July 8, 2008: Back at Rouses Point

Anchors aweigh! We’re back on the boat after the past two weeks in Montreal, Raleigh, and Orlando and Emerald Isle. We went home for me to catch up on work at Research Triangle Park, see friends, attend our church, attend the Kiwanis International convention, and love on our family at our reunion on the NC beach. We celebrated our country's birth at beautiful Emerald Isle, NC surrounded by family. It was a wonderful trip and it was wonderful to be home.

After our flight back to Montreal from Raleigh, we walked around the old Montreal city last night. We saw the home, chapel and hospital of the Sisters of Charity, the Gray Nuns which date back to 1694. We ate dinner at Gibbys, a steak house built in the old stable, a building with stone walls over two feed thick and huge wooden timbers supporting the ceiling. We heard an interesting musical group playing on the sidewalk – two musicians playing pipes in a native Indian sounding rhythm.

This morning we took the train from Montreal to Plattsburg. It was surprising to me all the vast acres of farmland along the side of the tracks. The corn was at a much earlier stage than that we saw in NC last week. There were also backyards full of swimming pools which was as surprise as well... maybe they are ice skating rinks in the winter.

Tomorrow we head to the country of the red maple leaf by boat