Summer of '14

I have been reminiscing about the summer of 2014.

It has been a very good one.  

I have had the chance to go on a few field trips.  

Some have been with my husband, and some with friends.  

 I love having the chance to drop everything and take a drive to see something different. 

 Of course, if the trip includes water, all the better.   I am so fortunate to live in a place that offers so many views of different water features.  The ocean, the parks, the lakes, the rivers, all lend themselves to feeling like I have had a holdiay, when I have just been away for a few hours.

Without a doubt, people watching was one of my favourite perks of our day trips. On any given day, there were wedding parties to peek at,

adventures to observe, such as this one of jumping into the water from a terrifying height,

border checks,

and the chance watch this little adventurer skip from one board on the boardwalk, to another,  without touching the crack.

There were new discoveries to be made, such as this one when we went to the tunnels that are only an hour drive from us, but somehow we had never been there.

and then the  extra reward of stopping by the rushing stream to bravely step foot into the ice cold water.









There were picnics to be had, at the lake - fresh sandwiches and fruit and easy conversation, and before we knew it, it was time for another meal.

There were trips to a park located on over 100 hectares of land, which offered a chance to look at nature, 

 learn a few things about gardening, and make plans to set up a water feature of our own, in some distant future.

There were dreams to be had of one day taking one of these sailing ships and going across to our private island.

And  on another sky-blue day, there was a chance to go to another one of my favourite spots and enjoy a quieter side of the ocean.

The summer ended with a real road trip.  We travelled through Rockies to re-connect with some dear friends with whom we had shared growing up days, young couple and young parent days.  One of the afternoons our host suggested taking a ride to this lake, where we spent a very rich afternoon talking and sharing and laughing and filling up our souls with the richness of treasured, long-term friendship.  

Yes, it was a very good summer!