Esme's Excursions

2007-06-02T11:55:00.000-07:00

In March, I lost my Ron, my Polish Prince, my Soul Mate.

My last posting is for the sweet, gentle, kind man we loved.

I miss him so very much.

1970-72

November, 1998

June 99

June 10,2000

These are the last ones taken.

Christmas, 2006

George's birthday, January,2007

2007-03-15T10:00:00.000-07:00

Becca asks, on her blog, why I'm so long between postings. She doesn't live in boring Sparwood with a boring "old man." Here's an example of the most exciting recent events here.

On a warm winter day in January, more that a dozen deer bedded down in the sun in our yard.
In the picture on the right, notice the red roof below the hill. This home is on a large acreage and is worth over a million.

This photo was taken in the same spot, almost exactly two months later.
Yes, that WAS the house with the red roof! (Across the river, people sat watching in their vehicles, parked side by side as if at a drive-in movie.)

Last week they had a baby shower
for my friend's daughter and she

asked me to make the cake

-my first one for a Sparwoodian.

...so, Becca. Wasn't that exciting?

2007-01-10T11:21:00.000-08:00

Christmas, 2006

Philip and Nancy came and reminded us what it's like to be young.

And we showed them how to play dice.

(But they showed us how to lose at every game we played!)

2006-11-22T10:21:00.000-08:00

Lake Koocanusa

Sept. /06

Lake Koocanusa (koo-kan-oosa) was formed by the Libby Dam, built by the U.S. in 1972. On the border of B.C., it was named after the Kootenay Tourist District, Canada and the USA. It has been stocked with rainbow trout and Kokanee salmon and has provided many pleasant campsites on both sides of the border.

Ron and I camped on the U.S. side in September.

2006-11-22T09:04:00.000-08:00

Philip Who?

In August, I received a visit from a tall, handsome and charming young man who claimed to be my son. Since I hadn't seen him for nearly a year (by far the longest time since his arrival into this world), close inspection was necessary to confirm his identity.

He helped with the outdoor swing that I had just begun to build.

He sanded, drilled countersunk screw holes, cut pieces and assembled.

...So how come Ron got to try it out first?

Thanks, Phil. I enjoyed the time with you very much and I'm looking forward to having you and Nancy here for Christmas.

2006-11-20T09:36:00.000-08:00

Nova Scotia July,2005

Trent and Rebecca moved to Halifax last fall and have bought a unique home in the suburb of Williamswood. This was my first visit to our East Coast and they provided me with many unforgettable experiences.

Becca and I spent two separate days at The Waterfront where we watched the Buskers, browsed the souvenir shops and pigged out on seafood. The Harbour Hopper, an amphibious vehicle, took us on a historic tour of downtown and the harbour.

I enjoyed a few days with an old University chum. Carol Bigio. She and her friend took me to Grand Pré in the scenic Acadia Valley.

Becca and Trent also took me on a scenic drive along the coast to Peggy's Cove (that's me by the lighthouse), Mahone Bay and Lunenberg where we were able to board the Blunose II.

We dis-assembled their dilapidated deck and painted their solarium.

Just before I left, Trent brought home three whole lobsters.Mmmm! (I didn't need to take my Omega 3-6-9 the whole time I was there.)

You can see more at http://beccainhalifax.blogspot.com

2006-11-20T08:08:00.000-08:00

Sparwood, May, 2005

A few notable events occured this spring. A nearby farmer let loose about 100 domestic rabbits who soon spread all over town and we all know what rabbits do well. One pair moved in under our deck and produced ten babies.

The twelve of them cleaned out all the flowerbeds in the neighbourhood before we caught them, kept them in the bathroom overnight and gave them to a local hobby farm.

Then Becca came for a short visit before attending a conference at U.N.B.C.

2006-11-16T12:20:00.000-08:00

Days 8&9: Feb. 26/27/06
San Juan, Puerto Rico
Before flying back to winter and snow, we had a day and a half to tour San Juan. I had to twist Ron's arm to see El Morro. He was more fascinated with the history than I was.

A Spanish land and sea defense for San Juan, construction was begun in the mid-1500s and additions and renovations continued for hundreds of years.

That's Ron at the bottom and me beside the cannons.

Then we spent the afternoon strolling around truly beautiful, historic "Old San Juan."

Alas, all good things must come to an end. It took me eight years to persuade Ron to go on this trip and, yay, he caught the travel bug and is already planning one for 2008.

Farewell, San Juan.

Please visit me again because I'd like to share with you my visit with Trent and Becca in Halifax.

2006-11-13T13:26:00.000-08:00

I forgot to tell you about a very special evening on board, when they announced that Duke Daniels of The Platters would be performing in the Palladium, which is a huge amphitheatre. We enjoyed the performance thoroughly and heard him tell what a privilege it had been for him to sing with The Platters. He began with my favourite, Smoke Gets in Your Eyes which brought tears to my eyes. When he ended Only You, he held that last note too long to be humanly possible but it was impressive. Song after song sounded exactly as we all remember them and I was captivated.

When we got home, I researched The Platters and Duke Daniels online. Never, with the original Platters or subsequent groups with the same name and same songs, could I find a Duke Daniels as part of the group. He was a fraud!

2006-09-22T13:04:00.000-07:00

Day 7: Saturday, February 25/06
Another "Fun Day at Sea"

It's only seven months since our trip
and I'm still not done here! But now

that a very busy summer has come

to an end, I'll have more time for

indoor tasks.

There were so many things to do on the ship. Among our favorites were hanging out on the tanning decks (when we could find chairs!), the Casino, listening to performers in the lounges and sampling the varied buffets, from pizza to Chinese, seafood to hamburgers.

Sometimes I'd sit in the hot tub while Ron went for a swim. He can float so easily and he said that the salt water made him feel lighter that ever. A dark-skinned security guard watched with amazement and asked "How do you do that, Mon?"

The evening before, a huge yacht pulled up beside our ship. Word soon got out that it was Donald Trump's. There was a big pool on the fore deck. Can you see the helecopter on top?

Every evening when we returned to our room after supper, the sheets were turned down and we were delighted with a new "towel creation." Our steward left us a bulldog, an elephant, a hanging monkey and...

2006-05-24T14:15:00.000-07:00

Day 6: Friday, February 24
In contrast with most other Caribbean Islands, much of Aruba is desert, with an average rainfall of only 17 inches. Just 15 miles from Venexuela, the coast can be seen only on a rainy day. (Polution obstructs the view on clear days.)
Aruba is an independent state within the Kingdom of the Netherlands and the official languages are Dutch and Papiomento (a combination of Dutch, Spanish, French and English).

We docked in Oranjestad, the capital. The extinct volcano is the source of the island, which has sunk into the ocean and risen many times long ago. As a result, it consists of many layers of alternating igneous rock and coral.

A six-hour tour showed us most of the island.

We saw iguanas sunning themselves on huge rocks.

Ron and others climbed Casibari Rock. (I wasn't sure if my hip would allow me.) In the top corner is a view from the top of the rock. Ron took almost identical photos.

A glass-bottom boat took us inside an old shipwreck where we saw stunning coral and many strange fish.

Cacti on the island were as tall as 40 feet!

On the north coast, waves pounded the tall cliffs, sending a huge spray right over the top. They had even carved a "natural bridge" into the rock.

2006-05-24T12:28:00.000-07:00

Day Five, Thursday, Feb. 23
"A Fun Day at Sea"
(Ok, so my computer is fixed but scanner won't work so I'll go with plan B for this post.)
The trip from Barbados to Aruba tool a day and a half, some time to relax on board.
"Destiny" is Carnival Cruise Line's largest ship. Built in 1996, it received a multi-milliion dollar refurbishment in 2005. It has three pools (one with a spiral waterslide), two dining rooms and a variety of eateries, nine lounges and nightclubs, a big casino, duty-free shopping and a spa.
A Rotunda atrium (right) rises nine decks through a dazzling lobby to a glass skylight.

Total Staterooms - 1,321
Private Balcony Staterooms - 480
Passenger capacity - 3,360
Total crew - 1,040
Officers nationality - Italian
Tonnage - 101,353
Ship length - 892 feet

Meals, coffee, tea and refreshments were all included in the cruise package and you could eat all day long in the many buffet-style cafeterias. The many options included pizza, hamburgers, Chinese food, ribs and much more.
For supper, we preferred to go to the dining room (left photo) where we were treated royally. The menus were like you'd find in the finest restaurants and always included at least one seafood dish.

At first, there were four couples at our table but we soon missed the two pleasant black couples: it seems the husbands didn't care for the fancy dishes and preferred cafeteria food.
We thoroughly enjoyed the company of Gerald and Sandra from Winnipeg.
Our maitre d' was a sweet girl from Nepal who left her husband and children for months, to work on the ship.

We spent very little time in our room!

2006-05-14T16:59:00.000-07:00

I had the best intentions, today, of telling you about our ship and a "Day at Sea." But my computer and my scanner aren't cooperating. I guess I need to get our technician cuz I've tried everything I know. Hopefully I'll have more for you to read about by next weekend.

2006-04-15T09:15:00.000-07:00

Wednesday, February 22 Barbados
We docked in Bridgetown, the capital. The island is 14 miles wida and 27 miles long. It was uninhabited when the English settled in 1627. Now, more than 90% of the people are of African descent and their dialect, known as Bajan, makes their official language, English, very unique. Tourism is the main economy and exports are sugar, molasses and rum.

A bus took us to a "Beach Carnival" where the people helped us get settled on the beach and pampered us all afternoon. Included in the price were hot dogs and hamburgers, live entertainment and all kinds of rum drinks!

Ron (middle of photo) was amazed at how easily he floated in the salt water.

One of the guys told Ron "You're gonna burn, mon." and brought him a chunk of aloe vera plant that was about 6 inches thick and 2 feet long! When I took this photo, he already had a number of rum drinks under his belt. I had only two pina coladas.

"Spirit Dancers" performed to ward off evil and, above the beach, the Caribbean music played on.

When we got back to the ship, Ron went straight to bed. He said that's the first time he ever experienced a spinning room. So I went for supper alone and lost the rest of my winnings at the casino that night.

2006-04-14T07:22:00.000-07:00

Day Three, Tuesday, February 21 Dominica
Dominica, 29 miles long (49km) and 16 miles (25km) at its widest, rises to almost 5,000 feet. Formerly both English and French colonies, it is a mix of English, French, African, and Carib peoples. Its lush rainforests receive over 300 inches of rain per year.

Our ship docked in the capital, Roseau. There were hundreds of little sidewalk vendors selling all kinds of crafts and souvenirs. Ron was more interested in the musicians.

A small, open tour bus took us on a terrifying hour-long journey up the mountain along a narrow road. On one side we could almost touch the side of the mountain and the other dropped hundreds of feet into the valley. When we met a vehicle coming down, both slowed down to a crawl and there were just inches between the two vehicles!

Then an aerial tram took us even higher into the rain forest. During the 90-minute trip, there were frequent showers. The sky would suddenly break and dump torrents of rain for a few minutes and then, just as suddenly, the sun would reappear.

Unfortunately, it was called "winter" (at 85F?) when we were there and wildlife was scarce. We saw a few parrots flying in the distance some hummingbirds. While Ron went for a short hike with the others at the top, a young tram operator showed me some agouti which are large, shy rodents native to only Dominica. Of course, Ron had the camera with him.

Have you ever tried to grow Birds of Paradise at home? They're plentiful here. The huge plants on the right (bromelaids?) grow off the sides of tall trees, high above the ground. They always hold rainwater. The tree frogs lay their eggs in them and the tadpoles develop there too.

Can you see the dark nuts on this tree? (I've forgotten the name of it.) Researchers in France think they've found a cure for AIDS, made from these nuts, found only in Dominica.

Then we had to brave the bus trip back down to Roseau.

....And that evening at the ship's casino, I lost half of my winnings from the nights before.

2006-04-14T07:16:00.000-07:00

Today I'll be posting our next day in the Caribbean, Dominica (pronounced DOM-in-EEK-a). I'd love to hear some of your comments: just click on "0 Comments" and it will tell you how to do it.

2006-04-14T06:59:00.000-07:00

I have to tell you about a "believe-it-or-not" that has nothing to do with the Caribbean. I have a '92 Dodge Caravan that I bought new. The kids and I went camping with it and both learned to drive with this vehicle. Ron and I took good care of it and two days ago, it was in excellent condition, the body like new, with very low mileage.
Last week, we took it to Kal Tire to get an oil leak repaired. The oil leak was fixed but it came home leaking transmission fluid so we took it back. The mechanic who caused the leak was rude and resentful about having to correct his error. Apparently after doing the job, he took it for a test drive AND ROLLED MY CARAVAN!
Kal Tire's insurance will pay for it but we still don't know if it's repairable.

2006-04-09T15:49:00.000-07:00

Correction! It was nearly nine years ago that the kids went snorkling in Megan's Bay and Deb and I tanned on that beach.

2006-04-09T15:13:00.000-07:00

Day Two, Monday, February 20 -St. Thomas
My second time here but the beauty of St. Thomas was still as captivating. We docked in Havensight on the Caribbean side and shared a small tour bus (open-sided) with one other couple.

That's our ship, Carnival Destiny.

The tour took us over the mountains to the Atlantic side of the island.

Near this beach (can you find Ron?) we saw iguanas cooling themselves in the foliage of the trees but they wouldn't show up in our photos.

Megan's Bay is where Becca and Phil went snorkling six years ago. I'ts rated among the best beaches in the world.

Behind my back in the photo of the bay was "Ponce de Leon's Seat." He kept his ships in the bay and, from this viewpoint above, he could watch for enemy ships approaching from afar.

Back in Havensight. That's our ship behind me.

By the way, when Ron woke up that morning, he was as red as a lobster and willingly used my Watkins Aloe Vera sunblock while in St. Thomas.

I won another $350 at the casino that evening.

2006-04-09T13:54:00.000-07:00

Day One, February 18 San Juan
We arrived the night before and stayed at a charming bed & breakfast.
Just down the street was a sidewalk pub/restaurant where we ate baby octopus (cooked, of course) and marveled at the bumper-to-bumper traffic on the narrow streets. As Caribbean music blasted from the open windows, the drivers were so courteous to each other and nobody lost their cool! We could definitely take some lessons from them.

We spent most of the day exploring the neighborhood on foot and soaking up the sun on the beach (on the Atlantic) just around the corner from our hotel. Ron insisted that he was going to tan with his oil and ignored my pleas to use a sunscrean. Needless to say, he would come to regret this!

That evening, we boarded our ship. That evening, I won over $400 at the casino and we explored all the night clubs on board.

2006-03-30T17:24:00.000-08:00

Esme and Ron Cruise the Caribbean!

Pictures coming soon...