May 5 - 7, 2015 - Vancouver, Concerts, Mountains and City Exploration

Greetings All,

We arrived in Vancouver around 5:30  on May 5 and Amy picked us up at the airport. Once the bags were dropped off and Jonathan had arrived home from work we headed out for supper at a local restaurant. We enjoyed a bunch of starters for our meal together with beer and wine then headed back to their place. Amy had been given tickets to the New Kids on The Block concert so she and I headed over to the arena which was just a stones throw away from their place to catch the show. The guys headed out to a bar/pub for drinks. Now I have not followed this group and I was very surprised to see that the lead singer was Donnie Walhberg, who stars as a detective on Blue Bloods a favourite show of ours. Who knew, and I even recognised a song or two. We did not stay for the whole of the show as they are now really the Old Kids on The Block. We met up with the boys at the pub and had a drink then headed for home.

As we only had two short days with the kids, we were all up relatively early to head to Mount Habrich and the Sea to Sky Gondola (www.seatoskygondola.com). The Gondola is a relatively new feature to the area and is 6300 feet in length and has a vertical rise of 2790 feet. It took us about 12 minutes from base camp which is 115 feet above sea level to reach the summit which is 2900 feet above sea level. The views at the summit are spectacular. The picture on the left was taken from the Summit Lodge viewing platform and is of Ledge Mountain furthest left, Sky Pilot Mountain and Stadium Glacier. There are a number of easy walking/hiking trails and we did two of them. There are also some very serious hiking trails for those who are fit, have the proper gear and are into rock climbing.

The shot on the right is of the four of us at The Chief View Platform taken for us by a young lady from Spain. We also meet a couple from Kingston, Ontario. Looking down on The Chief all you can see is moving coloured specks which were people hiking. The Chief  is a very popular rock climbing mountain. It is has a sheer granite face that sadly has claimed a few lives.

After completing the two easy trails, Spirit and Panorama we now headed back down. The picture on the left is Howe Sound, which was taken while coming down in the Gondola at about the halfway mark. We then headed into Squamish for a late lunch at the Howe Sound Brew Pub and then took the scenic route back to Vancouver. The kids took us through an area that has the most expensive homes in the Vancouver area. Multimillion dollar homes with views looking out to the Pacific.

Thursday was our last full day with the kids and we headed out to walk through Gas Town, then over to Canada Place and the cruise ship terminal then back to their flat. Amy and I stopped and looked in a number of boutique type shops and well as some tourist souvenir
shops. Jonathan made my day special as he cooperated when I asked him and Amy to pose for me behind the wooden hockey figures as seen on the right. What good sports they both were. We headed back to the apartment for some lunch before heading to Granville Island this time by car. Granville Island is one of my favourite places to visit with its boutique shops, fresh produce, butchers, cheese and baked goods. As Jonathan was doing an early mothers day dinner for me, we picked up two rather large lobsters for a lobster risotto.

Jonathan killed the lobster by inserting a sharp blade into its head so we did not hear any screaming when they were placed in the boiling water. I made Bruschetta as a starter while Jonathan made the lobster broth and risotto and Amy was on carrot duty. For dessert we purchased some fancy cakes while at Granville Island.

Our main course of lobster risotto was delicious and is pictured on the right. Our two short days have flown by. We have enjoyed every minute of our time with both sets of kids and we're sad but happy to be returning to the UK .

The last picture is of the view from the kids apartments at night.

The next day 8 May we headed off to the airport and had a non eventful flight home to the UK.

We hope you have enjoyed this segment of our travels .

Sandy & Fred

May 1- 5, 2015 - Wine Tasting and the Sad Farewell

Greetings All,

We were now sliding into our last few days with the kids and I found it hard to believe the time was coming to an end. Time has flown by. Friday found us back into a normal day with Paul except the schedule was very wonky. Zoo day had thrown him off schedule not that I was one to keep to a strict one where he was concerned. He and Grandpa shared an additional snack time and it was very serious business as you can see from the picture on the right. Both mouths full and it looked like Paul is getting ready to sign for more. Poor Mom and Dad will have some bad habits to break when we leave.

Saturday morning saw us up very early as the kids had to go into work before we did the weekly shop and we all went out together. The labs where they work are really amazing and we get a little insight into the work that they do. Christopher  purchased a wine tasting certificate at a local winery for Fred's birthday and we were off to enjoy Fred's treat while Paul had his swimming lesson. The drive out to the winery was about half an hour and we passed the Little Peoples home. There is a TV series in the UK and I believe in the States about a dwarf couple and their lives. I am totally disgusted as I think that these people have been taken advantage of although I have never watched the program. However, Meaghan sheds a new light on their situation, they have major medical costs because of their dwarfism something that I never thought of. The winery is located in the Tualatin Valley which is one of Oregon's most diverse agricultural regions. Willamette Valley and TualatinValley are an important part of the The Oregon Wine History. Our tasting was at the Helvetia Winery which was established in 1982. The winery specialises in Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Rose wines. Our host John Platt, a retired attorney, has gone to great lengths to ensure the small winery offers the best wine. He has visited French wineries to get insights and knowledge of their processes. They also purchase grapes to make other red wines. We had a great tour of the winery and as Fred used to make his own wines when we lived in Ajax, Ontario we had a good understanding of some of the processes. Our wine tasting was paired with smoked salmon and feedback was very welcome. We purchased a number of bottles red and white as we know Meaghan enjoys a good white wine. We enjoyed our visit to the winery and would recommend you visit the winery if you are ever in the region. Our host was most gracious and very informative.

Sunday was a family day around the house. We had decided to hang around the house and helped the kids with some yard work. I had hoped to do some gardening for them earlier in our stay but my sciatica and caring for Paul had taken up more time then I realised. Meaghan and I tackled the weeding of the front garden while Christopher worked in the back. Fred stayed inside while Paul napped. Once Paul was awake we all pitched in and completed the weeding of the front. We celebrated Mothers Day a week early with a barbecued boneless leg of lamb, potatoes and veggies.

The weather was awesome and Paul enjoyed playtime with his water table as seen on the left. We also enjoyed a Dairy Queen ice cream cake. Something we have not had since we left Canada.

Our last three days before we leave for Vancouver were routine with Paul.

 The picture on the right is of Paul doing it his

way before getting into the car as we headed to the airport. I had a very emotional farewell at the airport with tears from me and lots of Bye Byes from Paul.  The security check at Portland was awesome. We were not required to take off our shoes and iPads were left in our carry on bags. They just go through the scanner and we were done.

For the next part of our journey stay tuned as we visit Jonathan, our eldest son and his wife Amy in Vancouver.

Sandy & Fred













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April 30, 2015 - Zoo Day

Greetings All,

We had a normal day on Wednesday, grandparenting duties with Paul and he kept us on our toes till Mom and Dad arrived home from work. Then he wanted to have very little to do with us. It was all about Mom once she was home.

Thursday was a day where we have the whole day and evening with Paul. A day at the Zoo and mom and dad were having a date night.
Meaghan came back for us just after Paul's first snack and dropped us off at Portland zoo. The zoo was founded in 1888 making it the oldest North American zoo west of the Mississippi. It is known for its breeding program of the California Condor, which were nearing extinction, as well as Asian Elephants and African Lions. The picture in the upper corner is of Paul as we strolled around the zoo. The zoo is comprised of 5 sections and we started off in the Great Northwest. Some of the exhibits fences or boarders came right to Paul's eye level so I am not sure what he could or couldn't see at the beginning of our exploration. We took turns either lifting the stroller or taking him out of the stroller so that he could see the animals. The Great Northwest section is home to mountain goats, cougars, eagles, condors and black bears. The bears were not out when we visited as work was being done on their enclosure.

We stopped after exploring the Great Northwest and some of the Pacific Shores section so that Paul could have some food, drink and a change of diaper. It had warmed up so jackets also came off and sunscreen on for Paul.

There were a large number of school kids around and Paul was very busy watching them and what they were up to. We were on a slope at one point where the stroller went quite fast and Paul actually squeals "Wheee". A group of young girls joined in with him and we all had a good giggle together. You could just tell he was dying to get out and play with the kids. The picture on the right is of a Gazelle helping itself to lunch from a near by tree. In the wild it seems mother nature provides for all grazing animals. The Impala and other small deer like species graze from grass and foliage on the ground while the Gazelles and Giraffe's prefer their food from higher above ground. This ensures that there is enough food for all.

Walking around the zoo there were a number of statues and items for the kids to sit on and have their picture taken. We tried Paul on a few but he just did not like it at all. We were kind of surprised  as he loves his riding toys at home. It may be because they were higher off the ground or he was just not sure due to all the commotion that was going on around him.

Our last pavillon of the day was where they kept the polar bears, penguins and sea otters. We were very lucky as one of the bears was very active swimming in the water and zoomed by us a number of times. Paul was munching on a Mom Nom which is a rice cake  type biscuit and a young man smiled at Paul and remarked how his brother loved them when he was a baby. Paul offered to share his Mom Nom.

It was well past everyone's lunch so we headed into the cafe at the zoo. Paul once again proved he has a healthy appetite. The kids dinner  at the cafe consisted of milk, apple sauce, grilled cheese sandwich and a cookie. He ate all the apple sauce, more than 1/2 of the cheese sandwich, some milk and some cookie. We headed home and took the Tri Met which is the train system that runs in and around the  Portland area. We sat and chatted with an elderly gentleman on the train. As soon as the train pulled out of the station Paul fell asleep on Grandpa's lap and the gentleman told us about his kids and grandkids. As Fred called Christopher to let him know that we were on the train, my conversation turned to cell phones. I do not own one and I got a mini lecture about the importance of people our age having a phone so our kids can keep in touch or to use in an emergency.

I saw his point and Meaghan agreed with him but as I am with Fred 99% of the time I still don't see the need for one. Our little man was totally down for the count. Fred put him in the stroller on the train and he remained asleep, not even waking up when we placed him in his car seat. He continued to sleep all the way home and even when we put him into his bed. We sure tuckered him out.

Our day with Paul continued as Mom and Dad went out for a date night. We did supper, playtime, bath time and washed his hair. Meaghan had warned us that he does not like his hair being washed. I washed his hair the way I washed my kid's hair when they were little; laying him back to wet his hair and we did splash time. We sat him up, shampoo him and lay him  back down. We had a major splash time so I am not sure who was more wet Paul or us. He went down very easy and was asleep in no time at all.

We had a wonderful and full day with our Grandson and to be honest at the end of the day I am not sure who was more tired him or us.

More to come,

Sandy & Fred

April 28, 2015 - Ecola State Park and Pacific City

Greetings All,

Monday was a normal routine day for us with Paul other than he was now having 3 breakfasts. A right little Hobbit as he shared our food as well as having his own snack times and meals. It was probably a bad thing we have started with him that Mom and Dad will have to sort out once we have gone. I had been trying to give him his veggies for lunch that his mom had made, however, he has refused to eat them, but did have them for his afternoon snack. After discussing this with Meaghan, it turned out that his veggies are a snack food, he knows it so Grandma should have as well.

The kids had arranged to take Tuesday off so we could explore the Northwest Coast so we headed out right after breakfast. The last time we did this trip Paul, he was a month old and really hated the car seat. On this trip we played music with some of his car toys and he was a very happy chappy.  On our first stop we went into Ecola State Park. The park consists of several beaches, trails and forested areas. We had a spectacular view from the top that looked down onto the various beaches. Haystack Rock and the Needles was visible from many points in the Park and this was were most of the movie Goonies was filmed in 1985 and also the final scenes of the 1991 movie Breakpoint on Indian Beach. We took the trail down to Indian Beach after taking some photo's at the top. The ocean here was very rough. The photo on the right shows Tillamook Lighthouse and the waves breaking against the shore. The water was very cold as I had decided to test it.

In hindsight not a smart thing to do with a toddler around as now Paul wanted to get into the water. We took some more photos before heading back to the car to continue our exploration of the coast.

The coastal drive was very picturesque. We stopped along the way for photos, a snack and drink to tie us over until we reach our final destination Pacific City.

Cape Kiwanda was our next stop for lunch at the Pelican Brewing Co. The picture on the left is of the trail and the Kiwanda sand dune. There were a number of surfers out and the weather was somewhat warmer though the ocean breeze was still brisk. The beach is a popular place especially in the summer as the breeze off the ocean provides welcome relief from the heat of the city. Pelican Brewing Co is a microbrewery that was founded on the beach in 1996. The boys enjoyed an Imperial Pelican Ale first, then one of them had an Umbrella IPA and the other an Ankle Buster.

Paul certainly fitted in when it came to eating out. He flirted with the wait staff and customers alike and tucked in when his food arrived. The picture on the right is of him enjoying his lunch. After a very filling lunch we took a walk along the beach. It was a lovely soft sand.

Tummies full, legs stretched we headed back to Portland. We were going to stop at the Tillamook cheese factory on our way home to pick up cheeses for our supper but we missed out due to the lateness of the day.

We had another great day with the kids. Be sure to check out my Facebook wall for more pictures.

More to come so stay tuned.

Sandy & Fred

April 21-26, 2015 - A Schedule, Grandparenting and Portland Waterfront

Greetings All,

We continued with our grandparent duties for the balance of the week. It only took me two weeks to get into a schedule of sorts, bread making, early dinner preparation and laundry, around that of Paul's.  My sciatica started acting up so much so that walking had become painful, so Grandpa was taking Paul on his walks and to the park. Sadly, the weather took a turn and now it was rainy and cool. We were stuck inside entertaining Paul with his toys, books and craft stuff. Our skills as grandparents certainly were put to the test to keep up with Paul. On Thursday we failed. While prepping dinner in the kitchen I thought Fred was playing with Paul in the living room and Fred thought Paul was with me. It was very quiet and I asked Fred what they were doing. It turned out Paul had gone off to entertain himself in the bathroom. Toilet rolls are fun and entertaining as you can see from the picture on the left.

He gave us a lovely little innocent smile that you just can not be mad at, in fact we had a difficult time not laughing. Grandpa re-rolled the paper and put it out of his reach. The balance of our week was routine. Saturday's swim class was entertaining and not just the babies. There was a new mom and dad at the lesson with dad in the pool with the baby. Mom being concerned as to what was going on and not being in control, constantly ran around the pool to the areas dad was. There were a number of times she almost jumped into the pool when the little one was put under the water. Understandable for a parent and she commented to me she was very panicky as she caught me smiling at her.

Sunday afternoon all of us headed to the Portland waterfront.
The history of Portland began in 1843 on the Willamette River in what was called Oregon County. In 1845 the name Portland was chosen and the city was incorporated on February 8,1851. Portland was a major port in the Pacific Northwest for much of the 19th century until  the 1890's when a direct railway was built from Seattle and points east. The waterfront was busy with homeless people, walkers, cyclists and a small craft market with food carts. There were also a number river boats and a museum on the water. As well there is a war memorial as pictured below on the left. The Blue Star Memorial, a tribute to Armed forces that have defended the USA. While there a women commented to me that her grandfather worked on the building of the ship whose mast is part of the memorial. My comment was well that is something to be proud of in your heritage. As we walked away Fred said to me that would be some feat as the ship in question was built in the early 1800's and she looked much younger than us. We had a good chuckle and I think that as I was wearing a jacket with a Canadian Flag she must have thought we were some gullible Canucks. We enjoyed a stroll for about an hour and a half before heading back home.

More to come so stay tuned.

Sandy & Fred

April 19 - 20, 2015 - Japanese Garden & Cooper Mountain Nature Trail

Greetings All,

Sunday after Paul's nap we headed off to Portland Japanese Gardens. Designed in 1963 by Professor Takuma Tono, it encompasses 5.5 acres with five separate grade styles, and included an authentic Japanese Tea House, meandering streams, intimate walkways and a spectacular view of Mt Hood. Japanese gardens have an ancient history influenced by Shinto, Buddhist and Taoist philosophies. Three primary elements are used in every Japanese garden design, stone, the bones of the landscape, water, the life-giving force and plants, the tapestry of the four seasons. Other important elements include stone lanterns, water basins, arbors and bridges.

The picture above was taken outside the Pavilion that hosts exhibits and events. It was very busy

but there was a tranquility that transcends the gardens. Being spread out over 5.5 acres also helped as you do not see as many people as you explore the garden. The picture on the left is a flowering bush near the Flat Garden (hira niwa), designed using a sea of raked sand. There are two islands of plantings depicting a saké cup and a gourd-shaped bottle, signifying pleasure and a wish for the visitor's happiness. We spent a few hours exploring and taking pictures. The gardens were not stroller friendly so Paul was either carried or walked. We stopped after the garden's for a quick snack before heading down to a nearby playground so Paul could let off some steam.

The kids have a great advantage as working scientists, they do not have set working hours and while this does require some evening work at times they can take off and take advantage off good weather. Monday the weather was sunny and very warm a good day for a hike. After lunch we all headed out to Cooper Mountain Nature Trail a 10 minute drive away from home.
The park opened in 2009 and is located on the south side of a 774 ft mountain which is a former volcano in the Tualatin Vallery. The parks natural areas consists of groves of oak trees, wetlands, prairie, forest and ponds. There was a good trail through the park and its many areas. The picture on the right is of Christopher and Paul in his new hiking seat. This hike was a trial run and Paul loves being up high and able to look all around and see the world from a new perspective. We spent a good two hours on the various trails in the park before heading off for some ice-cream then back home.

The last picture is of a miniature iris taken in the park.

We have had a amazing couple of days with the kids exploring new sites.

Stay tuned more memory making times to come.


Sandy & Fred

April 13 - 18, 2015 - A Week of Grandparenting

Greetings all.

Our week of having Paul all to ourselves started early in the day. He was up around 6:30am and Mom and Dad did the first duties of the day while Fred and I come on the scene around 7:00. Mom and Dad headed off to work just before 8:00 am and we said our good byes at the window. I do not eat as soon as I get up so once the parents had left I was now ready to eat. Breakfast for me consists of a breakfast biscuit or cookie with tea which Paul shared with me. We then had play time, snack time and before we knew it it was his lunch time, a very early 10:30 am, but then again he has been up since 6:30. Shortly after his lunch he had a nap which could range from 40 minutes to 2 hours. Once nap time was over and a snack eaten we usually headed off somewhere for some fresh air. The picture on the upper right is of a dogwood tree we passed on our walks. The daycare Paul attends also teaches the kids sign language and Spanish. Paul was very good at signing "All Done" and "More". We visited the park and Paul loved the slide.

Meaghan and I (Sandy) had taken him to the park on the weekend  so he knew what to expect. Grandpa places him at the top and we are in stitches in no time at all. Each time at the bottom of the slide he turns around looks at Grandpa and signs "more" as seen in the picture on the right.
Each day with Paul brought new revelations and how smart the little guy is. He is strong willed and definitely knows what he wants or doesn't want. He also has a good range of foods he likes, from Indian curries, to veggies that kids usually do not like. The only thing he doesn't seem to like is fruit, unless it is pureed.

I had tried a few things with him, such as giving him 1/2 a grape and taking the other half to eat saying "Mmmmm". Eventually, he handed back the grape and said "Mmmmm" back but no dice on eating the grape.

April 14 is Grandpa's 64th birthday and we celebrated with a special double fudge chocolate cake and cream icing supplied by the kids as a treat. The cake is delicious but Paul does not seem to care for the chocolate part but loved the cream icing.

The balance of our week was spent entertaining Paul and Paul entertaining us. On one of our park visits we walked down a path and discovered a little hen house with chickens, roosters and turkeys in the back yard . We were amazed that in the city such small farming is allowed but it seems to be very prevalent around Aloha as we hear roosters crowing each morning at the kids place. Check out my Facebook wall for more pictures.

Saturday we are treated to dinner in Portland by Christopher and Meaghan at one of their favourite restaurant.They have made babysitting arrangements and we have a wonderful evening out.

Each day brought new revelations and I am for the first time in a very long time going to sleep early sleeping through the night and waking up early. Something to be said for having a schedule and a little one to keep you busy. Saturday had us back to the kids routine with shopping, a swim lesson and other duties they need to get done on their short weekend.

Bye for now,
Sandy & Fred

April 9 - 12, 2015 - Portland Bound, Family and Exploring Oregon

Greetings All,

On April 9 we were finally headed to Portland by way of Vancouver for our much awaited trip to visit our kids and grandson. For this trip we upgraded our status to option plus with Air Transat which came with a lot of little extras. A dedicated check-in desk, priority boarding, free drinks and snacks, a comfort pack for the flight and free head phones. Soon after takeoff we got a small bottle of champagne which we thought was our free drink, but no, every time they came around with the drink/snack trolley it was free. We found this out after trying to pay for our drinks. It turns out the upgrade was better than we realised. The picture in the upper left is somewhere over the Rockies. The flight was non eventful and arriving in Vancouver on time, only to find another surprise. Things had changed considerably, we were checking in for our Air Canada flight to Portland only to find out that we now had to pay a fee for each bag that we checked in. Last year we flew Air Canada London to Portland and did not see our bags in Vancouver. Well once over the shock and rip off we were finally on the final part of our journey to Portland. Christopher picked us up at Portland airport and once home headed to bed as it had been a long day.

April 10th we got reunited with Paul and present him with all the gifts we have brought him. He had had a rough night as he was teething again with lower molars. Christopher took the day off so he can show us Paul's routine while Meaghan went to work. Our little man had quite the routine which, was posted on the fridge. He has a man size  appettite and seems to be constantly eating but that was really only because I had forgotten what it was like to have a little 14 month old around. While Paul had not had much sleep he was full of beans and very happy.
Saturday we were up and out early to do the weekly grocery shop as the afternoon was Paul's swim lesson which both Fred and I attended. Paul was like a fish in the water. We were amazed

at the things they do with the babies in the water. Paul was one of the most advanced in the class and this was not just a proud Grandma speaking but was also noted by the class teacher. The picture on the right is him motoring himself along.


April 12th we were up early and headed out right after breakfast to explore the Columbia River Gorge. Our last visit was March 2014, the winter so we wanted to return hopefully stopping and

visiting more sites. The picture on the left is of Multnomah Falls. Last year when we were here the bridge was damaged so we could not walk across it and take pictures. It is now repaired and we ventured across it for some photo opportunities.
There were numerous waterfalls along the parkway and we stopped at a couple more for photos. At Horsetail Falls we came across an interesting fact. The viewing platform for the falls was built in 1984-1986 from recycled brick from the dismantled Rocky Butte Jail. We next headed off for lunch down into the valley to a Micro Brewery and Pub, Pfriem. As we were not driving, Fred enjoyed a flight of 6 of their beers. Wit, IPA, Saison, Ryepa, Pilsner, Belgian Strong Dark. They were a healthy size, 4 oz each. Fred found it hard to choose between IPA and the Belgian Strong as to which was the best. There was a park by the river which we took Paul to so that he could stretch his legs and

left off some steam before we headed back home via Mount Hood. The picture on the right is of Paul and Grandpa resting by the river. From here we now headed off to Hood Mountain. Almost all the seasons in one day. There was still plenty of snow and skiers on the mountain as you can see from the
picture on the left. Paul was not impressed with the cold wet white stuff.

We have had a long fulfilling day with the
kids and were looking forward to our first full week with our grandson all to ourselves
while the kids were at work. An added bonus for me was I got to cook for all of us, something I enjoy.

So long for now,
Sandy & Fred