Journal of My New England/Canada Cruise

Day 4

Bar Harbor, Maine

Enchantment of the Seas Anchored in Bar Harbor

Granite Pink Glacier Rock

Acadia National Park

Cadillac Mountain

The day began early with a tender taking us to Bar Harbor.  The day was absolutely beautiful.  I had booked tickets online for Ollie's Trolley in Bar Harbor.  This tour took us past many of the beautiful homes and historic district of Bar Harbor and out to Acadia National Park.  The scenery in the park was absolutely break taking!  A few hours in that park certainly did not do it justice and my intentions are to return again someday.    The view from Cadillac Mountain was awesome!   The granite has a pink hue attributed to the molten magma that intruded into older, overlying rock.  As it cooled, it hardened and crystallized.  It is peppered with flecks of black hornblende and glistens with quartz crystal.  The pink feldspar gives the granite it's pick hue. After returning to the village of Bar Harbor we found a nice grassy area and rested there with a piece of Wild Maine Blueberry Pie.   It was absolutely delicious!   Mom and I then decided that we would let the men take off in their own direction and do a little shopping.    Since it was the end of tourist season there were some great buys
and I came back with a pair of Merrell walking shoes.  The perfect ending to a perfect day was the Blueberry Ice Cream that Mom and I shared after our shopping expedition. :)

Scene from tender boat back to ship

Journal of My New England/Canda Cruise

Day 3

Portland, Maine

Today was our first port of call - Portland, Maine.    After eating an early breakfast at the Windjammer we headed out on deck to view our arrival at the port.  It was an absolutely gorgeous day with sunshine and brisk winds on deck.  With camera in hand I was able to snap a shot of the Portland, Maine Headlight Lighthouse.  The scenery was absolutely gorgeous and I was excited about seeing Portland.   I had booked our trolley and cruise tour on line (http://www.portlanddiscovery.com) prior to sailing.  The trolley tour took us past the childhood home of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Victoria Mansion, beautiful old homes and the Old Port District.

Architecture - Old Homes

Portland Maine Headlight

Portland, ME Museum

After the morning tour we stopped at the Portland Lobster Company and I had a delicious lobster roll.,  YUMMY! 

Lobster Roll

Our final adventure of the afternoon was to take a Lighthouse Harbor Tour.  As we cruised past the Bug Light suddenly we heard a loud "crunch" from the bottom of the boat.  The captain of the boat announced that we had apparently hit a lobster crate and it had broken the steering shaft of the boat.

Bug Light

The Coast Guard came with siren's screaming and the captain announced that everyone on board had to put on their life jackets.   The boat was then tugged back to shore.  Unfortunately that took the remainder of the afternoon.  Once we got back to shore we collected our refund from the tour operator and headed back to the ship. 

Mom in LifeJacket

Rescue Boat (2)

Journal of My New England/Canda Cruise

Day 2

A Day At Sea

There's not much to tell you about Day 2 except that the one thing I did do was RELAX!  

Here's what I did

• Eat breakfast
• Relax with a book in the Solarium
• Eat snack
• Eat lunch
• Walk the ship's pool deck
• Eat some more
• Read
• Sleep
• Eat some more
• Enjoyed a class of wine before dinner
• Eat dinner
• Watched the show
• Sleep again ... .

Not much to report here ... unless you'd like to hear about everything I ate.  LOL
Tonight was our first formal night in the dining room.   Dressed in formal attire for the evening we enjoyed a wonderful dinner. 
I guess you get the general idea of my day at sea!

Journal of My New England/Canda Cruise

Day 1 - Baltimore, Maryland -

Thursday, October 6th, 2011

Lunch on Pool Deck

Francis Scott Key Bridge

Unpacking

Baltimore Port is a wonderful place to embark when cruising.   We pulled into the parking lot around 11:15 am and we were on the ship in 30 minutes or less.  Diamond Members of RCCL do have priority boarding which is a nice benefit!  Once on board we headed straight for the Windjammer to eat lunch and relax on the pool deck.  The weather was absolutely beautiful.   Around 1:30 pm the rooms to the cruise ship passengers were opened so we headed down to the room to start unpacking.    At 4:00 pm we set sail through the Baltimore Harbor and it was absolutely amazing to watch the ship go through the Francis Scott Key Bridge.    Amazing ... it actually looked like we were going to hit the top of the bridge.  It takes approximately nine hours for the ship to go through the Chesapeake Bay out into the Atlantic.    After dinner at 8:00 pm in the "My Fair Lady" dining room it was off to a show and early to bed.    I was looking forward to the next day!

A Servant's Heart

While at work today  I received a message from a sister who had recently lost her sister (a former co-worker) to Ovarian cancer on December 14th.     In her note she expressed appreciation to all the people who had touched her sister's life during her battle with cancer and to those that reached out to her during the last few days, hours and minutes of her sister's life.  The note shared that each one of those people who had reached out had the heart of a servant.  The note made me very emotional as I sat there at my desk.  It also prompted me to reflect on the question, "What have I done today to reach out to those who need help"?  I am so guilty of not making an effort to reach out to those who find themselves in less fortunate circumstances than I.  I am so blessed with not only material things but for a family who loves me.   There are many people tonight that are hurting.   I pray that an opportunity will present itself to me where I can make a difference someone's life.   Open my eyes that I may see, open my hears that I may hear ....


Quote of the day:
It's easy to make a buck.  It's a lot tougher to make a difference.  ~Tom Brokaw

I'm Too Busy

I laugh every time I heard my grandson say,  "I'm Too Busy" when there is something that he really doesn't want to do.  Even at the early age of three it's funny how those same phrases carry over into our adult life.   I had promised myself that I would write in my journal "blog" at least every other day but here it is Sunday night and I've only written one time.  I guess I was just "Too Busy".    We sometimes fail to make time for the things that matter most.  If I look back on this past week I realized that I was just using "Too Busy" as an excuse.  Yes I was busy alright - playing on Facebook, or reading articles on the web, or watching something really stupid on TV.  If I had taken 15 minutes out of my "too busy" I could have accomplished so much more.    Next time I'm laid back in the recliner I'll have to remind myself that my "too busy" is just a way of making an excuse.

 Quote of the day:

Excuses are the tools with which persons with no purpose in view build for themselves great monuments of nothing.  ~Steven Grayhm

No Photo of the Day   - I was "Too Busy"  LOL

Don't Sweat the Small Stuff

In recent days a friend of mine informed me that her husband had been diagnosed with cancer.  This brought back a flood of memories about the day that I was informed that I had breast cancer.    You go through a whole range of emotions - shock, denial, grief, worry, doubt.   As my friend sat there sobbing in her chair I reached out with a big HUG and gave her these words of advice.  "Savor every moment that you have together.   Have fun, make memories and stay busy".  Cancer is a life changing experience but looking back you realize that the only things that are important in life are the little things.   Think of it this way - you are given an opportunity that few are given.  An opportunity to look at your life and thing about what really is important.  It's not the material things but it's faith and family that will carry you through this valley.  I also told her that friends play an important role in the treatment process and that when friends reach out to help don't be embarrased to accept their help.  Those friends reaching out are those people that care about you the most.  It won't be an easy journey but you'll get through it with God's help.

Quote of the day   --
"Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow; it empties today of its strength" ~ Corrie ten Boom