Catherine - While travelling we always search for unique things to do in an area whether it be a state, a province, a city or town.

I probably should have been a geologist or mineral dealer because I love all things sparkly. When I checked ‘what to do’ near Thunder Bay you can imagine my delight to find out there were amethyst mines where one can go and mine their own crystals.

After getting skunked at Crater of Diamonds in Arkansas, Kathryn, Narnia and I were a bit skeptical. Was it going to be a whole day digging through mud to find nothing? Maybe - but let’s go!

Once again the Moho travelled down a gravel road and we found one of the amethyst mines. We brought our hammer, safety goggles and a bucket and were ready to mine. Off we went with our tools and bug spray and in less than 100 feet we were searching for amethyst.

The mine owners charge $25/bucket of rocks, if you don’t fill a bucket they eyeball the amount. We paid $10 and came home with more than twenty decent crystals. The mine also had a gift shop where you could purchase some very nice crystals and giant boulders with amethyst crystals throughout.

As we had no home to return to and no idea where we would end up we opted not to buy a giant 3 foot boulder, but when we get settled I may have to find a way to get one or two sent home to us.

I’m not sure I would call it fun, but I would call the day fruitful. Okay, it was fun. Adventure is always fun.

Kathryn - We had to blow through western New Brunswick and Quebec in order to get to Ontario where we had an appointment to have the Moho’s slide fixed. We stopped briefly along the St. Lawrence to see the whales but had to skip Quebec City and Montreal completely. Another trip, another time.

Once in Ontario we had an amazing experience at the Upper Canada Bird Sanctuary. Unfortunately the campground was full, but we could camp in the overflow area if we wanted. Typically an overflow area is simply a parking lot with a view of a junk pile, not at the bird sanctuary. There we camped alongside the St. Lawrence in a grove of giant oak trees. With our nearest neighbour more than 300 feet behind us, it felt like we had the entire sanctuary to ourselves. It would have been absolutely idyllic if not for the black flies ‘pickin our bones’. Making the best of it we all donned our mosquito nets and sat outside enjoying the view.

Suddenly we heard a crack crack from high up in an oak tree. A second later a little black squirrel came spiraling down to the ground head first. THUNK! A few seconds later it gathered itself up and climbed a neighbouring tree. “I wonder how often squirrels fall out of trees and how high they can fall from and still survive?” I posed to Catherine. Ten minutes later that same squirrel, still dazed from its previous fall, came crashing down again. “Just stop with your wondering okay?” Catherine said. The squirrel lived (we think).

After our slide was fixed I received an e-mail from Switzercult Creative, a design store that represents my work in Vancouver. “The interior designer for global affairs wants to order two of your lamps for the Canadian Embassy in Norway, can you do it?”

One thing I know is that when team Canada calls you lace up your skates and get on the ice. “Of course I can do it” I replied.

All of my tools, templates and wood were thousands of kilometers away in Vancouver. Seeing the rest of Canada would have to wait, “Let’s go home.”

Narnia - Why do these women insist on humiliating me? True I look good in almost everything, but come on… would they wear this? Sometimes people take liberties that maybe they shouldn’t; I think I’ll go barf on the bed.