On a sunny Saturday morning, we launched the boat and set our course to Portland Island. Five of us walked the trail around the western portion of the island before having a picnic lunch and returning to the dock. The trip takes just over an hour. The sea was calm and reflected the beautiful blue of the sky, but the brown grass tells the tale of too little rain. Our soil is not deep, just a thin layer on top of rock that doesn't hold moisture.
Across the water, snowcapped Mount Baker, in the country to the south of us, shimmers in the light. We've had a few smoky days, but the winds push much of the smoke out to sea. Another terrible fire began in the interior and leapt from tree to tree with astonishing speed.
I listened to an interview with a man with a wife and two young children who told of seeing the fire grow as he drove home from work to find his family packing what they could. They left within 15 or 20 minutes and he said that by the time he left the house, flames were at the back door. Their house, along with many others, lies now in ashes. We are so thankful for firefighters from Mexico, New Zealand, and Australia who have come to help, along with teams from other parts of Canada.
On the way home from our boating/hiking excursion, our daughter and her family sat on the bow enjoying the lovely day.
On another day I took Iris and Cora to the beach for a walk. There was much to explore as the tide was very low. Stranded crabs, pretty seashells, bull kelp, and more. I love their enthusiasm.
I spent a bit of time in the bookstore choosing cards for various occasions. I also found a book of Cottage-themed stickers that popped itself into my basket and will be fun to use on envelopes and cards.
You might notice the watercolour of pink flowers in a jug at the centre of the picture. While we were in Alberta in July, we had the delight of meeting for breakfast with Brenda Leyland of It's A Beautiful Life blog, and her husband. Our visit was all too short. Brenda is warm and lovely, just as you might gather from her blog. The card is from Brenda, along with a gift bag of just the sort of treasures I love.
Here's a photo of the two of us just before we said goodbye. Brenda and I are both members of the same Canadian writers group, as well. And we discovered some time ago that we attended the same college and lived on the same floor in the dormitory. I was one year ahead of her, and we don't have any clear recollections of each other. But how fun! I hope we can meet again.
After our picnic lunch on Portland Island last Saturday, I filled a container with a few blackberries and made a batch of Peach-Blackberry Jam this week. The scent of hot fruit cooking is definitely a summer scent. I have six half-pints and four quarter-pints tucked away for the months to come. I don't eat a lot of jam, but Tim enjoys it. Sometimes in the evening I'll have a small bowl of yogurt with a teaspoon or two of jam stirred in.
Our weekend will be a busy one with my mother's party. It will be good to see lots of family - aunts and uncles, cousins, and friends. It's good to celebrate life!
Wishing you a beautiful weekend.
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