One thousand mile long weekend

Ya, it's been a while, but no, I haven't caved in on my commitment to do my part for this blog. We are in the doldrums of mid-semester, which is both the surest and lamest excuse. What to report? Dinner was fine. But is life boring me? Far from it! It's been nice to be in daily graduate student mode the past two weeks. I guess I should just put out the word: we are happy, healthy and blessed just to be learning, working and being with friends. No major events. Well, we went for a very nice walk and picnic on Saturday atop a nearby mountain, taking in some fall scenes and being chilled by gusts of northern wind. The temperature's settling into a much lower plane these days.

Two weekends ago, though, October 6-9, we made a very major trip I must bring to your attention. We left on Friday at 8am, later than expected because I'd gotten home just before midnight after finishing an assignment. No harm, we thought we'd still make it to London by night. It's not that far away, compared to Kansas City or Boise, Idaho. What? Has my geography become as bad as an American's? Ah, no, we were on our way to London,... Ontario, Canada. This is Northeastern North America. Every British city, town and hamlet basically has a counterpart here. There's Windsor, Gloucester, Southampton, Stratford, and of course, London.

London is about 550 miles (880 km) away. How can one live a while in the US and not do one of these epic road trips (albeit only one day long)? So we did, and with eager anticipation, to make it there for my friend Nii's wedding. He is a good friend from my years at UBC, Vancouver.

A strong-bodied, big-hearted, wise and godly man, from whom I received a wedding invitation two months ago. Hadn't heard from him in quite a while, but he is a special person with whom I don't have to be 'in touch' to immediately connect. A month ago I made a trip to New York City, queueing up at the Canadian consulate - also at 8am - to submit our visa application. We got it by late morning.

We had to go for the wedding, even if it meant being away for four days. Especially that it meant getting away, celebrating a wedding, and spending time with the Elliots, our dear friends now in Toronto! They would also be at the wedding. The ten hour drive turned out to be not so bad after all. I was hardly tired. We were treated to vivid fall foliage sights along the way, munched on pita bread with humus and garlic spread, tuned in to an assortment of Christian radio - something we do not get at all in Amherst - and for myself, recollected memories of good times in Vancouver. Approaching London, my excitement grew at meeting my friend for the first time in seven years.

It was very good to see him, meet his bride and their friends. We were hosted by a lovely family over Friday night, getting refreshing rest. Jacqui kept saying how much she likes Canada. We witnessed a vibrant, soulful, radiant wedding. The singing lifted us, with Nii and Celestina dancing along. Such joy, not just at the event but simply to be able worship. The theme, their vows, the way they carried themselves, truly honoured God. The lunch reception was a feast, with some tasty African dishes, sublime music and hearty laughter.

After the wedding, we passed through charming Stratford and Elora on the way to Toronto. Very interestingly, we saw some people of Old Order Mennonite tradition trundling about on their horse-drawn carriages, decked out in all black gowns and hats.

We spent two nights in Toronto, basking in the splendid hospitality of the Elliots. It was a Canadian weekend: (ice) hockey, hockey, hockey, and being thanksgiving, turkey. We caught up with each other and kept up with their vibrant family lifestyle. The world is filled with excellent people. Our brief stay gave us much pleasure and recharging.

trigger 'appy w/ the Elliot boys, Harriet and us Lees

On the way back, a shorter ride of 9 hours, we broke journey at Niagara Falls - "The Falls" shout the road signs as you approach. The Falls proved to be magnificent. We walked on the promenade by the river, viewing the American Falls as we headed toward the Horseshoe Falls. A section of the walk was moistened by the spray, which got carried I'd say 1 kilometre from the base of the Horseshoe. I naturally became quite trigger-happy, shooting frames that showed more than the ones from my previous visit to Niagara way back in 1986. That was a rainy, very rainy day. I have a photo of my deadpan face, a grey sheet in the background with a wet rock in the corner. Now I can fill in that picture.

Couldn't have asked for more - Niagara