Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Picking Fruit
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Back to Serious Blogging
It is cooking hot here in the Annapolis Valley. It is Eastern Canada’s version of the Okanogan Valley. Perhaps we can blame the recent rambling on the heat. It is currently 29 degrees (in the shade). The kids are just finishing up school for the day. They are completing their day with a science scavenger hunt around the campsite. They had to use the digital camera to take pictures of the information, items, and sights they discovered. I will post some photos.
Yesterday we enjoyed the afternoon by traveling up the road to a u-pick orchard. What a great place! There were thousands and thousands of apples trees- consisting of 57 different varieties. The owners give you bags and you go out and pick the ones you want- but their one rule is you have to sample each apple before you can choose to put that kind in your bag. After you taste it- then you can pick some more to take home….while you are there you eat as many kinds of apples as you want. We were pretty full by the time we left. We ended up with 16lbs of apples. We also bagged 12 lbs of plums and 3 lbs of pears. We are set for fruit for awhile.
Tomorrow we are moving from this wonderful campsite and making our way back to the ocean. We are still hoping to spot some whales-maybe even capture some on film to share. We will spend the weekend near Digby before moving on to Halifax. Jay has two exams next week in Halifax so we will camp near there and plan some day trips around that area.
We hope that you are all well and enjoying the fall. Although I hear that the weather there may not be as pleasant as here. Take care….The Hohn’s
Back to Serious Blogging
It is cooking hot here in the Annapolis Valley. It is Eastern Canada’s version of the Okanogan Valley. Perhaps we can blame the recent rambling on the heat. It is currently 29 degrees (in the shade). The kids are just finishing up school for the day. They are completing their day with a science scavenger hunt around the campsite. They had to use the digital camera to take pictures of the information, items, and sights they discovered. I will post some photos.
Yesterday we enjoyed the afternoon by traveling up the road to a u-pick orchard. What a great place! There were thousands and thousands of apples trees- consisting of 57 different varieties. The owners give you bags and you go out and pick the ones you want- but their one rule is you have to sample each apple before you can choose to put that kind in your bag. After you taste it- then you can pick some more to take home….while you are there you eat as many kinds of apples as you want. We were pretty full by the time we left. We ended up with 16lbs of apples. We also bagged 12 lbs of plums and 3 lbs of pears. We are set for fruit for awhile.
Tomorrow we are moving from this wonderful campsite and making our way back to the ocean. We are still hoping to spot some whales-maybe even capture some on film to share. We will spend the weekend near Digby before moving on to Halifax. Jay has two exams next week in Halifax so we will camp near there and plan some day trips around that area.
We hope that you are all well and enjoying the fall. Although I hear that the weather there may not be as pleasant as here. Take care….The Hohn’s
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Annapolis Rambling...
Monday, September 24, 2007
Technically, it is September 25 as it is after midnight and Jay won’t stop talking to me about wattage…voltage and amps- he is talking about a heater that we bought for the trailer- now he has got the calculator out and is figuring out the requirements of the hot water tank and the fridge. He is saying he feels cold air coming in from somewhere…I know we will never make it until the end of October to head south.
He is a little “busy” tonight as he drank a couple of cups of coffee with the locals (all retired folk)- he is now talking about Hugh Jackman being hot! Oh my goodness- someone needs to stop him before he drinks anymore coffee…EVER!!!
His eyes are beady and he is going on about the seniors in the recreation hall maybe being Chiropractors. I thought I had writers block – but Jay is providing some really good material. He is talking about Hugh AGAIN! Anyone starting to worry besides me? Did I mention that we watched the movie “Someone Like You”- which is a Hugh Jackman film???
Jay has settled - nope…not so fast now is asking why the woman at the recreation hall was talking about hot flashes and he apparently thinks that is not appropriate. Now he is asking if I think she really put Tim Horton’s coffee in pot- ‘cause it was good, but he put a lot of cream and sugar in it and he thinks it may have been Mother Parkers. Just so you know Jay doesn’t drink coffee, nor SHOULD he drink coffee.
He is swearing that the bug he swallowed earlier is stuck in his bronchial tube- it is just burning…supposedly. He is even coughing to make it appear to really bad-(We biked earlier and he swallowed something). He is imagining that it will be crawling out of his mouth during the night. He yawns, but he says he is not tired, he is just trying to make himself appear so. (What’s up with that???) He rubs his eyes and wonders out loud…”Maybe it was a bee and that is why it is burning.”
I was going to actually write about what was happening, but as you can tell our travels have moved past the point of being exciting. We are now entering the incoherent stage. In this stage we will ramble pointlessly about various moments in time and it will seem relevant and/or humorous to us, but to you it will be evidence that we are beginning to loose it. FYI- nothing in this blog has been made up! J
p.s now he is asking me why I don’t write about the acorns- and about how they are all over the ground and he is concerned why there are not more squirrels around especially because winter is coming. (I think he is genuinely concerned). He thinks it is cool how the acorns have little hats and he is going to break one open tomorrow…not to eat one-just to look at.
Technically, it is September 25 as it is after midnight and Jay won’t stop talking to me about wattage…voltage and amps- he is talking about a heater that we bought for the trailer- now he has got the calculator out and is figuring out the requirements of the hot water tank and the fridge. He is saying he feels cold air coming in from somewhere…I know we will never make it until the end of October to head south.
He is a little “busy” tonight as he drank a couple of cups of coffee with the locals (all retired folk)- he is now talking about Hugh Jackman being hot! Oh my goodness- someone needs to stop him before he drinks anymore coffee…EVER!!!
His eyes are beady and he is going on about the seniors in the recreation hall maybe being Chiropractors. I thought I had writers block – but Jay is providing some really good material. He is talking about Hugh AGAIN! Anyone starting to worry besides me? Did I mention that we watched the movie “Someone Like You”- which is a Hugh Jackman film???
Jay has settled - nope…not so fast now is asking why the woman at the recreation hall was talking about hot flashes and he apparently thinks that is not appropriate. Now he is asking if I think she really put Tim Horton’s coffee in pot- ‘cause it was good, but he put a lot of cream and sugar in it and he thinks it may have been Mother Parkers. Just so you know Jay doesn’t drink coffee, nor SHOULD he drink coffee.
He is swearing that the bug he swallowed earlier is stuck in his bronchial tube- it is just burning…supposedly. He is even coughing to make it appear to really bad-(We biked earlier and he swallowed something). He is imagining that it will be crawling out of his mouth during the night. He yawns, but he says he is not tired, he is just trying to make himself appear so. (What’s up with that???) He rubs his eyes and wonders out loud…”Maybe it was a bee and that is why it is burning.”
I was going to actually write about what was happening, but as you can tell our travels have moved past the point of being exciting. We are now entering the incoherent stage. In this stage we will ramble pointlessly about various moments in time and it will seem relevant and/or humorous to us, but to you it will be evidence that we are beginning to loose it. FYI- nothing in this blog has been made up! J
p.s now he is asking me why I don’t write about the acorns- and about how they are all over the ground and he is concerned why there are not more squirrels around especially because winter is coming. (I think he is genuinely concerned). He thinks it is cool how the acorns have little hats and he is going to break one open tomorrow…not to eat one-just to look at.
Friday, September 21, 2007
Nova Scotia
We know we use the word beautiful a lot, but yesterday’s scenery was truly breathtaking! We traveled to the farthest point North on Cape Breton Island to the small village of Meat Cove. The drive, along the Cabot Trail, was spectacular and a little scary. We followed a motor home up the steepest incline – and there were moments we worried (honestly) that we would have to get out to help push it up. We took photos during our day but they just do not do the view justice.
When we arrived at Meat Cove we managed to hike down to the ocean and only one of us fell in the stream – not mentioning any names (Ryley). We had hoped we would spot some Pilot Whales, but none were seen. We did have a great chance to investigate some limestone boulders– that were actually marble. It was neat because we are studying the Rock Cycle and types of rocks- so the opportunity to see huge chucks of marble that had fallen from the mountain was cool. Sorry we won’t be bringing any back as gifts-so you can put away those thoughts of redoing your front entrance in marble.
Today is a social studies day-some of us love social studies (Darla) – but there have been members of our family have requested LESS social. Well, let’s just say… sucks to be you today! We traveled to Louisbourg, a French settlement that was burned twice by the British in the 1700’s. We learned that the fight over land in the “new world” was over control of the fur trade and the cod fish industry-not so much of a hot commodity these days. The loyalty to Acadian heritage is here is very evident and the history of how our country was shaped significant.
p.s. Yes we did happen to video Ryley falling into the stream- watch for it on America’s Funniest Home Videos.
When we arrived at Meat Cove we managed to hike down to the ocean and only one of us fell in the stream – not mentioning any names (Ryley). We had hoped we would spot some Pilot Whales, but none were seen. We did have a great chance to investigate some limestone boulders– that were actually marble. It was neat because we are studying the Rock Cycle and types of rocks- so the opportunity to see huge chucks of marble that had fallen from the mountain was cool. Sorry we won’t be bringing any back as gifts-so you can put away those thoughts of redoing your front entrance in marble.
Today is a social studies day-some of us love social studies (Darla) – but there have been members of our family have requested LESS social. Well, let’s just say… sucks to be you today! We traveled to Louisbourg, a French settlement that was burned twice by the British in the 1700’s. We learned that the fight over land in the “new world” was over control of the fur trade and the cod fish industry-not so much of a hot commodity these days. The loyalty to Acadian heritage is here is very evident and the history of how our country was shaped significant.
p.s. Yes we did happen to video Ryley falling into the stream- watch for it on America’s Funniest Home Videos.
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Jason's in the Hall!
Jay's cousin Jason plays in the Vancouver line up tonight (Sept 19) vs. the Hohn's beloved Flames. Good Luck Jason...go flames...go canucks go! Ryley discovered that Jason is already in the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto when they came across the above picture from the AHL All Star game this past season.
Monday, September 17, 2007
More of PEI
Sunday, September16, 2007
We enjoyed a busy day away from the holiday trailer. We started our day with a 10+ km bike ride on the Confederation Bike Trail-it is a very well maintained hiking and biking trail around PEI. We only encountered a squirrel and a skunk during our journey. Luckily, the skunk was a fare distance ahead of us. We didn’t bother him…he didn’t bother us.
This afternoon we traveled a few minutes up the road to visit another area of the beach. We didn’t find much beach, although we did discover a dead (nasty) seal washed up on shore. We ventured away from the seal and on to the nearby rocks. Attached is a picture of the view.
We thought it might be fun to dig for clams so we headed back to Beach Point, but along the way we stopped by the Cape Bear Lighthouse- which incidentally, was the first lighthouse to receive the S.O.S. from the sinking Titanic. You can now use that information in a trivia game…
There was no beach at Cape Bear, but there plenty of seals playing just off the shore. We counted as many as 15 at one time. From there we traveled back to Beach Point to find snails…really big snails. See one attached to Kass’s arm~
We also discovered how crabs bury themselves and how razor clams can spit a great distance. Here is a picture of the largest crab we found today. Isn’t he cute?
FYI- no Snails or Crabs were harmed in the creation of this blog!
We enjoyed a busy day away from the holiday trailer. We started our day with a 10+ km bike ride on the Confederation Bike Trail-it is a very well maintained hiking and biking trail around PEI. We only encountered a squirrel and a skunk during our journey. Luckily, the skunk was a fare distance ahead of us. We didn’t bother him…he didn’t bother us.
This afternoon we traveled a few minutes up the road to visit another area of the beach. We didn’t find much beach, although we did discover a dead (nasty) seal washed up on shore. We ventured away from the seal and on to the nearby rocks. Attached is a picture of the view.
We thought it might be fun to dig for clams so we headed back to Beach Point, but along the way we stopped by the Cape Bear Lighthouse- which incidentally, was the first lighthouse to receive the S.O.S. from the sinking Titanic. You can now use that information in a trivia game…
There was no beach at Cape Bear, but there plenty of seals playing just off the shore. We counted as many as 15 at one time. From there we traveled back to Beach Point to find snails…really big snails. See one attached to Kass’s arm~
We also discovered how crabs bury themselves and how razor clams can spit a great distance. Here is a picture of the largest crab we found today. Isn’t he cute?
FYI- no Snails or Crabs were harmed in the creation of this blog!
Sunday, September 16, 2007
Prince Edward Island
Friday, September 14, 2007
Relaxing is good…especially when the weather is beautiful! We are currently spending a few days a Murray River. Even though it is called a river- it is clearly connected to the Atlantic, as the tide moves in and out daily. The kids discovered Snow Crab (although no one has been brave enough to catch one). They have also found Oysters, Clams, and some beautiful Starfish. And yes, the ongoing question is “Can we keep it?” Hmmmm…
Sea creatures stored in our holiday trailer for 7+ months…I DON’T THINK SO!
We enjoyed a good visit with a neighbor camper last night ~ even the kids said he didn’t seem 70 years old ~ not many young folk out on the road. His wife and he are traveling the year and received an amazing Motor “Coach” as a gift (yes a gift) from their kids.
We went to Green Gables yesterday and also visited the home of author LM Montgomery. We enjoyed hearing the story of her life on PEI and how the island helped her create the character, Anne Shirley. We walked Lover’s Lane and the Haunted Wood- attached is a picture from Lover’s Lane.
Today we ventured a few miles down the road to Murray Harbour- home of NHL’er Brad Richards. We met more nice folk who introduced us to finding Bar Clams, Razor Clams, Huge Snails (yes Jay would like to eat them) and some Harbour Seals. They also invited us over to meet their pet Blue Lobster…perhaps another day.
Tomorrow we are heading into Charlottetown to the Shellfish Festival…not everyone in our house is “really” excited about the adventure…not mentioning any names – Ryley Hohn. We will let you know if it is similar to a Fear Factor episode.
Talk to you soon.
The Hohn’s
Relaxing is good…especially when the weather is beautiful! We are currently spending a few days a Murray River. Even though it is called a river- it is clearly connected to the Atlantic, as the tide moves in and out daily. The kids discovered Snow Crab (although no one has been brave enough to catch one). They have also found Oysters, Clams, and some beautiful Starfish. And yes, the ongoing question is “Can we keep it?” Hmmmm…
Sea creatures stored in our holiday trailer for 7+ months…I DON’T THINK SO!
We enjoyed a good visit with a neighbor camper last night ~ even the kids said he didn’t seem 70 years old ~ not many young folk out on the road. His wife and he are traveling the year and received an amazing Motor “Coach” as a gift (yes a gift) from their kids.
We went to Green Gables yesterday and also visited the home of author LM Montgomery. We enjoyed hearing the story of her life on PEI and how the island helped her create the character, Anne Shirley. We walked Lover’s Lane and the Haunted Wood- attached is a picture from Lover’s Lane.
Today we ventured a few miles down the road to Murray Harbour- home of NHL’er Brad Richards. We met more nice folk who introduced us to finding Bar Clams, Razor Clams, Huge Snails (yes Jay would like to eat them) and some Harbour Seals. They also invited us over to meet their pet Blue Lobster…perhaps another day.
Tomorrow we are heading into Charlottetown to the Shellfish Festival…not everyone in our house is “really” excited about the adventure…not mentioning any names – Ryley Hohn. We will let you know if it is similar to a Fear Factor episode.
Talk to you soon.
The Hohn’s
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
We are still here
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Remember the victims and heroes of September 11th.
Today we are leaving Quebec. It is a very rainy, grey, and windy. We love to pull the trailer on windy days! We have been unable to access the internet for nearly a week-apparently hot spots are not a very “hot” thing here. Our apologies for not being connected. A BIG Happy Birthday to Kelly!
Since our last posting we have visited Niagara Falls…learned about the crazy folks who have ventured over the falls ~ surprisingly most went over by choice. Fifteen people in total have taken the plunge and of those, ten survived. There were a lot of tourist attractions near the falls, but the falls themselves were the most spectacular…and free!
Following the beautiful falls we traveled to Ottawa to the Parliament Buildings and visited the War Memorial where the Unknown Soldier was laid to rest. We watched a peaceful demonstration on Parliament Hill, toured the Senate, the House of Commons, the Memorial Tower and the Library (my favorite). We also journeyed to the top of the bell tower- it has an amazing view of Ottawa and Gatineau in Quebec. We had no place to leave our holiday trailer in Ottawa so we drove it downtown- Jay did such a great job ...didn’t run over a single pedestrian or small vehicle.
The next stop after Ottawa was Quebec. We were all very nervous regarding our ability to communicate effectively, but we made out alright. Oh sure, there were a few moments of laughter at our expense, but if we don’t know what they were saying about us how could we get mad…right? Seriously, Quebec was awesome…the countryside beautiful…Quebec City was Jay’s and my favorite. We took a ferry across the St. Lawrence and spent the day walking around old Quebec, lying on the grass, shopping etc. We also had some down time at the campground…playing and doing school work. Sometimes it is as nice to be still as it is to be adventurous.
We are over 6800 kilometres into our trip and have learned so much. We are enjoying the moments, but we would be lying if we said that we are not missing our family and friends. We miss you!
Remember the victims and heroes of September 11th.
Today we are leaving Quebec. It is a very rainy, grey, and windy. We love to pull the trailer on windy days! We have been unable to access the internet for nearly a week-apparently hot spots are not a very “hot” thing here. Our apologies for not being connected. A BIG Happy Birthday to Kelly!
Since our last posting we have visited Niagara Falls…learned about the crazy folks who have ventured over the falls ~ surprisingly most went over by choice. Fifteen people in total have taken the plunge and of those, ten survived. There were a lot of tourist attractions near the falls, but the falls themselves were the most spectacular…and free!
Following the beautiful falls we traveled to Ottawa to the Parliament Buildings and visited the War Memorial where the Unknown Soldier was laid to rest. We watched a peaceful demonstration on Parliament Hill, toured the Senate, the House of Commons, the Memorial Tower and the Library (my favorite). We also journeyed to the top of the bell tower- it has an amazing view of Ottawa and Gatineau in Quebec. We had no place to leave our holiday trailer in Ottawa so we drove it downtown- Jay did such a great job ...didn’t run over a single pedestrian or small vehicle.
The next stop after Ottawa was Quebec. We were all very nervous regarding our ability to communicate effectively, but we made out alright. Oh sure, there were a few moments of laughter at our expense, but if we don’t know what they were saying about us how could we get mad…right? Seriously, Quebec was awesome…the countryside beautiful…Quebec City was Jay’s and my favorite. We took a ferry across the St. Lawrence and spent the day walking around old Quebec, lying on the grass, shopping etc. We also had some down time at the campground…playing and doing school work. Sometimes it is as nice to be still as it is to be adventurous.
We are over 6800 kilometres into our trip and have learned so much. We are enjoying the moments, but we would be lying if we said that we are not missing our family and friends. We miss you!
Thursday, September 6, 2007
A little mishap
September 5, 2007
First of all we would like to say “No one was hurt!” We thought that the people honking at us were just being friendly…recognizing that we were from Alberta. Isn’t that nice? After the lady (with a panic look on her face) yelled at us that our bikes were dragging on the ground behind the trailer we pulled over- with a nice police officer following to assess the damage. It actually wasn’t as bad as we imagined and the bikes can and will be repaired. The bumper broke off…apparently trailer bumpers are built of CRAP! You live…you learn. I videotaped the moment for the memory, but the boys in our family didn’t think that was such a great idea- I have the responses on tape for those of you who wish to see it sometime. J
On with the trip…we are in the Toronto area and have enjoyed the sights! Jay, Ryley, and Triana enjoyed the Hockey Hall of Fame (Jay fulfilled his dream of hugging the cup), Kassidy and I enjoyed shopping on Yonge Street- shopping rocks! We toured the Casa Loma (a beautiful castle downtown Toronto- built in 1911 by Sir Henry Pellatt with 98 rooms) and we made the 114 story climb (using the glass elevator) up the CN Tower. The view was pretty cool.
Tomorrow we are heading to Niagara Falls…doing school work along the way. The kids are doing really well and have been a “captive audience” on the road learning about our vast county. Thanks for the phone calls and keeping us posted.
Happy Fall!
First of all we would like to say “No one was hurt!” We thought that the people honking at us were just being friendly…recognizing that we were from Alberta. Isn’t that nice? After the lady (with a panic look on her face) yelled at us that our bikes were dragging on the ground behind the trailer we pulled over- with a nice police officer following to assess the damage. It actually wasn’t as bad as we imagined and the bikes can and will be repaired. The bumper broke off…apparently trailer bumpers are built of CRAP! You live…you learn. I videotaped the moment for the memory, but the boys in our family didn’t think that was such a great idea- I have the responses on tape for those of you who wish to see it sometime. J
On with the trip…we are in the Toronto area and have enjoyed the sights! Jay, Ryley, and Triana enjoyed the Hockey Hall of Fame (Jay fulfilled his dream of hugging the cup), Kassidy and I enjoyed shopping on Yonge Street- shopping rocks! We toured the Casa Loma (a beautiful castle downtown Toronto- built in 1911 by Sir Henry Pellatt with 98 rooms) and we made the 114 story climb (using the glass elevator) up the CN Tower. The view was pretty cool.
Tomorrow we are heading to Niagara Falls…doing school work along the way. The kids are doing really well and have been a “captive audience” on the road learning about our vast county. Thanks for the phone calls and keeping us posted.
Happy Fall!
Saturday, September 1, 2007
Ontario Snapshots
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