Back from where we started

Hi, sorry for the delay but I had a little trip and fall in Quebec City and broke a bone in my arm.  We left QC Thursday morning and arrived at the ER in Hfx at 12:30 a.m.  Three hours later I left with a cast, so it has been difficult typing but now it feels much better.  Hopefully the cast comes off Nov 2.
We are renting a cottage on Coolen's Hill in Shad Bay from my friend's aunt.
We haven't made any decisions re travel, have to wait for the cast to be removed.
Cheers, nrm & bam

On the road again

Hi, it's been a while.  We finally left Ontario after spending great time with family and friends.  We are in Montreal and visiting my aunt today.  We'll leave tomorrow and head east, not sure which route we will take, may go around the Gaspe Bay Peninsula.  We are heading to Halifax and make plans for our next adventure, probably Australia and New Zealand.  
I spoke to Kris (for you BNB people) he sounded great and baby Louie is doing great.  Sounds like he likes to eat, Kris said he's about 15 lbs.  and 3 months old.  We may get to see them this evening.  He is a bit of a distance from where we are staying and the traffic in Montreal is SCARY.
Going to find some good deli for lunch.  That's it for now.
Cheers, nrm & bam

Anne's & Steve's Sept 13, 2011

Hi, we are in Waterford, Ont visiting my sister Anne, Steve and Kathy.  They live on a farm and have lots of space.  Here are some pictures.

Farmer Steve

Otis

Abby

Swimming Pool

Fish pond

Railway track around fish pond

So until next time.
cheers nrm & bam

Sudbury, Ont Sept 9, 2011

We left Thessalon and drove to Sudbury.  I think the big knickle is the most exciting thing in Sudbury.  We did a walk in a park and took pictures of the miners' monument.  We continued our drive and when we got to Parry Sound realized we were only a few hours away from Toronto so decided to drive through and we are in Burlington.  Today we are visiting my sister Anne, and I'm sitting in their great yard updating the blog.

Front of nickle

Back of nickle

Miners' monument

Miner's monument

Miners' monument

 That was end of this lag of the trip.  When we decide what is next I'll do posting.
Cheers, nrm & bam

Where are we

Hi, we are in Burlington, Ont staying at our friends house.  Wendell & Elisa have gone to Japan and have graciously offered us their place.  We arrived Friday night.  I will update the blog later today with the last of our pictures for a while.  We will go to a travel agency and see what we can work out.  Still contemplating the US Consulate.
Going to visit my sister Anne on Tuesday and Judy on Wednesday.  Oh yes we will be visiting Woody and Terry Lee on Thursday.  Can't wait to see what Woody does, I think he'll act ticked off and meow a lot.
Another beautiful day in southern Ontario and no humidity, which is the killer.  That's it for now folks.
Cheers, nrm & bam

Wawa, Ont Sept 7 & 8

Hi, we really liked Wawa.  On Sept 7th we walked on the waterfront and it took all of 5 minutes.  Then we went to the Trading Post, really neat old store with all sorts of things in it.  The golf course was across the road from the store and we played 9 holes, that's all it is but it is a full length 9 holes.  Had some good shots and lots of bad ones too, but we had FUN.  Then it was off to see the falls, when we got there we realized we saw them on the way out but took some pictures, in case you forget what they look like.  We went to Sandy Beach on Lake Superior, goes for miles and we were the only ones there.  Bill got into the water as you will see and had his freedom, if you get my drift.  I won't post that picture, it might scare you.  We stayed at Northern Lights Motel and they have a restaurant.  It is owned by Polish people and food was delicious.  This morning we went back into town and took pictures of the geese statues.  Dedicated when they completed the last link of the highway around Lake Superior.
On the road heading east and came across Agawa Rock Pictographs.  It had a caution posted as it is very rugged.  I couldn't go the whole way but Bill did and he said I probably wouldn't have been able to go  on the ledge to see them.  They were created by the Ojibwa tribe.  The beach just up the road was another sandy calm beach.
When had a pit stop in Sault Ste Marie I noticed we had picked up a hitchhiker, he's below.
We continued on and are staying in Thessalon, Ont on Lake Huron.   We missed the actual sun going down but the after effects, you will see below.

Totem Pole, Wawa

the original goose, , Wawa

Trading Post

Goose #2

Magpie Falls

Bill in Lake Superior

Beach by Agawa

Agawa Rocks

Pictograph, Agawaa

Pictograh, Agawa

Pictograph, Agawa

Pictograph, Agawa

Pictograph, Agawa

The climb up at Agawa

the climb

Hitchhiker on tire, a blue dragon fly

Tonight's sunset, Lake Huron

That's all for night.  Cheers, nrm & bam

Wawa, On Sept 6, 2011

Todays drive was more interesting.  We stopped to see the Aquasabon Falls and found these red leaves.

Lots of red rocks, trees and lakes to view on the drive.  We stopped in White River and that is where Winnie a black bear cub was bought.  The plaques about his history are below as well, in case you don't know the story behind him.  We drove another hour to Wawa where we are spending the night.  I'll have some good pictures tomorrow of water falls.  After we got the sun setting it was too dark to go to the falls.  We are thinking of spending another night here as the weather is suppose to be great and they have a golf course and Sandy Beach where we took the sunset picture.  It's beautiful.  We'll see what tomorrow brings.

Red leaves at Aquasabon Falls, On

Gorge, Aquashaon Falls, On

Aquasabon Falls, On

Winnie the Pooh, White River,  On

Plaque about Winnie

Plaque Part 2

Sunset over Lake Superior, Ont

Hope you enjoy the pictures.  Cheers, nrm & bam

Kenora, Sept 4, 2011 - Kakabeka Falls, Sept 5, 2011

Hi, we arrived in Kenora shortly before supper time.  Went down to the waterfront and walked around and took these pictures.  The drive to Kenora was not too exciting.  Below are some pictures.

Water planes, Kenora

Sunset in Kenora

Sun on Steeple, Kenora

Mural, Kenora

We drove to Kakabeka Falls on Sept 5th and spent the night.  We saw 2 deer and a mouse.  We stopped at a small water fall and the mouse ran across our path.  He was moving so fast I could hardly make out what it was.  The deer ran into the woods. You have already seen pictures of these falls as we stopped on our way west.

Cheers, nrm & bam

The Aliens have landed

Hi everyone.  If you thought we left earth we haven't, just didn't have a chance to update the blog.
We stayed in Banff one more night and left on August 31st.  Drove to Medicine Hat, AB and spent the night.  On our way we saw the signs for Spruce Meadows and I like watching the horse jumping on CBC from there.  We thought they would have a gift store and we'd be able to get a souvenir for my niece Kathy, who has 2 horses and does jumping.  We were very disappointed that they don't have a store and nothing was going on.  Did get some pictures in the rain.
Sept 1st and 2nd we were in Moose Jaw, Sk.  Mostly driving on the 1st.  On the 2nd we did a couple of tours. One was the tunnels were Al Capone supposedly hid and ran his bootlegging business.  It is interactive and the actors are great getting people involved.  It was a lot of fun.  The 2nd tour was about the Chinese immigrants that came over to work on the railway and after the railway was built they worked at different businesses but the tour was about the ones that worked in a laundry.  It was very sad as they were treated badly, didn't speak the language, and hardly paid any money.  The money they did earn had to go the broker who brought them over to pay for their passage fee.  Many never saw their families again.  They lived underground in deplorable quarters.  Again it was interactive and I was chosen to run the lanterns back and had to do it quickly in poorly lit tunnel.  I was a second late getting back and she said that would have cost the worker 3 days pay, 17 cents a day.  No pictures as it is copyrighted.
Moose Jaw is another dying downtown, nothing nice to take a picture of.
We drove to Portage le Prairie, Manitoba on Sept 3rd.  Stopped in Indian Head, that is where Little Mosque on the Prairie is filmed.  Yes they have a large Indian Head which is below.
The drive back isn't as pretty as when we were coming out.  The canola is harvested and now all you see is wheat and corn.  I wish the farmers would post signs so you knew what was growing.  Did see alfalfa.
We did see a moose crossing the road when we took a side road to see Cypress Park.  He was too fast so no pic.
We just arrived in Kenora, Ont.  The Lake of Woods is here and very pretty.  We are starting to see the foliage turning, fall is coming.  This part of Ont is still on central time, we thought it was an hour later than it is.

Spruce Meadows

Spruce Meadows

Spruce Meadows

Badlands

Wheat for as far as you can see

Indian Head

I hope you are all having a good long weekend.  We'll be heading east again tomorrow.  Thanks for the comments and emails.
Cheers, nrm & bam

Drive to Banff Aug 29

We left Vernon, BC and drove to Banaff, where we are staying until tomorrow.  Another beautiful drive and surrounded by mountains.  The temp has fallen so feel much better.  We got in around 6ish last night and got a room and went for dinner.  Banff is cute, really set up for the skiers and as this is their low season got a great deal on a room.  It was still busy but Bill has been here during ski season and he said this is nothing compared to that.  Had a nice meal and walked the streets.  I think it snowed a little bit last night before it turned to rain.  Not that cold but it was blowing around like a blizzard and rain doesn't do that.  Then at some point during the night I woke to thunder, lightening and heavy rain.  Looks like its trying to clear.  The picture doesn't look great but this grey rock mountain was gigantic.  Off to see what there is to see.  Cheers, nrm & bam

Vernon, BC Aug 27 & 28

Wow is it hot in the Okanagan Valley.  On our way we stopped at Bridal Falls. It was a beautiful drive.  Very different landscaping, brown grass and green trees.  The lakes are a gorgeous aqua color and busy with lots of water sports.  On Sunday we went to the Grey Monk Winery and tasted a few wines. Then we went to another one ?? and they were very snooty there.  Didn't taste anything.  We also went to a bee farm and saw the colonies of bees and tasted delicious honeys and mead. That's wine made with honey.  We got a blueberry flavoured wine.  Then we had lunch on the waterfront, again busy with boats. We visited the garden dedicated to Vernon's twin city, Tome, Miyagi, Japan.  Off to Kalamalka Lake where there is a beach.  Didn't go in as the water didn't look too clean, had an  ice cream instead.

Grey Monk Winery

View from top of road, vineyard

Garden dedicated to twin city tome, Miyagi,  Japan

Same garden, see turtle posing on rock and a little one below

Kalamalka Lake

Bridal Falls, BC

Okanagan Lake

On to the next day. Cheers, nrm & bam