Summer!
We have our granddaughter here for the week, and it’s glorious weather! Garden shots above, centered by “Girl in a Hammock” (pictured just underneath a shot of a flotilla of canoes gathering in front of our place before heading in to Nanaimo’s Bathtub Race Festivities this weekend). The shot, centre right is of the duvet on the bed in the guest cottage, crowded up against the window, trees cuddling up to it, right outside. . .
We made ice cream last night — I found the Donvier I gave my Cook-Turned-Massage-Therapist daughter for her 12th or 13th birthday. If she wants it back after reading this, I think I’ll buy one for myself — that was fun!
I’d tell you more about the magic hours of Nola playing out elaborate stories with toys on the floor while Paul and I worked and read and cleaned nearby, but I think I’m going to hang out with the IRL people instead. After all, it’s my guy’s birthday today. I looked through the archives for earlier birthday posts in his honour — he gets a mention most years, but back inJuly 2007 he got a whole post of his own (well, I might have snuck in some Paris as well . . . ). Andagain in 2009. I think he favours a simple day at the beach today, right here at home. Nola and I will probably go into town for groceries. She thinks he’d like a three-layer cake, stacked higher like a wedding cake (but then she giggles and admits that’s what she really wants). We’ll see. . . It’s pretty hot here, for the 3rd or 4th day in a row, with 5 or 6 more, at least , to come. Huge sympathy for my 38-week pregnant daughter — they air-conditioned one room for her, but she’s getting a bit stir-crazy in it . . . .
Anyway, I’m off to the beach chairs with my morning cuppa. Hope you’re having a lovely day, perhaps with some sunshine as well, with any luck not too hot for you to stand it, enjoy it even! Maybe with ice cream — have any of you ever made your own? Was it fabulous?!
Happy Birthday Paul! Happy Summer Day, all the rest of you!
Your garden looks lovely. I wish you many more sunny days to enjoy it. Today is my last meeting at school before the summer holidays! Then there will be a week's hike (all by myself – that will be wonderful) and three weeks in my "weekend garden" by the lake. Let's hope the weather stays nice and warm the way it is now.
Happy birthday to Pater, and have a beautiful familiy day, all of you.
Ah, a lakeside garden and a solo hike — both very, very good things! Enjoy!
Nola is getting to be a young lady! Will she start Kindergarten this year? It must be like paradise visiting you at this time of year. I have never made ice-cream but it would be fun. Happy birthday to Pater! You are lucky to have found such a great guy!
Believe it or not, she's now going into Grade One! We do have fun together — currently reading The Magician's Nephew. And you're right — I'm v. lucky. I'll pass the greetings along.
A very happy birthday to your Paul, and wonderful summer days to you and Nola.
Thank you!
Great pics! Alas, it's 18C here so I can't share in your enjoyment of the heat. But at least it's not raining (yet).
Ugh! We had a week or so of those temps, rain, clouds, grey. Probably needed more of it to ward off forest fires, but I'm enjoying the sunshine, selfishly. . .
home made ice-cream is amazing, you can do all kinds of exotic flavors for fun. Easiest of course with an actual appliance to do it, but possible in shallow trays in the freezer, then beaten with a fork for a granita type thing. I'm sure your young one would enjoy and you would enjoy her enjoying……
Here in Virginia its been in the low to mid 70s all day, very weird for almost August……
Ceci
I remember my mom using ice cube trays to make ice cream at some point in the 60s. . . . and telling us about cranking a big old-fashioned ice cream maker for ages.
So I'm guessing those are low temps for you, by at least 10 degrees, right? A relief? or do you miss the heat?
I'm enjoying this lovely, lovely weather, although staying in the shade after about 11 am. I have a Donvier ice cream maker chilling in the freezer as I write. I like making peach ice cream each summer and the peaches are just beginning.
Happy Birthday to Pater.
I should have known you'd be onto the ice cream making — especially with all your gardening, preserving, baking, and general kitchen skills. I've got a batch of chocolate ready to hit the Donvier after dinner tonight — this is going to be fun!