Monday, May 14, 2012

shoulda been working...

great view, great day

feels like summer

paddleboarding

Em & me

...but who can deny a beautiful day like yesterday? warmer weather has finally arrived, and most inhabitants of my little valley seemed to be out in force enjoying the sunshine. A and i had a relaxing brunch on the patio at one of our favourite spots, filled with happy people eating good food and celebrating mother's day with family. despite not being a mother, even i got a white carnation from the restaurant to take home.

in the afternoon we headed to the beach with a friend, where cars crowded the spit road and groups of people crowded the shore. we quickly left the masses behind though, paddling out into the bay on boards gliding smoothly across the surface. we had contemplated wetsuits in the morning, but under a bright sun i was glad to not be wearing one, keeping plenty warm unless i were to slip into the water. we didn't take any swims, but even wading when getting on and off the board i was surprised at the mild temp of the sea.water jellies pulsed here and there just under the surface, and i think i spotted one small little lion's mane. eagles soared overhead and the occasional wake of a boat farther out in the bay reminded us there were other people about. a harem of seals kept court on a large float, but retreated into the water as we and a couple kayakers approached. they couldn't help their curious selves though, poking heads high out of the water to peer at us.

on the ride home we stopped for some gelato (first of the season!) and A and i indulged at home and had a margarita is well (watermelon-strawberry-lime is becoming my specialty). a full but easy day with the feel of real summer. love those. what did you get up to?

a bit of full disclosure and detail here - i didn't take any of these photos. A brought our gopro camera out on the water and mounted it on his paddle, so for once i'm actually appearing in photos and i didn't do any shooting! the gopro also creates a bit of mystery when shooting as you don't get to see the shots until you get home on your computer (and you don't look through any viewfinder when shooting). fun to play with in photo and video modes, both above and below the surface of the water!

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ETA - because Rendell asked - i don't have a margarita 'recipe' per se, i just called them margaritas because they have tequila in them. anyway - i've discovered that cubing and freezing watermelon is genius for making drinks and smoothies. so in this case i use my little bullet blender to make enough for two glasses, and pack it with cubes of watermelon and frozen strawberries (still have some from last year's pick!) with a bit of water and limeade and blend until nice and frothy. i put a good bit of tequila in the bottom of each glass (measure? what's that?) and then top with the blended fruit mixture. if needed to top up the glass i'll add a bit more limeade, then give a quick stir. voila! yummy fruitiness for hot summer evenings - and would be just as good with rum as a daquiri, or without any alcohol at all.

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there will be crafting to share soon, i promise! wishing you a great start to your week.

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oh and one more thing. i've been finding lots of great new music recently, but the lumineers are definitely finding a place near the top of the list.


6 comments:

Rendell said...

Looks like fun, how do you stay on the board without falling in? Also, do you have a recipe for your margaritas that you are willing to share?

Margie Oomen said...

i can't wait to be near the water next weekend

rebecca said...

thanks for the recipe. they sound great! i've been craving tequila lately... what's that about? ;)

leFiligree said...

OMG sounds magical--just what the soul needs :) i love that you all went together: did everyone ditch work?

joanie said...

Those photos are fantastic! Looks like a magical day :)

Heather M. said...

My kids took me to Reifel Bird Sanctuary in Richmond for Mother's Day where we had a picnic and a long walk. The Sandhill Cranes were nesting. It was a lovely day (except for the car exploding!) although without seals. Pictures of my poor purple car are on my blog if you are curious.