Montreal

Joy and I spent this past week in Montreal, about an hour and a half West of Sherbrooke. I was attending a Pratt & Whitney PT6 (turbine engine) maintenance training course. The Cessna 208 Caravan has this engine, as well as the new Kodiak airplane, so I need to learn how to inspect, service, and fix the engine when it acts up. Our instructor was very nice and made the classroom a fun place to learn. Our class was filled with people from all over...the US, Canada, Austria, and Guyana. Other than classes, we did find some time in the evenings to explore Montreal a little. We went to a Botanical Garden/Insect place that was really interesting. Did you know there are bugs in central Africa that are bigger than my hand?! Some beetles are more than six inches long, with pinchers that could wrap around my finger!We came across this sign, and as I read it, I thought, "Boy, I hope I never come across this critter!" Other critters we came across were just enormous! I couldn't believe the size of some of these bugs. Take a look at these pictures!Don't be fooled...this spider would not even come close to fitting in my hand!

We also got to see some nice flowers while we were there too. They had lots and lots of green houses and outdoor gardens to look at.
That's what we did last week. Tomorrow we have registration for language school and some exams to take, and then Tuesday we officially start classes. Thursday we're off for Virginia to attend my younger brother's wedding, and then we settle in for the arrival of baby Girl. Joy is still doing well, and baby is growing right on target.

Pray for our safe travel down to Virginia and back, for school as we try and get back into the swing of things there, and for everything to go well with the delivery whenever she decides to come!

Life in Sherbrooke

It's finally winding down a little and we can take in a deep breath before school begins and our little girl arrives. Yesterday, we spent the entire afternoon with a couple we met from church. Their kids are away at summer camp for the next 2 weeks, so they invited us over for lunch. It was very interesting...the husband spoke Spanish, French, and just a touch of English, and the wife didn't speak any English, just Spanish and French. With our very limited French, and their limited English, it was a little difficult to hold a decent conversation, although we were very animated at times! The couple is actually from Mexico, which is a really good thing because Joy and I both were starting to crave some guacamole! There really aren't any places around here to get mexican food, so our hostess whipped up some homemade chips and guacamole dip for us...mmm! We learned a little of each other's stories, but I think we ended the afternoon with many more questions than our communication skills could get answered! We did find out that many people from church are playing street hockey tonight, so we will try and attend that. No no...Joy won't be playing, she will just watch and cheer from the stands.

Here's one of the only pictures I've been able to take so far. About 1/2 mile from our house there is a wonderful park with a walking trail around a lake. These are some of the many flowers along the path.

The Small Haul

We've finally settled into our new apartment in Canada, and we finally have internet access! Everyone we have met here has been very friendly, although it is sometimes hard to overcome the language barrier. In time we will be able to better communicate with people. Overall it's very nice here. There are many parks and things to do outside. The weather is wonderful...at least right now. It might be a little different in February, but we'll just have to wait and see. We're starting to pick up on a few French words here and there, but most of the time we just wander around! That's it for now...many things to do now that we have internet. Pictures to follow!