery will takes months and even years. I'm going to start some exercises and return as soon as I can to regular activities. One of the most significant obstacles is still my feet - when I remove my sandals my feet and ankles become almost immediately very numb. No other footware prevents this from happening. Therefore, navigating in snow is awkward; I would grab a shovel and piddle around in the driveway or on the back porch if I had a way of making it less unpleasant; I may just have to learn to tolerate the unpleasantness. Or this may be one of the changes that will take place over time; Colleen, fortunately, understands completely about the feet (one has to be very understanding to tolerate sandals 24/7). After her stroke, she had a similar feeling and she encourages me by telling me that it was a year or more before that sensation changed.

If you have reached it to this point in my email you must be a real die-hard or a masochist. I thank you all for your help, concern, prayers. I apologize for the length of this missive, but I'm trying to make sure I have passed on an adequate amount of information to everyone who might care.

Will keep you posted (albeit more briefly) as things progress.

A Rare Condition - SDAVF

2010-12-21T07:07:00.013-05:00

If you have numb legs and/or feet and your doctor can't figure out why, consider an arteriovenous malformation (AVM). An MRI with contrast die is the diagnostic tool for this.

It's been a loooooooooooooooong six months. In the spring I was diagnosed with benign prostatic hydoplasia as a result of an ultra-sound and lower spine x-rays. In May I had a pretty significant fall on my dock which bruised and numbed my right leg and foot. The numbness continued and was also noticeable in my left foot. In June I first noticedwhat I would call 'wobbly legs - very occasional unpredicatable muscle behaviour which would affect my walking. I also found kneeling awkward. By the end of June my legs and feet were numb but super-sensitive to touch and temperature. A wet dog rubbing across my legs felt like hot oil being splashed. The numbness and weakness continued to increase and by July 1st I was using a cane to walk.

Another visit to my family doctor resulted in a consultation with a neurologist, a urologist, and an MRI of the lower spine. These consultations took their course and eventually I went to St. Mary's of the Lake hospital for conduction tests - the tests ruled out peripheral neuropathy and pointed higher in the spine. Meanwhile the urologist was checking out the bladder and prostate and could find no problems other than a lack of 'sensation of fullness'. I could have told him I was numb without him putting two litres of fluid in my bladder.

Several appointments with the family doctor and another consultation with the neurologist resulted in a die-enhanced MRI of the entire spine and brain. Within hours the problem was found. A spinal dural arteriovenous fistula is causing congestion of blood around my spinal cord. The list of symptoms describes me exactly and the MRI clearly shows the congestion of the cord. Everyone was ecstatic because this condition takes, on average, two years to successfully diagnose. Prompt diagnosis and treatment can mean full recovery.

I got an appointment within three weeks at Toronto Western Hospital for a catheter angiogram and, if possible, embolization of the artery by 'The Glue Man' Dr. Karel terBrugge. Unfortunately, the fistula is in the artery connected to the main artery serving the spinal cord and embolization is not safe because of the high risk of paralysis. Under most circumstances, a surgeon would then , within a few days, tie off the offending vessel with the same result. Unfortunately, in my case, both surgeons who could perform this surgery were out of the country so home I went.

Two weeks later the surgeon's office called with an appointment for a consultation two weeks later and then surgery sometime in the future. This is frustrating because the fistula was found much earlier than usual and my condition continues to deteriorate as I wait for treatment. In early November everybody was high-fiving about diagnosing the problem and it now looks like treatment may be delayed for three months.

The main purpose of this post is not so much to inform family and friends of progress but to create an internet presence of my experience for the benefit of others. When I was googling numb legs and other symptoms, I never once came across a mention of SDAVF or spinal dural ateriovenous fistula - if I had, I would have gone running to my doctor insisting on a full MRI. Promptness of diagnosis and treatment is crucial to complete recovery. This condition is very rare and not likely on your doctor's list of things to consider.

If you are suffering numb feet, numb legs, arms, hands, hypersensitive skin, numbness to the midsection (especially when sitting), lower back pain, aching hips, difficulty walking, difficulty lifting your feet - ask you doctor to consider an arteriovenous fistula. Although these symptoms may not appear all at once, they will get progressively worse and only treatment will put an end to it.

I would be happy to answer questions and hear your comments.

Bell Mobility Update

2010-05-15T23:07:00.003-04:00

Call me crazy, but I LOVE MY HTC TOUCH. It has all the features I want and need in a smart phone, and allows me unlimited email and internet for a very small monthly fee. When mine broke (on/off switch) I purchased a used one on eBay and swapped it in for the Samsung flip-phone PetMom was using. A quick call to Bell Mobility and wham-bam-thank-you-Bell-Mobility. So I bought another one (again on eBay) for myself. Another quick call to Bell Mobility and now we both have HTC Touch phones, sharing a plan and lovin' it. No new contract, no activation fee - just two phones that work beautifully. Bottom line - stay out of the Bell Mobility store. Just call 888-4-MOBILE and friendly, knowledgeable people will do exactly what you want. That's the way it's supposed to be.

Sittin' on the Dock of the Bay

2010-03-18T16:27:00.008-04:00

In the spring an old man's fancy lightly turns to thoughts of boating (sorry, Alfred). Last spring saw repair of our east dock and with a light winter and gentle melting of the river ice it appears to be solid as ever and ready for another season on Daydream Believer. This picture is from last year - we're a long way from being ready to splash; for one thing, the river is VERY low.

Two years ago, however, the ice significantly tipped our west dock and this is the year to deal with that. Ice tipped the outer pier off its rock footing and the whole outer half of the dock was on about a 30 degree angle. Fortunately, the entire structure was constructed with screws so dismantling was just a matter of keeping the batteries charged on the portable drills. Yesterday I removed most of the decking and today I removed the 6X6 stringers and began to take the pier apart. A quick trip to my welder-man for new pier rods and a new pier will take shape.
Then the stringers and the decking and the staving.

Mediterranean Cruise

2010-03-11T00:10:00.005-05:00

We booked a cruise last night, with Norwegian Cruise Lines on the Norwegian Jade. We had been watching a 12-day cruise from Barcelona in November and when the price suddenly jumped $1000 overnight we decided we'd better get with it and book.We decided that the January 2, 2011 departure would be fine - fits into holiday and work schedules and was significantly cheaper than the November cruise. The weather is a little cooler, but there will be fewer tourists at the sights we want to see and the 11 degree day here today was gorgeous. We had already paid a deposit for our next NCL cruise so it was pretty painless to book this one. We have used VacationsToGo for all our cruise bookings and have been very pleased with their service.

Next step was to book a hotel recommended by Rick Steeves (our Europe travel guru) in Barcelona. The Hotel Continental was our choice and we decided that, if we're going to spend New Year's in Barcelona, we should splurge and have a balcony room.

We'll probably take the ship excursion from Alexandria to Cairo - it's a little pricey but includes everything. It's an overnight trip and affords us the opportunity to see the Egypt highlights that are on our 'bucket list'.

More details to follow.

Vancouver 2010

2010-02-28T19:18:00.008-05:00

When we found out, very much at the last moment, that we were able to get tickets to see Tanith and Ben skate in the Olympic Ice Dancing competition, we hurriedly booked flights and prepared for a trip to Vancouver. Arrangements had been made with a cousin to stay at his house in Maple Ridge and we were prepared for air mattresses on the floor. Little did we know that we would be treated with beds, our own kitchen (with stocked fridge), bathroom, fireplace and air hockey table!! It was much easier for us to get to Vancouver than Tanith and Ben, who were trapped in Philadelphia in a snow storm and nearly missed the opening ceremonies.

Our hosts, Colleen's cousin and his wife, couldn't have been more accommodating - we must get back for a visit when we don't have to be out running around to Olympic events. A rented van conveyed us around the city and we found no problem navigating or parking. Parking lots in the downtown core always had spots and homeowners near the Pacific Coliseum were only too happy to rent their driveways during events. We even parked, one night, inside someone's garage!

It was a pleasure to be together with family for an event as exciting as the Olympics. We've been to many competitions near and far, but this is the most family we've ever had together at one time, numbering 14 in all. We didn't get in a lot of sight-seeing, but that can come on another trip. This was a "Tanith's skating in the Olympics so let's be there" trip. We did get to Stanley Park and Granville Market - next trip we'll see the other stuff.

The weather was amazing - 13-15 degrees and sunny. We were quite taken with the sight of pleasure boats afloat in the marina in February on days warmer than some nights we've spent on Beau Rivage - hmmmm ... makes ya think.

So - until the next trip we're home stoking up the bank account. Check out the picture link on the right - Vancouver 2010 Olympics

Tanith and Ben - we're so proud of you.

"Mom's Book"

2009-12-11T10:28:00.005-05:00

At last I have found time to scan and post a copy of what we in our family call "Mom's Book". This is a family history, written by my mother Janet Eleanor Scott Harding in 1985-86, centred on the life of her father George William Scott.

Because I don't have one server which can accommodate the whole book, I have broken it into several sections. Just click on each link in order and then use the 'back' button in your browser to take you back to the list.

When one shares family history, one always runs the risk of giving the appearance that everyone should be interested, much like forcing visitors to watch home movies. Nothing could be farther from the truth. This is simply a convenient way to share this information with those who might be interested. My mother's writing style is very readable and there is a wealth of information herein about life and people in Gananoque, Grace United Church, along with the family history.

I encourage every family to do two things: 1) write down the stories that you have heard your parents and grandparents tell and 2) write the names on the back of photographs

Enjoy!!

Finally - July weather!!

2009-09-04T20:56:00.006-04:00

At last we're getting our July weather - unfortunately, it's been the last week of August and the first week of September. Hot, sunny days for boating and swimming. We've certainly been making the most of it with numerous 3 and 4-night outings. Here are some pictures of the amazing scenes we've been blessed with. Last night we attended 'The Mollycoddlers' at the 1000 Islands Playhouse and spent the night at the Playhouse dock. After a trip uptown to the Village Deli for breakfast, we headed out. Today was an absolutely gorgeous day - hot sun and no wind. Locals know that's a perfect day to head to Leek Island (Thwartway on the charts). Leek Island is a Parks Canada island without docks (there are some mooring cans in a sheltered bay on the South side. The west side of the island has a huge bay with a sand beach which extends out from the island several hundred yards. Unfortunately the waves that created the beach make it unpleasant when the prevailing west wind is blowing, but today there was no wind. We were alone in the huge sandy bay for most of the morning and then around noon the other boats started to pile in. Time for us to leave - we headed down river and finally stopped at Gordon Island (Parks Canada) for supper and then motored home.

Back in the land of the living ...

2009-07-23T12:20:00.005-04:00

Finally kitchenitis is relieved and we're going to take some time for other things. Ripping out the old kitchen and preparing the space for the new cabinetry has been an all-consuming project but the new installation is done and it's time to relax a bit. Can't say enough good things about Corell Custom Cabinetry who designed, built and installed the new cabinets. Their attention to detail is terrific and they were very anxious to give us the kind of kitchen we wanted. It was somewhat gratifying to discover that the floorplan (which we had designed and built ourselves 30 years ago) couldn't really be improved upon. We did move the laundry out of the kitchen, though, and picked up a lot of pantry space in that area.

PetMom just got back from a visit with PetDoc & Noise in London and now we're heading out on the river for a few days. Friday night we're going to dock at the 1000 Islands Playhouse and take in "The Drowsy Chaperone". Heard great things about it, and we wouldn't miss it!! Then I'm accompanying Ramona Gilmour-Darling in 'The Alto's Lament' at the post-show cabaret. Then we'll spend the night aboard at the Playhouse and see where Saturday takes us.

Forever Plaid!

2009-05-12T22:52:00.007-04:00

Hard to believe it was four months ago that I posted that I had been hired to play piano for 'Forever Plaid' at the Thousand Islands Playhouse and now it's May 12 and we open tomorrow. I began rehearsals only a week ago and we have a preview tonight and open on Thursday. It's hard to put my finger on exactly what I love about professional theatre, but I think it's just that it's so ... professional. Everyone in the cast and crew is expert at their job and you really get to feel that you are valued for your own expertise and contribution to the experience. I've been involved with a lot of shows, both amateur and professional and they've all been (I think) pretty good. However, a production such as 'Forever Plaid' reminds me of the craft of creating an engaging experience for the audience. Many audience members think, I'm sure, that the cast just memorizes the script and 'puts on a play' for them. Little do they realize that every nuance is carefully choreographed to highten the illusion that is the essence of theatre. A theatre audience is quite prepared to suspend reality for the couple of hours they share with you and believe just about anything you want them to believe. What magic!

Just when you think the pirates are winning ...

2009-04-17T16:25:00.000-04:00

Susan Boyle!!

Depressing news this morning ...

2009-04-16T07:04:00.007-04:00

Picked up the paper this morning and the news was so depressing I feel like ... cancelling the paper:

S&R is closing - this will mean something to the locals.

Somebody built a house, telling the builders, pool installer, heating contractor they had won the lottery - guess what: no money - how come my creditors always ask for proof that I can pay? I hate it when they do that! Maybe I'll order my new Carver and tell them ...

And I guess pirates are not a good role model for children anymore.

And - this age of entitlement!! An ad company used an image of Woody Allen on a billboard - without asking him - and now is arguing in court that he has no cause for action because his reputation is 'no good anyway'. What?????? You screwed up by not asking him (misguided sense of entitlement??!!) - pay up! You're pirates!!

The SERVICE in Customer Service

2009-04-07T20:24:00.004-04:00

Here's a 'good news' customer service story. When's the last time you heard one of those? They happen, but we don't tend to write about them. Here's the story -

Before we headed out on our cruise with our new Acer Netbook, we decided it would be a good idea to have a lock to secure it (hotel, stateroom, even on our own boat). I found a Kensington combination cable/lock on eBay for a reasonable price and, although they always seem to charge too much for shipping, I ordered it. It arrived very quickly and we followed the instructions to reset the combination from the default (0,0,0) to our own. Checked it out - worked fine - packed it away with the netbook for our trip.

When we arrived, I noticed that the lever which you flip to reset the combination had flipped itself and the numbers had changed. The short version - simply carrying the lock in the laptop case had changed the combination and there's no way of guessing what the new one is (you math people know how many combinations are possible with three wheels with 10 digits each). That's why they call it a security device!!

We contacted Kensington and they suggested contacting a locksmith - seems pretty expensive to reset a lock which can obviously reset itself again. A quick Google, and it was apparent that others have had this problem. An email to Kensington, suggesting that they were in some way responsible for serving their customers who had purchased a lock with an obvious design flaw, brought the following response: give us your mailing address and we will send you a new Kensington lock (the newer model which can't reset itself!!). Arrived today - works great - THANK YOU, KENSINGTON!! That's the way customer service should serve customers.

Congratulations, Tanith and Ben

2009-04-01T09:30:00.004-04:00

We're delighted that Tanith and Ben won the silver medal in Ice Dancing at the ISU World Figure Skating Championships in Los Angeles, CA last week. We didn't get to Worlds this year, but we watched every moment breathlessly. While figure skating fans around the world moaned about the lack of coverage, we in Canada (blessed by the CBC) were able to watch every skater in every discipline both online and on Bold TV. Watching on CBC is the next best thing to being there - you even get to watch the Zamboni - we get a coffee during the flood and pretend we've popped out to Timmy's for a break. We remember when we used to have to wait for a phone call from the arena to hear results - that wasn't all that many years ago. Congratulations, Tanith and Ben - we're so proud of you!

Norwegian Dawn Eastern Caribbean Cruise

2009-03-23T21:32:00.031-04:00

Here goes - the chronicles of our cruise last week on the good ship Norwegian Dawn. I won't interrupt the flawlessly-flowing prose with pictures (formatting's always a pain on Blogspot) - there's a link to the pictures anyway. Well, maybe I'll try a few small ones.

We started out for a Saturday morning departure (Miami) by travelling to Syracuse Thursday night. It wasn't much more expensive to stay at a hotel in Syracuse where we could park the car for a week than to park at the airport, so we thought we'd pamper ourselves by being in Syracuse already, rather than having to get up at 4 am to be to the airport by 8 am. The hotel was fine (Holiday Inn) and the shuttle was free, so that turned out to be an excellent idea.

Our flight to Miami and back was free - compliments of United Airlines, who gave us vouchers when they screwed up (and then unscrewed) our flight last March to Sweden. So we treated ourselves to a balcony cabin on the ship. We have discovered that having a balcony is kind of like having air conditioning in your car for the first time - you were fine before you had it, but YOU CAN NEVER GO BACK!! The flights to Washington (Dulles) and Miami were on time - connections in Washington were only about 4 gates apart! The Holiday Inn Express (Airport) in Miami sent a shuttle to pick us up and we settled in comfortably. There's not much in the vicinity of the airport, but we had a nice walk and picked up a few things for the cruise (soft drinks, in particular). Norwegian Cruises do not include alcohol or soft drinks and you cannot take alcohol aboard, but you can take all the soft drinks you can carry. In the morning we took a shuttle to the Port of Miami and checked in and boarded the Dawn. For some reason, nobody seemed to know that the main dining room was open for lunch so, while everyone else ate in the cafe we had a wonderful sit-down lunch in the Venetian Dining Room.

We watched the casting-off process from our balcony and were a little concerned that only two of our three bags had been delivered. Understanding that there were at least 2,000 bags to deal with, however, we figured it would eventually turn up and we had our supper. When we returned, there was a note on our door indicating that our bag had, in the x-ray process, revealed the presence of 'contraband' contents. NCL will not open the bag except in your presence so we were summoned to a room which contained at least 200 bags. Apparently, the x-ray machine cannot distinguish between diet Coke, Listerine, shampoo and a smuggled bottle of hooch. A lot of muttering going on in the hall outside that room!! We headed back with our 'contraband' to our stateroom. Our cabin was, for us who have very little to compare it to, very nice and complete. Small, compared to a hotel, but outfitted with every necessity. Bar-fridge, hair-drier, coffee maker, TV, spacious bathroom, couch, desk and chair - and a balcony with two chairs and a small table.

Sunday was an at-sea day so we had ample opportunity to check out the ship. We discovered that, as balcony dwellers, we were entitled to eat breakfast in a dining area not open to everyone. So, of course, we ate there! There was a more extensive menu of hot food from which to order and a buffet with fruit, cereal and baked goodies.

In the morning there was a meet-and-greet from the NCL Cruise Critic Roll Call group. It was very interesting to put faces with the screen names with whom we had exchanged info over the past month.

The show Sunday night was a variety show, featuring various performers who would entertain us throughout the week. The house band was excellent - rhythm section, keyboard and three horns. I won't get into who performed on what night, but the Jean Ann Ryan Dance Company productions were very fine - great singing, great dancing and slick production values. The magician, Greg Gleason, was top-notch - we're so used to special effects on tv and in movies that it's especially amazing to see things which have no explanation happen right in front of you. The comedian, Dave Keenan, was funny, but had a tiresome delivery and had material inappropriate for a crowd which contained many children. The Second City troupe left us in awe - it's still hard to believe that 5 people can sing a song they're making up on the spot based on an idea from the audience. No wonder we've always loved "Whose Line Is It Anyway?"

Monday morning we tendered in to Samana, Dominican Republic. We had made arrangements through a Roll-Call on Cruise Critic charter with Casa Dorado to take a taxi (30 minutes over the worst road that could masquerade as a road) to a small park where we got in an outboard and travelled (15 minutes) to Playa Rincon. The beach is absolutely gorgeous - word is, see it now before it gets developed. There's a small grill there and we had mahi-mahi and ice tea we stole from the ship. After some sun and a short swim (water wasn't hot) we caught a boat back to the taxi for the return trip to Samana. The boat-ride back was a little hair-raising, since the waves were 6-8 feet high. But ocean waves are much further apart than river waves so we weren't nearly as terrified as we had every right to be. All-in-all, we were very well taken care of. Through the Cruise Critic forum, arrangements had been made for us to drop off school supplies at a school on the way to Playa Rincon. We were warmly received and given a tour of the facilities. From what we saw of living conditions on the way to and from Playa Rincon, we were pleased that we had been part of this gesture.

Wednesday we moored at the wharf at Charlotte Amalie on St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands. We did the obligatory outlet mall visit in the morning and then met Captain Mike at 12:30. Along with a family of 4, we were tendered out to his sailboat, Island Girl. There we met Andrew, his assistant, and we set off to sail to Buck Island. Once there, we donned snorkel equipment (masks and snorkels from Costco and fins from Mike), grabbed our Kodak underwater camera, and jumped in. Andrew took us for an hour-and-a-quarter swim (honest, we swam without touching for over an hour - salt water is amazing!). He gave us a guided tour of the cove and dove to the bottom to bring up sea-life to show us. He then very carefully returned everything to it's natural home - no souvenirs allowed - he said "we take nothing from here". After a snack we sailed back to Charlotte Amalie, where we purchased a CD containing nearly two hundred pictures Andrew had taken (in and out of the water) during our excursion. If you're going to St. Thomas, CONTACT CAPTAIN MIKE. We're going to if (when) we're back (unless we have our own boat!!)

We sailed away from St. Thomas and made our way (very slowly, apparently) to Tortola in the British Virgin Islands. Once again we docked, this time at Road Town. There arrangements had been made (again through Cruise Critic) to take a 40-minute ferry ride to Virgin Gorda. There we hopped on a shuttle which took us to The Baths National Park. The Baths are a collections of giant boulders which form pools and grottos which flood with sea water at high tide. The huge boulders and rock formations are worn smooth by rain and sea water and form a maze that leads to Devil's Bay beach. (If this doesn't sound like me, it's because I stole it from the BVI site!) We spent the day with Mark and Laura, from Plano, Texas, with whom we had connected through Cruise Critic and the meet-and-greet. After a quick bit of refreshment, we shuttled back to the ferry dock to return to Road Harbour.

Thursday was an at-sea day and we caught up on our nap-time and caught a few rays on deck. we went to a variety of early or late shows (7:30 or 9:30) depending on what time we felt like eating and what else was on for that day. We were really steaming when we were at sea - 21.5 knots. Considering we travelled over 2,100 nm, I guess we had to be going at a good clip when we weren't stopped. We had fun following our progress on our own GPS. Our new Acer netbook, loaded with SeaClear charts and scanned maps of the region, along with our Streets And Trips GPS locator, allowed us to follow our progress through the Caribbean and gave us a chance to test out the operation before using it to navigate in our boat.

The show Thursday was the Jean Ann Ryan troupe, in a show called Bollywood. It was a combination of music - dance - gymnastics - cirque-de-soleil -- an excellent production. We had no hesitation in giving them a standing ovation. Oh yeah - this was bound to come up. The cruise director, in a misguided fit of enthusiasm-building, insulted the artists and the audience at every show by ordering the audience to give a standing ovation. He even went so far as to intimate that the performers would give us a better show if they knew they were going to get one. Well, I've been attending and performing in shows longer than he's been out of diapers and I know that's not how it works. You give the performance - you'll get the standing ovation if you're worth it. End of rant ...

Friday we anchored off NCL's private island in the Bahamas - Great Stirrup Cay. Tenders took us in to the islands where there were beach chairs, umbrellas, hammocks, picnic tables, beach volleyball, ping pong. The NCL staff had brought over provisions for a BBQ so we had a complete buffet lunch. We got the feeling, although we've never been to one, that this is what an all-inclusive beach vacation is like. That's great, but a few hours was enough for us. We love being afloat and going places so we'll probably put our vacation dollars into cruising and travelling. Where it's warm! Except for Alaska! And the Antarctic!

We tendered back to the Dawn and met Mark and Laura for dinner in one of the specialty restaurants (The Bamboo). There are a number of restaurants on NCL ships that offer 'special' cuisine with a cover charge ($15 to $25). From the looks of the empty tables in the 'specialty' locations and line-ups to get into the 'regular' dining rooms, NCL may want to re-think this. We went to the Bamboo only because we had a 2-for-1 coupon, given to us when we booked our next cruise. Actually, we didn't book a cruise - we paid a deposit (only $250) for an future NCL cruise which we must book within 2 years and take within 2 1/2. That gave us an immediate onboard credit of $100 and the Bamboo coupon, along with other benefits (although neither of us thought the facial would accomplish much!)

Then we headed off to the theatre for the final show. Once again we were amazed by the magician, humoured by the comedian and entertained wonderfully by Brian Graves and the Dawn's house band. A great finish to a great cruise. We returned to our stateroom for the depressing task of packing our bags to leave in the hall for collection. In the morning we had a last breakfast in the Venetian and headed to the internet cafe for a last email. Then we made our way to the gangplank and through Customs. We had been warned that there was a taxi strike, but there were several waiting at the curb and we arrived post-haste at the Riu Hotel, South Beach Miami. What an 'interesting' hotel that is! Not quite European - not quite North American - just a couple of bricks short of either. First time, I believe, that we've ever stayed in a hotel in the developed world where a notice in the room said that water was not drinkable. And yet they had a dress code for dinner - long sleeves were required. I threatened to wear my swim trunks with a long sleeved shirt but cooler heads prevailed. And yet, in the dining room (which had an amazing buffet) there were patrons in jeans and T-shirts. Go figure!!

We had a few hours to walk along Miami south beach - both the boardwalk and the beach. It was windy and cool and it rained both times we went out. So we mostly watched TLC and got ourselves ready for our flight home.

We boarded our United flight on schedule, landing at Washington Dulles right on time. We grabbed a quick bite and had lots of time to make our connection. The flight to Syracuse was overbooked and they were looking for 11 volunteers to give up their seats. A free voucher sounded nice, but the earliest flight they could offer was two days later!! We boarded and settled back to enjoy the last leg of our trip. As we taxied toward the runway, suddenly the plane came to a abrupt stop. I commented that I used to do that too, when I was learning to drive. We then turned around and headed - you guessed it - back to the gate. Not a good sign. But then we backed away from the gate and proceeded to travel on just about every piece of tarmac at Dulles. Eventually, the pilot came on and explained that an access door had not been closed and we had gone back to have that seen to (I'm all for that!!). So we were 30 minutes late leaving Washington and still on time into Syracuse. The shuttle came and picked us up and our car was still there and still intact and full of gas. Couple of hours on I81, a short stop at the duty-free for a bottle of hooch for Dad and a quick welcome home at Canadian Customs.

The -11 (C) was a little hard to take this morning. However, the beer stays cold in the porch!

So, 'til next time - we're going to enjoy Life on the Bluff. Can't wait to get the boat in, but I guess we'll have to wait until there's no ice at the dock.

P.S.
We were delighted at how our new little Acer netbook performed on the trip. It was much easier to manage, tucked in a knapsack, than a regular size laptop and we had a great time with the GPS. We didn't have navigation charts for our whole trip but around Miami and St. Thomas (we do have charts for all U.S. waters) we were able to confirm that the captain did indeed know where we were. And we have since discovered that we can scan maps from an atlas, asign reference latitude and longitude points, and they become GPS-sensitive maps. No good for navigation, of course, but interesting when somebody else is at the helm.

We're back ...

2009-03-22T20:43:00.005-04:00

We just returned from a fabulous week on the Norwegian Dawn - out of Miami to Samana (Dominican Republic, St. Thomas, Tortola and Great Stirrup Cay (NCL's private island). Weather was great (except for rain in Miami on Saturday - after the cruise but during our visit to Miami). We're a bit browner and a bit heavier but that's what you expect when you cruise. More details and lots of pictures to follow. Put a deposit down for our next Norwegian Cruise - we've got 2 years to decide when and where but it seems a sure thing that we'll cruise again and the Norwegian free-style is our cup of tea.

Update - pictures are up. Click on Norwegian Dawn link in Picture Links.

We're off ....

2009-03-13T05:48:00.004-04:00

Headed out about 6:30 Thursday - clear sailing on Rte 81. We stopped in Watertown at Panera Bread for a bite of supper and arrived at the Holiday Inn Syracuse (Liverpool) at 9:30. The Park and Fly setup here is great - 30 days parking with your overnight accommodation, and a shuttle service (we're about 15 minutes from the airport). Note to Holiday Inn - your hotel is very nice, the staff wonderful, but you don't have enough coffee in the room for two people

Our flight is Friday morning about 10:15 a.m. - short hop to Washington Dulles - even shorter time to switch planes - and then on to Miami. Our accommodation there is at the Holiday Inn Express by the airport. They have arrangements there for a shuttle to the Port of Miami ($10 or less per person). Streets and Trips shows a 15 minute ride from hotel to ship. Looking forward to getting on board and putting the travel behind and just relaxing for a week.

Our newest toy ...

2009-02-26T22:22:00.006-05:00

The netbook - after all the years of 'bigger is better' in computers, we've stepped down to an 8.9" screen netbook. The trusty laptop has been a constant companion while travelling - dumping pictures from the camera, emailing, checking up on the latest news from family and the world, even working on report cards. With 'Streets and Trips' and 'Autoroute' and a GPS stuck on the dash, we've navigated our way through Canada, the U.S., Sweden, Norway and Denmark. We now have navigation charts for all waterways in the United States and the St. Lawrence River and the Rideau Canal System so a small laptop was a logical alternative to a GPS navigation system for boating. We use the SeaClear chart-reading program.The most expensive 'amateur' GPS systems have a 7" screen, so a 9" screen on a laptop which would also serve our computing needs is a luxury.

After a fair amount of investigation, we decided to go with the Acer Aspire One Netbook. I found the HP netbook appealing (I have had only GREAT experiences with HP) but the extra HDD size (160GB vs 60GB) and the lack of speakers in the HP made our decision for us. The lack of a CD/DVD drive in netbooks is somewhat of a pain for installing software, but memory sticks seem to be filling the gap so far. Update ... just figured out how to share the DVD drive on another networked computer.

Skype has been installed and the built-in webcam and microphone seem to work fine so we're good-to-go in that department.

Speaking of 'phone', we cut the cord with Bell this week. We're now VOC with our cable provider Cogeco - unlimited long-distance any time of day in Canada and the U.S. and exceptional rates abroad (2 cents per minute to most countries!!) We have hesitated to leave Ma Bell, but were tired of the surprises when the bill came. So far, we've seen no difference except a $30 per month saving.

It's official - The Festival of the Islands is no more ...

2009-02-18T08:53:00.017-05:00

Sad news in the Gananoque Reporter this morning - the 17-year-old Festival of the Islands is done. Declining attendance and the misfortune of bad weather last year has racked up debt (small debt in the bigger scheme of things) that has made continuing the Festival impossible. Now is a good time, if you haven't already, to thank the hundreds of volunteers who have made the festival such an amazing event. Naming names would be foolish - there have been so many involved and even though a few names come to mind I would be afraid of overlooking someone. The beauty of the festival was that every contributor, great or small, made the festival work.

Over the past 17 years we have been treated to performances at the Waterfront Stage by some legendary performers - artists I certainly never expected to see perform in Gananoque: The Association, Great Big Sea, Burton Cummings, Randy Bachman, John Kay and Steppenwolf, to name just a very few. Although the waterfront stage shows were the showcase of the Festival, there were events all over town for the whole week for young and old. We'll miss the nightly parade of people with lawnchairs in hand, trudging down to the waterfront. Even if they didn't know who was performing, they knew they were in for an evening of great musical entertainment and a chance to meet with their neighbours and friends and others whom they had not seen since the last Festival. And let's not forget the fireworks - hundreds of boats and tens of thousands of people enjoying the most spectacular fireworks ever seen in this area.

A few years ago I wrote and recorded a jingle for the Festival, recorded at Summit Sound in Westport with the help of Cliff Edwards. We used an old Yamaha DX-7, a primitive Roland drum machine and the studio singers. I've only ever written one jingle and I still remember the first time I heard it on the radio! Gan-an-o-que doesn't scan easily, but it really ended up being quite tuneful. Give it a listen and think back to all your Festival memories. The hole in the middle is called the "do-nut" and it's left for voice-over announcement of daily events.

btw - as I tried to figure out how to post an audio file when BlogSpot only provides for video postings, I finally figured out how to create a video slideshow with an audio track. This video only has one image, but I know now how to add others. Get prepared for future postings!!

The kitchen saga begins ...

2009-02-17T08:23:00.005-05:00

After 30 years of service, our kitchen is about to be overhauled. When we bought this house, there was a corner cabinet and a small cabinet with a sink and that was it. The first thing we did after moving in was renovate the kitchen. Money was tight, so the cabinetry was home-made, built in the driveway with a $15 table saw bought at a yard sale. Cabinet frames were ripped and sanded from #4 pine boards and V-joint pine was the order of the day. A suspended ceiling was installed to hide ductwork, plumbing and wiring and the whole job looked pretty spiffy. We've been through 3 fridges, 2 dishwashers, 2 stoves and a couple rounds of washer/drier and it's time to move on. The washer and drier are getting moved to a different room (built as a whirlpool room but that ain't gonna happen!). We bought new appliances last weekend (going with the current stainless craze) and have had two meetings with what will very likely be our cabinet guys. We'll still do a lot of the work ourselves, but we're at a stage in our lives where building our own cabinets again is not high on our list of 'things we need to do before we die'. More posts to follow as the planning continues and construction begins ...

Irving Berlin

2009-02-06T10:32:00.010-05:00

On Sunday, April 26th, MacNeil's Landing Family Restaurant in Gananoque is presenting another in their series of Dinner Concerts - this time "Words and Music - The Music of Irving Berlin", with Mary Wonnacott-Hills, Don Price and Paul Harding.

Since purchasing MacNeil's Landing, owner Cliff Edwards has offered monthly dinner/concerts featuring local performers as well as artists from a broader field - Nancy White, Kelli Trottier, Denny Will, The Abrams Brothers and The Wilkins. Local performers have included Dennis Curtis, Roger James, David Tompkins, Diane Stapley, Maryanne Wainman, Scott Davey, Len Whalen, Tim Hallma n, Dan Kasaboski, Doug Gravelle and Bob Arlidge.

Born in Russia and brought to the U.S. at age five, Irving Berlin dropped out of school in his early teens and taught himself to play the piano while working as a singing waiter from 1904 to 1907. He played almost entirely in the key of F-sharp, allowing him to stay on the black keys as much as possible. This wasn't unheard-of for a self-taught musician, since it's easier for untrained fingers to play the black keys (which are elevated and widely spaced) without hitting wrong notes. In a 1962 interview, Berlin said, "The black keys are right there, under your fingers. The key of C is for people who study music." Cecil Adams

Now I won't feel nearly so guilty when I play a song in the key of C!!!

A lovely weekend in Toronto ...

2009-01-18T20:59:00.032-05:00

Had a great time in Toronto this weekend. Driving up on Friday was a breeze - clean and dry highway and we arrived after the rush-hour so it was clear sailing down the DVP, across the Gardiner and off on Lakeshore Boulevard to our hotel. We had chosen the Four Points Sheraton because it's near the CNE grounds where the boat show is held - all right, it was cheaper than downtown!

It's still impressive for us small-town-types to drive by the Air Canada Centre, CN Tower and Rogers Centre at night - kind of like seeing the Eiffel Tower from the highway in Paris (well, not quite!).

The Toronto Boat Show is always interesting. We had a lottery ticket this weekend and told the Carver rep we'd be back Sunday morning if we won to buy the $759,000 yacht. This was the first time we boarded the luxury boats and actually found things about our own boat we prefer. We bought a few boaty things and did some serious investigation of chart plotting/gps hardware. We met up with Neil, from Gordon Marine, and decided that the Thousand Islands is the best place in this part of the world for boating. We didn't win the lottery, btw, so it looks like Daydream Believer for us this season.

Saturday evening we drove downtown, parked the car (see rant #4), had dinner and a drink at the Elephant and Castle and then headed to the Princess of Wales Theatre for a production of The Sound of Music. As I mentioned in an earlier blog, we had followed the search for a Maria on CBC earlier this year and were anxious to see the production. We were not disappointed. We have not, actually, seen a professional production of S of M before. I've done dozens of performances of the show, however, so I know every note that's sung or played. Those who know me will know that my favourite music in the show is the French horn figure in 'Climb Every Mountain' right after the key change and the line "all the love you can give" - gives me goose bumps just to think of it now. Maybe in heaven they'll give me a French horn instead of a harp and let me play that line for eternity. And maybe Robert Russell Bennett (who did the masterful orchestrations) will be there to give me pointers.

These theatre spectaculars are tighter than amateur productions but often don't have any more talented actors/singers than we've seen elsewhere. Where they are outstanding is in the technical aspects of the production. The sets were amazing (I won't describe them, for fear of spoiling the effect for those readers who have yet to see the show). My favourite moment in the show has always been when the family Von Trapp begins to sing Do-Re-Mi at their home and then, in a miraculous theatre instant, they are on stage at the festival and we are the audience. Worth the price of the ticket just for that moment!

I was crushed to discover that Ted Simonett was 'out' for Saturday's performance. Ted is a Kingstonian that I had the privilege to work with in the early 70s in the St. Lawrence Summer Playhouse. Ted was a high school student, working at Rideau Marina, and played Jesus in 'Godspell' (picture) and Bobby Van Husen in 'The Boyfriend' in productions for which I was musical director. I have followed his career with interest right from those days through to his stint as the annoying neighbour in the Canadian Tire ads (remember the guy with the beard who always had the latest gadget?). He never came over to help me with my projects 'cos I ALREADY have all the Canadian Tire gadgets!! BTW, while we're on a 'Summer Playhouse' kick, I was also musical director for a production at that same theatre of 'You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown'; the title role was played by none other than Nicholas Campbell. Sorry - don't have any pics of that production.

After a leisurely breakfast at the hotel this morning, we headed home. The highway had a bit of snow but was basically wet - until we hit Oshawa. From there it was 40-60 kph - there was a steady string of cars and trucks in the ditch. After a quick pit stop we poked along as far as Trenton and then decided it wasn't safe to proceed any further on 401. We switched over to Highway 2 and although the road was no better than 401 it was much safer and even faster. It was actually kind of nice to travel through Trenton, Belleville, Napanee. Hard to imagine that before 401 all traffic between Montreal and Toronto travelled that route.

We still made it home before dark and in time to see our skatergirl performing on NBC's Progressive Skating and Gymnastics Spectacular.

Don't read this if you don't want to hear my rant ...

2009-01-18T07:48:00.006-05:00

Everyone who lives in a small town should be required to spend a few days in Toronto once a year, just to be reminded of the advantages of small-town life. We just made a brief trip to Toronto to attend the Boat Show and see 'The Sound of Music'. The positive points are made in the next blog. For this one, here's the rant (in no particular order):

1) Architects - I'm sure no architect has ever used a public washroom in a large venue (theatre, arena). Would you not think that by now architects would have figured out that womens' washrooms in these buildings need more facilities. Actually, in the Princess of Wales Theatre, the ladies' washroom has more facilities than the mens' (15 stalls [I'm told!], compared to 2 stalls and 4 urinals in the mens') but the ladies were still lined up right out into the lobby. And in the mens' there was a lineup for the stalls - however, every man who washed his hands (don't they all?) had to break through the lineup for the stalls to reach the paper towels.

2) Gridlock - if you're going to honk your horn at cars who block an intersection, you can't also honk your horn at cars ahead of you who are waiting for the intersection to clear before they proceed. Much as we'd like to think we can, you can't have it both ways. I have, in the last year at home, heard no more than two drivers honk their horn at another driver or pedestrian. In Toronto, apparently, it's a way of life.

3) No-left-turn intersections. 'nuff said!

4) $30 to park the car to see a show. I believe that would cost $3 at home.

5) The snow-plow operators' strike. Oh, they're not on strike? Coulda fooled me! 40 kph on 401 today.

6) Transport drivers who think we're wusses and then jack-knife their rigs and hold up traffic for hours.

7) Thoughtless drivers who park their cars smack in the middle of two parking spaces.

8) Hotels next to the Gardiner Expressway. Here's the view from our window:

Our boating paradise

2009-01-14T15:32:00.004-05:00

30 below and 2 feet of ice - hard to believe this is where we swim and play! However, January is half gone and the next thing you know we'll be touching up the dock from the winter's ice and splashing Daydream Believer for another season.

Got a call the other day to play piano for the Thousand Islands Playhouse production of "Forever Plaid" this spring. Three obvious reasons to be excited - first, musical theatre is a great love and professional musical theatre is a real joy; second, 'Forever Plaid' has great music and is a lot of fun; third, the production rehearses from the first of May and closes in mid-June so it won't conflict in any way with our boating season. So this year I get to participate fully in both of these activities. Bring it on!

The hills are alive ...

2009-01-05T20:29:00.005-05:00

Just booked tickets to see The Sound of Music in Toronto on January 17th. We followed 'How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria' on CBC last summer and voted for our favourite Maria so we wanted to get to see the show. We're seeing Elicia MacKenzie as Maria and The Singer and Serdic are seeing Janna Polzin, so it will be interesting to compare notes. I guess the Mirvish family is finding the economy a little tight - can you believe you have to pay a $3 charge for the privilege of printing your own tickets? Times are tough!

We're doing a package on the weekend of the Toronto Boat Show and have a room booked at the Four Points Sheraton. With theatre tickets ($250) and hotel ($185), suddenly the complimentary ($15) boat show tickets seem pretty insignificant. Tickets for the theatre are in the 7th row - not dead centre, but not too far to the side. Should be a great weekend.

Home again ...

2009-01-04T07:20:00.007-05:00

Saturday, January 3rd, 2009

This morning we loaded up our bags and headed off to the StreetCar Noise had booked to take us to Heathrow. After a few breathless minutes of communication with the office when the passkey wouldn't unlock the car, finally the green light came on and the doors popped open. The trip to Heathrow was easy and check-in at Air Canada was a breeze (we had registered on-line yesterday and only had to check our bags). Security was thorough, as usual (doesn't bother me that they're making sure that everybody on MY plane is there legitimately) and I had a little mini-massage (no problem, sir - just a routine random scrutiny).

The flight left on time and actually arrived in Ottawa 45 minutes early. The only thing unusual on the flight was we that saw another jet below us. Though I guess we've always known they're out there, we'd never actually seen another aircraft in the sky before. The sight just made the whole notion of floating this 350,000 lb vessel in the air more surreal.

Although we had to wait for our gate to free up we were still in good time and through Customs by the time we were supposed to have arrived. Our bags slid down the ramp and we were off to meet The Singer, who had come to pick us up. Picked up the car at bro's parking garage, had a cup of tea at Singer & Serdic's flat (sorry - apartment) and then headed home. We stopped in Brockville at Swiss Chalet for the cheapest meal we've had out in a week - actually a nice bookend, since we had Swiss Chalet on the way to the airport when we left a week ago.

High Tea at the Lanesborough

2009-01-04T07:04:00.006-05:00

Friday, January 2nd, 2009

As part of their Christmas Gift to us, PetDoc and Noise treated us to high tea at the Lanesborough Hotel this afternoon. We were afraid that we might be a little under-dressed (and outclassed, too, for that matter) but we were actually quite comfortable and had a marvellous time. The hotel is across the street from Hyde Park, right across the square from Wellington Arch. The hotel was awarded the Tea Guild award for 2008 - Best Afternoon Tea. And we found out why!!

We began with a glass of Taittinger champagne, accompanied by a generous dish of strawberries with cream poured over them. The sommelier helped us choose our teas - PetDoc and PetMom had the Ceylon Supreme, Noise had his favourite green tea and PetDad had the hotel's afternoon blend. There were dozens of teas from which to choose - black, green and white.

When we had polished off the strawberries, we were presented with a pre-dessert, consisting of an apple and pear mousse with a mandarin and mango jelly. With our palates cleansed, we proceeded with a tiered cake stand of assorted sandwiches, tea breads and desserts. The sandwiches were cucumber and cream cheese, curried chicken, smoked salmon, tuna, and cheese and pickle. These were accompanied by oven-fresh quiches (mushroom, onion and stilton). There were four small tea breads and scrumptious desserts which we cut in smaller pieces so all could sample.

Although we were quite full by the time we finished all of this, we managed to polish off the tray of scones and tea cakes - adorned with clotted cream, lemon curd and strawberry jam. All this was washed down with an endless supply of tea, poured by the attentive waiters as soon as our cup warranted. We were offered seconds of each of the above but we declined all but the tea.

Not having been to a pub yet today, we decided about 9:30 to head down Greyhound past the Queen's Club to the Colton Arms. It was absolutely delightful - exactly what you'd expect a neighbourhood pub to be like.

Tomorrow we're off to Heathrow for a 1:00 pm flight home, arriving in Ottawa at 3:45.

Happy New Year from London

2009-01-04T06:54:00.006-05:00

Thursday, January 1, 2009

It's only 9 pm there, but it's 2 am here and we want to wish you a happy new year! We had some munchies at home and then about 9:30 we left to view the fireworks set off at the London Eye. The viewing area at Westminster was full when we arrived so we walked along Whitehall to Trafalgar Square and then on down The Strand to Blackfriars Bridge. From there we had a great view of the fireworks and enjoyed them very much. It was wall-to-wall people from Westminster to the place we stopped to view the fireworks - first they were all moving in the same direction - then still to watch the fireworks - then back the other way to make their way home. There was a lot of alcohol and shouting but nobody really what you'd call misbehaving - only having a good time to celebrate the New Year. We were in a crowd of several hundred thousand people, shoulder to shoulder - certainly the largest crowd we've ever been a part of. We never felt nervous, but we did hang on to each other quite a lot. Our trip back to the flat was relatively easy - we had given some forethought to how we would get home and it appeared to pay off. We had a seat on the tube the whole way, while we saw a lot of trains with people packed in like sardines.

We were to the Borough Market this morning and we've got a nice pork roast to cook tomorrow and we'll have a nice dinner here at home.

London - Day 3

2008-12-31T04:28:00.009-05:00

Tuesday, December 30th

This morning we headed out to check out some of the shopping places. We took the tube to Green Park and then to Oxford Circus. We walked along Regent Street, taking time to go into Liberty and Brooks Brothers and several other interesting shops. A detour down a side street took us to Carnaby Street, which we've been hearing about since the 60s. Then back to Regent street and at Picadilly Circus turned and came back on Picadilly Street. Here we stopped in at Fortnum and Mason - a very upscale department store (staff in tails) noted for Christmas hampers in British novels. Outside was a series of Christmas windows, decorated to tell the story of The Snow Queen.

We walked in front of the Ritz Hotel and ducked into The Clarence, a pub nearby (didn't even price the dining room at the Ritz). Toad in the Hole provided a delicious traditional lunch. Now it was time to head over to St. Pancras train station to meet our friends from home, Des & Dave, arriving from Paris. Their train was, as one gets to expect in Europe, right on time and we walked with them to their hotel (Hilton).

They had not seen the Tower of London or Tower Bridge so that was our first stop. After a brief stop at the Roman wall, we walked around the Tower. It was 4:15 so too late for entry - they'll have to leave that for their next trip to London. Then we walked across Tower Bridge, along the south embankment, and back across the Thames on London Bridge. We walked up past The Monument (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monument_to_the_Great_Fire_of_London) and past St. Paul's (Des and Dave were fortunate enough to attend Christmas Day Eucharist). Up Fleet Street we made our way to Ye Old Cheshire Cheese pub (http://www.pubs.com/pub_details.cfm?ID=216). Each of us had something different so now we can heartily recommend the beef, the pork, the lamb and the steak and kidney pie. After a delicious dessert (treacle - they were out of sticky toffee pudding) we headed to King's Cross station for a photo op at Platform 9 3/4.

Then it was time to bid Des and Dave goodnight, happy new year and safe trip. We caught a Picadilly Line train to Barons Court and returned home to Greyhound. Over a glass of winter Pims we mapped out a plan of action for tomorrow (New Year's Eve). The day will start with a trip to Portobello Road Market, The Borough Market and some grocery shopping - and hopefully end viewing the fireworks display near the London Eye.

London thus far ...

2008-12-30T03:33:00.010-05:00

Flight from Ottawa to Heathrow was uneventful. Check-in and security and the trip to the gate are always so simple and short in Ottawa - we were at the gate 2 hours before the flight. We weren't sure the ginger sparklers were going to make it through security - the agent who inspected our bag looked awful hungry! We boarded on time but sat at the gate for nearly an hour. Don't know what the issue was, but the pilot made it quite clear that he was ready to go! We were, consequently, an hour late getting into London. It was very cloudy so there was no view of the city as we approached. As the jet swung around the city and back in to land, we could imagine the view below from our August trip, but there was nothing to see this time but clouds.

Noise was at Heathrow to meet us and had driven out in the 'StreetCar' - kind of a timeshare car rental parked in the neighbourhood that you can rent by the hour. A quick run in to the Greyhound flat where we had a bit of a 'recover-from-jet-lag' nap. We've learned that the best way to avoid jet-lag is to only power nap on that first day and stay up and active until bedtime in the new timezone. Then we drove out to Wimbledon to pick up PetDoc from work. We did the Christmas present exchange and had nibblies for supper. Then we went next door to the Queen's Arms for sticky toffee pudding.

PetDoc worked Sunday 'til 2 pm so we had a leisurely morning at the flat. Later we took the tube to Hyde Park for the Winter Wonderland - kind of an amusement park / German Christmas market. Just to make the experience authentic, we had a mug of gluhwein (mulled red wine) and made our way through the park. Treated ourselves to roasted chestnuts and candied nuts and watched the skaters (I guess you could call them that - mostly a lot of arm-flailing and splatting on the ice).

From Hyde Park we walked over to Harrods to see the store lit up for the holidays at night. From Harrods we took the tube to Leicester Square and walked from there to Trafalgar Square to see the Christmas Tree. Then we walked on to Somerset House, where another outdoor rink has been set up. People in this part of London are no better skaters than in Hyde Park.

This morning PetDoc and Noise headed back to work and we made our way over to Covent Garden. From there we walked through the Soho district of London and arrived at Trafalgar Square. We were too late for lunch in the crypt at St. Martin-in-the-Fields so we found a nearby pub and had lunch. Then we walked along Fleet Street and over to St. Paul's Cathedral. After a brief tour there (didn't bother with the dome this time) we caught the tube back home. Noise cooked us a delicious supper of chicken breasts with mushroom sauce and vegetables - we enjoyed a nice bottle of wine (even though Noise had to run next door to the pub and get them to open the bottle). Tomorrow we're thinking we'll go over to Oxford Street and Hamleys and maybe over to Fortnum and Mason. Then we're meeting Des and Dave on the train from Paris and we'll spend some time with them and have dinner somewhere nice.

Christmas Day

2008-12-25T23:00:00.009-05:00

OK - Geordie's a little more in the Christmas spirit today. Had a lovely Christmas Day with family - lots of goodies under the tree and two scrumptious turkey dinners. Last night's Christmas Eve church service was very nice, with Maryanne W 'leaving us spitless' with her gorgeous rendition of 'O Holy Night' and finishing with the congregation singing 'Silent Night' by candlelight. Weather was crazy last night, with rain and 60 kph winds. We lost a lot of our snow - including what I had planned to shovel off the roof :-) We're supposed to have 7 degrees C and rain on Saturday and that should get rid of a bit more of the white stuff. The weather in London is supposed to be cooler than that for the next few days!

Today we had two Skype conversations with PetDoc and Noise - one early this morning as we opened stockings and then another larger family conversation after they had returned from Evensong at St. Paul's Cathedral. I was very envious!

By this time tomorrow we'll be enroute to London. It would appear that the crazy weather hold-ups over the holidays have been cleared and flights are back on schedule. We're checked in and have printed our boarding passes, so it looks like Air Canada is expecting us. Keep your fingers crossed for us. We're looking forward to meeting Gananoque friends D & D in London on the 30th, when they arrive from Paris.

btw - gas price update - .629 cents per litre and the fuel oil man filled us up this week at .779

Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow!!

2008-12-21T20:36:00.006-05:00

Guess we won't barbeque tonight. We've had lots of snow and high winds since Thursday. The snowblower has had a good workout. Tomorrow it's time to get up on the roof and clear off the accumulation. This morning we woke up to a howling blizzard. The annual Christmas breakfast was being held at the church so we headed down a little earlier than usual.

The choir had been preparing "For Unto Us a Child is Born" from Handel's 'Messiah' and there was some concern about a Plan B in case there weren't enough members able to make it to church in the storm. However, not a single member was absent! When you look up faithful in the dictionary, there should be a picture of Grace Church's volunteer choir. The anthem went exceptionally well and we all felt very good about it.

Although it's stopped snowing now, the red screen of death is on the weather channel. Looks like good weather on Christmas Day and Boxing Day. I really don't care a lot about the weather as long as we're able to get to Ottawa airport on Boxing Day to get our flight to London to visit PetDoc and Noise. Just to make the world even smaller, Gananoque friends are going to be in London while we are there and we've already made plans to get together. Hard to believe that in five days Christmas will be over and we'll be in London.

Christmas has begun

2008-12-16T13:27:00.009-05:00

The boxes are down from the attic, the tree is up and decoration has begun. Geordie is not a big Christmas fan, but he tolerates our foibles pretty well.

btw - gas is .649 today!!

Messiah Singalong

2008-12-14T16:15:00.002-05:00

There was a Messiah 'singalong' in Gananoque on Friday night and it was extremely well attended. Participants were Orchestra Kingston, a community orchestra combining professional and amateur musicians, The Gananoque Choral Society, Frontenac Women's Chorus and the Queen's University Chamber Choir. The Gananoque Choral Society was actually formed about 15 years ago for the purpose of presenting Handel's Messiah so it was a return to its roots for that organization.

The performance was quite good, for an amateur group. The orchestra chose the Mozart edition of Handel's work and I must say I really don't think Mozart enhanced the original work in any way. I found the orchestral accompaniment too busy at times, intruding on the vocal elements. I had never attended a singalong Messiah and was disappointed that the audience was not seated according to choral sections. Sitting where I was, in the middle of a group of non-singers, was not conducive to singing bass, which was largely why I had gone to this particular performance.

All in all, however, an enjoyable evening.

And so it begins ...

2008-12-08T12:44:00.002-05:00

River caught over with ice this weekend and a light dusting of snow makes it quite pretty.

BTW - gas is .679 today!!

OK - We'll play

2008-12-01T08:07:00.015-05:00

One or the other or both of us have (in black bold):

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland/world
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sung a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child - does Foster Parents Plan count?
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theatre
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Gotten flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in Arlington Cemetery
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car - maybe even this week!
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee

Octopus Attack!!

2008-11-30T19:14:00.003-05:00

Thank God we were able to save Geordie from this vicious attack.

Messiah Sing-Along

2008-11-28T08:11:00.002-05:00

Gas price update

2008-11-26T09:42:00.002-05:00

Whoda thunkit? Gas is 74.9

2008-11-18T21:54:00.004-05:00

Filled up the van today, in preparation for a few trips to Kingston to rehearse a performance of Handel's "Messiah". Gas was 74.9 cents per litre! The bad news is that the same economy that's driving gas prices down is whittling away at my retirement savings. However - it's safe to assume that eventually they'll both edge back up.

The last fill-up with the boat at the local marina was $1.59 per litre. Wish I could trailer Daydream Believer to the local gas-bar and fill 'er up @ .749!! I expect by the time we splash next spring gas will be back up and I'll have to pay $1.50 again.

None of this comes as a shock to us, since we paid $2.00 per litre for gas in Europe in 1995. We've sort of had a sense that North America was just catching up. In August of this year we paid $2.29 per litre for diesel in London, so $1.50 still seems like a bargain. And $ .749 is amazing!!!

And now, back to normal ...

2008-10-31T16:59:00.002-04:00

What a difference a day makes ... 24 little hours

2008-10-29T08:36:00.005-04:00

Sunrise, October 20, 2008

2008-10-28T12:24:00.002-04:00

Keep the dog in!!

2008-10-15T17:48:00.004-04:00

These turkey vultures were circling over the house today and I thought it would be prudent to keep small animals inside. I lost count at 60!

Thanksgiving Weekend

2008-10-12T16:50:00.006-04:00

We headed out to McDonald Island (Parks Canada) Friday after work and joined our boater friends for chili. Saturday morning they began preparing the annual boaters' Thanksgiving dinner - roasted turkey, smoked turkey, ham and vegetables galore. Topped off with pies of every description and 'special' coffee. There were (by my count) 27 of us. Singer and Mo-in-law joined us by dinghy. For many this is the last boating weekend of the season and it's a chance to get together and wish each other well for the winter. We had to come back in Saturday night and at 10:30 pm there wasn't a ripple on the river and the moon was as bright as daylight. Today we had a Skype-chat with PetDoc and Noise (and Buggy) and now we're off to the family Thanksgiving dinner.

A dreary weekend - with a couple of highlights

2008-09-28T21:04:00.006-04:00

We spent the weekend on the west end of Beaurivage this weekend. Last week was absolutely gorgeous so, of course, it began to rain on Friday and continued until late Sunday afternoon. We are beginning to reach the point in the year when docking is somewhat determined by water levels (which are declining by the minute - down 30 inches from the mid-August). Even mooring at our own dock is becoming dicey.

We were, according to the Parks Canada staff, the only boat on Beaurivage this weekend. The wind was from the east and the north-east, so the west dock seemed the logical place to go. It was actually quite calm and pleasant there and if we were looking for solitude it was the perfect place. It drizzled and rained pretty much all weekend so we got a lot of reading done. We also watched several episodes of "Monk"; bro-in-law gave us a box set of this very clever TV show which is only occasionally seen in Canada and they have become our boating entertainment.

We came in earlier than usual on Sunday to connect with PetDoc on Skype. We had a nice chat and got a chance to see Noise playing tennis, baseball, and bowling on their new Wii. Buggy and Geordie got to say hello through the miracle of cyber-communication. Have a great time in Paris next weekend (PetDoc & Noise, that is - not Buggy and Geordie!)

The second highlight of the weekend was a concert we attended tonight at MacNeil's Landing. Maryanne Wainman (with whom I've worked many times), Len Whalen who, in his own words "has been Jesus longer than Jesus was Jesus" and Scott Davey did a dinner/concert programme of Broadway selections. We oldsters tend to do Broadway songs from "Carousel", "The Sound of Music", and the like - these 'youngsters' put together a fabulous evening of songs from "Jesus Christ, Superstar", "Phantom", "Les Mis", "Rent", "Hairspray". It was thoroughly enjoyable. Kudos to Cliff Edwards for making his restaurant venue available for this kind of entertainment.

Not really a new post, but ...

2008-09-08T23:05:00.005-04:00

Now that the whole Bluffdweller clan has visited Platform 9 3/4 - thought it would be appropriate to post all the documentary photos:

Poker is NOT a Game Show

2008-09-08T21:23:00.003-04:00

On a trip to visit bro-in-law in Atlanta, we were exposed to the Game Show Network (GSN). When it became available on digital cable in Canada, we subscribed and immediately became addicted to Family Feud (with a Match Game chaser). Now, due to the constant broadcast of poker on GSN, we have become addicted, instead, to CSI on Spike TV. The Sports Network (TSN) broadcasts a lot of poker, too. This leads us to state, unequivocally: POKER IS NOT A GAME SHOW or A SPORT! Get your own network - TPN!

Back on the River

2008-09-07T17:31:00.004-04:00

We're back in the 1000 Islands and have enjoyed two nice weekends in the islands. Although less boat traffic is probably an indication of some sort of economic down-turn, it sure has a positive side for us locals. We spent Labour Day weekend on a dock where we've never spent a night before - the main crib dock on the north-east side of Aubrey (Burnt) Island. Although there was a lot of bouncing because a main channel runs past nearby, we met some very interesting people and had a great time. Although one might expect the greatest amount of wash would come from the passing tour boats, they're actually very considerate. It's the yahoos zipping by full-out in their pseudo-cigarette boats that cause the greatest problem. Mix testosterone with gasoline and it's way more of a nuisance than alcohol - maybe not as dangerous, but certainly a pain.

This weekend we spent Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights on Beau Rivage. Met up with some boater friends and enjoyed the weekend immensely. There's still enough water for us at the south floating dock in the main bay (though the water has dropped at least a foot from mid-summer), but it dropped another 6 inches during the three days we were there. The weatherman threatened rain most of the weekend but Friday was gorgeous, Saturday was overcast but no rain, and it only rained a tiny little bit Sunday afternoon. With three dinghy-shuttles to make, that was a relief.

Olympic fever

2008-08-25T00:31:00.006-04:00

Sunday, August 24 - Today is our last day in London (this time) and also the last day of the Beijing Olympics. As the 2012 Olympics are in London, there was great interest in the closing ceremonies and the Olympic Flag 'Handover Ceremony'. A party on The Mall has been sold out for months but the festivities in Beijing were being broadcast on big screens in a couple of other locations in London. We chose Trafalgar Square and about 11 am headed out on the tube. We found a fabulous seating spot on the wall of a fountain very near the big screen and PetDoc headed off to get us some sandwiches while we held the spaces. VISA handed out 2012 flags for us all to wave and the crowd cheered as the successes of Team GB were displayed by the BBC on the screen.

The handover of the Olympic Flag and the British presentation featuring a double-decker bus, Leona Lewis, Jimmy Page and David Beckham were enjoyed by the crowd. The fireworks were not nearly as exciting, however, on the screen as I'm sure they were in Beijing.

After the show we headed over to see 'The Gherkin' and went souvenir shopping through Leicester Square, Tower Hill and Piccadilly Circus. Satisfied with our remembrances, we headed back to Greyhound.

For our last supper (and since we hadn't been to a pub yet today) we caught a bus to The Jolly Maltster, where we all had the Sunday Roast (some had lamb and some beef). It was generous and delicious! A great way to wrap up our London visit.

Tomorrow it's home again. Our flight is at 1 pm, so we can be relatively leisurely in the morning to pack and get to the airport. The Singer is meeting us in Ottawa and after a brief tea-stop we'll be off to Gananoque.

Bognor Regis

2008-08-24T01:59:00.017-04:00

Saturday, August 23 - When we went to see 'Glorious' at the 1000 Islands Playhouse earlier this summer, there were references in the piece to 'Bognor Regis'. We figured at the time that we were probably the only ones in the audience who had ever actually BEEN to Bognor Regis. Let me tell you why ...

Gananoque has got quite an airport for a community of 5000 residents. There's a reason! The Link Manufacturing Company in Gananoque produced the 'Link Trainer' - a flight simulating device to train pilots. In 1943-1944 hundreds of allied pilots were brought to Gananoque airport - some to train, others to be trained. One of the trainers was an RAF pilot named John. These visiting airmen were often entertained in Gananoque - one such event was a dance at the Gananoque Golf Club. At this dance John met a young woman named Alice, one of my mother's best friends (see, this isn't just a random World War II story!!)

Well, as you can guess, the two fell in love and Alice moved abroad, to be married in a little church in John's home town of Bognor Regis, on the south coast of England. They had four children and (since Alice's family still lived in Gananoque and John was a BOAC pilot with staff privileges) made frequent trips to Canada. The children were sort of like cousins to me and the eldest, Kate, is my mother's god-child. In later years, John and Alice often holidayed with Mom & Dad and and Ted and Clare, travelling across Canada and to Florida. This continued connection with John, Alice and their family has always been special for us. One of the reasons for our trip to Clovelly when we were in Cornwall last week was Mom's fond recollection of her trip to Clovelly when she and Dad visited John and Alice in England.

Sadly, both Alice and Mom are now gone but the Bognor Regis connection lives on.

Saturday we, along with PetDoc and Noise, took the train to Bognor Regis and had a lovely day at John's cottage in Felpham, visiting with him and two of his daughters. We had a delightful lunch, walked along the seashore, watched some Olympics, and then caught the late afternoon train back to London. I doubt that this will be our last trip to Bognor Regis.

Tonight we went to a pub which specializes in Bangers and Mash - I ordered a safe choice (pork with cheese) and was startled when my dinner arrived with the announcement that they were out of that selection and had substituted Wild Boar. Delicious!!!!

Tourists again

2008-08-24T01:27:00.005-04:00

Friday, August 22 - Today we visited a couple of London must-see institutions - the British Museum and the British Library. Of particular interest in the former were the Greece exhibits, wherein the frieze and sculptures from the Parthenon are displayed, the Rosetta Stone, and the Egyptian wing with its sculptures (including a piece of the Sphinx) and mummies.

It was a nice day so we decided to walk to the Library. Note to self: the number 91 bus which stops outside the Museum stops shortly thereafter at the Library! We limited our visit to the Sir John Ritblat Gallery: Treasures of the British Library. Among these are: original musical manuscripts by Handel, Mendelssohn, Beethoven and Mozart; the Magna Carta; early maps showing Ireland nearly as big as England; Shakespeare manuscripts; a Gutenburg Bible; pages from Leonarda da Vinci's notebook - well, you get the idea. One highlight for me (sounds plebian after the aforementioned list, but it's not) is the Beatles display. Here there are handwritten lyrics (some with corrections) for many familiar Beatle songs. I think my favourite (maybe it's the teacher in me) is the handwritten lyrics to "I Wanna Hold Your Hand" with the notation "3/10 - See Me"

Our daily pub visit today was to O'Neill's, near the King's Cross tube station. We went for the 'Pickers and Sharers' - a combo of 4 starters (we chose cod, prawns, potatoes (with cheese and bacon) and chicken wings). We thought we'd get a plate with a couple of each (as we had at 'The Shakespeare' near Victoria Station) and were startled to be presented with generous portions of all four choices. The atmosphere was a little more like Kelsey's than a pub, but the food was great!

We stopped at the butcher shop near the Baron's Court station to pick up lamb burgers and chicken brochettes to barbecue and then walked through the cemetery (a wonderful short-cut and well-used) to Greyhound. Took Buggy for a short walk and then relaxed until PetDoc and Noise returned home from work for supper.

Saturday we're off to Bognor Regis, but that's a separate entry. Sunday we're planning to participate (as spectators) at Trafalgar Square in the Handover Ceremonies being broadcast from Beijing. The Olympic Flag will be handed over by the mayor of Beijing to the mayor of London (2012 and all that, you know) and there's going to be a city-wide party here. We wouldn't come to London for it, but since we're here ...

Relaxing Thursday ...

2008-08-22T02:30:00.005-04:00

Thursday - Today we had no particular agenda so we started off with a trip to the Camden Canal Market. We watched with great interest as a couple navigated a narrow-boat through the canal lock. We've been through a ton of locks in our day, but we've never participated in the actual operation of the lock. The market was interesting (must tuck this location away in case we're looking for tatoos or piercings in the future) but items for sale could have been found in any market anywhere in the world - nobody had anything which had any local flavour to it. We stopped at the Oxford Arms for lunch and then got back on the tube and headed for High Street Kensington, an excellent shopping area.

Since, on our way, we were passing through King's Cross Station, we stopped for the obligatory picture at Track 9 3/4. I do believe the family set of photos here is now complete!

Supper tonight was at PetDoc & Noise's flat - barbecued chicken, vegetables, fresh baguette with dipping sauce. We enjoyed this delicious supper while we watched the BBC repeat broadcast of Eric Lemaze' gold-medal jump-off and Andrew Willows' advance to the K2 500m finals. We had seen both earlier today but PetDoc & Noise were now home to watch.

No agenda for Friday - we'll check out Rick Steves' recommendations and see if something (without too much walking) appeals to us. We're both going to need hip replacements when we get home - we've done so much walking and climbed so many hills and stairs!

Another day in olde London towne

2008-08-20T19:04:00.010-04:00

This morning started with a tube ride to Victoria Station where we emerged to walk past the mews to the Buckingham Palace tours. These tours are something relatively new, offering a glimpse of the opulence and history of the interior public areas of the palace. No pictures are allowed inside, so the best I can offer is of the back of the palace from the garden.

From the palace we headed back toward Victoria Station where we grabbed a very tasty sandwich in Cardinal Place at a shop simply called EAT.

From here we went over to locate the Apollo Victoria Theatre to make sure we could find it to see 'Wicked' tonight. So often we have found that when you're trying to locate a landmark in a strange city you turn a corner a WHAM! - there's the Eiffel Tower -- WHOA! - there's Stonehenge -- WOW! - isn't that St. Paul's. Well, same deal with the Apollo Victoria Theatre - around the corner from Victoria Station and BOOM! - there's the theatre.

Confident that we could find our way to the theatre this evening we contemplated what to do for the next 6 hours. We started with a trip to Harrods - what a store!! Everything from fresh vegetables to a Bosendorfer piano for £51,000. Our only purchase was a Krispy Kreme donut and a coffee. From Harrods we took the tube to the Victoria and Albert Museum. If you want to know what's at the V&A, read Rick Steves. There's really no thread or plan to these exhibits - just a vast collection of stuff that British monarchs thought ought to be in a museum.

We then headed back to the Victoria Station area and had dinner at 'The Shakespeare', a pub noted for its fish & chips (which were excellent, btw). After a leisurely dinner (another way of describing slow service), we headed to 'Wicked'. It was awesome and that's not a word I use lightly. Being familiar with (having performed) some of the music and intimately familiar with 'The Wizard of Oz', it was spell-binding.

Two little asides here regarding theatre: 1) I realize they want to sell you a souvenir programme but every patron should receive a free programme which lists the cast, production crew, orchestra, etc. 2) When did it become OK to come into a theatre at any point in a show and get up and leave and come and go like it's a rock concert? Whatever happened to 'latecomers will be seated at a suitable break in the show'? I felt especially sorry for the person who got up just as 'Defying Gravity' began at the end of Act I. I hope she was please to be first in line at the bar, because she missed one of the most spectacular events in London theatre this year. However, that said, we thoroughly enjoyed the show although when we stayed and applauded the orchestra at the end people around us looked at us like we were from another planet. Here's a little teaser, taken during a legal moment:

Just around London

2008-08-20T01:07:00.011-04:00

Tuesday - Today was a London walking day. We started out taking the tube to Trafalgar Square where we checked out the Olympics on the big screen. We were about an hour early for the paddling (we were hoping to see Andrew Willows' K2 heat) so we popped into the crypt at St. Martin in the Fields for a coffee. Back to the Square - still no paddling - so we went into the National Gallery. We spent over two hours and just covered the highlights (a least the highlights according to Rick Steves).

Then we went back to St. Martins for their free lunchtime concert - today's was a pianist and flutist from the US. Then down to the crypt again for lunch and a trip over to Leicester Square to check out the ticket situation for musicals Wednesday night. TKTS didn't have any bargains of interest so we paid a little more at a shop for tickets to 'Wicked'. We're seeing 'Les Miserables' at the 1000 Islands Playhouse next week and seeing it this week in London is not fair to them. And we're planning to see 'The Sound of Music' in Toronto, having cheered for our favourite Marias on CBC. So 'Wicked' it is.

Then down The Strand. This walk retraced for me the trip The Singer and I made a few years back - right by the restaurant and theatre where we ate and saw 'Chicago' - The Royal Courts of Justice - the Twinings Tea Shop - Temple Church - Old Bailey. On Fleet Street we stopped at 'Ye Old Cheshire Cheese' pub for a drink and fish and steak and ale pies and a quick sit in Charles Dickens' favourite seat beside the fire.

With renewed strength we headed down to St. Paul's - from here we walked across the Millenium Bridge and back along the Thames to the London Bridge tube station.

Back home, via Baron's Cross - we had to detour around the cemetery this time (gates closed by now) - seemed much longer but PetDoc says it's only a couple of minutes more.

Wednesday's itinerary is partially set - we have a tour of Buckingham Palace booked for 10 am and we're off to see 'Wicked' in the evening. Haven't decided about the hours in between, but I'm sure London has something to offer ...

Back to London, via Clovelly

2008-08-19T02:29:00.003-04:00

Our accommodation at the Riverside Hotel in Boscastle was very nice, and after a full breakfast we set off on a little walk around the village. We walked down to the harbour - everywhere we were on the trip was low tide except Penzance - stopped at the bakery and headed off for Clovelly.

Cars are not allowed in Clovelly (unless you live there) so you pay $11 to park and enter the town and walk down a very steep beach-stone walkway through the town to the harbour. Again, it was low tide, and very interesting to see all the boats just sitting on dry land, attached to chains and ropes to float when the tide comes in. We walked around the harbour seawall and across the beach to a waterfall and then back up the hill (we've done a lot of walking and climbing and this was the first time we really felt pushed for conditioning). However, we made it without medical aid and got back in the car for the trip home. We bought pasties again today, to eat in the car, but they were not nearly as good as the ones at St. Ives.

One thing which amazes us as Canadians is that the English don't seem to alter their day's plans according to the weather. If they're planning to go to the beach today and it's raining, they go anyway. If it's windy they button up their jacket a little tighter. If the sun comes out, they take off their jacket. Nobody seems to comment on the weather - they just accept it and get on with their plans.

The trip back to London, navigated courtesy of Microsoft Auto-Route and the GPS, was via the motorways this time and much shorter (although we were already a good chunk of the way by the time we got to Clovelly). We picked up Buggy, dropped off the car and had supper just before 8 pm. PetDoc and Noise are both working today (Tuesday) so we're heading out this morning in hopes that they'll be showing Andrew Willows' K2 heat on the big screen at Trafalgar Square. If so, we'll probably be the only ones in the Square who know him. Don't know what the rest of the day will bring - we're hoping to take in a show some night and we have reservations to tour Buckingham Palace tomorrow morning. And, of course, we're travelling to Bognor Regis on Saturday to visit the Hudspith clan.

Cornwall - the REAL one

2008-08-17T16:27:00.007-04:00

Saturday - Noise and I took a bus to the car rental place and picked up a brand new Skoda for our trip to Cornwall. With the help of Auto-Route (Streets and Trips for Europe) we navigated our way to Buggy's sitter and out of London without any muss or fuss.

Our drive to Penzance took longer than we expected - there were several bottle-necks on the highway. As the highway moved from 4-laner to 2-laner and back, traffic slowed to a standstill. And around Salisbury traffic was very slow because everyone was rubber-necking to see a pile of rocks beside the highway. Don't know what all the fuss was about - it's not like it's something new to see.

We arrived in Penzance in the late afternoon and checked into our B&B (Chiverton House). We had chosen it partly because it is close to the promenade on the seawall so before dinner we walked down to the ocean and enjoyed watching the surf splashing up over the wall. we also visited the obligatory Pirate Gift Shop (Penzance, you know) but refrained from purchasing anything. We had dinner at Turk's Head, a pub dating back to 1233 - the oldest pub in Penzance. After dinner we walked around the town and marvelled at the palm trees lining some of the streets.

Sunday - After a scrumptious full breakfast at the B&B, we headed first to Mousehole, a little community clustered around a small harbour, up the coast from Penzance. Then we trusted the GPS and headed overland toward Land's End, the most westerly point in England. We travelled on some roads today that were barely wide enough for our car, let alone to meet another car (which we did on several occasions). We had to do some serious squeezing, jockeying and a bit of backing up to negotiate some of the encounters. We even had to fold in the side mirrors a couple of times. We would never had tried to navigate this route except the GPS kept telling us we were on the green route (the route we had laid out the night before).

We made a stop at Sennen Cove and walked on the beach - a beautiful, broad sand beach with enough surf that there were surfers. Then we started off for St. Ives. Only when we had completed the nursery rhyme did we realize that we had missed the turn and had to go back. At St. Ives we parked about a 10-minute walk above the town (straight down - and straight up on the way back!!). We walked down to the harbour, had Cornish pasties for lunch and ice cream for dessert. Then we climbed the mountain back to the car and were on the road again.

Off to Tintagel - on this route we encountered the scariest narrow and steep roads of the day. However, we arrived in one piece and set of to tour the castle ruins where King Arthur is purported to have been born. It is a fascinating site, perched on the side and top of a huge island mountain. The trek was a lawyer's dream - very steep and dangerous. The stone steps (about 3,000 of them) were very uneven and slippery (it had been raining) but the view from the top was worth the climb.

Then back in the car for a short drive to Boscastle where we have a reservation at the Riverside Hotel. We had a wonderful dinner of roast beef, Yorkshire pudding, lots of potatoes and six vegetables. We all had dessert as well, with clotted cream. We thought we'd climbed enough steps today to justify the calories.

Off to bed now - tomorrow we have breakfast at the hotel and then Clovelly and back to London.

Anybody got the time???

2008-08-15T17:45:00.011-04:00

Today both PetDoc and Noise had to go to work so the Bluffdwellers did a little sightseeing on their own. We caught the tube down to Westminster and hopped on a tour boat to Greenwich. The boat had an open deck on the top and it was a gorgeous sunny day so we very much enjoyed to hour-long trip down the Thames. That's not the London Eye in the background but a huge wheel at Greenwich.

Once at Greenwich, we had a look around the Royal Naval College and then dropped into a pub for lunch. After lunch we headed up to the observatory to experience the tourist 'prime meridian' experience (one foot in the western hemisphere - the other in the eastern). Then we went through the Maritime Museum which contained, among many other interesting displays, the uniform Nelson was wearing when he was fatally wounded at Trafalgar. The original painting "The Death of Nelson" is also on display.

From Greenwich we took a combination of train and tube to Wimbledon, where we had a tour of PetDoc's clinic. Now when she describes things at work we'll have a mental image to go along. She then gave us a bit of a tour of Wimbledon Village (as much as our legs would stand - it's a long hike (if you've just been up to the observatory at Greenwich) from the tube to PetDoc's clinic). So we stopped in a pub for sustinence (are you beginning to see a pattern here?!).

Noise met us and we had pizza at Napule, at Fulham Broadway, where they serve pizza cooked in a wood-fired oven and served by the metre. Each of us had a different kind so the table was quite an array of sights and smells.

Tomorrow we're off early to pick up the rental car, drop off Buggy, and then a 6-hour drive to Penzance. We're expecting three sunny, hot days so we can enjoy the beaches of Cornwall. Yeah, right!!!

Off to London!

2008-08-15T02:34:00.013-04:00

Well, here we are in London, comfortably situated in PetDoc's flat drinking instant coffee.

Wednesday we started out in Ottawa having birthday lunch with Singer and Serdic and then headed off to the airport. As we approached the check-in counter, we saw J & S's Zoom flight land (they were returning from a 2-week visit with PetDoc) so once we were checked in we headed to Arrivals to wait with their mom for them to disembark. This sure helped shorten the wait for our own flight - once through security we only had about a 20-minute sit at the gate before our own flight was loaded.

Our flight was comfortable and actually appeared to be short. The A-V system was not working so there was no music / TV / movies - only the map showing our progress across the Atlantic. Air Canada has offered us a 5% discount on our next flight as compensation for the lack of entertainment. This is a very real possibility because we REALLY like this direct flight from Ottawa.

As we approached London the pilot gave us a wonderful banked view of the highlights of the city. We were able to see all the landmarks and even got a glimpse of PetDoc's street (the tennis courts of The Queen's Club are a dead giveaway). After passing through customs and collecting our luggage we headed to the Arrivals lobby where PetDoc was waiting for us. Then on to the tube to head home. It was strange to get off the tube at Baron's Court and know exactly where we were and where to go. The Google satellite images and maps have allowed us to become familiar with this neighbourhood even before we left home.

Noise had not left for work yet so we were able to deliver a large box of Tim-Bits in person as requested. A few were kept but the rest went to the London office of PWC for a little taste of Canada.

We went for a little walk with Buggy around the immediate Greyhound Road neighbourhood; had to check out the Vespa. We then decided that if we were going to adopt London time were were going to have to consider the breakfast we were served on the plane a midnight snack and have breakfast in London at London breakfastime.

Later in the morning we caught the tube downtown to meet Noise for lunch. We had a very nice lunch at a pub on Fleet Street and did a little sightseeing in the area. Then we took the tube to Tower Hill. We headed to St. Katharine Docks and had a coffee before we walked across Tower Bridge and along The Queen's Walk in front of City Hall. After a visit to The Borough Market (Borough Market is London’s oldest food market, established on the south bank of the Thames when the Romans built the first London Bridge) to pick up some fruit & veggies for supper we walked across London Bridge to catch the tube back to Baron's Court. It was rush-hour so fairly crowded but at least we didn't need Japanese-style pushers to get us on board.

After a great supper of stir-fry and Pims (gotta have Pims!!) we turned in fairly early. This morning (Friday) both PetDoc and Noise have to work so we'll do some sightseeing on our own. We're thinking maybe today's plans will include a visit to Greenwich. We're meeting PetDoc at her clinic after work - we saw Noise's stomping ground yesterday; today we'll see how the other half works.

Tomorrow we're picking up our rented car, dropping Buggy at a sitter's, and heading off for a couple of nights at Cornwall. We have B & Bs booked and all we need now is sunny, warm weather.

That's all for now.

The Bluffcam

2008-08-12T11:04:00.006-04:00

Earlier this summer we decided to save a few trips up and down the cliff to check on the boat. We bought a wireless camera and mounted it on a post at the top of the cliff, aimed at the dock. Even though it's stretching the limits of the wireless range, it transmits a clear enough image that we can check on the waterfront situation by turning on the TV. If I get up the energy to trim a few trees (between the camera and the dock and between the receiver and the camera) the image will be even clearer. All in all, it's a pretty effective outfit for <$30 on eBay. Better not skinny-dip off our dock or the video will be on YouTube.

Rainy but nice ...

2008-08-09T13:09:00.004-04:00

We just got back in from a couple of weeks out - we spent the long weekend on the main dock in the bay at Beau Rivage; came in Monday to get ready for a charity cruise on Tuesday we had auctioned of at the Grace Church Budget Booster in May. We had probably the nicest weather we've had all summer on Tuesday and found an empty dock at Camelot. After lunch we cruised down around Mulcaster and up the inside channel. Wednesday morning we headed out again, this time down to the 1000 Islands Bridge. There's almost always space at the North docks on Georgina because boat traffic makes it quite rough there, but we had two great nights with m-in-law (though it rained a good bit of Thursday - bless the hard-top again!!). Friday morning we motored over to Ivy Lea and then made our way to Mulcaster for a night. By this morning our house batteries were dead (no generators allowed on Mulcaster) but we're home, plugged in, ready to go. Tomorrow (pray for good weather) we're out for the day with another family who bought a day's boating at another auction and then we'll pack it in for a couple of weeks as we get ready to travel to England to visit PetDoc and Noise (and Buggy).

btw - while we were at Beau Rivage last weekend I removed the stock swim ladder (a two-step job that swung up and fastened to the stern boarding ladder. We felt that this made climbing the ladder to the boat awkward and as a swim ladder two steps was not quite enough. We replaced it with an under-platform 3-step ladder and it's much more satisfactory. It also increases the amount of space on an already small swim platform.

We've been struggling with which kind of dinghy davits to buy and finally settled on the C-hoop style. We've seen a lot of weaver davits pull loose with the stress of leaving the outboard motor on the dinghy and we liked the idea of being able to offset the dinghy to one side or the other if necessary. We also sprung for the swivel motor bracket (scroll down a bit), allowing us to keep the outboard nearly vertical when carried on the swim platform. Lifting, securing and lowering is really quite easy and the system appears to provide an excellent method for carrying the Zodiac.

A lovely week out ...

2008-07-26T17:02:00.005-04:00

This week we spent five days out and had a delightful week, even though there was quite a lot of hard rain. The hard top really makes a difference when you have to endure a steady hard rain - we really had nowhere on the vessel that was even damp except up on the flybridge where pounding rain eventually works its way through the canvas stitching and drips. One of the heaviest rains came up very suddenly and several other boaters (we were hooked on a mooring can at Camelot) were out in their dinghies with hatches and windows open on their boats. They had several hours of miserable dampness to deal with upon their return. We had never been on a mooring can before - we were relieved to discover how easy they are to hook and attach. There's something about floating free that is much more relaxing than being tied to a dock. There's less noise and, believe it or not, less worry - we slept the best we have yet at Camelot.

After our three nights we took a swing by Leek (Thwartway) but, there being no cans free, came on over to check out Burnt and Beau Rivage. I should mention here that when I refer to an island name it is one of the park islands of the St. Lawrence Islands National Park. Our favourite little finger-dock was free so we decided to give it a try with our new bigger boat. We were about half-on, half-off but quite secure and in lots of water even with the stern in (more convenient for boarding). We were alone Thursday night but joined for Friday by two Quebec boats who rafted on the other side of the dock. They were courteous, quiet and turned in early so we had a nice night. I had dinghied over to pick up m-in-law and we had a scrumptious supper.

This morning we had a boating staple - bacon and eggs and then got underway. We were back to our dock by about 10:30 and very glad to see neighbour K waiting to help us dock. A couple of days home now for laundry and stocking up and we'll be back out again next week.

At last -

2008-07-19T12:44:00.004-04:00

We spent two wonderful nights on Honeymoon Point on the northwest corner of Aubrey Island (Burnt Island to the locals). Had no mechanical issues whatsoever and we were able to relax and enjoy the outing. The second night we were wakened by the wind (unusual in the middle of the night) which forewarned us of an approaching thunderstorm. We just had time to close the hatches and zip the zippers before it began to rain. On Friday we came to town for a pump-out and picked up Newfoundland cousins and m-in-law and went back out for an onboard lunch. Can't make any assumptions about every anchoring situation but the claw anchor sure grabbed better than the Danforth ever did. I sneaked a peek at the GPS every once in a while and we sat in exactly the same spot the whole time we were hooked.

Pretty hard to find a sunrise prettier than this:

Don't want to jinx it, but ...

2008-07-15T18:57:00.005-04:00

Well - for those of you who have been sympathizing with us in our 'non-boating' summer so far - we're back at our own dock, apparently fixed. A new distributor for the starboard engine seems to have done the trick. Actually, there's quite a lot more power now in the starboard engine than the port (Gordon's took the liberty of ordering us a second distributor in case we want to beef up the other engine too). We put 'Daydream Believer' through her paces tonight - slow, fast, reverse, forward, reverse and forward - and there was no stalling problem whatsoever. We were really glad because we had to pull our 'come across the end of the dock, lash the stern, and pull in the bow' landing manoeuvre and that requires complete control of both engines.

We did discover, however, that some of the barrels in the floating dock had become dislodged so that's a task for tomorrow. You won't find me posting on Tips and Tricks that barrels in a floating dock can be held in place by ratchet straps because they can't. However, galvanized strapping will be in place by this time tomorrow and I'm thinking of putting some extra wooden framing members in place as well for extra holding power. There's too much riding on this dock to go half way and I should have known that when I built it!

But, as of the moment, we're boaters again. Hopefully we can now start getting used to handling and caring for a boat bigger than we're used to and enjoying the lovely backyard that is our Saint Lawrence.

More delays

2008-07-11T17:11:00.002-04:00

Well - Daydream Believer has been sitting at Gordon's for 12 days now with no progress on the stalling starboard engine. The mechanic decided to try new electronic ignition parts (the only thing left to try) and they were back-ordered for over a week and then eventually determined to be unavailable. So he has decided to order a new distributor and revert to the old points/condenser system. Problem is - they're only available from Wisconsin. Guess we should have bought a less exotic boat than a Carver with Crusader engines!

The story now is that Homeland Security is causing delays in getting their parts across the border and the earliest we can hope for delivery is next Tuesday. I'm inclined to think that 'Homeland Security' is being blamed these days for a lot of things we used to call 'bad service'.

The summer is scooting away and we've only had a few hours aboard our new boat. I guess there's no-one in particular to blame but I do get the impression that none of the people involved in the process of repair are boaters. What are chances your car would sit for 15 days in the shop with nothing being done? And if the 'carring' season was only a couple of months long you'd be on their case several times a day until they had it fixed.

We had months of pleasure on our Fairbanks and have had nothing but grief from the Carver. I'm still convinced that she's a good vessel - I placed a lot of faith in the survey and the mechanical inspection. But so far this season it's only been stress and worry and second-guessing about the wisdom of this purchase.

Well - it's official

2008-07-05T22:37:00.005-04:00

Today we changed the name on our boat. I peeled 'Spirit' off the transom and we installed 'Daydream Believer' in it's place. A local computer shop did the vinyl lettering (overnight) for about $45. If you're at all handy it's an easy DIY job. I took a hair drier along - there's something about standing on the swim platform of a boat holding a hair drier that just flies in the face of everything you've ever heard about electricity and water. However, the old letters peeled of without heating so the only risk was falling off the swim platform. A little rubbing alcohol removed any residual adhesive and any wax that might be in the vicinity. Putting the new name on was way easier than I had imagined it would be - it's a two person job for lettering 3 feet wide, but if you've been communicating effectively with your helper for 36 years it should be no problem. Here's the finished product.

We almost made it!

2008-06-30T18:44:00.005-04:00

Well - we got out for the long weekend and everything seemed to be running fine. No hint of engine stumbling on the way to Beau Rivage and the generator worked fine when we needed it (although there was a pungent anti-freeze smell that disturbs me). We had a lovely weekend, 'though we obviously missed the Sea-Ray memo - we were the only Carver in a sea of six Sea-Rays. They were all from Village Quay at Ivy Lea, so they know our boat better than we do. Unfortunately, this morning as we approached our own dock the starboard engine stalled again and, although it would restart, would not keep running. It was very windy and handling the Carver with the one (counter-rotating) port screw is a nightmare. We went straight to Gordon's where we docked (it wasn't pretty!) by drifting sideways into the 1000 Islands Playhouse dock (thanks, Cheryl G, for letting us stay overnight). Gordon's have ordered some ignition parts (next guess after carburetor) but, tomorrow being Canada Day, nothing will happen until Wednesday. Hopefully we'll be up and running by week's end, but we'll still be very nervous about heading far - we thought we had it licked last week!

Update - ignition parts ordered from Kingston are back-ordered and should be in by next Tuesday. It's soon going to be mid-July and the summer will be over before we know it. I'm beginning to wish we had our dependable Fairbanks back!!

Tricks and Tips

2008-06-22T09:18:00.003-04:00

I've begun a new blog where I'll post ideas for projects which I think might be helpful to others. I'm often searching on the web for a solution to a problem and come across information that helps. It always impresses me that DIYers take the time and trouble to post their solutions on the web. So here's my attempt to share. My intention is to offer solutions to 'duh' moments and save you some time and grief. It's separate from our main blog because not everybody wants to read about this stuff. I'm no engineer - just a guy who's relatively handy and pretty good at making do. If my suggestion helps you, let me know. If you think it's stupid, keep it to yourself.

Link from here or click on the sidebar "Tips and Tricks from the Bluffdwellers".

Third weekend NOT out

2008-06-21T09:51:00.004-04:00

Well, we're still plagued with mechanical issues. Despite two sessions with the local marina's mechanic, we're still not running. Actually, we're running but can't stay running. Opinions range from bad gas to bad carburator to bad luck. And, of course, because when it runs it runs perfectly it's extra-hard to nail down exactly what the problem is. We're taking the boat over to the service marina again tomorrow and hopefully, during the course of this week, they'll figure out what's wrong and fix it for good.

First weekend out

2008-06-10T23:17:00.005-04:00

Last weekend we had the first opportunity to get out on Daydream Believer for the weekend. We have decided that this summer will be a stick-around-here summer - time to get used to the new boat. There's a lot to learn about a new boat: everything from how long the fridge will run between charges to how long you can use the head before you need a pump-out.

We headed out Friday afternoon to Beau Rivage, one of our favourite Parks Canada islands just off Gananoque. We weren't really sure that we had everything we needed but headed out anyway, knowing that the trusty dinghy could run home in 5 minutes for anything we'd forgotten. What we didn't know was that we wouldn't even make it to Beau Rivage. As we passed the lighthouse just west of Gan, one engine sputtered and quit - as I worked to restart it, the other one died. I could get the engines to run with lots of throttle but as soon as I backed off the throttle and shifted into gear they died again. We were quite close to Beau Rivage and could see boats of friends docked there. A few calls on the VHF raised no response so we considered dropping anchor since we were beginning to drift into the channel.

Just then friends from Beau, G & B, out for a 'toot' in their tender, came along and offered to tow us to the park dock. Once situated there we began to troubleshoot the problem. It was evident that there was a gas supply problem, since neither engines nor the generator would run, but we weren't sure whether it was a clogged filter or maybe water in the gas. Secured at the dock and among friends it seemed time to relax (the fridge was still working!!) and leave the solution 'til morning when it would be cooler in the engine compartment (it was about 30 degrees here on Friday). The portable Honda geni was fired up to refresh the batteries.

We were right about not being totally prepared for this first trip. Among those things lacking were a complete tool kit and adequate spare parts. However (aside from some good-natured ribbing) the comraderie among boaters is such that a quick trip to town with DP enabled us to get what we needed. All fuel filters were replaced and, it would appear, problem solved. Both engines run like tops and the geni fired up and ran smooth as could be. Time to relax again and enjoy the gorgeous weekend.

Saturday afternoon I scooted over to the Golf Club to pick up m-in-law for the afternoon and supper. When it was time to take her back, guess what - - - the outboard on the dinghy wouldn't start. Again DP was pressed into service to ferry her home. A change of the spark plug solved that problem so I was OK to ferry in to town and back for church Sunday morning (even when the weather is nice, the church seems to want their organist there for services).

Sunday all things mechanical seemed to perform as expected so we enjoyed the afternoon (the thunderstorms never developed) and headed home at suppertime. It's a pig docking at our dock if there's any wind but with some adaptations of the dock and more experience in handling the new boat we'll be fine. We're already looking forward to getting out again next weekend. This time I'll have enough tools and spare parts to rebuild the engines.

btw - this was our first opportunity to use the new smart-phone (HTC Touch) to check email and access the internet (keeping up with TheSinger and PetDoc's blogs and other news). Can't say enough good things about the HTC Touch - we love it.

OK - here are some pictures

2008-05-18T14:51:00.004-04:00

We've spent the last few days figuring out where stuff is on Daydream Believer and what switches make what accessories work. We've pretty much got her figured out. Here are some pictures.

Daydream Believer is launched

2008-05-14T15:28:00.007-04:00

The 2008 boating season has officially begun (for us, anyway). Clark's Marina splashed us yesterday and today Daydream Believer came home. Fortunately, the St. Lawrence is high and there's lots of water at the dock. After several trips up and down the cliff (the GFCI is at the house on the top and the dock is at the bottom - puff, puff) I finally found the right combination of switches to connect to shore power without tripping the breaker. Don't know when our first overnighter will be, but I think we're good to go. Handling is quite different with twin inboard screws as opposed to twin outdrives which I had just about mastered. Give me lots of room for a while. On one of my many trips to the boat today, there was a tourist couple on my dock - breathlessly enjoying the river and the view. They told me that we're very lucky. They're right - we are truly blessed!

More pictures later.

Workin' on the dock

2008-04-25T20:29:00.006-04:00

This week has been 'get the dock ready for the boat' week. Water levels can vary by 3 feet throughout the season, so we needed some more length on our dock to ensure that we have enough water. This floating dock, bobbing on 6 nice sturdy, clean plastic barrels gives us 8 feet of water even when the mighty St. Lawrence is at its lowest. I checked out the hinges at Home Depot and then visited a local welder who made terrific hinges and pins for the ramp. He recommended a triple/double tongue rather than the double/single type that you can buy. The tongues are actually welded to 3" flat bar which goes across the whole width of the dock and down the side about 18". When we get a 60 km wind blowing down from Howe Island I'm glad I took his advice. We had a little lifting from the ice this winter, but nothing a crowbar and a 2 x 4 can't fix in a hurry. I guess we're ready now to call the marina and get that new Carver back in the water so we can figure her out. A local boater told me that it's a three-year process to get to know a new boat - I certainly believe that. I did take one year off that process, though, last fall when a friend helped me winterize her for the first time. I certainly got to know what every pipe and pump was for!

Daydream Believer

2008-04-16T23:32:00.011-04:00

For those of you who are interested in seeing our new boat, Daydream Believer, here are a couple of pictures. This is a 1985 Carver 3207 aft-cabin cruiser, with a hard top. She has a V-berth cabin forward, galley with full-size fridge, range and oven, microwave. There is a forward head with a shower stall. The salon is amidships and the aft-cabin has a double bed and a twin along with an ensuite head (a luxury we don't have at home). The helm is on the flybridge and the aft-deck has a hard top, affording a large, comfortable living space. On-board is a 6500 watt generator - lots of power to run all the bells and whistles (including an air-conditioner!!). This is the vessel we've been looking for - large enough to live aboard for extended periods, yet small enough to be practical on the St. Lawrence Park Islands where we do most of our boating. We've only spent a few hours onboard since we bought her and we're looking forward to this summer's boating and a chance to really check her out. We've got a bit of work to do on our dock to prepare for launching, but work on that front is progressing well.

ALMOST THERE IS GONE!

2008-04-16T17:49:00.003-04:00

Gananoque - April 16, 2008

Our beloved boat, ALMOST THERE, is sold! Last September we bought a 1985 Carver 3207 aft cabin cruiser and placed our Fairbanks (shown) for sale. A buyer in British Columbia made an offer to purchase, placed a deposit, and made plans to drive here, buy a trailer, and carry her home - appropriate, since the Fairbanks yachts were made in Vancouver.

It's remarkable that someone thousands of miles away would place such trust in our transaction, not having met us or seen the boat. Our communication was almost entirely by email and something just 'felt right' about the deal.

Last night he arrived in Gananoque and this morning we loaded the Fairbanks on to his new trailer and he headed off back to British Columbia.

We hope he and his family get as much enjoyment from this vessel as we have had. She's a good boat and will serve them well. We'll miss Almost There, but we're looking forward to our first season on the Carver (yet to be named).

Sweden - Day 13

2008-04-06T21:06:00.007-04:00

March 23, 2008 - EASTER SUNDAY - Goteborg, Frankfurt, Chicago, Syracuse, Gananoque!!!

This is the first Easter Sunday in 57 years that I have not been in Grace Church, Gananoque.

We got a cab to Landvetter Airport this morning after our last breakfast at Hotel Lorensburg and appeared to be the only people at the airport. We checked in our luggage and got our boarding passes for the Goteborg-Frankfurt leg of our trip. The Scandinavian agent couldn't give us boarding passes right through to Syracuse because the other two flights (Frankfurt-Chicago and Chicago-Syracuse) were with American Airlines, so we were instructed to check in at the American counter in Frankfurt. We seemed to be the only travellers on that flight that had to do so, but we dutifully went to the counter. We're all for anything that ensures that the people on our plane (including us!) are legitimately there.

Now - I realize that everybody has a 'first day on the job' at some point in their life; but the girl at the American counter in Frankfurt was decidedly incompetent. We had to present receipts for our hotel in Goteborg, answer endless questions about our whereabouts and activities for the past two weeks, recite our in-laws' shoe size, etc. etc. etc. and she still couldn't really comprehend our travel plan - to fly to Chicago, then to Syracuse and get in our car and drive home to Canada (1 1/2 hours from Syracuse). When she asked for the receipt for parking in Syracuse (don't you leave that on the dash like EVERYONE ELSE IN THE WORLD?) we'd had about enough. It was especially stressful because they had been calling our Frankfurt-Chicago flight for quite some time. Meanwhile, to go to the American counter we had to go out of the secure area so we had to go through security again before we could go to the gate. We did make the flight, but barely and it was not without a lot of unnecessary stress and frustration.

Our assigned seats were not those we had chosen on-line long before we left Canada two weeks ago, but we didn't complain since they had seated the four of us in a block of six seats with an empty seat between each pair.

The Chicago-Syracuse flight was pretty routine - the plane seemed like a paper-towel tube after the 767 from Frankfurt. Our captain on this flight, according to the flight attendant, is one of only a few female captains.

Believe it or not, our luggage came down the chute in Syracuse just like it had in Goteborg and Chicago. I don't know whose luggage it is that they're constantly losing (oh yeah - Brent Bommentre's) but it wasn't ours this time around. The highway trip home was pretty snoozy - gas seemed quite a bargain in Watertown - and Canada Customs welcomed us back home.

Hard to believe, hitting the sack in Gananoque Sunday night, that we had breakfast in Goteborg, Sweden that same morning.

Suitcases are now unpacked but not put away. We're already looking forward to our next foray into the world of travel. Think, maybe, we'll fly out of Canada, though ....

Sweden - Day 12

2008-04-06T20:44:00.004-04:00

March 22, 2008 - Goteborg, Sweden

This is probably our last message from Goteborg. It's about 10:15 Saturday night and we're in the process of packing. We have a cab booked to the airport tomorrow at 8 am - our flight is at 10:55. So it's a quick, early breakfast and we're off!!

Had a relaxing morning today - wandered up the shopping avenue and stopped into a grocery store to pick up some things to make a lunch. Then Colleen and Paul headed up to the Scandinavium to see the men's final. While we were there, Charles, Michele and Tanith visited our hotel so we were sorry to miss them. However - it was worth it to be there when Jeff Buttle won the gold medal for Canada in men's. They had a live choir (about 8) sing the national anthems at the victory celebrations (I guess they had to learn all of the contenders' anthems) and they did a real fine job on 'O Canada'.

When we got back to the hotel Charles was still here and he told us there'd be a brief opportunity to see Tanith one last time about 6:30. So we headed up to her hotel and had a nice long chat and said our goodbyes. For the first time we asked Tanith for an autograph when she signed Colleen's skating ticket as a souvenir for her Grade 3 Class in Lansdowne.

Then we went with Charles and Michele to a nice restaurant about half a block from our hotel and had a great supper. There must be 100 restaurants within 4 blocks of this hotel!!!

Anyway - it's our last night here. This time tomorrow (actually about plus 5 hours) we'll be in Syracuse, preparing to head home. Hope we don't have to shovel the car out.

Sweden - Day 10

2008-04-06T20:25:00.004-04:00

March 21, 2008 - Goteborg, Sweden

This morning we went over for a Free Dance Practice and then relaxed a bit before taking in the later flights of the Men's Short Program. Had a very nice lunch at Evas Paley on The Avenue (pictured) and then back to the Scandinavium for the skating. We had dinner at La Terrazza, a very nice restaurant kitty-corner from the Scandinavium. It was interesting that the lamps were all made from real musical instruments, with wiring and bulbs installed.

Tonight was the Free Dance and I can't say we were pleased with the result. However, you take what you get and our skaters have taught us how to be gracious about the result.

Tomorrow, the men's final.

Sweden - Day 9

2008-04-02T09:55:00.003-04:00

March 20, 2008 - Goteborg, Sweden

Thursday was Original Dance day. Our skaters performed well and moved up in the standings but it was becoming apparent that a podium placement was not to be. We ducked over to Jameson's Pub, which we had found on The Avenue on an earlier walk. I guess our mood was pretty transparent, for a gentleman named Olaf (I think it's safe to say he's a 'regular' at Jameson's) came over to us and commented on our glum disposition. We had a great chat with him - he's a high school teacher and was enjoying the first hours of his Easter break - and if he is ever sailing up the St. Lawrence River WE EXPECT TO HEAR FROM HIM!

Sweden - Day 8

2008-04-02T09:17:00.017-04:00

March 19, 2008 - Goteborg, Sweden

Today we gave the early Ladies Short a miss and went for a long walk down to the canal. It was our hope to visit the Botanical Gardens but, even with our limited Swedish, we were able to tell that the signs said "Closed for Construction". The hard hats and bulldozers were our second hint, right after the locked gates. We did have a lovely walk through the park, though, and continued along the canal to the train station.

From there we walked through the Nordstan shopping centre, the largest in Goteborg. There we were fascinated by a fashion show in which the models, suspended by cables, were walking a vertical runway!

We then headed to the Scandinavium to see the later flights of Ladies and then, after supper, the Pairs Long. Very pleased to see Canadians Jessica and Bryce on the podium.

We connected with Gabe and Barb Dunlop, another Gananoque couple who had travelled to Goteburg, on a tour, to attend Worlds. We had heard before we left that they would be there and had a lovely visit at their house in Gananoque before we left.

Sweden - Day 7

2008-03-28T07:37:00.001-04:00

March 18, 2008
Goteborg, Sweden

Today the skating starts - World's 2008 - that's the real purpose behind this whole trip. The Original Dance this afternoon and the Opening Ceremonies and Pairs Short tonight. We're SO PROUD of our Sk8trgrl!!

Sweden - Day 6

2008-03-26T08:09:00.000-04:00

March 17, 2008
Goteborg, Sweden

Well, we're situated quite comfortably in the Hotel Lorensburg, about a block from the Scandinavium, where the skating events will be held. We have heard from Charles, who had at that time arrived at the airport and Colleen and I returned the rental car to their downtown office. Our hotel rooms are very nice and the hotel staff are wonderful. I'm quite certain we are going to like it here very much.

Sweden - Day 5

2008-03-26T08:02:00.000-04:00

March 16, 2008
Copenhagen

Just a quick note to let you know we're back from Aero and situated in a hotel just outside of Copenhagen. Tomorrow we'll head across the bridge to Sweden, explore Lund, and then head north back to Goteborg.

Aero is amazing. It's a town preserved to its medieval appearance and very interesting to see. We took a drive in the countryside as well and enjoyed it immensely. Our B&B last night (Pension Vestergade 44) was great and we had a terrific supper at Mumm's Restaurant.

Gotta move on, 'cos this is a free computer in the lobby (internet access in our room is not free and we're cheap!!).

Bye for now. We'll be in touch again from Gotheburg.

Sweden - Day 4

2008-03-26T08:00:00.000-04:00

March 14, 2008
Denmark

Today was our Denmark day. We left our B&B bright and early this morning and headed across the countryside to Frederiksborg Castle, the grandest castle in Scandinavia. After we toured the castle, we headed back to the highway and drove to Svendborg to catch the ferry to Aero. the town of Aeroskobing is everything Rick Steves said it is. We were greeted at our Pension by Susanna, who welcomed us like old friends and served us a pot of tea in the library.

She recommended Mumm's, a restaurant around the corner, for dinner, where we were greeted as 'The Canadians'. Apparently, not many Canadians make it to this little corner of Denmark. We had a little walk around the town after dark tonight, but plan to have a better look in the daylight. Then we're catching the 2:55 ferry back to Svendborg and then we'll hi-tail it back to Copenhagen for the night.

We'll probably have internet there, but in case we don't or are too tired to email, our plan is then to cross the bridge to Malmo on Monday morning, visit Lund for a while and then head back to Gothenburg (we have to return the rental car by 5 on Monday). We'll get established in our hotel and probably meet up with Charles and Michele who will arrive on Monday as well.

Sweden - Day 3

2008-03-26T07:57:00.000-04:00

March 13, 2008
Karlstrup, Denmark

Hello from Karlstrup, Denmark. After buying Colleen's Norwegian sweater and visiting a sculpture park and a museum where there were two excavated Viking ships we headed to the Kon Tiki Museum to have a look. I sure wouldn't want to head off across the Pacific ocean on that craft. We had a wonderful trip from Oslo to Copenhagen on the ferry - it really is like a mini-cruise. It wasn’t as opulent as a real cruise ship, but it sure was a long way from the “William Carson” to Newfoundland. We landed this morning at 9:30 and spent the day exploring Copenhagen. We started with the Little Mermaid and then went to the Royal Palace. From there was went to Rosenborg Castle to see the crown jewels.

Then the rain stopped and we went on our walking tour. We started at the City Hall and walked
along a pedestrian street (Stroget - the first pedestrian-only shopping street in the world) to New Harbour. Cheryl and Marilyn had a look around while Colleen and Paul walked back to the car and drove down to pick up the other two. Then we drove out of the city and found our bed and breakfast for tonight (Friday). They directed us to a couple of possibilities for supper and we
chose a Chinese buffet. When we saw the Thousand Islands Dressing at the salad bar we just HAD to tell them!!

Now we’re back at the B&B and getting ready to settle down for the night. Tomorrow we’re
going to Fredricksborg and then on the Aero where we have another B&B booked. After that it’s
back to Copenhagen and then across the bridge to Malmo and back to Goteborg.

Sweden - Day 2

2008-03-26T07:55:00.000-04:00

March 12, 2008
Oslo

I really can't quite believe we sat in downtown Oslo, Norway tonight and had dinner in a street-side cafe. Our trip today, as always, was not without its stresses, but all-in-all went remarkably smoothly and according to schedule.

We had a very nice breakfast at our hotel in Goteborg this morning (it only seems like a week ago!!). Then we got in the car and set out to find the Hotel Lorensburg, where we'll be staying next week. That was quite easy, so we then set off for Oslo. We ventured off the main highway in order to visit a couple of small communities along the coast. They were certainly worth the extra effort. Very picturesque and much more like visiting a different place. The hotels and restaurants and cities are not that different from other places, but we got a real chance to see rural Sweden today and it was beautiful and very interesting. We visited Lysekil and Smogen and found them very interesting. We then visited Tanumshede and saw Bronze Age carvings in a huge rock there (3000 years old!! - the carvings, that is, not the rock)

Then we fired up the laptop and began our trek to Oslo. Our only faux pas was to drive through the 'do not stop' lane where we were supposed to stop and pay a 'city toll'. We asked the hotel desk clerk what we should do and she said to forget about it. So we'll try to do that. It may come back to bite us when we return the rental car next week.

Tomorrow we're planning to see a real Viking ship and the KonTiki in museums here in Oslo. Then it's off to the ferry dock to catch our cruise to Copenhagen.

Sweden - Day 1

2008-03-26T07:51:00.001-04:00

Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Goteborg, Sweden

Discovered when we got back to the Nice Hotel (honest - that's its name!) that there is wireless internet access here at the hotel so I'll expand a little on our email sent earlier this evening.

When we arrived at Syracuse airport we were subjected, because of the recent changes in our tickets, to a VERY thorough security search. Then when we got to the gate they informed us that the Syracuse-NY flight was overbooked and all they could do was change our itinerary so we would not fly out until 7:30 p.m. (instead of 2:30) and then fly to Chicago, then Frankfurt, then Goteborg. With no alternative, we agreed. In return, United offered us each a return ticket anywhere in the continental US. Then, 10 minutes before our original flight left, it was determined that there were, in fact, 4 seats on that flight so we were very quickly booked on that flight, back on our original Copenhagen-Gothenburg flights and had the Chicago-Frankfurt foolishness cancelled. So we flew here on our expected flights, but it was not easy.

As I said, the Hotel Nice is spartan but clean and comfortable. We picked up the rental car (a Volkswagen Passat) and did some driving around the city, finding our hotels, the arena, etc. We investigated the dining room at the hotel Charles will stay at next week and gave up the notion due to a lack of cash - pretty pricey!! We ate, instead, at a little Greek restaurant about a block from Charles hotel and a couple of doors from the hotel we're in now.

We're going to pick up some groceries tomorrow morning and then head out for Oslo. The city driving has not been fun - partly because the laptop can't be used in the car once its battery runs down. Neither of the car-chargers we brought will work. The GPS was a tremendous help while it was working, but once the laptop dies the driving is very difficult.

The countryside driving should be easier, though and we're expecting to see some very interesting sights tomorrow.