Cruising to Canada: Whale Cruise Excursion

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After Boston our next port was Saint John in New Brunswick, Canada.  We met our tour guide and bus just outside the terminal building for a 7+-hour whale watching tour.  We would not return to the ship until minutes before she sailed.

Our whale watching cruiser.

After traveling an hour by bus to St. Andrew, NB just north of the US border we boarded an excursion boat that was about 55 feet long.

As soon as everyone was on board we headed to open water in the Bay of Fundy.

The weather was cool but Charlie and I were both dressed in total waterproof clothing and boots with multiple sweaters underneath.  We traveled about an hour from the dock into open water in the Bay of Fundy where the folks who had worn shorts, t-shirt, and flip flops were hunkered down in the enclosed part of the ship after being soaked by spray coming over the bow.

Chevro’s flutes can just be seen in the middle of Charlie’s photo.

Charlie and I stayed on the open top deck where one of the marine biologists pointed out a mist in the distance that was actually a spout (or blow) from whales. The captain raced to get us closer so we could see more details of the whales frolicking in the water.  We saw a familiar (to our guides) humpback whale named Chevron with his longtime friend, Cork. They both were active, tail breaching and flipper slapping.

We sailed on a small boat from St. Andrew’s harbor into the Bay of Fundy for an opportunity to see whales. Success.

In addition to whales we saw lots of harbor porpoises frolicking in twosomes and seals sunning themselves on the rocks.  I don’t have many good photos because I just wanted to enjoy the experience. (I have fulfilled #59 of my previous 101 in 1001 list.)

Jo

Cruising to Canada: Boston

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We went to Baltimore for a cruise to Canada in the middle of September.

We had the largest hotel room we’ve ever had in a historic building in Baltimore.

Charlie and I arrived a day early so we could try a Stay-Park-Cruise hotel in the heart of the city about 15 minutes ride from the cruise port.

The hotel was convenient for us.

For one price we had overnight accommodations, happy hour snack food (chicken and waffles among other things) and drinks, breakfast buffet the next morning, valet parking for our car for the full extent of our cruise, and shuttle to and from the ship.  It was a smooth process with just one small hiccup upon our return.  I would do it again.

We were happy to be on board the Vision.

Once we boarded our Royal Caribbean ship “Visions of the Sea” we cruised down the Chesapeake Bay and up the eastern coast to Boston.

The Vision in Boston Harbor.

With no plans Charlie and I walked from the ship to South Boston for a coffee.  Unfortunately I took a tumble on some uneven paving and bunged up my knees, bruised my shoulder, and dislocated my finger.  We made our way across the street to Starbucks where I decided I did NOT need medical attention.

Back on the ship we had a sweet treat.

Walking back to the ship, however, was out of the question.  We contacted Lyft and within a few minutes a lovely young man drove us back to the ship for under $11.  I was glad to be back on board.

Our stateroom was small but comfortable.

So we didn’t really have a great Boston experience like we did on a previous visit but we were glad to have ventured out.

Jo

Travel Plans: 2026

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Sometimes when we travel it’s not to see things — it’s to do things.  I have had some of the items we’re planning in 2026 on my 101 things in 1001 day list for more than the most recent go-round.

I’ve done extensive research on just where to go dogsledding and Norway is the winner.

For a long time I have been wanting to go dog sledding (#19 on my 101 in 1001 days list).  With that in mind I checked out trips to Alaska, Maine, Canada, and Scandinavian countries.

Here we are at the Aurora Borealis in Iceland.

I finally decided that Norway would be the optimum spot for dog sledding so Charlie and I will be heading to Norway on a cruise in late winter.  Perhaps we’ll also see the Northern Lights again.

We enjoyed theatre in the West End.

The cruise disembarks in London, England, where we plan to spend an extra 3 days with the foremost purpose of seeing live theatre in the West End (#17 on my 101 in 1001 list). We haven’t been in England since 2018 except for stopovers at Heathrow on our way to other countries.

The Clermont Hotel

I have booked us at The Clermont in Charing Cross more or less in the heart of the theatre district.  I’ll be researching shows as we get closer to our stay.

A rocket at Goddard Air and Space Museum.

On our way to Chincoteague to see the pony penning we passed Wallops Island, part of NASA, (#3 on my 101 in 1001 list) which is an easy day trip from our house.  If we plan it right we will see a rocket launch. (We saw the final space shuttle launch in 2010 at Cape Canaveral.)

We may be sorry to visit in the heat of summer — hope not.

In August we might attend my high school class reunion near Pittsburgh.  While we’re up that way I’d like to visit Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater (#57 on my 101 in 1001 list).

This looks like something I would really like — just have to convince Charlie.

Those plans take us right up to autumn when we usually do something different for our wedding anniversary.  Not etched in stone yet but I’m leaning toward hang-gliding or parasailing (#22 on my 101 in 1001 list) on either the Outer Banks of North Carolina or Ocean City, Maryland.

“The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only one page.” – St. Augustine 

Now I need to get started on reservations and logistics.

Jo

September, 2025: Aims

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Charlie and I plan to be really busy in September.  We’ll continue with the large tasks we’ve started (staining the house) and with enjoying our Maryland seafood while the warm weather keeps the supply going.

I’m working on a better layout for the kitchen floor plan.

Then we’re going to start gutting the kitchen which will be totally redesigned.

We added a few new perennials in August some of which are already blooming.

My ambitious numbered list for September follows:

  1.  Cruise to Canada to watch whales.  (#59  on previous 101 in 1001 list and #68 on new 101 in 1001)

    The humpback whale is the most prevalent species in eastern Canada at that time of year.

  2.   Work on 2026 travel plans. (#19 on 101 in 1001 list)

    We’re already scheduled to cruise to Norway to go dogsledding.

  3.   Shampoo rugs. (#28 on 101 in 1001 list)

    The living room rug has had a lot of traffic since we moved in last March.

  4.   Research local slipcover makers.

    I would like to have this chair and its twin slipcovered.

  5.   Unpack 3 boxes.

    I still have boxes in the garage that need to be unpacked.

  6.   Take boxes out of pantry.

    We’ll be emptying and removing these pantries for the kitchen makeover.

  7.    No sugar or sweets for 7 days.

    I’ve been indulging in way too many sugary foods this summer.

  8.    Move DR chest of drawers to first floor bedroom.

    The oak dresser I bought in Greenwich Village (NYC) in 1977 is moving from the dining room to the downstairs bedroom.

  9.   Pick a word to focus on for the month. My word: POISE.
  10.  Write a goal list for October, 2025.

Jo

Staining the House: The Tricky Parts

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When we began staining the house in June I was hoping we’d finish the job before the end of the year.  I still hope so.

The front is finished except for a few touch-ups to thoroughly hide the previous color.

By the end of August we have stained the front of the formerly peach (apricot, salmon?) exterior walls of the house.

Charlie on the extension ladder.

The western wall is finished.

We began on the western facing wall — the part you can see from the street — which is finished.

The house color is Cabot’s Federal Blue and the shed is Spruce Blue.

Then we moved around to the north side — the garage and front entrance — 2 stories of fun.

I can climb an extension ladder but I can’t move it.

I stain the lower areas and Charlie works from an extension ladder and hits the highest parts of the walls.

The southwestern corner of the house is difficult to access.

We plan to start working on the tricky spaces.

I have a special technique for behind the air conditioners.

Lots of ins and outs.

Behind the air conditioners, on the bedroom decks and niches.

We may only be half finished but now we have some experience staining this wood siding.

Finally, we have to stain the tallest part of the house.  The front walls are actually the lowest.

Now the neighbors see an all blue house — they have admired it.

Thus far I am happy with the project.

Jo

 

August, 2025: Score

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August was a month of getting things done.  The hot weather decreased and the biting flies showed up.

Charlie catches them, steams them, and serves them up.

The crabs were running and so were the stinging sea nettles.

My photo of a sea nettle under the surface of the water. (The darker area is a shadow from my camera.)

In addition to the preplanned numbered list below I (we):

  • finally got Dash his new license at the city office.

    Dashie proudly wears his tags — I think he likes the jingle jangle.

  • worked on the foundation planting at the front of the house with new perennial plants.

    We added a few new perennials in August which I’m hoping will take hold in September.

  • hung new house numbers.

    I used 3-D posts and a modern font for the new numbers.

  • went to some free outdoor concerts including the U.S. Navy Sea Chanters — always good.

    The Sea Chanters — one of my favorite service music groups.

  • attended a Night Sky Tour at Blackwater Wildlife Refuge. (#13 on my 101 in 1001 list)
  •  replaced rotten wood under the front door.

    Rotten wood replaced.

I started working on the numbered list early in the month.  Mostly the chores were both fun and satisfying.  Staining the house was very satisfying however not so much fun.

  1.  Organize house papers.  Now if there is an issue everything is in one box. Such a bore but it’s done!
  2.  Get Canada cruise documents together.  I have a completed folder of everything we need to travel.  At the same time I purged the papers from Turkey and Greece.

    We’ll be traveling on Royal Caribbean’s Vision of the Seas.

  3. Transplant orchids.  I got busy at the beginning of the month and transplanted my large old orchids. (#100 of 101 in 1001 list)

    I kept only the best roots.

  4.  Work on a paint project.  We made a lot of progress on the house stain in August.

    Before

    After

  5. Picnic on the sandbar.  While I made it out to the sandbar in our kayak the only picnicking was done by birds — blue heron, egret, geese, gulls.

    Honestly, I love being on the water.

    I’ll need a better boat (with a sail or motor) if I want to actually stop for lunch.

  6.  Write handwritten notes to friends. I wrote letters on my personalized paper to connect and encourage and congratulate. (#4 of 101 in 1001 list)
  7.  Clean car headlights. The headlight clarity, while not perfect, is greatly improved.  (#88 of 101 in 1001 list)

    Before and after

  8.  Work on Christmas gifts.  I have some good ideas which I have listed in my Christmas document — I’ll start buying soon.
  9. Pick a word to focus on for the month. My word: SELF-DISCIPLINE.
  10.  Write a goal list for September, 2025.

Jo

Rotten

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While we were staining the house we discovered that the wood siding under the front door was mostly rotten.

The wood under the doorstep was dark and mushy.

My first inclination was to stain it and fix it later.

The stained area under the step needed to come out.

But when we finished staining most of the front of the house Charlie decided we should replace the wood.

We were happy to discover that the deck board next to the house had not been screwed nor nailed into place — it just popped out with the encouragement of a crow bar.

Charlie removed the old rotted wood.  I found some long pieces of replacement siding in the garage which I stained the house color.  Pre-staining meant I would only need to touch up under the door after the application.

The tongue-and-groove siding needed to be fitted one piece at a time.

Charlie cut 7.5-inch length pieces which he applied with a pneumatic tacker.

Dash seems to get satisfaction from supervising every project.

Dash was startled by the air compressor and needed a little comforting while Charlie continued to work.

The boards were lightly tacked into place since they would ultimately be held in with a piece of trim.

The short boards slid just behind the framing for the deck.

The final opening.

The final opening to fill ended up being 2 and a half boards wide.

With a little maneuvering the final piece fit.

Charlie ripped one of the pieces and held it together with two others.  Then he finessed the entire piece into the empty space.

Charlie admired his handiwork.

Just one last item: the piece of trim that goes under the doorstep.

The trim nailed easily into place.

Now we can continue staining the remaining walls.

We’re making progress!

Such a small area — such a big deal! DONE!

Jo

Transplanting Orchids

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When I realized I hadn’t done anything nice for my orchids since 2017 I decided to refresh them.

Orchids bloom for a long time.

They have bloomed and rebloomed since that time.

No apparent flower stems.

Since nothing was blooming recently I thought it a good chance to trim the roots, change the pots, and add new orchid potting chips.

I used Japanese garden shears to cut off all the brown roots.

I pulled out and cut off some rotten roots.  Some of plants had been planted in sphagnum moss — I cut that off too.

Lots of healthy, green roots.

I gave the roots a good drink of water and cleaned off as much of the old potting material as possible.

I moved each plant to a pot slightly larger than the original one.

With only new green roots remaining I replanted the roots into plastic orchid pots with lots of drainage holes.

Now I’m just waiting for a flower stem.

Then I topped off the pots with orchid wood chips.

Jo

Swimming Ponies

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Back in 2020 when Covid-19 was in full swing, Charlie and I visited Assateague Island in Maryland where, among other wonders, we saw the wild ponies.

Assateague Island ponies will swim to Chincoteague and be auctioned.

Each summer these ponies on the Virginia side are rounded up by the local firefighters/cowboys from the Chincoteague fire department.

The ponies swim across Chincoteague Bay (from the lighthouse side to the riprap side).

After being vetted the ponies swim across the channel from Virginia’s Assateague National Seashore to Chincoteague Island.

We enjoyed freshly made ice cream in freshly made cones on our trial run.

We arrived in Chincoteague the day before the 100th annual swim to get the lay of the land, find out where to park, and demystify the shuttle system.

Empty one day and crowded with thousands of people the next.

Overnight we stayed about 45 minutes away in Princess Anne so we could get a really early start and get a good viewing position near the channel where the horses swim.

We arrived before dawn to wait in the marsh for the pony swim.

In the dark we drove to the designated parking lot across from the firehouse where we boarded school buses to be taken to Veterans Memorial Park where the swim can be seen on a jumbotron.

We had been warned in advance to wear shoes we didn’t care about as they might not make through the marsh mud.

Charlie and I decided to walk down to Pony Swim Lane and stand in the marsh for 2 hours while waiting for slack tide when the ponies swim.

Cowboys (actually horse wranglers) were available on both sides of the bay to keep the wild ponies in check.

The fire department provides Saltwater Cowboys to round up the ponies and escort them across the bay.

We could just barely see the ponies before their swim.

Wild ponies after their swim from Assateague to Chincoteague.

The pony swim only takes about 4 minutes and only healthy ponies actually swim.  Very young foals are trailered from Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge (CNWR) located on the Virginia portion of Assateague Island.

Before parading to the Carnival Grounds the ponies rest in the marsh on Chincoteague.

Crowds both sides of the road watch the pony parade.

Late in the afternoon after the swim the ponies were corralled with plenty of feed.

Charlie and I walked down to see the ponies corralled and resting before the auction the next day.

The auction was crowded and intense.

After spending 2 days in the company of tens of thousands of people and intense heat we headed home having seen a really special Eastern Shore tradition — 100th Pony Penning on Chincoteague Island.

Jo

August, 2025: Aims

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We’ll be busy in August — driving to the western side of the bay for work, entertaining family, continuing house projects.

Dash uncomfortably positions himself between table legs then gives me the “side-eye”.

Dash will no doubt continue to be his cheeky self reminding us over and over that August is National Dog Month.

We haven’t used our deck yet this summer due to the heat and humidity and bugs — even in the cool(er) of the evening.

I’ve tried to keep my numbered list as cool as possible with projects and tasks that can be done inside in the AC. This is what I’m attempting to complete in August:

  1.  Organize house papers.
  2.  Get Canada cruise documents together.

    We’ll be traveling on Royal Caribbean’s Vision of the Seas which often passes by our house.

  3. Transplant orchids.

    I haven’t tended my orchids since 2017. They need a little help.

  4.  Work on a paint project.  The paint project which we began in June and hope to finish before the end of the year is staining the exterior walls of the house.

    Hoping to continue making progress.

  5. Picnic on the sandbar.

    The sandbar is not too far from our dock.

  6.  Write handwritten notes to friends.
  7.  Clean car headlights.

    My car headlights are decidedly foggy.

  8.  Work on Christmas gifts.

    Hoping to be prepared this year.

  9. Pick a word to focus on for the month. My word: SELF-DISCIPLINE.
  10.  Write a goal list for September, 2025.

Jo