Hot, sunny weekend...

At last, we have summer here on the Sunshine Coast :)

After having a yummy, home made pizza for dinner on Friday evening, we moved to the firepit for our first official fire of summer:

I roasted marshmallows for smores and we sat reading our books till it was too dark for that, then just watched the fire burn down. It was still a little light when we went in at 10:30 - I just love the long days this time of year.

On Saturday morning we enjoyed coffee out on the deck. Sean took this cool pic of us:

Sean played ball hockey and then we went for a walk on a nearby beach:

where we looked over to Vancouver island - there's still snow on the mountains over there!!

The driveway was deliciously cool, as it's so shady - a lovely place to sit and contemplate:

Sunday dawned even hotter, so I took time to water the garden, which needs a good soaking each morning as it's in the sun for hours later in the day:

Sean had to nip into work for a while, so I got a headstart on our outdoor work while it was still shady. After weeding the flower bed, I headed over to the septic field and began the long process of clearing it of sticks, branches etc. Much sunscreen was applied and much water drunk. After a lunch break (when Sean got home) we went back out there where Sean moved rocks and I contined to pick up sticks. We had a little visitor on one of the trees - a red-breasted sapsucker, who seemed quite content for me to take its picture:

By close to 2:30 it was just too hot to work outside on that baking field, so we rested for a bit on the deck before cleaning up and walking over to my in-laws' for a yummy dinner. The walk home was even nicer as it had cooled off just enough - and we needed to walk off some of the chocolate zucchini cake we'd consumed *g*.

It was still light when we arrived back at the house, so we repaired to the deck chairs with our books until the mosquitoes forced us back inside just before 10. It was hot in the bedroom last night, even with the fan going and the curtains back to let in the breeze, but compared to the heat of an Ontario summer (I grew up in a house without A/C), it was still pretty comfortable.

Tomorrow is Canada Day and we'll likely go to Gibsons to see what's going on down at the waterfront. Fingers crossed that the lovely weather will hold.

So, how was your weekend?

Teresa

Currently Reading: Rosie Meadows Regrets by Catherine Alliot
Link of the Day: History Resources from the University of Memphis

Dinner with a view...

On Sunday evening we went to the Lighthouse Pub at Porpoise Bay for a fundraiser to support a local dragon boat team. It was a perfect evening - warm and sunny. By the time we arrived, there was only one table left out on the patio.

Here is the view we had:

One of the cool things about eating at the Lighthouse is that you also get to watch the float planes take off and land.

Here's one of the planes taking off:

Just about an hour later, we saw two land one after the other:

Sean took all the above photos, as he was sitting closest to the railing :) All in all, a fun evening. It actually felt like summer!


Teresa

Currently Reading: Elegance by Kathleen Tessarao
Link of the Day: Author Tracy Grant's blog

This, that and the other thing...

It's been a busy week here on the Coast. I've spent much of my time catching up on things I let slide last week while I was sick. It felt good to actually be doing something again!

We've also discovered that we live at deer central. Now we'd love to think our property itself is the reason, but it's more likely it's because we have the only house without a dog! All our neighbours have at least one big dog, so it's pretty clear the deer feel safest using our garden as their thoroughfare.

I was alerted to a visitor yesterday evening by Chloe growling at the bedroom window - pretty impressive, as I was sitting in the living room with the radio on. She may be a cat, but she's extremely territorial!

After checking to see what nature of visitor (it could have been the bear - we saw evidence the other day that it too had been by as recently as Tuesday morning), I grabbed my camera and managed to get a couple of photos and even some video.

In writing news, I discovered today that I really do need to remember to go to coffee shops more often to work. I stayed in Sechelt between my Nia class this morning and my library shift in the afternoon. With the price of gas these days, I didn't want to go home between the two, so I took the laptop with me and went to The Daily Roast (after finding Starbucks full). I had a yummy coffee and muffin and spent a fruitful hour doing some editing. It was fantastic - there was great music playing and the constant hum of voices and the coffee machine provided just the right amount of noise to lose myself in. I'm too paranoid to use Wireless Hotspots and without the internet I was able to focus on my work.

I've also been glomming books by Vancouver author Robyn Harding - three in the last week! They're page turners and tons of fun. One is even set in Vancouver, which is totally cool. They're very similar in tone to Marian Keyes, Catherine Alliot and Cathy Kelly, but with a Canadian twist. Even the books set in the US give away her nationality - at one point she mentions women might fantasize about sleeping with Joe Thornton of the Colorado Avalanche. I'm not sure many American writers would use a hockey analogy *g*. It's that kind of detail that really sucks me in. Most Canadian teenaged girls have at least one crush on a hockey player. So if you see any of her books - Unravelled, The Secret Desires of a Soccer Mom, The Journal of Mortifying Moments or Chronicles of a Mid-life Crisis, pick them up! You can read more about them at Robyn's website.


Last, but not least, here's the book trailer for Elizabeth Chadwick's next book. If you haven't read her books, they're fantastic!



Hope everyone is having a good week :)

Teresa

Currently Reading:The Wedding Day by Catherine Alliot

Feeling better...

At last! And I'm fairly certain two straight days of sun have something to do with it. I spent an hour and a half out in the garden this morning, watering and pulling weeds, listening to the birds sing. Wonderful! I even found myself craving coffee, always a sure sign I'm on the mend.

We had a good weekend, colds notwithstanding (Sean has the same one I do) - our brother/sister-in-law, niece and nephew were up visiting. We hung out with them and had a family campfire on Saturday evening after a very yummy dinner (thanks Mom!)

Plus on Friday we were fed by our friends (Shepherds Pie - yum) while watching When We Were Kings, a fantastic documentary about The Rumble in the Jungle. My dad was a boxing fan, so I grew up hearing about the various matches. The film itself had relatively little boxing and was as much about the mid-70s and some of the leading personalities of the time, along with the music. And racism. It gave me a huge respect for Ali.

Yesterday we celebrated Father's Day with Sean's parents, serving them Dad's favourite meal. It was even better that the weather cooperated.

Now, however, it's back to work for me. I have two reviews to finish and some other writing work to catch up on.

How about you - any big plans for this week?

Teresa

Summer colds...

are the worst. Not that it's the least bit summery here, but I hate being sick in June. Even with the cool weather I could be outside gardening, but not the way I'm feeling right now. Grrrrr.

Anyone have any fun links they can suggest - to amuse me while I nurse this nasty cold?

Teresa

Currently Reading: Unravelled by Robyn Harding

7 Random Things...

Melissa posted her answers to the meme and as I have nothing brilliant to say today, I figured I'd try to come up with seven random things about me.

1) I LOVE house-flipping and house buying shows on HGTV. NOT that I have any intention of doing either - moving again is not something I want to do for a long, long, long time. But I just find the process fascinating and love to see what other people do with houses and what appeals to them when they buy.

2) I was on a tv game show back in the 80s called Reach for the Top (yes, fellow Canucks, I was a bit of a geek that way). Our team lost our second game, but I somehow then ended up on the All Star Team for the City of Ottawa (still have NO idea how that happened) and we ended up playing a team from CFB Lahr in Germany. The best part of that was meeting some great people, one of who later ended up at Queen's and being friends with Sean at CFRC (talk about a small world).

3) I've never smoked a cigarette in my life. Yep, I was probably one of very few kids who actually was scared by all the films we saw in health class in the mid-70s. As an adult I've never really been tempted either - wine and chocolate are my vices :)

4) I never did master Double Dutch. My friend Kalli was fantastic at it and gave me pointers, but no matter how hard I tried, I just couldn't do it for more than a few turns of the ropes.

5) When I have popcorn at a movie theatre, I won't start eating it till the trailers start. I don't know why, I just like to have my popcorn with my movie and know that I love it so much, if I start eating it as soon as I sit down, most of it will be gone by the time the movie is on. I cover it with napkins and woe betide those who try sneaking their hand under for a kernel or two before the lights dim and the trailers roll.

6) I'm petrified of spiders. Not uncommon, I know, but where mice don't bother me and I'm ok with snakes, spiders, depending on their size, can paralyze me! Hence my being eternally grateful to my mum for including the Long-handled Spider Catcher with our Christmas package this year. Out here in the country, with wood piles both inside and just outside the house, eight-legged visitors are inevitable, so I'm learning to deal with my fear with the help of the spider catcher.

7) I'd love to learn to ride a horse. It must be the historian in me. We now have neighbours with horses, so maybe one day soon I'll get a chance to do it.

What about you - are there seven random things about you that you want to share?

Teresa

Currently Reading: Book for Review

Remembering Teva...

One year ago, Teva crossed the Rainbow Bridge...

We still miss you, sweet puppy.

R.I.P.

Teresa

This story makes me see red!....

TheStar.com | Ontario | Waitress laid off after shaving head for cancer

I know this is totally OT for this blog, but can you believe the story linked to above? Yep, this woman participated in the Cops for Cancer fundraiser in honour of her late father (who died of cancer) and her cousins who are currently fighting the disease. And her boss told her to stay home from work till her hair had grown back in. His employees must keep their hair a certain length.

I'm just livid. What would this guy have done if one of his employees had actually been receiving cancer treatment and lost their hair? And what is with those people who say they would've been "appalled" to be served by her? How shallow ARE they? I think she looks lovely :)

Good thing I live nowhere near Owen Sound or I'd march right in there and tell that man EXACTLY what I think of him. And remind him about Terry Fox.

Cancer is a horrible, horrible disease, taking people long before their time. Cops for Cancer's fundraiser is a wonderful way to show support and NO-ONE should be punished for taking part in it.

Teresa

Now THIS is the kind of rant I love to read online...

Got Medieval: Medieval Parking Fines
(Link courtesy Early Modern Notes)

Lots of fun and a good argument to boot. I too have wondered how "medieval" came to mean backwards and a bad thing. Using the word in that manner shows a complete lack of historical perspective, something I can rant on about for hours, if given the chance *g*.

How about you? What is one of your chief pet peeves?

Teresa

Currently Reading: Book for review
Also Currently Reading: Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict