Highlights Summer 2013

It has been a whirlwind summer and a long time since I last posted. I wrote several drafts of winter activities earlier this year, but for some reason have been unable to publish them online. I hope to have better luck this time around, otherwise I will have to give up blogging altogether...
I left Barcelona on June 21st and after one night with Jen, Ben and Elliott in Montreal, I rented a car and drove up to The Rouge (north of Hawkesbury, ON) to visit the Sannas for a few days and to celebrate Sil's 60th.
Melanie with Madison (3 yrs.), Sil and Stephen




Stephen's coffee for me on Sunday morning!




I returned to Montreal on June 26th to spend the week with Jen and Elliott while Ben attended a Math conference in Budapest. Elliott spent a lot of time wandering arund the house in my shoes:




His favourite mode of transportation to daycare this spring was by bike, wearing his "helmie":




On Canada Day we visited my old school friend, Barb, in Hudson Heights, then had lunch on the patio at The Willow. Here's Mama Bird feeding Baby Bird some spaghetti:




From Montreal I flew to Denver via St. Louis on July 5th to spend a week with Steph and Lou and to finally meet the Audie puppy!
Walking in the neighbourhood-this homeowner had a whole garden in his yard and on the grass between sidewalk and street! It was sunny and hot and I was continually thirsty and a bit breathless, given the altitude.








We walked by the East High School (circa 1875) on the way to the dog park and to the Sunday evening Jazz in the Park:












On Monday, we drove west into the Rockies to Glenwood Springs for the night, enjoying lunch in Vail:
















These statues on the park bench were reminiscent of ones we have seen in Santa Fe, NM:




We checked into our B&B Four Mile Creek then headed out for a pre-dinner hike to Hanging Lake. It was 93F when we started and I had finished my water bottle halfway to the top!
























Returning to Denver on July 9th, we stopped in Aspen, that other famous Colorado resort, picking up some T-shirts at Crazy Shirts:




Great front gardens:








The pass on the way back to Denver:




And the lake where we ate a picnic lunch:




And soon it was time to fly back to Montreal, this time via Detroit, where there was no time to grab lunch en route! One last night with Jen, Ben and Elliott then off to N.B. for two months!
Leaving Montreal:




Arriving Fredericton:




Keep tuned...more to come...

Location:Montreal, The Rouge, Denver, The Bluffs, Mt. Carleton, Bar Harbor, Ottawa