Those Were The Days....part 2

 I loved our days in Dallas. I just wish we could have had the time and the money to see more of it. As a student, you are focused on getting your work done and spending so much time working that you really do not have the time to do the fun stuff (unless it was free). Seminary students were often given tickets to attend the Symphony. This was a night to dress up and pretend to be rich.

We decided that it was time to buy a puppy. We saw the cutest Shih-Tzu and could not pass her up. We brought her home and carried her into our apartment in a paper bag so that the neighbors would not see her. We named her Muffin. She was a really good puppy DURING THE DAY! At night, all she did was bark! The apartment manager informed us that we could not have a pet....WHY NOT? Others have them. We were informed that those who had them prior to a specific date could keep them, but after that, you could not. We fell into the 'after' category. Coincidentally, our apartment manager was leaving to take another apartment complex and informed us that pets were acceptable. So, we moved and she continued to be our apartment manager.

Muffin

 We were able to visit Southfork Ranch, where 'Dallas' was filmed and actually were there while they were filming. And, to think, this house is only for filming........

Meet 'Big Tex'                                                                        


 We attended the Texas State Fair and I will NEVER eat another corn dog as long as I live! I was pregnant with Nicole at the time so I have not had a corn dog in 26 years! To this day, I cannot even stand to LOOK at one!

We were able to attend the Cotton Bowl one year. We saved up in order to do this...this being the most expensive thing we did while living there! I am no football fan, but this was a big deal. Something I would see only on television, became a reality for me. And, the fact that we were freezing....it was REALLY cold that day!

We lived right around the corner from White Rock Lake. Scott gets this brilliant idea that we were going to take a walk one beautiful Sunday afternoon......this walking path brings back so many unpleasant memories for me.

 First, no one told us that the lake was 9 miles (OK, so we should have asked someone) but we were young and stupid! Second, we decided to take Muffin along. God rest her little canine soul.........by the end of our walk, we were ready to change her name to Puffin'. Oh, wait! That was MY name I almost changed to Puffin'! Although, she DID get carried a good portion of the way, which is more than can be said about Scott or myself!

The Dallas Skyline from White Rock Lake

Third, I was NOT wearing walking shoes! Before we even made it back home, I had huge blisters on the bottoms of both feet and I had to be at work the next morning by 6:30 a.m.! *sigh*

Fourth, we took no money with us. Not that we had any money to take, but, that is beside the point! We took nothing to drink, either. This meant that we had to depend on the water fountains along the path. That is, UNTIL I SAW SOME JOGGER WASH HIS FACE, AND THEN, HIS WHOLE HEAD IN THE WATER FOUNTAIN! No thanks! Nothing for me to drink!

Dealey Plaza where John F. Kennedy was shot

It gave us a leery feeling to be standing here.  I believe the 'X' on the road actually marks the spot.

Meanwhile, back at the seminary, as I was working one day.....
A man came to the window to purchase postage stamps, wearing a long trench coat and silly hat. He scared me! Once I sold him the stamps and he shared a bit of small talk, I couldn't seem to get rid of him. He finally walked away from the counter and the girls behind the counter, including my supervisor, were all giddy. "Do you know who that was?" someone blurted out. Of course I didn't know! I was informed that I just sold postage stamps to Tom Landry who was THE COACH OF THE DALLAS COWBOYS!

Coach Landry


 How awesome is that?  Coach Landry was on the Board of Directors of Dallas Theological Seminary at the time and was there for a meeting. He often visited the school and could be seen throughout the campus but when I did see him after that, I tried to be cool about it and just say, "Hi". 

Charles Ryrie

Then, there was the time that I mailed out a package for Charles Ryrie. When I was informed who he was, I was embarrassed. You have heard of the Ryrie Study Bible, haven't you? Well, I told my supervisor that I thought 'that guy' had died a long time ago! 

President John F. Walvoord

We met some pretty amazing people in our short two years that we were there...professors Howard Hendricks, Dwight and Ed Pentecost, Norman Geisler (whom Scott mowed grass for on a weekly basis). Many well-known speakers spoke at Chapel each week and we had the privilege of hearing many of them. It was my job to see that the President of the Seminary, John Walvoord, received his Wall Street Journal daily. He had to have it on his desk by 7:00 a.m.  *sigh*  Oh, the pressures of pleasing the president!

Next blog, I will conclude my memories of our time spent in Dallas. It has been fun reminiscing and I hope to one day return if only for a few days to see all the changes that have taken place since we left there in 1985.

Final Photos of the Niagara Falls Trip, 2011

Canadian Horseshoe Falls

Between Goat Island and Table Rock

American Falls

Between Prospect Point and Luna Island

With Maid of the Mist Boat (which was AWESOME!)

American Falls on the Left

Smaller Falls to the Right is the Bridal Veil Falls

Between Luna Island and Goat Island

Fort George

Built by the British between 1796 and 1799 to guard entrance to the Niagara River, Fort George played a strategic role in the War of 1812 and was used by General Isaac Brock as the base for British military operations in the area. The fort was overrun and burned by the Americans in May of 1813. More than a century later during the Great Depression, the fort was restored to the original specifications of the Royal Engineers as a make-work project. All 11 of the original 14 buildings restored are furnished as they were from 1797 to 1813; all hardware used in the restoration was made by hand at Fort George in the Artificer's Shop.

In the center of this photo is Brock's Monument

Major General Sir Isaac Brock died here in one of the fiercest battles of the War of 1812. The original monument was built in 1824, at which time Brock's remains were re-interred in the vault below the monument. Queenston Heights became a popular tourist destination, and for almost 100 years lake boats brought thousands of visitors from Toronto to this site. In 1840, the monument was blown up by one of the Mackenzie rebels. A new monument was completed in 1857, which has endured, with some repairs, until today.

A climb up the narrow spiralling stairs to the top of the monument at 50-meters (190 feet), will leave you breathless. It is this same escarpment edge where, about 12,000 years ago, the mighty cascades started to grind and wear away seemingly impenetrable rocks to form the ll-kilometer-long (6.8 mile-long) Niagara Gorge.

Nicole, as we reached the very top of the Sky Wheel

And, yes! That IS a Hershey Kiss you see here!

A block from our hotel was the Hershey store....Did we stop? Of course not!

So, now it is time to say goodbye to the Falls and head for home....only for them to become memories of a trip that we both enjoyed so much................

.......with a promise that these Falls aren't going anywhere anytime soon and maybe we will get to see them again.................

'Get Over It'...Conquering My Fears

As I continue with today's blog, I noticed that part of my last one somehow got deleted.  I was talking about the Skylon Tower. I wasn't sure I would be able to go to the top of this.....A trip to the top of this world-famous Niagara Falls attraction combines an exhilarating 52-second ride with the awe of seeing Niagara Falls from 775 feet above the mighty Falls, going at a speed of 12 kilometers (8 miles) per hour. He makes 26 trips per hour. I am SURE that his being Canadian and having a french accent helped ME get to the top of the tower easily, not to mention, he was cute!  I rode what they call the 'yellow bug', which are elevators on the outside of the tower,  and was a bit nervous going up, but if THAT doesn't cure you of your fear of heights, THERE IS ALWAYS SOMETHING ELSE THAT NICOLE WILL TALK ME INTO THAT WILL CURE IT! You can look out through the glass-enclosed 'yellow bug' and view the Falls, the Great Gorge, Niagara wine district, the dazzling cityscape below and the Toronto and Buffalo skylines. From here, you can take in 8,000 square miles of Canada and the U.S.

OK...that wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.....NOW, ON TO THE NEXT ADVENTURE!

This morning I was up bright and early and ready to start my day of sightseeing. We began a three-hour guided tour of Niagara Falls with Michelle, our local step-on guide.  There was a story told by the local Native peoples of a mighty waterfall hidden in the middle of the continent. We can only wonder how the explorers felt when they first discovered Niagara Falls. In such a remote, untamed wilderness, surrounded by primeval forest, there being an ever-present mist, and with the crashing of water echoing through the woods, the Falls must have been a scary sight! Niagara, means "The Strait," although it became known as "Thunder of Waters." Sadly, most visitors to Niagara do not see far beyond the glamour of the Falls and miss many of the other treasures....BUT, NOT US!

One stop was to the Floral Clock. There are close to 19,000 plants used each year to make this a popular stop on the Niagara Parkway and has had almost as many photographs taken as the Falls.  ALL of Niagara Falls takes their horticulture seriously. The School of Horticulture, which only accepts 22 applicants per year, does a SUPER job of making EVERYTHING look beautiful!

OK...So far, so good! I still have both feet on the ground! We drove through Niagara-on-the-Lake, which is definitely wine country. Everywhere you looked, there was a winery....along with a gorgeous house!

STILL, I have both feet on the ground....BUT THIS IS ABOUT TO CHANGE!!!  Nicole would like to ride the Whirlpool Aero-Car....yep! Just the word 'whirlpool' and I knew what I was in for!

The Aero-Car is suspended by six sturdy cables (I am SO glad they emphasize the fact that they are STURDY...but, only SIX of them?...) that have been carrying passengers DIRECTLY OVER THE WHIRLPOOL RAPIDS since 1916 (and THAT was to make me feel better as well...). We will be going 200 feet above the Whirlpool Rapids. From looking down into them, they seemed relatively calm. But, the waters below actually go to speeds of 50 kilometers per hour (30 miles per hour) through this channel. Water travels counter-clockwise. Almost as many stunts have taken place here as they have over Niagara Falls, including tight-rope walking, barrel riding, swimming, and even kayaking. Captain Matthew Webb, the first man to swim the English Channel, attempted to swim the Whirlpool Rapids in 1883. His body was not recovered for four days. Hhmmmmmm....wonder how long it will take them to find us?

Count the cables....ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR, FIVE, SIX!!!  Yep! They are all there!

AND.......AAWWAAAAAAAAAAYYYYY WE GOOOOOOOO!!!!!

We made it back safe and sound. And, it was actually a lot of fun! Besides seeing the Falls, Maid of the Mist had to be my favorite BUT the Whirlpool Aero-Car came in at a close second.  Once I stepped onto the car, where you stand the whole 10-minute ride, I was NOT afraid.

After lunch at Niagara-on-the-Lake overlooking Lake Ontario, with Fort George in the background, we headed back to our hotel (or so I thought that's where we would go after such a traumatic experience earlier). So, goodbye, Niagara-on-the-Lake.....

Fort George and Lake Ontario

Restaurant

Courthouse and Clock Tower

Flower Clock

Itty Bitty Church

Wine Barrel

Goodbye, Whirlpool...

 Nicole decided that I didn't have enough of heights for the day, so we rode the Sky Wheel.

Sky Wheel

 Needless to say, we did NOT go to the hotel but headed straight for Clifton Hill.  Clifton Hill reminds me of the Canadian version of Times Square......    On second thought, lets walk a little further to Table Rock and see the 'Journey Behind the Falls' which was awesome. We were literally  behind the falls, standing a mere 6 feet behind what I hope was some really, really, strong glass!

This is where we were about 6 feet from the falls, BUT DO YOU NOTICE THAT LEAK TO THE RIGHT IN THE WALL? UH-OH! TIME TO GET OUT OF HERE, NICOLE!

I am so glad Nicole chose this trip as part of her graduation present from Lancaster Bible College. It was an honor to go along with her and I must thank her for helping me 'Get Over It'.....

So, Nicole, where does our next adventure take us?

 

Let the Trip Begin....

I feel a bit guilty~Wednesday was Brittany's 19th birthday, and I am sitting in Ontario, Canada, outside on our balcony, overlooking Niagara Falls. So, HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BRITTANY, and we WILL celebrate when we get back home!

Our day started out very early. We enjoyed a breakfast buffet and met our new 'bus family' for the next three days. With our bus driver, C.J., there are only 17 of us, so we are a rather small family. Two of our new family members, John and Christine, whom we sat with at breakfast,  are from Australia, so it has been fun chatting and hanging out with them. I guess you could say that they are 'our parents' on this trip. They are our 'next door neighbors' as well for the next two nights.

 We hadn't been with our new family very long when we came around the gift shop after breakfast, only to hear, "Did you see my mom?" Well, who IS this lady and I CERTAINLY do not know your mother! We didn't even know their names (and still don't) but I could pick them out in a crowd! Found out they are part of our 'family' so I SHOULD remember them, right? Right? Helllloooooo....

Our 'grandparents' are a sweet couple, Tom and Nancy, whom we found out LOVE to visit the casino. He uses a cane but didn't let the 10 minute walk keep him in a hotel! We caught them coming in at 11:45 p.m. You ask why WE were up at 11:45 pm...hhmmmmmmmm.....They are our other neighbors. Guess that means  that Nicole and I must be on our best behavior because our 'parents' are on one side and our 'grandparents' are on the other! Then, there is Eric and Lauren, the father/daughter that everyone just ASSUMED were married! She could be my 'sister'....OK, I lied....she could be my daughter. She is celebrating her 30th birthday with her dad a little early. she is a teacher and this was her parents' gift to her. What a great place to celebrate your birthday! I usually get a card....this year was quite special, though. I received my birthday gifts a little early so that I could enjoy them on the bus. Scott, Nicole, Nate, Ashley, and Brittany got me a NOOK. It didn't have to have a passport, but since it did cross the border into Canada, does that make it a CaNOOK? Get it? Canuck? (Vancouver Canucks)

We thought for sure the bus was going to be full. It reminds me of a scary movie where each time the bus stops for a meal or rest stop, we seem to lose people. They just disappear.....I sit alone in row 6 and row 1 is empty because it's behind the bus driver and full of candy and bottled water. We look behind us, and the restroom seems so far away.

Our lunch stop was to McDonald's, and, thank goodness, we were full from breakfast and we could easily pass up the fast food. This stop happened to be in Bath, New York. How ironic that as soon as the bus pulled into the parking lot, what is the first thing we see? Amish! We left home to get away. Maybe we have a 'secret Amish family' stowed away in the luggage compartment of the bus. We have tons of room under there since there are only 17 suitcases! Then, as we were sitting out on our little balcony later that night, a huge Amish family walked across the sidewalk below us. I think they are staying in our hotel.

Customs was easy but according to the bus driver, it is not always that way. Being that I never leave the US, I expected much worse. As I sit here now looking at the line of people waiting to cross the border, I am so glad we arrived early.

We were able to go to the IMAX theatre to see 'Legends and Daredevils' immediately upon our arrival rather than before heading home on Friday. I'm not so sure this was a good idea as we are going on a 3-hour guided tour on Thursday and will be directly above the falls on the Whirlpool Aero Car. After hearing some of the history of the crazy people who went down the falls in barrels, (63-year old female school teacher who took her cat along for the ride), many people on boats (some survived and others perished), and then, there was Mr. Fitzgerald, who went down in his plunge-o-sphere, it is possible to survive. How? I don't know!

On Wednesday, we got to experience Niagara Falls at its finest...from the Skylon

We enjoyed dinner from the Summit Suite Buffet Dining Room in the tower. De-lic-ious....then, there was the girl seated next to me at dinner who informed us that she would be wearing a dress the next day. Just out of the blue....I believe her exact words were, "You are going to witness something you have not seen in a long time....tomorrow I am going to wear a dress." First of all, she was with our group but I didn't know her. Well, frankly, I NEVER saw her in a dress and WHO CARES? I wear underwear but I don't tell everyone I see!

Our driver, C.J. took us after dark to see the Falls lit up. That was pretty cool!

After a very long day, I am finally ready to go to sleep after midnight. This is WAY past my bedtime. I feel so old when the 'older people' on canes are walking to the casino and I am ready for bed! But, tomorrow is another day....and, as I say...another day, another story!