Down by the river

July 12, 2016 in Life

Almost every property my parents have owned over the years has had a water source of some kind - lake, river, stream, creek, pond. And if not directly on the property, then there was one close by. Growing up on the water provided many opportunities for exploration and adventure.

Playing ice hockey on a frozen pond. Learning to fish. Canoeing and kayaking. Water skiing and wake boarding. Rinsing off vegetables plucked straight from mom's garden and eating them outdoors. Catching frogs and tadpoles. Wading in creeks. Swimming in rivers. Polar dips in frozen lakes.

Over the years, it's been fun to capture images of the younger generations enjoying many of the same activities. The Pine River, running along the property boundary, was a favourite swimming spot on hot lazy summer days. Deep in areas, shallow in others, it was the perfect river. Jumping off high banks or sliding into its cool depths for endless hours of fun - so many sights and sounds.

The changing colours of the water, reflecting the time of day and season of the year. Dragonflies by the hundreds, fragile and strong, as drawn to the water as the kids. The bubbling, gurgling song of the river as it passes over and through the rock bed. The sparkle of fish as they jump and dive, moving quickly away from the splashing and noisy children. Dappled sunlight filtering through the trees.

Last days of school

June 21, 2016 in Life

Having written this a few weeks ago, it was unexpected that the day it was posted, our local firefighters would be out on the job, working hard to put out several forest fires in the area. While the post shows the lighter side of their duties, the work of firefighters is incredibly serious and can be dangerous. They have our many thanks for the work they do. Stay safe!

Do you remember those last few weeks of school before the summer holiday? Slow days looking out the window, longing to be outdoors instead of cooped up inside, dreaming of all the wonderful things to do during the summer. A heat wave always rolled in, a drowsy warmth that made even the bees and flies drift lethargically.

Wouldn't you have loved to spend an afternoon cooling off in the water spray pouring over the local ball field by the town's fire department? It's a tradition here in the north (at least in this town) - all the elementary schools get a turn in late June.

The children squeal, run and laugh, taunting the firefighters, reveling in the cool water. The field becomes waterlogged and turns into the world's largest slip and slide. A perfect summer afternoon.

The New House - Breaking ground

March 15, 2016 in Life

One weekend in June, our beautiful niece informed me that she was sleeping over at grandma's and grandpa's with me for the weekend. So we packed up her bag and off we went on a grand adventure. We visited the new building lot (read more here) and watched the tractor break ground. An exciting step in any new building project - it signals the beginning of something new!

We skipped down forest paths, planted seeds in the garden, jumped on the tree tent, climbed hills, trees and trailers, walked through fields where the grasses were as high as her shoulders and played in the mud and sand (shh - don't tell mom and dad).

Summer was just beginning - the trees and hills were still lush and green. Wildflowers bloomed. A storm rolled in later in the day, bringing rain and interesting cloud formations. I can't wait for summer to be here again!