CAMPING 101

For a few days each year, I get to go camping. Being an earthy kinda girl, it is something I love to do. 

For the first time in 20 years, it was a no-kid trip, only Sheldon and I. This made for a different dynamic but the basics do not really change. So here is camping 101, especially for the earthy type!

If you want to pack it in, you can bring it. This trip was a nice meander a little over an hour to the site with no portages so you bet we packed it in. 

Including this monster of a mattress, which was a bugger to blow up without a pump but pretty darn cushy. We are over 50 now, ya know. 

 Neither do we starve. Fresh salmon and a big fat angus rib-eye to share for our supper meals. Food always tastes better outside over a fire! 

It is strongly suggested to hang your food and garbage up before bed. This amuses the raccoons at night and hopefully distracts the bears from the tasty prewrapped humans-in-a-blanket sleeping in the nearby tent!

We always go for a good long hike to enjoy the beautiful scenery. This time however, we left the bug spray at the campsite. A big faux pas indeed. Just picture Pigpen from the Peanuts with the swarm of bugs around him - that would be pretty accurate. On occasion I would yell out to Sheldon "Left forearm!" or "right shoulder!" so he could actually smack a dozen off or so. 

This is the red beacon that I follow. As most of you know, I have no sense of direction. So I just follow the red beacon that will eventually lead me out of the woods.

See this lake? Billions of people on this earth. But only 2 at this lake. You can bet I took advantage of that and went vimming. Why pack out a wet bathing suit when you don't need to wear it at all? Again, this was a no-kid trip so clothing was pretty optional. 

Finally, if a tree falls in a forest, it makes a heck of a lot of noise, just to clear up that myth. Sheldon and I were sitting at our site  staring at the water when there was this cracking noise. Then BANG, BOOM, CRACK, CRASH!! 

"What was that?!?" I asked Sheldon. I'm thinking a woodland troll or mountain ogre bearing down on us, because I read J.R. Tolkien and stuff like that when I'm camping. He calmly explained it was a tree falling in the forest. Now I know what it sounds like! Sounds a lot like a woodland troll or mountain ogre!

So that's it. If you are not a camper, you now have the basics: proper gear, bug spray, what to eat and where to put it, vimming for you earthy types, and a myth busted. 

SUMMER FUN AT WATERFRONT

Every year, my little town holds a Waterfront Festival involving fun, food and music. This is an annual event that has been going on for years. I remember carrying Randi around the Festival as a newborn in one of the knapsack things that were strapped to your chest. She's 26 now....there will be no more carrying in knapsacks. 

For a while it was a monstrous party that engulfed half of Belleville. But for the past few years it has simmered down to a quaint little family friendly event. 

Here's a few shots of the goings on this year:
There is always great ethnic food....Momos, Perogies, Samosas, pizza. 
This year I tried the vegetarian noodles from Tibet 

We also had the Portuguese chicken. So Salty.....so good! 

There is lots of things for the kids to do but this velcro wall made me seriously consider suiting up and trying it myself

You put on the suit, jump and voila. Stuck like glue. Then there is that delicious sound as you attempt to peel yourself off.

Some kids needed a little help with the peeling off part. 

We were wandering around when suddenly, the crowd parted I looked to the right and fell in love.

This is Griffin, a one-year-old Lab/Akbash cross. 

Is he not the most gorgeous creature you have ever seen?

But Sheldon and our friend Tom soon tired of me giving lovey-dovey eyes to Griffin and I had to move on. They had other things they wanted to check out. Like these pants.

I've been trying to think of a witty caption for this photo for a couple of hours. At this point I'm open to suggestions.

This too, is just weird.

So let's finish by getting back to wonderful things, like dogs who run, leap and splash into a big pool of water.

If you are ever in Belleville in the middle of July, come check out the Waterfront Festival! I've only touched on a few things to see, do and eat and it's a great way to spend a weekend. You may even fall in love or find the perfect pair of pants.

A SMALL REMINDER

The Loons tells me it was about 35 degrees Celsius!

It's been a hot one this week: Humid, Sticky, Furnace-like. Everyone hopping from the air conditioned house to the air conditioned car. Or you lounged in front of a burring fan or clustered under the nearest shady tree. I think I burned the tops of my hands biking to work and back. 

On Canada Day we went down to Zwick's Park to check out the festivities and everyone moved in slow motion. If we had added a bit of face paint and effects it would have made for a smashing Zombie movie. 

But I love summer and I thrive in heat so much better than in cold.
I love the dusty smell of the house. 
I love the way the cats stretch out in long velvet lines as opposed to plush compact little balls.
I love having warm feet and hands!

And you can't do things like this in the middle of winter!

I was able to go strawberry picking this week. I popped off those little ruby reds with a satisfying snap and filled up 12 quarts full.

The fruits of my labour!

I shared some with my parents and co-workers, had fresh berries in my oatmeal, dipped them in melted chocolate, and sliced them into salads. They are so much better than the tasteless ones you buy at the grocery store in the dead of winter. 

Yes, it's hot. But let's not forget people, what we've been through....

Remember this?

Ice, Ice Baby

Precarious walking conditions

Precarious driving conditions

Heck, you could not even push a grocery cart to the car safely

And, so much snow

We have earned this hot weather in spades....just a small reminder