I’ve mixed feelings about this final trip email.  Relief that I’ve finally caught up; sadness that the trip is really over.  I get to relive everything writing about it and reading the comments folks send in as comments.  When we left Roanoke, it seemed as if the trip would last forever; and then all too soon, it was over.  And even though we have Skype and email and cell phones, there’s nothing that compares with actually being with people.  I want to live "down the street" from everyone, not half way across the country or half way around the world. I especially hate to be so far away that no one can call me and say, "I need you to do this for me."  Being away if someone might need me to be there is the hardest part of being so far away.   But, somewhat selfishly, I also miss our life in Cyprus with its smaller pace of life, amazingly beautiful desert scenery, ancient ruins and simple healthy food.  (Not that we haven’t eaten wonderful food here and I have a few additional pounds around my middle to prove it!) 

  We’ll be here in Roanoke about 3 more weeks.  It will take us that long to pack up books, boat supplies, and the odds and ends.  Luckily we each get to bring back a 50 pound suitcase and a carry on.  But I don’t want to think about that now so I’m not Scarlett. 

Ru

Lake Sharbot Hike and visit to Westport, Canada

  The weather cooperated so one day we went “off island” to hike one of the trails overlooking Lake Sharbot.  We were a bit late for peak leaf color, but it was a lovely day.

For women who had biked the world and trekked the Himalayas, this was just a walk in the park. 

Lovely scenery

The trail was easy, well marked and we had a really nice time.

After our hike we ate at one of the restaurants in town because Randal wanted to take Charmaine and Linda out for lunch and give them a break from cooking for us.  And it’s always fun to eat in local restaurants.

Then it was off on a drive to Westport to visit an art gallery Linda and Charmaine wanted to see and to find yet one more used book store which Randal and I always like to do.   Westport, a stop along the Rideau Canal is a lovely small town that really appears to cater to tourists.  There were shops selling high end clothes, decorative items for your home, items representative of a visit to Canada, but alas,  no used book store. 

“The Rideau Canal is one of 36 natural and cultural sites included on the World Heritage List. Those of us who live, work or play in the Westport and Rideau Lakes area know how unique the waterway is. Over 200 kilometers of lakes and rivers joined by manmade canals and locks make their way through a diverse Canadian terrain and unveils an authentic holiday get-away destination. The canal is North America’s oldest continuously operating waterway and was built between 1826 and 1832.”

http://www.westportrideaulakes.on.ca/

Rideau Canal

Westport is a “tourist town” but also a real community. 

I liked the contrast of the white steeple against the sky and the last of the colored leaves.

This photo doesn’t capture the intense red of the red leaves against the red brick.

Remember Lily Tomlin’s character Edith Ann?

http://www.lilytomlin.com/charns/edithann/home.htm

My college roommate Eileen, who after a long career with the Federal Government, retired and went to law school and now practices law in Virginia.  I need you to know that before I tell you that in college she used to entertain both of us with her perfect “Edith Ann” imitations.   As soon as I saw this huge oversized Adirondack chair, I knew what we had to do.  

Randal, Charmaine and Linda eye the huge Adirondak chair, but probably not for the same reasons I did.  Even though Randal knows Eileen, he’s never seen her Edith Ann imitation.

It wasn’t easy but Randal climbed up the front of the chair.  How to feel like a little kid again!

I used my Outward Bound problem solving skills, walked around and climbed in from the much lower side. 

THIS IS FOR YOU EILEEN!!!