'On Your Left'

We are back in the States visiting our children and grandchildren for 2 months. Before we left I was asked if I was going to blog about our trip ... my first instinct was 'no' ... I use Instagram a lot now as a way of letting our family know what is 'new',  'exciting' or 'interesting' in our lives!! Secondly I am self-conscious about blogging and I am always surprised that anyone might be interested in what we are doing ... but for those people who are ... I am blogging again for you.

We are loving being back in Windsor .... it is such a peaceful and easy town to be in ... a wonderful place for some respite. The weather is not too hot ... not like last year and it is sooooo good to be away from a NZ winter! I feel like it has been grey and cold for a long time in Christchurch. Our autumn seemed a lot colder to me and the days were grey, usually autumn is warmish days, with amazing long evenings, spectacular skies and amazing colours all round as the season changes from warm to cooler . Our summer was rubbish ... there were hot days but not consistently. Our winter has not been that cold but it has felt long, so having a reason to escape to the Northern Hemisphere seems like such a privileged thing to do and I am very grateful that we can ... thank you to the Wright Brothers. Lars and Roxcy were so excited to see us and Chris gave us such warm, welcoming, hugs when we arrived we felt very moved by their loving welcome. We have adventures planned ... another road trip in our RV, this time across Canada and back down into the States and a visit to Yellowstone Park to introduce Lars and Roxcy to Yogi Bear. They are excited!!  Pete was a little concerned about the distance, approx 6000 MILES round trip, and the cost of petrol (8 mpg), I have reminded him that our relationship with Lars and Roxcy is a short term relationship ... one of two things is going to happen ... either we will die or they will get sick of us so we need to be in while we are still alive and not too boring to hang out with.

Things have been really busy in our house leading up to our departure ... we have had a new kitchen and flooring installed, which I LOVE! This kitchen has been 2 years in the dreaming, 6 weeks in the making and 2 days in the installing. I found it really hard to leave, I know first world issue! As you can see there is still finishing to happen ... the rangehood is being installed by Rod while we are away and when we return we will need to choose tiles for our back splash. I know I have said this many times ... but our kitchen has exceeded my expectations ... I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE IT! I cannot believe the transformation of our kitchen space.

On our way out we stayed a night with Mack, Ite, Elizabeth and Livia in Auckland ... this is Livia, 2, nearly,  having a bath ... she is soooo cute and has some wonderful expressions ... like this one I managed to catch. She is adorable, feisty and fun. She loves her Dad ... where ever Mack is Livia is not far behind.

Here she is Elizabeth ... born to be 'Queen' ... she has just turned 5 ... going on 15! She is so much fun ... and beautiful, her gorgeous brown eyes, amazing hair and as Marg would say a confident disposition.

Pete loves hanging out with his children and grandchildren ... he is happy to just be in their company and not be doing anything. I think they are very lucky to have Pete ... he is always interested in them and what is happening in their lives.

We have left drab grey and the onset of snow and have come into colour. These colours are spectacular and remind me a little of India in their boldness and depth.

Our first walk around Lake Runnemeade. Such a beautiful night and gorgeous sky as the sun was setting. It looks like some of the beavers on the lake have gone ... I noticed only one beaver house this time, maybe they have shifted to the other side of the lake. We had a lovely walk listening to the local night life of the lake.

Anyone who knows Pete will know that he is really good at buying the 'best in class' for cars that are 20 years old and often need time, attention and money. Our RV is no exception to that tradition. When we bought the RV we knew that it had a leak over the drivers cab and needed to be repaired ... Mike bought the fibreglass replacement when we bought the RV and it has been sitting in Mike's garage over the last year ... when Mike collected our RV out of winter storage repairing the leak for this year's road trip has been the number one task to complete. He and Jason have done a fantastic job ... we could not have done it without them. Our repair is now complete and all we have to do is clean up the debris and get packed and we are ready to go.

Before we flew out Mike called and asked us if we would like to do the annual "Prouty" ride. The Prouty is a fund raising event for Cancer Research and care of cancer patients ... they raise millions of dollars each year through this event, which includes a walk, kayaking, cycling and golf. We rode the 20 mile circuit ... there were some steady inclines involved not hard or demanding, but steady. We rode Mike's and Chris' new road/mountain bikes and Mike and Chris rode their tandem, towing Roxcy and a friend in the Weehoo. This was our training ride ... the day after we arrived and there were some rather demanding hills on this training ride.

Here is our Prouty team with Jason our cheering coach ... Lars and Jason drove in the car cheering us on. Lars was taking lots of photos ... some of which I will post. We rode for Kerry and also for Rob, Pete's brother ... who has been gone for 6 years ... we miss him!

One of Lars' action shots ... when we started cycling Pete suggested that we keep up with Mike and Chris ... that was never going to happen ... they have twice the power and speed ... two doing the work of one. A courtesy of the cycle ride was every time a rider came up on the left hand side of another rider they were to say 'on your left' ... we heard that a lot. We got to say it a few times ... 'on your left ... maybe' on the incline parts.

A finishing line shot by Lars ... I am in the lead ... not that I was competing with Pete, but good to cross the finish line before him.

There were lots of tents at the finish line with lots of free food, drinks, information tents and craft tents for the children ... this is some of Roxcy's creations.

I had to post this photo that Lars took ... I am not sure if he was taking a photo of the scenery or the lamp post ... he loved sitting in the car yelling at us as he went by.

Get a load of this guys eyes ... he LOVES Top Gear and will sit and watch back to back episodes. I have to admit they are very entertaining and a very clever show. He and Roxcy are also very keen on Spartans ... an extreme team obstacle course, American Ninja Warrior ... an individual extreme obstacle course ... we have only been here a few days and we are into it already.

We all went out to a Habatchi Japanese restaurant for dinner on Saturday night ... it was kind of fun ... the chef cooked our food in front of us ... he was entertainin ... he liked to squirt water into peoples mouths, well we thought it was water until we had our first squirt full and discovered it was Rice Wine ... I didn't like it at all, very strong!

I found this amazing Marmalade Jam ... it is divine ... the best I have ever had. I am going to have buy more to take home. Yummy!

'What a small big world it is'

We have been the happiest of campers.

We have had the best time in Canada! Chris took a week off work and planned a road trip for us ... after Mike's birthday breakfast we loaded up our RV and the 6 of us piled in and of we went! We loved Canada ... we started in Quebec and then went on to Prince Edward Island. There were times when I felt like it wasn't real ... travelling through Canada in a RV ... it all seemed a little surreal. We are so very, very lucky to be able to have these kind of adventures. We did well in a confined space ... the odd leak over the front bed at night ... and not always a good nights sleep. Pete and I tried to be respectful of Mike and Chris' family time and give them space ... we didn't want to be 'cling ons'. 

I hope we go back ... especially to Prince Edward Island ... it is beautiful ... the light is wonderful ... soothing ... romantic! We have seen some beautiful countryside, had lots of beach time and swum in the Atlantic ... it is freezing ... like NZ ocean swimming, or at least South Island beach swimming. 

This is a  big post, I try to be selective in my photo choice, but there is a theme ... lars and Roxcy. We are short on time now ... we fly out on Tuesday to Utah to meet Josh, our son in law's Mother, Marlene and spend a couple of days with Sash and then back to NZ. 

We stocked up on Canadian dollars on our way out ... their money is so colorful and easy to distinguish between note denominations comapred to US paper money ... reminds me of NZ money and the familiar face of the Queen. NZ's $5.00 note won an international award for the most artistic design for 2016 ... I did not know there was such an award, but we won it. Canada here we come ... we are ready for you. 

I am not sure what it is, but it seems to take a minimum of 2 men in our family to look something over ... work it out and then do it ... in this case there are 3 Cammock men figuring out what to do next. I find these moments so funny ... and in the end it comes down to who is right ... I can hear Pete saying 'aha! What did I say' when he is right ... there are quite a few strong opinions happening in these moments. Seeing Lars there reminds me of Mike as a boy ... always wanting to be part of the process and making his suggestions. 

Mike and his cell phone ... they are never far from each other. His phone rings or dings a lot. He is hot property ... people wanting him all the time. Not for me ... we won't even answer the phone at home at times. I have a vivid memory of our landline ringing one time too many and Pete threw it over the fence into the school ... someone had to go and get it ... surprisingly it still worked! I think I would find the constant calling and dinging stressful ... for Mike it is part of his job and he has to be available. I sometimes wonder how healthy it is for us to be that available all the time. Our family gets really annoyed at us because we are so 'difficult' to get hold of ... I can hear Mack saying what is the point of having a cell phone if we are not going to answer it. Pete and I have had a conversation around disconnecting our LL and going cell only ... I am not sure I can do it. I am too old fashioned I guess. 

Our first stop, Old Quebec City ... our breakfast/brunch ... cheese and egg crepes ... I really liked mine ... I love cheese and these hit the spot for me. We lived off baguettes, hummus, cheese, salami, lots of berries and clemintines. ... very yummy. Pete's go to meal is banana dogs, which is a banana wrapped in bread, he has been eating those for almost as long as I have been with him. 

Salvador Dali's statue Alice at Play. I remember Salvador being big in the 70s ... I thought I was so cool because I had a print of one of his paintings on my wall ... I am not sure I would have one now, there always seemed to be a creepy aspect to them ... I really liked this statue of his. 

 

Old Quebec is beautiful and is situated within a wall, we had to drive through new Quebec to get to it ... it is not very big ... there are some beautiful old buildings here and a lot of activity. While wandering the streets I noticed this semi attached house ... 2 different roofs and if you look carefully you can see there are 2 different shades of white/cream on the exterior ... subtle but noticeable. I was fascinated by it! How did these neighbours decide where to stop and start with their choice of color ... did they come to an amicable agreement ... what if they had painted two very different colors that neither liked??? So many questions when living so close.  

Enjoying a bit of busking ... the day was so hot! I really enjoy street performers ... such a summer thing and the sense of  being part of a group of people having a good time.

Inside a Catholic Cathedral ... this photo does not really show how beautiful it is but I had to include it. The Catholics really know how to create beautiful spaces in their cathedrals. They are works of art and this cathedral was no exception. They capture light so well in their design and the stain glass and art work is beautiful ... beautiful colors.

We came across this beautiful Bugatti replica ... the driver was very generous in letting us take a photo and he tooted and waved as he drove of. It sounded beautiful!

Our little 'fighter Roxy' ... 

I was intrigued by the number on the door ... and the color. I am in love with blue this year ... not all shades, but this is a shade I love.

I am in love with this little guy ... 

Taking some time out of a very hot day to run through the splash pad ... cool down and get all our clothes wet. I love this face ... she says everything with her face.

Lars loved this RV. There are 3 classes of RVs ... A Class, B Class and C Class. Our model is a C Class ... Lars loves the A Class, which is this type ... I am pretty sure that this RV has a washing machine and dryer in it. Since discovering the newer A Class RVs lars has become disillusioned with our very modest C Class and now refers to it as a 'rust bucket' ... I can see a Cammock trend in him ... a budding maximiser. I would feel embarrassed pulling up in a RV this size ... there are often cars or trailers being towed behind these big rigs as well ... they really are huge.

There are good campgrounds and not so good ... campgrounds in this part of the world are different to NZ, there are not so many RVs to start with. This is the campground we stayed in in Quebec and it is packed with RVs ... Pete felt like he was in hell staying here ... they pack the RVs in ... looking into each others windows ... no privacy at all. Anyone who knows Pete knows how he loves his privacy. He gets really upset about the basketball players on the weekends next to our house in ChCh ... so much so that he has planted fully matured Magnolias around our fence line that boarders on the school in the quest for privacy. 

Coloring in as part of our entertainment package ... I was pretty useless at it as a child ... sometimes I despair at my lack of artistic ability ... I did this one though.

We stopped for lunch and Pete the curious took lars and Roxcy and went checking out the boats that were moored by our lunch spot. Pete has had a hankering to buy a a boat and sail the Pacific ... he gets sea sick though.

The bridge that joins Prince Edward Island and the mainland of Canada ... this bridge is the longest bridge over a body of water that freezes in the world.

We visited Green Gables, from Anne of Green Gables ... our visit here was inspiring and moving. Memories of Sash came flooding back to me ... I loved reading Anne of Green Gables to her and it was so much fun to read ... 'Anne with an E'. I loved the years we had Sash live with us, our home was full of life ... lots of young people ... energy ... fun. Well thats how I remember it any way ... our family members have a different memory. This is the wall paper in the entrance way of the house that is in the story. 

I love these lace curtains at the windows of Green Gables ... I loved learning about the author's life, Lucy Maud Montgomery ... she was a very impressive woman! She married at 36 to a minister and moved off Prince Edward Island but she loved her life here and this beautiful part of the world. She was a very progressive, independent and creative woman. Apparently she suffered from depression throughout her life and rumour has it she committed suicide in her 60's ... she is buried on Prince Edward Island.

Anne's bedroom ...

A wander down lovers lane ... we are going to watch the tv series again ... I want to read the series to Meg.  

The Haunted Woods ...that Anne used to wander.

After Green Gables off to the beach ... for some serious bathing time!

The floating walk way to the beach. 

I loved these ... I noticed them as we walked across the floating walk way ... they were blowing in the wind so beautifully and gracefully.

The end of some serious sand castle building ... one was left on every beach we visited.

Finishing the day with fish and chips ... we liked our fish ... the chips were more like fries to me ... chips need to be thick, chunky, covered in crispy batter and loads of salt.

Caught the sunset at the 'end of the world' with these guys.

I think our C Class looks pretty spectacular here.

One of our better camp grounds ... we tried to avoid KOAs on Prince Edward Island ... this was a beautiful spot to stay ... Pete insisted I post this photo even though you can see his shadow while taking the photo. We spent a beautiful night here ... the coast line is wonderful and the night sky was amazing ... the milky way was right over us and looked spectacular.

So many memories of Mike and Dungeon and Dragons ... playing with Pita and his friends. Mike has introduced the game to Lars and they spent time playing with these cards while on the road.

 

Lars jumping off the bridge at one of the beaches we visited. He did it all by himself, with no coercion or convincing and it is quite the jump, about 8 feet ... then Pete, Mike and I joined him. When I was putting up these photos Chris saw this photo of Lars and said 'Lars has to be the coolest kid on the earth' and she looked so proud of him. Chris is a wonderful Mum ... her face lights up when she sees her children ... she is so proud of them and thinks they are  awesome and they think she is awesome.

A sunset on Prince Edward Island ... the sky looks like it is on fire!

A sunrise the next morning ... we got up early and went walking along the beach ... the light and the sky looked beautiful. 

There are over 40 lighthouses on Prince Edward Island ... I have always loved lighthouses, they look so cool the way they stand out on a peninsula or cliff top. This one has a light  that blinks all day and night.

The life of a flower ... this flower is past its flowering stage ... I still find it beautiful and eye catching in a different way. I am hoping that is what old age or late adulthood is like ... as I turn 60 this year I move into a new phase in my life that I hope will be just as eye catching, interesting and meaningful.

The remains of a metal post that Mike drove over in the RV ... it  was a lucky miss with our LPG tank ... there was a little damage ... it sounded more serious than it was.

We came across this beautiful field of sunflowers, which reminded me of Bulgaria. We had to stop and take a photo ... Pete thought it would be good to get right in amongst them and Roxcy wanted to join him. 

We stopped of at Victoria, a gorgeous seaside artisan town on our way of Prince Edward Island ... reminded me of Akaroa. We visited a chocolate store with hand made chocolates and I had a hot chocolate. I am sure you know from some of my posts that I really like hot chocolates and it is not always easy to find a good hot chocolate. I like my hot chocolates strong ... which here means sweet and I like them made from dark chocolate, (which is almost non existent here) and hot. This was dark, strong and hot and worth the stop!

Some music time ... Chris and Roxcy love to lip sync. Chris is really good at choosing good dancing music ... hard not to want to get up and move.

At the Canadian boarder heading back into the States ... making sure that the last of our Canadian dollars are spent and there is no change ... first the duty free store and then the vending machine.

Our little lover and fighter ... she even looks a little like she is fighting in her sleep.

Saying goodbye to these two wonderful little people is going to be very, very hard. We have had the best of times with them.

We fly out to Utah Tuesday evening and will be meeting Lucy's Mother in law and spending a few days with Sash, Jordan and Pena ... then we fly out Saturday back to NZ. Since we have been here there has been a serious earthquake in Italy that we knew nothing about and ongoing killings and destruction in the Middle East ... and of course the US Elections. News that we have missed and as we move back into the 'real world' begin to flood our consciousness. I feel bad that I have been so ignorant of the happenings around us ... we have been lost in our experience with our family and tripping around US.

This morning I sat on the outside steps of the gym waiting for Pete and I listened to the sound of the cicadas ... felt the warmth of the day on my skin ... noticed the light falling through the trees and heard the crows making their presence known. We will miss Windsor ... we will miss the warmth ... we will miss the greenery ... we will miss our family ... we will miss this part of the world ... in a good way.