In The Field: Orca's Island

            This time last week we were pawing through our camping gear and preparing for an island weekend- we were headed to Orca's Island in Washington State. This place has been on our Summer bucket list for the past two years- one of those places we keep meaning to visit and have yet to make time for. With some truly unseasonably warm and dry April weather we made a rather last minute decision to head out on an overnight adventure to the island.

           April on the West Coast is traditionally very wet, rainy and grey- this is not at all the case this year- I will admit I have been lulled into a false sense of Summertime! We all have faint tans starting to show- the sandals have been out for the past month or so and I can't remember the last time I dragged out the umbrella! That said I did manage to remember extra wool blankets- we are tenters after all!

         Orca's Island is situated just South of the 49th Parellel- making the boarder crossing our only real distance to cover. Hopping onto the Anacortes ferry which is only about a half hour from the actual boarder and setting sail towards the gorgeous San Juan Islands. As someone who is not Island bound the novelty of taking a ferry anywhere is still high on my list of favourite things to do- I love the disconnect a person gets as soon as the mainland fades away.

          While there are quite a few beautiful looking resorts and B& Bs to stay on we made our way to Moran State Park- which was quite unlike any state park we have camped in. Situated a little inland around two lakes the park is massive- I feel like we only experienced a very tiny slice of the beauty to be had. If you go be sure to reserve a spot- on this particular sunny weekend the park was packed and we were lucky to have found a spot close to the washrooms!

          These short little camping trips are really the best way to hit the reset button- we all unplugged completely- which for me these days is a pretty big deal. We took our books, our paints, the knitting, the coffee and of course there was the lake. The boy practiced his wood chopping skills and both Littles learned to light a campfire on their own.

         By the time Sunday afternoon rolled around the biggest complaint was that we had to head home. With weather like this it was hard to remember it's still April- we still have school and work! So we packed up and headed to the ferry- only to discover it was full. So we parked in the standby area and went in search of ice cream- obviously! If you go be sure to make ferry reservations!

        Friends it is Friday! Yahooo! It's crazy that I am saying this but as you read this we are headed East this weekend back to the Okanagan. I'm hoping for some time to sew, drink coffee with my Momma and visit with my sister- oh and I am sure there will be wine! Happy Friday Friends!

Life Lately

            Life lately has been full of all sorts of adventures. Hence the radio silence in this space. The good and the bad- everything from a trip to California to head lice and pink eye- we have seen it all this month. Watching these kids of ours move through the world lately has brought into clarity the importance of our time together as a family- how neither myself nor the Mr. want to waste a second of this golden time of childhood.

          I have spent quite a bit of time ruminating on parenting children of this age- they are stretching their comfort zones and spreading their wings- one day they will surely fly. This is the age when I as a parent am pretty superfluous- I am there in the role of supervisor only. Less and less am I brought into their worlds of imagination and exploration. It is a little bitter sweet.  This is the natural order of life and one I am happy to support- for while they are spreading their wings they still need Momma around- if only to carry the snacks.

          So part of my process in being moved to a supporting role in my children's lives is to hold space for that small amount of grief I feel as a mother. To honour it and then let it go. It's hard to explain until you are really in the thick of the elementary school years- a process that starts in kindergarten and I suppose continues the rest of our lives- the letting go- the growing. Don't get me wrong I'm not sitting about moping- I am so proud of who these little people are becoming!

           Stopping to notice the ever evolving changes in my children has been whats brought actually important to me into sharp relief. Being present- like really present all the while presenting opportunities for exploration and growth has taken prescient over all things this Spring. Tuning in- truly trying to listen and hearing what they say- not just offering up pearls of wisdom or solutions to problems. Just being there as a receptacle for their words- worries- joys.

              Life lately has been full of real life moments- the hilarity found in being so dead tiered but still combing lice out of each other's hair at midnight. The shear childish joy in hugging Mickey Mouse AND Minnie! The mundane pizza dinners when we are just so tiered to cook anything else but still have to feed everyone. Life is messy- life is fun- life lately is just life!

P.S. these pictures were taken a couple of weeks ago at Uplands Park in Victoria- it is the most wonderful place to take a wander no matter the weather!

On Our Bookshelf

          We were so lucky to get some amazing additions to our bookshelves over the Christmas Holidays- of course we thought it would be fun to share here with everyone! Currently the most popular is Over and Under the Snow- from the same folks who brought us Up In The Garden and Down In The Dirt. My Little ones love these books as they love to read anything about nature that they can get their grubby little hands on. 

         What we all love best about Over and Under the Snow are the sensitive illustrations from artist Christopher Silas Neal. We love the way multiple story lines intersect and weave together- the girl in the snow, the animals under the snow and the biggest character of all- the seasons. Just like in our favourite gardening book the story is wrapped up with a look at all the different animals we saw through out the book- details and facts are an eight year olds favourite thing- ever!

     
          I'm not going to lie- I loved this book so much we gave several as Christmas gifts ourselves. To me there is nothing so special as a good book. I would go out on a limb and say both Up In The Garden and Down In The Dirt and Over and Under The Snow will easily become heirloom books to be passed down to the next generation.

A Very West Coast Christmas

          Christmas has come and gone and with in many days of relaxing- lots of time spent where we feel most comfortable out at the beach next to the water with the cold wind on our cheeks. While the weather was perhaps not to be considered the best we didn't let it deter our spirit -with things to explore and new toys to try out- our time spent outside was perhaps my favourite gift of all.

        While the snow blanketed the hills and mountains around us we kept warm in the falling rain with wool blankets and hot chocolates- things always taste better outside! The miles of pristine- and deserted- beach called to be explored. The littles scattered while we set ourselves up- checking out familiar logs and rocks- hunting for winter beach treasures.

        Santa brought the Mr. a Biolite stove and this little gadget is possibly the coolest thing I have ever seen! Not only does the heat power a fan- which in turn creates more flame and sucks the smoke away. This diminutive little stove reduces soot and smoke by 90% and for every stove purchased Biolite donates a home cook stove to a community that needs it. This company is onto something big and exciting- not only does the stove reduce soot- it also doesn't require the usual fuel needed for a camp stove- the Biolite is fuelled entirely on sticks and tinder. As if this wasn't enough you can also charge your cell phone with it!

          So of course we needed to try out the latest addition to our camp kitchen arsenal- this tiny and easy to pack little stove is about to be a permanent fixture in our van- hot chocolate on all our adventures now! I was really surprised with how fast the stove heated or milk up- apparently it boils water in no time flat- and the heat it threw off was as good as most small campfires. Needless to say the Mr. was chuffed with his gift and we will all benefit from it!

     
            So with pockets full of beach glass- the very best is found in the winter don't you know- and our cheeks all aglow our winter holidays are coming to an end. While I feel myself holding my breath for another day or so until I can convince the fam jam to take down our tree- I know these days of December ware waning. The days are getting longer- even if by a few minutes- I will just sit back read another book and have another glass of wine! The tree can wait- at least for today!

PS- who says city kids can't learn to handle a hatchet or light a fire? Let them be curious- let them take risks- let them alone!

Keeping Things Simple

            In keeping with the growing theme in my life- as the Holidays approach- I am keeping things simple. This year I have opted out of the baking, the fancy, re- usable fabric bags and possibly with an increased chance the Christmas cards. Having to be very realistic about how I spend my time I have paired this Christmas season ways a way back! Prioritizing spending time with my family over doing a tonne of things for other people- starting with the very basics- teacher gifts!

             We love our teachers and care givers- we are blessed to be part of such an amazing community that is so close. For me to go out and buy gift cards feels really impersonal and not a heartfelt thank you at all. So over the past few weekends the Littles and I have gathered our supplies at the kitchen table and put our hands to work. 

              I truly believe in giving my kids some agency over their Christmas gifts- these are actually made by the kids for the adults who are helping to shape and mold them. I think it's important to have children be active participants in saying thank you to the people who give to them every single day. All too often it's so easy for us as parents to take over all aspects of everything- including showing gratitude. I am hoping that by letting my Littles take the lead they will be giving gifts from their hearts- gifts made by their own hands with their own time- an important life lesson.

Christmas In The City: Go Fish

            We are staying in the city for Christmas this year! It's kind of special because usually we head out of town and over the hills to Grandma's house in the Okanagan for the days surrounding the holidays. For the first time in years though we are staying in the city we love- Vancouver. It's awesome to really see how the city puts of the glitz West Coast style during the holidays and so I will be featuring some of our favourite spots that are good to visit year round- but especially on the rainy December days leading up to Christmas!

        First up is our favourite fish and chips place- Go Fish- located just off Granville Island down at the fish docks this is truly some of the best fish and chips in the city- oh and the Tacones are pretty amazing too! This place is normally crowed beyond capacity during warmer days and so it is practically a genius move to come here during the off season. We walked right up to the counter and placed our order- ten minutes later we had piping hot cod!

            This city of ours really does a number of things right- food is one of them. The fish at Go Fish is as mentioned some of the best to be found in Vancouver. My favourite is the tuna tacone- seared to perfection and served with a spicy slaw in a warmed tortilla- amazing- have two!

         After a yummy lunch at Go Fish a walk down on the docks is a must- an authentic West Coast thing to do. My West Coast kids are right at home on the floating ramps and docks-pearing over the edge and making me freak right out! If you are lucky a resident seal will swim right up to say hello. Oh Vancouver- away from the crowds- when the rain stops- with fish and chips- you are perfect!

These Days

           These days have been incredibly wet and rainy and our little family is becoming increasingly cabin bound. Our daily routine is small- work to school and home again- very little movement off the beaten path- trying to stay dry. So it goes with out saying that when a break in the storms happened this past weekend we headed to our favourite spot on earth- the ocean. There is something so cathartic about screaming into gale force winds- a release happens and everyone of us just feels better!

         These short days of December can run away from us- lists can grow long- and the pile of plastic can get out of hand. I am so happy that right from the beginning we kept things simple. Choosing to make December more about our family than the growing pile of gifts. My days are too precious to spend at a mall buying things for people I love- when I would rather be with the people I love doing things that we love.

           There is a lot happening in this world right now that doesn't make sense. I have thought long and hard about what to say- trying to find the words to adequately express my sadness in humankind. Words have failed me- I have no words for the atrocities being committed abroad- I have no words for  my sadness in the small mindedness I see in so many Canadians right now. In a world of uncertainty my kids make sense- when nothing else does! Standing on a cold beach in the middle of December- watching them collect all the rocks one could possibly need- makes sense. Cold noses- cold cheeks- warm hearts.

         These days I just want to seek out solitude- I mean in the company of my family- but we seek out the quiet places- between the forest and the ocean. Looking for places where we can scream our hearts out and race until our lungs burst. I want to find the places that make sense to me- where the sadness of far off places can't reach me- I want to hide- but I won't.

       

          I think this trip to the beach was exactly what we needed- just us four and the sea gulls- oh and some dogs with their humans. Heading back into a busy work week I can hang onto this day- remember my girl hoarding rocks in her pockets- my boy wandering down the beach lost in his thoughts- my Mr. laughing as tide threatened his dry feet. While the days of summer are long and seems endless- slightly frivolous and to be wasted these short days of winter are something special indeed- not to be wasted at all!

Searching For Winter

           When I grew up the first snowfall was a really big deal- I can recognize the smell of snow- I know when it is about to snow. Living in Vancouver- next to the ocean- one of the things that we rarely see or even smell is snow! And it's something I dearly miss. Not so much the gross- worn out February snow- the stuff that's been hanging around since before the Holidays! It's the fresh- beautiful- fluffy stuff that I miss terribly- the thought of tucking in while the flakes make the world silent is what I miss- the fresh layer of white blanketing the earth is what I miss. So it's only natural that this mountain gal headed for the hills as soon as the winds turned chilly!

            It's so funny to watch my city kids sort out their feelings towards snow- one s a bit more cautious and the other jumps right in. None of us have the proper gear but that totally didn't stop us from a spur of the moment frolic in fresh white powder on a recent trip home from the Okanagan. We stopped at the top of the mountain pass- a rest stop that the weekend previous we had picnicked in shirt sleeves- now covered in over a foot of snow.

            There truly is nothing like coming back inside with frozen fingers and toes- cheeks tingling as they start to warm back up- wet socks on the heater. Given the chance my boy would stay out in the snow all day every day- he says all he needs is a dog and some snow and life would be perfect- I kinda agree!

These Days: December

          Two months ago ,when life got crazy busy and I hit the pause button on my blog, I never imagined that I would possibly be gone for quite so long! I planned my posts- each week trying to a lot time to sit and write and each week the days just slipped on by. So these days- winter days- are turning out to be a fair bit busier than I ever imagined! Every day I have to make a choice- to sit and write or knit or sleep or clean- making time to create in the cracks between work and family.

          I have this friend- she is an amazing artist- recently I listened to her pod cast on the Jealous Curator- go have a listen and you will not be disappointed! So my friend- Jessica- spoke about how impossible to create art in the cracks- how one needs to take the leap and dedicate your days to making. I have been marinating in this idea of creating art between the cracks- the idea has really stuck with me- as I struggle to create in the small time allotted to me each day. The thing is I agree with her. I agree that most people can do one thing really well- to be successful at one creative venture you must dedicate all your days to it. Where I struggle is the fact that I am passionate about many things- I wish to succeed in many areas of my life... and I think I can do it.

         So while I may not be here every single day any more- I am still thinking and planning and dwelling in this little corner of the inter- webs. While I may be blogging in the cracks just remember that I am somewhere knitting or sewing- creating and pushing my art to a different place. I am parenting between the cracks too- but that is a blog post for another day! Meanwhile I'm here- I'm around- I'm just trying to get the most out of these days as I possibly can!

P.S. these littles of mine are swiftly growing these days as well- all the feels are happening around here! Legs are stretching as is the vocabulary!

In The Field: O'Keefe Ranch

          On a recent trip to the North Okanagan it was decided that a trip to the corn maze at O'Keefe Ranch was a must. The skies were hanging low and rain was threatening but our Littles were admit that I would love the ranch( I didn't have the heart to tell them I visited as a child) and that the corn maze was a-maze-ing! Get it? Hillarious I know! So we piled into the van along with my Father In Law and fully expecting to get soaked but trying to stay optimistic.

        Upon arrival at the ranch we were delighted to find horses to ride, kittens to love on and sheep to share secrets with. The Littles love to take any opportunity they can to get into the saddle- their Opa was a very accomplished equestrian rider once upon a time and he was happy to see both kids excited to ride. These city kids of ours are getting more time on horses than I ever did as a kid- and I grew up in a town where horses walking down the street was an every day occurrence! So horses, cats and sheep- oh and chickens- our kids were in heaven. The campaign for pets is reaching a fever pitch around here these days and this trip certainly fuelled the fires.

        O'Keefe Ranch is nestled in amongst the rolling hills of the North Okanagan just outside of Vernon- a few minutes from town.  The end of the wagon road with a self supporting town O'Keefe Ranch recently celebrated it's 149th birthday. Primarily a tourist attraction today the ranch still retains much of it's charm and plenty of historic buildings that are open to the public to explore in season.

         So we did horse back riding , followed by a trip through the corn maze- we played it safe and visited during the day- if one is brave enough to go through the corn at night be prepared to be terrified- but during the day it's all kitty cats and pumpkins! Once we made our way through the corn maze we sat by the camp fire and had hot dogs and of course mini donuts.

           With the rain holding off until we were safely on our way home we enjoyed our time at the ranch through and through. What I loved best about the set up at O'Keefe Ranch was the amount of space- not the overwhelming crowds one finds at the Coast when trying to do anything seasonal! With their bellies full of mini donuts and heavy eyes threatening naps our Littles declared O'Keefe Ranch as having the best corn maze ever- it was a-maze-mg!


P.S. because I know folks will ask Miss Lo's dress is the Gardinia dress pattern from Cali Faye Collections- sewed out of a ever so soft piece of Cotton & Steel double gauze- I will likely write about the dress details in another post- for now it's all kitten & horses!

Hike: Hardy Falls

             One hike that every child who is from Peachland does in the fall is the hike up to Hardy Falls to watch the Kokanee salmon spawn. It goes with out saying that this is something I needed to take my own Littles to do. Hardy Falls is a small district park located just off Highway 97 at the Southern end of Peachland- just before the highway turns steeply uphill and heads for Summerland. A small turn off is actually a parking lot and just across the street is a quick and easy little hike.

          When we were kids- in the 80's- we used to hit the many bridges at a full run- jumping and stomping up and down as the adults yelled at us to be careful- the bridges bouncing and swaying barely holding together. These days the park has undergone a dramatic facelift- including all 8 bridges being replaced with sturdy structures that actually have handrails! I wonder if my kids found this as entertaining as we did when we were kids- perhaps another sign of childhood being too safe these days.

           After a peaceful time watching the salmon jump up the ladder we headed back to the car in the warm afternoon sunlight. It was decided when we headed home we should draw salmon which is exactly what they did- granted these are a little flashier than the real deal! The Littles turned their salmon into puppets so they could fly them through the clouds- fancy salmon in grey skies.

          I am so happy to walk the paths of my childhood with my own kids- the same fierce rock walls towering overhead- the echoes of my own friends ringing through from the past. While our reality of course was much less bucolic- plenty of tears when Miss Lo tripped on a rock- me yelling at The Boy to get down off the top run of the bridge our little hike- moments of peace were fought and tucked away. It doesn't matter that we don't live in Peachland- our Littles are as much a part of that town as we ever were.