Canada: days 15 & 16

Welcome to days 15 & 16 of the Chant family's adventure!

I'll be honest and tell you that yesterday I spent most of my time editing.

I got 5000 words done and  I just introduced Leofric, Daegmund and Anlaf back in to the story. I have to say that Daegmund is my favourite character to write, he's just so inappropriate! He has a lot more page time in this book which is good, there's so much going wrong but he really lightens the mood. You gotta love a bit of Gradock arrogance!

The I spent the afternoon introducing my friend Kit to the world of Thor... Now that was a few well spent hours! I know what you're thinking: how had this chick managed to be my friend and yet not have watched Thor??? Well the truth is she didn't fess up to the crime until yesterday!

The good news is that she has been totally assimilated and so we can still be friends. :-P

We started the film and she was like: blondes don't really do it for me. I told her that until Thor I had been an aficionado of the dark side too, but Thor was in a class a of his own.

By the end of the film she was singing a different tune! Tonight it's The Avengers and the day after Thor 2. At some point we'll have to watch Iron man 2&3 because she hasn't seen those either.

I know!!! Shocking, right???

Today we went to see more waterfalls, there is SO MUCH water in Canada!!! Waterfalls, rivers and lots and lots of rain! It's home away from home, know what I'm saying?

Canada: Days 13 and 14.

So yesterday we went whale watching on a 65 foot boat. We were really excited and even the fact that rain had begun to fall lightly didn't alarm us.

We all boarded and quietly chugged our way out in to open sea... that's when things started to go a bit pear shaped.

Now I personally love it when the sea is on the rough side, I like the rolling of the boat and spray going everywhere. Despite the fact that I get HORRIBLY car sick, it's very rare that I feel sea sick. Unfortunately I'm in the minority; it seems that quite a few of the Chants had left their sea legs at home.

And we weren't the only ones, the poor lady sitting in front of me spent the whole THREE HOUR trip alternately throwing up and huddling in a corner with her eyes closed.

As for the whales... well we saw quite a few spouts, but they weren't feeling very gymnastic. We also saw some sleeping sea otters (which might just be the cutest thing I've ever seen!), some sea lions, eagles nests and wild cows...

Yes, you read that right: wild cows. The tour guides seem pretty excited about it, but they just looked like regular cows to me.

We were sooooo hungry by the time we docked again and decided that some fish and chips would hit the spot nicely. ;-P

Today we were less adventures and when to see some waterfalls. They were VERY pretty and worth the effort involved even though we had to walk down (and up!) about a million steps! Now we're home and curled up in front of a roaring log fire. I think I'd probably better do some editing...

DeeDee

Canada: 11 and 12.

Days 11 and 12!

Yesterday we went horse (back) riding and so today we had a *rest* day due to... Um... Newly discovered muscles. ;-P

It was a three hour ride through the countryside, lots of trees and (rather scarily!) distant gunshots!!!

Before they let us out into the wide unknown, we had a half hour refresher course. My cousin Bobby was voted best horseman and so was given the psycho horse. My uncle Tim got the grumpy horse, it bit him... Several times. And my friend Kit was given the oldest horse, it was the first time she'd been riding and the consensus of opinion was that she looked like a wet tea bag on a trampoline!

The next day we went to see a steam powered mill, it was a little bit creepy because it was completely deserted. There were lights on and everything looked as though it had been in use just a few seconds before.

It felt like the wood yard version of the Mary Celeste!!!

Tomorrow we're going whale watching.

DeeDee 

Day Ten!

Today we went to see some 800 year old trees in a forest called Cathedral Grove.

It was a really beautiful forest, there were ferns everywhere and moss grew thickly on the trees. The sun shone and in the dappled light it seem like a fae, enchanted world. I half expected to see a unicorn and a few fairies!
It felt like I was on the set of lord of the rings. I kept thinking I should have been wearing a floaty white dress and maybe a wreath of flowers in my hair. My friend Kit said that I'd look more like a druid than an elf!















The only thing that could have made the experience even better would have been a Costa Coffee, but I guess that's nit picking!
We took TONS of photos, I'm pretty sure they'll come in handy for The Vow's book trailer, we might even use them for a back drop for a MV.
Tomorrow we go horse riding, or as they like to call it here: horse *back* riding!!! ;-P

DeeDee.  ;-D

Day Nine!

We arrived pretty late a the house yesterday, tired, hungry and totally fed up with luging our suitcases all over Canada. The log cabin is lovely! It looks like something out of a film. 

First off we had to decide who got which room... My nails came in handy at this point. Then we had to go the the local shop to pick up some *groceries* (which inspired a lively conversation about what people were buying at these shops that is so gross.) 

Anyway...

Me, Kit and Dad were sent out to scavenge and bring back food for the tribe. That little shop had EVERYTHING!!!

We even found Heniz baked beans!

But... It didn't sell maple syrup!

My uncle Tim said the owner should have his Canadian citizenship revoked. ;-P

So that night I made pancakes and corn syrup, uncle Tim still hasn't got over it. Today we went to Walmart: it was huge and three trolley fulls later we headed for home, tired but triumphant.

If we have to go back, there will be trouble!

Night is here and DeeDee's shattered, the cold has been going around the family for weeks now but i'm still holding strong and refusing to succumb to the germs. By that I mean i've been eating donuts!

DeeDee

Day Eight!

Day eight and we took the ferry from Vancouver the mainland to Vancouver the island. Uncharacteristically we were early so we were stuck in a queue waiting for an hour and a half...

Have I ever told you how much my dad hates queuing in traffic???

No? Well he really, really, REALLY hates it!

When we were aboard the irritation was quickly soothed away, largely due to a huge cup of coffee and a wild salmon burger. ;-)

Unfortunately our trials weren't over: as we were all told to return to our cars as docking was imminent someone, who shall remain nameless (Mum) decided they needed to visit the loo.

Dad stayed behind to wait for her and gave me, my sister and my friend Kit the keys so that we could get in the car. So off we trotted...

Trouble was we couldn't FIND the car, we had all believed it to be parked on floor 2, but one frenzied inspection later and no car had been found.

Never mind, we said, we'd just search the next level.

Then all the cars started up.

Panic set in as I pictured my dad standing beside our car: keyless, frustrated and annoyed, with an irate queue of drivers waiting to disembark behind him.

I'm not going to lie: I completely lost it.

I pride myself on being a calm person, when things are going wrong I can be relied on to keep my head. Until today I couldn't even remember my last meltdown! However as the gates of the ferry opened and the cars started to give it a bit of throttle I did my best impression of a headless chicken. My sister, who said she couldn't remember seeing me so worked up ever before, spent most of the time laughing at me.

Then, as if by magic, another deck appeared. It was like stumbling across Brigadoon!!!  At the far end a man walked up and down beside his car. I could have cried I was so relieved and I'm pretty sure my dad felt the same.

I've never been more thankful that he has a sense of humour: not even one angry word passed his lips.

And so on with our adventure!

DeeDee

Days 5, 6, & 7 Of The Chant Family's Canadian Adventure!

Hello everyone! And welcome to day 8 of the Chant family's Canadian adventure! We've just arrived at our hotel where we'll spend one night before taking the ferry across to Vancouver Island.

Days 5,6 and 7 were spent on board the sleeper train between Toronto and Vancouver. (No interwebnet, so no blog posts!!!) 

It was soooooo much fun! The rooms were really tiny and so me and Kit had to choreograph any activities, like visiting the WC for instance!

I had the top bunk for the first time since I was about 8 years old. I have a bit of a fear about top bunks, I always worry that the bed will collapse and I'll end up crushing the person bellow me.

We saw some truly stunning scenery, the Rocky Mountains were all (and more!) I had hoped. The service was lovely, the attendants very helpful and the food was great!

A little too great...

I think I may have gained a couple of pounds!

I think the waiters thought I needed feeding, because I got dessert whether I'd asked for it or not!

I've just been informed that there is a mall attached to our hotel, I think I'd better go and check it out! ;-P

DeeDee  :-D  xxx