Category Archives: Life

Preparing for Fall

evening light hunting

Oh fall.

You’re being gentle so far.

Days slowly shortening, heat slowly (thankfully not dramatically) shifting to cooler mornings but still summer days.

Last weekend at a small gathering, as we ate the most delicious peach cobbler with coconut ice cream (bliss) made by my friends, the theme of the night became all the positive things about fall and ideas of how to embrace fall.  So I thought I’d share a mix of those things that are making me rather excited for the coming season.

  • Making Soup
  • Going on hikes on trails that are usually way to touristy to do in the summer
  • Biking around Stanley Park (which is also too ridiculously busy during the summer months).
  • Putting books on hold at the Library so all fall there is a regular flow of divine fiction to read
  • My Nia Dance class starting again
  • Chai Tea in the evening
  • Getting back into running, which I started back at this week (me + summer heat + running are not a good mix. I’m definitely more of a fall/winter/spring runner)
  • Cozy scarves and hats (or tuques as we have been known to call them here in Canada)
  • Remembering on rainy days that I have a gym membership and can go to classes any day of the week (I’d much prefer to be active outside but this membership comes in mighty handy during the winter)
  • Matinees on rainy afternoons
  • That I can wear my Blundstones again.  Walking through (or yes, jumping in) gigantic puddles in these boots makes me particularly happy as they are oh so waterproof and let no water in.
  • Apples.  Everything about apples.  Apple crisp, the smell of apple trees.
  • That there are presently ripe figs on the tree in my front yard.  Which I will pick later today and make something delicious with.
  • Cooking with Squash and other root veggies, that I don’t tend to crave during the summer.  Oh delish.
  • Colourful leaves on sidewalks (and all the photo potential that brings).
  • Cosy hoodies (I’m especially a fan of Prairie Underground Hoodies)
I’ll need this list to remember when the rain arrives and when the days get way shorter.
How about you?  What are your favourite things about fall?

Family Time

Brilliant sunsets

Wild plants on the shore

Family kayak/sailing adventures

Jumping and swimming in big waves

Feeding seagulls at sunset

BBQ and patio suppers with the whole family

The sweetest nephew ever, doling out the sweetest little kisses to us all

Painting Arlo’s big toe nails, and one finger nail…just like his auntie’s nails

The best golden hour light I’ve ever seen

This week finds me in Southampton Ontario, a place we always went to stay at a cottage each summer growing up and where my parents now live.  The whole family is gathered here this week.  My brother from the East Coast, my sister and her family from Portland and myself.  The week has flown by but its been pretty darn lovely just to have this bit of time together.

How’s your summer going (or winter if you’re in the opposite hemisphere)?

feeding the seagulls at sunset
golden hour grounded in the grass

West Coast Wanderings

beach bliss 2
This past weekend I had a pretty lovely chance to go to a place I had never been, the long beaches and gorgeous west side of Vancouver Island, staying in Ucluelet, British Columbia.

I lived on the island in Victoria for many years, but never found a chance to get up island that far so when my super lovely friend Jo invited some friends to join her in staying at a friends place up there I jumped at the chance.

What I think made this trip extra lovely for me was that I had no expectations as I had never been there.  I was just looking forward to getting to check out this new place so everything became a bonus.

Gigantic Ice Cream at the most incredible store that had a grass roof and goats wandering on it?  Bonus!

A stop in the gorgeous Cathedral Grove and a solo stroll in these incredible big redwoods that had me emerging from the woods with a smile so big that it hurt my cheeks?  Double Bonus!

Cathedral Grove

We also did more exploring of the area than I expected.

We hiked around the Lighthouse Loop in Ucleulet,

Explored Long Beach and watched lots of Surfers
long beachsurfers

Then another day they rented surfboards (I’d love to take a surf lesson some day but this wasn’t the right time for it) and I wandered Chesterman Beach (my favourite beach we explored) picking up shells and even having the time to shoot a few selfies.

beach bliss
chesterman beach

Tacos at Tacofino, seriously delicious coffee at Tofitian and lots of exploring of the town of Tofino.  Heck yes!

It was indeed an adventure that hit the spot and I’m sure this won’t be the last time I explore that part of the country.

How was your weekend?