Retirement Musings and Everyday Delights
Ray spent a few days kayaking-cycling-birding-camping near the Prince Edward Point Bird Observatory. It's migratory season for the warblers and he was lucky enough to see a few being tagged. And, when Ray's away, sisters get to play. When he got back, we spent a weekend pet sitting for a friend who has a lovely … Continue reading Warblers, Mountains and Fjords
Last year, we did a home exchange to a chalet near Bromont in Quebec's Eastern Townships. Our longtime friends, Tim and Pamela joined us and we explored the area by bike. So, when we received a request for an exchange in Magog, about 50 kms east of Bromont, we thought we'd try to do a … Continue reading Hot, Humid, Home Exchange
Ray and I completed another successful home exchange, spending a few nights in a century home in Niagara Falls. The main draw was the Niagara River Recreational Trail, a cycle path that goes from Fort Erie to Niagara-on-the-Lake. We did the portion from Niagara Falls to Niagara-on-the-Lake and back (50 kms). On the return journey, … Continue reading A Cycling Tour and Juno’s New Job
We've been members of a home exchange site for two years now and we receive fairly regular requests for exchanges. This spring, we've had requests from France, Kentucky, the Montreal area (4), and the Quebec City area (3). The number of requests from Montreal would undoubtedly be higher if our profile didn't specifically state that … Continue reading Thinking About a Home Exchange?
When we registered on the home exchange site two years ago, we were allotted guest points that we could use to stay somewhere without doing an exchange. Ray and I could have accumulated extra guest points by letting people stay in our home when we were away, but we haven't chosen to do that. The … Continue reading Calabogie Home Exchange
After Ray's initial 128 km cycle day, his second day - at half that distance - should have been an 'easy' ride. It wasn't. Day 2 - Lucknow to Brucefield (65 kms, total kms: 193) He faced the same extreme heat and humidity as on day one, but with a strong headwind added in. Then … Continue reading Ray’s Ride, Part 2
Last summer, we were surprised by how many home exchange requests we received from Montreal. Almost none from Toronto or Ottawa, but plenty from Montreal and a few from Quebec City. At the time we had little interest in visiting Montreal, but this year, with Nick and Megan living there, we took advantage of the … Continue reading Montreal Home Exchange
October has been gorgeous so far, with the leaves changing colour and perfect temperatures. In theory, I like this time of year, but my body seems to know what's coming and, like a bear preparing for hibernation, I start sleeping more and I stock up on carbs as though food will be scarce over the … Continue reading Things I enjoy that make me unhappy
You know how in teen movies there's the pretty, popular girl whose outward confidence is just a cover for her insecurities, jealousy and desperate need to be the centre of attention? That's Juno. And you know the big, beefy guy on the football team? He's loud and boisterous, but not too bright? He likes to … Continue reading The Cheerleader and the Captain of the Football Team
We had our first home exchange this weekend with a couple who live in the Thousand Islands near Gananoque. Because our homes are only an hour and a half apart, we overlapped the front end of our exchange and spent a bit of time getting to know Dan and Maureen - a lovely retired couple … Continue reading Home Sweet (someone else’s) Home
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