>…it’s been awhile

>I have been totally enjoying my summer… and enjoying the lack of internets available where I have been staying.. It’s ‘almost fun’ living in an internet ‘dead’ zone… but tonight I am in town at my bro and sis-in-law’s house and  have a signal and was able to hop online for a quick update!

So what have I been doing?

Having LOTS of fun on the beach(at my family cottage)…. catching up with various cousins, and their kids…  jumping in the lake to cool off.. then sitting on the beach only to get HOT all over.. so it’s a ‘repeat’ kind of cycle that I have perfected and enjoyed!  (and in case you wanted to know… there IS a beach to sit on now.. and it seems to be growing as the days go by!)…

Here’s Charlotte my cousin (and God-daughter), Kat( my sis-in-law) and ME! 🙂

My mum and I had some cousins come to stay over night, (before our family reunion the next day)… and there were a few scrabble games… I haven’t played much.. and did lots of “small” 3-4 letter words.. but apparently came in 2nd over all with both games… scoring like 184 (the same for BOTH games?) can we say weird?

But it was a good way to pass the time with cousins!!!

I got to do a photo shoot for my Aunt Anne… of her horse ‘Romeo’…that was WAY fun…

Aunt Anne did some riding… and then did a few ‘tricks’… (seriously she’s a ‘rock star’ with some of the moves she and Romeo do… they make a great team!!) 

Here she is… standing on Romeo’s back… with the ‘carrot stick’–not a whip…but more used for direction…

I even got to ride Romeo… (so much FUN!)… Aunt Anne started me out with her ‘leading’ him… and then I asked if I could ‘do it by myself’ and well we did it!! (and I must admit Aunt Anne rocked it with my camera too.. she got some fun shots of ME… Thanks 🙂

A few nights ago one of my American Cousin’s Randy… got some fireworks, and sparklers… that was so much fun!! It took me a bit to figure out how to shoot them… and then to convince my little cousins ages 13 to 3 to stand STILL with their bodies, and only move their ARMS.. well (that didn’t quite happen) but I did still get some fun shots!!!

…This is one of my FAV shots…

..and there were fireworks.. that mainly went UP like flares into the night… but it was a really COOL show!! (thanks Randy for making it happen!)

..and of course.. there was a campfire… gotta luv your campfires!!

I hope everyone else is enjoying their summer vacations.. I know I sure am!!

 I have a two more  mini-trips to do before I head back to the ‘peg…and I’ll update you all as soon as those things happen… but am trying to just enjoy the time I have now in Haliburton…sometimes I just wish I could make time stand still and stay in the moment forever…

 it’s been a great summer so far, and there’s still some to go!!

>A week in London…

>…Ontario that is!! Before I left Toronto I got my hair done… and my toes as well!!  I did manage to visit a few friends in and around the GTA (Greater Toronto Area)..but those are stories for another time!!!

Here’s my new ‘cleaned’ up hair’… complete with the magic of the straightening iron.. something I have still yet to master… perhaps one day!!

I stopped at Guelph and had some A&W… and was surprised that they gave my root beer in a glass mug, apparently I have never experienced this before… 

The first part of my trip I got to stay and reconnect with my friend Sarah… Sarah and I were roommates in our 2nd year of university September 1999 to April 2000…back in Apt 501 of the “Barbie Dream House”..(it’s a long story–so many stories from that year!!) Sarah was the one that taught me how to study… and I like to think that I was the one that taught Sarah how to have fun in everything you do… whether it be hanging Christmas Decorations, or just procrastinating on studying!! Where was I?  Well Sarah got engaged and then married Adam later that summer.. and transfered schools and moved to London… (that sort of ended the roommate thing for us!)… 

Sarah and Adam have an adorable 13 month old little girl… so our days were spent sharing stories and playing!! (and hanging out in the back yard…with our feet in the kiddie pool!)  It was so nice to catch up… and realize that sometimes distance might separate you… but that never stops a friendship!!  

Here’s Sarah and I… I personally think that Sarah looks AWESOME… (I look like the ‘tired’ new mom…)

Here’s Sar… doing the bubble thing for her little girl!! Thanks again Adam and Sarah for your hospitality.. .if you ever find yourself in Winnipeg… be sure to stop in and say HI!

This is the way I spent my time… toes in the kiddie pool… 

…I think there needs to be some explanation of this photo… I had just had dinner with my friend Sarah & Adam and Erin & Dan… apparently with all the visiting… I didn’t get a photo til we were walking out of that place… so I put the timer on my camera, set it on a pay phone in the front doors… lined us up… and then well waited for the flash! (it only took a few tries…) the first couple had some people walking through!!

This is Grimnak… He’s 7 months old.. and I fell in love!! He’s such a cute puppy… he belongs to Erin and Dan… I had to share a photo of him… 

I think if I was ever to get a dog… a Boston Terrier it would have to be…. (but those who REALLY know me… must realize that this will never happen… I just love hanging out with OTHER people’s dogs!)

On Saturday night… my friend Jen (who I met last year when I was living in Pangnirtung, Nunavut, she was researching for her Masters Thesis, but lives in London with her hubby)…So where was I? Yes, Jen came over to Erin’s place… we got ready and went out dancing…. it was good conversations.. good choices of beverages…great dancing.. despite the ‘hawt, sweaty mess I became on the dance floor!’

….and again another reminder of such amazing friends I have!!

Erin and I… we go way back to a summer camp that we both worked at as teenagers… We met Summer of 1998… but decided to hang out even more Summer of 1999!  We too were roommies the year I went to Fanshawe College and lived in London…I think one of the things we love is our ‘phone’ dates… apparently we both like to talk on the phone… this is a good thing!! Thanks Erin and Dan for letting me crash at your place… 🙂 

Erin and I after dancing (so much fun!!!)… decided to walk home from downtown London, all the way back to where she lives kind of close to Western University… (don’t worry it was a safe, and sober choice for both of us)… I had to snap an iPhone photo of us though…. (see below)

On our way home.. we encountered a raccoon..(i picked up a stick to protect us in case that guy decided to jump out of the bushes as we walked by–I seriously HATE raccoons!)  

We also had to stop for a skunk… this little guy decided to try to cross the road… we were WILLING it to NOT get run over.. as that would be VERY stinky for us… but he didn’t at the last minute darted back across our path and then up someone else’s front lawn….

Now we all know things comes in threes… the last little guy… a squirrel wasn’t so lucky… it was dead as a door knob… and also a bit crispy on the side of the road… 

I’ve even managed to cross a few more things off my “summer hit list” like: 

• Dance like no one’s watching…
• Cuddle some babies…
• Road Trip…to London, Ontario…and visit some awesome peeps!
• Laugh til my tummy hurts..
• a few pedicures… and a hair cut by my hairdresser in Toronto!

Ahhhhh so good!!… and there’s still so much more to do! I’m off to Toronto for a few days.. then by Wednesday I’ll be back in Haliburton with limited internet access… and well days on the beach… surrounded by family!! (I CAN”T wait!!) 

>MMMMmmmmm

>Kawartha Dairy Ice Cream….

yup… another thing crossed of the list….
(although this might have to be crossed off a few more times… hehehe!)

MOOSE TRACKS®: Vanilla ice cream with chocolate peanut butter cups swirled with Moose Tracks® fudge.  (taken from the Kawartha Dairy Ice Cream site….) …this is SOOOOO DARN GOOD!!!!

>A Touch of Royalty…

>Remember when I made my “Summer Hit List”?

Well I have started to cross things off the list.. the first thing to go?
Seeing the Queen of course!   1. get a glimpse of the Queen…

Yep, Today I headed to the Forks… (again in the heat–it was brutally humid, and HOT…about 38C..) I got there about 1:30ish.. and staked out a spot… just in front of the media platform! This gathering was the Manitoba Homecoming Concert for Human Rights…the Queen dedicated a cornerstone for the new Museum of Human Rights. 

Here I am in front of the ‘Royal’ Box… waiting for the Queen… My friend L joined me, that was awesome… let me have the ‘freedom’ to move around a bit, and get some shots..but the beauty of having a ‘spot’ to go back to!! Thanks for coming L.  it was a great afternoon! (the photo below was taken with my iPhone!)

People, came and brought chairs…

(some looked like they were their ‘dining room’ chairs..others were folding camp chairs!)…

Because I was there so early.. I got to see the rehearsals of the performers…

Here’s a shot of Chantal Kreviazuk (love, love the song.. it was accompanied by the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra!)

As it got closer to 5pm.. the excitement started to gain for the arrival of the Queen…

(the crowd started to grow too!)

Fred Penner… was one of the ‘MC’s’

Some of the younger Royal Watchers… (too CUTE!)

…there was a wide range of Security, I felt sorry with them in their uniforms, or suits…it was so darn hot!!! But then again.. uniforms/suits… are such nice things to look at… (oops!? did I just type that out loud…yes, I think I did!)

As the crowds grew around me… people tried to get shade, and chill as much as they could…

For the news guys and others it meant hanging out under the umbrellas, not for the rain.. but for some sort of shade! 

I hung out with L. in the the ‘pretend’ shade in front of the media stage… (Side note: I only ended up with a little bit of burn.. seems like I missed a strip on my shoulder right close to my tank top line…when I put on my sunscreen…but all in all I didn’t get that burned at all!)

One of the camera guys brought me back a cold bottle of water..(I had brought 2 water bottles, but had drank most of both by this point) so having someone bring me some COLD water was heavenly!!! Yahoo for COLD water!!!

..and the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra started to play… and I noticed between the main stage and the ‘Royal’ Box… the Royal Flag had been hoisted!

And, then she was in front of me in the Royal Box… I think her hat was ‘fabulous’! 

…Her Majesty the Queen and His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh… (and me standing in front of the Queen!)

Chantal Kreviazuk.. introduced The Queen before her speech… which you can watch HERE!!

 

One final wave… (and as soon as they got down the stairs… the heavens opened up and we got rained on!!)   It was such a welcome thing! 

That was my brush with the Royals… I had a blast, even walking home in the rain…didn’t ruin my happy rush!… it actually was a welcome relief to all that humid weather! 

Thanks again L. for joining me on this hot, humid afternoon!! You were good company while waiting for the Royals!!

I just watched the 10 o’clock news on Global and they did a clip about the weather.. and I was on it!!!

my quote of the day.. “I’m a hawt, sweaty mess! But it’s OK!”

(and I really didn’t look that sweaty, or messy… but I did look HAWT!!)

>Summer Hit List…

>With only two more sleeps til I have holidays… I’ve been trying to come up with a hit list of things to do during my time off! I’m excited for summer… last summer I spent up in the Arctic.. (and as fun as that was… it was a different experience!)

• maybe get a glimpse of the Queen…
• Road Trip..to Ontario…back to where I grew up!
• Chill on the beach I’ve been going to since I was a baby…
• Dance like no one’s watching…
• eat lots of Kawartha Dairy ice cream–(and line up in Minden for a large scoop of goodness!)
• Cuddle some babies…
• Road Trip…to London, Ontario…and visit some awesome peeps!
• Laugh til my tummy hurts..
• Go water skiing…
• visit with Great Aunts and Uncles, cousins–1st, 2nd, 3rd and even those 1st, once removed (yep my family is huge!!)…
• Sleep on the beach…
• Road Trip to Buffalo.. with stops in the Niagara Region to visit some more peeps!
• Swim across the lake…
• Do some cliff jumping…  
• Take HEAPS of photos…and get lost in my photography…
• Finish knitting a baby sweater for a new baby…(that’s arriving soonish!)
• Sleep… have a lot of naps!
• Drink a few “mother’s ice tea lemonaid’s” (seriously–I’m in love with those guys)…
• Hang out with my nephews..
• round up the things I have left with various people in Ontario.. and go through it and bring whatever I need back to the ‘peg…but get rid of the other things!
• Curl up with a good book…on a rainy day–and well read!
• a few pedicures… and a hair cut by my hairdresser in Toronto!
• Toss in a few family reunions, family bridal showers…and a side of who knows what else!
• Get a tattoo
• Find a hammock and have a nap–while looking over the lake at the cottage… (I know where the hammock is–but let’s hope my Great Aunt and Uncle still have them up!)
• Road Trip back to the ‘peg with my COUSIN!..(with a possible stop on Manitoulian Island to visit friends I made in Nunavut, and a sleepover in a teepee!?!)
• plus much more… I mean I’m not one to actually plan things.. more of a go with the flow kind of gal!

Any other suggestions?! (I’m sure I’ve left things out…) and perhaps I’ll keep a pictorial account of my ‘list’ and keep you. dear readers,  in the loop!

Two more sleeps… I can’t wait..I’m in need of some holiday times!! (hopefully I won’t think about my salary getting cut in 1/2 (as of July 1st) as I’m working only a .5 until Christmas! shhhhh perhaps if I don’t think about it might go away!?)

edit note: last night I thought of a few more things… so have randomly added them to the list… I’m sure this is the list that will keep on growing!?