Fun in the sun!

The week started out quietly but ended with a whole lot of fun!  I did my regular grocery shopping, household chores, a bit of yard work and so forth completed by mid-week.  I had planned to mow Thursday morning, but the grass was wet and got even wetter when it began raining that morning.  

I did get out for a walk on Tuesday, though I almost wished I hadn't by the time I got home.  When I left the house it at about 10 a.m., it was already 24C (75F) and it had risen to 27C(80F) by the time I arrived home about an hour later.  I hadn't taken any water with me and definitely needed some rehydration by that point.

It was an odd walk, even though I walked my regular route.  The photos tell the story.

First up was this baby crow, that had fallen from the nest. It was off to the side of the path, wet from the sprinklers.  By the time I came back, it had dried off and was marching back and forth.  It's parents were close by and letting anyone who got close to back off.  That included me as well as a pair of Merlin hawks that were buzzing around.  I don't know what happened to it - hopefully the older crows were able to keep it safe from the predators.  (I don't know if crows actually have blue eyes or if this was a reflection of the sky.)

Okay, this was just weird.

Someone had hung a pancake (slightly burnt on the other side) in one of the spruce trees off the path. I presume they were well intentioned, thinking the birds might eat it.  Who knows, maybe they did.

I heard the sound of aircraft high above and captured this photo of a pair flying in tandem. I suspect they belong to 15 Wing Moose Jaw, part of the RCAF.  I checked the information on line and believe these are two CT-156 Harvard II.  The base at Moose Jaw is home to the Snowbirds, Canada's air demonstration squadron. 

At the creek, things were normal and I was thrilled to see three families of ducks.

I took the path on the opposite side of the creek, hoping to catch a glimpse of the godwit or avocet, but saw neither.

I've left this photo small but I presume you can enlarge it by clicking on it.  I believe this is a gopher skull.  

Happily I saw a few more, like this one, watching me from the grass.  The city crew were out mowing the park but hadn't reached this area.  

While this isn't really odd, it just impressed me with it shape and color.  It's a thistle of some sort, with a large purple flower.  They may be a weed but in the park they're simply beautiful.

My second encounter with a crow happened near the end of the creek. I would have liked to get a front-on photo as it was resting on top of the warning - thin ice sign.  It didn't cooperate!

Over at the pond, the goslings continue to grow up quickly.  This one appears to be nearly fully grown, with just a bit of down remaining around the face.  

Friday, I headed out of town early in the morning for a visit with D and Eli.  To quote Dr. Seuss, "oh the fun we will have".  Well, we certainly did. There were visits to the nearby park and spray pad, to the beach, lots and lots of playtime in the yard, and a brief shopping trip that resulted in the purchase of cupcakes too.  

At one point, Eli was soaking wet, but I had forgotten to bring a towel with us.  He came running over to me and gave me a big hug, burrowing his face into my shirt.  I was nearly as soaked as he was! 

Before we left for home he went down the big slide and then we stopped at the swings to watch the city crew dealing with the damaged trees from the storm a few weeks ago.  As I pushed him on the swing he got quiet, so I asked what he was thinking about, "A rocket ship G'ma", he said.  We had quite the conversation about him wanting to build a rocket ship and go into space.  

Saturday we were up early and outside doing yard work before heading for the beach.  The yard is large and requires a fair amount of maintenance that would daunt even someone who enjoys doing that work.  D got the lawn mowed, while I did some weeding.  Eli buzzed around the yard serenading us with the trumpet he found in the garage (where D had thought she had hidden it. :))  

The beach was quiet when we arrived, just two other families besides ourselves.  Eli loves the water, though a bit tentative to begin with, he soon overcomes any trepidation and enjoys himself immensely.

When the boats went by their wake would send waves into the beach.  We had some fun jumping the waves.  There was a couple of other children there for the first half-hour or so before they left.  Eli quite enjoyed their company and the three took turns on the slide.

When they left the beach, he continued to slide on his own.  But he called to me to come out to help him off the slide. Not that he needed the help, he just wanted to splash me.  Stinker!  

We left the beach when a family arrived with their dog in tow. Although there are signs that dogs are not permitted on the beach, the husband stood in front of the sign, read it, and then casually walked down to the water with the dog.  Sigh...perhaps we're just rule followers but this was a large dog and though leashed bowled over one of their children in its excitement.  My daughter was feeling quite anxious and there was no point in staying any longer.

On our way back to town, we spotted a young mule deer in the ditch.  It was feeding and although it raised it's head to look at us, it didn't seem bothered by the traffic passing by. No photo, since my camera was packed away.

It rained overnight, so the last bit of yard work I had planned to get done this morning had to be left.  But D and I got a few chores done in the house that aren't easy to accomplish on one's own with a four year old helper.  I left soon after these were done with a tinge of sadness - I do enjoy my time with the two of them though I do appreciate the quiet of my home. 

I did make a brief stop on the highway on my way home.  You likely won't recall but I've stopped to take photos of this old house before.  Those photos were taken of the front of the house, which has been falling in.  Today's photos are of the rear of the house, which seems to have fared far better than the front.

It must have been a lovely home at one time.  These bushes were likely planted as a hedge.  

On the pathway I came across these wild flowers. I've no idea what they are.  But it amazes me how hardy these plants are - out in the hot sun, watered only when it rains, and never weeded.  Perhaps I've chosen the wrong plants for my perennial bed. 

We're heading into a heat wave for the upcoming week.  Thankfully we won't be getting the high temperatures that British Columbia is experiencing; 35C (95F) on the island and 48C (118) in some places in the interior!  Even so, I'll be puttering in the yard in the mornings and spending the afternoons hiding in my air-conditioned house.  D sent me home with a project so I've got some sewing to do too. 

Have a good week everyone!

Fun in Fort Lauderdale

Warning - another photo heavy post!

I've been to Fort Lauderdale many times, always the day prior to boarding a cruise ship.  I've generally stayed in one particular hotel that has both an airport and cruiseport shuttle.  Nearby is a shopping mall and a Moonlight diner (which I enjoy immensely).  However, I've always left on the disembarkation day so really haven't any time.  My bucket list item for this trip was to be on the beach to wave goodbye to the cruise ships as they sailed out.  Hotels on or near the beach tend to be expensive but I used my Airmiles points to book two nights at the Best Western Plus Oceanside and it cost me only $84 Canadian.  Hooray for points!

As the name implies the hotel is near the beach but not ocean view.  My room was actually on the ground floor and overlooked the pool.  The beach was less than a five minute walk away.  I was pleased with the room and hotel amenities.  They offered a free breakfast, with a wide variety of items to choose from, and also had a lunch and dinner menu.

I had to wait a couple of hours to check-in, but then I was there at 10:30 a.m.  I spent my time by the pool, reading and just enjoying the weather.  Shopping and restaurants were about a 20 minute walk away.  After I settled at the hotel I took a walk on the beach promenade to see what I could find as an option for lunch.  After a bit of back and forth, I chose the restaurant Ocean Bleau for a burger and fries.    

Both were delicious and I couldn't finish it all as the burger was huge!  While I ate indoors, this was the view from my seat in the restaurant.  Lovely!

After lunch it was back to the hotel to relax by the pool before heading back out to the beach for my walk down to the end where the cruise ships sail.  Unfortunately by 4 p.m. the nice weather didn't hold and according to the weather channel a "rare Nor'Easter" was blowing in.  It was a tough walk with the wind blowing towards me, and the sand swirling around  As a result I didn't get as far down the beach as I had wanted...but it still worked out okay.

These are the Point of America's apartments at the side of the channel.  This is what casts a large shadow on the beach (when the sun is shining).

I think you can see how windy it was by the trees and the haze in the air is the sand.

I waited for about 20 minutes, all while being sandblasted, and then there she was!  It is the Crown Princess appearing from behind the apartment block.  

It was such a different perspective and despite the weather I was so excited to be there. 

This photo makes me think the ship is parked on the beach.  You can see I wasn't the only one out to watch her sail-away.  Hardy souls all of us. 

It was bittersweet to watch her sail away.  I had such a marvelous cruise, and hope that those who are on her for the next ten days (they'll have disembarked today I believe) did too.  Though I suspect the waters were a bit rougher at least at the beginning.

I turned around after the ship was further out to see and headed back to the hotel.

My hotel was back of the buildings in the gap between the ones in the foreground and the ones further back.  It was a lot further down the beach than I expected, but walking back was easier then the walk out because the wind blew me that way! There were still people on the beach but it was mostly hotel staff picking up the chairs, beach towels and any other debris.

I spent the rest of the evening relaxing and reading in my room.


The following morning after a great breakfast, I headed back out towards the shopping area.  It was raining off and on, though still warm, but the promenade was closed.  I was disappointed as I would have liked to have walked along the beach.  However, that disappointed turned to surprise when I came across this:
Who knew there were river boats in Fort Lauderdale?  Not me!  I walked for about 45 minutes before I turned back (with a stop at a CVS for a bottle of water and snacks for the plane).  As I came up to the pier, I noticed there were people getting on board so I stopped at the ticket office to find out about the cruise.  The ticket taker told me this was a river cruise, the cost was $25, but they had a later cruise at 1:30 that was 3 hours in length and would visit their private island with a wildlife sanctuary with a cost of $33US.  She mentioned there were options to buy lunch on the island as well.  I was sold!

I went back to the hotel, dropped off my bag and read by the pool for a bit.  I would note, I chose to do so because there was a sign reading "No outside food or drink allowed".  That turned out not to be true but what did I know?  As I was walking back to the pier, I was drenched in a brief downpour.  I was glad to have my rain jacket but even it was soggy.  It was okay though because after purchasing my ticket and while standing in line the sun came out again and I was dry by the time we boarded.  

Along the way one of the crew kept us informed as to the history of the houses we were seeing.  I can't recall what we were told about any of them.  In any event, it was interesting, and the stories were often funny.

I'll let the photos tell most of my story.

I thought this might be a fun way to do a river cruise.  Maybe next time.














There were several bridges that opened as we sailed through.


Check out the fruit on this tree.  I should mention every house we passed had a least one boat in front of it.



We arrived at the island after about an hour of cruising down the river.  The feature exhibit was the alligators. There were three of them chilling out in the pit. 

(The third one is behind the one that is peeping out of the water).  

The handler climbed into the pit, dragged the one that was laying in the sun over and began his show.  I lost interest at that point. I'll be honest I don't like seeing any animals man-handled.  I just don't understand how that can be entertaining.

Besides there were enough other creatures and beautiful flowers to keep me moving.

 The sign reads "Caution, I bite!"

Later the alligator handler came out of the pit to show off this baby alligator.  One could, if so inclined, have a photo taken with it for $5.  the proceeds go to the sanctuary.

I chose not to do so, instead I purchased my lunch, a simple hot dog and drink and sat watching people feed the peacocks.  Unfortunately they were givings bits of their hamburger or hotdog buns - not likely an appropriate food.

As you likely tell, the weather was sunny while we were on the island.  That held true for most of the return cruise. 

I particularly liked the look of this property.  What a lovely spot to sit and watch the marine traffic!

We were told this tower has 24 carat gold on it...I would doubt that as I suspect someone would find a way to steal it.  

It was owned (or perhaps is) by an extremely wealthy long time resident of Fort Lauderdale whose name escapes me.  If memory serves, it was part of a large compound containing two large guest houses, a huge shed that purportedly held the lawn mower, and the main house...which was humongous!

Just as we reached the channel where we would turn towards the pier, it began to rain again.  The bridge you see in this photo, I believe is the one at I had pictured in the shots from the cruise ship...just the opposite side.

When we reached the pier it was pouring rain, so I got drenched once again as I walked back to the hotel.  After changing clothes, I hung the wet items to dry in front of the a/c unit.  It was still raining so I read for a hour or so before I went to dinner in the hotel.  I didn't want to walk the 20 minutes in the weather again.

As I was waiting for my dinner, a couple were looking for a table, and as I was at a four top, I offered to share.  We had a wonderful chat (though I've forgotten their names already) as they were sailing the following day.  They had driven from Galveston, Texas, a few days prior and had spent some time with family in another part of Florida before making their way to Fort Lauderdale for their cruise.  

The rest of the evening I spent repacking the suitcase and carry-on.  I needed an early night because I had to head to the airport by 4:30 in the morning for my 7 a.m. flight to Toronto.  After a 3 1/2 layover in TO, I was on my home to Regina arriving at 3:30 p.m. local time.  It felt good to be home, and best of all there was very little snow left!

So ends my final journey for this year (at least at this point I have nothing else planned).  It was another wonderful trip, filled with fun experiences and great people. 

Hope you've enjoyed the photos and stories.  I'll be back soon with an update on the preparations underway to get the house ready for sale...and all the other boring stuff that happens in my average life.  Have a great day everyone!

Great Stirrup Cay, Bahamas - Vacation Day 5

First off, thanks to ThriftMaven for identifying the signal at sail-away.  This Canadian had no clue!  Now, I'm curious - I may have to go back through previous sail-away photos to see if that or something similar has been evident.

Day 5 started early, as we were tendering in Great Stirrup Cay (GSC), Bahamas.  According Wikipedia, Norwegian Cruise lines (NCL) purchased the island in 1977 and has developed it into a private island for the use of their cruise passengers.  I had read previous reviews, the island was under construction until October 2017.  Must have been using unionized workers....sorry, old joke.

Look at the color of the water! I truly love the Caribbean blues.  The tenders started at 8 a.m., though I'm certain they were running earlier than that taking staff from the ship to the island where they set up a bar, buffet area, and equipment rentals (snorkeling and paddle boards I believe).  Sandra, Amy, Helene,  and I were among the passengers on the 2nd shuttle as we wanted to get our choice of chairs - far enough from the main area to be less noisy, close enough to the bathroom and bar, bar and bathroom, and any other amenities.  

This isn't the best photo (the colors look washed out to me), but it gives you a sense of the size of the island.  It's not very big!  According to the trivia we were provided, there are 6 permanent inhabitants of the island AND one cat.  No, I didn't get to see the cat.  I suspect the tender operators were the resident islanders, as the ship did not use its life boats as tenders. The tender landing is to the left of the photo, and there are additional areas for hanging out on the beach to the right.

We needn't have worried about getting there early because the passengers were about 4500 - I think there were at least that many chairs set out. I guess that is for the days when more than one ship is in port.  

The tall structure is apparently going to be used for zip-lining.  This I overheard from a conversation as I was heading to the bar bathroom.  Our chairs were situated almost in the centre of this photo.  Sandra and Helene were under the trees, while Amy and I headed out into the sun.  There is a shallow area of water on the right, and was perfect for a quick dip.  Of course, I tasted the water...you bet it's salty.  The strawberry daiquiri I followed up with was pretty tasty too. ;)

In the midst of the trees in the photo above there are several cabanas.  These contained 6 loungers, and came equipped with food and a cabana boy (or possibly girl) to run for beverages.  Sandra had looked into it for us, but the price had increased from $300 to nearly $700USD.  A tad lot more expensive than we were willing to pay! 

Amy and I stayed out on the island until close to 1 p.m, then headed back to the ship.  Sandra and Helene stayed for another hour.  It was an absolutely gorgeous day but I wasn't about to risk a sun burn.  Thank goodness for SPF50!

This photo and the last one were taken with my cell phone as I wasn't about to lug the camera equipment to the island.  

The Epic sure isn't the prettiest of ships, but she looks pretty nice sitting out beyond the reef.  

There weren't many other people out on the island when we first got there so it was very pleasant.  Amy and I chatted for awhile and watched the tenders moving back and forth from the ship.  Then she turned her music on and I read my book.  What a life!

After returning to the ship, we grabbed a bite to eat.  Amy headed to Posh, while I did a walk on deck 15 and 18 to get some photos of the island from the ship (all of the other photos in this post were taken mid-afternoon).

This was one of the tenders arriving back at the ship full of passengers.  

You would think they were worried that they won't be allowed on board...almost everyone jumps up as soon as the tender is tied up.

I tend to relax and wait...they've yet to say no.  When we board the ship, we present our key cards and our bags are put through the security scanner.  I can't recall if we did this at GSC but assume we must, as I'm sure I'd remember not doing so.  I wonder what we might have been able to bring back from the island?  

This is one of the last tenders of the day, heading back to the island with only the crew aboard.  

The rest of the afternoon was spent in Posh.  Sandra joined us on her return, and Nestor made certain the daiquiris (me), margaritas (Sandra) and mimosas (Amy) arrived as needed...just to be clear, I had two more drinks that afternoon.  It was the first time I've ever had the unlimited beverage package and I'm pretty sure I brought down the average.  The most drinks I had in one day was five, a couple I had none, and the rest I might have managed three drinks.  If I had paid for my drinks I would have spent about $200, with the UBP I paid $120 for the gratuities as they assume $80 per day.  I won't bother with the package again - if there is a free at sea offer I'll take the free internet minutes instead.

We had dinner at Taste again that evening.  I don't recall how many solos were there, but I would think 10-15.  When I arrived back at the room that evening, I found this fellow waiting for me.  Richard, my room steward took the other towel art the rest of the week but he let me keep Epic the elephant - Epic spent the rest of the week hanging out on top of the safe.  

So ended the day at GSC, and vacation day 5.  The following day I woke up in Ocho Rios, Jamaica.

Cocoa Beach, Florida - Vacation Day 2

I've managed to lose my notes from my vacation - had them yesterday - so I'll have to try to rely on my memory (and photos) to share my experiences. I suspect it will show up at some point, likely after I've finished these posts. :)


I spent the second day of my vacation walking on the beach and wandering the little community of Cocoa Beach.  This photo is actually from the night prior after I returned from the Space Centre.  There were lots of people walking on the beach and a few in the ocean itself.

The following morning, after breakfast at the hotel, I headed down to the beach again.  I was so disappointed when I saw this equipment.  The workers would not allow us onto the beach at this point, so I walked down the street to another breezeway to get to the water.

My understanding is from talking to others, this was a project to reclaim the sand from the ocean.  Definitely worthwhile!

The waves were big enough for surfing.  This young man was quite good, definitely the most talented of the riders there that day.  I hung out and watched them for a good while before heading further down the beach.

By the way, I did walk along the water's edge, though didn't go into the water as I had my camera equipment with me.  The waves were strong enough that I did get splashed up to the knees a few times.  The water was cold, but lovely as the air temperature was near 78F (25C).  Perhaps I wouldn't have thought so if I had actually gone into the surf.

This viewpoint is looking down the beach towards the area where the sand reclamation was going on.  That tall tower-like equipment on the right moved back and forth between the beach and the sea.  I'm not sure what it's purpose was, but obviously it was a necessary part of the operation.  You'll also see the sea fog still hanging on.  Both days I was there the fog didn't entirely burn off until noon, even though the sun was strong.

Further down the beach is the Cocoa Beach pier.  I didn't get there, this shot was taken with my zoom lens.  

The fellow who drove me to Cocoa Beach told me the covered portion is a restaurant and bar.  I believe there is a cost to walk on the pier of $2USD.  Apparently it's also a prime spot for fishing.  Next time, I'm in the area it will be on my list of things to do in Cocoa Beach.  It has the small town feel I enjoy and oh, that beach...

After a very tasty lunch of fish tacos at the Shark Pit restaurant in the hotel next door, I wandered down the street to check out some of the local stores.  The Ron Jon Surf shop is open 24 hours a day (really, why?) and I spent an hour looking but not buying - a child's t-shirt was over $20USD!  From there I went looking for the Dinosaur store because I'd read they have a couple of alligators. I never did find them and didn't really like the products so that visit was short lived. Walgreens was my next stop where I picked up some more sunscreen and a couple of magazines.  On the way back to the hotel, I needed a washroom, so stopped at a gelato store.  Salted caramel gelato on a hot afternoon hit the spot!

I spent most of the rest of the afternoon by the pool, reading and relaxing.   About 4 p.m. I headed back down to the beach to see if there were any cruise ships sailing out.

There goes a Disney ship! If you look closely at the smoke stacks you'll see Mickey ears.  I was excited to see it go by, as it I'd be o the Norwegian Epic the following day.  

I've always wanted to be on the beach to watch sail-away, though I always assumed it would be Fort Lauderdale.  I'll still keep that location on my bucket list for someday. 

One final photo of the ocean and my day on the beach ended.

I headed out to find something to eat for dinner (though for the life of me I can't recall where I ate...must not have been that good).  It gets dark quiet early, about 6:30 or 7 p.m. so I went back to my room to watch some Olympis and turn in early, as the alarm for the following morning was set for 7 a.m.  

Coming up next....embarkation day.