Life in the Bristolwood

On Friday morning,  I hopped onto my bicycle and rode around the park.   We have talked about taking bicycles camping with us for a long time, but this is the first time we actually took them.  My bicycle is a Schwinn touring bike I bought in 1985.  The poor bicycle has hung in the basement from hangers since 1992, when we built this house!

My bike was removed from the hangers a few days before we left.  Mark pumped the tires to the recommended pressure and asked if I wanted to hop onto the bike…..was he kidding?  That bike has had the same tires and inner tubes for twenty-four years!  So, I hopped on and rode the bike around the house.  I was in total awe.  #1. The tires were okay.  #2.  I could still ride the bike!!!   It seemed like I was defying some act of balance or something,  riding around on those ridiculously skinny tires.  They certainly aren’t anything like those big beefy treads on the kids’ mountain bikes!

I rode all around the park on paved roads, as well as gravel-covered roads.  I road up little hills and absolutely astonished myself!  The great thing about those skinny wheels is that I can literally glide for long periods of time without pedalling.  Suddenly, I felt just like a kid again….man,  I really missed riding my bike!

Mark drove off in the morning over to the parking lot by the lake.  That was where I met him and convinced him he could do a little exploration of the park in a wheelchair.  We strolled and rolled out to the island where I spotted the duck with her brood….

Perhaps the reason this picnic table was precariously balancing at the water’s edge was just so the little ducklings could rest under it in the event they got too warm?

Mark and I crossed back over the pretty bridge.  Of course, Mark being a mechanical engineer,  stopped for quite some time to marvel at the lovely bridge.  *I* just thought it was pretty.  *He* examined the structure, pointing out various elements and oogling over the Minnesota company who made it.  Then a brief discussion about how much it must have cost to truck such a structure all that distance followed.

We then went over to marvel at the pretty pavilion that had a fabulously flowering Butterfly Bush planted near the entrance.

We talked all about glue-laminated beams and even felt how smoothly the beams were sanded.  Even in the most severe weather, the exposed beams were still smooth as could be.  Mark also informed me the pavilion held twenty-six tables.  We finally left and went over to look over the barbeque pit, then the other more rustic pavilion.

As we looked around the other, less “picture perfect” pavilion, a nest built in the corner of the building caught my eye.  We all know that curiosity arose and I sprung up onto a table to take a closer look. (with the camera, of course!)

In looking at the nest, I am pretty sure it was built by a robin.  The orange object in the center of the nest is a little funnel-shaped mouth, wide open awaiting nourishment!  I immediately hopped back down again and told Mark we had better leave right away so the mother bird could feed her youngsters.  (I saw one more beak pop up as well.)

The two extra days we spent at the park were nice and it was the first time we explored even though we have camped here many times! Having the bikes along really made a difference.

And now, I shall leave you with a little something to warm the cockles of your heart….(and anything else that might be chilled!)

On Thursday, (the day after Kingdom Bound ended),  Michelle and Ben went over to help their friends pack up their tent and belongings, as they were heading back home.  The kids were gone for a couple of hours, and when they returned,  Michelle said she was freezing and took a blanket to the truck where she plopped down on the back seat and fell sound asleep.

I awakened Michelle some time later….he face was bright red and she said her throat was sore.  I felt her forehead and it was obvious she had a nasty fever.  I made her drink lots of water throughout the day and gave her some Tylenol in hopes of reducing the fever. 

Mark went out for a bit while I tidied the camper.   I had gotten Michelle on the bed in the camper and as she slept, I took a brief walk around the park.  Ben stayed in the camper to keep an eye on Michelle.

During Kingdom Bound, the campground turns into a little tent city.  There are tents everywhere!  Instead of showing photos of campers and tents and such, I decided to show some of the more “nature-oriented” sides of the park!

Yes, the above cell tower is what helped us remain “connected”!

The park has a small lake located within, however, it was shut down as an employee told me the ph of the water is too low to allow swimming and boating.  There is also a picnic area and pavilions for parties and reunions.  The building below is located near a rustic pavilion.  This little building, with its vented roof reminds me of a maple sugar house.  I went over to have a closer look and was surprised to see that there were not only four barbeque grills, but also a deep barbeque pit for grilling chicken and such! (how I longed for that Chicken BBQ from the previous Saturday!!)

I should have loaded these photos more logically, but I have previously discussed the fact that logic is *not* one of my strengths!

The bridge below is a beauty made of steel and leading to a small island on the lake, complete with grills and picnic tables!  How romantic…a picnic on the island!

There is another pavilion (NOT on the island) with the most awesome glue-laminated arches!  It is beautiful! And as I walked down the path closer to it, the smell of cooking food nearly overwhelmed me!  I wondered if *I* was invited??

Mark said when he went out to get our food later, three tour buses loaded with kids stopped at the pavilion. Lucky kids! A picnic in the country!  I could hear someone on a bullhorn telling the kids “one can of soda per person!”

The photo below is of the island.

The cattails are near the island and mama ducks and their ducklings hang out near them!

I have a few more photos of the park that I took on Friday.  Mark and I wandered around a little….he in the wheelchair only after I convinced him it was totally possible to roll around the grounds.

Oh, and on Friday?  Since Michelle was feeling better (not entirely)  we went and picked up some food and had a lovely little picnic on one of the tables on the island!!!

Instead of recalling the events of yesterday, I will give you an artistic shot of the moon I took the night before last.

Yes, that is just as the photo came off the trusty little Panasonic camera…no modifications!

We did have a very busy day yesterday that ended “with a splash”!  We were under a severe thunderstorms watch yesterday afternoon but the storms didn’t arrive until around 11 pm.  The kids had their friends come over and they stayed until 12:30. The rain was pretty heavy….memories of last year when our awning broke from the weight of rain on it! (also during Kingdom Bound)

It is a pretty windy but suhshiney day this last day of Kingdom Bound 2009. It has truly been yet another year of fantastic music and fun! Cannot WAIT for Newboys this evening.  I must admit though,  I cannot imagine the “new” Newsboys without the presence of Peter Furler.  Michael Tait has taken his place on the road and it just seems like it is going to be a whole new group!!!

Greetings from Kingdom Bound.  This is one of the highlights of our family each summer! And speaking of summer,  this is the first summer of the three we have been attending, that I have had to put on a sweater or sweatshirt! Wow!  This weather (cool) has been just perfect for the event. 

Here is a photo of the  “PAC”….Performing Arts Center. It is a huge tent where a big name band ends the day with a concert.  There are also smaller concerts going on at other locations during this time.

When I glanced through the schedule yesterday,  there was a time inserted for Communion. Hmmm….How on earth could Communion be served to thousands of people? Well, we didn’t get the bread part….not sure why. Guess someone goofed!

But we did get tiny servings of grape juice!

Before Communion, we had heard a band called Blues Council. They were, well…blues artists! Their music was very good, ending with a unique bluesy rendition of Amazing Grace.  After Communion, they were joined by a couple of local worship leaders to play for a bit.

After this, Mark and I wandered through the amusement park for a while, just to stretch my legs. 

We returned for the big act of the night, Salvador.  They are a great band with a Latin slant.

Darien Lake has a laser light show at nights and for non-Kingdom Bound attendees, the show was going on. It includes fireworks, which we could see from the PAC!

As an aside,  Murphy got sick during the night on Saturday/Sunday.  He wandered around, unable to settle down. His stomach rumbled and he just didn’t feel well.  I was up for a few hours with him, so I was majorly tired yesterday. Thankfully, he is fine now!

Ummmm…no, Murphy, you cannot ride on the bike rack!

from our little excursion.

On Thursday evening,  after Sabres camp,  we began making our way back to the campground.  The kids were thinking about our visit last year, and wanted to know if we could stop by the park where Fort Niagara is located.  Mark said sure,  as it was right along our way. 

We pulled into the parking lot at the park and spotted a regatta of sailboats on the lake.  We hurried out of the truck so we could see better.  When we visited last year, neither Mark nor I  could remember seeing Toronto across the lake!

I’m not sure how far it is across the lake at this point,  but it was so cool to see Toronto in the distance.

We walked along the beach and just enjoyed the fresh air, then headed back.

As we were driving down the main street,  I laughed and told Mark,  “The British are coming!”  He pulled over so I could photograph one of the Redcoats…..

Quite a clever transformation for a fire hydrant, eh?

I had some trouble uploading photos last night, so waited for Mark to take a look today.  It was, (of course!) operator error.  For some reason,  I goofed up.  Might have had to do with being tired!

I wanted to share a few photos from around the campground where we stayed.  This campground is fantastic and about the cleanest place we’ve ever been!  People were mowing and cleaning the grounds every day.  This is a state park and they have sites available for “dry camping” or tenting closer to the lake that are just beautiful!  The biggest testimony to just *how* great this park really is were the number of vehicles parked in the sites with Canadian license plates. 

Here is our little camper…..

And as you can see,  our “yard” was nearly the size of a city house lot!

We enjoyed this trip and the kids did as well. 

One day, Michelle was playing with Murphy inside the tent.  As the sun intensified, Michelle came out of the tent and grabbed a bottled water.  She called over to me to have a look and I just had to catch this…little Murphy “sipping” water from the bottle!

The kids and I wandered down to the beach early one afternoon.  They have fun finding smooth shards of glass along the beach, always on the lookout for highly valued (in their economy, anyway)  blue glass.  We had fun walking along the beach and looking around a bit.

 The above was carved into a big piece of driftwood along the beach. 

I really miss this place.  It was fun being there and seeing the Sabres camp.  I didn’t have much time to miss anything today, though, as the kids had ten young people over today!  It was another busy day…I made Beef Stroganoff, green beans with butter and garlic, and a salad for dinner.  We had a lot of fun but I am so tired!

Greetings once again from the shores of Lake Ontario!

Yesterday, we went to the Sabres development camp and did a little sightseeing afterwards.  There is so much to see and do in the Niagara Frontier area!  But the grandest part of arriving home was yet to be discovered.  As we looped around the circle to our site,  we could see that the sky was really putting on an impressive display! (no more words required for this set) 

The setting sun had caused quite an audience to accumulate along the banks leading down to the lake.  People had brought along blankets, chairs, and anything else that they might “plop” down upon. 

Early this morning,  I was drawn once again to the water….there is something so poetic about the splashing of the waves upon the shore.  It almost sets the rythmn for composing verse!  Instead of writing, however, I walked along the shoreline,  breathing deeply and just enjoying the fact that I was the sole “soul”  there.  It was fairly early, but I was somewhat surprised there was no one else exploring or discovering.

I nearly found myself captivated in a new world of my own….just me and the slowly moving water lapping up along the shore.  The water seems to have a personality all its own…yesterday, it appeared angry or tomented, as though lashing out at the shore, then drawing back only to thrust forward once again with even greater force.  It was a vast contrast to today’s calm and mellow attitude with the water barely visibly moving near the shore.

Walking along the smooth lakeside pebbles,  it is difficult not to keep my mind from straying….oh, if those pebbles could speak, what kind of stories would they tell?  And the tiny sticks and even large sections of trees…have they traveled a great distance?  Possibly here from Canada, across the lake?  Did they arrive amidst a tumultuous, raging storm, or did they gently deposit themselves after a calm and peaceful  journey fom far away?

Camping, bathed in the luxuries from home hardly seems like “roughing it”,  but oh what fun it is to be able to (still) be surrounded by the necessities as well as some “extras”.  I have resolved in my own mind that I could easily grow accustomed to this lifestyle of “hellos” and “good-byes”,  hearing tales of faraway places, and just enjoying the great outdoors!

Viewing this photo of last night’s campfire made me realize that our time spent at the Buffalo Sabres’ training camp seems like a distant memory now….In fact, the time flew by so fast betweeen early Wednesday morning when we left and this evening when we returned!

On the way home, the realization hit hard that we will not be seeing these players again as we did these few days,  but rather,  on the television screen.  There is something about seeing the team “in the flesh” that makes one feel as though they “know” the guys.

As we bustled off this morning to see the practice,  as we came closer and closer to Buffalo, I grabbed the Nikon camera from its bag. Mark asked why I was getting my camera out, and all I could think to answer was “for some drive-by shooting”!  However, with Buffalo being “being on the map”, so to speak,  for its high number of crimes,  I told Mark I was going to take some pictures.

Please understand that some of these were taken going 30 miles per hour down the streets of Buffalo! That Nikon is pretty fast! The first photo was dark and “muddy”, so as I lightened it, the sky turned this light, almost aquamarine color. Trust me, it was much more dismal, almost gray!

I don’t think I have ever seen a building with a three-dimensional Fleur de Lis before! And, HOW does that thing stay in good shape with the wind, rain, sleet, and snow pounding on it? (Yes, Buffalo is the capital of “bad snow jokes”.)

Apologies for being totally ignorant as to what buildings bear this beautiful detailing, but, it seemed a bit hard to decipher names as we whizzed past….

This last bit of architectural extravaganza blew my socks off….

The entire buillding is trimmed in these pretty ladies with their bonnets!

I *was* going to keep hockey strictly from this last entry concerning our little adventure. But….how could I not show just a couple of photos. They are architectural, I prommise!

I showed a photo of one of the entrances to the HSBC Arena depicting buffaloes above it. Well, the buffalo relief and this one of a “flying” goalie are interspersed at the entrances. I really liked them both!

And here is a photo of the HSBC Arena.

As soon as we arrived home, we brought a good deal of our “stuff” from the camper to the house. It hit me like a ton of bricks…..

What now? Goodness, I miss Buffalo, our camping experience, and the Buffalo Sabres!

 A day’s worth of photos.  Sorry if you don’t care for hockey, but the training camp was so exciting! There wasn’t a huge crowd so spectators were afforded terrific seating. We were so excited to watch our favorite team in training practice!

One of the toughest parts about this practice was that one needed to read the small(ish) numbers on the backside of helmets to identify players.  This was hard to do….some players, however, stand out either by stature or mannerisms.

At the end of practice, it was clear that Maxim Afinogenov is all about hockey. He lingered on long after all the other players were gone. It was fun watching him hit slapshots into the net.

Ben was thrilled that the ushers allowed him to search the seats for a puck….

We ate LaNova pizza and wings and were satisfied for the evening. Upon returning to our tiny home on  wheels, we were happy to see that we had some new neighbors.

When we pulled into the park this morning, the building where we normally sign in was abandoned.  No one was to be found. We stopped at a site where three women were camping and asked….they said they hadn’t seen anyone around at all. We continued driving until we came upon some men working with a small backhoe.

One of the guys there is in charge of the park, so he signed us in and took our payment.  The campground only has a few campers here and there….it is so quiet and nice! The only sounds are the many raspy tree frogs and the sound of trains running through every now and then in off in the distance.  Such a peaceful setting!