This weekend has been beautiful, so we took the opportunity to go for a hike at Lemoine Point.  The trails meander lazily through thick grassy prairie and dense forest to open up onto rocky beaches that overlook the water.  It is a perfect place to spend an afternoon exploring.

Cole was the head designer on our beach fort project.

Fun was had by all.  It was a wonderful adventure.

The Canadian Forces had two boats docked in Kingston today, so we took the opportunity to go see what a naval ship is like.  Cole was in combat heaven.

There was a long gun.

And machine guns.  What more could a military obsessed child ask for?

There was other stuff too - like flags, lots and lots of flags.

And a workout room.

My personal favorite...

...a bike?  Not sure where exactly you'll be riding that at sea, but I suppose it comes in handy while in port.  We also saw a guy board the ship carrying golf clubs, so I'm guessing they allow some personal items.  Who knew the navy was so luxurious?

I have to admit it was pretty cool to tour the ship.  The kids had a great time and we got to experience another little piece of Canada as a family.  What more can I ask for?

I have a confession.  

I have a sad addiction to food.  

Not the kind of addiction where I get sad and eat food.  And not the kind of addiction where I crave food and can't stop eating, therefore making me sad.  

I'm addicted to food in the same way that Clay is addicted to science and everything that goes with it.  I love knowing that if Clay asks me what a mornay sauce is, I can tell him (it's a white sauce made with parmesan or swiss cheese - for those who wonder).  I love knowing what kind of pepper makes the best Chile Rellenos (Poblanos, of course!).  Worst of all, I love watching food shows, especially ones that feature restaurants because I love going out to eat.

It is a sad addiction.  Is it not?

Anyway, the farms around Kingston hosted an amazing event this past weekend called Open Farms.  Basically, as a farm you could participate by opening up your farm for tours, etc. and allowing the public to come and check you out.  

We checked out a family farm just north of Kingston that raises a variety of animals, keeps bees and runs a sugar shack for maple syrup.  There were cows and pigs and goats and pheasants and chickens and peacocks - all organic - and it's all done to custom order for their clients.

The farmer was so friendly and eager to share with the people who were visiting her home.  It was awesome.  In fact,  I was so impressed by her that I immediately wanted to order any meat we consume from her.

The kids really enjoyed the kittens that were roaming around and if Cole had his way we would have brought one home.  He was convinced that this little fellow here was in love with him and fate had brought them together.  (Much to his dismay, I supersede fate)

It was a perfect way to spend an afternoon, feeding my food addiction problem.  I love knowing where my food comes from and I hope more places offer these kind of opportunities for people everywhere.  It really makes you appreciate the people work so hard to bring you the good stuff. 

Apple picking is my all time favorite event of the fall season.  We do it every year.  Usually it takes up an entire afternoon because there's a wagon ride out to the orchard and then picking at different locations for all the different varieties of apple we want.  Then there's a wagon ride back.  Doughnuts and cider are purchased and consumed on site.  The kids play and life is good.

Well, up here in Canada there's no wagon ride and no doughnuts (which is the biggest tragedy of all!), so apple picking didn't take up the entire afternoon like it normally does.  But we still had a wonderful time.

Afterward, we took a little side trip and stopped at one of the lochs of the Rideau Canal.  

It was a bright, beautiful day - absolutely perfect for exploring the Canadian countryside.  These moments are wonderfully serendipitous, so I'm glad we have kids that are adventurous enough to go where our whims take us.  If you haven't yet been out to enjoy the fruits of fall, I highly recommend you find the time...soon!

For those of you who have no idea what the Thousand Islands are, don't feel bad.  Neither did I before I moved to Kingston.  The St. Lawrence river has thousands, hence the name, of islands exactly like the one pictured above.  They are all different shapes and sizes.  There's even a few man-made islands.  Some are big enough for many homes; others can barely fit one.  One thing is certain though, it's a beautiful area full of rock, trees, and water.  

So far, we have been on two tours of the Thousand Islands this year.  The first we took with my parents while they were visiting the kids and me at the end of June.  We took my dad for Father's Day and had a lovely time despite Cole complaining that the trip was too long.

The second time we went was when Clay's mom and step-dad came to visit us in July.

It rained for the first half hour of the trip, hard enough that we even had to keep the windows closed, but when it finished the sun came out and it was a beautiful day.  The kids enjoyed taking pictures with their cameras and driving the captain's wheel on the top deck.

They even enjoyed each other, which is usually difficult for siblings in a confined space for a long period of time.

My favorite part was seeing all the boats.

I highly recommend the Thousand Islands if you're looking for a breathtaking vacation.  There are many cities along the river that offer day cruises.  There are places to rent boats and a few islands are national parks where you can camp.  There is even a Thousand Island Cruise line if you're looking for something more substantial.  I know we will be visiting them again, hopefully soon.

The heat this summer has been unbearable for many parts of the U.S.  It's even been too hot to handle up here in Kingston, so we've been finding ways to cool ourselves down when the sun starts blazing down.  

Our answer to beat the summer heat is the splash pad at City Park in Kingston, Ontario.  Here are my top 5 reasons why we love this cool destination.

1. It's free and in this day where everything costs something, you can't shake a stick at that.
2. It's right across the street. We happen to live in a premier location, so we can have spontaneous "let's go to the splash pad" moments.  Everyday if we like.
3. It's a great picnic destination.  People come from all over the city to eat and play, so it definitely feels like a community destination. Furthermore, it's right across from Clay's office so he can meet us for lunch on weekdays when he's at work.
4. There's a playground, so when the water gets too cold for the kids we can work up a sweat swinging on the monkey bars.

5. There's always a chance you'll see someone you know. Our school's ward is so small that everyone lives near this little piece of heaven.   And if no you know is there, you're likely to make a new friend.

We visited Fort Henry a couple weeks ago when my in-laws came to Kingston for a visist. Both my Mother-in-law and her husband are really into historical sites especially with military significance since Clay's step-dad served in Vietnam.  Luckily, Kingston is chock full of history and Fort Henry proved to be a great place to spend an afternoon.  

We arrived just in time for a basic tour of the entire Fort. The whole tour lasted about an hour and wandered through many rooms that displayed everyday life when the Fort was operational. The soldier who gave our tour was very knowledgeable, friendly and extremely tall.  The poor guy had to duck through most of the doors and I couldn't begin to imagine how many times he had knocked his head on the cold hard stone.

After the tour we watched the garrison gather for inspection and re-enact the bombarding of an enemy ship before wandering into several rooms that were set up like a museum containing pictures, models, and weapons from the era. My favorite item on display was a signed pictured of Queen Elizabeth and her husband. 

When everyone had finished inspecting the various artifacts, we climbed the steep stone steps to check out the view from the ramparts.

The last thing we did was join the Great Escapes of Fort Henry tour.  Everyone was thoroughly entertained by the stories our tour guide shared and the kids didn't even mind retracing many of our steps from the first tour.

All-in-all, the trip was a definite success . The kids had a great time exploring the Fort (my son deemed it "epic") and even learned a bit too.