2 sides to every {dory}

~~~
One side.

~~~~~~

Another side.

~~~~~~~

Yes...I believe it to be true. 

There is more than one side to every story.

This one is mine.

First Day Back...

Today was the First "Official Day" of school for my boys and I.

~~~

As is our custom,

the 1st day of school is spent here...

~~We took our books~~

Really, we did.

We started some reading, 

worked in our Nature Journals,

 and wrote in our Composition Books.

Of course we kicked our shoes off for Gym Class.

The Teachers even got to jump into the lake for a 1.5km swim.

Water like glass.

Surrounded by leaves turning color under a cloudless sky.

I think that the first day back to school 

~is one of our favorite days of the year.

last summer rays

By no means am I ending my sporadic trips to the beach at night.

No way

.

But I'm beginning to realize that as summer draws to a close....

the light seems to fade a bit more quickly.

My mind seems to gather and store treasured moments~

as if needed as warmth for the winter months which lie ahead.

Everyone seems to be preparing or looking  or planning~ 

rather than the summer "laid~back~ness".

A certain melancholy lingers in the air ~

as if wanting to mimic the Fall as it creeps in to do its work.

And I can't help but wonder~

just where DID The Summer go? 

~Linking  to Carmi's "~muted~ Thematic photo.~

Perfect Timing

Packing up after a relaxing Beach Day~

the clouds began rolling in - (yet again).

~

Sometimes, timing IS everything.

Things (not) To do

It seems there must be many unwritten rules to camping.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Like.... 

never go kayaking with your big brother unless you plan on getting wet.

Or....

NEVER go to sleep in your tent with a brother who likes art and has access to an ink pen.

( I guess another rule could be...ALWAYS look in the mirror upon waking ;)

Make sure you always tell at least ONE good story around this before zipping up your sleeping bag.

Send the kids to do the dishes.....

I'm SURE they have more fun than we do at this chore anyway.

Always use your head.

Never forget to take the time 

to stop at the beautiful moments.

And if all else fails,

you can always go 

~~~Jump in the Lake.~~

our Canadian lakes adventure

I started to a new post this morning, but honestly? My heart isn't quite in it.
I am perfectly fine and happy, but it has been snowing since Saturday night here....and the white stuff is piled up to my windows in some places. Last night I got stuck in a driveway, and coming home from a  meeting, my son got stuck in the middle of the road. My driveway was plowed out last night- but by the looks of things I may need someone to come back again.
And it's still snowing.
Woot!
And so....what more do I post? My heart needs some color. I am a wee bit tired of the white photos.
I went through the archives and pulled out our favorite Canoe Adventure and thought I would share it again.....
and on this blustery day I will pretend I am in my canoe surrounded by blue!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We're just returned from a perfectly wonderful trip to the mountains. Paddling our canoe and kayak in 3 beautiful mountain lakes......the trip was filled with AMAZING scenery & weather.

~~~

The first lake ~Lake Louise...

was where Adam took part in a Rowing Camp. 

(Molly even got to row in a double with her brother.)

The next day we plunked ourselves into Morraine Lake....another perfect paddling expedition. 

We saw waterfalls and glaciers hanging above us, and the lake trout jumped by every so often. 

The water was so cold, the bottom of the canoe felt like an ice pack on our bare feet.

I don't think anyone minded.

Travel into Yoho National Park, brings amazing finds.

One of them included our 3rd and last canoe adventure~ Emerald Lake.

This was definitely the warmest lake...and once we got to the other side of it ~were so hot we all had to jump in for a swim. 

The cleanest water we've ever swam in....and it felt surreal....being surrounded by mountains covered in snow.

~If that trip was all I ever used the canoe~ for it was well worth it!~

~~~~~

{We're planning another canoe adventure for this coming summer....and yes~ I KNOW summer will come.}

:)

My Canadian Day at the Lake

Before anyone starts thinking...or continues thinking, that Canada is a frozen tundra that never thaws and all we do is hunt caribou and ice fish and live in ice homes.......

we don't.

We do have 4 seasons and actually are able to lay on our sandy beaches for a couple months out of the year and get a tan.

{Although that time isn't now.}

 Trying to make the most of every season we get,

 and as winter seems to be upon us for a tad longer than we'd like-

well....... it's good to defy it any way we possibly know how.

I was able to do something I had never done before the other day.

Ice Fish.

It was a wonderful day and the experience of it all was 

something I could get used to.

~Funny~

I've lived here always and have never gone out and taken advantage of our lakes of ice.

I knew they must be good for something;)

Hauling out our food supplies.

(I always wondered how you dug a hole out of the ice.)

Duke thought his water dish a bit strange.

Had a ton of help putting up the Ice Fishing hut.

And let the fishing begin......

(A look down into a tunnel of ice.....look close enough and you can see the bottom of the lake.

Eerily Awesome.)

Of course Canadian winter sports need to include the Snowmobile,

and the sleds that get pulled behind at top speed:

And of course the typical fare of....

The Polar Bear Drama.....

.....and The Snowball Fight.

Of course, just make sure to obey the signs:

really people......SERIOUSLY????

APRIL?

(ugh)

~Long Live the Canadian Winter~