Canoe Trip in Killarney

I finally got the collection of pictures taken on our 6-day canoe trip in Killarney. I think they turned out pretty fab. There were soooo many great pictures that it's hard to choose which ones to post here. I will see if I can consolidate below...

After dropping mom and dad off at the church at 5:15am where they would ride the yellow school bus to Pearson airport where they would begin their trip to Nicaragua, I was on the road and headed towards Barrie.


Since it was such an early morning, I got the pleasure of witnessing glowingly beautiful early morning sunrise.


After meeting up with Amanda, Brandon, Andrew, and Tasha who had come from Toronto, we carpooled up to Killarney Provincial Park just in time for the rain to pour down while we unloaded and set off.


Despite the fog that surrounded us, I was very quickly mesmerized by my surroundings - a new part of Ontario that I had not yet seen.


Spotting the first loon of the trip - the first of many


Arriving at our site after navigating our way through an unmarked portage onto Sandy Lake


Hanging the food


After an awesome dinner of steak, garlic bread, green beans, and mashed potatoes, Brandon surprised us with some creme brule, complete with melted sugar thanks to his handy butane torch.


Waking up the next morning to a beautiful sunset burning away the fog hanging over the lake, I sat and enjoyed the moment before starting the fire.


Oleg also enjoyed the serene setting


A few shots from around the campsite...










A beautiful morning for a paddle...


Gliding through the trail of lilly pads...


Taking a break and enjoying the afternoon sun...


Andrew shows us the secret to his power on the portages


Yet another loon (one of my favourite parts about Northern Ontario!)


A "small" beaver dam that we had to maneuver around


Arriving at our second campsite on Little Bell Lake


After a leisurely morning around camp (and some yummy yummy pancakes to start our day) we set off for an easy day of paddling


We enjoyed a relaxing afternoon on a sweet campsite where we enjoyed cheddar smokies and baked beans over the fire, and an afternoon of sun on the rocks


After stashing our canoes in the bush, we hiked up to the top of Silver Peak where we (illegally) planned to spend the night since there were no available campsites on that lake at the time of booking our trip


The hike up was a refreshing change to paddling as it was a pretty good incline and really got the legs working. I was oh so pleasantly surprised to discover that the hike also offered some pretty spectacular views - something I was definitely missing after getting spoiled by all of the alpine hiking that I had spent the past year and a half of my life taking for granted...





Following the cairns along the way




To the very top where we quickly found ourselves in the middle of an oncoming storm with thick fog blowing up and over the mountain-top and completely blocking out our view


I think that this picture from the next morning completely summarizes how gloomy things were (ah well, so much for a better view - will have to come back next year and check it out!)


After hiking back down to the bottom, the sun came out and we hopped in our canoes and stopped off at this wonderful campsite to enjoy a morning swim and a delicious oatmeal breakfast


Later that day we stumbled upon some pretty fantastic cliffs


The daredevils in the group opted to check them out a bit more than the ladies did




I took the opportunity to soak up the experience in a slightly more relaxing manner


After the next portage, we found ourselves having to drag the canoes for a while


And after catching site of a snapping turtle in the mirky waters, we opted to change up our strategic approach




I was LOVING it!


After some really yum KD for dinner...


We enjoyed a very chillin' evening around the campfire


I was thrilled to get up early the next morning to enjoy a gorgeous sunrise over the lake


I also discovered that it is only certain times of the day when you get to witness beautiful reflective moments like this one on the water


Paddling back down the shallow stream


And returning to the magnificent cliffs once again


This time Tasha decided to give it a "go" too


After finishing up at the cliffs we portaged onto another lake to be mesmerized by some even more magnificent cliffs


Another short portage took us onto this spectacular blue lake


And yet another portage brought us onto this narrow stream that was not a stranger to beaver dams


This section of the paddle turned ominous as we paddled by this ginormous boulders amongst the several mini portages that were interspersed throughout




It was a slow paddle and we found ourselves finally back onto the open water as the day was coming to an end


After paddling the length of Three Narrows Lake, we found ourselves back at the very first campsite that we saw since it was the only one unoccupied


We had just enough time to set up camp and start dinner before having to finish eating it in the dark. I think this picture of my feet summarizes how tough the day had been.


Our last morning was definitely a wet one and we set off in some gloomy skies




After a few more wet portages...


We found ourselves back where we started and sad to say goodbye to Killarney


What a fantastic trip. It`s hard to describe the total disconnect from the real world that you get to experience on a multi-day canoe trip like this. We really lucked out with good weather for the most part, and I am grateful for that. Already looking forward to our proposed 2-week adventure in the interior next year!

More Updates from Nicaragua

Mom and dad are now home from their mission trip to Nicaragua and they are filled with memories and emotions that they are finding hard to contain. It sounds like it was a totally awesome experience for them, and despite a few tummy troubles upon returning home, they are so happy to have done this. I can't wait to see all of their pictures and learn about all of the stories that go with them.

Below is a compilation of the emails that I received from them during the second half of their trip...

Hi Heather, Laura and Mike,
Glad to hear you got home safely, Heather. Also glad to hear some news about the tornado, Laura. Thanks for giving me an update on Dona Smith and for getting copies of the blog for people who can´t access it.
Today was very hot again. We were supposed to deliver medi packs to the two clinics, but didn´t get to do it. Hopefully tomorrow. So I ended up working on the build. I tied rebar and did mortar on the cement blocks. The second coat of paint went on in the reception area of the clinic and it was decided to paint another whole in the clinic. The colour is orange on the top and brown on the bottom. Yuk! But that was the director´s choice. Yesterday I painted 6 doorways and trim in chocolate brown. So I was glad to work in the hot sun today. Tomorrow we are working a half day. Then we are going to the other hotel for hamburgers and a swim, if they clean out the pool. Then we are going to shop in downtown Chinandega. Then pizza for supper.
Guess that is all for now. We are going to play 6 hand euchre for awhile. Have a good time at Adam´s birthday party and say hi from us.
Love, Mom and Dad


Hi Heather
Glad to hear that you made it back safely. We were shocked to hear of the tornado and the death caused by it. It is sooooo hot down here. It was mid 40's humidex (with no clouds) yesterday and was the hottest day by far in terms of work. We drank tons of water and Gatorade. This country is so poor and the people are so grateful for all that we have done. Yesterday, the staff from the clinic brought each person a bowl of local fruit. It was so refreshing. The build is going well and we are learning lots about cement block construction - from mixing mortar (by hand - from scratch) to laying blocks and pouring the spacer joints. We are only working half a day today (I think because of the heat and because we are perhaps a bit ahead of schedule and we are running out of blocks) We are going to the other hotel for burgers at lunch - WOW no rice and beans. That hotel has a pool (not the cleanest, we are told), so we might get some swimming in. Then off to the local market after lunch for a bit of shopping - a real experience and then pizza for supper. Every meal so far has had beans and rice (except for last night) so we are glad for the change.
We are at the Pacifico Hotel and ´they are on the web www.hdelpacifico.com
Hope that you are enjoying your time at Sauble with Laura and Mike and of course Matthew (give him a big hug from us).
Love,
Dad and Mom


Hi Laura,
We had a meeting last night and decided what to do with some of our contingency money. We are buying a washing machine for the clinic. Right now they do it all by hand. we are also having the roof fixed so the lights won´t short out. Also buying 20 lights to replace the ruined ones. We are also buying a mop and bucket with a
wringer, bulletin boards so they won't tape things on our freshly painted walls. We are also giving a family money to get to the children´s hospital in Managua. The son has terminal brain cancer and the father has just been diagnosed with prostate cancer.
We have two wings of the clinic painted and have started on the outside of the clinic. The inside is orange on the top and brown on the bottom. The director's choice. The outside is a light yellow with green trim.
Today we are having our "store". We have 9 hockey bags of clothing and will put it out for people to buy for about 5 or 10 Cordoba's. The money will go to the clinic. We will still build, paint and do crafts at the school.
Have to run. There is a lineup for the computer.
Love, Mom and Dad.


Hi Everyone,
We have only a half day at the clinic work site today. Then we are having a barbecue for the clinic staff and will begin the 3 hour drive back to Managua.
Yesterday we had our "Store" or rummage sale Nicaraguan style. We had 10 hockey bags of clothing and by the time it was over, we had part of one left. We made about $340 Us dollars for the clinic. The director had tears in her eyes when it was presented.
Last night we were invited to the El Viejo city sguare for an out door concert of native dancing. Then we were all given certificates signed by the governor, mayor, etc. Tonight we will be back at Angel's Inn with Jenny. Tomorrow we go to the beach for the day at Montelimar (spelling?).
Friday we fly out of Managua at 7am to San Salvador. Then we have a 7 hour layover for our flight to Toronto. The good thing is that there are lots of stores in the airport. We haven´t had much time to shop here and when we did it was about an hour or less.
Have to go. there is a line up for the computer.
Love, Mom and Dad.


Hi Rob and all (Please forward)
We are back in Managua and it is a bit cooler - thank goodness. We had a real party as a send off in El Viejo at the clinic today. We hosted a BBQ for the clinic staff. They thanked us by presenting us with a little souvenir from Nicaragua. After the presentation, a (brass) band came in and played as everyone got up and danced. It was so amazing. They were so thankful for all we did. We also donated an automatic washing machine to the clinic because they were washing everything
by hand. There were tears of appreciation and happiness. in the eyes of the cleaning staff as we ran the first load. There was a USA sticker on the top of the washer and they promptly removed it saying that the "Gringos" did not care for them and they wanted to put a Canadian sticker on it. You cannot imagine the poverty
in this country. We are off to a resort tomorrow and on the plane bright and early the next day.
Must run now. Love to all,
Dad and Mom

Book Review: Legs On Everest

I just finished the book I picked up in Hanmer Springs, “Legs On Everest,” by Mark Inglis.


It was a pretty good read. Not the best and most inspiring book I’ve read in this sort of genre, but still a really good read. What totally boggles my mind is the fact that this man did the unthinkable – climbed Everest – but at the same time doing so as a double amputee. I can’t, for the life of me, imagine how harsh the conditions of summiting Everest might be, but combining that with the challenge of doing it on very unforgiving and unstable legs, seems unimaginable.

You can tell by Inglis’ writing that he is one “tough bugger”. He’s an interesting character with more determination than one can imagine. He’s definitely left me feeling appreciative for my mobility and thinking about how barriers can always be pushed further.

One thing is certain, however. And that is that even after reading this book (and others on this subject), I still have zero desire to climb to the highest peak in the world. I’ll leave that one up to other (slightly more insane) people.

Summertime Happenings

Summer is flying by and I'm aware that my blogging has slowed to a crawl. I've been keeping myself relatively busy despite being on my summer holidays and still unemployed for the fall.

I got word last week about the interview that I had with a school in Guelph that I did not get the position. What made me happy was the fact that I got some really really positive feedback from the VP that called to give me the news. He said my interview went really well and the interview team was super impressed with the way I presented myself. He said that the only thing getting in my way was a lack of experience in comparison to a couple of the other candidates. Rightfully so. I've only got 3 years of teaching experience so far and half of that was spent outside of Ontario. So... I didn't win the Assistant Department head position, but I now have some positive feedback to boost my confidence for the next interview that rolls around.

I just got back from a 6-day canoe trip in Killarney Provincial Park. It was fantastic! A great time out in the wilderness and paddling around the lakes of Northern Ontario. I will post more about this when I get the pictures to go with my story.

On the way home from Killarney, we passed through some pretty heavy rain that was a bit scary to drive in. After picking up my car in Barrie (thanks to Kyle and Ryan to letting me store it in their garage for the week) I passed through a few more thunderstorms and heard some crazy things on the radio about tornadoes hitting the region. There were tornado warnings for Owen Sound, Collingwood, and Barrie. Turns out they did manage to touch down. I got stuck in traffic on hwy 26 in Craigleigth at the bottom of Blue Mountain. When I was finally able to pass by, I saw a power line down with the pole snapped in half. I also saw a bunch of trees blown over along with the roofs of some condominiums at the base of the mountain torn off with some insulation strewn along the side of the road. I'm certainly glad I wasn't driving past while that happened! You can read more about the tornadoes and the damage here and here.

Since getting home I have been getting caught up on all of the latest news from mom and dad who are currently on a mission trip in Nicaragua with their church. The group leader has been really good about posting updates to the blog. You can read more about the trip here.

Dad has also been good about staying in touch with the family via email (how he's managed to find an internet connection so readily is beyond me). He's been emailing Laura each day and she's been forwarding the messages to us. You can follow along with his emails below.

Hi Laura (and all)
We made it! Good flight(s) and it poured rain when we arrived in Nicaragua. All is well. Let everyone know that we are safe. We are off to a zip line ride and a volcano after church tomorrow.
Love,
Dad and Mom

Hi to all
It was a very busy day today. We toured a semi-active (Masaya) volcano - still smoking. We hiked to the top of a viewing point there. Then we were off to the zip line. It was 2 km with 17 platforms and 11 zip lines. It was a blast - even Mom enjoyed it. (I think that she has her underwear in the wash tonight (HAHA) and we
survived! Then we were off to the Lagoon and the market. We good view of Lake Nicaragua and Grenada from a very high vista point.
Love to all.
Dad and Mom

Here's the picture of mom from the PAN website.


Hi Laura and all
Today was sunny and HOT!! as well. It was a heart-wrenching day. First we went to a cancer hospital for little kids. It was so touching to interact with kids that are the same age as our grandchildren. WOW. We gave out clothing and stuffed animals and Mom did a painting with one of the young ones. I folded up a paper crane for another little one who was amazed when I made the wings flap. We then hit a market and an orphanage and again it was time to have your heart strings tugged. They were so cute as they held out their hands to us.
Must run for supper and then we are off to a girls' orphanage tonight.
Miss you guys,
Love,
Dad and Mom


Hi to all
I forgot to mention that we went out to the country before the market and visited a feeding station. It was a very poor area - tin and cardboard shacks. When we pulled in, the kids swooped in like you wouldn´t believe. They were so cute and appreciative of the food that we gave them. It was so touching to see their
little smiles and to get hugs from them.
Today we toured Managua before setting out. There was a big earthquake in Managua in 1972 and the only buildings remaining were an American hotel which survived in tact and a very old cathedral which was barely standing even today. Lots of armed guards around carrying shotguns and Uzzi´s. It makes you appreciate Canada for sure. Then we went to the PAN property and newly built storage facility. It was way out in the middle of nowhere. Back for lunch and off to Chinandega, a 3 hour trip. We are now at the Hotel Pacifica and it is pretty good - at least it is air conditioned. (and it works!!!). We are off to work tomorrow. Are you following the St. Andrews blog. You will see mom on the zip line. Must run others are waiting.
Love you.
Dad and Mom


Rob sent dad the following email:

Hi Dad and Mom,
The boys wanted me to share this picture of them with a mouse that they found in one of our window wells. We managed to rescue him and let him go in the green space. :)
Dad, we've enjoyed getting your emails from Laura about your trip. Sounds like you're having quite the adventure!
Love,
Rob


To which dad responded:

Hi Rob
What a great catch, Andrew and Nathan. This morning a lady found a scorpion in her bed, pretty scary. We went to the work sight today and it was soo hot. We were relaying cement blocks to the construction sight via a human chain in the blazing sun. This afternoon Mom visited a school, toured the hospital, and bought paint for the clinic and I laid cement blocks - I am dead! When we got back to the hotel, it was pouring rain and I stood in it to get washed off - it felt so good. Must go, supper has arrived.
Love to all,
Dad and Mom


And finally this update from mom today...

Hi Laura,
Another hot day. It is 6:30am and we are 2 hours behind you. We are going back to the work site for another day of building for some, painting for others and the youth will go back to the school for a soccer game and crafts. I visited the school on Wednesday and saw all the classrooms. The kids wear uniforms. There are two shifts at the school - 7am to 12 noon and noon to 5pm. The kids are very respectful. Found one teacher teaching English to the grade 12's. We listened to a band that was just amazing.
The build is progressing well. They are up to about 5 feet with the blocks on 3 walls. It will be 10 feet at the back and 8 feet at the front with a sloping roof. It will be used for the pharmacy when completed. You should see the little room they are using now.
The kids are so cute. We went to 2 orphanages and the feeding station for the really poor children. That was a real eye opener. Someone is waiting to use the computer so i should go. Send us news about the tornado.
Love you all.
Mom

I've decided that I'm going to consolidate all of these emails and the blog entries and print off a copy for Ev Sprung, Aggie, and Grandma T. I think they'll enjoy keeping up with mom and dad's adventures too.

Wine Selection at the LCBO

I think this blog posting might be of particular interest to my friend, Jacinda, who has recently ventured into the business of making and selling wine under the label of "Fiasco Wines".

In Ontario our liquor sales are controlled by an organization called the LCBO. The only place you can buy any sort of wine or spirits is at the LCBO with the exception of beer which can be bought at, get this, the Beer Store. Oh wait... I suppose there have been a few wine stores appearing as separate units inside of grocery stores these days, but I am fairly certain that they are still affiliated with the LCBO in some way.

This is a complete contrast to the way that alcohol is sold and managed in NZ where I become accustomed to being able to pick up a bottle of wine (often times at a really great sale price!) when I stopped off at the supermarket for a jug of milk and a loaf of bread.

I visited the LCBO the other day for the first time since arriving back home and was very curious to check out the wine selection since it is a topic that I have come to learn lots about during my time spent in Marlborough.

Here's what I discovered:
- Ontario has very little NZ wine selection (although this might be slightly impacted by the fact that I was shopping at the Owen Sound LCBO - probably not the biggest and best store in terms of variety and selection)
- The three brands I could find included: Stoneleigh, Monkey Bay, and Matua Valley
- There was a fourth brand that I remember hearing about before I left called "Cat's Pee on a Gooseberry Bush" that I didn't realize until now is NZ-made, but oddly enough, I don't ever remember seeing that on the shelves while living there
- Despite it being "NZ wine", I actually found it in the "Australia" section
- The pricing is actually quite similar (dollar value with no exchange rate considerations) but with the awesome sale prices you could get in NZ, I think it's more expensive to buy the wine here
- We are still stuck with most of our wine bottles being corked, despite the research showing that it stays fresher when bottled with a sealed cap (something NZ has overcome)
- I also re-discovered the fact that you can buy wine in "tetra paks" here (something I never saw overseas although I could have just been blind to them)


Stoneleigh - $16.95

Monkey Bay - $14.95

Matua Valley - $15.95

Cat's Pee on a Gooseberry Bush (can't remember how much this was)