these ones included. i got such a kick out of them this afternoon, being silly, being boys, putting on shows at the wooden stage. gosh i love them.  (as you said it Anna), they’ve known each other since the beginning of their lives and i imagine it will be a long life and friendship;

don’t step on the cracks;

September something… i want to edit this next photo in here because it puts a big fat smile on my face seeing these boys on their “rocket” going to the  moon;

“logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere.” - Albert Einstein

She was amazing and beautiful. i feel so lucky to have been witness and support to this smooth and beautiful home water birth. For weeks her belly muscles worked, strengthened, contracted. Her blessingway date was pushed forward, anticipating an early birth and then a couple weeks later, on her own birthday and right on time, little Ocean Dylan was gently born and welcomed into a roomful of love.

i love so much about this photograph and the room - Sabrina doing her thing naturally, Glen’s easy smile, the kids curiosity of the pool filling and the painting of S pregnant with her first little one. Loud ocean waves and drum beats set the mood for a birth dance. Everyone around her wore a smile.

Some kids are so obviously meant to be older siblings and this is so true for Skai. Her presence at her baby brother’s birth was a blessing for everyone.

support;

inward, openness, softness, strength, surrender;

Welcome little one. We have been waiting to meet you.

Though parched, our little garden grew while we were away. The Helmer’s fingerlings were by far the best surprise since i assumed the plants were stunted. Jamie was right - regardless of limited space, anyone can grow potatoes.

heirloom tomatoes are coming soon…

i tried hard to enjoy thoroughly and not complain too much about the heat wave last week but it was rather overwhelming and hard to breathe. The weather is quite the opposite now, cool and hinting at Fall. i hope you all will brave the expected rain and get out to support your local farmers at the markets this weekend. i’ll be there. rain or shine.

I’m dragging this trip on and on i know but i can’t not finish and this is the last of it.

St. Felix is very near to the farm, perhaps too near when they have the best poutine ever. The Cathedral is a far more pleasant view than my plate of home fries, curds and (real) gravy. It really is not an appealing dish to look at but beyond appearance it can be so delicious - i ate there 3 times and that was not the end of poutine, oh no, twice i ate bad poutine. I’ve been home long enough to crave it again though.

Antiquing! Can that be a verb? I’m not sure. Anyhow i didn’t find much that would fit into my suitcase and aside from the awesome school desks and other furniture there was nothing that really jumped out at me. Little A scored some marble treasures and a hand held egg beater useful for mixing this and that and foaming up bubbles. total score.

Asbestos. It’s the town and the mine. Strangely impressive though sad and toxic.

back at the farm, in the back of the house, through the trees, over or under some electrical and barbed wire fences and bordering the property is a magical place i remember playing in as a kid - the sand dunes (the beach without water). As an adult i was more bothered by the annoying black flies but what squealing and games the kids all played.

oh Carson. He fell in love with me eventually;

I can’t exclude this last frame before the shutter snapped and my camera broke. so sad. i felt like i was missing a limb but i think it was good for me to be without a camera for a few days.

I missed out on some shots of our last day at the farm as well as our time spent in Montreal and the beautiful hotel where we stayed and the short visit with Claudia and of the great show that we stumbled upon at the “Just for Laughs” festival but look see how long it’s taken me to catch up here already and so much continues…we’re into August already. It’s hot and the pool is the place to be.

my mom’s side of the family is quite huge and there are cousins i hardly recognize from when we were kids, now grown and with their own growing families. it was such a good idea to get together and so much fun but still, time was short and there are cousins i didn’t even have a chance to connect with (my shyness of using my horrible french accent a great fault). So here’s my mama and her siblings now and back in 1984 with their dad;

our hosts and organizers Susan and Russell;

candid shots of our weekend gathering of family folk for tea, picnic, birthdays, corn shucking, playing and wandering about;

L (as i remember her much of the time we were away) will have far more and far better documentation of the families than i managed. i’ll be waiting to see those for some time as she is in the midst of wedding season and swamped. oh but they’ll be good.