Travel, hiking, milestones and other reasons to wag your tail.
We frequently travel halfway around the world to see magnificent sights, yet it is remarkable how we sometimes take the treasures in our own backyard for granted. Banff, Alberta is one of those places where the breathtaking beauty leaves me awestruck- my jaw drops at the splendor each time I visit. Perhaps this is why…
In January 2025, Paul and I headed to New Zealand for one of our greatest adventures yet. We chose to take a big break from the toughest part of our Canadian winter and escape to the Southern Hemisphere. Our five-week trip included an eight-day Backroads multi-adventure trip on the North Island, a four-day hiking trip…
Colin Roy Freel: Burger king. Optimist. Dad. Grandpa. Born March 5, 1937, in Hamilton; died Aug. 18, 2024, in Toronto, of dementia; aged 87. If laughter truly is the best medicine, then the world lost a beloved healer with the death of Colin Freel. Colin was the only child of Elmer and Marjorie Freel, who met…
March 5, 1937 – August 18, 2024 If laughter truly is the best medicine, then the world just lost a beloved healer with the peaceful passing of Colin Roy Freel on August 18, 2024. Oh, how we will miss that hearty laugh that punctuated his sentences, echoed in our hallways and remains in our hearts.…
When our dear friends, Kathy and Don suggested that we meet them in California for a mid-winter cycling holiday, we immediately said, “Yes!” Saying “yes” has been our mission statement for almost everything since the pandemic. We decided to extend the trip and add some golf to both ends of the cycling week and voila,…
I am not sure why I felt trepidation as we waited to board our Taiwanese EVA Air flight for the longest flight of my life, half-way around the world, to Asia. It was midnight at Toronto Pearson Airport, and I was about to turn into a pumpkin, as we patiently waited amongst a sea of…
We love to explore the world with our kids and have done so since they were very young. The pandemic put a stop to our grand family adventures, however, in late 2022, with quarantines and lockdowns behind us, we checked our calendars and booked a cycling trip to beautiful Burgundy, France. Two of the kids…
Paul and I love the beautiful island of Nevis in the West Indies. We love everything about this island- the people, the food, the tennis, the golf and a special stray dog we befriended on our first visit, named Coco. We first met Coco on the golf course, where the drink-cart attendant told us her…
Friends and family looked at Paul and me with bewilderment when we told them that we had booked to go on a riverboat cruise. They asked, “Isn’t that something you do when you are old?” But this was no ORDINARY riverboat cruise. Our Newfoundland friends, Mark and Sandra, invited us to join them and a…
Paul and I celebrated our 30th wedding anniversary on August 8th, 2022, and to mark this tremendous milestone, we decided that an epic trip was in order. Our worldly adventures had been put on hold for over 30 months, due to the pandemic. It was finally time to see the world again and The Dolomites,…
I have been in my book club since 2002, when a good friend gathered a group of like-minded women to meet monthly and discuss books. Many of us had put our careers on hold to raise our families and support our ambitious and hard-working husbands, as their careers soared. We were living within blocks of…
Sunday January 16, 2022- 9.7 km We are back on the trail again, after a long period of time, with many excuses of why our Bruce Trail End-to-End quest was on hold. Oh, how the world has changed since May 2019 when we completed Hike #13 in Mono Cliffs Provincial Park! Back in May of…
I am delighted to announce that my book has been published. Here is a link to Amazon.ca, in case you would like to purchase a copy.
Dear Ross, It is hard to believe that you, the baby in our family, are just weeks away from graduating from university. Where did the time go? Every step along the journey with you, has been a joy. Your curiosity, love of learning, enthusiasm, kindness, sense of humour and intelligence have made us so proud…
The Family Walk The sun had just risen, high over the park,The dogs were restless and beginning to bark.Mom was racing around, getting ready to go,Our family goes walking in sun, cold or snow. Jack chooses to ride his new silver bike,He leads the parade of our three-hour hike.A blue scooter to go on, is…
Hawaii has always been on our travel bucket list, yet until now, has been pushed aside for more exotic, challenging or nearer destinations. Friends and family have travelled to Hawaii and come back with rave reviews. When we could not decide where to travel for our November 2019 trip, Hawaii appeared on our shortlist. All…
Our family has been travelling the world together since the kids were born. Lexi travelled with us to Banff, Alberta when she was four months old, beginning a tradition of summer family adventures. We know that our time as a party of five is fleeting, as in the near future, the dynamic will change when…
It all began with a chat around the lunch table, after golf one day in June. We were talking about hiking holidays and my friend Trish said that Newfoundland was on her travel bucket list. I mentioned that I had been to Newfoundland many times and would be thrilled to visit again. Remelyn, another friend…
I do my best to embrace Canada’s long winters. We own a lovely ski chalet in the Caledon Hills and participate in our ski club’s adult ski racing program. I take long, rigorous walks in the snow and I have a closet full of winter gear to keep me warm. That all said, there comes…
Saturday May 18th, 2019 – 11 km. Spring has been slow to shine in Southern Ontario this year. Wet and cool weather has been the norm and finally with the May 2-4 Weekend upon us with an optimistic forecast, we planned to spend the weekend outdoors. Ross joined us at the chalet this weekend, needing…