Thursday, or Thereabouts - October 30, 2015

Hallowe'en - the 2015 Edition

My love and I returned Sunday evening from a whirlwind 12 day trip to Japan. The laundry has been
done and the luggage put away until the next adventure, BUT my brain is still at sea. So while today is not Thursday, it is close enough to be Thereabouts! And Hallowe'en sits on the doorstep waiting for pumpkins to be carved and lit.



In Japan, Tokyo in particular, Hallowe'en is big deal, and mainly for big kids, aka adults. It's an occasion to dress up and have fun. No door-to-door trick or treating, just neighbourhood celebrations in the streets and restaurants.

Back home in Canada, Halloween remains, for the most part a children's festival. Costumes have to be both fashionable and endurable. They have to fit over snow suits and galoshes. They have to maintain their integrity in some of the wildest winds and torrential rains. Past years have brought rain and wind, cold and snow, and on occasion, even a balmy evening. According to the latest weather forecast, the night of the Great Pumpkin will be warm with a chance of rain and an asteroid.

There is nothing like a Hallowe'en in Canada!

In my elementary school days, there were no costume parades or parties yet there was no shortage of Halloween themed activities - from art and music to reading, writing and yes even arithmetic. The whole week was haunted with decorations, songs, stories and math problems all featuring ghosts, goblins, witches and jack-o-lanterns. It was fun and a great run up for the big night.

Hallowe'en 1987

My preferred characters for Trick or Treating were pirates, gypsies and tramps (no thieves - lol), and the outfits were hobbled together from stuff in the house an hour or so before heading out. The one exception was the very special year my parents bought me a pirate costume. Dad made the eye patch. My Mom was not a seamstress, but she did know a thing or two about makeup. There was an awful lot she could do with a burnt cork, baby powder and red lipstick. She also had that big jar of cold cream for getting all the stuff off afterwards.


Beyond the orange and black wrapped molasses candies, apples, peanuts in the shell and packages of sunflower seeds, many of the treats were homemade and every kid knew which house in the neighbourhood had the best ones.
For years, our house was #1.

My mother's speciality at Halloween, at any time actually, was conjured up in the kitchen. She made popcorn balls - rounds of white popcorn held together by molasses syrup boiled to the hard crack stage. With buttered hands, so the hot syrup didn't stick, Mom quickly assembled the hardball sized treats. The hot syrup always burned her hands no matter how fast she worked.

Gone now are such delectables, even the apples and peanuts are absent from the treat bag. We've all had to buy into the commercial brands. There will be zombies and vampires out tomorrow night and probably lots of Princesses of Arendelle, but very few pirates and tramps. And it's been a very long time since I've heard anyone utter my childhood chant, "Shell out! Shell out! The witches are out!"

I've got to get out there and buy the treats and a pumpkin.
Be safe out there, and have a "Spook-tacular" time.

And a favourite song from my childhood:

It's Halloween, the lamps are lit
around the fire the children sit
telling ghost tales bit by bit
and sister Jane says, "hush"
who's that creeping cross the kitchen floor
who's that peeking round the bedroom door
who's that SCREECHING like his throat is sore
It's a GOBLIN!

©2015 April Hoeller

Thursday, or Thereabouts - April 9, 2015

The Eagle has landed - back home again.

After 20 days away from my desk, away from my kitchen, away from my bed, I have returned  to my place in the universe. It is good to be home; to have all my stuff at hand - except for the few kitchen things that the house sitters moved. It is really good to be sleeping in my own bed again. No matter where my love and I have travelled, both near and far, both the ordinary and exotic, the challenging and the intriguing, I am always happy to arrive back home. 

The latest adventure took us to Ecuador in South America, both the mainland (Quito) and the Islands of the Galapagos. Though one of the shortest treks in recent years, the pace was high with new sights and sounds not just every day, but around every corner. Over 4000 digital pictures survived the first click of the delete key to document our journey. I'd like to suggest a new app for digital cameras, one that warns me that I have already taken 352 pictures of blue footed boobies, or giant tortoises or whatever, and that I need not take any more. While the software wizards puzzle that one out, I will spend the next weeks cataloguing, editing and re-living a most remarkable experience. Slowly but surely...

I love to travel. I love to come home, laundry and all. I'm grateful to live in a place where I'm not drenched in sunscreen infused sweat all day (it was 35°C with 60% humidity every day); where the Internet speed is faster than dial-up (remember those days?); where there is more grass than black lava field; and, where there is an ebb and flow in the hours of daylight (in the equatorial zone the sun rises just after 6am and sets just after 6pm every day of the year).  

And Schwartz? The ever-enthusiastic, compliant travel mascot is happy to be home too. He can rest and dry out. 

©2015 April Hoeller

Monday Moanings - March 16, 2015

Can I get a note?

It’s little more than 36 hours until take off and I’m a tad frantic. The string on the tether ball marking the departure time is very short and my 'yet ToDo' list is very long. I've been very good and certainly much more thorough than in years past, yet the accumulation of scribbled post-it notes, scrawled lists and neat entries in the official travel prep booklet does not seem to be diminishing as planned. This was supposed to be the most organised departure ever. This was supposed to be the least stressful departure ever. And up until Saturday it was. But then the power went out!





The service interruption alarm on the household Internet router announced the loss of electricity at 4:30am, and it kept at it with a triplet of chirps every 30 seconds for a full hour until choked to death by loss of battery power. At first Hydro One told us the power would be restored by 7:30am. We went back sleep and awoke at 9am to no lights, no heat, no water. Worst of all NO COFFEE!

But the folks at Hydro One said all would be back by 11am and thanked us for our patience. Well it wasn't. The entire afternoon was clocked by missed then revised estimates for power restoration. The sun set. And within minutes back came the lights and the heat and water. But the day had been lost; a day that was stuffed full of things to do - laundry, vacuuming, cleaning and preparing two writing submissions.

I've done the laundry and I’ve tidied the house - sort of. There remains a slim chance of the vacuuming being done, but the window of opportunity for the writing work has slammed shut. Can I get a note from Hydro One, excusing my failure to complete the submissions?

To Whom it may concern;
Please excuse April's inability to complete your writing requirements. Spring runoff of salt laden snow (fault of the Roads Department, not us!) corroded our equipment. The resulting pole fires and a few exploding transformers interrupted electrical service for fifteen hours.
We are sorry for the inconvenience and thank you for your patience. 

I'm disappointed, but not devastated - there's no time to wallow in missed opportunities this week. The house-sitters move in tomorrow and will have to be fully briefed, not just by me but also by Sophie the resident canine. She will want them to know the 'correct' meal and treat schedule, which is not the one mommy wrote out. I know that she will pine for us just a little; mope around for a week or so but then motor on.  I will miss her morning greeting, a cold wet nose nudging my cheek accompanied by a little whine, “Mommy, are you in there?”



My love and I will be far away on another adventure, where it will be warm and wonderful. I will not be posting on this blog, no “Monday Moanings” or “Thursday, or Thereabouts”, until sometime after April 8. Look for me then.

In the mean time, hold the fort while I'm gone, and take care of each other.


©2015 April Hoeller

Thursday, or Thereabouts - March 5, 2015

Miles to Go

The travel bags have been taken out of storage and are now parked in the living room, awaiting deposits of software and hardware - clothing and gear. Every now and again an item gets tossed on them, at them, near them. An attempt to assure its inclusion in one of the bags. But of course, close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades. When it comes down to the final pack, some previously deemed essential items just don't make the cut.

The old blue-green travel pack, having passed the test pack with flying colours a few days ago, does have a secured reservation on this journey. It may look like just any old fabric suitcase, but unzip the backside and there's a sturdy backpack frame with all the requisite pads and harnesses.

This intrepid traveller could tell a tale or three about the places it's been. From atop a shelf at Mountain Equipment Coop (MEC) in Toronto, this Canadian made rugged beauty began its adventures with me in 1996 with an epic family trip to Europe.

Vienna, Innsbruck, Munich, Koln, Amsterdam and London were followed in subsequent years by Mexico, St. Lucia, Alaska, and Spain before hibernating for a few years while newer luggage took up the duties. But the blue-green bag was never forgotten and when another epic journey came into view in 2008, it was once again pressed into service. This time it was a land and sea voyage via the Panama Canal to South America, including Nazca, Cusco, Machu Picchu then around Cape Horn to Buenos Aires.

Now here we are once again getting ready to head out on a trip of a lifetime, this time to Darwin's playground, the Galapagos Islands, and of course old faithful, the blue-green travel pack, will hold all - well most at least of my stuff. From wet suit, fins, mask and snorkel to drug bag and first aid kit; from collapsible trekking pole, bug spray and sunscreen to my clothes for three weeks and a bottle of biodegradable laundry detergent, all will find the perfect spot within the fabric grotto.

The sturdy zippers sing with delight as the old bag murmurs, "miles to go before I sleep; miles to go."

©2015 April Hoeller

Monday Moanings - March 2, 2015

Hello March sunshine!

March has eased her way in front of her frosty brother, coming like a lamb with blue skies and warmth (relatively speaking). Why yesterday the temperature outside my door dared to cross into plus territory, for a whole twenty minutes of jubilation. And today opened with just a SINGLE digit following the minus sign on my thermometer (-7°C). Warm enough for me to ditch my woolly toque, wrap around scarf and the mitts that go over my gloves, for my trip into town. Delightful!

I'm given to believe that there's a bit of weather nastiness on tap for Tuesday. No worries! March is like that - up and down, rain and snow, warm and cold, spring and winter. And right now the sun is shining, the sky is blue and it's just...

More than that, I've got travel on my mind. March is adventure month for us and the preparations have kicked into high gear. Yesterday I not only successfully completed a test pack of my backpack (complete with wetsuit, dive mask, snorkel and fins along with the usual),

but I also gagged back a booster dose of Dukoral®. The stuff is vile - tasting much like the pre-colonoscopy preparation concoctions - but of course the consequences of omitting this vaccine can be far more vile. So, down the hatch!

Tomorrow I'm off to the doc to get a script for some altitude sickness meds. Quito, where we begin and end our adventure, sits just above 2800m (9200 feet). This is not the kind of high my body enjoys - something I learned in Peru a few years ago. So, get the drugs.

Add them to the 'drug bag', which seems to grow with every new trip. Last year's China trek taught me about the importance of having medications that I know and recognise in my kit.

This little case is perfect for all those small containers and packages. Thanks to our son and daughter-in-law for giving it to us!

There's lots more stuff to do before departure - haircut, house cleaning, food for the resident house sitters, instructions for the house sitters (how to fire up the snow blower, how to set the house thermostat, how not to feed the pleading canine, and more), buy more sunscreen, write more ToDo lists, and so much more...  I'll keep you posted.

Make it a great week!

©2015 April Hoeller

Thursday, or Thereabouts - January 29, 2015

Time to get outta Dodge...

It's grey and raw outside my door today, with the kind of dampness that invades every sinew, inflames every arthritic joint. There is a sharpness to the wind as it whines and wails in the trees. Yet the dark-eyed juncos don't seem to mind. I'm envious of their energised playfulness on display underneath my bird feeders. They are cleaning up and having a blast doing so, or so it seems from all their chatter and swooping about.

Me? Well I'm just having a day - nothing terrible, except the wrong buttons are done up on my fleece jacket ("Screw it," I say!), just a noon time sit in the flat calm of the doldrums. Even the noon weather radar bears me out:

Ah but change is coming. Our next great adventure is rising above the horizon - The Galapagos! Warm temperatures and ocean breezes, a sea voyage and a land trek all in Darwin's back yard. With any luck we may catch sight of newly hatched giant tortoises making a break for the sea. Wow!

Here's the itinerary for the cruise:

Here's the boat:

image courtesy of GAdventures

And here's the land portion:
Day 1 Santa Cruz Island: Transfer to hotel and meet the local guide

Day 2 Floreana Island: Enjoy guided walks to observe the bird and wildlife and learn about the natural history of the Island. Opportunities for swimming and snorkeling

Day 3 Isabela Island: Visit the Flamingo Lagoon, the largest coastal lagoon in the Galápagos and a principal breeding ground for flamingos.

Day 4-5 Isabela Island:
Hike up the active Sierra Negra Volcano and walk around the rim of the second-largest volcanic crater in the world. Continue to the lava fields of the Volcano Chico and enjoy your lunch admiring views of the surrounding volcanoes and Islands. Visit the Giant Tortoise Breeding Centre and the 'Wall of Tears' historical site. Optional excursion to 'Islote Tintoreras', a large crevice with clear, calm water in which whitetip sharks (tintoreras) rest daily on the bottom. Get a close-up view of pelicans, frigate birds and diving blue footed boobies. Watch for manta rays and rare Galapagos penguins, of which only 800 pairs exist.

Day 6 Santa Cruz Island: Puerto Ayora

Day 7 Santa Cruz Island: Baltra airport to Quito


Phew! I've warmed up already. Supply lists have been started - the clothes, the footwear, the dive gear, the health supplies, the electronics, the chargers and power supplies, and our renewed passports will be ready next week.

Oh and just look outside my window NOW:

Not a bird in sight, not fit for man or beast...
It truly is time to get outta Dodge!
Cheers!


©2015 April Hoeller

Monday Moanings - December 29, 2014

Looking Back - Moving Forward

May 2014, Great Wall of China at Badaling Hills

The Old Year Runs Away from Me

the old year runs away from me.
I hang on to her sleeve
but she shakes me loose.
where does the old year go
when the new year comes?

she slips away into memories,
falls into the crevices of wishes
and ought-to-have-dones.
she waits no longer upon promises,
turns her back on the might-have-been.

the elves of the old year step in,
pack up the struggles, store the joys,
tuck them away in the bulging box
spreading out on the psyche’s floor.

it’s up to the new year now.
I bring a lot to her domain:
expectations, dreams, hopes,
and I place them all before
her strong, abundant door.

I walk into her untamed territory,
with a meek apprehension
and a vast sense of mystery,
assured by the welcome I receive,

anxious about what is waiting
behind the drawn window shade,
curious about what I will discover
in the hidden folds of her new days.

(from Out of the Ordinary ©2000 by Joyce Rupp. Used by permission of Ave Maria Press. All rights reserved)

2015 brings us places to go...

things to blossom...

And promises to celebrate.

It's going to be a great year!

Thursday, or Thereabouts - May 15, 2014

There's no place like home.

The refrain began soon after the plane began its final approach to Toronto's Pearson International Airport last Thursday afternoon. A month before we had left behind piles of snow and frozen ponds to cruise the wonders of Asia. This adventure turned out to be a little more demanding than our usual world exploits, not only in terms of distance and itinerary, but also health. My lungs wheezed, sputtered and coughed in response to the poor air quality of a China in the midst of an industrial revolution fuelled almost entirely by coal. Not only was I ready to come home, I needed to come home. So there I sat on the plane, nose pressed against the window, searching for familiar landmarks, heart hungry for home. Eyes prickling, I rejoiced as a green, very green landscape emerged. A few familiar highways looped their way across the ground and beyond them, a clear, crisp horizon. There's no place like home!

A note from a friend encouraged me to re-enter my world gently, adjusting to time and space as body and soul permitted. I took this to heart and tried to keep my days back home low and slow. But through the fog of a twelve hour jet lag, lay Mother's Day. For the first time in several years I would actually be home for this celebration. Kids wanted to know what I wanted to do. DO? I didn't want to do anything. Supper out was suggested. My body groaned. I'd been eating out for a month.
"We'll be dining in," I said.
"We'll order in Chinese," they offered.
My innards contorted. I'd just spent the last two weeks eating Chinese. "No," I said. "I'll cook." I said.
"We'll help," they said.
And so it was. My kitchen and I soon remembered what good partners we are and Mother's Day was celebrated with the first BBQ of the season. Thick steak, lobster tails and potatoes - scortched but not charred - topped with sour cream and chives, a salad bowl brimming with crisp lettuces, peppers, tomatoes, cucumber and mushrooms all glistening with olive oil and splashed with basalmic. There's no place like home!

The rest of the week has unfolded, or not, as the spirit moved me, or not. I ambled through the forest once, breathing in the earthy air, daring to fully inflate my lungs. God, it felt good! My spirit rose to a profusion of trilliums, white trefoils waving in Spring delight. There were even a few purple ones - a very special gift. I strolled my own yard to take in the periwinkle in bloom, lily of the valley upstanding in their field and the promise of pies from the rhubarb patch. Even the happy gang - bright yellow dandelions - were a treat.

I've watched and listened to the birds this week. For the very first time, Baltimore Orioles have come to the feeders. The rose-breasted grosbeaks are back, along with the hummingbirds, and the gold finches have put on their summer yellows.

Best of all, last night as I put together a supper of grilled salmon and 'first of the season' asparagus (with butter & lemon), the sounds of a Spring sonata came through the open window. The splatter of rain drops and the trill of robins' song, together proclaiming,

There's no place like home!

Wild strawberries in my yard

p.s. For those wondering if there will be anymore stories and photos from our Asian Adventure on my travel blog, the answer is yes. Look for something early next week.

©2014 April Hoeller