Don’t Fence Me In . . .

It’s been wonderfully, crazily busy around here, what with the houseful of guests all last weekend, the (double) birthday on Monday, and then the last three days on baby-sitting duty. And today it’s Granddad/Pater’s birthday, and Nola and I had a decadent chocolate cake to make (How decadent, you ask? Between cake and icing, it has 2 1/2 cups of butter AND 1/2 cream AND 6 ozs choc. My hips are swelling just writing that!)

So pardon me if I haven’t written much. We’ve finally got some decent weather here, so we’re outdoors enjoying the sunshine, and the biggest concern this afternoon is what kind of martinis to chill for the parents’ return, and what kind of salad should accompany the steak that should hit the grill 7-ish. . .

For such a light-writing occasion, I’d earlier put together these photos of fences that invited me to play compare and contrast. Above is a fence at Naramata, designed to point out boundaries to cattle and horses. Below, an imaginative, rustically beautiful West Coast fence separating parking lot from resort at the renowned Sooke Harbour House

And below, an unlikely comparison perhaps, but sharing function with the other two and, like them, mirroring its aesthetic surroundings in Paris. . .

And yes, that was a rather idiosyncratic post, wasn’t it? Back to regular programming . . . well, one of these days. . . . If you’re a fellow BC-er, enjoy our BC long weekend. Anywhere else, enjoy your short one!

12 Comments

  1. LPC
    30 July 2011 / 1:37 am

    Have a wonderful weekend.

  2. Duchesse
    30 July 2011 / 2:49 pm

    For that very reason, so many guests and a new city to explore, I will be reading only sporadically (and not posting myself) in August- a good month for a blog-lite, and for baking cakes.

  3. Mardel
    30 July 2011 / 3:09 pm

    Between family visits and necessary work I'm not writing much either, but life flows along with time for everything when it is needed.

    Love this post.

  4. hostess of the humble bungalow
    30 July 2011 / 3:44 pm

    The cake must be delicious with all those rich ingredients!
    Happy BC long weekend!
    Happy Birthday to pater too.

  5. Susan Tiner
    31 July 2011 / 2:28 am

    Enjoy the sunshine!

  6. Anonymous
    31 July 2011 / 3:47 am

    Sounds like a delightful weekend…wasn't it Frost who said that 'good fences make good neighbors'?

  7. materfamilias
    31 July 2011 / 6:34 pm

    Thanks, all, and Terri, I'd add to Frost's observation that they also make pretty pictures, at least some of them . . .

  8. indigo16
    31 July 2011 / 10:18 pm

    So we are sharing a rise in temperatures and birthday kids! We are all desperately hoping Kitty's step mum crosses her legs for a couple of days, her her baby is due today and if it arrives on Kitty's birthday she will be so upset at losing her special day. Can't believe you managed two on one day though!
    The cake sounds scrummy.

  9. Maggie
    1 August 2011 / 12:27 am

    Just dropped by to say that I enjoy your blog. Not sure if I've ever commented before. I suspect we're about the same age, so you'll understand 🙂

  10. pavlova
    1 August 2011 / 2:57 pm

    I have been remiss in commenting! Your gatherings at your island home sound magical. I have been enjoying
    the seaside with my large clan…20+ adults and 8 kids on the Outer Banks of North Carolina.

  11. materfamilias
    2 August 2011 / 12:40 am

    Alison: Bronwen wasn't especially pleased when I left her 9-year-old self at my friend's place and headed to the hospital 26 years ago, but she's come to appreciate sharing the day with her brother — it's more of a family gathering than the other birthdays. But I sympathize with Kitty — I dreaded the possibility of Mother's Day falling on my May birthday until I got old enough to do the math and realize that would never happen. I would NOT have wanted to share my day with mom.

  12. materfamilias
    2 August 2011 / 12:42 am

    Maggie: Thanks for taking the time to comment, and I certainly understand why you might be hesitant to do it more often — I'm pleased enough just knowing you're out there, reading.
    Pavlova: Oh, the other side of the continent, another family gathering, I love it! (have to say, I've been remiss in commenting lately as well — I think it's a casualty of summer's laziness)

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