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!

Summer Solstice Weekend

I have just been informed I need to dial ten digits to make a local call. Around here, we still give our phone number in four digits, so this is just kookybananas. I don't like it.

It occurs to me some of these weekend reports aren't terribly interesting blog reading. But they're serving a purpose for me--I stopped scrapbooking. I just haven't been able to find the time lately. But coming here and being able to read a little reminder of what we did, with pictures, is nice. It's taking the place of scrapbooking, although what I liked about scrapbooking is that it got me away from the screen. I'm going to have to find some happy medium. I can't spend a lot of non work time on the computer, as my shoulder/neck situation just won't stand for it these days. I've bought a new chair, new keyboard, foot reast and forearm support, and remind myself to sit properly, but I still end up with knots in my muscles. Go figure.

Friday night Anna and I hit the flats for the start of the bluegrass festival, burgers and dogs. Yum. Then Tim and I stayed up a little later than the light, but not by much. Saturday Anna and I head to Sarah & Jurgen's place in Otter Point to have a last play out there (they've moved to Victoria). We took the girls to Gordon's Beach to climb on the rocks and have a little picnic, then back to play in their empty house! After, Anna and I went to the flats to listen to some more bluegrass, then home for chili with Brendan and Kyle, and a game in the evening. I think I got too much sun, though no real burn, on Saturday. Sunday I woke up with a cold. I finally put away all the mittens, scarves and toques (we got our Christmas lights off just the other weekend... so summer's really arrived! long story--i was afraid to go back up the ladder, and tim's not fond of heights either). We had pancakes, and Anna and I went to the flats one last time to take in the last part of the festival (and more lemonade-discovered anna likes the cherry kind). Early bed last night, and this morning, I'm a little suffering.

Summer has arrived

Okay, it’s been a really long winter. Now that summer is here, I’m makin’ a Summer To Do List, to make sure I squeeze in as much summery goodness as possible.
1. camp at Sombrio
2. have many, many picnics.
3. Take Anna to Saltspring market (Saturday afternoons - and maybe camp on Saltspring too)
4. find a sunscreen I like.
5. swim outside, lots
6. explore potholes further than last year (maybe see leechtown site)
7. have a supper picnic at Witty’s Beach and swim in the evening
8. make a sandcastle
9. play at French beach
10. make homemade berry shortcakes
That's really just a top ten. There are many more.

In fact, I’m going to celebrate summer every weekend, and report on it here. With a picture.

I’ll have to backtrack a bit, because I’ve just had three awesome summer weekends.

May 31-June1

We headed out to Bamberton, on the lovely Saanich Inlet. We camped overnight there, and spent two afternoons picnicking on the beach, and swimming (well, I swam), and exploring the water's edge with its apparently thousands of little crabs. Anna saved a few from the beach, too, and now she's their hero.

May 24-25

Last weekend, after Anna’s swimming lesson, Anna and I went to Witty’s Beach with Glenda and Everett. Had a lovely picnic with pasta salad and kiwi fruit. Tried out the beach umbrella. Poked in the sand, checked out crabs in the water. I was three when I spotted a large crab at Witty’s Beach and I ran screaming to my grandmother who was sunbathing on the shore. This is a pretty strong early memory for me. So when my three year old daughter spotted a large crab, surely as big as the one I saw that day 32 years ago, and wanted to bend down and touch it--I was amazed. Totally impressed. My daughter is very cool. I did the worried mom thing though and told her to just look—those pincers still looked pretty damn big. The crab was blowing bubbles. We thought maybe it wanted back in the water, and moved it into a tide pool. Sunday was the big half marathon and brunch day. I’m still a tad sore, but not as bad as I thought I was going to be. We won’t discuss the time. Turns out I’m the slowest runner in Sooke. We went to grandpa’s new pad after and played with an enormous bottle of bubbles.

May 17-19

The first was my birthday weekend. Got that inaugural sunburn on Friday while sitting out on the patio working on the laptop. Went to Japanese dinner sporting said burn, and then out for drinks and cake. Little issue with coming home and car insurance, but we’ve overcome that. Saturday was all about buying some shade and garden supplies... patio umbrella (since part of our old one is still hostage at the old house) and a beach umbrella. Luxton Fair with Anna, and she rode the carousel and got some long awaited cotton candy. Game night that night, and birthday cake. Sunday we hung out in the back yard all day, in the hot weather, and I built a lovely raised garden bed, and Anna played with a neighbourhood friend with a sprinkler under the trampoline, and we blew up the baby pool. Anna’s pretty big for it, now.

Monday, I ran 20 km and turned 35. Hung out with friends on the patio eating mousse cake. Ordered an obscene amount of takeout for a three person family in the evening, drank a cosmo, went for a walk, and collapsed at home for a rather early bedtime. Sleep is good.