August 23-24

A weekend of birthday celebrations. Saturday was warm, and Anna and I went to Ragley again for yummy organic food, and snapdragon flowers. We headed to Sooke Pot Holes after that, where we walked up a new trail and checked out a beach we hadn't been to, yet. After, we headed home and I got ready to head downtown, for Glenda's birthday dinner at Pagliacci's. The bread is as good as ever, I'm happy to report.

Sunday was low-key, and pouring with rain. Anna decorated cards in the morning, and we headed out to Jaydon's pool party in the afternoon. It had stopped raining when we were back, so I got out and did a bit of gardening, then we walked down to the new walkway they've built along the bridge over DeMamiel Creek and threw pinecones and stones in the water. In the evening, I got back to scrapbooking--I actually completed Anna's 6 month old page for her baby book. I kept joking that my goal was to finish her baby book by the time she's in kindgergarten, but now I'm actually concerned I'm not going to make that.

August 16-17
August 16, Best of East Sooke Day. It was the perfect beach day. Anna and I headed to Ragley Farm first, where we checked out the amazing new flower garden there, and said hi to Josie. Then we stopped at Bill's Food and Feed for an ice cream, and then went to Aylard Farm Beach for sandcastling, wading, a *short* dip on my part--but still, the most I've ever swam there, considering how frigid it is normally, being open to the Strait of Juan de Fuca. We saw sandpipers, a mink swimming in the water, and two weddings. Anna wished the first bride congratulations, and I had the experience of standing in my bikini while talking to a couple in wedding finery. surreal. Our final hour was accompanied by the sounds of waves and a string quartet! Very glad we managed to pack the sand bucket Laurie gave us in Ontario in our luggage--it makes for some superior castles indeed. Once home, I embarked on making a corn moon feast, complete with salmon, corn, padi pan squash, beet tops, and strawberry shortcake, with all produce courtesy of Ragley Farm (except the corn.) And watermelon.

On Sunday, a thunderstorm woke me up. Plans for a run were postponed, and instead we had a nice leisurely breakfast of Ragley Farm eggs and toast, and read stories. Anna napped that afternoon, and I mowed the insane back lawn, which had been well watered and not cut since we'd left for Ontario. A few of the pics of the garden show how overgrown it all is--the peas collapsed over the NEW stakes I'd put up, since the last ones were too short. Seems I need something ten feet tall if I'm going to grow the same variety next year. When Anna was up, we went to Witty's beach for a barbeque picnic. I packed hot dogs, the hibatchi, more watermelon--and as I closed the trunk, I heard an ominous rumbling. More thunder. But we drove through the rain and watched the clouds move past the beach. We stayed dry, right to the end. A bit too cool for the hoped-for swim, though. We'll have to try again. This morning, more rain--but then totally clear skies for 90 minutes, during which I got in a run around Matheson Lake. Beautiful! Now it's time to face my serious return to work... vacation's been grand. I look forward to the next one!