A House on the lake in Sault Sainte Marie

My cousin had me paint her in-laws house in Sault Sainte Marie so that she could give it to them for Christmas before they moved back to Essex County. I don't have a good picture of it.. this is the best I've got. This is the first painting I've ever done for people I don't know AND the first one I've ever been paid for!

Christmas Break #5 - A Bay of Glass

This water froze so quickly and without any snow. It was really thick but extremely clear and smooth. It was very easily the best ice I have ever seen. We wished we had had our skates.

It was so clear you could see right to the bottom, no problem. The water here is probably at least waist deep but it doesn't look it because of how perfect the ice is!

 This wall of tombstones was built in an old cemetery on Mohawk territory on the river.

And that is all for the wanderings we had during the break!

Christmas Break #4 - Ducks and Waves and Narnia

On the way to Kingston and Kingston:

We stopped at a couple of historical spots (as always!) and then wandered around Kingston on the river. It was really really cold but also very beautiful.

At a spot where a woman loyalist settled and built up a town off of the St. Lawrence River:

This was another historical spot to do with loyalists:

ducks!

 In Kingston:

"On this spot, more than 1500 Irish fleeing THE GREAT HUNGER along with compassionate citizens of many faiths who cared for them died of typhus in the fever sheds of Kingston. 1847-1848. WE HOLD THEIR MEMORY SACRED."
This sounds awful.

I like the clouds in this photo and that the white, red-roofed forts are visible along the shoreline.

We raced out down these rocks, jumping from one to the next. The lampposts remind me of Narnia.

SO many birds!

Christmas Break #3 - Hunting History and Love in the Grasses

Adventuring through Parrot Bay Conservation Area!
... we did a lot of adventuring :)

We accidentally stumbled upon a Geocache! In an awesome old ammunition box:

It was filled with film containers with laminated blank pieces of paper in them. ... still confused by that! We took one.

Beauuuutiful trails

We found the ruins of an old barn! Of course :) these types of things seem to find us everywhere we go. They were in the middle of a field. We then proceeded to wander around in the woods looking for the house and anything else we could find.

...trying to get a good picture..  except Geordie's eating a tree.

better..

love :)

A poor turtle fell into a crack and got stuck :(

Some of the old things we found - we found SO many all over the place!

And we found the house!!

...I just tried to do some research online about the house and farm. Instead I discovered that this place is apparently a huge hook up spot for homosexual men.. I am so glad that we did not go in the spring, summer, or fall with the amount of wandering we do off the trails. Wow haha..

Christmas Break #2 - Along the River: Battle Sites, Eagles, and Tire Swings

Adventuring with Geordie from Newington to Camden East along the St. Lawrence River.

At the memorial for the Battle of Chrysler's Farm which took place on November 11, 1813 during the War of 1812:

A bald eagle!!!

This church and graveyard are now a memorial for the United Empire Loyalists - people who lived in the United States who were loyal to the British crown and, therefore, were given grants of land in Canada after the War of Independence - As far as we could tell, the church was probably built in the late 1700's and then renovated in the 1950's and 60's. It was beautiful.

At another old cemetery along the way:

 At the site of the Battle of the Windmill, 1938 - during the Canadian Rebellions:

The lighthouse used to be the windmill from the battle but it has since been transformed into a lighthouse and was in use until the 1970's.

Looking up from the water.

There is a tire swing right by the water below where the lighthouse sits.

Looking out at the river from the lighthouse.

I love adventuring.

Christmas Break #1 - Swimming in Corn with Long Lost Friends

For New Years we travelled up to Newington to the Gutknecht farm for a get together of camp friends. It was a lot of fun. We played games, adventured around the farm, and played in the corn siloh.

Mike climbing up to jump back into the corn.

Sarah and Zeph

in the barn

Checking out Jon and Evodie's new place

a bonfire in the woods