Catchup part one - Canada

Well I am back in the fold with a huge backlog of blogs to post, assuming there is someone out there who is still interested after all this time. We have been very busy. I have finished off two novels that I have been writing for some time now and then we went off on our long anticipated trip to Canada to visit cousin Kaybee. From there we went on to Kansas to visit our family who live there for a much longer stay. With them we drove across to Washington to do the tourist bit in DC. Since arriving home we have been to Bletchley museum for a reunion and to see all the spy stuff there plus the world’s first digital computer. I have been for a helicopter flight and we have been on holiday with another branch of the family in Cornwall. On top of all that we have taken care of a deceased relation’s affairs which have been very complicated and time consuming. The latter taking up the bulk of our time.

May in Toronto

So May and off we went, The Better Half (TBH) and I, to Canada to visit cousin Kaybee for a few days and then on to Kansas to stay with The Son (TS), Daughter In Law (DIL) and The Grandson (TG).

The cliffs by Lake Ontario

Canada was kind to us and the weather was pleasant with sunny and warm days.

As usual there were lots of squirrels around

A Garden ornament?

Anything for a small and very cute hungry squirrel?

If I stand like this, people will think I am a meerkat - people like meerkats.

 

Lake Ontario

Lake Ontario lies between Canada and America, with New York State on the south side.  The lake is the most eastern of the great lakes and is also the lowest. It was formed during the last ice age when the St Lawrence river valley was excavated by the glacial ice.  At that time the whole area was  buried under a sheet of ice several thousand feet thick.  When ice sheets melt the ground experiences what is known as a rebound, as a result of the relief from the weight of all that ice, and it starts to rise.  Whilst this effect is slow by human standards, it is happening relatively fast geologically.  The ground is rising faster on the Canadian side which is causing the lake bed to tilt towards America.  As a result the American side of the lake is being slowly submerged.   So don’t buy lakeside real estate on the south shore of Lake Ontario as a long term investment.

We strolled by Lake Ontario and chatted and did very little but it was relaxing and enjoyable and we got to meet some more of Kaybee’s extended family for the first time.

The latest addition

 On one walk along the lake, the water was a series of bands of different colours, which have not reproduced quite so strongly on my pictures.   

 

The water had three distinct colours

Although the lake is a fresh water lake, to us forigners it is so large it looks like the seaside and even has sandy beaches which compare with the best seaside resorts back home.

Because we do not live in Canada, the wildlife is strange to us and although this bird must be fairly commonplace, I had to admire its coloured plumage, which showed different colours as it moved.

Who are you looking at?

Kaybee lives in a quiet street with a lot of mature trees around, making a pleasing back drop to the surroundings.

The view from the front window

One day, whilst we were sitting in Kaybee’s living room, we experienced a mild earth tremor, which was centred on Quebec. We were a long way from the epicentre and it caused no damage.

Trees around her back yard

Time passed much too fast and we were saying goodbye once again.

A two and a bit hour flight, took us down to Kansas City airport and we collected our bags wondering why no one was meeting us. Suddenly we saw TS hurrying in to see where our flight would arrive. They had been held up in traffic but since neither of us had to wait for each other, it timed out well, apart from the family having to sit out a traffic jam.

More to follow