Royal Caribbean Cruisers -- How Are Things Where You Are? (was "Routine" ​ 😁 ​day in lockdown... how was yours?)

[aussielozzie18]

Today, the excitement ramped up even further.  We dressed in four layers then headed to our Whale watch tour out of Nanaimo, where we were provided with a head to toe expedition suit and goggles.  Boarded our zodiac with 7 others + naturalist + crew/photographer and Captain.  Then spent the most wonderful 4 hours on the water.  After seeing stellar sea lions, harbour seals, humpback whale, we continued on all the way up near to Squamish in the water.  In this absolutely beautiful water, surrounded by snow capped mountains and we saw ORCAS!!!  We spent about an hour just drifting as this family of four orcas (mum & 3 sons - one only 1 year old) swam nearby.  Our Zodiac was the only one there.  We had this magic to ourselves.  I was almost in tears.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Took a solid 1hr high speed ride back to Nanaimo but it was so worth it and in all the gear, ours & theirs, we were toasty warm despite the cold temps on the open zodiac.
 

[rrraydon]

3 minutes ago, aussielozzie18 said:

Today, the excitement ramped up even further.  We dressed in four layers then headed to our Whale watch tour out of Nanaimo, where we were provided with a head to toe expedition suit and goggles.  Boarded our zodiac with 7 others + naturalist + crew/photographer and Captain.  Then spent the most wonderful 4 hours on the water.  After seeing stellar sea lions, harbour seals, humpback whale, we continued on all the way up near to Squamish in the water.  In this absolutely beautiful water, surrounded by snow capped mountains and we saw ORCAS!!!  We spent about an hour just drifting as this family of four orcas (mum & 3 sons - one only 1 year old) swam nearby.  Our Zodiac was the only one there.  We had this magic to ourselves.  I was almost in tears.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Took a solid 1hr high speed ride back to Nanaimo but it was so worth it and in all the gear, ours & theirs, we were toasty warm despite the cold temps on the open zodiac.
 

Fabulous!! 💜 

[rrraydon]

16 hours ago, Momof3gurlz said:

@aussielozzie18 your photos are just beautiful.

 

@h20skibum what a fun party for your granddaughter! HBD to her.

 

When it comes to keeping stuff from moves or inheritances, it seems there are two types of people.  Those that toss out most of it and those that can’t bear to part with anything - and they usually end up married to each

other 😂.  I’m not sentimental about big things like furniture, china sets, etc. In my mind, if I’m not going to use it, it’s just clutter.  Andy on the other hand would keep everything. It’s led to some interesting ‘discussions’ 😉😂.  

I’m of the group of tossers…but then a few years later I think of an item and wonder…darn it, why did I toss that?

[Sunshine3601]

5 hours ago, aussielozzie18 said:

Today, the excitement ramped up even further.  We dressed in four layers then headed to our Whale watch tour out of Nanaimo, where we were provided with a head to toe expedition suit and goggles.  Boarded our zodiac with 7 others + naturalist + crew/photographer and Captain.  Then spent the most wonderful 4 hours on the water.  After seeing stellar sea lions, harbour seals, humpback whale, we continued on all the way up near to Squamish in the water.  In this absolutely beautiful water, surrounded by snow capped mountains and we saw ORCAS!!!  We spent about an hour just drifting as this family of four orcas (mum & 3 sons - one only 1 year old) swam nearby.  Our Zodiac was the only one there.  We had this magic to ourselves.  I was almost in tears.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Took a solid 1hr high speed ride back to Nanaimo but it was so worth it and in all the gear, ours & theirs, we were toasty warm despite the cold temps on the open zodiac.
 

Beautiful!!

[bobmacliberty]

5 hours ago, aussielozzie18 said:

Today, the excitement ramped up even further.  We dressed in four layers then headed to our Whale watch tour out of Nanaimo, where we were provided with a head to toe expedition suit and goggles.  Boarded our zodiac with 7 others + naturalist + crew/photographer and Captain.  Then spent the most wonderful 4 hours on the water.  After seeing stellar sea lions, harbour seals, humpback whale, we continued on all the way up near to Squamish in the water.  In this absolutely beautiful water, surrounded by snow capped mountains and we saw ORCAS!!!  We spent about an hour just drifting as this family of four orcas (mum & 3 sons - one only 1 year old) swam nearby.  Our Zodiac was the only one there.  We had this magic to ourselves.  I was almost in tears.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Took a solid 1hr high speed ride back to Nanaimo but it was so worth it and in all the gear, ours & theirs, we were toasty warm despite the cold temps on the open zodiac.
 

 

Looks like an absolutely amazing trip!

[A&L_Ont]

11 hours ago, Ocean Boy said:

That dog would weigh about 150 lbs. if he lived at your house.

Not in our house. We never fed from the table. Leftovers from the plate might spice up the dinner, but that’s another story. 

[A&L_Ont]

11 hours ago, Momof3gurlz said:

This sounds like what @jmh2006 Jennifer and Dave refer to as a “sporgy” !

Stealing this for sure. 

 

10 hours ago, helen haywood said:

Well, Lucy would make sure he shared…

I think so.  

 

8 hours ago, Jimbo said:

You need to attend a Phillies Playoff game in Philadelphia!

Not this year, maybe next year. 

 

8 hours ago, Jimbo said:

I like pretty much all of them. 🙂

 

 

 

 

 

How is the diabetic journey so far?  I thought about it when you posted these sugar free bottles. 

[Keksie]

6 hours ago, aussielozzie18 said:

Today, the excitement ramped up even further.  We dressed in four layers then headed to our Whale watch tour out of Nanaimo, where we were provided with a head to toe expedition suit and goggles.  Boarded our zodiac with 7 others + naturalist + crew/photographer and Captain.  Then spent the most wonderful 4 hours on the water.  After seeing stellar sea lions, harbour seals, humpback whale, we continued on all the way up near to Squamish in the water.  In this absolutely beautiful water, surrounded by snow capped mountains and we saw ORCAS!!!  We spent about an hour just drifting as this family of four orcas (mum & 3 sons - one only 1 year old) swam nearby.  Our Zodiac was the only one there.  We had this magic to ourselves.  I was almost in tears.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Took a solid 1hr high speed ride back to Nanaimo but it was so worth it and in all the gear, ours & theirs, we were toasty warm despite the cold temps on the open zodiac.
 

That was a very special trip.  Love all the animals you got to see.

[Sea Dog]

8 hours ago, aussielozzie18 said:

Today, the excitement ramped up even further.  We dressed in four layers then headed to our Whale watch tour out of Nanaimo, where we were provided with a head to toe expedition suit and goggles.  Boarded our zodiac with 7 others + naturalist + crew/photographer and Captain.  Then spent the most wonderful 4 hours on the water.  After seeing stellar sea lions, harbour seals, humpback whale, we continued on all the way up near to Squamish in the water.  In this absolutely beautiful water, surrounded by snow capped mountains and we saw ORCAS!!!  We spent about an hour just drifting as this family of four orcas (mum & 3 sons - one only 1 year old) swam nearby.  Our Zodiac was the only one there.  We had this magic to ourselves.  I was almost in tears.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Took a solid 1hr high speed ride back to Nanaimo but it was so worth it and in all the gear, ours & theirs, we were toasty warm despite the cold temps on the open zodiac.
 

Those are fantastic pictures. Thank you for sharing.

[aussielozzie18]

13 hours ago, DaniDanielle said:

Love Gone With the Wind, movie and the book.

Me too.  Loved the book Scarlett too.

[HBE4]

12 hours ago, HBE4 said:

12 hours ago, lenquixote66 said:

I predicted championships for the Rangers and Knicks in 2024 before their seasons started.

 

Not that i don't trust you Lenny but what does your grand dog think? 

 

All kidding aside Lenny, I hope you're right. The NY sports media is already hyping up the "dual championships" at Madison Square Garden which is something that has never happened in the same year. Came close in 1994 but the Knicks didn't hold up their end of the bargain.

 

Personally, I'm just hoping for a long playoff run of competitive games with a championship being a nice bonus. Especially since they already announced they are NOT raising ticket prices next year, even if they win it all.

 

[HBE4]

11 hours ago, Jimbo said:

You need to attend a Phillies Playoff game in Philadelphia!

 

Yankees-Phillies WS rematch? I'm there!

 

Mets-Phillies playoff game? I might go if my Mets fans friends treat me. 😉

[HBE4]

11 hours ago, George C said:

32 days to our New York City vacation 😁😁😁

 

Fingers-crossed the Rangers are still playing & the Empire State is lit up in Rangers Red, White & Blue.

Edited April 22 by HBE4

[HBE4]

9 hours ago, aussielozzie18 said:

Today, the excitement ramped up even further.

 

As always, your pictures are amazing.  Are they taken with a cell phone or real camera?

 

And your trips are also always amazing. If you ever open up a tour-guide business, I'm hiring you!

[George C]

7 minutes ago, HBE4 said:

 

Fingers-crossed the Rangers are still playing & the Empire State is lit up in Rangers Red, White & Blue.

I have met some famous people on my almost 80 cruises , one of the friendliest people was Ranger Hall of famer Phil Esposito, this was on a cruise out of  New York back in 1979. 

[BonTexasNY]

13 hours ago, lenquixote66 said:

Happy Passover to all who celebrate the holiday beginning tomorrow at sundown.

Echoing Lenny's post.  For those celebrating, have a meaningful Passover.  Tonight starts Passover; mainly no bread, pasta, pastries of any kind that contain flour. 

 

This is a very emotional holiday for me personally.  Tomorrow marks the anniversary of my mom's passing.  Each year at this time, I use her huge Passover pot to make chicken soup.  As the soup simmers, I tear up thinking of wonderful memories.

 

Tonight our family (11 of us) gather for our special "seder" holiday meal.  We go around the table and each of us tells mostly funny stories about mom.  

 

Hoping your memories are as happy as mine!

 

 

 

 

[Sea Dog]

4 minutes ago, BonTexasNY said:

Echoing Lenny's post.  For those celebrating, have a meaningful Passover.  Tonight starts Passover; mainly no bread, pasta, pastries of any kind that contain flour. 

 

This is a very emotional holiday for me personally.  Tomorrow marks the anniversary of my mom's passing.  Each year at this time, I use her huge Passover pot to make chicken soup.  As the soup simmers, I tear up thinking of wonderful memories.

 

Tonight our family (11 of us) gather for our special "seder" holiday meal.  We go around the table and each of us tells mostly funny stories about mom.  

 

Hoping your memories are as happy as mine!

 

 

 

 

Wishing you a happy Passover and many fond memories of your mom.

[aussielozzie18]

21 minutes ago, HBE4 said:

 

As always, your pictures are amazing.  Are they taken with a cell phone or real camera?

 

And your trips are also always amazing. If you ever open up a tour-guide business, I'm hiring you!

Thanks.  The whale watching photos yesterday are from a canon camera that has what I call a long lense but it’s not long compared to the actual long lenses all the other passengers had on the zodiac! I brought it over from Australia for DS to use.  Dad bought it a couple of years ago but never used it so offered it to me for this trip for Alaska.

 

All other photos are from my usual “old” iPhone that I post my Sydney pictures from.

 

Thanks for the compliment Planning this trip did my head in at times. It was hard.  So much research but it is absolutely paying off.  

 

 

 

Edited April 22 by aussielozzie18

[aussielozzie18]

15 minutes ago, BonTexasNY said:

Echoing Lenny's post.  For those celebrating, have a meaningful Passover.  Tonight starts Passover; mainly no bread, pasta, pastries of any kind that contain flour. 

 

This is a very emotional holiday for me personally.  Tomorrow marks the anniversary of my mom's passing.  Each year at this time, I use her huge Passover pot to make chicken soup.  As the soup simmers, I tear up thinking of wonderful memories.

 

Tonight our family (11 of us) gather for our special "seder" holiday meal.  We go around the table and each of us tells mostly funny stories about mom.  

 

Hoping your memories are as happy as mine!

 

 

 

 

How wonderful that you & your family share your memories of your beautiful mom on this special day.

[DaniDanielle]

1 hour ago, Sea Dog said:

Wishing you a happy Passover and many fond memories of your mom.

From me also. I know how you feel about the memories especially when cooking a holiday meal.

[DaniDanielle]

Happy and peaceful Passover.

[lenquixote66]

14 hours ago, HBE4 said:

 

Not that i don't trust you Lenny but what does your grand dog think? 

😇🙂

He actually watches the Rangers play.My son in law says that is the only TV program that he seems to like.I will see him tonight and ask him.

[lenquixote66]

1 hour ago, HBE4 said:

 

All kidding aside Lenny, I hope you're right. The NY sports media is already hyping up the "dual championships" at Madison Square Garden which is something that has never happened in the same year. Came close in 1994 but the Knicks didn't hold up their end of the bargain.

 

Personally, I'm just hoping for a long playoff run of competitive games with a championship being a nice bonus. Especially since they already announced they are NOT raising ticket prices next year, even if they win it all.

 

In 1969 the Knicks,Mets and Jets all won championships.This is the year for the Rangers ,Knicks and possibly Mets.Wishful thinking on my part .

[jmh2006]

4 hours ago, A&L_Ont said:

Stealing this for sure. 

 

I think so.  

 

Not this year, maybe next year. 

 

How is the diabetic journey so far?  I thought about it when you posted these sugar free bottles. 

Okay to steal as long as we get the credit for it 🤣🤣.

[lenquixote66]

1 hour ago, BonTexasNY said:

Echoing Lenny's post.  For those celebrating, have a meaningful Passover.  Tonight starts Passover; mainly no bread, pasta, pastries of any kind that contain flour. 

 

This is a very emotional holiday for me personally.  Tomorrow marks the anniversary of my mom's passing.  Each year at this time, I use her huge Passover pot to make chicken soup.  As the soup simmers, I tear up thinking of wonderful memories.

 

Tonight our family (11 of us) gather for our special "seder" holiday meal.  We go around the table and each of us tells mostly funny stories about mom.  

 

Hoping your memories are as happy as mine!

 

 

 

 

We will be 15 adults,5 kids and 2 dogs.One of those coming is a cousin who is a member of a Lubavitcher Sect (ultra religious).

We last saw her in 2002.She invited herself to the family Seders.

She lives in Brooklyn and will be staying in my house till Thursday.The Seders are in my daughters house who lives 1 1/4 miles from me so she will have to walk in both directions.My SIL volunteered to walk with her..