Hus av Turtle

Last One

2010-10-07T11:36:00.002-04:00

It's been really hard to get pictures on here...so I'm just going to continue my photos on facebook for friends and family. I'll still post on the food and presidential blog!

Columbia, Tulips and Downtown

2010-07-20T19:13:00.011-04:00

-Columbia River Gorge. Just imagine...Lewis and Clark saw this!

-High atop the hill...it was pretty foggy but beautiful.

-I'm getting pretty good and self picture taking! Lots of waterfall pictures, too. See my facebook page for more!

-No whales on the coast, but...

-...we did see seals!

-They were pretty amazing. And loud.

-Tides. Funny thing if you are from Michigan.

-Coming from the west side of MI, the tulip farm was a must see. Jenny amidst them all.

-Seriously, I believe there were over 60 acres of tulips.

-Filbert (hazelnut) trees lined the edge of the patch.

-After tip-toeing through the tulips we decided on some new shoes.

-Hmmmm....

-Various pictures of downtown Portland. This is part of the food vendors. It really doesn't do justice to how many there are!!!

-Eating a voo doo donut in End Mills Park. The smallest city park.

-Jenny contemplating the park in the rain.

-A bigger city park in the city.

-And finally the PDX. A very nice trip.

Eating, Hiking, and Inbetween

2010-05-09T14:36:00.005-04:00

-Slappy Cakes = creativity, lots of sugar and carbs, becoming slap happy.

-Jenny demonstrating how it's done.

-A blueberry, lemon curd pancake!

-What I think of when I think of northwestern forests.

-This tree was over 600 years old! World Forestry Center.

-In a safari jeep, looking for trees.

-Hawthorne Street from Mt. Tabor.

-Food carts everywhere in this city.

-Mt. Tabor

-Baghdad Theatre, Hawthorne Street.

-Rogue beer

-Saturday Market (on Sunday) and Jenny's tribute to Dave.

-And, of course, more eats. See "For the Love of Food" blog to the right for more!

Cheese, Ice Cream, and Oceanside

2010-05-09T13:14:00.007-04:00

-We went to the Tillamook Cheese factory. Yes, those are big blocks of delicious cheese.

-Steve enjoying the cheese tasting area.

-Stony, Jodie, and Jenny admiring cheese curds.

-Behold, the power of cheese.

-It's a creamery...so ice cream was necessary as well.

-Then on to Oceanside to look for agates and see the Pacific.

-Steve running with the surf.

-Pushing the rocks into order.

-Jenny and I frolicking at the ocean.

-We think we found an agate...

-...but it was just a piece of sea glass. Still exciting!

-The outcropping we...

-...climbing through to get to the other side.

-Sea urchin!

-Mussels!

-And Sea Star! Oh my!

-Jodie and Jenny strick a pose.

-Hang gliders above the sea.

-We like the ocean.

-A little view on the way back.

The Zoo, Books, and Stuff

2010-04-17T11:06:00.008-04:00

-I explored the Oregon Zoo, while Jenny worked. Some of the pics I took (too many overall, of course).

-The life cycle of a fish, in mosaic.

-Wonderful atmosphere, with the great firs.

-Awww...turtles.

-I watched these guys for probably a half hour.

-Polar Bear!

-Maybe he just was bored.

-Playful penguins.

-This little mongoose looked anxious and seemed to look right at me. I was taken.

-Zebra.

-Batty, batty, bat...the cave was great! I like them even more now.

-Lorikeet.

-Elephant's Delicatessen! Lovely food.

-In front of Powell's. I'm not going to lie, I was quite overwhelmed.

-Jenny amongst the stacks.

-Well, you could find it here!

-The city of roses...even on utility things.

-Chinatown Gate in Portland.

Going West

2010-04-10T21:56:00.006-04:00

-Headed out to Portland, OR. Passed over the Rockies.

-And Seattle.

-Airport art at Seattle.

-Mt. Rainer.

-Mt. St. Helens and Mt. Adams.

-Willamette River with Mt. Hood in the background - Portland.

-First we eat. Jenny and I went to Farm. More on the food blog.

-And I finally met, Akeela, the wonder dog.

-And her cute mug.

A Quick Trip to the City, DQ and the Bowl

2010-03-06T13:27:00.003-05:00

-Our lovely state capital.

-Kate and Jim (taken from the parking lot going into interviews, me kneeling in heels!).

-Myron's first trip EVER to Dairy Queen. Seriously.

-A blizzard, of course.

-A glowing peguin at glo-bowl.

Winter Fun, With Very Little Winter

2010-02-25T17:17:00.014-05:00

-It was good to see family. And the girls, especially, loved the animals...including Ellie.

-Bradley

-Kenzie playing peek-a-boo.

-Justin

-The scholar.

-Dressing up for the weather.

-Since there was snow in GR, we went skiing!

-Alex started to get the hang of it.

-Justin was a natural.

-Bradley enjoyed running around in the snow.

-Kenzie talking with Irvin.

-Justin being picked on by a giraffe.

-Kenzie with pigtails.

-Went over to the island (and took lots of pictures!). The bridge from up high.

-Not much ice on the north side. St. Martin's Islands in the distance.

-Gibraltar Craig.

No machines!

-Downtown from the East Bluff.

-North Bicycle Trail.

-Sugar Loaf.

-A hairy woodpecker on the way back to the airport.

-St. Ignace was all set up for the Pond Hockey tournament.

-We went over for a little bit - Sandy, Jennifer, Cindy.

-Brett and Myron.

-Sandy met up with the Mullett team.

-Hockey on the bay with the island in the distance.

-Jennifer being very careful on the ice. Second time for her walking on ice!

-Sandy at her first night at the Dixie.

Uncle Eddie

2010-02-10T17:25:00.002-05:00

Edward P. Rasch, aged 50, of Alpine Township, passed away unexpectedly on Friday, February 5, 2010. Surviving are his wife of 17 years, Barbara; two daughters, Sarah Rasch and Rowan Braybrook; his parents, Herm and Bernadette; seven siblings, Bob (Peg) Rasch, Pat (Rick) Cederholm, Jean (Jim) Piccard, Mary (Bill) Alt, Vince (Janet) Rasch, Carol (Tom) Myers, Donald (Julie) Rasch; in-laws, Dean Pavlovic, Pam Momber, Robert (Loren) Momber, Kathy (Abel) Balderas, many nieces and nephews, several aunts, uncles and cousins, numerous friends. He was preceeded in death by his sister, Kathy Pavlovic; his father-in-law and mother-in-law, Edwin and Shirley Momber. Edward was a member of the Knights of Columbus Conklin Post 4404. Lifelong fruit farmer and maple syrup connoisseur. A friend of nature. He was a lifetime member of St. Joseph Church of Wright Church where a Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated Wednesday, at 11:00 a.m. His family will receive visitors Monday 7 to 9 p.m. and Tuesday 2 to 4 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. and Wednesday one hour prior to Mass. ALL VISITATION WILL BE HELD AT THE CHURCH, where a Vigil Service will be prayed Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. Memorial contributions are suggested to American Cancer Society or St. Joseph of Wright Church.

Winter 10

2010-01-22T17:02:00.002-05:00

-I had four visitors right outside my window.

-I couldn't get my camera quick enough...so I only caught three of them.

-I'm getting excited for the Olympics. Thank you, Gordon and Marni (from Vancouver!) for the mittens!

-Jennifer displays her quality peanut shell art.

Christmas

2010-01-19T16:58:00.007-05:00

-Some pictures from the holidays. A cardinal on the deck.

-Bradley opening presents.

-Mackenzie's finally getting into it.

-Justin contemplating.

-Bradley likes his new flashlight.

-Mattie, the old puppy.

-All the kids getting into the Wii.

-Sledding!

-Mackenzie likes Grey.

-Mom and Kenzie.

-Alex getting into the swordfighting.

-A coy Justin.

-A pensive Mackenzie.

-Mom and Chris on her birthday.

-The youngest and the oldest hangin out.

-Alex likes Ellie.

-Alex and the Christmas tree.

-Such happy kids.

Beginning of Winter

2009-12-12T10:19:00.003-05:00

-Cheboygan Parade, complete with a cow pulling a sled.

-Mill Creek.

-the island.

-Sandy at the lookout.

-and taking down snow with vigor.

-Jeff Daniels at the Opera House.

A trip to the Island

2009-12-12T09:27:00.008-05:00

-LeeAnn and Myron brave the first winter weather.

-Classic view of the fort.

-Where the wardrobe lets you out to Narnia.

-Anne's Tablet.

-The fort.

-The gazebo.

-The storm at the fort.

-Fort and Market Streets.

-Parking lot full for the Christmas bazaar.

-The tree on Main Street.

-The boat's even decorated.

Chicago, Part Two

2009-12-11T18:49:00.012-05:00

Some more (professional) pictures from "Chicago."

-The wonderful Opera House.

-All That Jazz.

-The long pose.

-Cell Block Tango.

-Hunyak and Velma on the block.

-With the dancers.

-We want Billy.

-All I Care About is Love.

-The Opera House looked very different from upside down.

-The big roll.

-Getting ready for the kick line.

-Finale.

-Little Bit of Good.

-We Both Reached For the Gun.

-Reporter scene.

-the rope trick.

-the death scene.

-Razzle Dazzle.

-Billy's exit.

-Reporters.

-Katie and Jackie.

-The dancers.

-And with Billy.

-And again.

-Sandy and Katie as Merry Murderesses...one of us is guilty and one is innocent.

Back on the Cape

2009-12-09T21:20:00.013-05:00

-We went to Heritage Gardens in Sandwich for a Christmas night.

-Including Santa in a vintage car.

-A pretty tree.

-A pretty house.

-Bradley and a giant candy cane.

-Grandma and Bradley on the carousel.

-Justin on the fast horse.

-The crazy kids!

-Bradley's four (almost)!

-Opening presents at an early party.

-I think Kenzie sat in people's laps the most!

-The family at the Thanksgiving Day feast.

-Bradley's angry face. He does it very well, even when he's happy!

-More reading - this time by big sister.

-Pass the wooden spoon game.

-A Saturday walk to the cranberry bog.

-Up the hill, of course.

-Justin on the bog.

-Mackenzie walked the entire way (when we let her).

-Bradley found Larry the Lobster at Trader Joe's!

On the Cape

2009-12-07T19:11:00.015-05:00

-Got to the cape and found the kids excited,

-...surprised,

-...and running like crazy!

-We went to Brewster and Mackenzie entertained us all the way.

-Mackenzie found a shell at Brewster Beach!

-Bradley finding interesting things on rocks at low tide.

-So fun to run!

-Handsome Bradley in the tall grasses at Brewster.

-Justin, the Weblo.

-Reading "Go Dog, Go" for the hundreth time.

-Alex likes the Michigan Apples.

-Justin shows he's not a Tiger.

-Later that week we went to Battleship Cove in Fall River.

-The Massachusettes.

-Mom and Bradley next to the Joseph P. Kennedy.

-Justin in the LCM from WWII.

-Another view of the J.P.K.

-Justin and the Huey.

-One side of the Massachusettes.

-Ovens for the some 2,000 crew.

-Bradley, Mackenzie, Alex, and Justin find a spot to take a rest.

-Maybe even try to!

-A replica of a shell that hit the hull.

-Part of the cafeteria.

-Working the guns.

-Another side.

-And more guns.

-Overlooking the river.

-The submarine.

-And handling more of the weapons.

-I would not want to be in these confines.

Frederick and Odds and Ends

2009-12-06T21:03:00.009-05:00

-Flying from DC to NYC to Boston...here's NYC.

-And Manhattan.

-And boats, freighters and the Statue of Liberty. It's really tiny.

-Boston.

-I had never been to Frederick Douglass' house and really know just a little about him.

-This is just two miles from Capitol Hill. He didn't have much about his slavery, but the chains on his curtains was one.

-Man...he's got great hair! This is taking a picture of his picture in a mirror, so a bit fuzzy, but there was no other way.

-His second wife knew they were going to turn this into a museum, so about 90% is original. Even the glasses!

-Blue willow and green transferware!

-They thought the star symbolized his travels to freedom as well.

-This is the Growlery, my favorite part. It's a little place he would go to to think alone. Maybe some throw back to slave cabins.

-Me and the man. He was tall, too - 6'5"! Man, people were shorter back then...

-Drat those two for getting me hooked on trivia at pubs.

-These were all over and hilarious...first the Democrats.

-Then the Republicans. Can you imagine what TR is saying to Nixon?

Washington, D.C., Part II

2009-12-06T19:04:00.010-05:00

We started off in the Eastern Market (after many a delay from me and a mix up on the station), but very yummy breakfast had.

-Then on to the ultra secure Capitol tour...still liked it better before. We had a good tour guide though - he's standing at the old entrance to the original building.

-Sneaking over to take a picture with Hamilton.

-Stephanie's quest for presidental statues.

-Franklin Pierce might have been happy here.

-Sooooo many pictures of the capitol, but I won't go into them all.

-On to Air and Space, just a few meaningful ones...THE Apollo 11.

-One of the five boosters from Saturn V...similiar to what we'll use for the new Aries missions.

-A quick trip through the Postal Museum.

-I went on to the National Portrait Gallery. which is one of my favorites.

-John Muir.

-Irving Berlin.

-The great Liberace.

-Another Kate.

-Many of the presidents' section pics will be on the Presidential Hotties site. Here's casts of Lincoln's face and hands.

-The great TR.

-I liked the story behind Nixon's portrait. It was done by Norman Rockwell and he said he erred in favor of it being a nicer portrait and being liked by Nixon.

-I love this one of George H.W. playing horseshoes.

-Just one more...

-Some beautiful stained glass.

-Between Calhoun and Douglass, I'm not sure who had the better hair.

-The Hope Diamond is out of its setting for several months.

-Meeting up with Tom and Heather at Cork.

-The other side of the table is Gretchen and I.

-Tapas and wine. Very nice. Sampler...please...not full glasses.

-Heather, Gretchen, and Katie...the long time Mackinac girls.

Washington, D.C., Part I

2009-11-30T21:54:00.010-05:00

-The first full day I met up with Stephanie and we went to the Washington Monument.

-We had a great peppy prepper, a horrible stander, and a good elevator-er. But what a view!

-I think we have to take fewer pictures!

-The best of the bunch.

-There are many "stones" throughout the building, given to the monument over the years by states and societies. You can't see them too well unless you walk down the steps, which isn't too often anymore. We couldn't see the Michigan one, which was copper, but I caught the Whig Society one!

-NPS clumping.

-Stephanie with the money bench. Pointing to Hamilton. We couldn't take pictures inside because of security.
-We really like Alexander Hamilton...our favorite of the ten-dollar bill.

-This the one exhibit I came to see! It came just after Chris and his family left the DC area.

-It should be doused in butter.

-Her diploma from Le Cordon Bleu.

-Her copper pan collection.

-Excited to finally see it.

-You know, it was pretty modest overall and wasn't a huge exhibit. Which leads me to believe she would scoff at the huge, largely unused kitchens in today's McMansions.

-I went roaming around to see the other exhibits or things I missed through the years. I see the ruby slippers every time.

-The original kermit.

-Mamie's dress from the First Ladies exhibit. Much smaller and changed every time I visit. Ike's gal had style.

-For the Night at the Museum people.

Food, glorious food. We ate at a cart with great vegetarian burritos. For more food, visit For the Love of Food blog.

Getting to DC

2009-11-26T21:28:00.008-05:00

I flew down to D.C. to meet up with Steph, Trace, Heather and Gretchen. The morning flight eventually flew out of Chicago.

-Got to the city and checked in. Headed to the mall for the sunset and to take some pictures. The "castle" Smithsonian building.

-The Washington Monument at dusk.

-After dinner we headed back downtown to take pictures at night. Trace and I wanted to climb the fence to see the White House.

-A better picture.

-From the other side.

-We started to head other places for night pictures...like the WWII Memorial.

-With the fountains.

-Yes, we like our state maybe a bit too much. And we're geeks.

-Jefferson Memorial.

-Korean War Memorial.

-Lincoln Memorial.

-The mall at night.

By the way...200th post!

Chicago, Part I

2009-11-14T13:27:00.003-05:00

-We've been working on Chicago with the Northland Players at the Cheboygan Opera House. It's been a lot of fun and great to be on that stage. I have more pictures coming soon, but here's some...
Sandy's cool do!

-Sandy for "All That Jazz."

-Me for "All That Jazz," with jazz hand.

-Crystal in the best ever headpiece anyone could get to wear. She wears it whenever she can.

-Sandy and I as reporters.

-Sandy and I as dancers in "All I Care About Is Love."

-A fun pictures of Sandy getting ready with hair and makeup.

-And one last dancer costume...more coming soon!

Fall and Halloween

2009-11-08T18:24:00.004-05:00

-Fall wasn't spectacular this year, but still nice. I went back to the island for a few last items and took some parting shots.

-The guys working at the fort.

-This is supposedly a picture not to be taken. I thought it was funny - Jennifer as the madhatter playing slots.

-We started out in Petoskey. They also took my "blaster" at the door. But at least I found some presidents!

-BoPeep's sheep lost their cotton balls and couldn't help but put a hat on the face one group made.

-Sandy, Katie, Jennifer, and Krystal.

-We met up with Jodi as Marie Antoinette...I had a blaster, she had cake.

-I found the best costume of the night - Beaker!

Tunnel of Trees and Pond Hill Farm

2009-10-29T17:33:00.007-04:00

-As not to miss the fall colors (although not as vibrant as some years) we took a trip through the tunnel of trees.

-As we crawled through we carefully scanned for wildlife.

-And found many a group of deer.

-Then we came upon gourds and pumpkins and couldn't resist.

-Sandy trying to take a pumpkin back home.

-She is stealth.

-Jennifer bonding with the cows.

-Sandy as the happy cowhand.

-Jennifer as the weary cowhand.

-Me as the jazz-hands cowhand.

-Seriously, a lot of gourds. Squash soup and pumpkin seeds a-comin'!

Fall Comes in Like a Lion!

2009-10-11T19:41:00.005-04:00

At least October did. The first two weekends were rainy, cold, and windy. The boat rides were rockin'. This is an east wind that brought waves over the breakwall. Boats shut down from time to time.

-Jolene and Jennifer cozying up against the weather.

-Mom and Mary enjoying the Cheboygan sunset over the cattail marsh and Lake Huron.

-The almost full moon and the Cheboygan range light.

-Rehersals for "Chicago" at the Cheboygan Opera House. We had a fan appreciation for one song.

-The last day for everyone to go over to the island office. We rode "up top" on the way back. That and there wasn't a lot of room below. Jolene, Troy, John and I braved the elements.

-The colors, especially the summacs, at the fort.

What a September!

2009-10-11T10:17:00.009-04:00

September went by in a flash. Some of the highlights.

-An evening event at the fort created great pictures of downtown!

-
-A cloudy evening for the Grand.

-Peggy and I went out with Fr. Rey for desserts at the Jockey Club and drinks at the Gatehouse.

-Fr. Rey and Peggy.

-A WWII plane flew from the Detroit area to the island and gave free tours.

-It was designed for paratroopers.

-September brought me back to the mainland midmonth, which meant more boat rides...but more chances to get closer to freighters!

-I still have over 100 miles to go on my bike by the end of the season. A few trips around the island found rock art.

- This one was brought down by the waves the second time I came around.

-Morning glories finally blooming after a cold summer.

-A blue heron stalks its prey.

-Jennifer and I went to Taquanemon, but found this fox near Trout Lake.

-Us at the upper falls.

-A backward glance.

-Taking the rowboat to the lower falls.

-Me in the falls, complete with jazz hands.

-Jennifer becoming one with nature.

-We sat with our feet in the falls for a long time

-We couldn't figure out what this guy was doing. He was waiting for something.

-Aaron, Sandy and I went our for Jennifer's birthday at Leggs Inn.

-Sandy was very happy.

-The island emptying out for the season.

Pictured Rocks

2009-08-30T21:19:00.017-04:00

-A full, rich day at Pictured Rocks...only wanting more! We first went to the Interpretive Center (many buying patches) and then took the short hike to Munising Falls.

-Shannon finding a perch on the trail.

-Craig interpreting what can happen if you do not heed the sign.

-Shannon on the edge of the waterfall...not heeding the sign.

-On our way to the non-national lakeshore part...Craig knew where to go...on to...

-...Memorial Falls.

-And Shannon and LeeAnn playing beneath them.

-Nicely out of the way and not well attended.

-Then back to Miner's Castle. Complete (on uncomplete without) the pedestal that fell off in 2006.

-We took an "old" trail that the NPS probably doesn't want people to take. Someone has a clothesline hooked up for the more vertical parts.

-But this is where we had lunch, which was fantastic!

-Myron checking out the other side of the rocks.

-Trying to bypass the slippery rocks. Shannon wins the prize for slipping and dropping everything.

-A little view...

-Huzzah for beaches and rocks!

-LeeAnn got us on picking wild blueberries.

-Then a hike to Chapel Falls.

-And we stayed awhile to listen to them.

-And then proceeded to walk up the falls in the river. All in all, a wonderful days of tripping through streams, listening to waterfalls, and beautiful vistas. Hopefully, next time, a bit longer time to do more!

Some more tidbits

2009-08-26T20:16:00.004-04:00

-A full moon party from Fort Holmes.

-And the great pics of the moon (thanks, Lee!).

-I stopped to see what people were looking at in the tree near Arch Rock.

-This woodchuck was quite brave and moved the whole tree with every movement!

-Jewelweed on the trails.

-Morning Glory at the Post Office.

-The incredible stacking abilities of Amy and Bri.

-View of the bay from the Beanery.

-A sunset from M185.

-Participating in a commercial for May's Fudge!

Family at Mackinac

2009-08-22T19:16:00.017-04:00

-Family have come up north, so a few of the highlights! Mom and Dad came north to see Garrison Keillor at the Cheboygan Opera House and we did the Afterglow to see him in person.

-He was talking about interpretation here...kind of.

-The guy in the red sneakers.

-Dean, Michelle, and Derek came up to the island, too. Here we got a wonderful treat of tea at the Grand!

-And we had to pop up to the cupola for a little view.

-Then hit some of the music at the pubs.

-We got Dean in the blacksmith shop where Dave helped him with his first s-hook.

-Derek and Michelle watching a sunset on the boardwalk.

-The Puerto Rico spring break reunites!

-On tiptoes or bending to see if we can all be the same height!

-Some competitive mini golf on Lake Huron.

-A farewell on the ferry.

-The next group, including Sherry, her mom, and the nieces and nephews, came...first going to the Butterfly House (original, please!) where Bradley is fascinated with the butterflies.

-And Alex becomes one!

-The gang's all here.

A nice green one. I don't know the names and kinds, so colors will have to suffice.

-Huh...you know, these kids can't stay away from the water!

-A cute little Mackenzie having fun on the grass.

-And on the chairs, Alex...

-...Justin...

-...and Bradley.

-Bradley, Justin and Alex off of Anne's Tablet Trail overlooking town.

-Jake and the boys at the fort.

-In the Kids' Quarters playing dress up....Justin...

-...Alex...

-...Bradley....

-...and Kenzie (in a dress Grandma made!)!

-But she had to cuddle with mom once it was through.

-Then up to the Grand (they did a lot of walking!) to see the beautiful flowers out front.

-And the great view from the Cupola!

-Then back downtown for food, souvenirs and fudge! Yay May's!

-Then back on the boat after a long day!

-But everyone had a great time!

A Trip Back

2009-08-22T18:43:00.006-04:00

-A trip to the St. Joseph's Church festival. I hadn't been there for years...they still do chicken Wright! Everything is run by the parishoners.

-Justin trying his hand at the bean bag toss.

-Alex and her first prize.

-Mackenzie relaxing in the heat of the day!

-The kids, including Jack, with Chris and John on the tractor.

-Bradley showing off his green tongue after a sno-cone.

-Justin and I, with a tamale, to listen for the winners of the day!

-Back at home, and out of the heat, Bradley gets his energy back!

-The best game ever - the marble maze!

-Mackenzie is soooooo big.

-The family...

Inbetween

2009-08-10T20:58:00.014-04:00

-A little vintage baseball on the oldest continuously played-on baseball diamond in Michigan - we'll see if that holds up.

-The Never Sweats...they didn't win, but always the team I'll cheer for as a crank!

-In action.

-Playing with my new lens.

-Pete, Liz and Frenchy...it was a wonderful time visiting and eating with them all! I have to visit them in their new locale.

-Port Huron to Mac races come in.

-Crown Vetch...still playing with the new lens.

-Phil and Lee...history and fudge.

-A spider web on the way to work.

-HHIs on a map of Michigan and the Kids' Rendezvous at CM.

-The Linda Lou at dock. I swear you could fit two cats and still have room on this. Based out of the Carribean it caught our attention on the island!

Aunt Kathy

2009-07-31T22:41:00.003-04:00

A loving wife, mother, daughter, sister and friend, Kathleen Ann (Rasch) Pavlovic, aged 56, passed away at her home, on July 20, 2009, surrounded by family. She was born July 6, 1953 to Herman and Bernadette (Brechting) Rasch, who survive her. She will be greatly missed by her husband of 32 years, Dean; her son, Jeffrey and daughter, Michelle. Survived by her brothers and sisters, Bob (Peg) Rasch, Pat (Rick) Cederholm, Jean (Jim) Piccard, Mary (Bill) Alt, Vince (Janet) Rasch, Carol (Thom) Myers, Ed (Barb) Rasch and Don (Julie) Rasch; her mother-in-law, Ann Rysenga; brothers-in-law, Mike Pavlovic, Bob (Sharon) Pavlovic, Jerry (Rhonda) Pavlovic and sister-in-law, Bonnie (Bob) Vezino; many nieces, nephews and numerous cousins. Kathy attended West Catholic '71, GRCC and WMU. She taught at Pewamo-Westphalia High School and West Catholic High School. She was a 4-H leader, a coach, and a lifelong member of St. Joseph Church, Wright, where her funeral will be held on Thursday at 11:00 a.m. Interment St. Joseph Church Cemetery. Visitation will be at the church Wednesday 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. and Thursday one hour prior to mass at St. Joseph Church, Wright, where the Vigil Service will be held Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. Memorial contributions to
Susan G. Komen for the Cure will be appreciated.

Fourth, Flowers, Friends

2009-07-06T17:24:00.012-04:00

July has been quite cool...as the whole summer has been. Things have been at least sunny now!
-Coreopsis along the lakeshore.

-Irises at my house.

-And the purple ones.

-The 4th of July landed on a perfect day on the island.

-Bill helped greet people coming into the fort.

-And Mary at the American Fur Company Store.

-The gals during the evening festivities.

-The boys in blue.

-And the guys in green taking care of it all.

-The small charge of 10 oz.

-The whole crew of '09.

- Now that's more like it.

-We got an Indigo Bunting by the gun platform I've been seeing for years, but finally got a picture!

-The cannon by moonlight.

-Haldimand Bay and down by moonlight.

June is Bustin' Out All Over

2009-06-23T17:41:00.015-04:00

Heat hit and it started to feel like summer...

-Anne's Tablet.

-Looking down on town.
-Hawkweed make their appearance.

-Lilacs and the East Blockhouse.

-St. Anne's.

-And with lilacs.

-Lilacs and the West Blockhouse. Notice the trend? They were at their peak last Sunday. Everywhere the wind was blowing you could smell them.

-Lilacs down Market Street.

-Marquette Park and Haldimand Bay.

-Three ladies touring the house.

-Lisa and Steve.

-Brian, Jennifer and I. Food pictures on the link to the right!

Lilacs, Butterflies and Parades, Oh My!

2009-06-18T18:03:00.016-04:00

-Warmer weather is finally coming our way. Everything's coming out and blooming finally! And some great photo ops of the island...like Arch Rock!

-The HHIs in the Lilac Parade.

-Those marching guides from the fort.

-The best marching band. Huge and then they'd break, dance and go back to playing!
-The ultimate...Scottville Clown Band.

-I've been finally able to get biking for the season with the better weather. I don't know how many miles I log on M185, but I imagine it's just under 1000.

-Lilacs just started to bloom for the end of the festival.

-The Friends Good Will came up from South Haven.

-The next are many photos from the "original" Butterfly House...which I hadn't been to in forever...I have no idea what kind most of these are, but they are pretty.

-You can walk near the cemeteries, Annex Road and some other places and smell the Lilies of the Valley before you even see them.

-Lady's Slippers.

-The last of the Trillium.

-Blockhouse and lilacs.

-The crew at the barracks for scout dinner.

-An evening shot of the Grand.

-One of my many rounds 'round the island.

-My favorite picture so far this year!

Spring Blooms Plus

2009-06-03T07:12:00.016-04:00

Sorry for the delay...life and wireless connections got in the way!
-Some spring bulb blooms...

-Fog rolling under the bridge.

-An early morning near the lighthouse.

-Sandy showcasing Cheboygan's new main street.

-A bunch of forget-me-nots on the island.

-The Grand's always stunning display of tulips.

-A late spring/summer this year, so we're still liking these!
-A group of us went to the Woods...
-...and enjoyed artistic rendings (Shannon, Sandy, Amy, Dave, Claire).
-A pile of silverware by Sandy. Food pics on the food blog.

-Tom, Brianne, LeeAnn and Myron patiently await dessert.

-A nice bike home.

Surfers, the Beach and the End

2009-04-22T18:04:00.009-04:00

-The last day on the island was all about beaches. We wanted local flavor, so we turned to this exit, with the great stone carving, to Isabel.

-A nice little place on the beach.

-Michelle and I....

-...really liked the beach.

-These were some great sea birds to watch. I'm still trying to find out what these are...Magnificent Frigatebirds???

-They hung around the fisherman quite a bit!

-Just down the way was a lagoon where people swam and giant crashing surfer waves.

-Sandy was very excited

-We found this little sea urchin type thing while wading in the water.

-It was pretty neat since the waves would crash, but you were totally safe from them...like this little fishing boat.

-Sandy and I walked down the beach (and got sunburned) and found one lone surfer. Time to try to find others.

-After some food and cooling down with flavored ice, it was off to Maria's beach in Rincon.

-We watched the surfers for a long, long time. It was really great.

-It was a nice beach, too.

-Okay, now watch this guy - up the wave.

-And then right over!

-Not going to take the credit. Sandy took this great pic.

-One more surfer picture. The island in the back is Isla Mona. It's pretty wild and you need to plan well in advance with a guide to go over there. Some people have died of dehydration trying to explore on their own. There's wildlife and one description said something about crawling through a cave and finding yourself at a 100 foot drop at the light at the end. Wow.

-Playa Maria's is THE surfer hangout.

-And here's Rincon's lighthouse.

-The local fast food. There was a huge potential storm and we couldn't find any roadside stuff, so we finally stopped at The Tacomaker. Giant avalanches, hump trays and slow service. It was quite the experience.

And that's the end of our trip. It was quick, but fun. The heat from the sunburns lasted for a long time!

Arecibo

2009-04-21T17:57:00.006-04:00

While Michelle and Peggy stayed at the hotel, Sandy and I went to explore Arecibo and the universal truths, string theory and SETI. First, we saw a horse tied up on the highway.

-We saw this first thing, after the long and winding road, that they had a scale model of the solar system, which is hard to do because of the outer planets.

-Sandy's next to Tierra, or Earth. The sun is on the parking lot level.

-As we walked up we hit the other inner planets and then way up Jupiter. But what we were here for was the radio telescope.

-Arecibo has the largest in the world, the ear to the universe it's sometimes called. It's known as 'El Radar' in PR. It's a 20 acre dish set in a sinkhole. If you saw the movie Contact, you kind of know about this telescope (cool movie, by the way). It's discovered info on Mercury (hard planet to do so), got the first image of an asteroid and non-solar planets and works with the SETI program.

-The towers holding it all up took 60 hours of pouring concrete to construct. Slightly shorter than the Mackinac Bridge towers.

-On the fence where Sandy is, it had this plaque about the scale model of the solar system.

-This is Saturn and if you click on the picture, you can probably see Uranus on the pole. Mind-boggling.

-Very hilly, very picturesque, which made for a fun ride home (see youtube).

-But first some icy drink (pina colada, strawberry daquiri - non=alcoholic, of course).

-And saying goodbye to our lizard friend.

Around the Resort

2009-04-20T20:52:00.004-04:00

-Our hotel in Dorado was beautiful. Especially the balcony. Michelle and I headed out. It was a bit warm to really enjoy it much though.

-Sandy did, too.

-Sunrises...

-...and more sunrises.

-Relaxing under the palms.

-And getting wind blown under them.

-Checking out the hotel from the breakwall.

-Did I mention there were palms?
-We got to be on the top floor (7th) and the hotel looked pretty good up there.

-You know, it's Puerto Rico. You have to enjoy some rum, too. It's their thing.

Old San Juan and Bioluminescent Bay

2009-04-19T21:03:00.010-04:00

-We went to Old San Juan for the day. Easy driving and easy parking...wow!

-Well, maybe not the best person for Puerto Rico, he put it on the European map. Peggy, Sandy and Michelle (still taller than Sandy) point to Christopher Columbus.

-First we went to Fuerte San Cristobal. It is the second oldest fort started in 1634. This is in the dungeon where there are drawings of five Spanish ships, probably done by Spanish prisoner held captive before execution for mutiny.

-Many tunnels to various places around the site.

-It was a hot day, but nice and windy. The view of the blue ocean helped, too.

-The main plaza where drills took place.

-Three flags over the fort -San Juan, Puerto Rico and the U.S.

-Part of the walled city and El Morro in the distance.

-Finally the gals got all together for a picture - Michelle, Peggy, Katie and Sandy.

-Ahhh...the beautiful sentry boxes.

-Just a little picturesque street in Old Town.

-The green between town and El Morro is a great public space. The kids must have been out for Holy Week. So many kites and happy kids!

-Now to the older fort - El Morro. Started in 1539 and at the tip of the peninsula.

-Cannon with a view.

-And some strong women with the cannonballs.

-Aww...cousins...

-...very excited to be at the fort (don't worry, more jumping pics to come)!

-Another of the sentry boxes.

-And going down, down, down to the tip of the peninsula.
-It was a long way down.

-It was hot and we did a lot of walking, so we went to eat (see my food blog for more) and got a little Sangria. Thanks to Sheryl for "hosting" my drink! Isn't it pretty?

-And we got food and Cana...

-...with our great waiter, Antonio Luna Diaz, or Mowgli for short.

-Catedral de San Juan Baptista. I was really surprised there weren't more Catholic churches in PR.

-The cathedral is where Ponce de Leon is buried. I guess he didn't find the fountain of youth.

-We went to the Puerta de San Juan, the sea entrance to the walled San Juan. This is the only door left (tunnel dates from 1630s) and the city was gated and closed up for the night until the 1860s. Sandy's still trying to get in, but doesn't know Latin.

-Calle de Cristobal...a nice little street.

-We drove to Fajardo, El Faro, with TONS o' directions to go on the kayak tour to the bioluminescent bay. Unfortunately, pictures wouldn't have turned out for us, but trust me, well, worth it!

-And here we go! I really feel I need a kayak now.

-I'm using this picture on the web - microorganisms living in the bay sparkle like gold flecks. When you move through them with a kayak or hand they light up blue-green, kind of like a firefly would. There are only about a dozen places in the world that have conditions that support this, the Carribean has five, and Puerto Rico has three. Unfortunately, because of gasoline boats, oil and other factors one of the three is basically dead. I would definately do this again, if only for the kayak ride through the mangroves to the bay. Sandy and I played around, paddling fast and then back paddling to sweep up giant waves of blue and green. It was really, really cool.

Puerto Rico, El Toro Negro

2009-04-04T10:17:00.015-04:00

We started our flight to Puerto Rico in Detroit. Unfortunately, high winds delayed our flights, but then again, after a night in Newark, we got to see the NYC skyline in the morning!

-We arrive in PR around one and instantly our Michigan bodies melted in the heat...not that we had a problem with that. Katie and Michelle, the cousins, enjoying the ride to the car.
-We got the little Kia with the great gas mileage...and the beautiful color!

-We made it quickly to where we were staying in Dorado. The view from the top floor balcony.
-Dorado is basically a resort town plopped in the middle of a small town. You even see people riding horses right downtown. Of course, later, we found this was more of a common occurance than we thought.

-Our first adventure was with Acampa, recommended by Liz, giving us a tour of the El Toro Negro rainforest. Unfortunately, Michelle couldn't come, but maybe the clause about the tour guides being infalliable would have deterred her anyway :-) After a very early morning (5:20) to get through the rush hour we may our pickup point.
-An hour into it, we came to Ruta Panoramica (Hwy 149) and went up some hills and switchbacks I'd be going 5mph on! Here's our view from the base camp.
-Raynar, one of guides, let us have a 200% organic banana. He said something about how it wasn't even grown on a farm, just in the wild, so it's double the organic-ness.

-A partial cut down banana tree on our way to the river. Huge channels and very spongy. They are cut down (see my Israel/West Bank pics) and regrow.
-The group included a missionary, two girls and a group of guys on the island for a bachelor party. On our way to the river.

-This is the lower time for the river. It flows quite high during rainy seasons, which make for a waterfall that goes out further and eats away the rock just in front of the fall.

-The rock was eroded to where it was a cone and 12 feet deep and 3 feet across. Note Frank in the yellow is standing so close, yet, I believe it's one of the Johns, is going right down. Just a little get-you-wet-and-trust exercise.

-Everyone did it and had to keep their arms to the side as not to hit the edges. Raymon, the other guide, pointed and you jumped and he guided you, if necessary. Very cool. You really did have to trust them.
-We carried our helmets and harnesses and they gave us dry bags as we climbed up the river and through waterfalls.

-Our next spot was to get baptized (it was Holy Week, after all) under the waterfall. Sandy's very excited about this.
-Peggy, Katie, Kristina and Sandy feeling very refreshed after.
-We kept climbing till we got to the top waterfall, where we needed our harnesses. So, Raymon checked them out.
-We waited excitedly as Raymon climbed up, sent a rope down and Raynar was the system to keep us from falling.

-I don't know, maybe over 35 feet to the top? This is my kind of vacation.
-Sandy climbing through the falls, where it wasn't so slippery. I'm proud to say the Michigan group did not fall and got up pretty quickly!

-Last one up!
-Another fall and some impatiens awaited us at the top. As did fire ants for me. But I'd rather look at the nice view.
-We found a trumpet flower, which gives you hallucinations for 30 minutes. Sometimes 30 years...so better not to take it.

-Going back to base camp. The pipe going across delivers water to the locals in the area. Several hundred live in the rainforest and the water is so clean they can take it right from the river. We were supposed to wear any bug spray or sunscreen as to keep the water clean.

-Pina! Okay, now we're getting hungry.

-We went back to where they had rice, beans and curry with some kind of meat, ribs, chicken, pork, yucca root with garlic (the white stuff Raymon is mixing) and totones - flattened fried plantain. Amazing.
-Peggy, Sandy and I had a little view, too.

-And then we got more equipment for the second leg.
-Back to trekking through the bananas, plams, figs and oranges.
-The roots of the palms were high to catch water.

-It rained the day before, so everyone got pretty muddy and watched their steps through the trail.

-We got to the first platform and got all our gear on, including gloves, since people tend to grab the cables.

-And we're off...the first zip line was pretty tame to get us used to it all. The second one was called the Roller Coaster. We had four all together - 100 feet above the river and you could look down and see falls. Very fun.

-Inbetween we found snails...
-...and vistas and trees...

-...and more bananas...

-....and falls to play in.

-Really play in!
-And some to drink from.

-Here's a take off...third, I believe.
-And the last landing. More videos on youtube.
-Raymon and Raynar, our excellent guides, taking a break while we play in the water.

-Trekking back after a long day.
-But one more surprise as Raymon found Coqui frog eggs. The little black things are the eyes.

-The Coqui is like the national symbol for Puerto Rico and we heard them all day - Koh-KEEE, Koh-KEEE. Very cute little thing.

-Then back to the restaurant, store, bar, casino...whatever you want it to be. All with "friiiiiiiiies."

-It's quite the hangout for those nearby. And flush toliets! Well...kind of.

Busy, busy, busy

2009-04-04T09:56:00.004-04:00

There's a little thing known as "Feast or Famine" in many places, including the north. You're either left to your own resources or everything's going on at once. These past few weeks started the feast for me!

-A trip to mid state, then to Chicago for a study of art museums. Chicago was great in and of itself (I won't put the art work/exhibits/programs on here), but it was a record 74 degrees when we went, which was highly unusual for the northbound ones we are! So we walked everwhere.

-Me and Jennifer enjoyed the "bean."
-Dave enjoying himself, too.

-Dave and I reenact the midwest.

-Just a cool building getting finished.
-The man himself. I'd love a dymaxion! Could you imagine that plunked into the middle of the UP?

-The staircase at Contemp. Art.

-I sat near Bonnie Hunt at the pizza place we went to for dinner.
-This guy had the moves for spinning pizza crust.
-Chicago Tribune at night.

-The Sears (soon to be known as something else, which I won't learn) Tower.

-We didn't spend as much time in Toledo/Detroit the next day...at the weather wasn't as spectacular. But here's Brian bonding with "P.Villa." in Monroe, MI.

-Also a weekend retreat at Camp Daggett. Our illustrious cook, Pete.

-The German themed dinner included leiderhosen.

-...and some drindeled wenches!

-...and some supermen!

It's not so cold

2009-03-08T15:10:00.005-04:00

-We went to the Pond Hockey event in St. Ignace. Everything's on the ice; 14 hockey rinks, tents, etc. Cindy and Jennifer staying warm in the tent.

-And it was cold! Friday and Sunday were beautiful, but Saturday it was windy and cold.
-That meant no chance of the ice melting! Jennifer's first time on ice!

-Cindy got us on a team for ice bowling.

-The second round we rocked, with 7 strikes!

-The manager of the team!
-That was the big snow, then a couple days later another big snow.
-It took me 1 1/2 hours to shovel out. I was looking for new places to put all the snow!
-With it being so cold we've had clear nights though...and a good moon rising.

-Some deer came to visit behind my house.
-It went across to St. Ignace later, of course, across the bridge.
-The cutter went through to break up a path through the ice. It's getting warmer, but there's TONS of ice out there. Not sure when it'll melt, but the bridge to the island is still good!

The Cold Winter of 09

2009-02-02T20:03:00.008-05:00

-When cold gets tough, the tough go snowshoeing! A good amount of snow, but it's been a bit too cold to get out in it. Of course, after the turn of the year, sun starts becoming more frequent and it's a bit easier to get around.

-Or not.
-We did a shoe at Cheboygan State Park with the physical thearpy people, which was great...with lighthouses.
-And ruins of lighthouses.

-And through the woods of Mill Creek to see the eagle's nest.
-There it is waaaaaaaaay back there. I was afraid to go across the beaver ponds and marsh, but we tried and it was a beautiful walk back anyway.

-Coach with her team. Geoff and I met up with Sandy's family to watch the big Escanaba/Cheboygan games.

-And the last full moon was great, so I took a good deal of pictures of this one. I never can have too many pictures of the moon.

Baptism and New Years

2009-01-08T20:06:00.005-05:00

-Mackenzie was baptized at St. Joe's after Christmas. Born (8 years+) 2 days after Justin, she also was baptized the same days apart as him and has the same godparents (John and I)...a nice thing.

-Such a good baby during the whole thing!

-The happy family.

-The happy kids after!

-Great grandma enjoying her great granddaughter and the star of the hour.
-For New Years we went out to Top of the Greeks (see the food blog for more) and later to Mulligans. I bowed out early, but still a good time had by all.
-After a hearty meal and a lot of laughing...Jennifer, me, Sheryl, Sandy (Brian taking the picture).

Christmas, Part Two

2009-01-05T19:43:00.003-05:00

St. Joe's decked out for Christmas.
-Frank, Thomas and Justin having fun at Grandma and Grandpa's house.

-Angela and Alex hanging out.
-Grandma and Mackenzie taking it all in.

-The next family get together was the day after...Grandpa and Alex.

-It was too much for Mackenzie.

-Bradley and Mary
-Justin getting his gift from Great Grandpa.

-The "Rasch" girls.

-The "Rasch" boys.

Christmas, Part One

2009-01-03T11:35:00.008-05:00

This Christmas the word was snow...and a lot of it!
-Ellic got into all the snow!

-Justin had to try to walk in it!

-Alex and Bradley...well, we tried to go sledding!
-And finally got it packed down to go fast!

-Then snow angels...

-...a snowman...

-...and a snow fort!

-Mackenzie liked her solid foods.

-Justin liked his pokemon.

-The first and the last!

-Alex and Mackenzie.

-Grandpa and Bradley.

-A rarely somber Mackenzie.

-Alex getting ready for Christmas mass.

-Mackenzie's excited,too.

-Bradley and old dog, Mattie.

-Mackenzie trying to sneak under the couch!

Inbetween

2008-12-20T16:02:00.004-05:00

-On my way downstate for Christmas, I saw a sundog in Gaylord.

-I wouldn't necessarily recommend taking pictures from your car on the highway.

-It was freezing so all the trees were frosted over.

-Mullet Lake in the morning.

-My backyard.

Maps

2008-11-13T13:19:00.004-05:00

After going 4200 miles on the van, several hundred miles while on the cape and 500 miles back and forth from "up north," I figure there were at least 5000 miles of driving for this latest trip. And because I like maps, some area maps of where we went.

The Cape, Part 2

2008-11-11T18:25:00.020-05:00

-Alex showing off Grandma braids.

-Justin and Bradley and the big apple (from Michigan, of course).

-Bradley in the fall.

-Since the older ones are at school, we took day trips with the younger two...Bradley at the Sandwich Fish Hatchery (notice the trout behind him).

-We got to feed the fish and they came jumping up to eat.

-Sandwich is a nice truly quaint town...the old grist mill here.

-We went to Hyannisport and saw the more leisurely life of JFK and the Kennedys.

-We also made it to Orchard House in Concord, where the Alcotts lived.

-The father's school of philosophy in back.

-And the Wayside where they lived previously, along with Nathaniel Hawthore among others.

-Just is now in Cub Scouts.

-And he and his dad had a long discussion about how to salute properly.

-The last day (Halloween) we went to the very appropriate Edward Gorey Museum. Bradley liked the gigantic cat. Apparently Edward liked animals, especially cats, but also let raccoons live in his attic.

-G is for George...hmmm, how tragic.

-Grandma and Mackenzie standing in front of some of the original sets from PBS' Mystery.

-He loved yellow and used to wear fur coats (before the love of alive animals came out).

-For Halloween they had many of the Gashlycrumb Tinies book's names outside, just underneath the biggest magnolia tree on the cape. Probably in New England.

-Then Halloween...

-Justin and Alex working hard on the big pumpkin...and we toasted the seeds after.

-Then the dressing up started, Alex as a bride and Bradley as Lightning McQueen from Cars.

-Mackenzie as a pumpkin, chubby cheeks and all.

-Justin as a World War I bomber pilot.

-All four of them together before the big night.

-I love this picture! Confusion, excitement all wrapped up in one.

-The oldest and the youngest (they also look a lot alike).

-The happy baby.

-And just before we left, one last picture.

-And just the kids.

-One last dance recital of the dancing queen!
-Heading across the Bourne Bridge over the Cape Cod Canal - 1933-1935.
-Stopped at Saratoga NHP, where the tide of the Revolutionary War started to change.

-And our last part in Canada over the Blue Water Bridge in Port Huron/Sarnia.

The Cape, Part 1

2008-11-11T13:54:00.026-05:00

-After leaving Canada, we headed through Maine to get to Cape Cod. We stopped at Freeport for the L.L. Bean extravaganza and for a bit at the Minute Man NHP, but it was onward to the family.

-And the first thing we did the next day was go to the soccer games. Alex striking a pose here.

-And throwing the ball. Very interesting watching the kindergarteners versus the third graders!

-And a boy Bradley with excellent coordination for kicking.

-Started getting intense for the Justin's team.

-A little lamb, Mackenzie, is pumped up with everything going on about her.

-Grandma didn't let her go too much.

-Bradley having fun while his siblings played.

-We went to the beach later that day. It was pretty windy and cold.

-But it still was nice.

-And we still dig gigantic holes for fun.

-And we'll hide in them when a big wind comes.

-The kids always get wet and sandy. Grandma helps pull off Justin's boot.

-Mackenzie, who just got to watch earlier, was all eyes later!

-Grandma reading to Bradley.

-Sunday we went for a woodsy walk at a nearby trail to an inland lake.

-Nice colors and a chance to play by the lake. Also saw a lot of dogs.

-The kids at dusk.

-The annual picture...now he's in third grade!

-After checking out our favorite spice shop we found the tallest point on the cape (120 ft. above sea level) and went up the Scargo Tower. Sherry and Bradley.

-If you see it close up you can see Provincetown and the sand dunes even!

-The tower built in the early 1900s.

New Brunswick

2008-11-09T17:49:00.013-05:00

-We headed through New Brunswick to get to PEI and then headed back to go through Maine. Many signs, no moose :(

-The Bay of Fundy was quickly going to low tide. Little rivers formed as it ebbed.

-Hopewell Rocks is only accessible for about 5 hours to walk on at low tide.

-All these rocks are covered about a third of the way up by the bay at high tide.

-You can kayak up to the rocks at high tide. And you have to watch so you don't go wandering and get stuck for hours at high tide!
-Mom by the bay.

-The seaweed the rocks holds water in bladders for the low tide times. Surprisingly, not slimy at all.

-Me by the sea cave.

-The shore coverd with seaweed.
-With the warm fall came roses again.

-Then we headed to Fundy National Park.

-A covered bridge along the way.

-One of the inlet that was actually used for docking, when at high tide.

-A bridge in the park.
-Another great vista.
-They did get snow in the higher regions! No moose.

-We stayed at St. Andrews by the Sea for the night. Got up to see a great sunrise.

-One of the blockhouses the town built during the War of 1812 for protection.
-The British and Americans also met here, St. Croix Island, as a neutral land during the war. However, the French tried to settle here with native people as early as 1604 (yep, earlier than Jamestown, Quebec City and Plymouth). Samuel de Champlain stayed the winter there before they moved on to Nova Scotia the next year.

Nova Scotia

2008-11-09T13:11:00.027-05:00

-We tried to take the ferry across, but took the bridge back and headed to Nova Scotia.

-First, to Halifax and the Citadel. Here is the changing of the guard.

-They also fire a noon cannon. Two different dress uniforms are worn for time period represented by the fourth fort that is there now.

-It's noon.

It's a big cannon.

-This is the fourth fort in this spot (at least reconfigured from the previous forts). Right in the middle of town.

-What it looks like from above.

-Please do not fling yourself off the side of the fort.

-Halifax from above.

-Mom and the cannon.

-Then we headed further down the coast to a place that is the most photographed in the area and has a population of 60, Peggy's Cove.

-Great rocks and plants.

-And a lighthouse on a rocky shore, next to the cute little town.

-Then further down to Lunenburg - a World Heritage Site. It has all these little overhangs from the second story.

-The academy!

The town from the other side, with the Bluenose II.

-This is the Bay of Fundy, highest tides in the world, from Parrasboro, which is a geologist's dream. We only stayed a couple of hours to see the tide in one spot, but could watch it from other places. The water is usually up to the sides of the lighthouse.

-The is from Five Islands and a local lady walking her dog said you could walk to the island at low tide.

-The Minas Basin of the Bay of Fundy.

-Patridge Island (see above) where Samuel de Champlain found amethysts whilst passing through in the 1600s.