The main reason for scheduling my trip to Canada so early in the spring in mid-March (or should I say late in the winter!!) was so that I could be with Mom to celebrate her 80th birthday on March 20th.
Here we are preparing for church on Easter Sunday with Mom's surprise Birthday Bouquet (from my brother John in Calgary) of 80 ruby red roses!!
I was happy that the temperatures throughout the month were relatively mild.
And I thank my sister Arlene for fantastically cozy winter coat that was waiting for me in Boston when I deplaned, that kept me warm and snuggly while I enjoyed the beauties of nature by the Oromocto River as it begins its yearly thaw.
I spent a lot of very enjoyable time with my brother, Herb, who lives in southern New Brunswick on the border with Maine. Not only did he host an overnight visit en route both to and from Boston and Mom's home in Fredericton, but he and his wife Marg came up to visit Mom and I for two weekends while I was there.
I'm also grateful to Marg (shown here with their grandson Trypp, son Adam, daughter Larissa and Larissas friend, Andrew) for driving all the way to Portland, Maine to pick me up and drop me off on both legs of my trip. Oh yes, and Larissa too!!
My brother, Maurice, lives in Boston with his wife Kathleen, and between them, they run the best darn "half-way house" one could wish for. They are always picking up family and friends at the airport, putting them up for a few days in their Boston heritage home with lots of great food and entertainment, then sending them on their way, either north or south depending if it is the beginning or the end of their journey.
On my return to Guatemala, Mo and I went walking through Middlesex Fells Reservation, a beautiful walk through woodlands and around a duck-filled pond to a tower and a breathtaking view of Boston in the distance.
My travelling companion for the long trip back to Guatemala from the cold cold north.
