48 Months

November 3rd was a big day down here.  Molly turned the big 0-4.  We promised her a pool party, which was quite easy to accommodate given our situation and location.  She was quite proud of herself and told the local law enforcement of her age.  So congrats Molly.  You have come quite far during your time.

We went for a walk out to a historical point on the island called Coppermine.   It was about 3/4 of a mile each way; up and down of course from the house.  Molly did okay, but benefited from a shoulder ride for a while.  Wally was carried in one of those sling apparatus set-ups for kids.  We have a bad tire on the stroller, but I am sure it will be fixable.

Wally has also aged quite well down here, and in general.  He will soon be 10 months, and for the past 6 weeks he has transformed into a much, much more easily managed boy.  He is eating, as well as picking food up on his own and plowing it into his mouth with lots of enthusiasm, he really likes to drink out of a bottle finally, and he is sleeping so much better too.  This includes regular 2 to 3 hour naps over the noon hour.  He loves the water and swimming down here.  Way to go Wally!  Finally.

In some regards days are really long.  The heat and sunshine lasts a long time.  We haven't quite hit our stride with much to do.  We don't have locomotive mobility or ease.  Molly is a bit clingy and is more attached to our attention, rather then her own play and enlightenment....  But by and by we are getting our grove on and exploring.  We went down to the marina area, sussed out a car rental place nearby, and have got to the library.  Acclimatizing is going to be a gradual process, and just when we are all on it, I fear it will be time to push on home.

The library was interesting.  It is only the size of a school portable.  It has a mixed collection of encyclopedias and other bygone reference books, as well as a few computers and newer selections.  Just as we arrived, a 2nd grade class came in for their weekly book exchange and story time.  We were met with lots, lots, and lots of excitement and touching.  The students were mostly impressed with Wally.  They just touched him and rubbed his legs and head.  The teacher commanded their attention well, and they seemed like a fair bunch of pupils that any teacher in the Avon Maitland District School Board would love to teach.  All the kids were in uniform, and again, seemed quite personable and enthusiastic.  There will be a few more school and classroom experiences to write about over the month.

Settling In

The residence where we are staying is nice.  It has a big 12 x 12 covered porch overlooking the Carribean Sea.  The open concept kitchen and living room is about 16 x 16 and has those things  one would expect and need.  There are 2 bedrooms each with king sized beds, and also futon.  Each room has an on-suite.  The house is fully stocked with linens, towels, dishes, and has a washer and dryer.  There is television and internet.  There is a fresh water pool shared between 3 “cottages”, and I assure you it is warm and refreshing.

We started the day by walking 800m to the grocery store.  I assure you provisions are quite expensive; in U.S. $ Cheerios were $8.00, eggs were $5.00, a bit of broccoli was over $3.00, Greek yogurt was $12 for a bigger sized container, you get the idea....  However.....  We got some basics and strolled home. We had a bite to eat, have been on the computer, and the misplaced luggage arrived by 10:30.  Coffee is on and I am 3 or 4 in.....  Things are good.

On my motorcycle trips I always add the quantitative results of my travels.  The total amount spent on gas, hotels, and the distances of course.  It is interesting in retrospect.  Basically the accommodations here were $3000 and the flights were also that.  So that is $6K U.S. before leaving home - plus an extra 30% conversion!  Anyway....  No more money write-ups about this trip.  It is expensive, but looking around and feeling the heat and warmth as I type, I am sure it will be worth it.

I am sort of making a plan of attack of things I want to do here.  I brought running stuff, but it is hilly (like Rossland), and the streets are narrow....  It may not be a priority.  But I would like to get snorkeling and scuba diving at some point, and would like to get out sailing.  I notice the neighbour has a bike and from what I know about my Ottawa experience, bikes can take me places.  So I will have to get friendly with them.

 It is not very walking friendly down here.  The streets are narrow, there are no sidewalks, and it is quite hilly.  That is a big change to what we are used to.  Still, we walk everywhere we need to go.  Molly and I were out walking and the late afternoon Carribean rain started.  3 different sets of passer-bys offered to give us a lift home.  We declined, although the offer was nice and appreciated.  The thing is it really wasn’t that far to go, and it wasn’t really raining too hard.

The wildlife includes goats, dogs, and chickens.  We got a notice in our cottage to not feed such animals as they will return and be a problem/pests - that is understandable.  But you can’t go very far without being barked at, maaaa-ed at, or cock-a-doodle-doed at. There is also 2 kind of lizards that we see often, a leaf tailed critter about 8 inches long, and just a newt/salamander like lizard too.  They are all over, and make no noise to write about.

With the walking situation and the wildlife, the area feels quite third-worldish.  Plus there are a lot of dilapidated houses/shacks too.  I have also seen a far amount of cars up on bricks with their 4 tires removed, there is a bunch of unfinished housing projects noticeable, and I have also seen more then enough garbage and litter on the streets.  On the other hand the climate, the views, and the nicer houses and cars make it look like paradise.  In my opinion it is an equal mix of both thus far. 

Toronto - New York City - San Juan PR - Virgin Gorda BVI

It was only a 12 hour day really.  The problem was it started super early, there was some misplaced luggage, but the kids were tolerable and made decent enough travel companions.  We were lined up in one immigration cue at 4:00 am in Toronto, and also at 4:00 in Virgin Gorda. 

The first section was from Toronto to New York.  We only waited 40 minutes at the airport, then it was off to San Juan, were we had a 2.5 hour wait, then the final flight was 50 minutes.  This last section was memorable because the plane was quite small.  It only had 9 seatbelts; the pilot’s would be the 10th.  The prop on the wing was less then a metre from me - and it was loud!  We only flew a few thousand metres in the air and it was neat to see all the boats and islands passed over.  Despite our luggage not being on the plane, the whole day went well.

When we arrived we had a mini cheering section which was great for Shelly.  Her good friend came to greet us with two of her children.  There was immediate hugs, hellos and introductions, and then off to our digs for the next month.  It was but  1 mile from the gravel runway of the airport in which we touched down.  Her friend Laura is a Cape Bretoner from Sydney, NS.  I can’t wait to chat her ear off for the next month.
We were invited over to Laura and Simon’s house for a dinner of chilli and rice.  The kids watched a video.  There house is quite nice.  It is capped off with an infinity pool over the edge of the cliff with views into the Carribean Sea.... 

Goderich - Waterloo - Toronto

On Halloween we skinned out of Goderich for a month of adventuring.  4 people, a bunch of clothes, and a tonne of baby food and diapers.  The ultimate destination would be to the Caribbean island of Virgin Gorda.  Stop #1 would be to the Columbia Icefields at the University of Waterloo to check out the OUA XC running championships.

I would guess this is a very, very happy 2nd place team - It was a close race with Guelph have the lowest score at 53 points, Windsor at 54, and MacMaster with 64.  And as Don Cherry would say, they are a bucn of good looking guys as well.  Congratulations coach Gary Malloy.  Keep up the good work.

Packed up, we headed out by nine and we were well within the starting time of eleven.  I last ran at the Columbia Icefield OUAA race, as it was know at that time, in 1996 maybe.  It was memorable for 2 reasons as I remember very clearly.  One, we won the team race, and I know I finished in the low teens.  Secondly I remember very clearly after the races we went into the hockey change rooms to shower and get cleaned up.  We shared a dressing room with the York runners.  I remember very clearly that they showered in their underwear.  All I know is that is quite odd for guys to do - and evidently memorable.
The Windsor Women’s team did okay.  They had to very strong runners in the top 10, and the rest filed in filling the halfway positions.  The men did very good.  The finished a good second place in the team result, also having 2 in the top 10, and all their runners in by the 30th athlete.

I was really happy to see a former Brookside student take part in the women's race.  Not only does she take part, but is a former CIAU XC individual champion from 2 years ago - she is no slouch.  Congrats Julie on your 2nd place finish representing Queen's.  Good luck at the Canadian University Champions in Guelph in another 2 weeks.

We met up with Drew Barisdale, had some lunch with him, and then pushed off to the final destination of the day which was a hotel by the Toronto Airport.  We settled in there, geared up for a quick sleep, and then eagerly awaited the next day’s journey and plane rides south into the Caribbean.

Atlanta and Home

So basically on Friday it wasn't a great day.  It was raining and not much exploring was going to happen on account of this inclement weather.  We did get out to a playground and park in Roswell and sussed that out, and unfortunately we poked ourselves into a giant Wal-Mart to take in that business; but we didn't buy anything.  After that we went to this indoor trampoline park called Sky-Zone.  We had a bit of a family pass and a jump around.  I suppose I have already mentioned that.

On Saturday we just sort of hung around the neighbourhood.  It was still raining and it was enough to impede an outdoor exploration.  Perhaps if we were at home we would have went out, but we were travelling and had on clothes or footwear to suit.  We went to Buckhead and headed for Lennox Mall.

Shelly and Marsha toured the mall and got that business done, while I took the kids into the Legoland Adventure area.  It was okay - the kids seemed to enjoy it.  It was a 2 hour affair that included so interactive Lego building, a history lesson about Lego, a ride, and a few other exhibits to check out.

On Sunday it was still misty and overcast, but Stone Mountain would be our ultimate destination.  This is a odd geographic landscape that over millions of years, has created this enormous rock heaving out of the ground.  The perimetre of the rock must be a few kilometres, and it would go a few hundred feet up.  There is a walking path, but that wasn't going to be an option with the company we brought, so we thought we would take the gondola up - the gondola was closed of course.  But we were still able to walk around the base of it, and the shops were all open in the consuming area.  They had it decorated really nicely, and the fall colours were evident.  There was an impromptu parade which we participated in, and overall it was a fantastic trip despite poorer weather.

On Monday morning we pushed northeast towards North Carolina.  Boone, NC would be our ultimate destination.  I had last been to Boone, NC in 2002.  I remembered its distinct vibe and feel as a mid sized, hip city.  I thought Shelly would enjoy going into the artisan shops, and I really wanted to go to the Mast General Store.  Eventually we got to Boone, got a hotel, and had some time to explore and see the city.  Without fail it was pretty much as I expected, and I was very impressed by the easy going feel and mountain-like community it presented.  It would be a lot like Nelson, BC, maybe a bit Stratford-ish, ON too.

Mast General is a great store.  It is a store that time has forgotten.  It is a general store with an operational post office and such, a huge wood stove in its centre, lots of candy and crafts, hunting supplies, and just generally cool things.

On Tuesday we found Interstate 77 and proceeded north.  It was a really, really great drive.  No construction like on 75, you drive through a few tunnels through mountains, great scenery, and just different, but neat.  We weren't making great time, but eventually we got to Akron after 7:30 at night and thought that would be a good enough highway haul.

There was only 450km left to drive - So we headed out on Wednesday morning and it was sunny and warm.  Travelling with the kids had been fine, and continued to be fine.  Wally traveled very well and pulled more sleep then he had every slept before in his life it seemed.  Molly not so much or as good.  She wasn't too interested in movie watching, book reading/looking/, colouring, or anything involving a solitary activity....  However we did alright and kept her mostly engaged.

We got all the way to Port Huron and gassed the car and fed the stomachs.  It would be see-ya-later to the states and let's get the you-know-what home.  We would make a quick stop in Bright's Groove to visit Janet and Pete, and then onto the last 80km leg home.  We arrived by 3:30 or so.

Got To Atlanta

So we got to Atlanta no problem on Thursday by 4:00.

The driving was soooo much nicer; less traffic, no construction, and just all around nicer views through Kentucky and Tennessee.  You really do see and feel the smoky mountains for a bit of a stretch along the interstate during this point.

It rained a lot, but that would be the theme for the next few days.  We made it to Knoxville and ate a cool place.  It was a chain restaurant, but it had gourmet tomatoe soup and grilled cheese.  So obviously it doesn't make too much of a difference, although it did have a different feel then the regular chain-type eating establishments that are prolific along the interstate.  It was called Tom-Chee I think?  It was good.  I had the chilli - I hate tomatoe soup and I didn't feel like a grilled cheese.

We got to Marsha's and noticed her kids were across the street at a neighbour's house.  So we went over because we saw a huge bouncy castle with a gaggle of kids going insane.  Once there, Alden and Loch recognized Molly so I just tossed her into the castle like I was a long lost neighbour, rather then the tired traveler I was.  The house owner thought nothing of it because our kids knew one another.  After 30 seconds I introduced myself, Marsha was also now in the frame, and we had a beer in no-time flat.

Thursday night we just had a few more drinks and order some pizza.  It was still raining.  But we had made our destination.

On Friday we had strong intentions and plans to make a dent in Atlanta, but we didn't.  It was raining and there would be no fun in 5 points, or Little Five Points, or Piedmont Park, or Virginia Highlands, and all those places....  So we went to riverside Park up in Roswell and walked around a bit and played on some equipment.  Later on in the afternoon we cruised a WalMart which is embarrassing, but then we went to a trampoline facility which was fun.  And on Friday night Marsha and I went to the Roswell vs. Walton high school football game in the rain.

It was a good day all in all - a bit different then expected, but it was nice spending some time together and doing things with Marsha at times, and of course with my more immediate family too.

 

Family Trip to Atlanta

Going back to where some adventures started from 1999 - 2002.

We actually made it to the airport past Cincinnati which is in Kentucky.  We left Goderich full of energy by 11:30, and zipped over the bridge in Port Huron, ripped through Detroit, and scooted along I-75 south. 

Shelly drove the first 400km.  She had never done such driving, in such traffic, or under those conditions.  All in all it wasn’t a big deal, but she quite often needed reinforcement, or a plan of attack to get through the different sections of the road.  I am not sure if she would have made it without someone else around.  But now it is done, each other time gets easier.

All through Ohio the conditions of the road wasn’t that great.  There was lots of construction, and enough traffic.  Notwithstanding there isn’t really too much to look at in terms of scenery or points of interest.  Lots of high school football teams were at practice, and the Bowling Green Falcons were running drills too. 

We stopped for dinner at a Bob Evans.  Got some gas there too, and continued on another 90 minutes.  We were in the car and on the road for about 8.5 hours and got 640 km.  Walter slept for 6.5 hours and hardly fussed whilst awake.  Molly was up for most of it and had a few pockets of silliness and restlessness.  We had a video system, but it was only on for about 45 minutes in all.  Molly is like Shelly; she’d rather talk.

There were no shortage of places to sleep at.  For whatever reason - well my decision, we stopped at a Super 8.  It was more like Super Shi-8.  “Smoking or Non Smoking room”, was the first question posed from the receptionist...  That just sort of lays the foundation for the type of facility.  It was right beside the interstate so it was kind of noisy.  The television didn’t work, and for the first 55 minutes in the room Molly was an animal.  Wally was in no mood for sleeping because of the rest he got all day.  Shelly and I were tired of course because it had been a long enough day....  So the first section of driving was awesome, and the night was sorting itself to be not so good.

As it was the kids settled and found their groove, it was about 10:00 at night, and the noise subsided quite a lot from the highway.  I slept all the way until 7:00 uninterrupted, and so did everyone else.

The rate on the room also provided a continental breakfast.  It was not terrible, it was not great.  I ate none of it.  Packed and on the road by 8:30.

Kentucky is a much more picturesque state to travel through.  There are large areas of deciduous trees, bits of valleys, and fog which hugs the bottom of the sky and tops of the trees.  It isn’t that long of a state to drive through either.  It is only about 3 hours from top to bottom.  There were plenty of spots along the way for gas and food, but feeling fine we galloped through the bluegrass area.  It rained through most of the drive.