New England Pt. 2

Hello again and following is the remainder of our recent trip to the New England area of the USA.

As previously mentioned the scenery in this area is beautiful as are the towns we visited. The photo below is taken in Woodstock, Vermont and shows the town centre.





The shop owners in the town of Woodstock take great pride in the appearance of their properities and there are baskets of brightly coloured floweres everywhere along the main street.

There is a variety of different house styles in this area and on a quick walk down a lane we came across stately homes such as the one in the phot below.

On the way to Woodstock we saw these stone monuments in the river which you will see in the photo below. We see similar monuments here in Canada from time to time and we understand that these are native memorials.

On this same trip we also found a brewery , see the photo below and as it was lunch time we decided to check the brewery out. We tried the sampler tray of 6 beers which were produced by the Long Trail Brewery. The flavours went from bluberry to wheat,bitter,dark, IPA and lager. As they did not sell any wine Bev became a beer drinker on this occassion.

On the final night of our trip we stayed at the Town and Country Inn in Shelburne, N.H. To see more of this pretty place please check out http://www.townandcountryinn.com/ and it will provide you with a better idea of this great place to stay.

We had dinner in the Inn restaurant on the evening we stayed and both the staff and food was excellent and enhanced by the magnifigant views as can be seen from the photos below.

Life is meant to be lived and we consider ourselves so fortunate to be meeting such nice folks both in the USA and Canada and having the opportunity to see so many beautiful places.

So come for a visit.

Well until our next update stay happy, safe and well.

Love Bev and Ross

New England Pt.1

Hello again, we have been on the road once again and we spent 7 days enjoying the wonderful hospitality of the American folks who reside in the New England area. New England also provides some of the most spectaular scenery in the US.

Over the first few days we explored Portland Maine, which is about a 5 hour drive from where were live. We have been to Portland previously but we had never had the opportunity to have good look around.

Portland as it names suggest is on the water and is known for the famous Maine lobster so it seemed fitting for Bev and Murphy to have a photo taken in front of one of the many trucks located on the docks area of the city. Around this area of the city there are number of restaurants most with a water view who all offer on their menues great lobster meals.

There are several food venders located along along the street near the water and below is photo of 'Perry's Sidewalk Cafe - almost famous since 1994'. Perry was a happy fellow and if you want to check out more about him go to www.facebook.com/perrys.sidewalkcafe.

Portland itself has a population of some 23,000 and is a very pretty town. Fortunately it is also very pet friendly so we were able to take Murphy on the city trolly tour which took us to many of the interesting areas of the city.

Towards the end of the tour we had the opportunity to look around many of the lighthouses which can be seen along the coastline. As you can see the sunny weather we had experienced in the town areas changed significantly by the time we travelled to the light house.

The next town we explored was Manchester, New Hampshire and we took the opportunity to travel to the Lake District. The 2 photos below show the beautity of this area. They were taken in the vicinity of Meredith, NH.

Our visit also coinicided with the world famous Laconia Motorcycle Week. Laconia is located in the centre of the Lakes District and if you want to know more about this event there are numerours websites giving information on this event. Suffice to say we saw more motorbikes during the few days we were in this area the we have all year and you can see an example of the hardware below. Clearly all the townships in the area were delighted to have this influx of the biking community and there were welcome banners everywhere.

We will post part 2 of the trip in the next few days.

Stay Safe.

Cheers Ross, Bev & Murphy

Road Trip 2010 - Savannah. GA. (Pt 3)

Welcome to the final leg of our recent road trip to the USA and Savannah was a wonderful place to stay and explore before we began our trip home. No doubt many of you would be aware of the book "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil" which has been made into a movie of the same name and provides a good insight into the lives and stories of the Southern folk as well as showing many of the lovely homes that are part of this amazing city. The house in the photo below is the house about which the film was made. To learn more about this great city with such a rich history you may wish to have a look at http://savannahvisit.com/meetings/savannah-info


We were most fortunate to be welcomed to this spectacular city by Regina and Jim Hess, friends we have not seen since 1997. The photo below is taken in their lounge room and the wedding photo above the fire place is of their son Justin to Lizabeth, daughter of Maureen and Dennis Reilly our great friends in Texas. Regina and Jim were magnificent hosts who provided stories and suggested walking tours so that we could really appreciate the history and culture of this area. Both are fiercely proud of their their city and rightly so.


On our last evening in Savannah we had dinner at their home and we were introduced to a local meal called "low country boil" which is a combination of seafood, spicy sausage, corn and potato in a very spicy broth, traditionally served on newspaper. The meal was delicious and we had the best evening just talking and laughing. We will certainly be going back to this area before we finally leave North America.




The city is developed on an 8 square pattern and is very easy to walk around with many parks and majestic trees which have spanish moss hanging from them. Every effort has been made to retain the original buildings and it is a real walk back in time to explore these grand buildings.

Our walking tours which we did over a 2 day period took us to historical areas where the cotton gins had been established and we were given an insight into the slave trade.

The opportunity provided by the first walking tour allowed us to get a real sense and perspective of the old buildings on which the city thrived. Below is the Capital building which has a gold plated dome.

There are various ways to see the city and the horse drawn carriage was a most popular way for many. Unfortunately every time Murphy saw a horse she felt compelled to bark so we became very skillful in averting her eyes every time we saw a horse heading our way.

There are many gracious homes in Savannah just like the one below.

As we are all aware there have been and continues to be brave and proud American military men and women who have given their lives in the Middle East and sadly the Hess/Freeman families lost their son, son in law and husband of Theresa the daughter of Regina and Jim. Matthew was a pilot in the US Marine Corps who was killed by a sniper in Afghanistan last year.

Theresa is a USAF Flight Surgeon and they had only been married a very short time before Matthew was deployed to Afghanistan. The weekend we were in Savannah would have been their church wedding in the Cathedral so it was a sad time for Regina and Jim as they spoke about what should have been a happy time. We felt very privileged to be with them at this time and it gave us a sense of the great loss they still feel and we know they will always have a hole in their hearts for what should have been.

There are many memorials to those who have and continue to serve for their country and below is a lovely Memorial Park close to where Regina and Jim live which provides the opportunity to buy a brick and place the name of members of the US military be they currently serving, past serving or lost their lives in the service of their country. Jim and Regina have placed a brick in memory of Matthew which is next to that of Theresa and that of Jim who served in Desert Storm.

As Matthew was a local lad and his family still lives in this area, a road has been named after him. Matthew will never be forgotten and will always remain in the hearts of those who new and loved him.

Our trip to Savannah was an amazing adventure. We really enjoyed the opportunity to learn about this area. It was also very sobering to see the pain and sorrow that the tragic loss of Matthew has brought and while we may take some comfort in knowing that he now rests in peace the lost potential of this life is difficult to reconcile.

In a couple of weeks we will be travelling to the New England area of the USA, so until our next update stay safe, happy and well.

Love Bev, Ross and Murphy

Road Trip 2010- Amish country to Leesville (Pt 2)

Hi again, just back again from Halifax, NS, sadly without Toni whose flight was to cancelled due to the ash from the volcano in Iceland.
So back to out travels. After one and a half days in Gettysburg we travelled to Lancaster PA, which is 60 miles (100 km) east of Gettysburg (on the way to Philadelphia) and the centre of the Pennsylvania Amish people. It was a real walk back in time to see the Amish men working in their fields using exclusively horse drawn equipment. While in this location we enjoyed lunch at the Cafe below. We had a traditional Amish meal which which can best be described as a delicious chicken, vegetable pie. The waitress was a happy, joyful young woman aged 24 years with a 6 six year old son. Next semester she is going back to school and will be doing her nursing degree.


From Gettysburg we travelled to Richmond, VA which was the HQ for the Confederate Forces during the civil war. The area was also the cradle of European settlement in North America (dating back to 1607) and is also the area made famous by Captain John Smith and the many folklore stories regarding Smith and Pocahontas. You will see in the two photos below the James River which flows through the city and a detailed map of the river system and its significance to this areas during the civil war period.

Out over the river there is a walking bridge providing civil war timelines. Set at intervals along the bridge there are quotes from the citizens of Virginia who expressed their emotional thoughts during this tragic time in American history. The quote below reads 'better lay the whole city in ashes than give the enemy....one drop of aid and comfort' , the author was Kate Mason Rowland, Confederate Nurse. A chilling reminder of the venom and hatred that was evident during the civil war.

Richmond is a very pretty city as can been seen from the two pictures below showing the real contrast between the old and new architectural styles.

From Richmond we travelled to Myrtle Beach, SC where we spent 3 days looking around. Myrtle Beach in some areas is looking very tired and needs a new face lift. It reminded us of how the Gold Coast (about an hours drive south of Brisbane) was in its early days before big money moved into the area. The area is now attracting large resort type accommodation which in time will change the landscape of this area. Below is a typical summer Sunday in this area and the boats where settling in for a concert hosted by the local pub. The boaties reminded us of a summer day in OZ.

From Myrtle Beach we travelled to Leesville SC, where we stayed at a striking B&B called The Able House Inn. To enjoy a better look, see http://www.ablehouseinn.com/index.htm

Annabel and Jack Wright own and run this B&B and are the parents of Scott Wright who our military friends will know was an Officer in the US Army had a posting to Canberra in the early 2000s and has just returned from living in Australia for 3 years. Annabel and Jack were the most delightful hosts and made our stay so very pleasant.

Once again we wnjoyed meeting great people and eating good food. Across the road from the B&B was Angelo's Greek & Italian Cuisine Restaurant where we enjoyed over the 2 nights of our stay in this area great food and we met very friendly people. Elaine and Leah, our servers were happy folks and made us feel right at home as did the head chief and the owner's father. For a look at their menu have a look at the website http://angelosofsc.com/

Over the couple of days we stayed in this area we took a drive to Augusta and to Aiken which were about an hours drive from Leesville. Augusta is the city known as the site of the Masters Golf Tournament. The course cannot be seen from the outside and has very strict admission to the course.

Aiken on the other hand is a pretty little place with tree lined streets which allow for many outside eating places. We enjoyed a Cuban lunch whilst there and learnt that the town has a history as a spa town.

Until the next post please stay safe and well.

Love Bev, Ross and Murphy

Road Trip 2010- Portland to Gettysburg (Pt1)

Hello again and over the period 23 April to 12 May we enjoyed great holiday in the USA.

Our first overnight stay was at Portland, Maine, USA which is a 5 hour drive from where we live in Canada. While we did not venture far from our motel that night we did enjoy the lovely tulips which were everywhere to be seen in this area. The next day we were on our way to Scranton, Pennsylvania and on the way enjoyed many beautiful sights such as this rippling stream. Scranton has a number of lovely homes as you will see below and over the road from this dwelling we enjoyed a great meal with lovely people at Anna Maria's Restaurant. We were made to feel so welcome by Lee and Jackie and enjoyed spicy calamari, orange ruffy, veal marsala, salad, pasta & freshly baked bread.

From Scranton we travelled to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, the sight of some of the bloodiest fighting during the American Civil war. We stayed at the Battlefield B&B which is situated on Southern Calvary Field, on the Southern end of the battlefield. This B&B is a fantastic place to stay and Florence and her staff were outstanding. Each morning of our stay commenced with a history lesson which gave us a greater understanding of the civil war period. We were entertained by a Musicologist who introduced us to the music of the civil war and history behind the tunes. Another day we heard from Mr Horace Greeley ( in period costume) editor of the New York Tribune before, during and after the civil war who gave a excellent monologue of his life and thoughts during the civil war and finally a history of the house which is now the B&B. To see more of what the B&B is like please have a look at http://www.gettysburgbattlefield.com/

Gettysburg is a very pretty place as well as an education centre, below is a photo of one of the great buildings located at the Gettysburg College. We found a nice French Cafe in town which served NZ Lamb and the waiter named Donnie, a final year student at the University in town who had been on exchange for one semester at Wagga Wagga, NSW. We left some of our Ozzie wine for him.


The battlefield tour of Gettysburg is an emotional journey which leaves one with an overwhelming sadness at the massive loss of life during the fierce 3 day battle that occurred here in July 1863. So many young men lost their lives here, some of whom did not even really appreciate what they were fighting for.

The area is very well preserved and so peaceful now that the guns are now silent. Thoughout the battlefield cannons remain in position, pointing in the same direction as they did in the battles. There are many monuments located around the battlefield and below is an example of the many that are now there to remember the fallen and to educate those who come to visit.

The photo below shows the attack line of the centre of Pickett's Charge where 12,000 men on a frontage of 1 mile advanced across the open ground with very few of them making it to the stone wall in the foreground before being repulsed with a resulting 50% casualties. Such a tragedy.


We have more to follow on the road trip which we will post in a week or so as on Monday we are off to Halifax, NS to meet Ross's sister Toni, who is flying in from London and will be staying with us until the end of May. We are so looking forward to seeing her.

So all the best and stay happy, safe and well.

Love Bev, Ross and Murphy

Easter & Beyond

This is actually the end of this blog but seeing as it is happening now I have just included the 2 photos below. As we were about to publish this update and head into town for a bit of shopping, it started to snow out of nowhere, today is forecast to be 11C and we were planning to work in the yard after coming home. If you click on the shots and enlarge them it is far more obvious - I will never again make a comment about Melbourne's changeable weather.

Hello again and we know that Easter has come and gone but we just wanted to let you all know that we were thinking of you over this period.

We started our Easter by attending the French Catholic Church in Fredericton which you can see below.

New Brunswick is the only Province in Canada which is legislated as a bilinguil Province and this church forms part of a large French School in Fredericton. We found the Church serene and very peaceful as we thought of our many much loved family and friends.

Later that day Debbie and George our lovely friends joined us for an Eater Friday supper which included sushi, crab cakes, lobster tails, salad and for dessert fresh fruit skewers with a passionfruit sauce. We had a lovely day as we hope you did also.

Easter Sunday provided a bright sunny day so we went to Ormocto a town about a 20 minute drive from where we live and sat and enjoyed a picnic lunch and the lovely weather and the pleasant surroundings. Murphy had a great day as she got to explore the surroundings and gave the accasional energentic bark as a another dog came unto her sight. She slept very well that night.

The picnic areas are all in good condition and are well used by the locals as soon as the sunny weather starts to appear.

Next Wednesday Ross sits for his final exam for this semester and on 23 April we are off to the USA for a holiday. We are travelling through New England to Gettysberg VA, then down to Myrtle Beach SC, then to Savanah GA, Memphis and Nashville TN, then make our way home on an as yet undetermined route but will try and catch up with Scott Wright in Wisconsin on the way.

Toni, Ross's sister will becoming for a visit about mid May and we are so looking forward to seeing her.

In preparation for our trip Murphy went to Rachael her groomer so she is ready for the trip. The photo below is taken on the back deck and Murphy has just returned home with her short back and sides.

We will have lots to show and tell after our US trip so until our next update stay happy, safe and well.

Love Bev, Ross and Murphy

Spring is here - almost

With time just flying by this semester (only 4 weeks to final exams) we have not had much of a chance to travel but recently took the time to drive west of here to Grand Bay and it really brought home how quickly spring (begins 20 March here) was approaching with ice and snow melting accompanied by beautiful weather. Apparently it has been one of the warmest winters on record for Canada.


It is also the time to open up the house and use areas we don't normally use in winter. The shot below is the fantastic sunroom at the back of the house and as you can see we are using it already as an eating and relaxing area.

You have seen this area below a number of times during the seasons and this shot was taken on Sunday the 21st. The idea was to show how little snow was left and that the time to plant the veggie garden is almost here.

Mother nature here hates being taken for granted and just to make the point she decided that more snow was required so the two shots below show what happened during the next 24 hours.

Since then it has rained continually but it is easing and a sunny day is forecast for Friday. It is obviously not only Melbourne that can have many changes of weather in a short period.

With the long summer break coming up we are off at the end of April to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina for a few days then to Savannah, Memphis, Nashville, Gettysburg and the Great Lakes, eventually making our way back to Fredericton via Ottawa, Montreal and Quebec City. All up we think we will be away for nearly 4 weeks and cover around 5000 miles.

We also intend to have a week in New York during the break and will get there by driving to Boston and then taking the train to Manhattan.

Until our next update please stay safe and well.

Love Bev, Ross and Murphy