Sunday, 28 December 2008

Road Trip!



The New Jersey Railway station. This is the old station, a really nice building, now used to sell you tickets and also has 9/11 memorial walls.




This is a story of 2 people, 4 states & a Province, 1300 miles, 1 dog and 11 geocaches!


Well Boxing day rolled round and due to unforeseen circumstances we were to be reunited with our dog Forrest. He was due to land in Newark airport on Saturday the 27 December at lunch time. Now what else would you do on the days after Christmas but sit around and put on weight? We decided to go for a drive to pick up the dog!

We arranged for the kids to be watched by Tara's 2 sisters, which was very much appreciated as I'm not sure sitting in a car for 24hrs would appeal to them very much at all. So we got them dropped off early on boxing day so that we would be hitting the road early to make the best of the time we had. After drop off 2 in Taylor MI we had hardly made the state line to Ohio through the ice rain and there was accident after accident along the road. we sat not moving far for 2 hours!! finally when we did get going and the weather got a bit better things went well. I got to pick up a few caches along the way ( I was trying to make my 300 on this trip but because of delays and the likes I still need one more) Apparently Pennsylvania is a beautiful mountain state, well by the time we got there all we could see where silhouettes of mountain tops oh and a pocono ski resort all lit up. We made it to East Orange in New Jersey around 11 pm, booked into a hotel and crashed. We woke up in the morning and decided while we are here and have some time might as well try and make the most of the area and headed towards the Liberty state park to see the Statue and the famous New York Sky-line. It was at this point that it donned on me that this very time 10 years ago I spent 10 days in New York with Simon Gibson whilst visiting Sharon Canez (then Coulter). This time it was spent in the company of my wife! As you can see in the pictures we got there just in time as the fog was descending rapidly. We got on the ferry out to the statue but decided we did not have time to go in as the dog was due in soon. Probably a decent idea because by the time you get in and up the statue visibility would have been zero and the last time I went I reckon it was about a mile as we could not even see back to Manhattan then. By the time we got back on land Manhattan was invisible and I quickly grabbed a near by cache before getting the dog. It took quite a bit of time to get the dog and we only got back on the road around 5 pm with fog thick around these mountain roads thank goodness for tom tom and also people who I have named 'Wilson'. Now at this point I will say that Tara did all the driving as she does not mind it and I don't like driving places that I am unfamiliar with. So she was the real star of this whole show. OK back to Wilson now most of you I hope have seen the movie castaway with Tom Hanks and he gets very attached to a volley ball made by Wilson and names it the same. Tara had a similar affection for cars that's seemed to know the area and continued to drive a fair old rate through the fog. She figured that they knew better and if they go over a ditch she would have time not to do so herself... oh and also they would get pulled for speeding first. Now when you are travelling 1300 miles it will be very unlikely that another drive is going on the exact route as you. So as these 'Wilson's' headed off the road Tara would get upset a bit like Tom hanks did when he lost Wilson. So a name was born and now when cars pulled off the road we would shout "wilsonnnnnnnnnnn" until the next Wilson was found.



We finally made it back to Taylor and crashed at the sister-in-laws house at around 3am, then headed home this morning. All in all a great trip but not something I would do too often.


Manhattan Sky line, Now You See It! (well most of it)





Now You Don't! (taken looking in the same direction about an hour later)





Proof that was Tara went.





I think this is the new construction work around ground Zero 9/11.


"get your coat Love, you've pulled!"






Wednesday, 24 December 2008

LETS GO RED WINGS!


Well as the title says I headed off to a Red Wings game. Derek and Collin came with me or I should say Collin and myself went with Derek as he kindly got us the tickets unfortunately our other Brother-in-law could not make it.


Game was good and the Red wings won easily enough and tickets costing only $9 makes it worth while even if there is not much atmosphere at a game of this nature. Here are a few photo's of the night


Getting the ice ready!


All Stand for God Save the Queen...... Sorry I mean The Star Spangled Banner


Face-Off




Derek & Collin

Wednesday, 17 December 2008

A Festive Treat

Here before you is a mixed bag of Videos to let you in on a little taste of Canada at Christmas. I hope you enjoy and don't bug me for updates as there is plenty here for you.


Weather Just In.....

Snow Fun




A Little Electric Light Parade. A house not far from us.


Santa Actually came to Visit our house!



Hope Tried To hide from him.




Thursday, 11 December 2008

More Extreme Driving.

I hope I have given you all time to view my last video blog but today I seen one of the funniest things since I have been here. Now I am sure no one else blinked at it but when you come from where I come from this kind of thing just would never happen.

I was driving through Belle River when round the corner comes a guy driving some vintage tractor. Now that I am sure many people back home can identify with but never would you see the tractor driver wear a green over coat and a balaclava (ski mask).

This would surely only be a joy rider or a paramilitary hijacker, in fact I think it is illegal to be wearing that kind of thing in Northern Ireland. I just wish I was not driving and was able to turn round and get a photo but alas no.

Tuesday, 9 December 2008

Extreme Driving!

Here is a video of what it is like to drive in Canada.
Enjoy


As you can hopefully see driving is extreme in Canada especially when sitting on the wrong side of the car. No Animals or Children have been hurt in the making of this video!

Saturday, 6 December 2008

It's Snow Joke




Well we have just been hit with the first meaningful snowfall and the kids took to their snow pants and gloves. The snow is so light and fluffy it just blows about, unlike the wet stuff we get back home. Bekah and Gaby are now outside shoveling snow I brought Hope in as she was complaining about the cold but didn't want to come in.











Here are a couple of photo's too including the Ford Explorer.







Mexican stand off