Writing in the Sand

What would you write?

This is compliments of my niece.

Bay of Fundy

Different locations along the Bay of Fundy at sunset.

Prince Edward Island

Along the coast of PEI

Walking to the beach.

Love the red rocks and sand.

The beauty of PEI never ceases to amaze.

This last picture was taken on my last day on the island as a storm rolled in.

No FRACKING

In my travels a week or so ago, in the Maritimes, I came across a number of signs stating "NO FRACKING"
Some signs were posted at driveway entrances along the highway, others were in the sides of rural buildings. Some signs were very large, others were just big enough to read as I drove by.
I've finally had the opportunity to look up this term. The following is from Wikepedia:
"Hydraulic fracturing, often called fracking, fracing[a] or hydrofracking, is the process of initiating and subsequently propagating a fracture in a rock layer, by means of a pressurized fluid, in order to release petroleum, natural gas, coal seam gas, or other substances for extraction. The fracturing, known colloquially as a frack job (or frac job), is done from a wellbore drilled into reservoir rock formations. The energy from the injection of a highly pressurized fluid, such as water, creates new channels in the rock which can increase the extraction rates and ultimate recovery of fossil fuels.
Hydraulic fractures may be natural or created by human activity, and are extended by internal fluid pressure which opens the fracture and causes it to extend through the rock. Natural hydraulic fractures include igneous dikes, sills and fracturing by ice as in frost weathering. Man-made fluid-driven fractures are formed at depth in a borehole and extend into targeted formations. The fracture width is typically maintained after the injection by introducing a proppant into the injected fluid. Proppant is a material, such as grains of sand, ceramic, or other particulates, that prevent the fractures from closing when the injection is stopped.
The practice of hydraulic fracturing has come under scrutiny internationally due to concerns about environmental and health safety, and has been suspended or banned in some countries." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydraulic_fracturing

Pictou, Nova Scotia

 The Hector replica and museum in Pictou, Nova Scotia.

The original ship carried 200 Scots across the ocean in their migration to Canada. This replica, like the ship, is all wood. Placed beside a three story building you really get a sense of how large it is. While it looks large, it would still be very small for 200 passengers. The passengers voyage was spent below deck. There was very little room to move around in and their bunks had only about 2 feet of head room.

The people of Pictou take great pride in their replica. I am glad I had the opportunity to visit it.

Stanley Park, Vancouver

Stanley Park in Vancouver. A Great Blue Heron and some amazing trees.

Stanley Park

Here are some amazing and interesting trees and stumps that we found on a recent walk through Stanley Park. It was a beautiful day and a walk off the beaten path led us to some great sights!

Vancouver Island

A view of the Pacific Ocean. The weather was as beautiful as the view.

Aquarium

Last week I visited the Vancouver Aquarium.

It was a fascinating visit, from funny fish to the life span of the jellyfish, I sure learned a lot.

One thing I have always wanted to do is swim with dolphins. Obviously you can't swim with them at the aquarium, but there was something heart stopping about seeing them in person.

My first response was an absolute ache in my heart, to think that they lived in captivity. Later, we caught the dolphin show. I began watching with some very mixed emotions. Part of me was excited, the other felt like I was about to witness a car crash....you look, but with dread.

Fortunately, very quickly into the show they explained that the 4 dolphins had been rescued and had been deemed unreleasable. My relief was palpable, and I began to enjoy an amazing show of intelligence and athleticism.

Congratulations to the aquarium for creating a healthy, clean and safe space for their inhabitants.

Oh Canada




A view of the tour boat I took as it passes the Museum of Civilization

  This week I travelled to Gatineau, Quebec. Gatineau is across the Ottawa river from Ottawa, Ontario. I walked quite a bit when I was there. My hotel was about a 30 minute walk from the Museum of Civilization and another 30 minute walk from the Parliament Buildings. My hotel was also about 10 minutes from the building where I was attending a training session.

I took a boat ride along the Ottawa River one day. The boat took us past the Rideau Canal amongst other things.

A park in Gatineau


It was an enjoyable time.






 





A Zen Garden at the Museum of Civilization








A view of the parliament buildings from the grounds of the
Museum of Civilization



At Camp: A Few Special Pictures

No cell phones, no running water, an hour or two of electricity in the evening. Wood stoves to cook on and heat the rooms with. Heaven!

Maybe not everyone's idea of heaven, but it certainly is mine. We just spent a long weekend in the cabin in the woods. It was wonderful!

For me, there is nothing like this break. I forget about work, phone calls, household duties, everything at home and relax.

We snowshoed in almost all 4 miles, in the dark of Friday night. The moon hid behind the clouds, but it was beautiful. Saturday, Sunday, and Monday included lots of naps, snowshoeing, playing cards and relaxing.

Some great pictures, too! I'll write more another day!

The Camp

A slideshow of pictures from our recent trip north of Tobin Lake, Saskatchewan

Yorkton, Saskatchewan

Every few months I travel to Yorkton, Saskatchewan to facilitate a leadership course at Parkland College, on behalf of the University of Regina. 

Yorkton is a nice sized city, that seems to be continually growing.

My favourite place to stay is at Patrick Place. It's a beautiful heritage home that has been converted into a bed and breakfast. It's second and third floors have a few different bedrooms to choose from. There's Sadie's room on the second floor, where I often stay, William's room that runs the length of the house and the large Sleeping Porch that features a jacuzzi tub. Upstairs is the Garret, a suite of three rooms: the Study, the Servant's room and a bathroom.

I'm in the Study this visit. The Study is a large room with hardwood floors, a comfy bed and beautiful furniture.

Margaret, Lawrence and their daughter always provide a warm welcome and unbelievably good breakfasts! The rooms are spotless and fresh, and nothing beats feeling like you are at home when you are travelling.

The first time I travelled to Yorkton to facilitate the leadership course, one of the participants, Rhonda, was the owner of a local spa. Luna Experience has also become my favourite place to visit when I am in Yorkton. Luna Experience has a great relaxation room and nice treatment rooms.

Rhonda never fails to provide me with a great massage or facial, or both! I call ahead to make sure that I can get an appointment for the end of my first facilitating day. By the end of my massage the stiff neck from driving has disappeared and she sends me back to the Bed and Breakfast for a great night's sleep to prepare me for the second day of facilitating and my drive home.

This weekend I have arrived on my birthday. I've reworked the program that I facilitate so I'm really excited about tomorrow. Tonight I will soak in the huge tub. Tomorrow I have a special treat of both a massage AND a facial!

I also happen to know that breakfast, tomorrow is a crepe with a mushroom, onion and ham mixture. It is delicious!!!

The pictures on this post are from Patrick Place and Luna Experience's websites.

Santorini, Greece

Santorini, Greece looks absolutely beautiful. I've never been there, but it is definitely on my wish list.

Santorini is a volcanic island located in the southern Aegean Sea, about 200 km southeast from Greece's mainland. It is what remains of an enormous volcanic explosion.

In 1956 a major earthquake and a volcanic eruption resulted in the demolishing of many buildings on the island, leading to the desertion of many of its villages. These days, due to tourism, the island has rebuilt and is prosperous.

From the reading I've done, I know that the island has small wineries that provide the fruit for the Kánava wineries. It also used to have pumice quarries. Because of the volcanic ash soil, this island has some lucious produce such as cherry tomatoes, white eggplants and a variety of large cucumbers called katsoúni that apparently have a sweet taste like a melon.
Houses on Santorini are often low and cubical. They are made from the local stone and are often whitewashed with volcanic ashes used as colours. The houses are built into the surrounding pumice, which also provides unique insulation because of its porous quality.

Yep, I'm putting this place on my wish list.

Chartres, France

Chartres is about an hour southwest of Paris. The town is probably most famous for its more than 800 year old gothic cathedral. This cathedral was one that many people travelled to on pilgrimages during the Middle Ages.

Embedded in the stone pavement of the cathedral is a labyrinth. The pilgrims would end their journey by walking the labyrinth to the center and then retrace their steps to its outer edges. The Chartres labyrinth was also sometimes walked by pilgrims in place of an actual pilgrimage to Jerusalem. "People believed that if you walked the labyrinth with the full dedication of a pilgrim, you would be transformed, the old you will be grounded at the threshold stone a purified you emerging, ready to tackle new directions in your life's journey."

The Chartres labyrinth, like many cathedral labyrinths, draws upon ancient northern Celtic, middle eastern, and Classical Greek and Roman origins of the Christian faith. "The Medieval builders were careful to incorporate their understanding of sacred architecture into the design and location of the labyrinths, which were usually placed near the entrance at the west end of the nave, beside the baptismal font at the foot of the Church. This location symbolizes our first steps on the spiritual journey."

The current Chartres cathedral may be more than 800 years old, but it replaces five previous cathedrals also built on this site. The previous cathedrals were destroyed by war or fire.

During the French Revolution mobs destroyed parts of the sculptures that adorn building. The townspeople were able to stop complete destruction of the cathedral, one of the few cathedrals that was attacked but not demolished during the Revolution.

I visited Chartres for a brief afternoon a few years ago. While the cathedral is what the town is most famous for, the town itself is beautiful. Many of the other buildings also date back to the Middle Ages.  

Poble Espanyol, Barcelona, Spain

The Poble Espanyol (Spanish Village) was built in 1929 for the Barcelona International Exhibition in order to provide an insight into the wealth and diversity of Spanish cultures. This open air museum features exact replicas of a variety of buildings from different periods of Spain's history. As well, the village has a variety of shops and restaurants.

Poble Espanyol has a small square. You can always find entertainers there, and both times I've been there, preschool children were singing on the steps of a building. They're sweet happy faces as they sang were enjoyable. I also really enjoyed walking through the village, the variety of architectural styles is a smooth transition of interesting buildings. The cobble stoned narrow streets are narrow and curved, giving a sense of old world charm.

There is a small fee to enter the village. From there, you spend only what you want. It is hard to stop from purchasing some souveniers or art work, but not impossible, and there are always some affordable ones.

I guess what I liked the most about this particular tourist attraction, is that it really doesn't seem all that commercial. It retains its grace and charm.