The Old and the Restless

Panamic Pork Fish Here are a few of Sandra's pictures. To see more, click on the link Sea of Cortez and then click on " Slideshow ". Paul has to get his photos developed. Then he has to figure out how to put them in his chapter of this Blog. Preparing to Dive Barber Fish Parrot Fish being cleaned The Crown of Thorns Sea Star. One of the "nasties" in the sea. It kills the coral. Although not widely spread here, it is becoming a problem on the Barrier Reef. The Nautilus Explorer. It has a welcome hot tub on the second deck. Unfortunately, a trip to the washroom beckons stronger after a dive than the hot tub.

As soon as he arrived at the cottage, Joshua tested every lever, knob and handle to see how it worked. Playing with mother just before being "abandoned". Mom and dad are ready to leave for Tami's wedding abandoning Joshua to his grandparents' tender mercies. Joshua ventures out of the stroller onto the leaves. Once on the ground, Joshua liked the texture of the fallen leaves. Finding out what was in every drawer in the cottage was an obsession. "Row, row, row your boat" was his favorite game. Sunrise on Sunday at 7:30 am. Sunrise on Sunday morning with a flock of cormorants in the bay.

Thanksgiving this year was at Megan and Michael's farm south of Owen Sound. Although Michael said that the fall colours were a little subdued this year, there were still a few bright reds. The weather was very warm (mid 20s C) and humid...quite unusual for this time of year. A view from the gravel ridge. It sems as if this ridge was a glacier deposit. A walk in the woods on the farm before Thanksgiving dinner. Margot and Megan toasting with sparkling grape juice. Notice the two little belly bumps! A Thanksgiving toast (non alcoholic for the moms to be). Enjoying duck, chicken and red cabbage with vintage Amarone wine for dinner in the farmhouse kitchen. (Actually, Joshua had his own baby food dinner without wine.)

After school, Grandpa played with Brandon on the trampoline for (an interminable) 15 minutes or so. Grandpa jumped much much higher than this; but Grandma could not take the high pictures with her digital camera! When Grandpa tried the "bum bounce" and couldn't get up easily, Brandon said "poor Grandpa!" (Just the encouragement a 65 year old needs from a 6 year old!) Before dinner, Hervé read the birthday cards made by Brandon (including one on which Brandon's entire class plus his teacher wished Hervé a Happy Birthday!). The birthday cards just kept coming! Bryn prepared an extravagant plate of hors d'oeuvres to start off the birthday meal. After Hervé's favorite meal of BBQ pork tenderloin (and lots and lots of frites), Bryn served the "Engadine nut cake" that Grandpa bought at the Gare bakery. There were many comments that a "cake" had to be higher than 2 cm and that Grandpa had really bought a nut "pie"; but it see...

The Fête des Vendages takes place on the last weekend in September. The week before (this year in 2007) all of the grapes were on the vine and then came the forecast of rain later in the week. Within 3 days, the grapes were picked. Friday night the Fête starts as a drinking festival (for adults). Buses run to bring people home until 4am. Saturday is the Cortege des enfants, in which the school children on Neuchâtel parade down the main street in costume being bombarded with confetti and throwing back confetti at the people lining the streets in return. Unfortunately, most of our pictures are of the adult entertainment (marching bands) - rather than of the children. This class dressed as primitives paddling a dug out canoe. The first of the marching bands. (Notice how little confetti is on the street.) Synchronized dancers ahead of one of the marching bands. Another marching band (note there is a little more confetti on the street). A cart pulled by tiny ponies. The confetti is star...

We arrived at the hotel Gletschergarten just before noon. The hotel was 108 years old and one of the oldest in Grindelwald. The view from our balcony window. The view from Daryl and Jane's large balcony. The first order of business was lunch at an outdoor terrasse cafe. Ths start of our first afternoon's walk to the Gletscherschlucht. Jane and Paul on the ascent to the Terassenweg half way up the slope above Grindelwald on the second morning. The view across the valley before the sun rose over the mountains. The "Evolution of Mankind" according to the oh so neat Swiss! Sandra and Jane along the Terrassenweg. Jane and Paul enjoying the Terrassenweg walk in the sun. The farmer "chased" the biggest "cow" on the mountain up to join the others using a big stick. Then, we noticed that the "cow" had no udder. He was "king of the mountain". Jane, Sandra and Paul on the afternoon walk to the Oberer Gletscher. Jane on the way back fro...