Hogs Back falls

On the way home we visited a waterfall that was further up in the same waterway as the canal system. Colonel By had problems building the canal through the level drop, so the original design has changed as it technology has gradually allowed. But the waterfall is still here, and on this day it was full of snow melt and rather spectacular. The Rideau canal goes on the other side of this.

Where my Passport went

My passport was given the new visa sticker on Monday 21st, after our interview, and ready to go on Monday afternoon. It was picked up from the embassy by a courier company on the morning of Tuesday 22nd and delivered to the Canadian postal service, where its first stop was Montreal (2 hours from Ottowa), which is apparently the central processing place.
It spent three days in Montreal, and then after that it went to Toronto (5 hours from Ottowa) for the Easter weekend.
Saturday 26th (Easter Saturday) it was sorted into a delivery for Ottowa, but didn't set out until 6.30am Tuesday 29th (after Easter Monday), so it arrived back in Ottowa at 4pm on Tuesday 29th.
This is in contrast to the boys passports, which arrived in Ottowa Wednesday 23rd, and hubby's passport, which arrived in Ottowa on Thursday 24th (before the Easter weekend).
Which is why we were two days late coming home from Canada.

Canadian Mint (Ottowa branch)

Canadian Mint Building, and Mr 4 asleep with uneaten chocolate eclair. He did wake up and ask after it, luckily I hadn't given it to his brother.

Today was a bonus day in Ottowa, while we waited for my passport to land. The kids and I went to the Canadian Mint, which was quite an interesting tour. In Ottowa they make Gold (as in, gold bars and gold investment coins) and investment silver, and the special edition coins made out of silver, and they have a tour following the process on the mezzanine floor of the factory.
The boys lifted a 500 000 canadian dollar gold bar (with help, I think it was 24lbs), and we got a shiney dollar from the gate house when paying for the tour (as change, but we kept the coin).
After that we went for hot chocolate, where Mr 4 promptly fell asleep in my lap without finishing his chocolate eclair (!!) or tasting his hot chocolate (!!!). We struggled back to the hotel.
Then after a bit of a break, the boys rose to the occasion (and the offer of Easter eggs) and walked with me to the Post Office to collect my passport, which had finally been delivered.

Meat Pies in Canada

We found a version of meat pies in Canada! Party pie size, and the pastry was a bit dry and crumbly, but still meat pies. The kids are fans.

Moulin de Provence

Big French style boulangerie/deli. Still advertising that they got visited by Obama, not sure when that happened (2013?). But he bought a biscuit shaped like a maple leaf, and attempted to pay!! I think it was an unscheduled visit, because the looks on his security people’s faces is classic. Maybe they’re like that all the time.

We had croissants for breakfast a couple of mornings. I have unfortunately passed the chocolate croissant habit on to the children… The tea served was average. But it was a lovely lovely way to start the day.

Mountsberg Sugar Bush

The plus about visiting Canada during March? That is when the maple syrup season is running! Montsberg Sugar Bush isn't a commercial property but a sort of State Park, where they have a small sugar bush to show how it is done, as well as some information on how it used to be done, and a chance to eat pancakes with lots of maple syrup! The ice was still in the trees when we arrived, and when the sun started warming things up it was quite spectacular to see it all cracking off and falling. So long as you weren't the one hit with the bigger icicles. 

They also had a little bit of a barn where you could pet a chicken and look at some bunny rabbits, goats and chooks, and an easter egg hunt out the back. 

Maple syrup is clear when it runs into the buckets, because of the water content. They have various methods of boiling off the water, and then there are three different grades of maple syrup - Light, Medium and Amber. Amber is the most maple syrupy flavour, light is the least. it takes 40 gallons of sap to make 1 gallon of maple syrup. Quebec makes about 90% of the worlds maple syrup. Which explains why it is super expensive in Australia!

Toronto

Our introduction to Toronto was route 401, the most big and ugly road I have seen (4 lanes either way, plus three lanes on either side of that for the on/off ramps, ie, 14 lanes). You could be forgiven for thinking that the city is some ugly collection of cars, roads and box stores/factories.
But our destination was Oakville, on the West side of the city, and is a lovely little community with a walkable main street, and a path by Lake Ontario, and lots of lovely houses of varying ages on quiet streets. Turns out 401 does a good job of getting through traffic out of the suburbs.

Canadian Parliament

View from Bell Tower of Ottowa in storm

Our bit of Canada experienced a large ice storm that rolled across in time for Thursday, so we put on our snow gear (snowboots, jackets, gloves, beanies and lined jeans, and full overalls for Mr 4) and went and visited the Canadian parliament, on the strength that it was indoors, and free. Although Anne Arundel would have cancelled school, Ottowa kept on running, although Montreal lost quite a few power transformers due to ice.
Security at the Canadian parliament was considerably less than at the US Embassy. It was closer to airport security, but more friendly and relaxed.
Most of the parliament was built in 1859-1866 (Centre, East and West Blocks) but a catastrophic fire burnt it all down, although a quick thinking employee saved the precious library by shutting the iron doors. They rebuilt the parliament in the dying stages of WWI, but the comparison between the architectural styles of the library (High Victorian Gothic Revival), and of the rest of the parliament (Modern Gothic Revival) is quite interesting. Our guide said  the new section was very stern and austere, but I kind of liked it.
Canada's parliament has a Senate (red), which is full of people who are appointed (!!!), so that it represents minorities and people other than politicians. Appointments are for life, from 35 onwards. As a side note, they are having their very own expenses scandal in the Canadian Senate right now, proving that it isn't just politicians. Maybe it is the politics.
The house of Commons (Green) has the politicians in it.
On the grounds of Parliament are various statues celebrating generally men doing nation building/war mongering things. Except for the monument to the five women who managed to get women declared 'persons' so that they could be eligible for appointment to the Senate (1929).

Norwegian Goat Cheese

Joy of joys, found two international cheese shops (very French culture around Ottowa, given half of it is in Quebec), and found Norwegian Goat Cheese. This goes really well on crackers, with ham or funny sausage. I think it is a breakfast food in Norway. They even have a special cheese cutter for it. I don’t, and I’m not sure I can take it with me back to the US, so I have a bit more than one week to eat as much of the block as possible.
Interesting development - Mr 6 turned into a fan, requesting cheese slices on top of every sandwich... Even Mr 4 ate ham and [Norwegian] cheese sandwiches. I think we got away with that because it looked sort of like American cheese...

Canadian Museum of Nature

Giant Turtle fossil

Mr 4 cried going into the carpark, realising that we weren’t seeing the ‘other’ dinosaurs (in Washington DC…). But they had quite a large collection of medium sized, interesting fossils! And then they had a mammal wing, and a water wing (where I learnt how snow forms – more on that later) and up the top, an insect wing with live insects. We really enjoyed this museum.

All housed in a beautiful large castle like building, apparently built to house the overflow from other museums. The glass bit is where they built a tower but it started pushing the rest of the structure into the ground, so they had to take it off. Then they added the glass bit (later) so we could appreciate the form of the structure, and so they could hang a giant model of a jelly fish in it.

Canadian Museum of History

Formerly the Canadian Museum of Civilisation, this Museum had a Children's Museum in the middle that was quite impressive in the end. The kids ended up spending serious time there.
There was a Vikings special exhibition, which was really good, if you wanted to spend an hour or so reading all the blurbs and looking at the tiny exhibits. Not so good for the kids and even a bit trying for me. Its point seemed to be proving that the Vikings were normal people with homes and families and a social structure, which they did impressively with a really muted, boring exhibition.
By the time we realised there was a 1st floor exhibition about the First Nations, we had run out of steam and food. But we did get to take in the main gallery with a collection of totem poles, which was very impressive.

And there was this glorious painting called The Morning Star, on the ceiling at the top of several flights of stairs.

Rideau Canal

At some stage during or around the War of Independence, the British were worried about an American blockade of the Ottowa River, which would have serious ramifications for British movement of stuff (troops? Food? Things to sell?), so they got in this engineer called Colonel John By, and in 6 years, he built them this fabulous amazing 200km long system of locks/rivers/lakes between Ottowa and Kingston. While he was at it, he laid out the plans for ‘Bytown’, the town that grew up out of all the workers etc while the canal was being built, which later got changed to Ottowa, and later chosen as the capital of Canada by Queen Victoria, when she was young and happy. For some reason it is now called the Rideau Canal. In winter, they ice skate on it, unfortunately, we are here just as the skating season ended, so we missed out on that. In summer, you can boat on it, and there are walks up and down the length of it.

Looking across the river to the Museum of Canadian History

We walked across the river because there is a really good view of the back of Parliament (for the record, I thought it was a big church…). The down side of the bridge – it is wooden boards, with knotholes where you can just see down down down, and it shakes, whenever a bus goes past. Also, it is not particularly warm right now (there was a huge mass of ice still sitting in the river).

Ottowa - US Embassy

The back of the US embassy

So, despite ringing and checking details about the interview several times, we missed being told (and missed the obscure reference on the website) about not bringing the following items into the embassy building:
mobile phones, cameras, water bottles, food, backpacks, and electronic car keys
We arrived 40 mins early for our interview, then had to repack and I ran back to the hotel to deposit the backpack with the prohibited items. We were allowed one bag for the children (spare pants), and one bag of chopped apple.
In security screening, our lip balms got taken and put in a little container for us to collect on the way out. I also saw people having to leave behind their wrist watches, headphones, and keys (normal keys), so nervous times.
However if you have a baby, you get the entire pram, nappy bag, waterbottles for the small (smaller than ours) children (after they have taken out the wipes, nappy cream, and anything remotely useful for changing nappies).
And because this is Canada in March, you got to keep and lug around your heavy winter coats and gloves, after putting them through the xray machine.
It is a funny application of science and also dealing with people - they know the materials that could be looking innocent but are dangerous, but they also have to acknowledge that 99% of the population are just normal people wanting to get their Visa's renewed.

Ottowa - Canada

First impression – Baltimore. Our hotel looks like an old apartment block turned into a hotel, which would explain how we managed two full bedrooms, a walk in wardrobe, and a full kitchen and laundry. It is at the dingy end of town, and we had to do a couple of dodgy manoeuvres in the van to get there because the roads get confusing just in front of the hotel.

But if you walk down towards the river, towards all the official buildings, there are all these food shops and little one off boutiques. It still doesn’t look super fashionable, but maybe that is because I have been subtly trained by the Mall about what shops should look like – ie, all the facades the same, lots of glass etc - because they are really interesting shops.

Our hotel gets top points because they provided a hot water kettle and a teapot. And because we don’t have to either sleep on a fold out couch or move a child onto a fold out couch. If you ask Mr 4, the hotel is the highlight of the trip, because there is a pool, and the boys are making a daily trip to be semi-boisterous in the pool in new goggles and ill-fitting swimwear. (I have a raging cold, so no mum, although I packed my swimmers). Never mind the Canadian Parliament, or the historic canal.

Crossing into Canada - Ogdensburg-Prescott International Bridge

We opted for the quieter crossing upstream from the Thousand Islands crossing, over the St Lawrence River, on the rather spectacular Ogdensburg-Prescott International Bridge. We drove an extra hour in the US to get there, through fairly deserted country, which meant we nearly missed getting lunch because we had assumed we'd find something, but the border was less busy (nearly deserted) with no lines, and we were through in about 15 minutes.

Buttermilk Falls - Buttermilk State Park (NY)

Considerably colder this far north. We wanted to take the walk up alongside the falls, but it was shut for the winter, so we admired from the bottom and then went to the play equipment and had an educational half hour. Educational, because you can do so much with play equipment if you stop and think about it, and a lot of it is still more or less safe (about as safe as giving your child a scooter, anyway), but actually interesting and challenging. This was one of those play sets.

Buttermilk falls runs into one of the finger lakes, then gradually runs through the rest of the finger lakes (there are about 5) and some clever clogs has estimated it will take 6 years for the water in Buttermilk Falls to get out to sea via this system of lakes. 

Wildwood Reserve, Harrisburg, PA

This has turned into a go-to stop when travelling – there is a little board walk that you can follow, through a bit of wetland (not quite sure what it is officially, but there’s definitely water and reeds involved). It also has toilets. So everyone can have a run around, and then go to the loo, and then, because we always seem to stop there when it is freezing, hop back into the car to eat lunch/snack. 

Resurrection Buns

Seems like another combination of pastry, cinnamon and sugar (see monkey bread) - only this one can have a message!! 

Take a marshmallow. Say it is Jesus’ body. Wrap his ‘body’ in spices (melted butter, then cinnamon) ready for ‘burial’ in the pastry, which is actually crescent rolls (croissants) in a tin (shortest explanation I can give now!!)

Place on oven tray and bake like you were baking the crescent rolls, then serve, and when you cut the tomb open, low and behold, Jesus’ body has disappeared! But the tomb is really tasty.

Butter Sticks

This was one of the early things I noticed that was different, but I'm not sure it ever made it to a post.
The butter comes in 'sticks' - 4 of them, all wrapped inside the box. Each stick is 4oz, or 0.5 cup, and the wrapper has markings for table spoons, 1/3 cup, 1/4 cup etc. Some recipes just call for a stick of butter.
It makes measuring butter hugely easy, I'm very impressed.

Lovely salads

I have started really trying to explore the salad option for lunch. There are a lot of ready to make salads in the supermarket (ie, with flavour sachets and the like), and we have started buying them to get an idea as to the flavours, then making up our own (cheaper) version. Here is today's effort, although it is just a normal Australian 'Greek' (because it has olives and feta) salad. Love love love feta cheese!!

Overnight flowers

This tree had one lonesome blossom yesterday.

Too big for the pram

An advantage of being the youngest - not being kicked out of the pram to make way for the latest baby... I have used being 4 as an excuse instead, because the pram was getting too heavy to push comfortably. And there was a tantrum about 3 months ago where he refused to hop in the pram, and was going to walk himself back to the mall on his own.
Today we used the scooter to get to the mall and back - with a chocolate milk and a chocolate croissant at the mall in the middle. Still quite a trip, and we were both tired by the time we got home. Lovely way to enjoy the warmer weather!

Election Results at the moment

I thought it would be sort of simple to follow the election, but they don't even have the same vote in the same state at the same time - ie, republicans have a vote in State A, but the democrats don't have a vote in that state until later. Complicating the matter are caucuses, and 52 states. I think it is spreadsheet time...
Until then:
Republican - 1,237 needed for nomination. 1,435 available
Trump - 458
Cruz - 359
Rubio - 151
Kasich - 54

Democratic - 2,383 required for nomination, 2,968 available
Clinton - 1,233
Sanders - 574
But both have a portion of superdelegates, who can support any candidate, whose vote isn't final until the convention, which is in July.

The plot thickens...

Getting creative with the maths

I'm not sure if there is a message in this one, but the boy didn't just get a toy car from his mom, he got a huge flat bed truck.

Spring!

According to the boy at school, spring starts on 20 or 21st of March, which is mildly exciting. This winter has been sort of tough, with unpredictable weather, and not enough snow. I had a lovely day at home with the youngest, where we ate picnic lunch on the deck, and enjoyed the sunshine on our toes.
It was a really nice moment.

Science Fair

In true scientist style, we are going to get to write why this one didn't work as expected...

Super Tuesday

Super Tuesday has come and gone, I meant to blog about it in a more timely fashion, but there you go.
The primary elections start in a dribble, but Super Tuesday (1st March in 2016, but it varies) is a day that decides some candidates futures. A huge group of states all hold their elections on the same day. I think in fact, more delegates are up for grabs than on any other day. The date changes, and the states participating changes. This year, Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado (caucus), Georgia, Massachusetts, Minnesota (caucus), Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Vermon and Virginia participated. Additionally, Republican caucuses in Alaska, North Dakota and Wyoming were held. The terrirory of American Samoa had a Democratic caucus. I presume these last states will have caucuses or something for the other party some other time.
At the end of the day, Hillary Clinton won 7 states and 486 delegates. Bernie Sanders won 4 states and 321 delegates - enough to make him declare he is staying in the race.
In the Republicans - Donald Trump won 7 states and 256 delegates, Ted Cruz won 3 states and 219 candidates, and Marco Rubio won 1 state and 101 delegates. Although they didn't win any states, John Kasich won 21 delegates and Ben Carson won 3 delegates. I don't know how that works. Maybe you can win counties within states or something. It might have something to do with whether the state has a 'winner takes all' approach to delegate votes, or not?
Which puts the leaders of the race on either side (Clinton, Trump) about half way to the amount of delegates they need to get through to the presidential vote.

Boiled Eggs and Vegimite Toast

I tried to pass on a treasured memory of my childhood today - eating boiled eggs and vegimite toast. I remember sitting in the highchair at "Hebron" eating this, while mum did whatever in the kitchen.
Major failing of our lovely kitchen - no egg cups. I will have to keep my eye out. We made do with glasses and paper towel, but it did make it more awkward for Mr 4. It was a bit of a train wreck - we ended up with egg on the floor, down the front, on the table, etc, and I had to sit on my hands to not take over and do it for him.
things learnt:

• 2 pieces of toast too much for four year old
• 2 eggs nearly too much for four year old
• even when given spoon, four year old will scoop out of egg shell, dump on plate and eat with hands
• slightly soft eggs probably better (not hard boiled). Might discourage hands

Christmas Morning Snow

This was sort of how I imagine snow on Christmas morning should look. No powder, very wet sort of spoggy snow that clung to trees and fences (until the wind started shaking it off in lumps!). The downside - it starts melting about mid morning, and by evening it is gone. The upside? Perfect for rolling big balls of snow to make snowmen! I had never succeeded with this before.