Maplewood Farm Part II

Sophie the Hereford cow had a bit of bovine attitude that day.

A visit to the goat paddock found Jack leaping about like he belonged there.

The peacock has the most gorgeous colours, but no amount sweet talking could persuade him to fan out his feathers.

The Clydesdale horses are huge and the kids were a bit wary to get to close.

Maplewood Farm

I grew up going to Maplewood Farm, it's only a couple minutes from my mom's house, and a couple blocks from our old house. We hadn't been back since we moved, so when Nana suggested a trip there while we were in town, the kids were all over it.

The little ride 'em tractors are a new addition. A great idea for the farm!

Rabbitat has always been the favourite and the first part we head to. On this trip we were there early enough that the bunnies weren't tired of having carrots rammed down their throats yet, so they happily munched away on our offerings.

Gum Snappin' Girls

Among all the candy from yesterdays parade was several pieces of Dubble Bubble. Remember Dubble Bubble? Bright pink wrapper, comic inside...ahhh the memories. Although, I always preferred grape Hubba Bubba myself.

I pretty much haven't had gum since I got braces when I was fourteen. And as an adult I have to say, I'm a bit snobby about the whole gum chewing thing and not to keen on the kids picking up the habit.

Anna really wanted to try blowing bubbles, so I sat out on the back porch with my best girl and we snapped our gum together. One trying to remember how to blow bubbles, the other learning for the first time. A childhood memory made together on a glorious summer day.

Oh and kudos to Anna for the great pic's of me!

Parade!

The kids have never really been to a parade before. Living in the city I had no desire to hang out for ages in order to secure a great spot and then entertain the wee ones while being jostled by thousands of people. Not my idea of a good time.

Over here we showed up a few minutes early and plunked our behinds down a prime viewing piece of curb. While the floats may not have been up to Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade standards, we waved and clapped and enjoyed every minute.

Of course the fact that many of the participants throw candy to the kids made it the best parade ever to them.

They are already planning with Daddy the best candy acquiring strategies for next year.

Fireworks!

Last night we headed into town for the great summer ritual of fireworks night. We strolled the blocked off roads with our neighbours and listened to the local garage bands play. The kids ate five cent candies and the aroma of fresh fries wafted through the air.

We wound our way down to one of the beaches and perched ourselves on a front row log. The kids instantly befriended others and together they waved and spun and dueled with their glow sticks in the night sky.

The fireworks boomed and our littles alternately sat and jumped with awe and amazement. It was over all to soon, but a wonderful way to spend a warm July evening.

One Year Later

One year later we are celebrating our home. A summer feast to mark our moving anniversary. Clams steamed in white wine, lemon and garlic. Sweet peaches and cream corn dripping with butter. A crunchy multigrain filone to mop it all up with. And of course dessert, cherry cobbler with a dollop of cream.

I love this house. The white walls may not be pristine anymore, but even on the darkest winter day our home is filled with light. The retaining wall may have fallen over in the back yard, but the lovely purple weeds that have grown over it make me smile. The mirrored bookcases in our great room once housed the previous owners objet d'art, are now overflowing with toys. But I can still see the water reflected in them.

It's our little sanctuary by the sea, filled with running, shouting and laughter. And whenever the clutter inside gets to much, I just turn my eyes outwards and recharge on this loveliness.

Beach Picnic

We are so lucky to have a multitude of gorgeous beaches near our house. Often the biggest question of the day is "What beach do you want to go to?" Having them entirely to ourselves is just the icing on the cake.

Every great beach picnic requires a few staples. Gooey peanut butter sandwiches, juice boxes, a big bowl of sweet drippy watermelon and a crunchy treat. Today? Jack's favourite, Pirate's Booty.

We dig, throw stones, search for starfish and crabs. The kids assemble treasures and I breathe deep and forget about the messes at home.

A snooze in the warm sea air. As the kids race and shout around me here, I'm feeling another beach picnic coming on.

Pink Lemonade Cupcakes

Oh yum, what's not to love here? These are the delectable lemon cupcakes with raspberry buttercream from the very talented Jamie over at mybakingaddiction.com. The kids renamed them Pink Lemonade Cupcakes after their favourite drink.

The cake part has a tangy delicate crumb, and the buttercream? Made from a bold, intense raspberry puree. Oh my!

The kids always have to get in on the action. This time demonstrating the use of raspberries as fingerpuppets.

I've put a bunch in the freezer to enjoy later. Who knows how long that will last.

Strawberry Jam

I've been waiting ages for the weather to warm up so strawberry season would arrive. Mmmmm......and now it has.

I love making a batch of jam every year. Strawberry jam is a staple of our fridge. Every decent childhood must include jam sandwiches.

Of course, more than a few were consumed along the way.

Nothing beats strawberry jam on freshly baked scones.

Until it's time to make blackberry jam anyways.

Double Yolkers

My dad, being English and all, had more than a just a few odd expressions and superstitions. One that always made me laugh and left me puzzled was "May the bluebird of happiness fly up your nose.". What is that supposed to mean?

Another was the lucky "double yolker". It was a rare occasion that a cracked egg would reveal the apparently lucky twin yolks. So imagine my surprise when a recent carton of a dozen eggs provided us with five double yolkers. Now I only buy organic, free range eggs, so this must be one happy-go-lucky chicken.

What form will my new found luck come in? I have no idea. What I do know, is that my dad is here in spirit all the time.

Cherry Jubilee

Mmmmmm....cherries! When I saw the fresh local fruit stand, I had to stop for a big bag of these beauties. We don't get many fruit stands over here, because of that extra ferry ride.

Anna loves cherries, but when they're dipped in chocolate? Pure heaven.

We had chocolate everywhere and enormous smiles all around.

Maybe we'll pick up another bag tomorrow......