Roasting Marshmallows

Posted for Bonnie Johnson from Pierre's Point, B.C.
 

...  faire griller des guimauves ... (at French camp, of course)

David Camps with a perfect roast

Optical illusion or large marshmallow?
You decide.

Alice - Day 3

Alice Margaret spent her third day in the arms of her mother. Sleeping. Eating. Sleeping. Eating.

That left Michael and me free to explore the rest of the world on our own since his mom was busy with the new baby. We checked out the bits and pieces of all of his toy boxes. We read books. We visited Grandpa Johnson next door and watched TV specials on Thomas the Tank Engine and Dora – two shows that rate far below Dog Whisper for Grandpa. Michael played with Kelvin’s cane for a while. I didn’t have to watch Michael when I returned to the outside turned on the hose. He sprayed the back porch, the birch tree, the wind tunnel and sometimes himself when he had the hose turned in the wrong direction.

Our best trip happened when the rain had stopped. We walked along twenty-fourth avenue. At first he splashed in every puddle, including the small bits of water that collect in sidewalk depressions, like the words 24 Avenue at the end of the block. You have to stamp hard and a lot of times to get water to slash out of those little crevices.  He didn’t have on his shoes, which was OK by me, for I don’t have to run as fast if he makes a break for absolute freedom and encounters pebbles.

By the time we were going down the back alley, the bigger puddles were his target. At the largest one, he carefully placed me behind it and then shoved. I cooperated but took a giant leap over the puddle. I didn’t know that he was holding onto my jeans with both hands as he pushed, so I accidentally dragged him through the puddle, the waves from his body splashing forward so that I was as soaked as he. Well not really, for he did a full body plant in the puddle, only his head not getting wet, hanging onto my jeans until the bitter end. He didn’t murmur. Just looked surprised, leaped up and ran to find the next puddle.

When we moved into our neighbourhood nearly fifty years ago, it was already an older development. No one has become any younger. There are so few children in our community that Miranda can tell which houses have children and on which blocks. Later in the afternoon Michael and I saw, coming home from school, two children skipping along the sidewalk, one ahead of the other. When Michael saw them coming, he turned his back on them and walked half way up a neighbour’s sidewalk. He didnt’ have the courage to acknowledge them. I am guessing he thinks the world is only full of old people. When they had passed, Michael took my hand and we returned home. If he ever decides to run away, Miranda won’t have to look very far to find him, for he will already be on his way back home, should he happen to pass a stranger.

Arta

French Camp at Pierre's Point Campground

Bonnie Johnson: Photo at Pierre's Point

In a daring move, Bonnie signed David up for French Camp at Pierre's Point.

The daring part is that she has gone along with him.  Overnighters until Saturday at 6 pm.

On the telephone to me, she reported the following:

Photo: Bonnie Johnson at Pierre's Point

“I can’t believe I have never been here. It is only 15 km away from Joaquim’s house, but I didn’t know this place existed. It is just like where we live, the same exquisite views which I can hardly tell are not home. But we are speaking French every day, and not roughing it. I am staying in a camper with Shelway and her two sons and we have a fair division of labour. She cooks and  I play with the three two boys. I am happy and so is she. The only piece of camping equipment I didn’t bring was David’s Pokeman cards, so I went out and bought him some new ones. No use in not having all of the camping gear a person needs.

I have to sign up for parental duty. I have signed up for the 2 am to 5 am shift for when we sleep out under the stars. I don’t know which shift is best? The 10 pm to 2 pm shift when all of the boys want to be walked back to their parents? Or the 5 am to 8 am shift when they are waking up and again, want to be walked back to their parents? I took the middle shift. I figure with enough caffeine I will be able to stay awake.”

Bonnie Johnson: Photo at Pierre's Point

“Who is going to be Starlady?”

“I guess I am, though I didn’t bring my binoculars to Pierre's Point and I have no red cellophane.”

“Oh, you don’t need either of those. Just spend a few hours refreshing your mind about what the night sky is about by looking at NightWatch: A Practical Guide to Viewing the Universe by Terence Dickenson. It is in my shelves at home. I know right which page to turn to.”

“You mean you didn’t know all of that when I was young? You used to study up on it before you slept out with us?”

The truth is out. I am no event half as smart as my kids think I am.

Arta

Alice Margaret

My weight is 8 lb 7 oz

There is a new baby next door -- Alice Margaret, born Saturday, July 6th, eight pounds 7 ounces and coming home tomorrow with her mom which means she isn't really next door yet -- but coming soon to a bungalow on our block.

My job in the birthing process was to get out of bed and stay with Michael all day while his mom was at the hospital.

The ah ha moment for me was when I discovered I don't tend him that much.  That makes me Grandmother #2, if I am compared to Joan Turnbull who knows how to put a sippy cup together, where his clothes are and how to put her foot down when he would rather pour his milk on the floor and run his cement truck through it, than drink it.

Yikes!  That metal is cold!

I thought I would refresh the shine on the hardwood floors so I grabbed some floor wax and got down on my hands and knees.  At one point I couldn't move.  I tucked my head down to look and see what was going on.  Michael had crawled through my feet and up between my legs and I saw his little face down there.

Should I have put my knees a little closer, he would have been caught in a vise grip.  So curious -- just a view I didn't expect,  to look down and see his little head coming on through to grab my  wax rag.

Miranda comes home tomorrow.  Both Joan and I have agreed -- the next five days helping out with the baby are going to be stellar vacation days for us.  New baby in the house for day two, day three, day four, day five. 

I asked Richard what the baby is like.  He asked me what exactly I wanted to know and told me that since it was 11 pm when I was asking,  I only had four minutes of his time to get any of the questions asked.  I wanted to know if she had any hair.  "Half and half," he said.  Now what does that mean!

A full head of hair on the left side and none on the right side?

Signed,

Grandmother #2 

Bad Start to the Day

Catherine Jarvis writes ... 

Eric and Thomas pose in front of the bus.

Slept in as we had been up late helping kids who had a bit of sun stroke from Fridays scorcher of a day.

Spent the night forcing hydration and cooling them off with wet towels.

Made it into the water through the crowds.
Even at 40 degrees the ocean is freezing.
Stayed in for less than 30 seconds
although it felt great to feel cold.

Around noon decided we had better head to the beach as the day promised to be over 40 degrees again.

Found an air conditioned bus line that would get us to the Atlantic in one hour.

... Atlantic Waves ...

Unfortunately after boarding the bus and heading out of the terminal realized the air conditioning was broken.

We were all good for about 5 minutes.

Unfortunately the ride was an hour long.

Watched sweat dripping off Eric's head.

Started fanning Hebe until she collapsed and fell asleep.

 ... Catie's hair is getting curly ...

Passed around all the paper I had so kids could fan themselves.

At about 40 minutes had someone start crying.

They were motion sick and overheating.

Started fanning two kids but wasn't sure how long I could do that.

 ...Rebecca ...

Gratefully after one hour arrived at the bus terminal.

... all smiles or reading a book ...

It was in fact cooler outside in the 40 degree heat than it was on the bus.

Right to the freezing Atlantic Ocean for a dip.

Loved when one of the kids cried in despair on the bus, "your trying to kill us".

... catch of the day ...

Eric gently reminded them this would be a day to remember, which it was.

Yellow flag day as the waves were too rough.

Could only dip our feet in at this beach.

No swimming.

Found another beach where we could take a dip.

So crowded at the swimming beach you could hardly cross the sand to get to the beach without stepping on a person or their towel.

A wonderful end to a crazy day.

Catherine in Ericeira

Dinner overlooking the beach.

Chose a fish from the catch of the day which they grilled and served with salad and potatoe.

All of this at Ericeira -- a civil parish and seaside resort/fishing community on the western coast of Portugal.

Catherine

Cooling Off

Catherine Jarvis sends more pictures: 

Nothing like getting naked and cooling off in the local fountain. Nobody told us to get out. In fact there was nobody there. They were all inside enjoying their ac as the temperature hit 41 degrees.

Went to see the Roman ruins in Elvira.
Arrived at 10:30 am and it was already over 35 degrees.
Woah!

Saw tons of shop selling cork items. They harvest cork nearby. Check out the cork purses.
Bought a cork nativity set.

Spent 18 euros on calliopo today. They are the Portuguese equivalent of Popsicles.
That was 3 popsicles each over the course of the day.
Add to that 3 bottles of water each.
Still came home with several dehydrated kids.

Last monument we visited was this Chapel of Bones.
Nothing like a somber reminder of your mortality when going to church.

Cloister at the Cathedral. Rebecca and Hebe keeping cool in the shade.

Nepal Bound

Master of Science Degree in High Mountain Medicine

Graduation Day has come and gone for Mati.

Today he left on a 7 am plane for Nepal.  His supervisor picked him up at 5 am to drop him off at the airport.

At dinner last night he was given a good-bye gift by some friends -- a pair of Sigvaris Graduated Compression Cushioned Wood Socks.

Now those friends are people who know how to choose socks -- worried about the 12 hour flight and invested in keeping him well enough to come back.

Is this trespassing if we approach this space from the water?

Mait and I spent a different 12 hours together when we were in Victoria.  We left the house early and made our way to Gyro Park.

"I have never seen something like this before."

There is a beautiful path from Rebecca’s house to the ocean. A one hour walk if I am not taking pictures or stopping to look at wild life. Oh, there are some other things I do along the way. I admire the stunning home that are built at the top of the bay and on the side streets. I look at their immaculate gardens and the careful landscaping. Lovely to walk along in the moist air, look down their driveways and see what kinds of plants they have chosen.

At the stairs that lead to the beach there is a sign. No Campfires. As well, there are No Parking signs on all of the residential streets, but some parking in designated areas. None of that matters to me for we are walking. There is solitude here – a few people walking their dogs, and some walking for their own good health, but the streets are mostly empty.

 ... graffiti in the sand ...

The second time I went down the stairs that lead to the beach they were covered over with wild rose bushes – making an arch through which I had to duck. I could smell the flowers before I saw them. I tried not to think about having to climb the same stairs later that I was descending now ... hoping that I would have energy after the long walk along the ocean.

I said to Mati, "That looks like a tree to be climbed."
  How did I know he would make his way
to the upper left hand corner of the tree?

I wonder why walking along the ocean holds such charm.

 I have been happy walking a dirt prairie road, the wheat waving in the fields and the dust coming up with every step.

And I have my own beautiful Nose Hill, just the same distance from my house and which I walk often.

These rocks were made for climbing.

There the charm is the Chinook wind coming over the mountains and the hawks circling.

I have never lived by the ocean – I had the most glorious day walking with Mati, down to Gyro Park.

Well, we got a ride down. Then we walked along the beach, then back to the University, then to Finnerty Gardens, then home.

What a beautiful place to live  ... and to visit.

Arta