It makes a better door than a windrow!

As I hauled the recycling bins and garbage to the street this morning, I was faced with a thigh-high mountain of snow at the end of the walkway that I had to traverse to get to the curb.  We were hit with a snowstorm yesterday that brought with it several inches of the white stuff. 

The sight of me in my pajamas, running shoes, no socks, and down-filled jacket; readying myself for a scissor-kick reminiscent of my not-so-athletic high-jumping days in school; with a recycling bin under each arm, would have been a shot worth capturing.  Mark has since questioned why I didn’t wait just a few more minutes as he revved up the snow-blower, but that wouldn’t have been nearly as much fun now, would it?!

I love a good snowfall.  It’s almost like nature’s way of sweeping dirt under the mat.  Everything seems so crisp and clean (although, you know what’s lurking underneath!). 

And I particularly like a snowfall when I don’t have to travel anywhere…but that is likely the best time to leave your home.  Why you might ask?  Because, at least you can get out of your driveway.  If you wait until the snowplow finally make it to these ‘secondary’ streets (‘secondary’ is quite optimistic!), the windrow left at the end of the driveway is so high that even a ‘get out of jail free’ card is not going to help your cause.

And for all of you who live on sweeping bends on residential streets, I feel for you this morning.  The snowplow driver has delivered an extra special treat.  Your door to the outside world has been closed by the biggest windrow of all! 

(Note:  A windrow is often used to describe a pile of any material that is heaped up by wind.  According to dictionary.com, the term can also apply to a long row of cut hay or grain left to dry in a field before bundling.  And, Wikipedia explains that a windrow is  “…created by snow plows as they plow streets. The windrow may block driveways.”   Yes, they do!! )

Happy shoveling…stay safe and warm!

Familiar inspiration

Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgment that something else is more important than fear.  ~A. Redmoon

So, where do we find inspiration?  What, or who, pushes us to take the next step?  How courageous can you be?

I get a great thrill from seeing others experience something new, especially things that take courage – a step forward with trepidation. 

When my mother boarded a seaplane with me (despite her fear of flying) to see the most beautiful parts of the Alaskan coastline, it was her slightly nervous smile and yet obvious excitement as she grabbed the camera out of my hand to take aerial photos of the rugged landscape below, that made me realize that some experiences are more important than fear…and I found it inspiring.

At the age of 70, my dad embarked on a day of kayaking with Mark in the cold glacial waters of the Pacific Ocean to get up close and personal with sea life and beautiful glaciers.  It was the recounting of his experience that made me realize that the courage to try something new often results in memories that last a lifetime…and I find it inspiring.

So, it was with great anticipation that I opened an email this past week from my mother-in-law (my second mom, Marion).  She had recently returned from a cruise in the Caribbean, including the Panama Canal and we had heard the excitement in her voice a couple of days earlier as she recounted some of her ‘new’ experiences. 

But, it was the photo attachments in her email that really made us smile.  It truly gives more meaning to the phrase ‘a picture is worth a thousand words’ and suggests that we are never too young or too old to try something new.

What do you think?  86 years old and swimming with dolphins – pretty darn cool…

 

When someone says, I’m too old to start a new chapter, to take on a new challenge, or to try something new, I think both my parents and Mark’s mom would be very quick to say…”why not try?”  Yes…we…can!  The result may be more rewarding than any feeling of fear one might have had.

Yes…we…can…

First, let me say, this is not a political blog (and the thoughts and views are just my own opinion), but we find inspiration and courage from many avenues. 

Unless someone was living in some incredibly remote part of the world,  you would be hard-pressed not to know that President Barack Obama’s inauguration ceremony occurred this past Tuesday .  (video link below)

Many of the political pundits were dissecting the text, looking for that one phrase that they could pull out and pronounce as ‘the’ one phrase that would be remembered for years to come – something to motivate the masses.  Even those who were not old enough to remember the inauguration ceremonies of former Presidents Kennedy or Roosevelt, will often recognize phrases taken from their inaugural addresses .

- Kennedy’s “ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.”

- Roosevelt’s “…the only thing we have to fear is fear itself.”

But, what many of these analysts neglected to notice is that the masses had already been motivated.  The words had already been said well before this day began.  All one had to do was look at the crowds – rumoured to be between one and two million people along The Mall in Washington.  And in that crowd, there was hope.  Without hope, there would be no change.  How apropos that the inauguration ceremony of the first African-American President of the United States came on the day following Martin Luther King Jr. Day – he ‘had a dream’, a hope for change.

As Democratic leader, Barack Obama’s campaign focused on change.  His election to the role of President came from hope.  His time in office will need to galvanize his role as a good leader, and his success will depend on America’s courage.

His inaugural address may not be riddled with ‘motivational’ phrases to be found in books of quotations in years to come, but it is the ‘moment’ that will be remembered.  It was the day millions of Americans (on the Mall or watching it live on TV or through the web) were invited to have the courage to effect change, knowing that they are not alone in their journey.

In our own lives we often hold back from taking risks, trying something new, effecting change.  Why?  It is usually out of fear.  Status quo is easier – more comfortable.  Do we lack courage?  Do we worry about being ridiculed for unpopular or even unexpected choices? 

The following is attributed to Peter McWilliams:

Come to the edge,' he said.
They said, 'We are afraid.'
'Come to the edge,' he said.
They came.
He pushed them...
And they flew.

So, what is it that inspires us to take the next step, get out of that comfort zone?  What, or who, is going to push us – to inspire us?

(The following is a YouTube video link from CSPAN coverage (full inaugural address including oath of office – his speech begins approx. 2min 35sec into the video)).

Memories in photos

We've uploaded quite a few photos and if you're interested in viewing them you have a couple of options:

1. For all photos, go to the RutsUp shutterfly site :
RutsUp Shutterfly site
http://rutsup.shutterfly.com

password: africa
(note: password is case sensitive)

2. Or, here are two links through Shutterfly's site. Click on either link and then page down to click on 'view album'. From there you can choose 'detail' view and look at each photo individually by using the arrows on the right side of the screen, or play slideshow.

Kilimanjaro
Safari

If you have any problems, just email me and we'll get it worked out.
There are so many more photos, but we've tried to narrow it down a bit

A frickin' elephant!!

This was just sent to me and it made me chuckle, so I had to post it here. I took a quick look online and found variations of the same story, so I can't reference the originator of the story (the photo is mine)...but thanks to "D" for making me smile.

------
From the diary of a Kindergarten Teacher;

My five-year old students are learning to read.
Yesterday one of them pointed at a picture in a zoo book and said,
"Look at this! It's a frickin' elephant!"

I took a deep breath, then asked..."What did you call it?"
"It's a frickin' elephant! It says so on the picture!"


"A f r i c a n Elephant"

Home...back into the swing of things

Snow covered ground and cold temperatures greeted us late Saturday night. Thankfully the sidewalks and driveway had been cleared. We noticed a few larger branches scattered in our backyard and lots of little animal tracks in the snow.

Our first thought after seeing the prints was how Tinge (our resident squirrel who drops by most days for some peanuts) made out while we were gone. We had seen one of the black squirrels hanging out, but Tinge is grey with tinges of brown fur (thus, his name). I'm sure he's fine and hopefully he stashed a few of those extra peanuts for just this absence!

The mail had been piled neatly on the countertop thanks to Sharon and Jacques, our globe-trotting neighbours, and the house plants looked to have survived with their green thumbs looking after them. Thanks guys!

It felt good to speak with my parents and Mark's mom when we got home. Hearing their voices and knowing they were doing well was very comforting.

Alas, being home also means getting back into this time zone. Jet lag will likely create some sleeping problems for a few days. I was wide awake at 2:30am and finally got up at 3:30am - yes, sleeping hours are a little out of whack.

The job of unpacking and laundry was the key agenda item for Sunday. This is the part I like to get done and out of the way, but one that makes the end of the vacation all too real. I am already looking forward to planning the next one...hmm, wonder where that will be.

But speaking of vacations, wishing all the Rutledge's a wonderful trip as they head off on a cruise, that includes the Panama Canal. No doubt Mark's mother, as well as John, Cynthia, Mary, and Jerry will have a fabulous time together. We can't wait for the stories and photos.

Which brings me to our photos. We will begin uploading photos over the next few days - some to the blog itself to update some of the posts and some to a separate website. So check back here for a link.

Finally, as if he knew we had been wondering about him, Tinge came by to sit on our laps and eat a few peanuts this afternoon. He was looking a little 'chunky' (I feel the same way!) so either he found a great stash of chocolate like we did, or he has over-indulged from his winter cache of nuts. In any case, he seemed very happy to enjoy some hand-fed karanga.

Getting high on sugar & altitude

A sugar high and some high-flying (38,000 ft) today.

This was our last day in Amsterdam. Since calorie intake is at an all-time high, we decided to have one more big feast of sugar at a local pancake place for breakfast. Pancakes in Amsterdam are like crepes, not the fluffy pancakes that we might normally call pancakes. But, New Year's Day we had noticed a place about 15 min walk from our hotel that had both Dutch 'pancakes' and what they referred to as 'American' pancakes. So, off we went to sample some of each.

Afterwards, Walt & Marisa went off in one direction to do some last-minute shopping and we were off to the Van Gogh Museum. I've always liked the work of Van Gogh, particularly in the last couple of years before his death and this is one of the biggest collections of Van Gogh's work in existence. It's hard to believe that he managed to produce so many well-known (now) pieces of work in a very short 10 year career.

If you ever travel to a city and want to go to museums, it would be worthwhile to purchase the tickets online or from the hotel concierge desk (if they offer the service) before you go. If you have tickets in hand, you rarely have to wait in line and can walk right in. The line up for the Van Gogh Museum had about an hour wait time and thankfully, we did not have to wait.

As we left the museum, we noticed a big gathering at a park beside the museum. It was a protest against Israel's attacks on Gaza and the fact that the Dutch government was not verbally condemning those attacks. It was a vocal, but seemingly peaceful protest. We found out later that similar protests were being held in many major international cities.

Rather than taking the tram and train to the airport (like we did on the way into Amsterdam), we opted for the more direct route of an airport shuttle and ended up getting there almost 3 hours early. The pre-boarding process on these flights can be quite lengthy and while we didn't need three hours, it made it a bit less hectic.

While a blog cannot replace actual hugs or talking with friends and family at home, it sure has been a treat for us to keep in contact while being half-way around the world. Thank you for the comments and the emails while we've been away.

It has been a great adventure and we have already begun talking about which ruts & ledges we might want to explore next.

Let's go exploring...

Brussels...mmmm chocolate!

The train from Amsterdam to Brussels Central Stn was about 2hr50min long and went by very quickly.

I had been in Brussels about 13 or 14 years ago, but Mark had never been and I remember loving it. It ended up being much nicer than I had even remembered.

Belgium is known for many things, but they're famous for chocolate!! Mmmmmmm! This is heaven on earth for Mark - the true chocolate-lover in the family.

Of course our first stop would have to be the Museum of Chocolate and Cocoa. We heard that between certain hours, the master chocolatier would be there providing a demonstration and offer testing...so we were not late!!

Next up, a tour through Grand Place - absolutely stunning! Some Christmas decorations were still in place and the square was bustling.



We made sure we ventured outside this main square so that we could see the Manneken Pis (statue of a little boy peeing). This is a well-known statue, but what most people don't know is that it is a very small statue and comes as a surprise as you round the corner at a small intersection of narrow streets - and there it is.



While Belgium is predominantly made up of French and Flemish-speaking individuals, Brussels seems to be French-speaking for the most part. Thankfully, we can get by with the French vocabulary that we manage to remember.

But back to chocolate...or chocolat, I should say! We began having some fun with the camera and the photos began! Photos of Mark trying the local chocolate...everywhere! We had so much fun today - lots of laughing.

Just a few shots of Mark satisfying his chocolate craving:




We grabbed a quick sandwich and were on our way to the Museums of Fine Arts - Ancient and Modern Art and took in the exibits on display.

Then, back to chocolate...we now had to buy some to take home. After all the shops we had seen (and there are many!), Neuhaus was the final choice. Not inexpensive, but yummy!

Oh did you think the chocolate stops ended there? Not really...we still had to try the huge Belgian waffles smothered in chocolate, strawberries, bananas, and confectioner's sugar!! I was afraid to know how many calories we might have eaten today! But they were so good...and so worth it!



We picked up some fresh bread and local cheese for our train ride home and made one final stop at a beautiful cathedral a couple of blocks from the train station. I always find it amazing how these structures were built by hand without the modern tools available today. And, our buildings today are just not built to last hundreds of years like these ones are. Truly remarkable.

What a fantastic day in Brussels!

Bicycles everywhere

Many places in Amsterdam were closed on New Year's Day, so we opted to do a canal cruise. We had no idea that there were that many canals within the city.

We could see the waste mgmt workers were already out cleaning the streets of the previous night's broken champagne bottles and fireworks' leftovers.

It was a little chilly, but the canal cruise boat was nice and toasty. We passed some architecturally magnificent buildings and toured out into the harbour as well. It's a very nice way to get our bearings of the city layout and something Mark and I often do when we travel to large cities in new countries - whether it's a double-decker bus, or a river boat, it's relaxing and usually inexpensive.




But, what we should have done is rent bicycles!! The cool thing about the city is, there are cyclists everywhere!! Apparently, Amsterdam has approx just under 800,000 inhabitants and over 600,000 bicycles. The city really seems more conscious of the environment, in that sense. It doesn't matter whether young or old, dressed up in a suit and tie, or jeans...people were riding bikes. And obviously temperature doesn't change their riding habits.

The rest of the day was spent walking around some of the interesting pockets in the city and enjoying some of the best pizza (yup, good ol' Italian food in Amsterdam).

Tomorrow, Walt and Marisa are going to tour around the city some more, and Mark and I are going to get up early and take the train to Brussels in Belgium.

Fireworks...nothing like this!

OK, I thought I had seen fireworks displays before, but this was the craziest night of fireworks ever.  There were several areas within the city of Amsterdam that had 'official' fireworks displays, but in addition to those, anyone can purchase whatever kind of fireworks they want...and they did!

Thousands and thousands of people out setting off fireworks in streets, off bridges, from balconies...this is their way of celebrating in Amsterdam. There were a few times our ears were ringing loudly as one would go off in a garbage can as we walked by...we jumped a couple of times from the noise!

It was funny and yet we were cautious as we walked through the streets with the throngs of New Year's revelers as we wondered if we might come face to face with a wayward pyrotechnic blast! But, none of that happened and everyone seemed to be just having a lot of fun.

In Dam Square (not far from the red light district), there was a big concert going on and we enjoyed just hanging out with tens of thousands of our closest friends as the count-down occurred and 2009 was upon us. ;)