Favourite Photos (Part 3 of a gazillion: Stave Lake)

Mister Man is big on adventure and doing things out of the ordinary. Last year, we piled in the truck and headed out to the de-commissioned dam at Stave Lake in the Fraser Valley. It was pretty interesting to see an old school dam. It probably comes as no surprise that it was also incredibly photogenic. I mean, all that metal and those cogs and wheels and such.

Think of this post as a precursor to the future posts that will be coming soon to a blog near you. What will transpire this weekend is the much anticipated MAXI CAMPING TRIP featuring camp food, MORE princess camping tips, adventures in fly fishing, spa day around the camp fire with Annie and Lara, and nature in all her glory! There'll be lots of this too: Mister Man in all HIS glory:

And with any luck, we'll have none of the following: freezing limbs, pouring rain, tears, chattering teeth, wildlife invasions, inquisitive bears or flesh eating bugs....

The Stupendous Pastry Debacle

The score by the end of Sunday was:

Pastry 2 - Teri 0

Here's what happened. I decided that I wanted to perfect the fine art of butter pastry. I'd managed to wrestle a shortening pastry to the ground earlier in the summer, so I felt I was ready for a loftier challenge. I did my research, chilled my butter, water (and apprehension too), rolled up my sleeves and dived in. I was sporting a healthy dose of caution, a dollop of fear and the pitter patter of excitement at the thought of the perfect pastry that awaited me at the end of the adventure. Here's what I pictured (only with my hand on one end of the photo, proudly displaying my wares).

I had the brilliant step by step directions from Smitten Kitchen to guide me - and I was off to the races. It was all going well until the part where you "slowly drizzle the cold water over the dough until it just comes together". Well I have to say the pastry goes from all flour to all wet really quickly. So I had a hunch that I might have accidentally gone overboard on the water.... despite my absolute slow hand with the drizzle action. However, that wasn't going to dampen my spirits. I knew I hadn't over handled it, so how bad could it be?

I divided it in two and chilled it. I was doing it by the book. And then I started rolling it out - carefully, meticulously between two slices of plastic wrap. And suddenly, I panicked. How could this uber thin (almost transparent) crust actually do its job? Where had I gone wrong? When suddenly I remembered the OTHER half of the dough, still chillin'. I gently unwrapped it, rolled it into my other pastry, laying it OH-SO-CAREFULLY in the pie plate, pinching the crust and blind baking it with a tin foil "weight" in the centre.

As the crust was baking, I glanced back at the recipe to notice that the yield was for one DOUBLE CRUST pie. DOUBLE crust. I had rolled 2 crusts into one and it was past the point of no return.

What happened next was slow and painful. The edge of the crust baked beautifully - it was golden brown and looked gorgeous (despite a minor "slide" on one side). However, the bottom wasn't a matching golden brown. It continued to look raw. I even took to holding the pie plate above my head so that I could peer at the bottom of the shell through the glass. Raw. Uncooked. Doughy. I baked it for twice the time it should be baked. I was about to go in for round 3 of baking when Mister Man suggested that I turn the pie onto another upside down pie plate so that could put it back in the oven with the uncooked side exposed to the heat. I thought that was a brilliant idea!

Finally, after the shell was going for yet another full round of baking, I decided to take it out. It looked done(ish), but I wasn't convinced. "Mister Man", I announced, "I'm going to bake another one tomorrow - I just don't have a good feeling about it." So we left it on the counter to cool and went to bed out of it.

The next morning, with the knowledge that another crust would be forthcoming, we decided to test the first crust - JUST TO SEE. The edge of the crust was quite nice! Flaky, buttery... and then Mister Man decided to go for the centre section of the ground floor of the crust. Mister Man held up the little square he extracted and announced "unh oh. I think it's raw".

Yup. The demon pastry hadn't cooked all the way through despite the fact that it had been in the oven for MOST OF MY ADULT LIFE! That's okay. I had a Plan B and I was now putting it into action.

I started again. I was determined not to make the same mistake. So, I chilled, drizzled, didn't overwork etc. I was feeling good! After gently laying it in the pie plate, I proceeded with the baking. The edge crisped up first, so when I pulled the blind baking weights, I made a shield for the edge with bits of foil and had a chat with Paully and Michele on the phone. And when I pulled the pastry, here's what I discovered. The tin foil overhang had reflected heat onto the bottom of the shell, creating a brown hot spot! PLUS, some of the edge of the pastry had slid back down into the pie plate.

Here it is, ready for it's ugly little close up. It looks like it should be worn atop King Arthur's head, don't you think?

But here is the truly marvelous thing, gentle readers. I DID NOT FREAK OUT. Nay. I put Plan C into effect. I was going to make a graham wafer crust (easy and pretty impossible to mess up), and THEN I was going to make 2 batches of the filling, so that we could have one flawless pie with a graham wafer crust, and one pie as god and Teri intended, with the BUTTER PASTRY CRUST.

So I began melting chocolate.

And when Mister Man walked in from his morning of hanging out at a literary festival, I asked if he could please "GO IMMEDIATELY TO THE SAFEWAY AND BUY SOME MORE BUTTER" so that I could keep melting the chocolate as I was fully in PLAN C mode and planned to save the day with my clever ingenuity. And guess what he did? He pouted and he protested and he stomped out to get the butter. And I. FINALLY. FELL. APART. I started sniffling and snorkling and trying not to get my tears in the melting chocolate, as the water would render it useless.

And when he came back from the store, I continued making the filling. And I continued to cry. I made 2 pies. The one with the failed butter pastry crust essentially was

+ [PLUS]

= [EQUALS]

Frankenpie !!!!!!!!!!!!!

And I filled the graham wafer crust. And I filled the Frankenpie crust. And I crawled in the bathtub which I filled up with my tears.... And then Mister Man brought me a coffee and told me "there, there. I'm sure it'll be delicious."

And you know what? When our wonderful friends Space Girl and Shayne arrived and dined on a truly extraordinary dinner made by Mister Man, they were actually IMPRESSED when I pulled out 2 pies and told them the whole sad saga. And they both agreed to have a slice of each! And THEN they said that the Frankenpie was by far the tastiest. They even asked for a doggie bag consisting of a big hunk of Frankenpie!

That's what friends are for folks.... that's what good friends are for... Good friends will eat your disasters and your successes, and will make you feel really great about even trying.

And here's the most important thing to come out of the Stupendous Pastry Debacle. I'm gonna try this pastry thing again. Cuz I figure I've learned a lesson or two. The only difference will be that next time, the score will be: Pastry 0 - Teri 1. Mark my pastry cutting words.....

Luscious Lemon Bars

These are delightful, if you're looking for a lemony zing coupled with a sweet finish.... all served up on a shortbread crust. I served 'em up for dessert at a games night on the weekend, and also as treats for my fellow board members at a weekend retreat. They were easy. And tasty. And really, who could ask for anything more? (Except maybe world peace.)

Crust

1/2 cup unsalted butter @ room temperature

1/4 cup confectioner's sugar

1 cup all purpose flour

1/8 teaspoon salt

Filling

1 cup granulated white sugar

2 large eggs

1/3 cup fresh lemon juice (approximately 3 large lemons)

1 Tablespoon grated lemon zest

2 Tablespoons all purpose flour

Topping

Confectioner's sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and place the rack in the centre of your oven. Grease an 8 x 8 inch pan.

For the crust:

In the bowl of your mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the flour and salt and beat until the dough just comes together. Press into the bottom of your greased pan and bake for about 20 minutes or until the shortbread crust starts to turn an attractive golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool

For the filling:

Bet the sugar and eggs until smooth. Add the lemon juice and zest and mix to combine. Fold in the flour. Pour the filling over the shortbread crust and bake for about 20 minutes or until the filling is set. Remove from the oven and cool. Once cooled, slice the bars and dust with confectioner's sugar by putting the sugar in a sieve and lightly shaking it over the bars. Best served immediately!

I doubled the recipe. It worked like a charm. Stay tuned for the upcoming GREAT PASTRY DEBAUCLE - a sad, sad saga, best served with a cup of hot tea and a box of tissues for the part where you WEEP in sympathy and solidarity!

Yesterday

Yesterday seemed to blast right by:

And there we were late at night - having baked a double batch of lemon squares (recipe and photos to come,) and eaten a wonderful meal prepared by Annie and Lara in our own wee kitchen, after which we battled our way through another killer game of Catan. And then bed was beckoning so that I could leap up bright and early this morning to attend a board retreat for a non profit organization with whom I volunteer. And yes, it seemed to go by at that kind of pace, so blogging wasn't in the cards.

As I type this, I'm waiting for a butter pastry to chill so that I can prepare a chocolate pie for tomorrow's dinner with Space Girl and Shayne. The last pastry I made was of the shortening variety, so I'm branching into new territory. I'll have much to report I promise.

In the meantime, I did want to share this with you. When I stepped off the seabus yesterday after a lovely brisk walk from work, Mister Man was waiting for me at Lonsdale Quay, with these in his arms. Aren't they beautiful? They made for a perfect cap on a busy day....

Rolling Out The True Confessions Chain

Confessing is contagious. I'll tell you how I know this to be true. Recently, I shared with you a list of 25 confessions. I actually told you some of my deepest, darkest secrets, right here in the blogosphere, in front of god, the mums and everyone.....

Well, initially I posted my "25 things" meme on Facebook as part of a challenge. When a shy and retiring friend rose to the occasion and published HER list of 25 things, I heaved a sigh and gave it a go.

To my utter surprise, I found that a whole slew of my friends shared confession #17 with me! I don't think I've laughed that hard in a long time! All these years, I thought I was the only one dumb enough to have stuck my hand in that thing!!! I've changed the names to protect the innocent (and um, P.S. for any of you reading the posting time and thinking "so THAT'S what you do at work!" These comments transpired on a Saturday..):

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Updated about 7 months ago · Comment · Like / Unlike

D D
a wringer washer!!! ha ha haaaaaa!
February 14 at 4:06pm · Delete

Sugarlove Girl
yeah - you laugh NOW. But I tell you, when I walked through the doors of the Janeway Children's Hospital on a St. John's summer day, when the waiting room at the hospital was FILLED TO CAPACITY with other injured children who hadn't done anything NEARLY as stupid - and THEN, they misplaced my file, and suddenly a loud ol' woman with a townie accent came over the p.a. saying "would the little girl who got her arm caught in the washer ringer please come to the information desk - the little girl who got her arm caught in the washer ringer to the information desk". *click* And THEN you coulda heard a pin drop when everyone stopped to see what idiot child could have been STUNNED enough to put their hand through the wringer. And then I had to stand up, and do the walk of shame to the information desk as about 100 pairs of eyes stared at me in disbelief. (also note that the "emergency open" feature of the washer ringer was broken, so my mother had to put it on reverse to free my arm).
February 14 at 4:34pm · Delete

EB
Teri, this is GREAT - I laughed out loud - I got my hand caught in a ringer washer too!!! My Mum was so upset because she had warned me soooo many times, but I HAD to see what would happen, and IT HURT...how far up did your arm go? Mum extracted me when I was in up to my shoulder, stuck fast. Ahh, they just don't make appliances like 'em anymore!!!! Thanks for this!
February 14 at 4:34pm · Delete

Sugarlove Girl
HA HA HA HA Now I am laughing out loud!!! I didn't think there was anyone else out there (certainly not anyone in my life) who was as categorically stupid, but now I see there is and that person is you and O.M.G. I LOVE YOU SO MUCH AT THIS MOMENT, you cannot possibly know!! Okay mine went past my elbow by the time my mother realized that the RELEASE button was broken, so then I had to stand there SHRIEKING while it was wrung back out!!! (okay - I'm laughing so hard now that I am crying).
February 14 at 4:40pm · Delete

EB
Then there was getting stuck fast to the top of a chain link fence, by the crotch of my jeans...they have those twisted metal things on top, and it twisted itself RIGHT through the material....the physics involved in untwisting myself were too much for my overwrought psyche, and my "good friends" had taken off into the bushes, peeing themselves laughing, so I had to borrow the ski jacket of the only loyal one left, put it around my waist, and WIGGLE out of the damned pants, leave them on the fence, run to the bushes wearing only the tied-on ski jacket and watch as the loyal friend wrestled my jeans off the fence...the next day in band class I walked in just in time to hear the whole sad tale being related to the cute boy I really liked....I have a fear of chain link fences
February 14 at 4:40pm · Delete

EBDear God, Teri....you had your arm WRUNG BACK OUT????? You are a far braver man than I, Gunga Din!!!!February 14 at 4:44pm · Delete

Sugarlove Girl
HA HA HA HA - STOP *clutches stomach*. When I got my head stuck between the two stairs (the kind with no back on them), I was standing on a chair at the time (duh) and my mother was convinced that I would start wriggling and the chair would tip, and I would break my neck. So hysterically, she got me to SWEAR that I wouldn't move and she phoned the fire department. I tell you, as I stood there, my head twisted sideways on the step, I had to watch in utter humiliation as some strange man's big feet delicately stepped around my stupid head (so as not to squish the bit of grey matter that was in there). And he had to dismantle the stairs to free my head. Gawd.I think that's why I have never liked those stairs that have no back on them. They TOTALLY creep me out. PS We are two peas in a pod. How the HELL did we turn out so well??????
February 14 at 4:47pm · Delete

Sugarlove Girl
In reference to your last note: Yeah, but YOUR arm went all the way up to the armpit - mine had a much shorter journey on the way in!!!!
February 14 at 4:47pm · Delete

P N-J
Um....more on the princess camping! The kids would love to camp more, but I can't sleep in a tent thanks to a 7 toed cat (but in my defence - the toes were fucking HUGE) so I'd like to know how to do the princess camping. It's sounds right up my alley!!
February 14 at 5:06pm · Delete

D M
very enjoyable reading. i too was eaten by the washer wringer.
February 14 at 6:05pm · Delete

Sugarlove Girl
NO WAY!!!! We need to start a club!! This is fantastic!! (I always thought I was the only idiot child out there). tee hee!!
February 14 at 6:08pm · Delete

B S
Okay this is REALLY spooky but I too, got my fingers stuck in the washer ringer when I was five (still have the scar on the little finger). My mother worked and we had this wonderful, obese Ukrainian woman named Mrs. Currie who helped out and she started screaming what to me was a VERY strange language and flapping her arms around and dancing on one poor Dr. Scholled foot! Then, she completely left the house! I can't actually recall but I think she went home! And, I waited in the tiny laundry room with my fingers in the wringer. It felt like hours but I think it was only about fifteen minutes. Then my dad appeared with practically the whole mine rescue team and they managed to get my fingers out and off to the hospital in the mine rescue truck and had five or six stitches! Mrs. Currie returned a few days over and we never spoke of the incident again.And, Teri, I can remember driving you over bridges always using the inside lane!
February 14 at 8:45pm · Delete

Sugarlove Girl
B! NO! It can't be that YOU TOO are officially part of this ever expanding group of my friends who all share the same affliction and strange attraction to hostile machinery.... who knew that I could be bonded to everyone through this one small act of stupidity!! I am also very disappointed in Mrs. Currie (unless of course it was she who RAN to summon your dad??) And, in fact, I can remember insisting that you use the centre lane on bridges. (it's still my preference although Brian is always saying that it's not the edge of the bridge that you have to worry about - it's the oncoming traffic. I guess it just goes to show that can't win!!) xo
February 14 at 9:23pm · Delete

I F
Teri, too funny. But just wait until you see the final season of the Gilmore Girls and Lorlelai sings I Will Always Love You (the Dolly Parton version of course) to Rori. You will laugh...you will cry...it will become part of you...particularly when Luke arrives and thinks it is about him...is it????? Oh and I got MY hand stuck in Mrs. Maranda's wringer washer too. Scared the hell out of me..never felt more alive. Mom had the first automatic washer on the block...I felt so cheated...wanted old school!!!
February 14 at 9:27pm · Delete

B THi Teri - well... I learned how to walk off the front of a stage into thin air while reading a newspaper - do I hear Cirque du Soleil calling? No washer wrestling in my past, but I did try to fly like a helicopter by swinging my arm over my head and riding my tricycle over a small drop - oh, oh, a pattern is emerging...I better stop watching Heroes.
February 15 at 8:51am · Delete

P M
No wringer washer incidents to report but it seems like a very cool club, can I be an honourary member. Love your 25 things Toot!
February 15 at 10:25am · Delete

B SNow that you mention it Teri, I am pretty sure that is exactly what Mrs. Currie did - went to get my dad! Wow, all these years I have had a fear of obese Ukrainian women and now a weight has lifted off my shoulders! Phew! This year's Ukrainian Festival will not find me hiding in my office under the desk afraid of flesh and wringers! Thanks!
February 15 at 11:10am · Delete

L B
I don't like answering the phone or calling people - but I do like talking on the phone once that trial is over. I LOVE, as you know, watching tv on dvd - have you seen Damages? I am also afraid of heights because I am afraid I will jump off. I once was disturbed for a year because I thought you had given up coffee - it was after you gave up cigarettes. I guess I got confused.
February 15 at 4:33pm · Delete

K F
I am amazed and impressed by all the wringer washer survivors! My Nana had a wringer washer and I remember the warnings about said machine being so frightening and severe that I think I thought my hand and/or arm would be flattened like a cartoon and never return to it's right form. I imagined having to spend the rest of my life with one pancake

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And that was about the end of the chain. Who knew? Golly I laughed my HEAD off reading these responses. Hope you laughed too (and thanked your lucky stars that you weren't nearly as daring idiotic as some of us). I also discovered that you can still buy the things! Brand new! I can assure you that I have no intention of busting down the doors of cyberspace to pick one up!

Oh. And one last confession: I corrected the spelling in a couple of responses. Does that make me a bad person?

Deluxe Double Chocolate Cookies

When we slipped away to the Sunshine Coast last weekend, I felt the need to bake a little somethin' to bring along for our Saturday picnic. So I went rooting around in my baking books and discovered these Deluxe Double Chocolate Cookies. They were surprisingly delicious AND unbelievably easy to make (bonus!). And, I'm happy to report that I only ate 1.5 of them! *gloat gloat* Who knew I could exercise such restraint? [Sidebar note: For anyone who knows that I just signed up for Weight Watchers again, this becomes even MORE significant.] The one cookie I had hot out of the oven was pretty spectacular...But I shan't get into lurid descriptions of that hot-out-of-the-oven-cookie for fear that I'll have to label this post as "mature content". Happily, these puppies fared well at room temperature too.

Deluxe Double Chocolate Cookies

1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
4 ounces high quality semi sweet chocolate
5 ounces high quality milk chocolate cut into 1/4 inch chunks
1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick)
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl.

Melt 4 ounces of semi-sweet chocolate with the butter in a small heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water.

Put chocolate mixture, sugar, eggs and vanilla in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed until combined.

Reduce speed to low and gradually add in flour mixture. Fold in chocolate chunks. Drop dough onto cookie sheets spacing 2 inches apart. Bake until cookies are flat and surfaces crack, about 12 minutes (cookies should still be soft). Let cool on parchment paper on wire racks. Makes about 2 dozen(ish). The cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days, but they probably won't last that long.

A 3 month revelation

I started this blog because, after years of working in the arts on the creative side, I started a real job 3 years ago. And it is a GREAT real job. I work with great (and real) people on great (and real) projects. And I get paid to do it! I know that I'm incredibly lucky.

But sometimes I get a hankerin' to make my own stuff. If I were 21 again, I'd probably be doing that with a lot of gusto (and more gusto than I can currently muster, for sure). And while I still do the odd project from time to time, I miss solving the problems of the world on a regular basis through creative thinking.

When I thought about some of the things I like to do (read, write, bake, make photographs and pontificate), I thought that a blog might be something to keep my fingers in creative pies so to speak. And it might be one of those truly rare cases where one size DOES fit all. (or maybe, more accurately, one size fits all with computer access). And so exactly 3 months ago, I started this blog.

And here's the thing. To those of you who have been reading, and commenting, and tuning in regularly (or even from time to time) - I. REALLY. APPRECIATE. IT. More than you might know... There are many days when I get excited about the part of the day in which I get to sit down and write. Mister Man likes to point and say "blog face - blog face!!" - and I imagine it's a face that has a wee smile at the corner of the mouth, a sparkle in the eyes, and a bit of a furrowed brow as I worry about bastardizing the English language. (It's hard to have so many smart, grammar-savvy friends)!

Some of you I know. Some of you I know incredibly well! Some of you I've met. And I think there might even be a couple of people who've tagged along whom I've not ever met.

So I just wanted to say right here and right now: thank you.

And to my friends who've allowed me to point a camera in their face to the point of absolute annoyance - thank YOU. Because without you and our adventures together, life would be a pretty dull and bland place.

That's all. I just needed you to know that I'm really glad you're along for the ride. Because I, for one, am really, REALLY loving it. (And we know how I feel in general about rides....)

Kisses and hugs from Sugarlove Girl

Saturday, in the Park

The weekend was truly spectacular (with the exception of that rancid game in which the women took on the men, and lost. But that's another story and best left to a later time, lest I drown this post in the bitter taste of defeat....)

The day started brilliantly, with a run into Pender Harbour where we slipped into a bakery to pick up the world's tastiest muffins. I have no photograph of that darn near perfect muffin, because somehow it wasn't on this earth long enough for a photo op. This tree in front of the cafe however, was also delicious, and luckily, too big to eat.

Mister Man headed out at "oh dark hour" to go fishing, so he was ready for a nap when we were leaving for our hike. I have to say that we are brilliant in Canada. Where else can you find the following signage 400 meters into an 8 kilometer hike? (I'm talking about the little oval sign to the left... Can you read it?)

Years ago I was working in Newfoundland on a one woman show with a writer/actor. Because the show was so physically demanding, we decided to start everyday with a workout. But we encountered a little hiccup in The Aquarena, a major fitness facility in St. John's. And that would be the little take-out stand NEXT to the counter where you pay to grunt and sweat. In the lobby of the fitness centre is a Tim Horton's Donuts!!

But I digress.

Our hike took us to the Skookumchuck Rapids.

Which was beautiful.

And busy! We decided that really, contrary to popular belief, the journey ISN'T more important than the destination!!

Because the destination was marked by a wee picnic on the rocks, where we got to enjoy the blast of the sun, the sound of the rapids, and a beautiful cheese that Aileen picked up from The Cheese Man.

On our way out of the park, we discovered something amazing about one of the dogs. If you tell Crea to get up, she will jump on the next obstacle in her path. And she'll teeter on said object until she gets her treat. Just look how she balances on the pointy bit of the rock with her eyes on the prize.

We got home in time for some r & r.

And then the cooking began. Here's Andrew pointing out what he's up to,

While Tamara mocks a flaccid carrot.

I liked the peek-a-boo-view into the kitchen, where I could spy on the action.

"No Mister Man, don't be stealing licks!"

Busted!

Then, when it came time to serve dinner, Aileen laughed her head off when she waltzed into the room with the salmon on a platter as if she'd just spent hours sweating over a hot grill. Andrew seems perplexed by her shenanigans!

How lovely is that?

We were having such a delightful time!

And then came the cutthroat game of Cranium. [insert ominous organ music here] In my mind, as a game, Cranium has always tried too hard to be all things to all people.

In a moment of delirium, we decided to have the women go up against the men. Aileen chose to sit on the sidelines cheering us on, and lending moral support in moments of utter disbelief and absolute disgust. Note the Canadian flag on the box. That's because it's the CANADIAN edition, which means the questions range from the ridiculously easy, to beyond obscure. Guess which questions Team Woman kept landing?

Yunh - hunh. Here Tamara is casting her eyes to the side in disgust.

That's because the men kept getting questions like: Which one of the following is NOT a division of minor hockey a)elf b)midget c)pee wee d)bantam. PUH-LEEZ. Or how about the fill in the blanks question that was answered with "Hockey Night in Canada"? Or the "Humdinger" which was "The Hockey Song"? And I'm not even kidding you!! It really happened!!

We also kept pulling the "All Play" cards, which meant the boys could weasel their way into our moments of glory...

At the end of the day, both teams ended up neck and neck on the purple brain in the centre of the board, fighting it out for their moment in the sun. The victory of the men was still a hard pill to swallow, made all the more challenging by the stench of smugness in the air.....

But Tamara and I managed to take the high road. And Mister Man and I didn't call off the wedding, and Tamara and Andrew didn't file for divorce the next day. In fact, I caught this smooch in the shadows, so I think everything's gonna be JUST FINE....

The Last Official Weekend of Summer

Look where we got to spend the last official weekend of summer:

So that we could sleep in this bed:

And wake up under a skylight, to this view:

But I digress. The journey started on Friday afternoon, when we made our way to Horsehoe Bay (hot on the heels of the Capilano Suspension Bridge shuttle):

Which left us in the dust in an artful swirl of colour:

And even though we were really stinkin' early, apparently so was everyone else! So we didn't get on the 5:30 ferry, despite the fact that we left downtown at 3:30:

But it was worth the wait, because when we got to Ruby Lake on the Sunshine Coast, paradise was ours:

Here:

At the beautiful "cottage" of Lynn and Bob:

Which was filled with freshness and light:

Where we got to make delicious meals:

Or just gaze out the window overlooking Ruby Lake:

Or curl up in the living room:

With the girls:

And the girls

Or the boys:

(Mister Man wasn't in a photo taking mood. So while he's not in this series of photos, he was most certainly with us!)

We dined on a picnic lunch:

And got to commune with nature on an eight kilometer hike:

There was also an amazing dinner, the world's best muffin and a cutthroat game of Cranium which I'll share with you tomorrow. For now, let me end this post by saying that the weekend at Lynn and Bob's little slice of paradise was a fitting way to bid adieu to summer.