Homeward bound

We left Cavindish National Park about 9 AM on Thursday and soon drove across the Confederation Bridge--8 miles.  YIKES, I don't like bridges a lot.  Not long after that it began to rain and rained all day.  Sometimes it was very heavy and made me uncomfortable.  I'm so glad Royce let me renege from my offer to drive as I would not have been comfortable at all. 
When we entered the US the immigration officer had lots to say and inquire about our Aliner camper.  I'm not sure the folks behind us in line appreciated his friendliness, but it was the nicest 'interrigation' we have ever had at a border.
By supper time we had both agreed that setting up the camper was not what we desired, so we ate at an Applebees and located a motel for the night.  Nice for a change.  It must be that modern conveniences improve Royce's Scrabble skills as he beat me handily.  Of course, it didn't hurt that he got the J, Q, Z, V, F,....need I go on?   My tile rack consistently had duplicates of single point letters often with one vowel at a time.  Sour grapes?  You bet!  Really, I just love playing the game and even though I prefer to win, I still enjoy the activity whether I win or not.
At this rate, we may return home earlier than planned, which will be nice since we'll have to be on the road again for Labor Day weekend to our place in MI.  Truly no grass is going to grow under our feet.
Well, Royce is packed and ready to get on the road so I'll close for now.  I probably will continue to send some posts of things we did on the trip even after we get home so stay tuned.
Eager to be in familiar places with people I love.
Jackie

Proper balance of music and histyory

.  Wednesday, August 1, 2012

                I have such a dear husband.  After we arrived at our campground of Whycocomagh and putting our air conditioning into service for the first time this trip, Royce spent some time with the ranger and learned that there would be a ceilidh—kaley—in a town west of us so we ate a quick supper and headed for the town.

                The music was delightful and sounded much like the music we enjoyed in Ireland, but this was Scottish area.  Three musicians played a keyboard and two violins.  During one number a man at least our age did a step dance to the music.  We thoroughly enjoyed the evening especially since it was not part of our schedule.  However, this meant no Scrabble game so the score remains at: Jackie 5, Royce 1 and 1 tied game.

                This morning we headed across a waterway on another ferry with a cable and wheel configuration that we used previously.  The waterway in called a salt water lake.  Our destination was Iona, where the Highland Village Museum was located.

                Our stroll through the village told the story of the immigration of the Gaels from Scotland and how they adapted to life in Nova Scotia while maintaining their language, culture and customs.  Folks dressed in period costumes were gracious to explain their way of life to us.  It was while visiting one of the houses that I learned why the music we heard last evening sounded so much like the music we heard in Ireland.  It seems that centuries ago folks from Ireland moved to Scotland—it isn’t far across the water from Ireland.  With the intermarrying of the Irish and Scots their music blended also.  However, the Irish do their dancing with lots of exaggerated leg movements while the Scots do step dancing which is done with more restrained movements.

                When we were touring the barn of the village, Royce pointed to a tractor and what to my wondering eyes should appear but a FORDSON tractor—the mascot from my Fordson High School in Dearborn Michigan.  This tractor was much older than our mascot and had not benefitted from the loving care of the automobile shop class, but it was a Fordson tractor nonetheless.

                So there you have it; history that Jackie can tolerate and appreciate.

Museum of Industry

Because we often cannot get WIFI, my posts are usually not sent on the day of the event.   Please forgive the delays.  Jackie

07.31.12 Stellarton Museum of Industry

We just spent a delightful afternoon in the town of Stellarton, NS.  First we visited the Museum of Industry—per my request.  It has been a long-standing agreement between Royce and me that I will visit all his mountains, forests, lakes, rivers, historical places, if he will let me tour a factory now and then.  Although this was not a factory, it did deal with many of the mechanisms or products of factories. 

We found the museum to be both child and adult friendly.  The written explanations were concise and easily understood.  Surprisingly, we were escorted by our own tour guide who was quite informative and interesting.  We learned that hydro power could be accomplished via a variety of methods and were allowed to work the models making it much clearer than someone simply  lecturing us.

I was especially intrigued by a mobile shop classroom that went into the rural areas and picked up the students who were heading to the field of technology for a day’s lesson before moving on to the next rural area.  Inside the bus there were several machines such as a drill press, a small lathe, a gig saw, etc. The tour guide told us the story of finding a very old bus which was refurbished as a project by students.  It was then furnished with the machines.  Once the bus got to the final school of the day, they would plug into the school’s electrical power and have a lesson. Only one problem; there was no motor for the bus built sometime in the 1940’s.  So they wrote to Ford Motor Company in Dearborn, Michigan—my hometown—and asked for help in locating a motor.  Several weeks later they got a call telling them that a motor had been found in a warehouse of old parts and was being shipped to them at no cost.  I was glad to hear that my hometown showed compassion.  Another reason why I buy American made automobiles.

            After the tour we went for soup and sandwich to a shop recommended by an employee of the museum.  It was a great recommendation.  We’re on the road again heading to Cape Bretton where we have been told by many that we will be thrilled with the scenery.  No more factories, for a while, I guess.

Pudding!

Written on 7/25/12

PUDDING!

                Today we were reminded again how much we miss our dear friend Derek Hulse who taught drama and was our trivia expert in the area of musicals and drama.

                During the Musical, Hello Dolly, the boys from Yonkers who worked in a hardware store wanted an adventure.  They decided to go ‘into the city’ for such an adventure.  The younger fellow asked his co-worker, “How will we know when we are having an adventure?”

                “I’ll say, ‘Pudding!’”

                Eventually they found themselves in a precarious position under a table in millinery shop.  The older young man said, “Pudding!”  Thus became the code word between the Derek and Nancy Hulse and the Rogers.

                Well, today was a pudding!

                We arose early enough to have spare time before we needed to be in line for our ferry ride back to the mainland.  Since we had some extra time, we parked in the ‘WIFI Lane’ of the campground so I could do some work on the Internet.  With my computer plugged into the inverter which was plugged into the car’s 12 volt receptacle and the camper’s refrigerator running on 12 volts I got quite a bit of work done.  We arrived at the ferry terminal still ahead of time so while Royce was out taking pictures I continued to use the computer until the inverter made a loud noise and I quit.

                Well, the ferry came, discharged its contents onto the ramp and was ready for a new load.  Royce turned on the car and heard tickatickatick.  Red of face, he had to tell the attendant that our car would not start.  The two semi-trucks behind us drove around us and Royce began to try to jump the car with a Mini Mite which he had charged up at home before we life.  Tickatickatick  There is still time to catch this ferry if we can get the car started in the next 15 minutes.  Royce tried to clean the terminals.  Tickatickatick  Eventually the attendant had a man bring his truck to jump our car and the car started.  Only one problem; we only had to drive a short distance, downhill, to get on the ferry.   Would that be enough to charge the battery?  Well, we can’t do anything about that for an hour and a half.

                When we arrived back at Blacks Harbour, we tried to start the car again and tickatickatick!!!!  Royce notified an attendant wondering if we were going to have to ride back and forth between the mainland and the island like the man from Boston who rode beneath the streets of Boston to never return.  Apparently we were not the first folks to have this problem for he brought out a ‘Mightier Mite’ and sent us on our way.

                Of course, all the time this was happening, I was feeling guilty that I ran my inverter too long.  For sure, that was a contributing factor, but while we were idle, the camper’s refrigerator was also drawing power from the car battery.  Hopefully, we have learned a lesson or two and won’t have this flavor of pudding again.

Trip vs. Vacation

If you are familiar with Jackie’s brain theory, you will quickly understand why planning and implementing a vacation or trip can be a source of some tension.  Whereas we both worked on the plans for this trip, I am quickly being reminded that Royce is on a trip and I am trying to be on a vacation.  What is the difference, you ask?  Well, on a vacation, there is minimal schedule but freedom to make changes in plans that are made.

When we arrived at Acadia National Park and Royce breathed in the crisp, clear air he said, “I could live here.”  I was ecstatic!  At long last I thought we might actually have a vacation.  A few days later, as we talked about what the next day might entail, I learned that we were going to be at the Kingsbrea Gardens when they opened at 9 AM.  But I wanted to take a shower in the morning.  I was informed that the shower was available all night.  Not being one who likes to walk in the dark, I chose to take my shower in the morning.  Each time I woke in the night, I looked at my watched on the counter and hoped I would awaken at 7 AM to give me time for my shower.  To be fair, I should have asked Royce to wake me up at 7 if he was already up, but I didn’t.  When I felt him poking me in the back I asked him what was wrong.  “It is 7:30,” was his reply.  Grudgingly, I got up scurried off to the shower room and was ready and seated in the car at the appointed time.

 Later I asked him, “How did you know what time it was?”

“I wore my watch to bed like I have every night since we left home.”

Okay, now you tell me: Who is on a trip and who is on a vacation?

The remainder of the day turned out to be more like vacation, though.  On the ferry to Grand Manan Island, we met a couple who were going to be presenting a concert of folk music on the Island.  Where on the island?  Neither of us listened carefully enough to remember, but we finally found the hall and enjoyed a delightful evening of music and stories.

Our camping site is listed as ‘wilderness.’  From it we can see the Bay of Fundy and hope to either see or hear whales which frequent this area.

Our first full day on the island was truly a vacation as we visited three lighthouses and the beautiful coastline on which they are situated.  One actually reminded us of the Cliffs of Mohar that we enjoyed so much when we visited Ireland.

We have also found the locals to be quite pleasant.  When we went to a little café for lunch, there were no tables available.  We agreed to sit at a window ledge on bar stools when a man sitting at a table invited us to join him and his wife at their table.  After the lunch, the chef came out and chatted with us about his new venture.  Likewise the campground staff has been very accommodating and friendly.  So much hospitality in such a small place.

Being on vacation allows us time to play Scrabble.  Thus far in this tournament the score is:

Jackie 2

Royce 0

Don't feel too bad for Royce as the standings are likely to change any day now.  BTW, speaking of standings, Royce read in his Enewspaper that my beloved Detroit Tigers are now in first place--just where they should be.

Jackie's brain theories

If you have endured Jackie's ranting about her brain theories before, please feel free to skip this post and look for others.

Jackie’s Brain theories

                Although I don’t even have a master’s degree, I believe I have come upon a hypothesis that would certainly qualify for research leading to a PHD in something, probably feminine logic.

                I believe that when God was creating mankind he created at least two compartments in our brains; one for learning and one for enjoying.  Some of us have a large capacity for learning—Royce—and some of us have a large compartment for enjoying—me.

                I also believe that the capacity for the learning compartment is limited.  Once one exceeds the capacity, if new information is learned, some bit of older knowledge quietly and secretly slips out the back door and is lost.  That is why I am very careful what I choose to learn.  However, I am not in total control of that process.  For example, during a road rally sponsored by our church, I learned that Little League in Fairport, NY began in 1953.  Do I want to remember that fact?  Emphatically, no!  However, I can’t seem to forget it making me quite uneasy about what bit of knowledge may have slipped out the back door of my brain.  I’ve checked my husband’s and children’s birthdays, my social security number, my address and phone numbers and all seem to be secure.

                Some of my dear friends have told me that they ENJOY learning.  There is an explanation for that.  It is a congenital defect similar to tetralogy of fallot—TOF.  In TOF there is a hole in the septum dividing ventricles of the heart thus allowing oxygen-poor blood to cross over the septum and be distributed throughout the body.  Fortunately, there is surgery to correct this defect and the child can live a normal life.  However for the brain defect there is no cure and the person must go through life seeking always to be learning something and never fully enjoying anything.

                I share this with you so you will understand why vacations/trips are a source of some tension in our home, but more about that in another post.

               

On the Road Again.....

Saturday, July 21, 2012

Well, we’ve been on the road for three days now and are beginning to acknowledge that not camping for a few years allows an aging couple to forget important details like locking the refrigerator door as well as the rear compartment door.  Fortunately, the most we lost were the leveling blocks.  Now, as we travel we look for places that might sell such items with no success thus far.  Not finding any today, we are left to sleep end for end since the camper is slightly off level.

                Our time in Acadia National Park (ACAD) was most pleasant disproving the line from the play Our Town, “you can never go back home again.”  The park is just as beautiful as we remembered it.  We enjoyed an evening program in the campground and a full day in the park using the free, propane-powered bus to visit the Sieur de Mont gardens, sand beach, thunder hole, Jordon Pond House for yummy chicken salad and pop overs, Bar Harbor for breath-taking harbor views, yummy Gelato and even LOBSTER ICE CREAM for Royce.  Our day was complete as we watched the sun set from Cadillac Mountain.

                The weather here is ‘perfect’ as proclaimed on the weather board at the campground office.  70’s during the sun-filled days and 50’s at night are perfect.  HOWEVER, we didn’t expect such cool weather and found ourselves purchasing an inexpensive blanket at a Family Dollar to keep us from shivering at night.  Yes, we have a furnace, but thus far Royce has not been willing to turn it on.

                Our hours in the car are made much more pleasant by listening to Anne of Green Gables.  We feel this will be a great introduction to the Maritime Provinces where we will be spending the majority of our vacation.

                For those who might be interested, we have added Canada to our phone coverage so that we can be reached if necessary.  Jackie: 585 233 5983  Royce 585 8313354.

                We hope you all are well.  In a few minutes we will be in Canada, eh?