Buster's Solo Flight

So, after many years of aerial abstinence, Buster got on a plane & visited! Serious celebrations ensued!! Outdoor dinners around the ol' picnic table....

... there was the "Shaggy Tarot" night .... equipped with candlelight, french music and fine wine....

There was the Naramata Wine Touring Day --- which started off with a quick stop to the Bench Artisan Deli for a purchase of road snacks (crackers, sundried tomato spread and lemon-marinated artichokes... yeegads!!)

Conversation below: "You know... Winnipeg isn't reeeeeeally as bad as you all say.... bla bla bla.... I actually haven't ever vacationed before without my husband and four lovely children .... bla bla bla.... cried my eyes out when I left them ... bla bla bla... can I get another pour of that yummy wine? ... bla bla bla... you can call me "Buster"... ha ha .... bla bla bla .... you know Winnipeg reeeeeally doesn't deserve the reputation it has .... bla bla bla.... " (repeat, at every winery!!)

Winery above is LaFrenz and winery below is Lang Vineyards (we also visited Red Rooster Winery), all overlooking lovely Okanagan Lake !

When wine touring got a little exhausting (poor us!)... we took a break at the Naramata Heritage Inn & Spa by having an aromatherapy steam!

It was pretty darned good, compared to all the other numerous spas that we so frequently visit!

We ended the day with an outdoor gourmet dinner at the Cobblestone Wine Bar and Restaurant.

Conversation below: "Should I have the lemon & beet risotto or the sorrel tagliatelle? And... should I follow it up with a $1500 bottle of wine...???"

Buster kept insisting that we hang out in little cafes, sipping passionfruit lemonade and catching up on the latest "goings on" in world news. I gave in periodically.....

We also found a few decent wines at Mt.Boucherie Winery ==> which may have been a contributing factor toward the revelry (translation: "party") on the last evening of Buster's visit.....

Notice the overly-full wine glasses below? Who the heck poured those??

Luckily, we danced off those extra wine calories....

Plus, there was a little bit of kung-fu fighting....

Last minute herb-picking (below), calmed Buster's nerves before she boarded the plane to rejoin her lovely family. Come again!! And bring everyone next time!!

The Long Overdue Post

Last year, at precisely this time of year (September), these lovely people came to visit us during peek 'herb harvest' time!

We spent long afternoons down at the creek, looking at plants & birds & things and, in the evening, we had veeeeeeery entertaining (and inspiring!) dinners around the picnic table!

I think, too, that four young gardeners were created during that visit!

This year, these gardeners have grown their own flowers and herbs and vegetables, back in Manigatoga.......

Holy crow --- the hops plant (at right, below) has grown about fifty times bigger this year!

This beautiful picture (below) inspired me to place a new little fairy sculpture on the path (because it looks like a REAL little fairy in the photo below!)

This is the fairy when she's been caught by a gremlin! (the gremlin happens, also, to have grown about fifty times bigger this year!)

Roots & Blues

First stop of the weekend: Log Barn, just outside of Enderby, where we stocked up on fruit, veggies and cinnamon buns .... and the guys scorched themselves posing on the metal tractor in the zillion degree heat we drove thru.....

We camped in a field right next to the festival and parked Shaggy beside another group of four eager festivalgoers (one of whom serenaded us & also gave us his CD of blues ukelele tunes --- which is actually really good!)

Gorf liked to mellow out in the incense dish back at the campsite --- he behaved himself very well!

The boys were banished behind these bars (to have some beers) during a reggae workshop ... But they didn't stay 'fenced in' for long.......

The bands were insane! .... Last act on Sunday night was the Neville Brothers .... so ridiculously good!

Bearly There

So.... this summer's shagtastic campsite is up at Bear Lake ... home to (small) lake trout, many ducks and loons and sandpipers and wild rabbits and wildflowers and all manner of flora and fauna to keep us and our doggies busy but relaxed.

Morning coffees and evening wines are enjoyed lakeside .... Sometimes we tune into the "duck channel"....

We frequently watch the "flower and butterfly" show....

There's always some loud "Sandpiper Concert" right around twilight....

And if we really search through the channels we can watch the "frog show" from time to time.

And... now that we have a generator (!) we can catch all these channels all the time... whenever we want! Shagtastical!

Too Much Fun (almost......!)

Oh goodness.... apparently it is possible ("M" says so) to have 'too much good music' --- is it possible to have too much fun?

Look who we found while we were in Victoria visiting the Organic Island Festival!!

She (Z) is staying at O.U.R. Ecovillage ---- which is full of these fascinating and fabulous Cob Houses!

So.... guess who wants to build with Cob now.....

We met Elke Cole --- inspiring amazing woman who is building these wonderful earth-formed homes. Time for more learning!

Also spent good times in Victoria, eating, touring, hugging "Plastermen" and....

Marvelling at the absolutely massive cruise ships that arrived in the harbor (this photo taken from the balcony of our hotel). We thought they'd constructed a new building overnight! Until we noticed the building was pulling into the harbor....

Scoot-a-Root

Zzzzzzzzzip!