School's out, time to travel

I'm starting this series of post from Monday, June 23rd as I neither had the time nor the inclination to post last week while we were away. It was a busy time!

Monday was busy; Eli had school in the morning and equine therapy in the afternoon. D and I had a long list of things to get done too, laundry, vacuuming, dishes, cleaning the kitchen, etc. in order to leave the house in decent shape. D dropped off her car at the dealership as the parts needed for a repair had been received, and they would take care of it while we were away.

We picked up Eli at school around 11:30. He delivered some small gifts to his classmates and teachers before the morning ended. I waited in the car, and when he came out of the school, two of his teachers followed him to give him hugs and wish him a wonderful summer.

I went along to his final session of equine therapy for this session (his mom has arranged for another session in the fall). Miss Stephanie allowed Eli to set the agenda for this session. First up was visiting the horses in the pasture. Ten of them! He has absolutely no fear of these large animals (only one is miniature) and has learned to move them away by waving his arms and making a loud noise if they start crowding him. While we were there they did, and he did what was needed.

Next up was visiting the young mama cats and their kittens in the barn. The first litter is old enough that three of the five kittens have been rehomed. The second litter of three or four are old enough to have their eyes open and are starting the toddling phase in the manger where they are located with their mama. We were also met by the tom, who is likely the papa of the second litter, based on his colouring. None of these adult cats are older than two years. 

Finally, there was a visit to meet the newest addition to the farm, piglets! There are fifteen of them! Eli demonstrated how to walk quietly behind them so as not to frighten them. Archie, the corgi, not so much. Eli also learned they don't like to be picked up and squeal...like a pig. :)

Back at home, there were more chores to finish before we left for the city at 6 p.m. Laundry was folded and last minute packing was completed. We managed to feed Eli, but ran out of time for D and I, so stopped for fast food before we went to C's. But before we ate, we played a round of musical cars so I could park in the garage. A single lane driveway can be a real nuisance.

Eli got to meet Sage (dog) and two of the roommate's cats (there are five). Kota, a black and white tom is the friendliest as I would learn as he landed on me a few times during the night.

We all settled into bed/couch by shortly after 9 p.m., but no one was asleep before 10. Too much excitement and anticipation. D's alarm went off at 2:50 a.m. and we were dressed and out to the garage to grab our suitcases by 3:20 a.m. Good thing, as the taxi cab I'd ordered arrived about that time.

At the airport we had a short wait before the check-in counter opened. All went smoothly, except both my and Eli's carry-ons were selected for secondary screening at security. The issues: a package of antacids for me, and an empty water bottle for him. I actually think there were new staff in training, so they were more vigilant.

Breakfast at Tim Horton's and time for Eli to play on the indoor play structure took up the time before we headed for the gate for boarding. We were last to board (intentional) and the flight was uneventful. We were early resulting in a slightly longer layover.

Again we boarded among the last guests and then we sat on the tarmac. While Eli and his mom amused themselves on their devices, I slept. When I woke, were were at least a half hour into the flight. I had no memory of the take-off.

We did hit a bit of turbulence about an hour prior to landing in Halifax. I was a bit worried that Eli would find it troubling but he didn't seem to even notice. When we landed, we discovered it was hot in Halifax, 32C/88F. Quite the difference from the 7C/45F we had left behind in Regina. Our immediate need was for a family bathroom were D and Eli changed into lighter clothing. 

We picked up our rental car and were on our way to Bedford (just outside Halifax) soon after. We stayed at a Comfort Inn that was clearly a converted older hotel. There were stairs in a few places in the hallways, the property had a lovely front porch with a view of the basin, and a single elevator at the rear of the property. It also had an unheated pool that we would make good use of, and offered a continental breakfast each morning. Finally, it was a reasonable distance from downtown Halifax and the waterfront. This is the view from the front porch.

The rest of our evening was spent quietly and we were all in bed by 9 p.m. (or 6 p.m. at home). It was early but we were all tired from the travel day and ready for a good night's sleep. Eli told me a bedtime story and it was lights out.

We're home!

We arrived back in Regina late on July 2, spent the night at my son's and then drove back to town the following day. I plan to post updates of our trip, and have the first blog almost ready to post - so be prepared to take a trip back in time. :) 

Yesterday, I dealt with the "math" related to the trip and paid off the credit card. It was easier to use my credit card for the majority of the expenditures and then split the cost between us when we returned. We did very well with the costs related to our accommodations, averaging about $225 a night. With the exception of one hotel, all had a continental breakfast available, so saved us on one meal a day. We didn't skimp on meals out, frequently having lunch at sit-down restaurants, though we usually brought something back to the hotel for evenings. 

Our rental vehicle was a 2024 Toyota Camry hybrid. I've never driven a hybrid or electric vehicle before and was very impressed with the fuel efficiency. In total we (I) drove about 1400 kms/880 miles.  I wouldn't want to drive this particular vehicle again though as the front end seemed so low to the ground in comparison to my SUV! Fuel prices ranged between $1.43 to $1.45 a litre, so the savings from the hybrid were appreciated. 

More on the rests of the trip in near future.

Things have been busy since we arrived home, unpacking, laundry, along with some yardwork. It is amazing how much things have grown in ten days or so. The tomatoes aren't yet flowering but the plants that were about 5-6 inches tall are now close to 18 inches in height. I guess some rain and heat will do that to them. 

I need to weed the flower and garden beds. The peas have flowered and are producing pods, though I think they'll need to be watered regularly to ensure we get a good harvest from them. The poor wee carrots and onions are up but almost overwhelmed by the weeds. The latter need to go, and I'll thin the vegetables this weekend. The lettuce that Eli planted at school is also doing well and we should be able to start using it soon. 

The peonies need to be trimmed too, as they seem to be close to finishing flowering, lots of spent flowers! I'm sorry we missed most of it. However the salvia is blooming and the holly hocks won't be far behind. My containers of annuals are doing exceptionally well too.

I was pleased to see how well the clover and grass is doing in the city. (No photo). There are areas that need to be re-seeded especially near the high spots by the neighbour's fence - I suspect the rains were washed to lower areas. And the weeds are doing well too. My son should be able to start mowing back there in another few weeks, and that will hopefully keep the weeds from going to seed. If/when I get this yard tidied up, I may head into the city for a few days to do a bit more work there.

If you've been reading my blog for a long time, you may recall that each of the properties my daughter and son purchased has had lilies growing in the yard. Lilies were my mom's favorite flowers (along with red carnations), and mom collected and grew many Asiatic lilies in her flower beds at home. Finding lilies has always been a sign that we're in the right place. When C and I visited the property he later purchased, we noticed three struggling lilies in the front flower bed. Last summer they were nowhere to be found, but this spring they reappeared. I had moved the rocks in the bed, and I suspect this may have created the needed microclimate, with the rocks heating up in the sun. All this to say, that the first bloom opened the day that we arrived back in the city. I had no idea the colour and it was pleasant surprise to find a white lily.

We'll be hanging around the house this weekend, as the town is expected 60 (!) baseball teams to attend a tournament here. I plan to spend a good amount of time out in the yard, D has a list of chores to complete as well, and Eli...he's happy to be home and have access to all the fun stuff here. 

And our newest addition to the household is my cat Saku, who was living in the city at my son's. However, the new roommate came with five cats, and we figured it would be easier to acclimate him to two others here. He did well on the trip home, occasionally reminding us he was in his crate in the back seat. He has seen Stanley and Spencer through the glass doors, and hissed a couple of times but otherwise ignored them. We won't be introducing them in person for awhile yet. The other two seem curious but aren't upset about the newbie. He's my lap cat and cuddle buddy, and I'm happy to have him with me again.

Have a great week ahead everyone!

Wind, sand, and fire

I could get used to this. Not only the lovely weather, but having the time to simply relax and do as I please. There are no big projects to be tackled and I'm a heck of a lot easier to clean up after than my daughter and grandson, or even the cleaning I do during my irregular visits to my son. Of course, I don't have nearly as much stuff with me as I have back home so there is less to put away.

This is my view from the couch. There is a jigsaw puzzle on the dining table so I've been eating on the tv tray (as well as using my laptop. To the right are two knitted dishcloths I've made up. The kitchen is compact but has everything I need. Down the hall to the right is the bathroom, and the last door you can see is the bedroom. It has an amazing amount of storage.

I will, however, be going home with more stuff. You know I can't resist thrift stores. So when I was invited to join two of the ladies, L & S, on Tuesday I jumped at the chance. We hit up three stores, Amberly's, Al, an the Goodwill and all three of us came away with treasures. I picked up a couple of t-shirts, a pair of shorts for Eli, a book, and a small plastic container. We stopped at Dunkin' Donuts (new to me) for coffee but no doughnuts! From there, we went to Kneaders -  bakery and coffee shop - for sourdough bread, and then to J.C. Penney for their clearance sale. We all found a few items; in my case, two blouses. In total, I paid $10 for the four tops I purchased. 

The weather changed on Tuesday, windy, cloudy, and cooler temps. Wednesday's photo was taken after we returned from shopping. It got darker still, but there was no rain. The weather channel showed an air quality advisory as well due to dust in the air. I moved some of the outdoor furniture, in case it rained, and covered some with sheets provided by my landlords to, at least, keep some of the dust at bay. That night was incredibly noisy with things outside and the bathroom vent inside rattling and banging. I managed to sleep through some of it, but was wide awake at 3 a.m. I got up, made some tea, and after talking to my daughter about 5:30 (it's 6:30 a.m. at home), I went back to bed and slept for nearly 3 hours. 

The canasta group met Wednesday afternoon, and I sat watching the first game. It is nothing like what I remember playing with my Nan (grandmother) when I was a child. But, when the first game was over, three of the ladies stayed and walked me through a game. Let's just say I need to work on my strategy. We played another card game called 2500. It too is a strategic game, but one I caught onto much more quickly. By mid-game I was ahead, but by the end, I came in next to last. As one woman put it, without the right cards, strategy doesn't win the game.

The winds had died down, so I did a load of sheets before I headed to Happy Hour. When I went to hang them on the line I discovered the drying rack had been damaged in the wind. I didn't want to bother my landlord that evening, so hung them as best I could and planned to call in the morning. The sheets dried quickly and I brought them in after dinner. 

Thursday started off quite cool, around 43F (6C), though no wind. I washed a load of laundry and sent a text off to my landlady about the drying rack. I didn't hear back until after lunch, so I hung everything on hangers and hung them to dry - first on a rack outside and then indoors when the wind picked up.

Thursday morning the social club offers coffee/tea, pastries and other items for a $2 entry fee. I decided to go, and I'm glad I did. There was a large group,  and only three of us who are renting or visiting friends here. After we'd all had our fill, the social club chair brought a few things to our attention. There are a few events upcoming, including a "heritage" potluck in February which I subsequently learned that attendees are asked to bring a food item from our ethnic background. When I mentioned shortbread at Happy Hour, one of the residents offered to give me the flour I would need. I'll make a small batch as I'm assuming, like every other potluck I've been to, there will be mounds of food.

The wind had died down some on Friday morning, so I took a walk over to Walmart to pick up a few groceries. It's a short walk, just a few blocks, and I brought a backpack to carry the groceries. It means I can't over shop! I really didn't need a lot, but still came home missing an item, tea bags! I have a few left so will wait until later in the week to make another trip.

I spent the rest of the day watching curling. Yes, there is an event being held in Lloydminster, Saskatchewan that is being streamed on You-tube. I managed to catch two games before Happy Hour, the end of the third when I arrived home from there and then another later in the evening. One of the teams that played in the evening, had been on the ice since early in the morning, competing in all four draws. I was tired, just watching, I'm sure they were exhausted.

One of the women at Happy Hour asked if I wanted to join them in the morning for garage sales. I said no, because I'll be watching curling. Next week, the park is holding their own garage sale, and I've offered to help set up for it. 

So today is more curling, more knitting or crocheting (four dishcloths completed), and in between some time out side enjoying the sun. Have a great weekend everyone!

P.S. I normally don't post about the news, but the fires in California are heartbreaking. I understand at least ten people have been confirmed dead, and over 10,000 homes have been lost. L.A. and the surrounding area has had limited rain for many months, and the dry conditions and the gusts of Santa Anna winds are creating the perfect storm. And, it doesn't seem the fires will be under control any time soon. Personnel and equipment from both Canada and Mexico have been brought in to assist as well. 

Settling in

What a difference a few days makes (and 2810 kms/1750 miles)! The weather here is quite lovely, cooling down to 8-10C/46-50F at night, and our daytime highs have been around 23-26C/74-79F. The skies are blue and bright, just like winter days at home.

I flew out of Regina early Tuesday morning, but it wasn't a direct flight, as I went through Vancouver, B.C. I ought to have waited a month or two to book a direct flight, but I'm not sure that would have provided any difference in costs. We were delayed out of Regina with a full flight of passengers causing a delay in boarding and then the requiring de-icing of the plane. I had about 75 minutes in Vancouver to get through security, customs, and to make my way to the gate. I made with about 5 minutes before pre-boarding was called after stopping for a sandwich at Tim Horton's. 

The flights were uneventful and we arrived about 20 minutes ahead of schedule in Phoenix. De-planing took some time as, again, it was a nearly full flight. I got lucky and my seat-mate and I had a empty middle seat between us. On the plane, it was announced that there might be a delay with our luggage due to some issue at the carousels. Initially, it appeared we were last in a long line of flights at carousel 3, however someone somewhere made a switch and our luggage came out the carousel right next to it. Even better, my luggage was within the first ten bags to come off the belt.

I texted my friends who were waiting for me in one of the parking lots and they came to pick me up at one of the exit doors. Great service! From there we drove to their rental in Apache Junction. Later, that evening, J drove K and I, and another lady, to a nearby community where they were have a line dancing party. I sat to watch, tapping my toes to the music, and chatting with others at the table as they came and went from the floor. J picked us up about 10 p.m. for the drive back to their rental. It had been a long day; I'd been up at 3:30 a.m. so fell into bed quickly after our return.

On New Year's Day, we left their place to head for Yuma and arrived at the rental around 3 p.m. We'd made a couple of stops, one at a rest area for a picnic and another at Dateland travel center. At the latter, we did a little shopping, then J and K shared a Date milkshake while I ate a date ice cream cone. To be honest, I didn't really notice the flavour in the ice cream. I had picked up a container of almond crusted date bars for later and those are delicious. They are nice sweet treat.

My landlords were waiting for us at the unit and proceeded to show us around the property. The place is lovely and the unit is well-equipped. After the tour, we sat around in the outdoor living area before heading to pick up a few basic groceries at Walmart. We looked for a Mexican restaurant for dinner that evening, my treat, but they weren't open. We ended up at Cracker Barrel, which was fine but not really what I had wanted. 

I was awake by 6 a.m. the following morning, but lay and read blogs (no comments) and FB until shortly after 7 when they began to stir. By 9 we were in the truck and on our way to Arizona Market, a flea market near the Yuma airport. The place was quiet, but got busier while we were there, and while there were empty spots there were plenty of vendors to visit. K got grapefruit at one place, while I picked up a huge head of lettuce and green onions at another. The prices were amazing, as I paid only $2.50 for my purchases. 

After lunch, we went to Food City, also within a few blocks of the park (easy walking distance) for a few more groceries, primarily fruit and veg. My landlady had mentioned they have better produce than Walmart and she wasn't wrong. I picked up some other basic items to put in the pantry for later.

For dinner, we drove to Los Charros for the Mexican food I'd been craving. The place was packed when we arrived, and the food was tasty with a reasonable price. It's too far for me to walk there but I noticed a few places close by, that I may check out at another time.

We all slept in on Friday morning, I didn't wake until almost 8 a.m. That's very late for me! We didn't rush, but left for the historic downtown Yuma shortly before 10 a.m. Like the market, it was quiet with few tourist around. We wandered through various places and checked out the windows of others. There is a lovely cafe I'd like to visit again someday, and a few shops with interesting art and gift ideas. I really don't plan to buy anything much as I've picked up hot sauce for my son, and vanilla for my daughter, but I'll want to find something for Eli.

Back at the unit, we made lunch, sat and visited for a bit before J and K left for Apache Junction. I attempted to sit out in the sun, but it was too strong for me for longer than 10 minutes. I'm fortunate I have the outside seating area as it is shaded, so I sat and read a book. 

About 4 p.m. I headed over to the pergola where many of the inhabitants meet for Happy Hour. Everyone I met was from Canada, except for Pat, who is has been coming to the park since 1989. I'm told she is the historian and she certainly had some interesting information to share. While there, I was convinced to join the canasta group that meet on Wednesday (I haven't played since I was a child), and was invited to go thrifting with my next door neighbour and her friend on Tuesday. There is cribbage on Thursday too, and coffee hour is held that morning in the clubhouse. I am certain I won't be bored. :) Of course, I have some crafts I want to work on while I'm here, so won't over schedule myself.

Today, I'm planning to do a load of laundry in the morning, but beyond that it is a time for rest and relaxation. There is a book I've started to finish, and the outdoor living area is calling my name.

Have a great week ahead everyone!

Edit: It appears I gave the wrong impression, as I'm on my own here now. K & J were kind enough to drive me (the 3 plus hours) from Phoenix to Yuma. They stayed for a couple of days before heading back to Apache Junction. 

Christmas Past

Christmas week was definitely slower than the week prior. Thank goodness!

Besides the big day, I filled my time with packing for leaving today (to the city), reading, watching television, and making mini-quiche for our Christmas breakfast. D had errands to run on the 24th in the morning and also baked buns and set a pan of cinnamon buns for the next day's breakfast. 

That evening we dressed in our new Christmas pajamas and went for a drive around town to look at the Christmas lights. There were some pretty fantastic displays, no photos though. It was clear that at some point small inflatable snowman were purchased by many; we ought to have counted them up as we drove around as I'm sure they would have numbered in the dozens.

We had hoped that a bath and the drive would help Eli fall asleep that night. It did not, and D said it was nearly 11:30 before he dropped off. I wasn't far behind him - not sure why I couldn't sleep but I was up past midnight. This is what our Christmas morning looked like:

5:30 a.m. Eli is up and raring to go. His mom attempts to distract him with his stocking. That takes about 3 minutes for him to unwrap some small gifts. He does go downstairs to play with the cap gun in the stocking...for about 1 minute.

G'ma gives up and gets up at this point. We discuss whether we ought to have breakfast before opening gifts. Eli vetoes that idea, but I manage to put the cinnamon buns in the oven before he has his say.

5:45 a.m. Gift opening commences. We have a tradition in our family, that only one gift at a time can be opened. It must then be admired by all before the next gift is handed out. This extends the amount of time.

6:05 a.m. I check the cinnamon buns and give them another 10 minutes.

6:15 a.m. Gift opening continues. Eli opens a gift from Santa and finds Mario Bros. underwear. It is the only gift that disappoints him. G'ma and Momma get slippers from Santa; we are not disappointed. 

I pull the cinnamon buns out of the oven and put the mini quiche into warm up for 10 minutes.

6:25 a.m. Quiche are ready. D realizes that she forgot to put one present under the tree. (She didn't really but she wanted to prank Eli). It's the Nintendo Switch that he asked Santa to bring. Much joy is observed, at least until she has to start the process of making it work with the television. 

6:30 a.m. I sit down with a cup of tea, two mini-quiches and a cinnamon bun. Eli has a bowl of cereal and a pear due to his egg allergy. D doesn't eat until later.

The hilarity (for me, at least) continued for another hour or so while D set up a profile on-line, watched several videos on how to set up the Switch, tested it, and said a few HBO words. When the video game was finally passed to the small child, I did the dishes and she went up to bed where she napped for three hours. Eli and I hung out in my bedroom, where I watched the Great British Baking show. 

Christmas dinner was a sirloin tip roast done low and slow in the oven, mashed potatoes, carrots, peas, and my daughter's favorite, Stove Top stuffing. The beef was so delicious - it's been some time since I've done a roast. There is enough left over for a sandwich or two for D. 

We were all in bed early that night! Eli slept for over 12 hours and woke just as D left the house to do a bit of Boxing Day shopping. There was a table on sale that we wanted for the office/craft room at Canadian Tire. I was just as happy to stay home with the kid and the cats.

Christmas was taken down and put away on Friday. While D likes the sparkle, there is a lot of it to deal with. I had brought in the tubs from the porch the day before, and we made quick work of dismantling the Christmas tree, and the other Christmas stuffies, Nativity set, green garland and such. We did leave up the snow flakes and blue and silver garland. So, still a little sparkle and winter themed.

This morning I will get the car packed with the Christmas gifts for my brother and his family, my bags - duffle with clothing, laptop, and knitting. There are a couple of errands to run in the city before I head for C's house. Hopefully I'll have everything done, so I can park the car in the garage, where it will stay for the next two months. Then it is just packing for Yuma, hanging out with my son, Saku (the cat) and Sage (the dog) before I fly out on Tuesday!

Have a great week ahead everyone! 

Sea Days Mar 10 & 11

 

The first two days of the cruise we were at sea, sailing towards St. Kitts. 

I was up relatively early on the first morning and captured a few photos of the sunrise. It was cloudy that morning, so definitely not anything spectacular and it was well above the horizon before much of the sun showed itself.

One of our fellow passengers had planned a meet-up for the solos at 10:30 but no one else showed. I did have the Cruise Critic meet-up and that was much better attended. I know 75 had signed up for it, but I don't think there were more than 40 in the room. 

The officers in attendance gave a short bio of themselves (the greet part) and opened the floor for questions. Mostly they are generic and simple questions, but the first one was asking about the shareholder dividends and when the company might start paying them again. I thought the officer did a good job of explaining dividends will be provided again when the cruise line is profitable without saying those words. The cruise industry was virtually shut down during the pandemic and it has been a slow build-up since. I should note, I don't earn shares in Princess so have no skin in the game - it just seems to be common sense to me.

After lunch, I took a walk on Deck 7 (Promenade) taking some wake photos including the one at the top. It was quite windy so I settled in to read but found myself nodding off so headed to my stateroom for a short nap. At 3 p.m. I attended the first (and my last) enrichment talk about the Bermuda Triangle. It wasn't the subject but the presenter that delivered the talk was worse than some of my university professors. Rambling off topic, skipping through slides, and not offering opportunities for questions were just a few of the annoyances. 

Later, I attended the solo's meet-up in the Adagio. We all went off in different directions for dinner, but I did run into the pub crawl group later in the evening. They were on their second stop and headed for the third. Linnae, one of the solos decided to leave the pub crawl and go with me to the comedian's show in Club Fusion. Robbie Printz was voted Princess Entertainer of the year this past year and did not disappoint. In fact, I went to the show again the next night too.

Our second sea day, I visited with the Knitter's and Knatters group, though I hadn't brought a project with me. It was the first time I had run into some one from a former cruise. Denise from Ontario had been on the Alaskan cruise in May 2022 as well. I also spent time at the Terrace pool and on the Promenade deck reading. Trivia was held at 4 p.m. in the Explorer's Lounge, and while I did not join a group, I tried answering the questions on my own. I stuck around for the Future Cruise director's discussion of tips to earn on-board credit. I quickly discovered it was mostly an up-sell event.

After the solo meet-up, another solo, Marilyn and I went to one of the main dining rooms for dinner. Other than one guest who never shut up, it was a wonderful meal. She even answered questions directed to her husband, though I did manage to ask one that he responded to so I know he was capable of speech.

I don't often take photos of my meals, but this Mahi-mahi was amazing.

Sunset that evening was spectacular!

I ended the night at the comedy show with a couple of Cruise Critic members I'd met earlier. Back at my stateroom I had an unfortunate discovery - I'd been charging my Kobo and somehow it had factory reset itself. Who am I kidding, I probably touched something I ought not to have but it was a bummer as I was in the middle of a good book.

This photo is of the job my steward did to cover up the motion light in the closet area. It kept it from turning on, most of the time, though at random times of the night it would still light up. 

I know there are people who dislike sea days, I'm not one of them. I do enjoy being able to relax and do as little or as much as I like to do. 

Next up - St. Kitts

What I did on my winter vacation - March 6-9

I'm home again, after a wonderful vacation, and a final travel day that reminds me that air travel is anything but fun these days. But more on that later, after I've shared photos and stories from the pre-cruise and cruise itself. By then the memories will have faded of a not so wonderful day.

My goal is to post about the vacation over a few weeks, with regular posts as I've been doing for Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday. In a few ports, and on sea days, there wasn't a lot going on so you can expect to see a post combining these periods. 

So, let's go back to March 6, about 3:50 a.m. The cab arrived ten minutes ahead of schedule and the flight to Toronto was delayed about the same amount of time. I guess that evened things out. In the Toronto Airport, I had plenty of time before my next flight, so treated myself to a Wahlburger, fries and a beer while watching some of the Brier (men's curling). My wallet was much lighter after that meal, and to be honest, the burger wasn't that great. I spent the rest of the time reading my Kobo.

My flight to Fort Lauderdale started boarding about 3:30 p.m. (2:30 Regina time). I managed to sleep about an hour before we hit some turbulence. We were on the ground in Fort Lauderdale about 7:15 p.m. (6:15 Regina time), but I had to wait for my luggage and for the hotel shuttle. The first shuttle pulled out just as I reached the pick-up point - I arrived at the hotel an hour and 15 minutes after landing. 

I stayed at the Best Western Airport/Cruiseport Hotel on State Road. It was in a decent location, with a couple of fast food restaurants, Mediterranean, pizza, and pub restaurants nearby. There was also a Winn-Dixie grocery, a Bealls clothing store, a Dollar Tree, and a Big Lots in the mall across the street, and a Walgreen's about a 20 minute walk from the hotel. 

The hotel is an older, smaller hotel, just two stories and it could use a bit of a refresh in certain areas. But my room, with two double beds (non-smoking) was very spacious and clean as was the bathroom. My view out my window was the Holiday Inn next door so I kept my curtains closed. The room had a mini-fridge, a Keurig coffee maker, and a microwave. It did not, however, have a room safe so when I went to pool, I found a hiding spot for my purse and passport.

The pool was at the back of the property, partially shaded, and well used by the guests. I sat out on a lounger reading while I was there, but the water didn't look particularly clean so I didn't go in. The family with several young children didn't have the same concerns - they provided great entertainment for me. In addition to the pool, the hotel had a complimentary breakfast each morning from 6:30 to 9:30 a.m. There were omelets one day, scrambled eggs another, biscuits, bread, bagels, waffles (make your own), sausage, fruit, yogurt, cereal, milk, tea, coffee, and orange juice. 

The hotel hired a third party to provide a shuttle to the port for $15 US per person. A taxi would have cost about the same, so I signed up the day prior to the cruise for the transfer. All in all, it was a decent place to spend the three nights prior to the cruise.

I realized when I reached the airport that morning, that I had forgotten my phone charger. I spent my first morning in Fort Lauderdale walking to various stores, hoping to find what I needed. I did not, so I ended up having to order from Amazon with delivery promised the same day between 2-6 p.m. The delivery did not arrive as scheduled. The following morning I received an e-mail that delivery would be made that day (Friday) by 2 p.m. I had hoped to ride the water taxi, but decided to hang out at the hotel waiting for my package. If it didn't arrive as expected, I'd made the decision to hire a taxi and find an electronic store, as none were within walking distance. Thankfully, the package just before 1 p.m.

I was tired of fast food by this point, and had met a server (wearing a t-shirt with the logo)  from Mini-Pita, a Mediterranean restaurant, at the Dollar Tree that morning. I asked her if they serve salads, they do, and she showed me their location. There was a lot of construction happening and their sign was hidden behind some framing but it was just across the street from the hotel. The salad was delicious and huge. I ate half at the restaurant and took the rest back to the hotel for dinner. 

The morning of the cruise, I was awake at 6:30 a.m. My shuttle wasn't until 11:30 so I had time to kill. Breakfast, packing, a walk over to the Winn-Dixie for band-aids and watching the news filled my time before I checked-out at 11. We arrived at the port to a very long line of passengers. However, the line moved quickly, and I was through security, had picked up my medallion (an electronic device that acts as a room key and a tracking device*) and was onboard in about 20 minutes. 

One of the three main dining rooms is open for lunch on embarkation day. The buffet upstairs is always crowded so I prefer to avoid it. I asked for a sharing table and was soon seated with Michelle and Mike from Vancouver - they had flown in from Vancouver that morning. They were exhausted, looking for something to eat, and then planned to go to bed. There are a few good reasons for flying in the day prior and that would be one of them.

A funny thing happened - we were sitting waiting for our table of six to fill up when the waiter approached with a group of three. For some reason, these three people took one look at us and asked for another table. No idea why, and no one else joined us, so we went ahead and ordered our meals. Mike had spent his elementary and high school years in Regina, and our conversation was easy.

After lunch, I did a bit of a walk-about. The Ruby Princess is similar to the Crown Princess, which I've sailed on previously. About 2 p.m. I headed for the Terrace bar/pool area as our Cruise Critic meet and greet was scheduled for 2:30. About ten others joined me and we sat and visited during sail-away. 

The view from Pier 21

Looking up from the Terrace pool/bar

As we were breaking up, Carlene stopped by as she was looking for the unhosted solo group. The two of us headed to the Adagio bar where a group of about 10 or 12 met that first afternoon. We spent an hour there and then headed to a main dining room for dinner. We sat a sharing table with a couple, Leon and Rose, from Massachusetts. The conversation flowed easily, as Carlene and Leon shared a history with the military, and we all enjoy cruising. 

After dinner, I did another walk-about and took a few photos before heading to my stateroom to unpack. Not sure why, but it took me an hour! I met my steward, Joseph, and he took care of an annoying motion light in the closet that cannot be dimmed or shut off. My light would shut off and then switch back on, no matter if there was any movement or not. With some tape and a laundry bag, he had the light and sensors covered. I read for bit before I settled down for the night.

One of the three pools

The buffet a night - much quieter!

*The medallion is used to check passengers on and off the ship at ports. In addition, a passenger can use an app on their phone to order food or drinks, and the waiter can find them via their medallion and make the delivery. I dropped my medallion one evening and my steward was able to tell me approximately where it was located. It may sound a little intrusive but it sure is handy.

Stormy weather, sunny skies ahead

The weather has been up and down with miserable cold weather starting Monday overnight and lasting until Wednesday overnight. It was -26C (-15F) when I woke both mornings, with windchills into the high -30C's. Let's just say it was cold. We also got snow on Monday so I was out shovelling the darn stuff, not once but twice as it wouldn't let up. We didn't get as much as other areas of the province, but ended up with about 4 inches on the ground. 

Then the weather gods smiled on us and the temperature started climbing on Wednesday, at 4:30 p.m. it was up to -14C (7F). By morning it was warmer still, and our afternoon high reached slightly above freezing. Weird and wacky weather indeed. The downspout on the front of the house has a leak at the elbow and the melting has dripped onto the cottoneaster hedge making a pretty pattern on the branches.

I met my friend and travel agent for coffee/tea on Monday morning - we had a lovely visit catching up on one another's lives. We realized the last time we got together was last summer! Hopefully we can manage another visit in May or June, she is incredibly busy with her travel agency and her family. When I left the shop, the snow was coming down and the streets were quite icy. I did stop in at Value Village where I managed to find a green t-shirt for my cruise. We'll be onboard on March 17th so I wanted something for St. Patrick's Day. 

With the nasty weather on Tuesday, I stayed home and mostly indoors and did lots of housework. In between tasks I managed to arrange movers for April. We take possession on the 10th, my stuff will move from the city on the 11th, and then D's move will happen the following day. D will start moving boxes over on possession date and I'll assist the next day. The movers are planning to be here in the city at 9:00 a.m. and we should be at the house and hopefully unloaded shortly after noon. I have about 50 boxes, some garden items, and only two pieces of furniture that are going with me. The majority of the boxes are already packed and stored in the garage - though some boxes will need to be re-packed/taped shut. I know what I'm doing when I return from my cruise. :)

Stitch and chat was Wednesday and Io and I were joined by another lady, W. Small world, Io and W knew each other already through the church they both once attended. Neither knew the other would be there that afternoon.

I did some running around on Thursday morning, getting some additional cat food, litter, and a few groceries. There is lots of food in the pantry and fridge for my son and I'm well stocked on cat food as well. C will need to pick up a few things, I'm sure, like bread and milk. But I also know full well, that there will be pizza and subs ordered too. 

Thursday was also the day for the home inspection. All went reasonably well, there are some repairs needed, particularly on the exterior of the home. Most of those repairs relate to ensuring that water is not able to infiltrate the house (moving some downspouts, repairing flashing around the chimney and properly nailing down the ridge cap). It appears the shingles were replaced within the last year and some of the work wasn't completely finished. The eavestroughs need clearing - something we do on our own. The inspector also pointed out where windows and doors need the silcone replaced and recommended replacing the front door of the porch. The last item was something we'd already decided needed to be done. All in all, things went well and the more expensive items like the furnace and water heater are in good shape. With this information we lifted the conditions on Friday, ahead of schedule.

The men's Brier (Canadian curling championship) started on Friday evening. It is being held here in the city, though I've decided to watch from home.  I spent the day doing laundry, prepping income tax returns, and chatting with Rob the realtor. In the meantime, D went shopping (locally) and found a great deal on a dishwasher. She called me, I gave the store my credit card number and they'll hold the appliance until we move in. That's one of the nice things about dealing with a store in a small town. For certian, The Brick or Leon's would never have permitted us to store it with them.

Today we're expecting a storm originating south of the border. Accumulation amounts range from about 6 inches here in the city to double that where D and Eli live. She's already decided, should the forecast be correct, that Monday will be a snow day for them. She'll take her time shovelling out in the back, as the city will need to clear the alleyways before she can get out anyway.

The countdown to my cruise continues. I am to fly out on Wednesday morning, though with more snow expected on Tuesday, I might be delayed (fingers crossed I will not). Since I've given myself leeway - the cruise doesn't sail until Saturday, I'm sure I'll get there in plenty of time. I'm pretty much packed, just a last few items to go in the bags. Before I leave though, I have one more thing to take care of - the car goes into the shop to have the side mirror replaced. I won't be recommending this business any time soon as it has taken two weeks for them to paint the mirror so that it can be installed!

Have a great week ahead everyone! If you're in the path of this or any other storm, stay safe.

P.S. One more thing, today is our Eli's 7th birthday! How did that happen?

Sea days - so much to see and do

A lot of cruisers dislike sea days - they'd rather be in port every day. Generally, these folks do Caribbean or Mediterranean cruises, where the islands/ports are close together. For example, a 14 day Caribbean cruise for January 2024, has only 4 sea days. A 14 day Mediterranean cruise for June 2023, has only 3 sea days. No, I've not get these booked...they are simply examples. Guaranteed these folks aren't doing the world cruise, there are 58 sea days in a 111 day trip.

I've heard comments that sea days are boring. And I say, if you're bored on a cruise ship, you're trying too hard. The daily newsletter that arrives at the stateroom door in the evening, provides a list of activities for the following day - it's also available on interactive boards throughout the ship and on the company's app as well. These activities often overlap and sometimes it's impossible to do everyone one might want to do.

Activities range from trivia (always popular), port talks, guest lecturers, movies and concerts on the big screen by the pool, and especially on sea days, games like giant jenga or egg drop contests. In the latter, guests build contraptions that will "float" the egg to the lower level of the atrium, usually from two or three stories up. The egg that doesn't break is the winner. These are all arranged by the cruise staff and the entertainment continues into the evening with muscians in various venues, production shows, comedians, and other musicians in the theatre. 

There are also activities arranged by the passengers themselves - knitters and knatters is an unhosted group, as are the singles/solos, LGBTQ, AA meetings, meet and greets for Cruise critic, first responders, and regular game events for Mahjongg, cribbage, Bridge, and various board games. On the World Cruise, there was a book club as well. There is a library on board most ships, with both books to check out and ones that passengers leave behind that can be taken - I try not to bring any home.

Oh, and of course, on a hot vacation cruise, there is always lazing by the pool and relaxing in the hot tubs. Every ship has a gym for those who want to exercise, plus decks for walking. As I say, you have to choose to be bored.

So what did I do on the ship? As you probably know, I'm a bit of a creature of habit; I do enjoy my routine and I easily slip into one even when I'm on vacation. My days always started reasonably early and got earlier as the cruise continued. I missed sunrise photos those first few days so had to set an alarm a couple of mornings. After getting ready for the day, I'd head up to the deck 15 (Sun deck) to see what I could see, even on the days I missed sunrise.

Birds often follow the ships, most frequently when we aren't far out at sea. Occasionally, they'll actually hang out on the ship. This was up on the sun deck, not far from the burger and fry station. I suspect he was looking for leftovers. Too early! The station didn't open until 11 a.m.

I discovered that the best place (usually) to get a sunrise photo was from the Sanctuary. It didn't open to the paying guests until 8 a.m. so several of us would hang out early in the morning while the crew was setting up for the day.

After my breakfast, always outside of the buffet, I would head down to Deck 7 (Promenade) for my morning walk. Not all of the Princess ships have this feature and I miss it - walking on Deck 15 requires more avoiding of people on sun loungers and in the smoking area. On the Promenade, most people were walking and the chairs to sit in were out of the way. I would walk for a good 30-40 minutes each day, stopping occasionally to look over the railing at the sea. I was hoping to see a whale or two, or maybe some dolphins. After my walk, I'd go to my stateroom to drop of my camera, do my stretching exercises, and pick-up my knitting. 

Knitters and Knatters was from 9-11 in the morning, and while I didn't usually stay the full two hours, I did get some work done. I crocheted four of the "cocoa" mugs for my daughter for next year's teacher's Christmas gifts - she now tells me she needs six. I also knitted a pair of mittens for myself. The old ones I had were starting to fall apart. My last, unfinished project, is a free form crocheted Christmas tree. I was limited to the yarn that I had brought with me.

From Knitters and Knatters, I'd drop off my bag and head upstairs with my camera for a wander. Or on a couple of days, change into a bathing suit and head for the pool (too cold) or hot tub. That only happened twice as I ran into a woman in the hot tub, who hated the ship, hated the food, hated the crew, hated the sea days and I decided the better part of valour was to avoid the hot tubs when there was anyone else in them. 

Lunch was usually around 11:30 or noon. Most often, in the buffet where I'd run into someone I met, or occasionally on Deck 15 at the burger place, where I'd run into someone I'd met. There was a fellow who I'd met at sail-away, and we kept running into each other. He was friendly fellow who was often to be seen chatting with various people. His party of four were rarely together, though I did meet two of them on a couple of occasions. There were also several of the singles/solo group that I'd see out and about. On two of the sea days, several of us met at one of the restaurants for Alfredo's pizza, and for the pub lunch. Yum, fish and chips with mushy peas and Pim's Cup for me.

After lunch, I'd grab my Kobo or a book, along with my camera and back to the Promenade for much of the afternoon. I'm not a sun bather and the music on the pool deck is loud and carries up to the sun deck as well. I found I spent a good portion of the afternoon outside, wandering the deck or sitting and reading. There was always something to see.

Often it was birds, circling the ship, looking and diving for their next meal.

One day, however, was absolutely thrilling (at least to me). 

Sea turtles! There were, what seemed to me, hundreds of them. 

And dolphins too!

I ought to have had my camera on sports mode, as I missed them leaping from the water. One of the passengers shared a video she had captured on FB - it was so amazing. There were at least a dozen or more in this group.

This was my favorite shot, even though the turtle hadn't yet breached the water. It was incredibly close to the ship and within its wake. After reviewing my photos I really wished I had a better zoom lens. I've been researching and will need to upgrade my camera package to get what I want. Can you say big bucks?

Some days, I needed a quick nap in the stateroom, or would rest and read some more before preparing for the evening. Every day I met the group at the Wheelhouse Bar around 5:15 p.m., but on a couple of occasions would be there around 4 p.m. for trivia. I'm not particularly good at answering questions, though almost always answered the Canadian questions correctly.

This was "our" space in the Wheelhouse bar. We often commandeered chairs from other tables to add to the group. It was always a wonderful time, lots of laughter and chatter. Most evenings a group of 4-7 of us would head to dinner together. We did eat at the main dining room a few nights, but as we learned that could require much patience and waiting in line-ups, so as the days went on we preferred the buffet. Every night at the buffet was a different theme - a few I remember were: Indian, Italian, German, and Mexican.

This would allow those who wanted to attend the early show at the theatre (7:30 p.m.) to find a seat by shortly after 7. The early show was always full. I didn't attend every evening, but did see two of the three production shows (basically a music and dance show put on the entertainment crew), a comedian, the Neil Diamond tribute show, and Nathan Phan - a magician, musician and impressionist. I was most impressed with the Neil Diamond tribute show and Nathan - I even went to his second performance - a rarity for me. I had seen the third production show in the Majestic in May so skipped that one as well. 

Because we were usually at dinner, I didn't often see the sunset. But one evening, as we were heading into the theatre I slipped outside to the open deck for this photo.

I was back in my stateroom by 9 p.m. every evening where I would read for a bit before turning in. I knew morning would come early! Throughout the cruise I finished reading five books - that's more than I've read in months. 

Our final two sea days we were expecting to see whales and dolphins, however the weather wasn't conducive. It was cool, windy, and the waves in the Pacific were quite a bit higher than we'd experienced early in the cruise. While we didn't get the rain the California coast was getting, I suspect we were feeling some effects of the weather coming in from the west.

I did however, get some spectacular sunrise shots the one day. I'll share more than one here.

We were up in the sanctuary and actually got kicked out, because we were there so long.

By this point in the cruise, sunrise was much later in the day. If memory serves, we were asked to leave about 7:45 a.m.

I should note, the temperature on those last two days at sea, was about 60F (16C)at most. I had purchased the internet package for the last two days, in order to check-in for my flights, read/write blogs and to connect with my daughter and son. But, having the internet on the cool days meant I was able to find curling to watch too! I still sat out on the Promenade deck in the afternoon, but I'm sure some people wondered at what they were hearing, "Hurry hard, sweeeep!!!"

One of our solo group was part of the Princess Pop choir. This is a group of passengers who work with the music director to learn a few songs for a presentation to the passengers on the last day at sea. I went to see them perform and enjoyed it a great deal.

That ends my posts about the cruise. To end the photos I'll leave you with the wake of the ship. Normally I'd take a photo from the back of the ship, but there were cabins in the way on this ship. This was taken on the Promenade Deck on the last day.

Thanks for sharing this journey with me. Writing the posts bring back some wonderful memories!

Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

I had no excursion planned in the port, and though I did leave the ship, I didn't spend much time off of it. However, that day I got in over 22,000 steps - just from moving around the ship for various photo opportunities!

I woke about 6 a.m., as I sensed a change in the movement of the ship. I grabbed a quick breakfast at the buffet and headed up to deck 15 to eat. A woman stopped by the table as I was eating, and I learned she lived in a community that my older brother had lived in for many years. He had left before she arrived, but she had heard his name. Small world!

My first sighting of Puerto Vallarta, still dark at the time. After breakfast I headed to the front of the ship for the sunrise.

The sunrise was pretty, but not as nice as the ones at sea. I didn't stick around to watch as the sun climbed over the hills.

The big attraction in Puerto Vallarta was the Walmart store. I'd heard several other passengers talk about making a trip to the store while they were in the port. Especially among those who were on the World Cruise (111 days). 

The store is literally down and across the street from the pier. I decided I would join the parade of passengers when the excursion crowds left the ship and look for a couple of items.

While I had thought I might walk or take a cab to the Malecon boardwalk, I knew that it would likely be very busy, and full of vendors. As I've mentioned previously, I'm not enthralled with being swarmed by the vendors so that idea was quickly rejected. One of the other single/solo members did check it out and said it was very busy so I'm glad I made the decision.

I headed off ship about 8:45. I laughed because the exit from the ship led through the duty free shop (this is often the case in Mexico) and several other shops, before one can reach the busy sidewalk. I did notice one shop in the area that I would stop at on the way back.

The street to cross was very busy, and at least a couple of vehicles took the traffic lights as mere suggestions. Most, however, did stop on the red light for pedestrians. I stayed on the outside away from the traffic and was able to safely cross. 

Walmart was....interesting. It was clear the farmacia was the most popular section and many of the shelves were well picked over. Other areas of the store had very limited selections, and some sections made me think of an old hardware store where parts and pieces of items are placed willy-nily on the shelves. One thing they had mountains of were candies and potato chips.My only purchase was a small tube of toothpaste as I was running low. 

I left the store and walked over to the nearby mall, however it wasn't open until 11. I headed back towards Walmart, as I'd noticed a small cafe (VIPs) and decided to stop in for a cup of coffee when I saw the "free WiFi" sign on the door. I ordered a cup of coffee and a pastry - basically a croissant with chocolate inside. The coffee was amazing and the pastry simply delicious! I used the free WiFi to call D before checking in on FB, my blog, and Instagram. I finished off my visit by catching up on the local (Canadian and Saskatchewan) news while enjoying my coffee refill.

On the way back to the ship I did stop at the Casa Mexican store and purchased the last of the gifts for my children. For C, I found four small bottles of hot sauce, and for D, three small bottles of Mexican vanilla and a glass dolphin. Something interesting happened there; the clerk told me the total was $44 USD - which seemed a bit high, but I couldn't see the screen. The clerk tried running through my Mastercard a couple of times and it wouldn't process. The second clerk came over and said something to her, quite sharply, and she re-ran it again and this time it went through. I glanced at the receipt and noted it read $34 USD. I suspect she was trying to put in the higher price to obtain $10 from the till for herself but Mastercard credit cards don't allow for cash back. 

I wandered around the ship for awhile, dropped off my purchases at the stateroom, dropped off a book at the library and chose another easy read, and went to the gym to stretch before going for lunch. I had been stretching each day, most often in my stateroom, but I chose the gym since there is a scale. Happy was I when I stepped on the scale to learn that I hadn't gained any weight on this cruise! After lunch I headed to Deck 7 to walk, read, and take photos.

The brown pelicans were predominant in the port. Always keeping an eye out for their next meal.

I often take photos, not necessarily knowing what I'm seeing through the lens. This is a ship from Vidanta Cruises, the first Mexican luxury cruise line that debuted in April 2022. Now that takes some courage, starting a new cruise line in the midst of what was still a pandemic. There isn't a lot of information on-line but it appears the 540 passenger ship sails along the Pacific coast of Mexico.

Looking towards the city, I noticed these workers on the top floor of the building. It looks to me that one of them is taking a photo of us.

I had noticed at the port shops, a ferry station. These two were coming and going at the same time. I've no idea where they went or where they came from. If I were to return to Puerto Vallarta, I'd probably consider the option.

There was never a time without some traffic on the water nearby.

We had company in port too, when the Royal Caribbean ship pulled into the pier nearby.

All aboard time was 4:30 p.m. I stayed on the starboard side of the ship to watch for latecomers. These fellows weren't late, but I was surprised to see the bicycles. I've never seen that on a cruise before, but it's not a bad idea if one enjoys biking. No line-up for a taxi!

We did have one late arrival. At about 4:40 there was a call on the ship for one passenger and within a couple of minutes I saw him hustling on board with a bag full of purchases. I should note, that I saw many of the crew carrying bags of groceries on board as well - not from Walmart. They do get fed on the ship, but I'm sure there are foods they prefer that they'd find in the city.

I stayed out for sail-away and watched the pelicans.

The ship stirs up the water, and I'm sure that offers the birds good fishing.

I didn't have time to clean up before the singles/solos meet-up so I went as I was. After a buffet dinner a small group of us went to see Nathan Phan's show. A magician, musician, and comedian, he was fun to watch. I was back in my stateroom by 9 and asleep not long after.

Next up - a final post on "what did I do on sea days?".