RETIRING
As you all see, I have been neglecting to make entries in my blog for several months now. While I have enjoyed doing this - though I'm not sure what sort of a following I had, it is probably time to retire my blog.
My reasons? Well, I'm getting older. And as my husband is not well, I expect we will do much less travel; therefore not much to write about. As this blog was initially for our travel North - and to promote my book, I think it's function is now complete. I do not expect that we will be traveling North of 60 again, though the North still interests me very much.
I hope you have enjoyed my blogs. So adieu for now.
Monday, February 17, 2014
Sunday, October 20, 2013
FALL ACTIVITIES - fireGifts Sale
The leaves have not only turned color - they are quickly disappearing off the trees. Our lawn is covered with mostly brown, but a few colorful red and yellow leaves are mingled in. Now comes the big job of disposing them.
Looking back on our August trip East, I thought I would post several pictures of other places we enjoyed besides Grosse Ile.
The first photo is of a humpback whale while on a whale-watching tour.
Photo 2 is from a beautiful garden we visited during our drive through the Gaspe Peninsula. Photo 3 is Rock Perce`. And picture 4 is at Hopewell Rocks, as no doubt most recognized. We enjoyed all these places immensely.
One event coming up this weekend that I am participating in is 'fireGifts', a sale of handmade pottery and glass. This will take place at the RA Centre, Clark Hall, at 2451 Riverside Drive in Ottawa. Hours are Friday, Oct. 25 4-8, Sat. Oct. 26 10:00 am - 8:00 pm. Sun. 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. If you are in the area, please drop by.
The leaves have not only turned color - they are quickly disappearing off the trees. Our lawn is covered with mostly brown, but a few colorful red and yellow leaves are mingled in. Now comes the big job of disposing them.
Looking back on our August trip East, I thought I would post several pictures of other places we enjoyed besides Grosse Ile.
Photo 2 is from a beautiful garden we visited during our drive through the Gaspe Peninsula. Photo 3 is Rock Perce`. And picture 4 is at Hopewell Rocks, as no doubt most recognized. We enjoyed all these places immensely.
One event coming up this weekend that I am participating in is 'fireGifts', a sale of handmade pottery and glass. This will take place at the RA Centre, Clark Hall, at 2451 Riverside Drive in Ottawa. Hours are Friday, Oct. 25 4-8, Sat. Oct. 26 10:00 am - 8:00 pm. Sun. 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. If you are in the area, please drop by.
Sunday, September 22, 2013
TRIP TO GROSSE ILE, QUEBEC
Where or where has the time flown! Here it is fall tomorrow- and it is sure chilly out there.
We arrived home a couple of weeks ago from a road trip to the East Coast - which was delightful until my husband got ill. We enjoyed our drive along highway 20, stopped to take a tour of Grosse Ile, then a whale-watching tour at Riviere du-Loup, then drove around the entire Gaspe Peninsula, and ended our touring at Moncton.
Grosse Ile was by far the most interesting stop as this is where quarantine of immigrants arriving from Europe first began in 1832 to control the spread of diseases like cholera, smallpox, etc. New buildings and better methods were continually being added for the next 90 years. Grosse Ile is located in the St. Lawrence not far from Quebec City, and was closed in 1937. The island still has a number of buildings from the quarantine days, now run by Parks Canada as a tourist attraction. The most interesting by far is the Quarantine Building which initially used a sulphur fumigator to disinfect all the belongings of immigrants that passed through their quarantine station. In 1898 a new disinfectant came into use, formaldehyde; it was less toxic and did not alter color of clothing. In the same building we found a sample of showers that all immigrants had to use before their disinfected clothes were returned to them. There were 44 of these showers, and all had water jets at three levels.
Of interest also were the three types of hotels to accommodate the healthy passengers during quarantine periods: 1st class; one person per room; 2nd class; 2 to 4 persons per room; and 3rd class would house up to eight people per room. This coincided to the ships' standard of classes. The hotels were in the west sector of the island while the hospitals were in the east sector; they kept them totally separate to keep infections from spreading.
It is estimated that about 7,000 thousand people were buried here - most were Irish immigrants who died of typhus in 1847. These are some of the photos we took during our visit.
Passengers luggage, etc.
Fumigating passengers belongings
Shower with 3 jets
Hospital beds
2nd class hotel
We arrived home a couple of weeks ago from a road trip to the East Coast - which was delightful until my husband got ill. We enjoyed our drive along highway 20, stopped to take a tour of Grosse Ile, then a whale-watching tour at Riviere du-Loup, then drove around the entire Gaspe Peninsula, and ended our touring at Moncton.
Grosse Ile was by far the most interesting stop as this is where quarantine of immigrants arriving from Europe first began in 1832 to control the spread of diseases like cholera, smallpox, etc. New buildings and better methods were continually being added for the next 90 years. Grosse Ile is located in the St. Lawrence not far from Quebec City, and was closed in 1937. The island still has a number of buildings from the quarantine days, now run by Parks Canada as a tourist attraction. The most interesting by far is the Quarantine Building which initially used a sulphur fumigator to disinfect all the belongings of immigrants that passed through their quarantine station. In 1898 a new disinfectant came into use, formaldehyde; it was less toxic and did not alter color of clothing. In the same building we found a sample of showers that all immigrants had to use before their disinfected clothes were returned to them. There were 44 of these showers, and all had water jets at three levels.
Of interest also were the three types of hotels to accommodate the healthy passengers during quarantine periods: 1st class; one person per room; 2nd class; 2 to 4 persons per room; and 3rd class would house up to eight people per room. This coincided to the ships' standard of classes. The hotels were in the west sector of the island while the hospitals were in the east sector; they kept them totally separate to keep infections from spreading.
It is estimated that about 7,000 thousand people were buried here - most were Irish immigrants who died of typhus in 1847. These are some of the photos we took during our visit.
Saturday, July 13, 2013
Grandson now Four Weeks
As you might guess I am once again a proud grandmother; this time of a baby boy, born June 14th to my daughter Mora and her husband. He weighed 8 lbs 6 oz at birth and his name is Benjamin. And he is gorgeous! Need I say more! Pictures are better than words.
Benjamin is just one day old in these pictures.
About 10 days ago, a friend had organized a Saggar firing done in a raku kiln for a bunch of us. This was new to me. First the pots were sprayed with ferric chloride,
and we then attached whatever materials we liked around the pots. I had some plant material and wire around mine. The pots were then wrapped in aluminum foil and placed one on top of the other in a raku kiln and fired to 6,000 C.
When cooled they were taken out, and here is what mine were like. I was quite happy with them.
Enjoy the rest of your summer.
About 10 days ago, a friend had organized a Saggar firing done in a raku kiln for a bunch of us. This was new to me. First the pots were sprayed with ferric chloride,
When cooled they were taken out, and here is what mine were like. I was quite happy with them.
Enjoy the rest of your summer.
Monday, June 10, 2013
Rakuing in Quebec's Eastern Township
Wow, I can hardly believe that it's two months since I wrote in my blog! Well, it is actually two weeks since I visited my friend, Rosemary, for a day of raku. And how lucky we were that it was the only nice day that week in which we had scheduled our raku. This is a once a year event when my husband and I journey the 3 1/2 - 4 hour trip - used to be through Montreal, but no more - since Highway 30 is complete, to Lac Trousers for our rakuing. Our first evening there, we just visit and enjoy each other's company while feasting on some great food.
The next morning, I start glazing the pots I brought for the raku; Rosemary has already done her's. I have small pots - she has large ones; and so we carry them down to the raking site and start the process of heating up the kiln with fuel from a propane tank. We load the raku four or five times during the day and each load takes about an hour. Andre, Rosemary's husband always unloads the hot kiln pots as Rosemary's are too heavy for her to handle. Of course, we are not always pleased with our results; but on average, we are quite happy. You just never know what will come out. I'm enclosing some of our raking pics.
As for other news, I'm waiting patiently for a new grandbaby that should have been born a couple of days ago; and shall come in the next few days. And, oh yes, I shall be giving a lecture with a few slides re travel writing at the Unitarian Church's Arts Night program on June 28 at 7:30. So enjoy your summer.
The next morning, I start glazing the pots I brought for the raku; Rosemary has already done her's. I have small pots - she has large ones; and so we carry them down to the raking site and start the process of heating up the kiln with fuel from a propane tank. We load the raku four or five times during the day and each load takes about an hour. Andre, Rosemary's husband always unloads the hot kiln pots as Rosemary's are too heavy for her to handle. Of course, we are not always pleased with our results; but on average, we are quite happy. You just never know what will come out. I'm enclosing some of our raking pics.
As for other news, I'm waiting patiently for a new grandbaby that should have been born a couple of days ago; and shall come in the next few days. And, oh yes, I shall be giving a lecture with a few slides re travel writing at the Unitarian Church's Arts Night program on June 28 at 7:30. So enjoy your summer.
Friday, April 12, 2013
Ancient Camels in Canada's High Arctic
Wow, hard to believe that winter does not want to depart. Ten to 15 cm of snow was predicated for overnight and today. We don't have that much yet, and it is just snowing periodically. I'm hoping the forecast is wrong, and snow on the ground will disappear. I'm sure ready for spring.
Now a little Northern news about something I read recently. The news about ancient camel bones found on Ellesmere Island is not new, but most interesting. Paleobiologist, Natalia Rybezynski, from the Canadian Museum of Nature, first uncovered bone fragments in 2006 in a fossil bed at the Beaver Pond site. In return trips with other scientists in 2008 and 2010, they concluded the bone fragments came from a giant camel's limb. Analysis of collagen fingerprinting showed that the Ellesmere camel was identical to an ancient camel unearthed years ago in the Yukon. They also discovered that these were from the same line of camels that walked to Asia over the Bering Land seven million years ago. What also emerged is that these giant camels were about 30 per cent larger than today's camels.
Well, this got me thinking. What goes around - comes around! Of course, a billion years from now I won't be around to see what happens.
In the meantime, I'm waiting impatiently for spring.
Now a little Northern news about something I read recently. The news about ancient camel bones found on Ellesmere Island is not new, but most interesting. Paleobiologist, Natalia Rybezynski, from the Canadian Museum of Nature, first uncovered bone fragments in 2006 in a fossil bed at the Beaver Pond site. In return trips with other scientists in 2008 and 2010, they concluded the bone fragments came from a giant camel's limb. Analysis of collagen fingerprinting showed that the Ellesmere camel was identical to an ancient camel unearthed years ago in the Yukon. They also discovered that these were from the same line of camels that walked to Asia over the Bering Land seven million years ago. What also emerged is that these giant camels were about 30 per cent larger than today's camels.
Well, this got me thinking. What goes around - comes around! Of course, a billion years from now I won't be around to see what happens.
In the meantime, I'm waiting impatiently for spring.
Saturday, March 9, 2013
Winter Reprieve - in Hawaii
Returned last week from a 2-week trip to Hawaii; it was on my bucket list for several years. My husband always felt it was very touristy and full of sunbathers and surfers. We found it to be quite different. I expect some islands have beaches more favorable to sun worshipers and surfers than the two we visited. Kauai, the most eastern island, was our first destination on an organized tour, where we visited the South Shore that included Poipu Beach and the National Tropical Botanical Garden. The North Shore included a Fish and Wildlife Preserve, Kilauea Lighthouse and Halalei Valley. Also included in the tour was the beautiful Waimea Canyon, which reminded me of the colorful red rocks in Arizona. The weather was not at all what I expected; it showered numerous times a day for very short periods but never spoiled our tours, and it was not as warm as I had expected.
Our 2nd week was at Hawaii, the Big Island, and here, too, it rained most days. This is the island of volcanoes; most interesting was our visit to the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park where we viewed the Kilauea Caldera and the Thurson Lava Tube. We later walked on lava that had covered several villages years earlier. The volcano is still active and we watched smoke in the distance coming from lava that was flowing into the sea.This is something that one just doesn't here about. In Hilo where we stayed, they have a Tsunami Museum that showed the terrible destruction that occurred there from an earthquake in South America many years ago. Lava is everywhere and is used in many forms -like a rock garden, or even sidewalks.
So we discovered that while there are beaches and surfers, there is so much more to the Hawiian Islands. We very much enjoyed our trip. Here are a few pictures in my blog below to give you an idea of what we saw.
Our 2nd week was at Hawaii, the Big Island, and here, too, it rained most days. This is the island of volcanoes; most interesting was our visit to the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park where we viewed the Kilauea Caldera and the Thurson Lava Tube. We later walked on lava that had covered several villages years earlier. The volcano is still active and we watched smoke in the distance coming from lava that was flowing into the sea.This is something that one just doesn't here about. In Hilo where we stayed, they have a Tsunami Museum that showed the terrible destruction that occurred there from an earthquake in South America many years ago. Lava is everywhere and is used in many forms -like a rock garden, or even sidewalks.
So we discovered that while there are beaches and surfers, there is so much more to the Hawiian Islands. We very much enjoyed our trip. Here are a few pictures in my blog below to give you an idea of what we saw.
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