We welcomed summer with a trip to Niagara Falls, a visit to my sister and brother-in-law in Canada and a visit with friends in upstate New York. I realize now, I never shared it because there was so much else going on then. As I was looking back at pictures, I decided the way to greet the end of summer was to remember the beginning of it and reminisce about a wonderful week.
Our trip began with an overnight stay in Niagara Falls. We had a beautiful room overlooking the Falls which we really appreciated that night. After settling into our room, we drove down and parked where we could walk along the river.
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| Our view from the safety of the bus shelter |
The rain finally stopped, but it was too late to do any of the tours, so we returned to our room. (I'm glad to say this was not our first trip to Niagara Falls, so the rain dampened our trip, but it didn't ruin it.) The night view of the falls from our room, with the light show and fireworks over the falls, was beautiful.
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| View of the Falls from our room |
Visiting my sister and brother-in-law was a treat. We don't get up there very often, and it was wonderful to spend a couple of days on their rustic farm in Tweed, Ontario. My daughters consider Tweed one of their favorite places to go, even though we have been there so few times.
They live in an old farmhouse surrounded by fields, and woods. In good weather meals are always held on the porch overlooking the fields.
It is as peaceful as you can get (hence the 'favorite destination' label). The deer provide a constant source of pleasure and consternation as they are very comfortable coming close to the house, and enjoy the fruits of Mary's labor in the vegetable garden...which provides most of their food in the winter!
View from the porch
Early in their marriage, Mary and Joseph spent 2 years in Guatemala as members of AFSC (American Friends Service Committee). They lived in a tiny mountain village working with the villagers and showing them ways to improve hygiene, farming, etc. They went back recently, for the first time, and met many people who remembered them from those days. The quilt on the bed in this picture was from that trip.
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| Country bedroom, Quilt handmade in Guatemala |
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| I love this stain glass hanging in the kitchen window. |
While we were there we took a boat tour on the St. Lawrence River. Joseph hadn't been feeling well, so he stayed behind, but Mary, Larry and I went. It was a gorgeous day as you can see.
Being early June the sun was warm but the air was cool. We were bundled up pretty well for much of the trip, but we opted for the top deck in the fresh air instead of the enclosed lower deck.
The St. Lawrence is an amazing river and we traveled into the beginning of the 1,000 Islands region. The houses along the river are always fun to see. Some people own entire islands. It makes me wonder what life would be like living on an island, and needing a boat just to buy milk. I think they would be better organized than I am!
After seeing Mary and Joseph, we headed down to New York, just across the 1,000 Island bridge to visit friends of ours that spend their summers on Black Lake. It is a perfect get-away. No phone, no Internet, little cell service. Instead all they have to spend their summers doing is boating, fishing, kayaking, enjoying the view of the water, wine in hand, reading on the dock, hanging by the campfire ...
October is here. Looking back it doesn't seem very long ago that summer was just beginning. (I hope winter moves that fast...hee hee!)
It was so good to see pics of your sister and bil. Brings back memories of canoe trips and such - and I have never had a sense of where they live now. That screened in porch where they eat looks suspiciously like the one in Connecticut which looked over blueberry fields. Also -- that loon stained glass didn't go un-noticed, either! :) Pretty!
ReplyDeleteShades of Connecticut, yes, but without woods or blueberry meadows. However, Jonathon put in an outdoor shower shortly before he died. You may not remember that, but it was a part of the old cabin and a big part of the relocated cabins.
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