Retirement Musings and Everyday Delights
I ended my last post with Ray, Nick and I exploring Canmore. For our second day there, I told the guys they could climb a mountain together and I'd entertain myself in town. They decided on Mount Lady MacDonald. Canmore is grizzly country, so they rented bear spray, packed some snacks (for them, not the … Continue reading Life on the Edge
Ray and I are back out west, in part to watch Nick compete in the Vancouver T100. The T100 is a triathlon series that includes a 2k swim, an 80k cycle, and an 18k run. It's a pro circuit, but has a separate amateur race. Only one T100 is held in Canada, and it just … Continue reading Triathlon Qualifiers, Angry Otters, and Imaginary Birds
Ray's 68th birthday started with a morning walk in Baja, Mexico. He hadn't been doing much birding in the minus 30 temps we'd left behind in Ontario, so he came back from his walk thrilled to have added a handful of new birds to his life list. "Pardon me, sir. Might I have a wee … Continue reading Baja Beach Break: Whales, birds, and a big birthday surprise
It's minus 29 outside. Minus 37 with the windchill. Ray is visiting his mom in Georgetown and I'm having a pajama day. The weather warning states that "if it’s too cold for you to stay outside, it’s too cold for your pet to stay outside." They probably need to add some context, or I'd keep … Continue reading Oh, Canada, why can’t I leave you?
Good morning Funchal! I'll admit I had to look up Madeira on a map before we left Canada. I knew it was a Portuguese island, but I didn't know where it was. It's geographically closer to Morocco than it is to Portugal, and has pleasant weather year round. It was 19 or 20 degrees during … Continue reading Sisters in Madeira
People often ask how I decide what to write about in my blog posts, and it's really just whatever is rattling around in my brain when I sit down to write. Sometimes a theme presents itself by showing up repeatedly in my life. That's what's happened recently with the topic of death. We had a … Continue reading Let’s Talk About Death (plus Nick’s Norwegian Adventures, part 2)
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
What kind of vacation have you really had if you haven't filed a police report and visited the local hospital? As has become a semi-regular tradition, we flew to England to join our group of Cheltenham friends at a holiday home they'd booked for the weekend. Folly View, a 6-bedroom holiday home, with a Shepherd's … Continue reading A Sun-Filled Week in…England?
I never post about politics or current events, but when virtually every conversation and social media post alludes to what's happening in the world, ignoring it feels odd. My old university friend, who I recently reconnected with, is the NDP candidate for our riding in the upcoming provincial election. I have absolutely no problem supporting … Continue reading Winter Workshops
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