Friday Five - Moose Stew & Iceberg Beer

Friday Five - Moose Stew & Iceberg Beer


It’s been an amazing trip, with this past week seeing my husband fly home, while my girlfriend and I transitioned to the wilderness portion of our trip on Newfoundland versus the Toronto city sights we enjoyed last week.


Friday Five In Newfoundland 


1. Iceberg Beer lived up to the hype. My girlfriend and I heard about this beer while researching St. John’s Quidi Vidi area, and out of curiosity decided to walk over and try it. Well, it was really interesting and tasty, and not overrated whatsoever. Plus, where else could we try something so unique?!?







2.  I experienced Moose Stew. Our first evening dinner at the meal-inclusive cabins we are staying in featured Moose Stew. I was a bit hesitant initially, but quickly and pleasantly surprised by the moose meat’s mild and non-gamey taste, quite similar to hamburger meat. I did also appreciate that my first experience with moose meat was in a mixed stew rather than as a large moose steak. I think I would have mentally struggled with a steak!


3. We went to Canada’s eastern-most point, one of those little factoids that makes travel so fun. Specifically, we visited Cape Spear and the Cape Spear Lighthouse. Both were rugged, remote, and exquisitely beautiful in the way off-the-beaten-path places so often are.








4.  We kayaked in paradise. During our 8 mile / 13 kilometer paddle along spectacular Cape Broyle Bay, we saw Bald Eagle, Minke whale, sea stars, sea urchins and extraordinary sea caves. We were also fortunate to have sunny skies and calm winds for our paddle, which our kayak guides told us repeatedly was turning out to be their best kayaking weather day of the entire season. So, yeah us!






5. It looks like we can all get home. We are flying Air Canada on the return, and thus have been keeping an eye on the negotiations currently occurring between Air Canada and their flight attendants. So far, so good with regard to our upcoming flights home, but my fingers will remain crossed until it’s wheels up.



Friday Five - Vacation Edition!

  Friday Five - Vacation Edition!


I 'borrowed' this idea from a fellow blogger, so thank you Juhli over at Boomer Girls Guide!


I don't think I can swing more than this once a week update until I return, but I'm definitely 'gifting' my blog with travel photos today. 😄


1. Had an easy, holiday-lite drive to the airport on Labor Day Monday, a quick check in, a fast check thru security, and a wonderfully smooth flight into Toronto, Canada. Gosh, if it were always this pleasant, I'd fly a lot more often!


2.  Paid a small fortune for our hotel in the Old Town area of the city, because our days of saving money by skimping on lodging are pretty much behind us. We may not be flying first class quite yet, but we are definitely paying more for convenience these days!

The hotel's central city location is fabulous. We've walked everywhere, and thoroughly enjoyed it. 








3.  I am not a fan of the hotel's choice to play loud music in the AM in the dining room, however. Can I please just sip my coffee and read my Kindle in peace and quiet?!?


4.  We had a long, but fantastic tour of Niagara Falls yesterday. And you know what? It lived up to every single one of my expectations! It was fabulous and worth every effort to get there!




The falls roared  . . . 




We definitely got wet . . . 




And we are so happy we got to experience it!


5.  I declined to engage when an Australian gentleman I sat next to at our lunch at the Falls yesterday launched into a personal diatribe on pretty much every controversial political topic we are grappling with around the world. I pointedly gave him my shoulder and immediately engaged the woman on my other side, coincidentally as it turned out, on her and my upcoming hiking adventures in Newfoundland. 


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Next up, hiking and kayaking on Newfoundland, where, remember, if it's 5:00 somewhere, it's 5:30 in Newfoundland! 




Weekend Wrap Up - Music, Ocean, A Debate

Weekend Wrap Up - Music, Ocean, A Debate


It was a great weekend, and hopefully I am still friends with a neighboring gentleman after going head to head on an issue I'm more passionate about than I'd realized!


Friday - This was housecleaning morning, and in that I'm on the early schedule, with my wonderful cleaning team arriving at 7AM, my husband and I head down to the harbor as soon as they arrive. We sat in our car for the first hour, while we sipped coffee and read our iPhones. Once sufficiently awake, we enjoyed a lovely and cool five mile walk, which was particular appreciated after a series of warm days here where I ended up throwing in the towel and finally turning on our A/C. 



Normally my husband and I go to lunch after walking the harbor together on housecleaning day, however, I'd hit a new low weight threshold in the morning, and asked if he would mind eating at home instead, so I could eat a smaller meal in my almost-there efforts to reach my revised goal of 110. He was kind enough to agree - thank you honey!


So, so close!

This is the evening I grilled the London broil I'd been marinating. It turned out really terrific, and although I made homemade steak sauce to go along with, it really didn't need it. The marinade (recipe here) did a lovely job of permeating the meat.


Saturday - Worked outside in the adjacent HOA area (I have no landscaping around my own property - it's all hardscaping aside from two very small planters. This was deliberate on our part, as we wanted to achieve a lock-and-go situation for long travel periods). I actually enjoy trimming and weeding - I find it tremendously satisfying. 

I got good and sweaty, so I enjoyed my lunch and some reading outside in our yard, where a really nice breeze was blowing.

Afterward I showered and got cleaned up for a Happy Hour event we were attending with two neighboring couples. The Happy Hour restaurant was lovely in that we had a shaded outdoor patio table. We all six were having a wonderful time talking and laughing when, somehow, one of the husbands and I got into it over the most basic of basic gun regulation efforts. He immediately went to the stance of "You all just want to take our guns away!" I responded, "Dude! We just want to see the needle moved slightly - even 5% would help. Stop with the '5% will turn into 100%!' BS!"

Oh gosh, it got heated. But 1) he started the conversation about guns and gun control efforts, not me, 2) our current no-regulations situation is causing harm to innocent children, which is 1000% unacceptable to me, and 3) we did manage to hug and shake hands afterward. And now he knows - don't start it and I won't seek to finish it.


Sunday - Up early to drop one of cars at the harbor for a floating concert happening later in the day. We returned home to attend spiritual services, then walked back to the harbor on foot to enjoy the concert, along with a lunch I'd packed earlier and left in the car. The harbor was packed when we arrived, so it was definitely a good plan to head down earlier in order to reserve a parking spot. The concert was great fun, as was the mass of small watercraft that crowded in. Plus, bonus, we watched an Osprey scoop up a fish in its talons right in front of us. 



We drove home from the concert, and enjoyed the last of the London broil steak for dinner, along with rice and broccoli. I also made pesto with the last of the summer's basil, which I then froze for future use.

Good day, good weekend.


Today, Monday - Heading to the airport to meet my gal pal for our hiking and kayaking adventure in Newfoundland, Canada. 

See you back here in two weeks when I return - likely with some good adventuring stories!

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