Back to Lockport

Vanessa and I had planned to go back to Lockport after she moved into her new home. I bought the bus tickets, exchanged the money, and was all ready the day before, when I met her at the Jack Layton Memorial.

After the free concert we went to Fran's for dinner and planned to meet at 1 pm at the bus station.

The next day I was about to leave for the bus, when I checked my messages, and saw that Vanessa had been sick all night, and wasn't able to come. So off I went on my own.

Maria and her mom Mae, met me at the bus station and we took the Lewiston bridge to get across the border. Big mistake. It took almost an hour, and we were behind and idiot who kept turning off his engine, and waited for a 4 car length gap before turning on and moving forward. Needless to say we were frustrated with him, and when Maria honked at him to move, he laughed and 'flipped the bird.' He tried to speed up though when a car from another lane moved in front of him. Stoooopid guy.

When I got to the house, Maria showed me all the food that she had bought at a food auction. 10 dozen cobs of corn, plus peppers, onions, apples, eggplants, garlic, tomatoes and goodness knows what else.  She and I set to work shucking that corn. (Oh we had many shucking jokes, us two mother shuckers!)

As it was canning season, I helped out as much as I could. I pulled the silk off the cobs, while Maria cut the corn off the cobs, and Bob bagged and vacuum sealed the corn.  I sliced and bagged and vacuum sealed the eggplant, while she blanched tomatoes and made pizza sauce to can.

There was a swamp close by that Maria wanted me to see. It would be a nice hike and I was told I would see some cool animals and birds there, including eagles. When we got there however, the swamp had dried up due to the very hot weather, and there were no animals to be seen.

 Later on Maria took me to Hobby Lobby to check out more craft supplies! We also went to a chocolate shop where we both had samples and an ice cream.

On the Saturday there was a stamping show so Maria and I met her friends, Darlene, Holly and Laura for breakfast, then off to the show. I spent a good chunk of money there, but there were some very cool stamps, dies, and other tools.

That evening Maria and her family went to a family wedding. I decided that while they were getting ready that I would go and read in the hammock outside. Before I left, I asked them not to lock me out, and I was told, "of course not."  After an hour of so in the hammock, I was thirsty and went to go in to get some water. Yes, you guessed it, someone had locked me out!  I went to Mae's entrance, and her door was also locked, but I noticed the door wasn't quite shut properly, so although I couldn't turn the handle, I was able to shove it open. Thanks goodness, it would have been a long night out there with the bugs and such!

Olivia and Elliot

Shortly after I went inside, Maria's friend Darlene showed up and we ate dinner together, a bean casserole that Maria had made in the crock pot. It was really good. After dinner Darlene showed me a few card techniques and we made a couple of cards.

Later that night, Maria, Bob, Mae and the kids came back and told me all about their time at the wedding, it sounded like they had a great time. However one of the dogs had shown them how angry he was being left alone with me.  Sam had peed on the carpet in their bedroom!

Beeboo and Sam

Sunday came around quickly, and Maria and her daughter Olivia were going to take me back to Niagara Falls to catch the bus. As it turned out, Elliot wanted to join us, as well as a friend of 'Liv's and then Bob said he wanted to come. We all piled in the car and made our way to Niagara Falls.

It was another pleasurable and relaxing holiday on the 'farm!'

Lockport New York

I wanted a Cricut for my card making and paper crafting, but they are really expensive, and the shipping is ridiculous. I check on Craigslist, and there was nothing here close to Toronto, so I checked out Buffalo N.Y. to see if anyone had one there. I found one for $100, and contacted the seller to see if she would be willing to mail it to Canada. She said if I was willing to pay she would send it. Then she said that she sometimes came up to Burlington, Ontario to go to Ikea. If I could wait for their next trip, then we could meet there. I checked the train fare, $17.50 return, way cheaper that the shipping would be, so I agreed.

I met Maria and her husband Bob in May at the train station. They drove us to Swiss Chalet for lunch. We had so much in common. Maria, stamps and scrapbooks, she teaches special needs adults crafts once a week. We hit it off immediately. They drove me back to the station, handed me the Cricut, and as we said our goodbyes, she invited me to go and stay with her over the summer. I said I would.

My friend Vanessa and I took Megabus to Niagara Falls during the first week of July, walked across the Rainbow Bridge, through customs, (only to be drilled about why we were there, how long I had known the person we were visiting, how did I know her, if I had met her in person etc. etc!) and met Maria at an ice cream shop. We drove about an hour to her hobby farm, walked around her acre and a 1/3rd, checking out her chickens,

vegetable garden

and hammock.

We stayed for 4 days, sleeping in Mae's room, (Maria's mom). Elliot and Olivia, seemed excited to see us, and loved the bandanas and key chains I brought with me.

We spent time in the garden, weeding, sleeping, relaxing, and on July 4th we were invited to a fireworks display like I've never seen before. We were almost directly underneath them, and I behaved like a kid seeing fireworks for the first time!

We went shopping in Amish country, buying gluten-free stuff for me, lavender for Vanessa and cheese for Maria.

I also went shopping in Michaels for craft supplies, and to a stamping shop where Maria shops as well as a quaint shop carrying all sorts of amazing things, selling blankets, bags, backpacks and more made from very bright materials.

We returned to Canada too soon, this time Maria and Bob driving us right to the bus stop.  I promised once again that I would return to visit before the summer was over.

What a great time I had. Making new friends, relaxing, seeing parts of New York that I have never seen. The countryside is so beautiful, peaceful and calm.