Still Kicking: Two Nights in Car, Two in Camp

leaving Wednesday morning ... latest clip:



Starting out Friday night, we joined the slow column of cars heading east out of Toronto on the 401. Arriving in Quebec City the next morning, we pulled in to Domaine de la Chute, one of a few recommended campsites on the Internet.


The only visible minority there, we also discovered how little French we knew, combined! But we had nice neighbours who shared their firewood, citronella oil, and extra tarp and tent pegs.


To keep up with the Joneses, and to stave off the mosquitoes, we got ourselves a screenhouse. Well, it rained buckets all night the second night, and we found out--it keeps neither rain nor bugs out.


So we continued east, past the beautiful Riviere du Loup and into New Brunswick. At the Visitor Centre at the provincial border, we found out we'd arrived on New Brunswick Day. We got our pins, flags, and brochures and headed to the capital, Fredericton. After watching the sunset on St. John River, we hunted in vain for a Chinese restaurant and wound up at McDonalds, where we were able to watch the fireworks lighting up over a strip mall. Tired of the mosquitoes there, we drove on to Moncton by night and arrived at 3:30 a.m.


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At 110 km/h, the Transcanadian Highway through New Brunswick is the first place I've driven in Canada with a speed limit of over 100 km/h. Our fully loaded and then some minivan, air-conditioning at full blast, got a serious workout on a few steep hills.


Another night in the car--we "camped out" at the Superstore in Moncton and hit Ponderosa Pines campground this afternoon. Finally, some Wifi access, a shaded lot, and English--with French (New Brunswick is the only bilingual province). It was nice seeing the Hopewell "Flowerpot" Rocks, home of the world's biggest tides, just 1 km from the campsite.


So here we are, wondering if we should stay another day or head on up to Shediac or PEI. Hope you guys have been having a great time.

Field Trip to Harbourfront ... More Pix! and Yet More!

Thanks to Marta Benko for the latest batch, above. Almost makes me glad I didn't bring my camera!









This bunch courtesy of MicroSkills participant Géza Péntek!

Thank you, Géza!

Field Trip to Harbourfront, including Queens Quay and Union Station

A group photo after potty time (all uploaded pictures courtesy of Cindy Zhao)


Were there fifty of us in this MicroSkills multi-site event?

It was Donald Crowe, Esq., to the fore again, as our LINC school took to the streets of Downtown Toronto to visit the Harbourfront.


Everyone seems to want to be the official photographer, including the idiot who climbed a chair to take this one!

From Union Station, we wended our way through (what I later found out to be the) Bay Wellington Tower, turned south past the Hockey Hall of Fame, marched down Yonge to Captain John's floating restaurant, turned right on Queens Quay, checked out Harbour Square Park, grabbed milk samples at the Natrel booth at East Pier, and hoofed it past the Sirius Stage to York Quay Centre as the heavens opened.



Guess which one's Donald ... in the belly of the Bay Wellington.


Various modes of travel

For the return journey, some wanted to ride the streetcar and others preferred to take in the weather, which had cleared. I wanted to see the Via Rail strike at Union, but when I got back there an hour and a half after it had been declared, there were only a battery of TV cameras and one or two reporters on Front Street and indoors.




LINC Level 4 at the Harbourfront!


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If you were they, would you try to look into the sun?

Millions of people, many with flimsy pieces of plastic in hand, gazed into the sun today to watch the solar eclipse of the century:



For the risks they are taking, I think the intellectual eclipse blocks out any solar eclipse. We'll see how many people will be signing up for braille classes in August.

What would you do if you were in their shoes?

Field Trip Friday: Toronto's HarbourFront

Our LINC school is planning to go visit the HarbourFront on Friday. Toronto's beautiful HarbourFront is located on the southernmost shore of the city and welcomes families and tourists alike to enjoy its amazing sights and attractions. Our field trip will be led by Donald, and, as usual, we'll be meeting at:

• The Southbound Platform of the Sheppard-Yonge Subway Station


• Leaving the station at 10 a.m. for Union Station

Those going directly to Union Station will want to meet under the big clock of the main hall at 10:30 a.m. Please remember to bring walking shoes, water, snacks, a camera, sunscreen lotion, and a big sense of adventure. Also, don't forget to save your transfers for reimbursement.

See you there!

Free Ride on the Space Shuttle (Return via parachute)

Wow, you gotta see this!



Go for your free ride. Then feel free to Comment!

PS: More fun here--Congratulations, Canada!



Who can transcribe what Canucks Robert Thirsk and Julie Payette say?

Life in Rural Ontario - A Listening Exercise

Here's a great video of someone who's 106 and who's experience life in a small town in Ontario:



Why not listen to Ada Johnson's story of her life and take dictation of her words and post them on your own blog? Have fun!

"When you think back on your life, you wonder how you did it ...."