Friday September 26

This is the newest cargo bike at SJD. It's way cool. 

Made in California, sold through a Vancouver company, complete with electric motor assist for $1700 plus assembly. 

I think this is the best deal around. 

L

Sunday September 21

Sailing day again. First they rig the boats. 

Then there's briefing. 

I stuck around with my knitting today until they were sailing out. 

These are the Opti's the kids under 13 years old sail. They remind me of walnut shells. 

These are the bigger two person boats the older kids sail. They are called 420's. 

And finally they are launching. 

And off they go, sailing out of the marina. 

L

Poem from August

Swimming the lake, goggled,

There is black below 

I try not to see.

Stroke lightly at the surface,

Silky water slips by,

The eddy ripples down my body.

Gravity on hiatus.

Looking up - dark green, jagged edged conifers. 

white daubed blue sky,

Looking forward - the rippled water line. 

Not looking down into the colder dark.

My fear lives down there.

In the campsite with my friends,

Forest, grass, ravens up high,

Sun, blue skies, 

Cards, board games, talking, laughing, sharing snacks,

relishing this pause from responsibility and routine.

Yet, in my hammock I fail to stop the tears leaking out.

Why should we do these things we do that keep us busy?

Camping, playing, traveling, renovating.

For a spell, I fail to see any purpose.

I can't see joy in it.

It feels like nothing. 

Sometimes, looking too deep under the surface, all I can see is dark. 

L

Saturday September 20

Almost three am, why am I still awake? Emphatically awake. The house is nice and quiet. My brain is full of thoughts. 

Today we worked together and finally fixed the steps of the second front door. It's been two months my sister has been stepping up two steps high at the bottom and without a properly supported handrail. Now it's good. Several hours of laying on the dirt with my head under the steps and drilling and clamping and screwing screws. The steps are solid now. I'm happy and proud of us.

He looks about seven feet tall here. 

Also here. 

This week the kids and I have been sorting their stuff and clothes. 

We found three things of E's that go together in a fun way that she hadn't tried before. So she didn't put them in the give away pile. 

L

Mammogram

Now that I am past forty it's time to do that screening mammogram thing. 

Waiting in the mammography waiting room. Funny little club of women in blue robes covering naked top halves. Street clothes from the waist down, each one of us with our red plastic baskets containing our shirts and bras and purses. 

Thoughts in my head:

Do all hospitals have the same smell I wonder?

I think I have never been in a hospital that wasn't a teaching hospital. 

L

Sunday September 14

Today was the first practice of the sailing team. It's a really nice day. 

E and J have joined for the fall season. Learning how to rig the boat. 

Then I biked to my friend's to drop something and lucked out and got some grapes growing on her neighbours vine. 

I got a bunch of bunches. 

Saturday September 13

I found this up at UVic. 

It's a big covered area for bike parking. I think supervised at certain times as well. There seems to be an office area on the side. 

Lockers for stuff and lockers for bikes. 

Tools and a pump and a stand for bike fixing. 

L

Thursday September 11

We rode to the bike shop to book some work on E's bike. She had her lovely dress on which flowed out behind her like a bustle. 

Better than a bright reflective vest for daytime use I think. 

We had Clem here from France for a few nights. We decided to test the chair strength. 

It was A ok. 

My friend is about to get the whole exterior of her house painted. They need many ladders for that. 

This mine and two of my friend's bikes, because bikes. 

Also, just we two adults went to a birthday dinner for at a friend's house the other night. 

 Some live music and heaters on the patio and this compelling gas firepit filled with red glass pebbles. 

L

Cowichan Exhibition

We did the rides by themselves the night before we did the rest of the fair. 

Anticipating the adrenaline ride. 

Good old Tilt-A-Whirl

Clem's surprisingly attractive candy apple.

Then we returned in the light of day and the kids hitched a ride up to gate from the parking lot. 

In the sheep tent ....

My mom and the rest of her TAG team were busy with sheep to shawl competition. 

The wool is sheared, carded, spun, plied and woven into this gorgeous shawl. 

All the space of five hours or less. 

And these cows in the 4H barn are the cleanest cows I have ever seen. There was almost a shine coming off them. 

In the hall was the junior section for baking. 

This is a rice crispies rabbit. He dwarfed the cake he was ornamenting. It was very sweet. 

These cupcakes were decorating by a four year old. Also cute. What more do you need on a cupcake besides a slab of brilliant red icing and a hot wheels. 

I always am blown away by the quilts at this fair. 

And my very favourite parking lot. 

L