Photo 365 Hiking Trip Niagara, Bay of Fundy, Prince Edward Island

For most of the year we meticulously planned an ambitious hiking/camping trip to our nation's grandest national parks: Glacier, Yellowstone, Grand Tetons, Badlands, and Black Hills. Due to wildfires, a horrific bike wreck days before our departure, and grizzly bears taking over the campground at Glacier, we had to reconnoiter on a moment's notice.

We got out the map and looked at a few other national parks out West--all campgrounds booked. Larry came up with an alternate idea to head east instead to Acadia NP in Maine and to see some national parks in Atlantic Canada as well.

I was in physical pain from the bike wreck and emotionally spent and depressed about our big trip being cancelled, so my enthusiasm was not quite up to par. Still I appreciated and admired his tenacity, resourcefulness, and spontaneity. We were headed for uncharted lands as far as we were concerned--we had no guidebooks or maps and had no idea what we were doing. We packed the car one night and left early the next a.m.

Off to see America! Again!

Larry surprised me with a night's stay at a gorgeous B&B in Niagara Falls. It was especially meaningful because my parents had honeymooned there exactly fifty-five years to the day earlier! I had always heard the Falls were commercialized, and they are but that's mostly on the Canadian side, and we were on the NY side. I wasn't prepared for the beauty and the raw power of the river. We walked to the falls from our place, taking a path next to the Niagara River, and it was the wildest river I've ever seen, so turbulent and blue and breathtaking. Larry was pleased with my enthusiasm. "If you think is beautiful, wait til we get there."

Cozy and charming night at the Hanover House Bed & Brekfast

Fireworks over the falls on Friday nights!

We stopped at a wine-tasting room in the local culinary school. Wines in the Ontario region are prized for the crisp wines they produce. We had dinner at an old pub then walked back to our lovely B&B where cookies and tea awaited us. The next day was an impressive breakfast menu.

We drove across NY and New England the next day. Stopped in Portsmouth, NH for dinner. (Dinner was ice cream.)

We stayed a night in Maine then headed to an AirBnb at St. Andrews-by-the-Sea in Canada, which looked exactly like Scotland, 100 years ago. Here's the old house on a Potter's Lake. We had an okay dinner in town (typical tourist trap fare) then went back to the house watched the sunset over the water as the hummingbirds and dragon flies came out to play. The next day we spotted loons in the lake and looked for moose on the shoreline.

The Wharf a low tide

The next day we were up early and back on the road to Fundy National Park!

I guess I covered all of this a couple of blogs ago, so I'll just post the pics and a few words.

Fundy National Park is known as the Land of Salt & Fir and is located in the pristine Boreal forest. Hardly anyone was there, and when we did meet fellow hikers on the trail, they were always so enthused to see other humans that they would chat us up. It was kind of fun being considered "exotic"--from Indiana. Ha! They kept asking, "How would someone from Indiana even know about this place?" They kept asking. "Well up until three days ago, we didn't know about it."

I loved our campsite, and I found Canadian hikers to be more polite than Americans, but then again, we were there off season during the week, so maybe we simply had the luck of being with like-minded people that had nothing to do with nationality.

We took many long hikes, some very rugged, and enjoyed climbing steep boulders and cliffs to get closer to waterfalls. 

We hiked for several hours one day and began to tire of it and had the great idea to make use of the solar-heated salt pool. The swimming pool at Death Valley NP was fantastic (spring fed and a naturally occurring 99 degree water temp!) so we were expecting a similar experience. We expected wrong. Cold water, no chaise lounges, boo! But it did overlook a beautiful bay on the Bay of Fundy. 

We took a side trip to Hopewell Rocks.

We took another side trip to Cape Enrage. The drive was pretty fun, as it felt identical to the English countryside. 

Back at Fundy...

We had dinner at the Alma Lobster Shop. Delicious lobster rolls, crab legs, and oysters, caught just hours earlier in the Bay of Fundy!

Yummy locally made lobster chips!

In Alma, a tiny fishing town (maybe 200 people) in a remote part of Canada, people were aware of that asshole woman Kim Davis, the clerk from Kentucky who made national headlines for refusing to issue marriage licenses to gay couples, citing that gay marriage is against her religion. (She has been married multiple times and has had many children out of wedlock, btw.)  When asked where we lived, Larry said, "Indiana," and the person working the lobster shop said, "Oh! That's near Kentucky where that awful woman lives!"

We were both a little sad to pack up our camp at Fundy but were excited to head to Prince Edward Island, of which I have heard only lovely things!

It was lovely. 

And boring.

But lovely.

But boring. 

And expensive. 

And we had planned on eating like kings, feasting on fresh seafood, so we didn't buy any camping dinner food. We never did find a nice restaurant that was actually open. One night we found an ice cream stand and had a big ice cream cone and big hot dog. The other nights, I scrounged stuff back at camp, and I do say we still ate like kings!

We stayed in the Cavendish area, figuring the national park would be our best bet. It happens to be the most touristy spot as well, with a slightly Myrtle Beach circa 1989 feel to it, due to House of Green Gables.

Yes, I loved Anne of Green Gables, and I thought we might check out the museum and house, but what a tourist trap, full of buses and throngs of people. We skipped it.

PEI felt like a tiny French, English, or Irish (all signs in French, English and Gaelic and sometimes Chinese) tiny pastoral town from 1879 that was plopped down next to a beach on Mars. (Sand was the color of planet Mars and the water was deep brown.)

Now here was something strange. We were really hungry one day and against our better judgment stopped at a restaurant that had the word "Beach" in the name. (Telltale sign of mediocre over-priced food.) As we turned in, we noticed the marquee: Honk if you love Tom Brady.

WTF?

Tom Brady is a football player for New England and is known to be a cheater. My city's team pointed out something about the size of footballs and how Brady supposedly inflated and then deflated them, and the whole country seemed to go in a tizzy, which was stupid on all fronts. I don't care about the Colts or about the Patriots. In fact, I hate everything about the NFL.

Why would a tiny place in a remote seaside village on Prince Edward Island know or care about the NFL? 

On your way off of PEI, you get to pay a hefty fee for using the bridge--something like $55 Canadian dollars. Money not well spent.

And with that we said goodbye to Atlantic Canada! Thank you Canada!

Up next: 

Acadia National Park, Maine, US

All Christmassy and Stuff

I've been feeling really happy and fulfilled and creative lately. I bought my first very own Christmas tree this year. I'd been thinking of getting one for a couple of years, but couldn't stomach the thought of shopping for Christmas stuff during Christmas time or after Christmas time. But then my brother wanted to bring the family down to Indy the weekend before Christmas, and I figured it was the perfect opportunity to make good on my promise.

I love my tree! It's perfect size for me, just about 5 and half feet tall, petite branches with mini pine cones, sparkly frost that glistens, and tiny white lights. I added a few simple silver balls and some Snoopy ornaments I've had since the 70s, and was delighted that I still had the Christmas tree skirt my Grandma Becker made for me years ago. I even got out my little family of moose and put them under the tree and then dug out a tasteful nativity scene that I managed to save over the years. When I get home from work, I love to plug in the tree and take a few moments to gaze at the pretty lights. Before I go to bed, I also take a few moments to take in some quiet magic.

I've been making gifts and wrapping them and putting them under the tree. I feel blessed and fortunate to have gifts for those I love. The other night  I put on some Tchaikovsky and just sat in peace alone in my home, looking at the gifts under the tree and thinking about my family's upcoming visit. It hasn't happened in a long time, but I was emotional and moved to tears and not for sadness.

I had lost touch with my emotions quite some time ago and was taking steps to reel them back in, and sitting under the delicate lights next to my fire, I seemed to let go of some shackles that I thought were protecting me all these years. I started to feel real joy, the kind I remember feeling as a kid.

The weekend at Aunt Amy's house went pretty well. We went to the Children's Museum, where it quickly hit me that nearly 3/4 of my nieces and nephews are too old for the Children's Museum. Still they were good sports, taking in the sights and sounds, and seemingly enjoying themselves. Daniel loved it, and Lauren was still young enough to not completely enshroud her excitement.

Larry was a champ and offered to get the kids and two adults in on his grandparent's pass, which meant he also had to go to the Children's Museum. We had a good time riding the carousel and spending time at many of the excellent exhibits. The installation on Anne Frank, Ruby Bridges, and Ryan White were especially well done and harrowing. Larry and I both shed some tears. (I love it that Larry is able to be moved to tears.)

It was really nice checking out the various displays and "countries" with my mom. There is a really good exhibit on the different religions of the world, and looking at the relics and texts and photos, I was reminded how small I am in this giant world. Just a dot.

Once back at my house, I made dinner while the kids played Scrabble upstairs on my guest bed. They seemed to be enjoying just being somewhere new, and the guest room probably felt like a hotel to them. Afterwards, they went to see the Christmas lights, and Larry and I stayed at my place to get the chocolate fondue working. (It didn't work, btw, damn gadgets.)

The next day I figured I'd take them to an ice skating stadium, but they just wanted to hang out and play games and chill.

The next week I worked from home the week of Christmas, and in the evenings I completed a major project in my house that has been bugging me all year--staining my honey oak banister. It was a long tedious job, but I finished it, and my house again takes new life. One step at a time! By the time I am finished with all of my projects, my house will again be out of style!

I decided to bring Grandma Becker/Kovalska back to our Christmas by making some of the Christmas cookies she used to make for us.

She used to bring over half a dozen tins every year a couple of weeks before Christmas, all full of her Christmas cookie specialties. My favorite were the Hershey kiss cookies and of course church window cookies. It was a special time for my siblings and me--this was something we all loved, and then eventually fought over. :)

I also want to learn how to crochet the blankets she made for us and also make a patchwork quilt for my nieces with the fabric she left me.

It meant a lot to me to think of her as I followed recipes. I didn't know if anyone would actually appreciate the baked goods, but I was doing it for me.

On Christmas Eve, I had what felt like a million things to do before I left for Michigan--clean house for new guest arrival, finish wrapping presents, and finish the baking projects I started (which had now become a bigger job than I had anticipated.) But something made me pause that morning and slow down. We'd been having an unseasonably warm December--many days in the 60s! I decided to go for a mind-clearing, refreshing walk to take a moment and remember that the holiday should be appreciated in small quiet ways.

First I was chased down by a Pit Bull. The stupid pet owner had no collar or leash on it.

Then I saw a muskrat swimming in the pond.

Then I saw two swans swimming in another pond.

Then a silvery sun broke from behind the purple clouds.

Nice little moments, that's all.


I packed up and headed north! When I arrived, I unloaded all my goodies, and my mom was delighted to see Grandma's cookies!

We got dressed and I took her to church to meet Earl and family.

I don't go to church anymore for a reason.

It has to do with the majority of church goers.

I go to see my family, but I really don't get anything out of these modern, cool, hip churches where anything goes, including bringing starbucks, food, and selfie sticks into the sanctuary and eating all through the service, not to mention just showing up any old time.

Later we had Christmas Eve dinner and my cousin Johnny and his wife Cindy came over. It was pretty nice!

The next morning dad made French toast and venison sausage for my mom and me. Very nice and peaceful.

Earl's family came over that afternoon for dinner and unwrapping presents. Later we played poker. 

My mom and I stayed up past 2 a.m. talking. We walked outside to the full of moon of Christmas, and it truly was a blue moon. The whole night sky was shining blue, the ground and trees beneath glowing blue. I always want to remember it.

I went home the next day.

I was so sick of Christmas music I thought I'd puke!

I put in some Lord Huron and Lucinda Williams for my drive home and looked forward to spending time with Larry!

Merry Christmas!

Assholes bashed in my windows one night when Amanda and I went to Eagle Creek.

This is my mom riding the carousel

Kids happily playing Scrabble and Uno during a weekend at Aunt Amy's!

Abby "helps" me sew!

I enjoyed this sight a few nights before bedtime. Made me feel very peaceful and happy.

Jell-O cookies, just like Grandma (Grandbubba) used to make

Sunny warm Christmas Eve morning walk in my neighborhood

We Three Monkeys...

I made peppermint bark. Big hit!

My tree, nativity scene, presents store-bought and handmade, and homemade Christmas cookies. I love doing this!

My dad made us French toast and venison sausage for Christmas breakfast.

Lauren and Grace loved the sock monkeys. I was very touched because they carried them around all day!

My sock monkey and my Christmas Moose family--a relic from my past that I'm glad I kept.

I had to drive home with my ass on broken glass. Those asshole punks.

Larry loves the carousel

Grace smiling on the carousel

Making my grandma's church window cookies. They were a big hit with my mom, Earl, and my cousin Sara!

Thank you for a wonderful Christmas 2015!

Intentions/Reflections on Winter Solstice

On Winter Solstice, the air was balmy, so I went for a walk before twilight, even though I had a ton of things to do, and the walk turned into a run when I glimpsed behind a house what looked to be a giant fiery pink sunset, the biggest I'd ever seen.

I ran to the sunset, and she paused but briefly atop the woods for me to admire.

How grateful I was to see possibly the biggest sunset of my life, and right in my neighborhood, and also to be running again after my bike wreck.

I am recovered and I am resilient!

This isn't the actual sunset I saw, but it was darn close.

I came home from my run breathless, the cool air burning in my lungs, sweat turning into shivers. I made some dinner, lit a fire, turned on my Christmas tree lights, poured some tea, then poured out my heart!

I spent the rest of the evening working on some handmade gifts and wrapping them.

I always want to remember this day!

A little winter music magic for you:

Claude deBussy: Clair de Lune