Pukaskwa - Day 4, Part 2

Old Dave's Harbour....

The Harbour

The old lighthouse keeper's house

The lighthouse keeper left now that the light is automated, and this is now emergency use in the park.

And - fun to explore :) Living area

Kitchen (apparently they have a problem with "wee beasties."

Even though we hadn't seen a toilet in days...this one did not appeal. Hole in the ground = still a better option.

Million dollar view...in TO. Free for us!

Upstairs hallway

Guestbook

Back entrance

Basement

The sign by the door is one labeling the building "emergency use" by the National Park

Other side of the harbour

Ed taking a picture...

...Ed's picture :)

SUPER clear water!

Pukaskwa!

We're in Pukaskwa (Pook-ah-SAW) paddling around, right now.

It was quite the feat to get ready for it.
Keep us in your prayers! We appreciate it :)

(And no, we do not have internet or laptops here. I'm prescheduling this post!)

A very small glimpse into getting ready:

You can look forward to updates and pictures when we get back, DV!

Tales from the South: Ziplining!!

I feel like I'm going through blog-withdrawal. Just one messy blog last week :(  (and "Dreaming.")

I have so much to share that rarely do I get to share it all.

But this, this is something I don't want to forget: zip-lining! Something I never even knew I wanted to do.

I had thoughts of being nervous about it. Then I did it. And now I realise why the nerves never went further than just thought. It is FUN! And not at all scary. And, just happened that is was a beautiful, gorgeous, 30 degree day!

Group 1

Group 2

Group 3

Gerb coming in perfectly on the practise run

They brought us up the mountain in the back of a truck

:)

Le zipping along like a pro

Emily W's turn! Notice the tiny people waiting at the other end?

Tales from the South: Sunday

This year Sunday in Harlan was a tad bit unusual.

First of all, this is usually the first chance that we get to see a bit more of the area. After hiking Knobby Rock on Saturday already, the pressure was on to see more on Sunday.

Second of all, our usual lookout point over the city was inaccessible due to road construction. I think this affected our group-picture taking (because the only group shot we have is the standard SWAP-issue one - always good, but usually supplemented by multiple others.)

Sunday morning we went to church as usual - this year at Harlan Christian again (the new usual.) It was wonderful - a good sermon by the new pastor, and a chance to connect briefly with old acquaintances.

Sunday afternoon we viewed the tunnels, used the vans as changing-rooms, & then brought our picnic lunch to Kingdom Come State Park. We viewed Log Rock before lunch. I never tire of that place. It's my most-visited park. And it's a 13 hour drive away from my home.

Log Rock

View from the lookout behind Log Rock

After lunch we did devotions with our devo partners - it was awesome to enjoy creation and study God's Word at the same time!

And then we finished off our afternoon adventures with a quick visit to Halcomb Overlook and a short hike (actually short this time) to the natural amphitheatre.

Trail signage to Amphitheatre

Can you spot all the Faithworks hikers?

Amphitheatre seating

Amphitheatre Ants

Amphitheatre Ants II

Finally, we finished up the day with an awesome spaghetti dinner together with the youth group from Harlan Christian. The kids really enjoyed themselves and the youth pastor (BRYAN, folks!) left us all encouraging notes in our pocket patches.

And, finally-finally, the day ended with group devos and an early bedtime! :)

Tales from the South: Saturday

For the first time that I've been down to Kentucky with Faithworks, we arrived before 12. 12 noon, to be
clear!

We even stopped for breakfast!

Being early meant we did our first DQ stop of the trip right away. We grabbed some lunch (and/or ice cream because of the beautiful weather.)

And then : Knobby Rock

I clearly have forgotten how far the 'short' climb is, since I said a couple of times "we're nearly there." (We were halfway the first time.) It was probably also that it was a far more difficult climb than usual. Hiking after a night of no sleep and a DQ lunch lets you know how wore out your body can get under those circumstances.

But, I did apologize for misleading them, and told them that the climb would definitely be worth it. It was.

Leana

Alyssa & Emily Br

Mandy

Edward :)

View from Knobby Rock

Tales from the South, Part 1

Kentucky was awesome, as usual.

Only more awesome than ever before, unusually.

There are a few reasons. Some I'll even share with you!

1. Both the trip there and the trip back were made in a record breaking  less than 12 hours each (11h 50 m, and 11h 45m respectively.)
2. The weather was above 20 every day.

Wednesday's temps were pretty sweet.

3. We had an awesome crew of people: deep thinkers and all around just a fun lot.

4. Bill and Evelyn were the best homeowners I have ever had. Such a sweet, godly, elderly couple. More later.

5. All of our crews got done their work & then some.
6. There was a thunderstorm Thursday night.
7. And the first rainbow I've ever seen on top of the mountain.

Stolen from Jen, because my pics didn't turn out so good.

 8. We went ziplining!

I'll give ya deets in the coming posts, but for now: it's all about catching up on school work and getting some sleep!

Overdrive

So last night I was thinking I'd write me up a blog post. Then it got too late, so I just went to bed instead. Past midnight. Again.

I'm telling myself that tonight, tonight I will go to bed early. I doubt it will happen. Too much is going on around here for sleep. Sleep? What's that? Why, I'd much rather plan out morning staff devotions in my dreams and mark Bible assignments (before the next ones come along) and write tests for my World Issues course (because unlike last semester, this course has NOTHING prepped.) And then my mind wanders to "what groceries do I need to get for food lab this week?" And then it moves on to Kentucky. I have to get the devotions all set up for the week, and photocopy. Gotta photocopy lotsa forms. And then wonder "Is the send-off good to go? I should check in with the people who are on-duty for planning it..." And then there's Japan.

Oh yes, did I mentioned I am for sure-zees headed to the other side of the northern hemisphere this summer?
Leading a Faithworks team, lotsa working alongside Japanese Christians, and hopefully sushi & tea.

And that's how my mind works. Overdrive.

And that was just the tip of the iceberg.

Of course, I do have other, far more exciting things to think on too.
That's why my weekend was a good one, folks.

Because I have friends and I know people. And they are pretty special and quite lovely.

(I also went snowboarding. And we actually had some real winter. 2 hours north of here.)

Kentucky!!!!

In less than three weeks, we will have completed our first work day in Kentucky with the 2012 Faithworks SALTeam!

Can you say excited?? Cuz that's what I am!!!! Oh I love, love, LOVE this place on earth.

Last night, to celebrate Family Day, I had an impromptu party. There were seven of us girls at one point. And all of us but one had been to Kentucky. It was so great being excited together (not the whole time. We played Apples to Apples as well. And discovered that to some people, large mouth bass are sensual (or cuddly.) And to others, construction workers are irresistable (or dainty.) I handed out some help-line numbers in both cases :P)

Send-off is in less than TWO weeks! Contact one of us if you'd like to come :)

I'm already half-packed. Hold your comments. It's the work clothes bit that's packed. And these aren't the kinda work clothes I can get away with as a teacher. Unfortunately.

And...the people! Can't wait to spend time bonding with the team, and of course getting to see some of my favourite Kentuckians, and meet some new ones too!

As for the work? The work's great, but it's mainly the means to building new relationships. An excellent means, if you ask me.

Can't wait to visit my very favourite place on earth, once again!

Places

There are SO MANY places in this world I'd love to see. I'm a homebody with the travel bug.

I love my home. I love having a place to call mine to go home to every night. And, secretly, I even love having my own time. Just as long as there's not too much of it, you understand.

But traveling??? Oh yes please. Give me the guarantee that I'll go home sometime and we're good.

I have loved every time I've traveled so far. Whether for a weekend, or for 7 weeks, or somewhere in between, I love visiting. That might be key. I don't think I've ever gone a trip where it was all about what was there, rather than who was there. I'd be pretty pathetic at the whole "let's explore this new place all by myself!" I like to share my experiences. It's also cheaper to stay with people you know :)

The actual "trying to get there bit" can be boring, especially as I've done most of my traveling by myself - but usually there's new scenery (driving) or people to watch (flying.) The only thing that's sad is when I get motion sick. Airplane aisle seats & car front seats for me! But ferries? Don't even talk to me about ferries.

Some places I'd yet love to see:

• all 50 US states, and their major attractions.
• all the Canadian Provinces & territories - and the national parks
• the CN tower (yes, I've lived an hour away my entire life. No, I've never been up the tower.)
• Europe: I'd do this the backpack method. So if anyone wants to join me....
• France (Nice, and Paris of course: with Notre Dame, and the Louvre, and the Eiffel tower, and L'Arc du Triomphe, and Les Champs Elysees.)
• Switzerland (the Alps, Geneva)
• Italy (Florence - Dante's hometown & Rome. Also Cinque Terre & Venice.)
• And whatever else catches my eye. Do Britain/Scotland Ireland fit in this category too? If so, add those.
• Scandinavia: Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland
• I don't know what it is but I'd LOVE to just explore & see the sights in these countries. 
• Australia & New Zealand
• Who doesn't want to see the sights & enjoy the weather?
• Africa: S. Africa, Tanzania, Mali, 
• I'd love to visit these places, mostly if there's some way in which I could work effectively alongside the people living there.
• Caribbean islands like St Lucia, Aruba, etc. Just not if I have to stick to resorts the entire time.
• India - to experience the culture.
• South-Eastern Asia. For the food and the culture...but I need to research these places better.
• Etcetera. Give me an opportunity to go somewhere new, and I will grab it. Kinda like this Japan thing. Hope it works out!

Summer Outlook

Oh, this summer's gonna be an interesting one.

And with all this gorgeous blue-sky, sunny-day kinda weather happening over here, I can't wait for it to arrive. That kinda sky with negative temperatures is rather a teaser. This whole winter's been like that, to be honest. I think we're getting an early spring this year.

I really shouldn't say that. I've been saying "It's finally winter!" every snowfall since December started, and every time it warms up & melts away. So if I start claiming an early spring, it might just give us blizzards and -35C through to the end of May.

Anyways...this summer.

Should things work out, there's a good chance I'll be travelling to Japan for a couple of weeks. Which would be soooooo awesome. Even though it's been far down on my list of places to see (mainly because I couldn't think of when I'd ever have a real chance to go) it'd be so neat to experience a new culture like that! And eat sushi in the sushi country itself :) And drink tea on yet another continent :)

But, the BIG trip, the one I've been hoping to take for over a year now, is working out!
Despite my initial thought that I'd be setting aside my planned "summer trip for 2012" and replacing it with an epic wilderness trip, it turns out that Mingan-Anticosti-Forillon is just the epic wilderness trip we were looking for. Yay!

It's gonna be a lot of kayaking (in my new kayak - woot!) and back-country camping and exploring/sightseeing some really unique Canadian landscapes in the mouth of the St Lawrence River.

Anticosti Island is right in the mouth of the St Lawrence, and isn't a huge tourist destination, but it's got gorgeous cliffs & sunsets & wilderness areas with wildlife everywhere. I read a Canadian Geographic article on it when I was in uni & I've wanted to visit ever since.

Mingan Archipelago National Park is on the north side of the St Lawrence. It's got islands, monoliths, rare birds, barrenland, etc. It's a really unique place. My students have presented on this one in geography class a few times and every time again I want to go.

Then there's Forillon. It's more of a tourist destination, with awesome coastal hiking trails & great overlooks, as well as a bunch of lighthouses.  It basically called "The Jewel of the Gaspe" - and I think that says it all.



Anyways... if you'd like to join us, I'd love another girl to come along!!!