3 Ginger Snaps

Yesterday, while refurbishing a hammock stand I found at the side of the road, it occurred to me that very often my ambition far outstrips my ability to get things done. I noticed the hammock stand on a Monday while taking a bike ride with my children. When I went back by on a Wednesday…… Continue reading Hammock stand

So I read a blog post from a friend tonight. From some people I admire who have said: A few weeks of school in December? Meh… let’s go traveling. And because of her post I was reminded that I also have a place where I can write and I often think about writing there but…… Continue reading They test

We have arrived back in Burlington. Over the past few days, the sadness I have felt about our trip coming to an end and the jitters I have felt about going back to work have caused me to stray from the routine of writing. I know that the hard part of the writing now lies…… Continue reading Home safe

One of the tough realities I grapple with while traveling is that you just can’t do it all. Time and money constrict. Such was the case in Saskatchewan. We nearly catapulted straight across the province. We marvelled at the potash operations at 115km/hr. We craned our necks as the sped past tremendous marshes. On the…… Continue reading How to spear a pickle on the prairies

In the morning, we gathered together and told stories. We talked of rented refrigerators and bird feeders. The manor and the mill. The glove factory. Scrabble. Boggle. BA, BA, BA. An ever expanding circle of friends. Home cooked meals. Modest beginnings. Kitchen renovations. First class train tickets. Gifts from warm hands. We knew we were…… Continue reading Scattering

The Okotoks Erratic is a trail of quartz rocks left behind be a receding glacier about 30,000 years ago. Today we saw the biggest member of the group of rocks. How did we know it was big? We saw this sign: Truth be told, if your driving on Alberta Hwy 22 just north of Okotoks,…… Continue reading Okotoks Erratic and then some

Today we didn’t do much. We managed a brief hike but there was a steady drizzle coming down by 1030am. The Gorgeous green hills of the Shuswap were completely enshrouded by clouds for most of the day. The picture below captures most of the action. You can just see Charlotte’s knees in the lower right…… Continue reading Down day in Salmon Arm

Tonight I marvelled at the cohesive strength of my extended family. It is my current state of mind after spending the past 7 days with them. Ruby got a substantial sliver in her foot while walking down to the beach after a skillfully prepared summer feast. (Stay tunes for a public safety announcement about the…… Continue reading My second really great Ruby injury story

By Ander, Charlotte, Drew, Fraser, Hanna, Justine, Marty, Nicole, & Ruby Ocean waves recede. Explorers search the expanse. The sea reveals life. Bottom dwellers roam Sand dollars. Moon snails. Red Crabs. Meals. Shelter. Chaos. Curiosity. Holes poked. Shells examined. Smells. “Come see! Over here!” Cloaking fragile life Seaweed slithers beneath us. Squish. Resilience. Sunlight surrounds…… Continue reading Beach walk