us in usa

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hello hello hello
well im out and about again and finally have found an internet cafe - tis bloody difficult..
so we've been having a fandabidosey time so far. virginia was fab, we ate, we drank, we raced, we toured, we cross countryed.. and generally really enjoyed gettin totally spoilt by big brother. as our luck would have it the virginia gold cup took place a couplt of days after we arrived - how bad! was great, weather was a bit irish but the steeplechasing was excellent viewing, as was the cross country event which made us jealous we werent in teh saddle ourselves. the scenery in VA was better than i remembered and as they say here 'awesome' . really both of us were won over, hundreds of unused acres of unspoilt green, picturesque land that seemed to run over hills and hollows for miles. you could almost smell the money in the air, were it not for the trimming of the grass - just to keep it looking pretty! anyhow, the foder was excellent, well miss the brothers pub, and the interesting local folk, one with a gun collection which would make osama bin ladin jealous. we spent a day in washington D.C, doing the regular tourist thing. the monuments and museums, all good. we enjoyed our little jaunt on the subway, and, wait for it, we managed to see the queen. I know, we go all the way to USA to see the queen, but there she was in her wee blue-green suit and curly white hair, with Bush's wife. so we had to take a pic, as she managed to turn up on the day we picked, out of all the days in the year, life even, to show her face on the day we were touring - how nice of her. so otherwise we had the pleasure of tantalising our senses with that old familiar horse smell in Natalie's and Paul's barn. by day we shoped in walmart and eat in taco bell and by night guzzeled good wine infront of the rather huge tv. overall we have a really rosey opinions of life in VA, it all seem so lovely, peaceful, scenic, seems it may be a good advert for the american dream sorta thing, land of oppertunities and all that.
we managed to take a day trip to shanendoah jnational park and did a wee bit of trekking to see waterfalls, and maybe shed a few of the beer calories.

so off we headed in out golden hummingbird (our gold very swish toyota - leather seats, electric everything, A/C and even cruise control - apparently a spare car!!! - oh and a cd changer - cud we be better off - I think not!!) humming - because of that familiar drumming of an automatic engine, its rather relaxing really . we did aim for niagra but stopped off en route in Pennslyvania - unusual lot there. the camp grounds were great we thought - until we had seen more further on up the road - oh yes we have a tent. this great deal a 5 person tent chairs, delph etc, al great until we realised if you coughed the dam thing would fall down. ah no not that bad, but it was an unexpectidly cold night, not what wed packed for. the nearest large town was very dark, and kinda freakishly quiet, fairy lights and angel ornaments all lit up outside houses, they all look local - we were one of the few forigners id imagine. we were glad to cold (rather than hot) foot it out of there by the early am next morning.
we traveled on to Niagra. we decided to take the usa side first although every one says canada side is best. so we made the correct decision - yea!. we camped out again in a beautiful spot on lake ontarios shore where the geese kept us company (just like fly away home film) and we took in the sunset with the the rest of the campers - awe inspiring site. the following day we walked all the wee islands on the USA side fo the falls. it was lovely weather, plenty of nature, gulls and geese and al sorts of the feathered variety. as for the falls, we were suitably impressed. the ferocious constant noise was therapeautic, the rapids and falls were too huge for a straight forward look and managed to impress us from so many angles. we did a trip under bridle falls, were you stand covered in a light plastic ponchos and get drownded with numblingly cold water. i know - you think whats the point in that, well it is a rush and deadly to feel the power and temperature as it sourrounds u, you feel so miniscule - at natures mercy if you like. the flow has been decreased 75% for the power company, it must be crazy at full pelt. we also poped into an unimpressive aquarium, felt sorry for the fishes and cruised aroud the town, which can only be described as dodgy at best - as was the all you can eat indian buffet we had that day...uuuuh, ..shudder...shudder.... it was a bit of a goast town i think, a lof of hangers on street corners, broken down buildings and kinda ugly. but we enjoyed ourselves immensley and returned to out tented luxury for our picnic salad and toasting marshmallows over our open fire for the night. seriously i had to try it - although the mallows werent that great - and fairly messy. so as there is ying and yang or light and shade, to balance our beautiful day we had a stormy stormy night. serious wind. our poor tent was airborn and folding in on top of us on many occasions. we had picked the most glorious spot to see the sunrise over the lake etc (althoug we never managed to get up that early) and of course there was no shelter. so we were huffed and puffed and our house was very nearly blown down. but we survived and had come to have a great respect for our tent until last night when the canadian rain provided us with a watering hole in our tent - on our air bed if you dont mind! the wind though - the night of the storm - wreaked al over the area, so we were lucky. it was like two or three wind were having an argument and building up speed and sound like torpedos throuhg the trees - kinda unnerving in a tent but a kinda crazy experience to.
so next day - to Canada. the city this side of the niagra was nicer - we walked way out in the suburbs - but a very commercial spot, too touristy. we did do the typical tourist things and went on a boat to get covered in icy water yet again and journeyed behind the falls. overall, we really enjoyed niagra, but we had the best of both sides, had we only to see one - Canada had the more impressive views, but USA the better trails through the islands etc. missing either side would have possibly affected our overall impression.
so off from there to here - Toronto. and camping again - in the rain this time. we had a nice easy day yest but today we went the the CN tower - the tallest building in the world, which was cool, and, the toronto zoo - 2nd largest in world - also pretty good but we could have done with more time to see it. but overalll pretty impressive.
we are about to be kicked out of this internet place, that we struggled to find so i must be off
as this was a rushed one im sure ive missed tonnes and trying to tpye fast so some might not make any sense - but that could be for the better
so next time i hope this will be better
hope all is well with everyone
girls at the equine - im living in the rain jacket i bought with my lovely present.
paul thanks for everything again - as the feraro roshe add says - your really spoiling us

toodles
grace

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Comments

[garvey]

just a quick note
hey grace, very very quick hello...havent texted cos i lost me phone...i do kno the girls have ur number! anyway big excitement here this morn....virology havin their pic taken....wil send it to ya if it appears anywhere!! gona read ur journal on me break.... say hello to paul...by the sounds of it ye aere livin it up! take care....will email with the juice! love from all the equine gang!! marie

[Tommie]

Hi, great to have your blogs to read again - keep it up. Be in touch soon. Love T