Home Again Home Again Jiggity Jog

Where has the month of August gone?? They say the older you get the faster time flies, I must be ancient because time is flying by in the blink of an eye!!

I did mention to a few of you that I was going on vacation and now I can tell the rest of you! We haven't had a "proper" vacation in quite a while, with my Dad being so ill and traveling back and forth to see him, then his passing (still miss you, Dad!!), and then my work and then my treatment for cancer, my life hasn't seemed my own for a long time. Well, here it is, 10 years since our last real vacation...and the guys, of course, outvoted me and chose a mostly sports oriented vacation. I'm cool with that as they have had to give up many things to accommodate me in the past few years. I truly love my guys! They treat me like royalty and they are the reason I did so well during my illness....that and a lot of prayer!

So...you are probably wondering where we went. Well, I think I'll give you the information over a couple of days as we did a lot of things and I wouldn't want to overwhelm you.

We left here, and headed for Niagara Falls. Now I know you are probably thinking...really? Niagra Falls? I have ALWAYS wanted to go there. I lived in NY state for 24 years and never made it there. If you've been following my blog, you know I LOVE waterfalls....and this is one of the largest in the world. How could I have missed seeing this beauty? When the guys mentioned they wanted to visit Toronto and the Hockey Hall of Fame and the Stanley Cup, I decided they had to throw in something I was dying to see...and since it was literally on the way, they compromised...and we are all glad that they did. We spent two nights on the American side, but traveled back and forth to the Canadian side as well, and hopefully caught all the major highlights.

We saw the Skylon tower...the view from there is just astounding!!....



The American Falls...



The Bridal Veil Falls....

The Horseshoe Falls...



And the Rainbow Bridge that connects the American and Canadian shores....


We took the little tour of the Cave of the Winds and stood on the Hurricane Deck....


We took the Maid of the Mist boat tour...


Just LOOK how close those boats get to the falls!!

And watched the fireworks and the Illumination from both the American and Canadian sides.

Unfortunately my camera died while we were on the Canadian side but DS got some...

We saw the daredevil exhibit of people who have succeeded and failed at going over the falls in a barrel...

We even saw a magic show one night and had our pictures taken with a real live tiger....which growled at DH because he instinctively knew that DH HATES cats! LOL

The thing that struck me the most about the falls was the sound of it...the sheer force of the water that nearly ripped our raincoats off as you stood on the Hurricane Deck...the legends of the Maid of the Mist and the jaw dropping beauty. We were told that 20% of all the fresh water in the world pours over the falls. I'm so awe struck by it...and glad I finally got to see it in real life. I had people ask me what the big deal was, it's just a waterfall. True enough I suppose, but there is something that draws me to it...I can't explain it. I also think God likes it that we admire his handiwork as He has created it for us to enjoy.


Another thing that fascinated me about the falls was the mist that forms. While on the boat tour we got very close to the falls. The mist that was falling was almost as forceful as the waterfalls themselves. It is also the first thing you see as you drive toward the falls. It shoots high into the air (a tour guide told us it has been as high as1,100 feet, nearly as high as the falls themselves) and can be seen for miles before you reach the falls.

My feeble pictures just do NOT do it justice, it's something you would have to see for yourself.

I did a little stitching as I was traveling. I was able to stitch on Thursdays and did do a very small amount on my UFO. I'm down to the last page of the pattern....yippee!!

I also stitched a bit on my Cirques des Carreaux. This is one of the January crazies that I'm hoping to finish soon. I love the design, but stitching this over one on 32 count has been a challenge.

I'm pretty sure my partner has received her biscornu so here are pictures of what I sent her. She told me she liked anything about Canada so I found this pattern for the maple leaf and I made it the colors of the Canadian flag. I haven't heard, but I hope she likes it!

Ok, that's enough for one day....check back soon for more of the family adventures! I sure missed you guys and your lovely comments! *Hugs*