Graduating & Cruisin' with a Fluffy Puppy

Thursday evening Mexican friends of our homeowners dropped by for a quick visit. They were in town to attend their daughter, Carola's, 8th grade graduation and wanted to drop off a thank you gift for Keegan's parents. At one time or another Deb and Craig have opened their home and hearts to all three of Carlos and Elsa's daughters when they attended school in North Bay. We had a great time with this delightful family and so did Keegan. He even persuaded Carola and Miranda to play tag with him in the yard before they left, and everyone giggled at his antics. Good times!

L to R: John, Carlos, Elsa, Carola, Miranda

A Pike in Trout Lake

Both Sunday and Tuesday were gorgeous days and being situated right on the water we chose to stay close to home to enjoy every moment. When John offered to take us for a boat ride I have to admit I'm unsure who was more keen to get on board - me or Keegan.

North Bay Housesit #4

We're back in North Bay, Ontario to house and petsit Keegan. This is our fourth time caring for this little charmer and we were intrigued to see how he's changed during the past year since we were last here. One year older (or seven if you're counting dog years), he's matured and discarded some of that boundless non-stop puppy energy. Just like us older folks he has no qualms of taking it easy when the mood strikes.

Kayaking the Little White River

After a little more than three weeks back in the Great White North we no longer feel out of sync. And a good thing, too, as since we arrived home ten days ago John's gone kayaking five times.

Travelling Slow with the Schengen Agreement

The Schengen Agreement means quicker and easier travel from one European country to another for travellers because passport and border control is virtually non-existent. 

3 Benefits of Traveling Slow

We've been travelling since the early 1970s and until a few years ago the majority of our trips have been squeezed into time slots determined by our jobs and/or family obligations. We tried to cover as much ground as possible and receive the most bang for our buck. As a result we often returned home more exhausted than when we left. 

Re-Entry Shocker

We flew back to Toronto 10 days ago and since then it's been a whirlwind of visits with friends and family in both Canada and the USA. It's been wonderful catching up on everyone's lives and sharing what they've been doing since we left, but it's been slightly marred because we're both suffering from  reverse culture shock.

Portsmouth's Millenium Promenade to Southsea Castle

Our last day in Portsmouth began with a quick tour of the town centre as up until now our focus had been entirely on its Historic Dockyard. Unfortunately it was a nondescript pedestrian shopping area that didn't 'wow' us like other towns or cities have, but this chess themed fountain did catch our eye.