Travelling Lumsdens

As September rolled along I followed, vicariously, fellow travel enthusiast Mike Hinchey as he blogged his way through Munich, Vienna and Prague. Can you say “jealous”? Mike’s travel organization and planning skills are second to none. He researches thoroughly, includes a wide variety of opportunities (food, attraction, accommodation, transport, etc) within his itineraries, and writes with a wonderful sense of humour. I get tons of tips and inspiration through his work!

Thus, I spent some time looking at several destination options for “The Lumsdens” to mull over for the upcoming Christmas and March Break dates. Necessities for us include “never before visited” sites and places that we can reach in a restricted time frame. A couple of hits keep popping up… Nashville and Belgium / Northern France. Not exactly committing, but it’s time to let the feasibility planning begin!

Beyond travel abroad, September was a prime month at the camp, with visits almost every weekend. Cooling temperatures and a marked absence of flying insects had us enjoying the campfire and comfy sleeping. Further to that, a late summer canoe purchase has opened new paddling opportunities in the chain of lakes that surround our cottage. Sweet way to share a manageable portage and quiet tour in our area.

Of note, we also squeezed a New Brunswick visit in. Enjoyed seeing the latest manifestation of the band Chicago. Fun night of eats, treats and music with MtA friends. Got a chance to see the new Avenir Centre… Great looking building in the heart of Moncton. Many thanks to Andrew and Lori for the invite, arranging the tix, and lodging! Cheers…

Wow… We were on the move this August! Highlights included a five day visit to the West Coast of Newfoundland, time at Smelt Lake, the Canso Regatta and an excursion to Main River, NB. It’s the first August I haven’t been tied to school duties in almost 15 years… And the sharing of morning coffees have been relaxing. It amounted to a great summer with family and friends.

We hadn’t been to Newfoundland since 2013, and this time it was a mix of business and pleasure. Janie was registered to attend a conference for Atlantic Teachers Unions… I was the hired chauffeur! We had an excellent week and I will do my best to do a web update in regards to our time there that you will find at NFLD ’18. Can’t help but fall in love with that island!

Camp time was also on the agenda. Much of this month’s work was based in an outdoor shower project I took on. Like all work at the camp, it takes some planning as it’s quite a commute to grab the item you’ve forgotten! Anyway, the shower turned out great and we’ve enjoyed the fruits of our labor during what was a very warm and humid month. Many thanks to our friends that made the trek to visit us there and tested the shower this summer. Gotta love a fun and useful project.

My sister Marie heads up the organization of the Canso Regatta, and we like to get down and show our support, catch up with friends and pitch in. Our kids now volunteer and we set up at Mom and Dads to enjoy this classic community festival. It always includes a midway, boat races, suppers, fireworks, dances… It’s been this way for decades and is comfortable and predictable. We enjoyed the visit and appreciate the community’s efforts.

And of course, no summer is complete without some music! In late August I made the journey to Main River to catch up with the MtA boys and to share some tunes with friends from home. As always… The hospitality is second to none. Our hosts made sure plates were full, drinks were topped up, and enabled the special treat of a day cruising the lapping waters of the Richibucto River. A great weekend for sure! One can’t help but be overwhelmed by the generosity and camaraderie extended… So grateful!

This July is shaping up to be a great one for reconnecting! For starters, early July saw us pull off another reunion with some special MtA friends and their families. With accommodation planning having happened early in the spring, this was more of a gather the essentials and arrive on time event. I’ve begun chronicling our get together, including some of the attractions & activities we took in and some well composed pics from the multiple photogs attending, using all manner of camera! You can follow this link for the details of NB 2018.

With Stanfest 2018 scheduled for the end of the month, we’re gearing up for the usual fun & festivities that coincide. This year Andrew & Lori are planning to visit and volunteer, which will be a first for them. It’s the best time of year to touch base with classmates, family and our extended Stanfest colleagues from around the province. Amidst all this, we will be afforded lots of days at the camp for cooler temperatures, hours of quiet and visits with friends! Yay, summer 🤓 !

One of my guilty pleasures is cranking out the calories while cooking at Smelt Lake. The heartier… the better! From spring and fall messes built on the wood stove to summer outdoor cooks over charcoal on the Weber grill or smoker, preparing food at the camp is both challenging and rewarding. This month’s blog consists of pretty pics and grub ups from cottage country. Over the years there have been some excellent meals, but epic fails! Cooking on the propane range can be tricky, as it gets hot quick, and the Enterprise in the middle of the kitchen can prove temperamental to control. However, a scoff at the camp is always worth the work you throw at it.

Without fail, my favorite meal time there continues to be breakfast. Weird… I’ll go without breakfast all week at home but Saturday morning at the camp has one priority… A big breakfast. It’s a perfect excuse to get the cast iron frying pans into action. This picture has all my favorites, with pan fried potatoes, perhaps sausage, whatever leftover veggies that are around (onions, peppers, asparagus), egg of choice topped with some cheese and hollandaise sauce. We load the French press with some Just Us! Rise Again blend and color with Irish Cream. This breakfast sometimes picks me up and throws me “right back” in the bunk for some CBC Weekend Mornings.

Dinner is often light… Sandwich / salad / veggies / chowder or something that doesn’t require big heat. Especially during the summer. Keeping the camp cool makes for a much more enjoyable evening (sorry no AC beyond the open windows)! Of course, refreshments abound. Recently, craft beers and cider have been quite popular, with the summertime favorite being good ol’ Gin & Tonic.

Suppers are big at the camp… Especially since I’ve relocated the Weber Smoker to Smelt Lake. Using strictly charcoal (and no solvents or fuel) the slow cook method with woods such as mesquite, apple, pecan and hickory is well suited to the relaxed cottage atmosphere. Favourites for smoking include side ribs, pork tenderloin, whole chicken and roasted veggies. Kicked with a little salad or caprese and you’ve got a crowd pleaser.

Evening usually brings some sort of snack. Of late, charcuterie has been a real hit. Easy to prepare and well received, a board of meats, cheese, fruits with crackers and jam/dip make the evening pretty posh. Oh, that should all be washed back with some red or a local cider. Great cap to a lovely day of camp cooking.

In short, I think that I visited the camp (with various forms of company) every weekend of May. It was purposeful, as there were several jobs that required undertaking. Whether installing the waterline, a few screws in the stove or a touch of paint, there is a hidden therapy in getting ones hands to work and preparing for the onset of summer. With the dog days of spring in full swing, the reprieve from the prattle of the “position” was a welcome breath of clean air!

This spring remained cool, with the buds on trees, black flies and lily pads all arriving late. Frost warnings were the norm all May. This did two things… Ravaged the woodpile and put pressure on my already punchy stove. A burner man I’m not, but early in May I tackled the wood stove in an effort to strengthen / tighten the many tired seems. Although at times not “purty”, I did manage to leave the heating system in a much more durable state with some pipe, gaskets and elbow grease.

It wasn’t all work however, as the evenings saw enjoying the bug free deck, walks to Cooeycoff Lake and excellent experimenting in the camp kitchen. The camp is now home to the Weber, so lots of fun divining meals from the smoker. There have been a couple of “knock your sox off” suppers that I’ve gotta say were pretty fancy fare! I’ve been collecting my food pics from there and think that June is going to feature words and pics on my take in regards to tips and tricks for the “Camp Chef”!

So lots of back and forth with family, friends and on my own in May. It means making sure the larder is well equipped and the camp systems are in good working order. I’ve even begun a “How to…” for making sure visitors are in the know in regards to power, water, engines and heating if I’m not in the space with them. All that may seem like work, but after some 45 years of visiting annually, the camp for me is still a place of excitement to arrive at and a downer to leave!

The ice has cleared and first overnight visits have happened at Smelt Lake (late March / early April). Both air and water are cold, the wood fire a necessity, but there is a sense of anticipation for the yet dormant leaves and grass that await longer, warmer days. It is time to “set-up”, and all rests in that earnest type of effort that somehow never seems like work. The lugging of supplies, clearing of windfalls, first attempts at starting dry engines and survey of the premises for the effects of time and season. Life at the camp begins.

This year found all in good stead, minus what has become a very “soft” wood stove. The hunt begins for a replacement for “Blanche”… Troy’s old Enterprise stove that has served us so well over the past 20 plus years.  An overhaul is in the works. I’m searching the web for a worthy suitor to fill her position! There are many parameters… but musts include efficiency, capacity to cook and a substitute more economic in regards to sheer size. I won’t jump at the first thing, but the status quo in regards to heating / cooking isn’t safely acceptable. I have projects in the waiting, but stove replacement will most likely result in a new floor and flu… that’ll blow this years budget to hell!

Regardless… we’re looking forward to another summer at Smelt Lake that affords time on the raft and kayaks, the carnivorous smells wafting from the Weber smoker, a book at the water’s edge and even the challenge of the odd carpentry and paint job! Our property has never been in better shape, but some work will be required to maintain that while we enjoy the “space” to the fullest. Mornings at the cottage, from the inklings of sunrise to enjoying the stoop with coffee in hand, are pre-requisite to good days!

So cheers to the “slouch” on the porch, the stroll through the woods along the Cooeycoff path and cool, reclined glasses of refreshment on the beach. And of course… to the many friends that manage to tuck some time away for a visit during the run of a year. From family, to friends, and of course the odd “musical” excursion, most years we have many that come and go and share in the relaxation. Looking forward to another summer of R&R in Guysborough County!

Headed south again this year… I think it’s our fourth adventure to a Caribbean destination. Winter trips to Cuba, the Dominican Republic and Mexico are about to be complemented with a week in Jamaica… Tropical island of reggae, beautiful beaches, red stripe and jerk chicken. It feels like a very good decision, after spending a very busy Winter Carnival week at work and Saturday morning scuffing the remnants of the latest Nova Scotia Nor’Easter off the driveway!

Although we spent a hunk of time online in January isolating accommodations, peeking at attractions and securing transportation, it feels as though we’re landing with a blank palette. If we want to swim, hike, zipline, or sit on the veranda… That’s what we’ll do. We’re confident we’ll be able to plan on the fly. Thus, not too much reserved/booked beyond the villa up front and hoping to glide on the prevailing wind to whichever odds and ends attract us. That suits me… We are all ready for a break!

If you’re up for it, and want to travel along, just follow the link (Jamaica ’18) or Jamaica ’18 in the left index. As always, I feel so incredibly fortunate to be able to pull off this kind of vacation and love to write about the things we’re able to experience. If you have a question or suggestion (lots of our friends have multiple Jamaica visits in their back pocket) please feel welcome to comment!

Snow days are down right dangerous, and not because of the weather. Sitting at home listening to the wind howl, the rumble of the snow plow on Cloverville Road, lots of internet and an itchy VISA, it can get expensive! Can you say “TRAVEL”. Yep… the search was on to pick a March Break “where-to” (as “when” is predetermined for us) and isolate some practical flight and accommodation information. Using our past experience is where we start. We’ve had great luck flying out of Moncton, we super enjoyed the VRBO rentals from 2016 & 2017, and aren’t huge “all-inclusive” fans, so those factors all played a role in the decision making process. Here is how it has played out to date.

At first we looked across the pond, and almost committed to my UK loop that’s been in the hopper for a bit. However, that didn’t quite get off the ground.  I’m going to end up saving that for a two person March Break tour down the road. Further, with planning kicking in during the month of January, we were having warm thoughts of someplace not requiring shovels or parkas. Not being the type to head back to the same destination twice, we opted for the “new to us” Caribbean island of Jamaica 🇯🇲. And hey… a place that conjures up the taste of good Appleton Rum and the off beat reggae rhythms of Bob Marley tunes can’t be so bad now can it? We all spent copious amounts of time online working to develop some background for decision making.

Quick checks of the all inclusive sites indicated that the deals found in Cuba, Mexico and DR were not so likely at this destination. Digging deeper into the pocket may very well be required this time around. Nevertheless, we trolled flights to see what was to be had in regards to direct flights to the island. We nabbed those from Moncton at what we deemed a reasonable fare, basically getting four flights for what three would have cost departing from Stanfield. Then to the VRBO / Homeaway / Flipkey sites in search of somewhere to stay that spoke to us. We’ve learned along the way, from our stays in Madrid, Puerto Morelos and Paris, that an accommodation can also be an attraction, so we pledged to look long and hard for digs that respond to our passions.

Over the span of a week we whittled our way through online reviews, images, descriptions, and several inquiries, only to rest upon a villa on the north shore of the island. Beach, veranda, beds, pool and a full kitchen no less. All the amenities. In the end, however, we were sold on the space after calling the owner. He was attentive, proud of his property, matter-of-fact, and all about making sure his client was happy with the purchase. It’s always a roll of the dice, but right now we feel very good about the rental. March will be here soon enough… And we will definitely report back on how our initial perceptions translate.

Most of our Christmas vacations over the past 10 years have had some element of travel involved. It’s gotten a little more difficult to include everyone, as the kids gain independence and have their own holiday agendas. We’ve adjusted by keeping the excursions a bit shorter and having a wide variety of activities. This year we decided to conduct our travel in Quebec and New Brunswick, and to enjoy the great outdoors as much as possible.

In essence, we were in search of some snow to play in! With that, we had a couple of activities on our wish list… Namely Snowshoeing, Skating and Fat Biking. We have skates and own snowshoes that we purchased last Christmas that were used sparingly… the bikes we’d need to rent.  Thus, the search was on to nail down locations for each (while tucking in space to learn a little and maybe try a new item from a menu). We think we nailed the fat biking at Mont Farlagne in Edmundston, New Brunswick, and wanted to snowshoe/skate in historic Old Quebec. Chase the link if you feel like following along; Quebec/NB ’17).