Monday, September 6, 2010

Sunset on Summer

I'd love to share a few photos of our Last Summer Hurrah. My wonderful friend Andrea invited us to visit her family's little piece of paradise last year. We all had the best long weekend with her and her Dad, Bruce, and managed to behave ourselves and make a good enough impression to be invited back again this year! Yippee!

After a ferry trip, car ride and finally a motorboat crossing, we arrived safely on Thormanby Island, just off the Sunshine Coast north of Vancouver. Their cabin is on a beautifully sheltered sandy bay at the end of a sweet row of eclectic summer cottages. It was very near summer's end, so the bay was rather quiet...many families had returned home to the city already.

bocci
Bruce & Andrea entertain the kids with a bocci game while my nose is buried in a book

Daytime involved paddle boarding, reading, general lounging, bocci, fort-building, tree climbing, hiking/walking/swimming, cliff-jumping (the kids), swatting at wasps, nice conversation, some cooking.

the architecture of a fort
T & D built an amazing teepee-style fort from driftwood

D in the fort
D takes a break to soak up some late-afternoon rays

In the evenings, we enjoyed cards, Jenga, Scattergories, marshmellow-roasting, wine (the adults) and more reading by oil lamplight.

Jenga concentration
T makes his move

We saw lots of cool wildlife including enormous red jellies that washed up after a storm, lots and lots of icky banana slugs, a sweet salamander AND......a juvenile grey whale just 20m from Bruce's boat!!!! Yup, we were extremely lucky to see him on our way back from a lunch run to Pender Harbour one day. Sadly, I wasn't prepared for photos. In fact, I was very nervous (I'm not a confident boat passenger). All I could think after the whale dove down was "I don't want to be in one of those YouTube videos where the whale comes up under the boat and everyone goes flying out!"

Pender harbour lunch spot
Pender Harbour pub lunch

trailmarker buoy
Just when D and I thought we were lost, a trail buoy showed us the way on our hike!

camo-sally
I almost stepped on this little camouflaged salamander!

west side Thormanby
The west-facing beach...looking towards Texada and Vancouver Island

a new leg...
Someone is busy growing a new leg!

giant red jelly
D's hand is just for scale - she's not touching this enormous jelly!

limpet 3rd eye
Ever since she was little-little, D has loved limpets and often wears them as earrings, too

Thank you so much Bruce and Andrea for having us again. We love you! And Bucc Bay, too!

D hearts Bucc Bay!

What a great end to summer. We've had the best family time this holiday - almost a whole month off work for B and great visits with my family back east and friends here on the coast. Although they are moaning a bit, I know the kids are excited for this week. Both are going to new schools, T to junior high and D will try late French Immersion on for size.

...................and I'm heading back to my sewing room!!!! I decided to play with my friends at Fat Quarterly magazine and participate in my first ever sew along. En route to the marina, Andrea and I stopped at a favourite quilt shop and I picked up a Hunky Dory jelly roll for the easypeasy sew along. I've never used a jelly roll in a project before. If you want to play, too, check it out here!

I hope you all had a wonderful summer, too. There's still a few more hours to enter my giveaway for the lastest edition of Quilter's Connection magazine here.




8 comments:

Tracey Jacobsen said...

this is awesome! What a beautiful trip! (and beautiful photos too)

I've got a few jelly rolls around here... I should turn some of them in to Christmas gifts...

PS I forgot to comment in one of your last posts, but thank you for saying that house-keeping isn't your strong suit! Me neither! (I'm pretty dreadful at it at times... there's just so much I'd rather be doing, and Steiger or Jay just messes it up anyway!)

Christina Lane | The Sometimes Crafter said...

What a beautiful spot! I have never heard of it, but will add it to my list. Can you believe I've only been up to Canada once and it was when I went to Michigan to visit a friend?! Crazy, I know. I'm seriously so close to the other Vancouver.

Dianne said...

Lovely family photos Krista! That is one whopper of a jelly fish!!! T looks so grown up, he will be off to university before we know it!

Anonymous said...

What an awesome holiday, absolute perfection it seems :)

Fat Quarterly Team said...

Can't get over the size of that jeely fish *shudder*! Looks like a fabulous time was had by all!

Glad you caved in and decided to join us! A jeely roll of Hunky DOry will be gorgeous.

xx Tacha

Krista said...

What awesome photos! You have the best vacations!

Tiffany said...

Krista you had a tremendous summer! Your photos make me feel like I'm right there. I've enjoyed tagging along for these beautiful adventures via your blog. Thanks for sharing.

Anonymous said...

This is crazy! I am from Vancouver, BC, but am living in Wellington, New Zealand right now and have been on the computer looking for quilt inspiration. I came across your site just by clicking on an image search and lo, there is Thormanby Island, which I just happen to have my very own cabin on, on the Vaucroft Beach end. We have had it since my dad was a wee baby. What a trip. The photos look gorgeous and I hope you enjoyed your time there. By the way, your work is just gorgeous! Great inspiration! x Bonnie (a fellow Canuck).