There are still adventures to be had at home

Now that the camping season is at an end and the cool weather is setting in it is time to shift into a different kind of fun and adventure.

A week or so ago we went on our annual pumpkin ride with the Silver Spokes. The destination was fun but the real adventure is the getting there and the fellowship of friends. After the ride  along the I & M trail with the fall colors just  beginning to show, we gathered at the home of one of our fellow riders and enjoyed chili, hot dogs, campfire, and more than a few laughs. I have been reading a lot lately about how a good belly laugh daily is one of the best things for heart health. Our little circle of friends should have a long history of healthy hearts.

Yesterday was probably the last of our Indian summer days. I took a long walk in the morning around the Village Center Lakes in Woodridge and marveled at the great  town we live in. We can walk or ride our bikes along beautiful trails that bypass numerous parks and lakes accentuated by scenic bridges. We can go off into the forest preserves in two different directions or stay in our own neighborhood. http://www.woodridgeparks.org/park_lake-harriet.htm

We first moved here 40 years ago on the day of our wedding. When we outgrew that house we determined that we wanted to stay in the village and Parish and that was the best decision of our lives.

Today I spent the whole day playing housewife. What a novelty! I did all the laundry in one day including the sheets and towels and got the whole shebang folded and put away without leaving the last load in the drier.
Then I spent the whole afternoon cooking a fabulous meal for my roommates. Years ago when we were both working and still had kids at home Don and I used to joke about hiring a wife. He even went so far as to threaten to turn the stove into a planter once we got a microwave. He retired in 2000 just as I was starting a new career and he took over the housekeeping completely. The girls I worked with were so jealous because I  had a wife, and a very good one too. When I decided to follow him into retirement, neither one of us really assumed the role again. The scary thing is, I kind of enjoyed the last few days of cleaning and cooking. I don't expect it will last though.

What a Summer

This has been one of the busiest summers I can ever recall. We decided not to take a long trip but just to stay home and enjoy all the things there are here to enjoy. Well in the long run, we have probably spent more time on the road than any other summer in our history.

With so many wonderful grandchildren to spend time with, all of whom live worlds apart from each other we have been to Minneapolis three times, Atlanta twice, and Green Bay once.  We also have been to Elkhart In., Forest City, Ia., Springfield, Il., Door County, Marseilles Il., Lanesbo, Mn., Petoki Wi., Lafayette In., and on a week long cruise to New England.

All that and we were honored to have the whole gang here for a week-end in June.

In our spare time we have been golfing, helping out at the local food pantry, and keeping up with our small christian community and Silver Spokes bikers.

For awhile I was getting overwhelmed trying to keep track of where we were supposed to be. It seemed like we were home just long enough to do the laundry and cut the grass. The dust bunnies have invaded the house and there was no point evicting them until we planned to stay put for more than a few days.

Our latest escapades have been back to back with our Fox Valley Winnies outing to the Feast of the Hunters Moon immediately after returning home from the cruise, and a wonderful long week-end in Alpharetta for the occasion of Ollie's baptism.

The Feast of the Hunters Moon is all about celebrating the European colonists who braved the hardships to settle this part of the country. Fife and Drum corps from all over the country converge in Lafayette on this week-end dressed in the uniforms of the brigades they represent; starting with the US Army Colonial Fife and Drum Corps, followed by French, English, American Colonial, Scottish and German reenactors. Each raised the flags that were representative of their countries at the time of their occupation of that particular part of the country and in particular Fort Quintenot. I got a little misty eyed watching them all march into the arena in perfect step.

The arrival of the Voyageurs is particularly exciting. These represent the fur traders who traveled all the way from Montreal via the waterways in canoes. Of course this was before the birth of locks and dams along the way.

The booths were filled with the food and wares representative of the era. Such as pork and beans, roasted sweet corn, venison, and squirrel stew.

We returned home to do the laundry and pack our bags for a fun-filled trip to Atlanta the home of Drew and Ollie Chilson; oh yes, Mike and Elizabeth live there too.

In the midst of all this we have a new roommate who joined us at the end of September. Niece Lindsay moved in for the winter as she is currently between homes and now enjoys the five minute commute to work. She joined us for "A Blast From the Past" dancing to the music of the 50s to 80s. What a great sport she is.

So she made the trip to Georgia us and it was a sheer pleasure having that third driver along for the long haul.

Drew has developed such a joyful personality. He is now old enough to remember who we are and welcomes us with open arms. Ollie is a happy-go-lucky little chap; yes, in spite of his significant girth he is still just a little chap. He has a Patterson snort, inside out laugh which  makes everyone around him join in the fun. Both of them made it up to the top of Stone Mountain. Drew under his own power and Ollie with the help of his Lindsay.

 By the way Lindsay also made it to the top under her own power and only asked to be carried once.

The highlight of the week-end was Ollie's Baptism. All of his favorite people were there to act as god parents and I think Don and I were the proudest of them all. Such a wonderful treasure; he is truly a gift from God. 

I guess I have to say it has been a pretty good summer. We are at such a great place in our lives right now. As I like to say on a beautiful day on the golf course, "God's in his heaven and all's right with the world."

So now it is time to settle into fall, which is one of my favorite times of the year. Golf continues as long as the weather allows and the cool weather and  almost deserted courses make it all the sweeter. We have a few Illini football games to look forward to along with the tailgate parties and family camaraderie. It would be nice if Illinois could win a few but if that's as bad as it gets for now we can all rest easy.

Cruising New England

We have just returned from another wonderful adventure. This time we went on a Princess Cruise with my brother and his wife. The destinations were terrific, but the real story and memories are about spending significant time with  family members in small numbers. It is the time to bond, create shared memories, and just get to know each other without the interference of great hordes of people around. Well actually, on a ship that hold 3100 passengers, you are not exactly alone with anyone but none of those people are competing for our attention.

 

Our first destination was Brooklyn Harbor and I never realized that Brooklyn could look so beautiful. It looks a lot better as you are leaving it than driving through it on a bus.

We were afraid we might not make the clearance under the Verazano bridge. Everyone watched with baited breath, but she cleared without a scratch. I'm sure the people on top of the bridge appreciated that.

There is no greater thrill than viewing Lady Liberty the way many of our immigrant ancestors first saw her. I got a shiver just thinking of the implications this statue holds for all who see her.

Our first port of call was Newport Rhode Island. I had no idea that Newport had such a significant role in the early history of our country. The streets are dotted with many restored buildings dated in the 1700s.

We took a short hike along the Newport cliff walk which is a path that runs through many of the backyards of the mansions of the rich and famous from the previous century.

 


We contemplated buying this one but it was not for sale.



Did you enjoy that walk as much as we did?

We finished up with lunch at the White Horse Tavern where we discovered that Newport has a rich history of piracy.

 

This is where the "two if by sea" lanterns were hung aloft



Our next port of call was Boston. We revisited the Freedom trail which is a great red brick path down the center of the sidewalks leading to the famous sites marking the beginning of our country. We recreated Paul revere's ride at both the Old North Church, and his home and at the Green Dragon Restaurant where we discussed colonial politics over bowls of clam chowder.

Paul Revere's home. I believe only the wooden structure was there in 1776

Boston would not be complete without a stroll down Beacon Hill and a beer at Cheers.

Bar Harbor Maine, home of Acadia National Park, and we chose to go whale watching.

Well, the whales were not up to entertaining tourists this day and I only saw one rather lazy old guy who was out to take in some sun.

St. John, New Brunswick was next. This is the gateway to Fundy Bay where the tides rise and fall as much as 48 feet daily. We chose to go to Hopewell Rocks where the tide changes are most dramatic around the awesome rock formations. It was a three hour bus ride out to the rocks and as luck would have it, we arrived at exactly high tide and were unable to stay long enough to see any significant change. I had a wonderful dish of seafood chowder which was loaded with lobster meat. After all a great part of travelling is sampling local quisine!

The drive along the bay was lovely. The difficult thing about seeing exotic places from a cruise is the limited amount of time  give to each port. On a Bahama Island this never seemed important, but we would have liked to spend much more time in New Brunswick, if only to experience the changing tides.

The Citadel

Halifax Nova Scotia was a pleasant surprise. Again this colonial town has a rich history dating back to when British soldiers were quartered here on their route to put down the rebellion in the south.

This is the town which came to the rescue of the Titanic Survivors, burying more than 300 unclaimed bodies in their own tiny cemeteries.

Shortly after the Titanic there was an explosion in the harbor involving a munitions ship which blew up a major part of the city. After visiting the Citadel, a small seaport museum, and a victorian garden, we were driven out to Peggy's Cove.





Peggy's Cove is a small fishing village which epitomizes my image of Nova Scotia. Can you guess that it was my favorite stop?