Saturday, June 21, 2014

Photo adventure

After our busy weekend with the kids last week, we were more than ready for a quiet adventure in the country, so Thursday morning we packed up the car and headed to Wheeler's Pancake house for brunch. 
We sat at our favorite table by the window and enjoyed the view while we chowed down on pancakes and fresh maple syrup.  Yum!

We weren't the only people there, but almost.  We have seen people lined up outside the door waiting to get in, but not on this day.  It was a quiet Thursday morning, and we enjoyed having the room almost to ourselves.
After lunch we set off for Purdon Conservation Area.  It was a warm day, but not hot, and the mosquitoes were scarce, so it was quite comfortable walking through the woods on our photo shoot.  AC was loaded down with all his gear, and stopped often along the route to take pics.
Getting that perfect close-up
This little guy graced our picnic table, and I was amazed to get his pic with his wings open. 
We almost missed this little guy sitting on top of a side along the path.  I had no idea Tree Frogs were so little

The butterfly and tree frog were an added bonus to our photo shoot, as the main reason for our visit to the area were  the Lady Slippers in full bloom in the woods.  



They put on a beautiful display

Our last stop at a scenic lookout before heading home. 
It was a beautiful quiet day, and refreshed us body and soul.  Now we have to get ready for one more week of babysitting before school it out for the year.  Onward and forward....

Wednesday, June 18, 2014

Busy weekend

Yes, it was a busy, but fun weekend with the kids, and we gave our camera a workout, so here are a few more pics for you.

As soon as the parents left around noon on Saturday, we packed a picnic lunch and headed for a local park.  No sooner were we on our way, when it started to rain.  Groan!   We decided to change our plans and go to another park near the water, and eat our lunch in the car.  At least we could sit by the water while we munched our lunch.

While we were eating, the rain eased up, so the kids asked if they could finish their lunch outside.   We stayed in the warm, dry car, but the kids preferred the bench by the water.
They sat in the drizzle and didn't mind at all. 
The rain finally stopped completely, and the sky brightened.
After lunch, I stayed in the car to finish my coffee while AC took the kids for a walk along the water.
Dani found my favorite spot and stopped to take in the view. 
Then both kids were off to explore, while Buppa kept a close eye on them.

They found a perfect tree for climbing...
...and Buppa was there to take a picture or two.
Happy memories still linger in the air of a special weekend with the munchkins. 

Monday, June 16, 2014

Fishing buddies

The kid's celebrated their 10th wedding anniversary this past weekend, so we were on babysitting duty for the munchkins for the whole weekend.  I have learned it is best to keep them busy, so we picnicked in the park, spent lots of time at the playground, and finished off the weekend at Riverside Park near their home.

When we got there, we say a little boy fishing with his father.  Danica and JJ talked to the little boy, oohed and aahed over the fish that he caught.  They were allowed to touch the fish before the boy threw it back into the water.   Well, after that, the kids went on a search for sticks to use as fishing rods.  We soon found two suitable sticks, and I tied long grass on the end of each stick, to serve as fishing line.  We didn't have any hooks or bait, but the kids had fun standing at the water's edge to see if any fish came along to check out their "grass bait". 
It was a perfect afternoon for fishing.
They moved along the shore to try new spots, but sadly no fish took their bait. 
After the fishing fun, we stopped to check out a fossil, climb a tree or two, and throw a few sticks into the water.
This was a nice ending to a fun weekend with the kids.  I was one tired granny at the end of the weekend though, and was in bed by 8:30 last night.  Think I might hit the hay early again tonight. 

Wednesday, June 11, 2014

Garden doing a happy dance today

Yesterday we were gifted with blue skies and sunshine, so we took a picnic to the park.  We set up our lawn chairs in the shade of my favorite tree and enjoyed the peace and quiet of the afternoon after a busy morning working in the garden.
View from my lawn chair.
Today, the garden is doing a happy dance in the rain, so I am glad we took advantage of the sunshine yesterday.

Wednesday, June 04, 2014

The Dancer

Danica's fourth dance recital was this past weekend, and it was more fun than work for Amma, because Mommy came and did the dressing room duty, so I could sit upstairs and watch the whole show.  Yahoo! 
The dancer posed for a picture with Amma before the show began. 
What a sparkly ballerina she was.  She has lost her two front teeth, so we are getting closed mouth smiles these days.
In the group
Oh, there's a cute smile.
Total concentration.
Perfect hands.
Next came her highland dance.  Jumping high in the air
This dance also requires perfect fingers, and pointed toes.
One arm up...
...then both arms up, and jump, jump, jump. 


Lots of wonderful memories were made.

Sunday, June 01, 2014

Hi, this is my caterpillar Carl, and my other caterpillar Carl.

JJ and his neighbourhood chums are into collecting caterpillars.  We have gone through numerous plastic containers every day after school to keep the caterpillars safe.  When JJ came for a sleepover this weekend, we went to the $$ Store to get a proper bug-box. 
JJ is very pleased with the new bug-box.
He came to the door to show us the latest captive.  He informed us that his caterpillar's name was Carl.
Carl liked to come out of the box and crawl around on JJ's hand.
JJ thought this was great fun.
He was very gentle with his new friend
Later in the afternoon he found another caterpillar, and named him Carl too.    What a hoot. 
He played with the caterpillars until bedtime, then set them free, or at least we thought we set them free.  First thing this morning he was out checking the bug box to see what his friends were up to., and amazingly, there were still in the box, even though we opened the door to the box last night, and put the box in the back garden. We are getting ready to go out for a walk this morning, and I am sure the hunt for more caterpillars will be on the agenda.