Gone for a hike

      This afternoon we went to Middle Cove which is about 10 minutes from the house.  It has a little beach area where you can get close to the water and play.  The waves were too rough today for us to get too close.  Emily, Reagan and Maddie were not fans of the big loud waves, I think they were afraid of being swept away.  Nathan did some exploring on the beach and in a tide pool Nathan found a starfish that is currently being left out to dry so he can keep it.  I was trying to get a picture of all the kid and a BIG wave came in, the girls were able to get out of the way, but Nathan had COLD water up to mid thigh.  He was in a little bit of discomfort, saying "My toes are freezing!" his boots had filled with water.

Kayla and Emily playing in one of the streams that feed the ocean.

Nathan and his starfish

right before the BIG wave

   After playing by the water for a while we went for a hike on the East Coast Trail, which is a trail that runs the entire length of the east coast.  We only went a small distance on it, but I am ready to do it agian.  There were a few spots that were a bit too close to the cliff edge for small children.  It does not have a fence or any other barrier to prevent you from falling over the edge, most of it is a distance from the cliff edge, with trees between you and the edge, but there are parts that are a little unsafe.

 

looking down from atop the cliffs

stopping for a little snack

our view while having a snack

I hiked ahead to see what the path was like, this was me looking back

 

Happy Easter

    This morning we awoke to a white Easter, there was snow on the ground with flurries falling.  The kids were up at 6:00 and ready to find their baskets, we made them wait until 6:30.  Once the clock struck 6:30 the kids were ready and we could not hold them back any longer.  Off we went to find our baskets.  Everyone found their basket and ate some candy.  Then it was time to get ready for church.  After church we had breakfast and started to get things together for lunch.  While the ham cooked, it was time for the Easter egg hunt.  We had the hunt inside due to the snow we had.  It was a mess of kids running all over and helping each other find eggs.  It was sweet to watch the older ones show Reagan where some are and helping her find them.  They all shared their candy with each other and have eaten more sweets than one should eat in a day.  It has been a good day!

dyed eggs in the snow

Emily has lost 3 teeth in the last 3 weeks

 

 

Ferryland and Cape Spear

    Today we went on a drive down the east coast along the "Irish Loop".  There was not too much to see and the kids grew grumpy an hour into the drive.  Fortunately we arrived at Ferryland.  Ferryland is a small town on the east coast that comes to life on May 24th.  May 24th is the day the summer "officially" begins and all the tourist activities are open.  Right now Ferryland was just a stop on the map to get out of the car and walk on the rocks, throw some rocks into the ocean, check out the sea urchins, and enjoy the pretty views.  In the summer there is a lighthouse you can go into, have a picnic by the ocean, watch the blacksmith work, and other things to do.  We will be going back this summer to check it all out.



Emily with her rock collection

drift wood

Paul and Kayla

 

   










          On our way back from Ferryland we drove to Cape Spear, which is about 30 minutes from the house and was another place to get out and stretch our legs.  It is also the easternmost point in continental North America and has a lighthouse that is the oldest surviving lighthouse in Newfoundland (originally constructed in 1834).  This coast is mainly cliffs, so there was no throwing rocks into the water or getting close to the water.  This is the closest point that we will be able to go to watch the whales as they migrate through and where we can see the ice bergs as they float by.   I am told that we should start seeing whales and icebergs between May (probably the end) and June.  I am excited about this.  There are some World War II bunkers and canons that you can walk through and look at, the kids liked to climb on the BIG canons.

 

River Walk

The weather is starting to warm up, it is not hot by any means, but warmer.  I will say this, I am typing this with a blanket wrapped around me and sitting by the fire...  There is a river that runs by the house and it has a trail that you can walk along the river.  We went for a walk this morning along the river.  We decided to see where it took us and how far we could go before the kids wore out.  The path still has a lot of snow on it and we would sink into some of the soft spots.  It made for some uneven footing.  At one spot in the trail was a bridge that went over the river, but you did not know that was the case because of all the snow, Paul stepped off of the bridge part and he sunk his entire leg into the snow, his foot never touched water, but it was a long drop.  We went past a little lake and the kids were excited to see the ducks.  Nathan had a good time naming the different types of ducks there are.  There was a large portion of the lake that is still frozen.  Along the path there was a park that we stopped at and let the kids play at for a while.  It will be nice when the snow is gone and we can walk without falling into soft pockets of snow and sinking! 

frozen lake

 

Male pintail