"The freshness, the freedom, the farness"

7 years ago, it seemed like everyone in my life was moving away and on to new and exciting things. My university town had been a safe little nest, and having stayed in that nest longer than most, it was time to break out. My little world had been so small for so long, and then all of a sudden, friends and acquaintances who had always been just steps away, were now scattered all over the country, and the world (myself included).  It's been amazing to see where people's lives have taken them, and getting to visit them - that's my favourite part.

I have been promising to visit my friend Rian since she moved to the Yukon.   A promise that has been unfulfilled for longer than I'd like to admit.  This February the wistful hopes and dreams of going to visit became a reality when a friend texted me: "I was just looking at the mileage I have earned and I have enough to fly to the Yukon for free!!" I replied soon after: "I have enough too! Let's do this!". 

And with that, a plan was made. Tickets were booked. We packed our bags. On September 16th, we were on our way.

Of course, travel selfies were a must.

After 20 hours of travel, my first thoughts I had as we exited the airport were not positive: "Oh my gosh cold."  "Is it snowing?"  "Why am I wearing sandals?"  Thankfully it wasn't snowing, and I had proper footwear packed away for later.  But as the shock of "we're-really-not-in-New-Jersey-anymore" faded, all I could think of was the air.  It smelled good.  It tasted good.  I found myself gulping it back like water.  

That night we stayed in the coziest little AirBnB, a tiny cabin called The Bunkie just outside of Whitehorse.  It was just perfect. There was a 3-legged dog named Dr. Pepper and an outhouse where you put your TP in a paper bag for burning. We learned later that you can extend the life of an outhouse by not putting toilet paper in it.  Now you know too. 

The drive from Whitehorse to Dawson City was a long and beautiful one (hence the video I previously posted) and was a pretty fun part of the trip.  We had a budget and didn't want to pay insurance for an extra driver, so Meaghan (my hero!) drove all 533 km.  I did my best to be a good co-pilot.  Feeding her snacks, opening her lip balm, and singing the entirety of  Taylor Swift's newest album.  At one point we passed by a sign that said "You are Now Leaving the 911 Service Zone"  We still don't really know what that means, but we're glad we didn't have to find out.

We stopped at almost all of the marked scenic lookouts.  One of the best was at Five Finger Rapids.

It was actually this beautiful everywhere.

It was here we met some others who were having their lunch at the sole picnic table.  They asked us to join them, and in only a few minutes of chatting we realized they knew who we were going to visit. They were so friendly, and they gave us some great advice on what to do. My favourite comment from one of them was: "Lots of people live off grid, but Rian and Chris take it to a whole new level."  In a few hours we would find out for ourselves what that meant.

To get to their house, you drive 20 minutes out of town, park, walk for a few minutes, and then canoe across a pretty fast-moving river. I've always been impressed by my friend Rian, but seeing her maneuver canoes full of dogs, gear, some city-slickers (us) and a baby all while laughing is awe-inspiring.

Best and most "Canadian" commute ever.

After being shown the ropes of the Johnson-Lougheed-Smith homestead (Don't wash the dishes with drinking water, don't let the fire go out on a cold night, decaf coffee is in the redbag and shouldn't be brewed in the milk frother, and most important - sing on your way to the outhouse if you want to scare off bears) we felt right at home thanks to our hosts and never wanted to leave.  I'd give up indoor plumbing in a heartbeat to stay there forever.

The next few days were just the best.  We got to meet Rian's awesome partner,  her kick-ass kid and her dogs. 

We knit and read books. 

Rian read "The Gruffalo" many times to a captive audience... And Maggie.

 We drank coffee and picked berries. 

Picking lingonberries. We put them in a pie.

We drank whisky by candle-light.  We taught Maggie to high-five. 

High Five!

We explored an abandoned gold camp.  

In November 1966 the price of gold dropped and production ground to a halt.  People were told to stop work and everyone put down their tools and walked out.  The whole compound is a huge time capsule.

 We were toured around town.  We drove up to the top of the Dome and were snowed on.

Our last night in Dawson City we saw a beautiful display of Northern Lights.  It was a perfect way to say goodbye.

Aurora Borealis.  I was agog.

There seems to be a joke that people who visit Dawson City either never leave, or if they do - they spend the rest of their lives plotting  how to get back.  I can't put my finger on what made such a strong impression on me.  I was only there for a week. Only a taste of what it means to be there.  The best description I have seen is this: The freshness, the freedom, the farness." It's from The Spell of The Yukon by Robert Service (full disclosure, I found that featured on the Yukon Tourism website) and who better to describe the indescribable than a poet.
 

One Year

It's Autumn. My favourite season.

It feels like moments ago that I was hiding under the broadest brimmed hat I could find, coating myself in sunscreen and dodging from shade spot to shade spot during the hot summer days here.  Now all of a sudden the weather has made a turn toward the bearable.  Temperatures are in the 14-20 degree range (celsius) during the day, the pervasive muggy sticky feeling in the air has abated. Being out of  doors is enjoyable again.

This summer has gone by like a whirlwind, and when I look back on it, it isn't hard to see how.

What I thought would be a quiet, long and hot summer quickly transformed into a busy, short (but still hot) one. We had visitors come to us in June, July and August.  A long drive up the East Coast to and from a lovely New Brunswick wedding with stops in Maine, Massachussets, and Nova Scotia to visit friends and family.

There was a whirlwind weekend trip to Calgary to attend and photograph a wedding.  

I had so much fun photographing this wedding!  I only got misty-eyed 100 times.

A trip to NS to celebrate a large family wedding and visit even more friends happened over Labour Day weekend.  

Group shot of the eve of Sean and Nicole's beautiful wedding.
Thanks for reminding me to take the picture Nicole!

My final trip  of the year just ended with an epic adventure to the Yukon (which I will share more about soon, promise). Dan just got back from a conference in Seattle.  We have both spent a lot of time in airports.

And this was just the summer.  Spring went by quickly. Winter was a bit of a blur, and before winter there was autumn. Last Autumn we had just arrived in Princeton.  The whole year has zipped by. It was our Princetanniversary October 1st.  One year.  It has gone by fast thanks to interesting and flexible employment, all of our many amazing trips, new friends, and every wonderful visitor. While adjusting to all of the "new" in our lives, every piece of mail, every text, every email and phone call from family and friends has made this move not only doable, but enjoyable.  

October 8th 2015 - Photo #4 in our Yearly Photo Project

So, here's to another year!  More adventures, travel and fun (Only 300 or so days until the next wedding I get to attend)  In the short term though, I think I'll stay put for a few months and enjoy the cooler breezes of fall.

Let's Drive to Dawson City

Last week, one of my best pals and I packed our bags and made the long trek to Dawson City.  It was a long overdue trip to visit a friend from MtA, and I now understand a little bit about what draws people there every summer, or compels others to make their lives there. It isn't for everyone - but I sure wish it was for me.  I will continue to live vicariously through my friend, and visit much more frequently (which shouldn't be a problem, just more than once every six years).

I'm not sure what I want to say about the trip and the visit yet - but I know I will sort it out.  In the meantime, let me share this rag-tag video compiled of clips of the drive.  Meaghan rented the car and I wasn't insured to drive it, so I took 1,000 pictures and more video than I knew what to do with.  I tried my hand at video editing, and this is the result.

Independence Day

Today is the 4th of July.

I'm familiar with the holiday, and its origins - but whenever someone says "Independence Day" I can't help but picture the 1996 movie that we rented more than once, and saw at least as many times again when it played on TV.  Aliens, weddings, moving speeches, a crop-dusting hero, and Jeff Goldblum - the movie wants for nothing, and I may have to watch it tonight.

Fortunately our Fourth of July celebrations had no space alien invasions.  Unfortunately, Jeff Goldblum didn't play a role either. We both had the day off and decided to explore the neighbouring areas outside of Princeton.  With tea, an audiobook and the GPS packed, we were off.

 Our first stop was Pine Creek Mini Golf.  The consensus that it was the most beautiful mini-golf course we have been to, and also the hardest course we have ever played. No windmills or plastic pink flamingos (though, they have their place in my heart).  It was a big beautiful garden that was filled with birds and an abundance of plant life. There was a lovely pond and a stream that I managed to putt my little pink golf ball into more than I would like to admit. 

 Emotions ran high, and the scores were all over the place.  Dan was eventually crowned the winner (due both to his skill, and my repeated visits to the water hazard) and I graciously conceded.

A fair warning, anyone who comes to visit, you will have no choice but to come mini golfing with us.  I was so keen, I asked for a club card and they gave me a mitt full of coupons.

Next stop, the town of Lambertville.  Since moving to NJ, I've been told by loads of people that I'd love Lambertville, NJ and New Hope, PA.  They are across the Delaware river from each other and are both charming.  We stayed on the NJ side of the river this time, but we'll go again and check out New Hope next time.

Lambertville is filled to the brim with galleries, but my favourite was the Haas Gallery.  Many of the paintings were of scenes from around New Jersey and Pennsylvania, and he is clearly influenced by John Singer Sargent, which I think probably gets him a lot of attention.  I bought a little card, and will hopefully be back for a print some day.

There was a chocolate shop called the Chocolate Box that looked a little bit like Honeydukes from Harry Potter. We had lunch at a placed called Full Moon that only serves dinner on nights where there is a full moon.  We went into a rare book store that had cocktail recipe books for worldly gentlemen (circa 1940), as well as a strange collection of records.  

I found this Bruce Springsteen gem from 1973 in mint condition, and since there is a song called 4th of July, Asbury Park (Sandy) on it I had to get it. It was meant to be.  I'm listening to it now, and it doesn't dissappoint.

All in all, a good day.  Now to go see if I can find a copy of Independence Day for evening viewing.

To Upstate!

Summer is a time for making fun stuff happen. 

A few weekends ago we made some fun stuff happen.  We drove 5 hours north, Sean and Nicole drove 5 hours south, and we met up in Lodi, New York. Lodi is a small speck of a village, surrounded by other small villages and hamlets.  Finding a grocery store was a challenge, but there were wineries every 5 miles or less.

We went to a few, but the one that we really loved was called "Silver Thread Vineyard".  It was a quick walk up the hill from our little cabin and the view was as lovely and clear as the Chardonnay (I realize this was kind of a snotty sounding sentance- but it is true, and I couldn't help it!)

The Rasmussen men using a charcoal BBQ for the first time.  It was almost a hopeless affair.

Our last dinner in our odd and lovely little cabin.

It was a relaxing few days filled with dog walks, books (I read 3 Sherlock Holmes books in quick succession), bbqing, and beer.  Many hands of Hearts were played around the little table, late into the night.

The kitchen was non-existent, but we managed to make some some pretty excellent meals all the same, thanks to some creative cooking and managing the BBQ.

Hudson, The Labradoodle.  Also known to me as Hodge Podge, Hud-Dawg and The Honourable Sir Hudage of Cambridge.  I'm pretty proud of this picture.  Black dogs are super tricky to photograph.

This beauty of a dog was kind of the highlight of the trip.  Sean and Nicole got him as a puppy 6 months ago, and he is now one large and precious puppy. He was too cool.  I liked watching him galump around with his oversized limbs, and sometimes he would listen to me when I said "sit" and "stay" - thanks to his sweet disposition and Sean and Nicole's committment to training.

It was a great little trip, and I'm so glad that I got to spend it with these folks.

Sean, Nicole & Hudson. 2015

Dan & Gill. 2015

Canal Kayaking

Keeping an ever watchful eye on the weather (ridiculous humidity or thunderstorms just wouldn't do) I've been counting down until Friday. I had the day off, and I had plans.

 Waking up this morning, everything aligned perfectly.   Sunny and bright, but not humid.  It was under 30 degrees Celsius by noon!  No thunderclouds loomed.  Perfect weather for paddling down the Delaware and Raritan Canal.

 The Canal was built in 1830 by hand (many, many hands I'm sure) to connect the Delaware and Raritan rivers.  This provided a freight route between New York and Philly.   The tow paths on either side of the canal that allowed mules to pull the cargo ships are still intact.

Now this industrial route has been transformed into a really beautiful park that stretches over 36 miles.  You can paddle down the canal, or jog or bike along either of the two tow paths.  My friend Marissa and I leisurely kayaked downstream for a few hours, stopping only for a re-apply of sunscreen and a refreshing beverage.

It never feels like summer until I've had a Shandy.

All along the shore there were wee little frogs, the odd fish, Painted Turtles, and Canadian(!) Geese.   There were other people kayaking, canoeing, running, and cycling. At one point the canal starts going alongside Carnegie lake, where the Princeton crew teams practice and race.  There was a practice going on as we passed by.  The sounds of their oars was muchmore impressive than the splish-splash of our paddles.

It was a really super way to spend a Friday afternoon.

My favourite little walk through town

Today, it is sunny and hot.  Really sunny and really hot. 89 degrees Fahrenheit or about 32 degrees Celsius.  This is not weather I thrive in, and I know this is just the beginning. In a few weeks I'll have adjusted - but for now, I'm going to think back to a simpler time - a time where to battle the cold you just put on another layer of wool...

A few weeks ago (I can't believe it was only a few weeks ago!), when there was still a little bit of snow on the ground, I took a few pictures of my favourite little walk through town as I walked from job #1 to job #2.  It goes right through the heart of an area called Palmer Square, and which I like to think of as Diagon Alley.  Even if it isn't the most direct route, I'll go this anyway way anyway because I like the way it looks.  It goes by a chocolate shoppe, a pub that Einstein used to frequent, a small park, an ancient post office, the best toy store I have ever been to, a fortune teller, and two other pubs.  That makes the 3 out of 4 pubs in town within spitting distances of each other.

Let me take you on the walk with me.

Brick tunnel into the square.

Ancient US Post Office

Another tunnel!

One of the pubs.  After your pint, you can go across the path to get your fortune told.

This brief little jaunt through town almost always puts a smile on my face, not matter what the temperature.  I think it's time for one of those walks now.

It was a snow day!

This is apparently the worst winter in New Jersey in 80 years.  The coldest and the snowiest.  We live walking distance to everything, so the snow hasn’t affected us much (and there really hasn't been much).  Thursday, I got to enjoy my first snow day in almost a decade.   The entire town of Princeton shut-down and I didn’t have to go into work.

Before I could curl up with an audiobook and my knitting, I of course had to go tromp around in the snow. I pulled on my boots and picked up my camera and ventured out to see what the town and campus looked like covered in snow and without any people.

It was quiet and lovely.  Still and cold. It was a treat.  A few coffee places and the liquor store were open, but that was about it. While it was a piece of cake to walk around in, the roads were coated in ice underneath that innocent, fluffy looking snow. 

It was nice to walk through town with no real purpose.  To not be running errands or have to be anywhere at a particular time.  To blink the snowflakes out of my eyelashes. To be the first set of footprints in the snow.  

 It finally felt like a proper winter day.  I can now look forward to spring. 

The Coffee Table

Recently, I convinced myself that we needed a coffee table.  I had no place to put my tea (earl grey, hot) while I was watching Star Trek. I couldn't literally put my feet up after a long day of work. I knew the cat was suffering from not having another piece of furniture to hide under. Getting a coffee table would solve all of these problems and more, I was sure of it.  I was obsessed.  I started looking at home decor and design websites.  I popped into every store in town that might have something.  

After a few weeks, I found exactly what I wanted.  Hand made from reclaimed wood, it was technically a bench but would be perfect for our space.  It was beautiful.  It was expensive.  The price tag is what shook me out of my obsessive stupor.

I still wanted a coffee table though. Time to come up with a solution.

When we moved, we had to chuck our old and broken ikea bed. But the bedslats were still good, and I insisted we bring them with us in case we needed them for our next frame.  We brought them with us, but as it turns out we did not need them, so we were stuck with a bunch of odd 2x4s.

The beginnings of our masterpiece.

It was time to make our own reclaimed wood coffee table.With 9 dollars worth of screws, a handsaw, a drill and some clashing ideas, Dan and I designed and put together our own coffee table. While this was my initial idea, for the most part Dan was in charge of constructing the actual table (but he was removed him from handsaw duty).  I served the role of human clamp, literally holding things together as pilot holes were drilled and screws, screwed.

I took over this job for obvious reasons.

We're really pleased with the result.  The only regret is having such slap-dash pictures.  It would have been nice to properly document how we put it together, as well as the mess that went along with it.  I already have some more plans forming, but no more woodworking projects until the snow melts.  It makes for too much sawdust in our apartment.

The finished project.  It has already held many a cup of tea successfully.

Hey Rosetta & Asbury Park

Those who know me well, know a few key things about me:
1. I knit.
2. My birthday is October 21st
3. I really, really like Hey Rosetta, and think you should too.

The last few times I've tried to see Hey Rosetta, things haven't gone quite to plan.

Three years ago, I got tickets to see them in Toronto and then couldn't go because of work.  Luckily, I was able to give them to an excellent friend and now she's a fan.


Two summers ago we went to the Gentlemen of the Road Festival specifically to see them.  While they and all the other performers were great, it was there that I realized that I'm not as easy-going as I thought I was. In fact, I might be stodgey. Too many people, too much pushing, too much sun, too little sleep.

Hot, hot, hot. Bright, bright, bright.

Last summer we went to Hillside Music Festival in Guelph.  Hey Rosetta did a morning workshop with Royal Canoe that was a tribute to the music of the Beatles. It was worth waking up bright and early for. It was a tight and creative set that made it seem like the two bands have been playing together for years (who knows, maybe they have?).  The sad news is that Hey Rosetta's set that evening was cancelled due to a pretty epic thunder and lightning storm.

This fall I found out their newest album was being released on my birthday.  Happy Birthday to me!  However, we had just moved, and it was the Canadian release date that was October 21st.  The American release date was still months away. Yet another reason to be homesick.

Turn the clock to January.  I see a tweet.  I check a schedule. We buy tickets and 2 days later we're headed to the Jersey Shore to a place called The Saint.
 

The stage was so small, that even though we were in the very front, we couldn't see all the players.

It was a small stage and a modest crowd, with a few obvious ex-pats mixed in.  The size of the venue and crowd didnt stop them from playing a great show, playing mostly new songs with a few older favourites.  They handled the ridiculous demands from the crowd with grace and humour, and then, when they were all done, the violin player got most of  the band to sign my freshly purchased CD. Thanks Kinley!

And now it is January 27th! The official launch date of their new album Second Sight.  I hope it does great, and they come back  again sometime soon.

Pretty Much Settled!

So looking back at the last few months, things have been pretty busy.  Since October, we've packed up our lives moved to the US, had major struggles with our moving company, had major struggles with immigration,  had visitors (yay!! more of those please) and have been back to Canada twice to visit.  Somewhere in there, we finally unpacked and are properly moved into our apartment. 

Before I show you around, let me first remind you what our first month looked like:

Other than the fact that we were sleeping on the floor, and our kitchen supplies consisted of 2 plates and a casserole dish -  we got used to the plain walls and the clean counters.  It was simple and kind of nice. It was a shock when our furniture and books and countless other things arrived after a month.  I was pretty sure we were going to drown in our belongings.

After weeks with nothing, we're swimming in overwhelming amounts of stuff.

After a few weeks of sorting stuff, giving stuff away and then putting the leftover stuff away. We're pretty well settled. Let's show you around!

Living Room. 

Getting the art up on the walls was the most important part for me.  Once we had a few prints up, then it finally felt like we belonged here.  A lot of the art was made by friends and family. We're pretty lucky.

Dining Room/Kitchen. 

Bless Ikea shelving. Without them, we'd be swimming in books.  Since I've taken this photo a few days ago, I've already rearranged some things.  I'm sure I will again in a few weeks. It's an obsession.

Bedroom.  Milk crate shelving for the win.

 It is feeling more and more like home, but there is always more to do.  The most important thing to do is fill this place with more visitors. So come and visit!  The futon is surpisingly comfortable, and I have an infinite supply of tea and board games.

Books And The Best of Intentions

The year has come to a close, and the new year is all of a sudden here and now.  Time for me to do what many people do this time of year.  Time to look back, take stock and make plans for the future.

I've had ups and downs with New Year's Resolutions.  Over the past few years I have come up with lofty goals and vague plans to meet them.  Going to the gym everyday, learning a new language and keeping my house Martha-Stewart-clean; I've come up with all sorts of ideas for self improvement.  For the most part they have all failed.  My goals too ambitious, my interest not genuine.

But change is afoot.  The time for failed plans is through. For my third year in a row, I'm making the same simple resolution: I'm going to read 50 books.

Some of the books on my list this year.

When I was young, I would have laughed at such a goal. 50 books?  I could do that in 3 months.  I read constantly.  There was nothing on the bookshelves (shared with my brother and sister) that I hadn't read at least 5 times.  I would seek out the books that I hadn't yet read on the small shelves at my local library. It was a point of pride that I would read the entire Lord of the Rings Trilogy every year and every year, a little bit more of that dense text would make it into my brain. 

I'm not sure when this changed. High School? University? I can vividly remember hundreds of stories I read as a child, but I can not name you one book I read in university that wasn't also a text book.

It was when I came across the online community Goodreads when I realized how few and far between books had been in my life.  Using Goodreads as a tool to find new books and track my progress I slowly eased my way back into books.  It had been a long time, did I still know how to immerse myself into a story?  Appreciate fiction? Would I ever be the reader I wanted to be again?

I'm happy to announce, that my treatment has been success and I'm back in a reading groove. In 2012 I read 50 books.  In 2013, 37 (short of 50, but I still feel pretty good about it). 2014 I'm aiming for 50 again, and I'm feeling confident.

If I don't get to 50?  That's alright, I'll be at least partway there, with some new stories and experiences in my heart. It's a win-win. So, that's my one goal. My sole resolution. Read 50 books.

Oh, I also want to lose a few pounds.