a few thoughts on summer...

i don't have many words today. instead i will share some different views of summer, many centred around the bounty of the garden. enjoy.


the spaghetti squash are growing at an alarming rate. here one finds good support on top of P's whitewater kayak.


sunday morning french toast, cut thick and stuffed with raspberries & strawberries, topped with sauteed apples and maple syrup.


A trying out his new skimboard.


zucchini, bush beans, and pattypan squash fresh picked from the garden.


purple carrots and one lone golden beet.


multigrain pasta tossed in alfredo sauce, and topped with the aforementioned beans, zucchini, carrots and beets (after a light saute). a sprinkle of parmesan cheese.


noro stripe socks. more details here (ravelry link).


honey whole wheat bread rising in the windowsill. this bread is yum - also works well in the above french toast.

it's the simple things...

local free range eggs, poached. yummy camembert from just down the way. fresh spinach & chard picked up at the farmers market today, sauteed in a little garlic flavoured olive oil & spices. and beer bread baked yesterday, toasted. a generous sprinkle of pepper, and enjoy.

summer calls for simpler ingredients, simpler meals. i love it when i can find a meal from local, fresh ingredients. our garden too is perking up and revealing surprises from under tender leaves. the raspberries disappear quickly into our mouths, the strawberries are rescued from eager woodbugs. pattypan yellow squash is perfect on the bbq. the zucchini needs to be picked now before they are all a foot long. the tomatoes are turning from green to warm red. i keep meaning to take pics but the days get away from me.


there hasn't been much knitting lately, but there is one pair of socks on the go. i was inspired by amy to make striped noro socks knitting from both ends of the skein, but i now see many people are grabbing ahold of this trend. so far so good on my part, the first sock fits like a dream and the second is well underway.

i hope everyone is out enjoying the summer that has finally come to visit. on my end there has been much climbing, a little skimboarding, and now some quality time with my new toy. A and i got them this week and have been honing our skills during evening carve sessions. i definitely need some more practice before i venture onto busy streets, but a gentle slope on a quiet night is perfect right now.

marine explorations...

i'm slowly trying to catch up to new stuff...here are a few pics from a day out with my friend Jen's boat tour company. no whales or bears today unfortunately but still a gorgeous day on the water (although i do think any day on the water is gorgeous).

oh the places we'll go...

has it been so long since my last post? I suppose it has, but I will try to make up for it now with a few photo heavy posts. In the last month there has been a bit of exploring, some gallivanting here and there, and today I am a bit sunburnt and tired in the wake of it. But being Canada Day, it is my fourth and last day of a long long weekend and I think I've earnt a bit of relaxation, so will enjoy it well before the inevitable return to work tomorrow. We just got a new skimboard and may go try it out a bit later; more pics? We'll see.

But first: at the beginning of June, A and I went met up with friends at Pachena Bay in Bamfield. For those who don't know, Bamfield is on the west coast of Vancouver Island, just a bit south of one of my other favourite hangout, Tofino, and the start of the famous West Coast Trail. We had never been to Bamfield before, a tiny little town at the end of a 90km gravel logging road. Didn't explore the town too much, but here a few images from the couple of days we spent listening to the waves crash and exploring the seashore.



The dark clouds threatened a few times but there was no rain during our stay - a miracle on the wet coast.



Recent storms had left many creatures tossed up upon the sand.



I spent one morning eagerly peering into the lush tidepools.



We also did a bit of kayak surfing, although the waves were pretty mellow.




Nothing like a beautiful evening to cap it off!