We found ourselves a local strawberry farm this past weekend and went out in search of some pure strawberry gold.
Needless to say, we were successful. And I've got to tell you, I've never seen so many strawberries! They were red. They were ripe. And they were plentiful.
One awesome thing, besides the big red berries, was that the farm sold reusable baskets. For just 50-75 cents you could get a basket that will service you for many berry picking years to come. Hooray for green farmers!
After a short tractor ride, we were assigned a row and we began to pick.
Most of the berries found their way into a basket, but I would be lying if I said that they all made it there. One or two may have been sampled along the way.
We picked two 6-liter baskets for ourselves and a 4-liter for some friends. My freezer is packed full with freshly picked frozen strawberries and I have some waiting to be turned into ice cream....maybe a daiquiri.
I'm sorry for the long delay since my last post. Last week was all about survival and I had to cut out some things just to keep my head above water.
I'm happy to say that the Sydenham Fun Fair was a huge success thanks to the numerous volunteers we had show up and the good fortune of no rain! Unfortunately I can't post all of the photos I took due to privacy laws, but I can post a few choice photos of my own kids enjoying the day.
Isabel stepped out of her comfort zone and got her face painted for the first time. Is it weird that I'm proud of her? Rheni and her team of artists do an amazing job. The kids really love the face painting booth.
She's a pink cat, just in case you're confused.
She also chose to do the crazy hair booth!
Throw the make-up and hair on top of her pink tie-dyed skirt and she ended up looking like quite a little punk rock feline. At least we have a fall back option for halloween now.
Cole stepped out of his box as well and tried out the rock climbing wall.
He was a little nervous about going too high, but he tried it and that's a good start for him. Isabel on the other hand, despite having climbed many times before, refused to try the wall. Crazy fickle little girl.
Like I said, the day was a huge success and we had a great time. All of our hard work over the past few months really paid off. It's so nice to know we're doing something right! If anyone needs suggestions on how to make their school's spring fair/carnival great, just ask. I'm full of ideas now.
There are few places that I love more than northern Michigan, so I was very excited when I found out that my cousin was getting married in Petoskey, MI. This lovely little resort town sits on Little Traverse Bay and boasts a plethora of fun little shops and breathtaking views.
We took advantage of the beautiful weather and spent our time playing at the waterfront playground...
Searching for Petoskey stones...
Walking the break wall...
And just spending some quality time together.
If you're in Michigan and looking for a great spot to getaway to this summer, I highly recommend that you check out Petoskey. There's a lot to explore for families, couples, and individuals alike. And if you do go, be sure to stop by the American Spoon Cafe for lunch or dinner or a cool treat. Their food is amazing and the gelato is divine!
The Wildflower Honey and Sour Cherry flavors are a must try.
After a long week in Michigan, we're back in Kingston and trying to get back into the swing of life. Sorry about my lack of posting last week. Blogging took a back seat to hanging out with my family. Here are some of the fun moments from our mini-vacation to the Mitten state.
One of the great things about going home is spending time with my niece and nephew. Our kids really love hanging out with their cousins.
We enjoyed several trips out in the new kayak and the canoe.
The kids protected the house from space invaders...
There was bike riding...
and boat sailing...
and a ton of other fun moments that I only captured in my head. We really had a great time. In fact, I need another vacation just to recover. I'm exhausted!
I'll have pictures of our short stay in Petoskey posted soon as well.
We were out enjoying the beautiful weather yesterday at Lemoine Point. It's our favorite spot to get away from the hustle and bustle of city living, so I thought I would post a few pictures of our adventure.
Here's our little family from Isabel's perspective.
There's a farm right by the park and all the animals were out enjoying the sun. There were goats, sheep, chickens, turkey and even a pig.
The trilliums were out in full bloom, so I snapped a few pics.
These pictures were taken one right after another. You would think that I stuck them in a white room!
It was so warm, Isabel pulled her pants up to look like shorts.
Cole, on the other hand, opted for full camouflage gear and then complained about being too warm.
We saw a baby ducks and practiced our rock skipping.
And, as always, the kids hunted for rocks.
It was a great afternoon!
I was about Cole's age when I got my first camera. It was one of those that had film shaped like a disc and you inserted it into your camera like you put a CD into a portable CD player. Does anyone else remember those?
Anyway, we went hiking out at Lemoine Point the other day and I decided to leave the big camera at home. My kids opted to take their cameras to make up for my laziness.
Here is our adventure from Cole's point of view.
*Right before Cole took this picture Isabel said, "I feel like rock climbing." Get it?
I'm always amazed at what kinds of things my kids see as an interesting picture. So far, I think Cole has pretty good eye. It's no wonder art is one of his best subjects.
Hopefully Isabel took some nice photos as well. If she did, that will come next.
Our adventure continued after our heavenly pancake experience when we set off to find the old rusted out car that Clay and I found last summer while wandering around the trails.
Rocky gulches and dense trees made the area perfect for exploring.
It actually turned out quite simple to find what we were looking for and a great time was speculating about how the relic got there in the first place - car chases, gansters, and shootouts were all very popular. My favorite one had to do with bathtub gin.
After that, we took the road less travelled and walked the trails back to our car. It was snowy and muddy and the kids were wearing their brand new shoes. Oh well, sometimes you can't plan for these things.
There's even proof that I was there.
Clay even bought some seed so we could feed the chickadees. Here the kids are hoping to entice the birds to come close.
Eventually it worked.
All-in-all, the weather was beautiful and it was great day spent outside having fun together. I'm so glad we could share it with my mom and dad.
It's spring break here in Kingston and the weather decided to warm up for the occasion. My parents came to visit for a few days and while they were here we were able to check out Maple Madness.
The Little Cat. Reservation Area puts Maple Madness on every year for the few weeks when the Maple Syrup is running.
They have areas set-up to show how Maple Syrup used to be made way back when the term "stainless steel" never existed...
and they show how the process has changed throughout history.
And, of course, they have the fancy new modern system that carries most of the sap they collect from the trees to the evaporator.
It's almost like seeing a vast system of veins connecting the trees. Admittedly, it's a little weird.
But the maple syrup is to die for.
And it tastes best served on top of these pancakes - crisp on the edges, light and fluffy in the middle - mmmmmmmm!
More Maple Madness adventures to come!
I finally got my CPIC so I went on a field trip with Isabel's class to the Little Cataraqui Conservation Area today.
I love this age of children. They're old enough to function on their own and they're still really enthusiastic about the world. The kids in my group were the best kind - good listening, non-hyper, happy children.
We learned about all of the special things that nature has to offer the animals that live out in the world. We learned how to look and listen for those specials things and then we went on a "treasure hunt" to find them.
We found the giant oak trees that give food and shelter to squirrels; we hid among the long lean pines like white-tail deer; and we stayed still and quiet while we watched the black-capped chickadees flit among the bushes.
Isabel's teacher does such a wonderful job with the class. It's always nice to be able to help out when I can. We had a really great time and I feel so lucky to have been able to join the kids on this special trip.
The Christmas season has officially started here in Kingston. It began last night with the Santa parade. Move over Macy's here comes Kingston! (Ha.) *Pardon the terrible photos, it was nighttime and I had the mini-camera which has trouble dealing with the elements sometimes.
We kicked off by picnicing on the sidewalk in front of our favorite store (Minotaur) with some Five Guys for dinner. The burgers and fries were warm and delicious - the perfect meal on a chilly fall evening.
The kids were in the festive spirit, despite waiting a long time in the cold for the parade to start. And then it finally began.
There were elves.
And tanks.
A bus with an identity complex.
Sheep herding dogs.
And, of course, a Trojan Horse which is great for all occasions.
And after all that craziness, finally, the big man himself appeared.
And watching my kids at that moment, made the whole crazy evening worthwhile. I love the holidays.
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