how sweet it is

Where have I been?  How did I not know about this fabulous little farm, about 20 minutes away?  Sheesh.  After being on the Island, practically all summer, and seeing just how easy it is to eat local there, I have made it my mission, to do what I can to buy and cook with only local ingredients.  As I dig further into this, I am finding that although the farms are not nearly as plentiful as they are in BC, there are a few worth making a special trip to every now and then.  And this one, Chinook Honey, is definitely worth the trip!

We took part in the annual Harvest Festival this past weekend, that was a joint effort between two farms: Kayben (which we often visit for their U-pick veggies), and Chinook Honey - a farm we had never been to, until Saturday.

 

 

There were crafts for the kids to make...some cute little bees made from balloons that were great to fly in the light country breeze.

We took part in a live demonstration on how the beekeepers extract the honey from the hives...um, so interesting!  Those little bees are smart little things!

The scenery is enough to make one drop everything, move to the country, and buy a farm.  Ok, maybe that's just me! 

A hay ride through the working fields was by far the highlight for the kids! 

 

 

Inspiring?  Very. 

 

In all honesty, I had no idea as to how many, all natural products can be made from those darling little creatures.  We left with a few treats (of course) and will definitely be heading back to this farm.  Did I mention it was a Meadery as well?  Well, it is!  My next visit will involve the purchase of a bottle (or two) of some local honey wine!   Can't wait for that! 

Waterton wrap up

Spectacular.  Amazing.  Fantastic.  Awesome.  Words can only begin to describe just how much fun we had camping in Waterton for a week to end off our summer season.  We were very lucky indeed, to have Auntie Heather and Uncle Ian join us for half of the trip, and boy....the adventures we had! 

Aidan starts off his hiking with a short and steep hike up Bear's Hump for a breathtaking view of Upper Waterton Lake.

A morning canoe trip for everyone along the shores of Cameron Lake. 

The scenery was nothing short of spectacular.  I am so thankful that the kids love being in the canoes!

There was some crazy Surrey action all around the townsite with Auntie Heather and Uncle Ian.   So grateful that they could join us for a few amazing days down in the park.   

We all took a scenic boat cruise down Upper Waterton Lake, into Montana and a quick stop at Goat Haunt in the US!  The weather was perfect for this trip! 

 

Check out this gorgeous black bear!  He entertained us for a while on our way back on the boat.  We saw lots of these beauties during our stay.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One of the highlights of the trip for Ian and Brent, was a day long hike up to Crypt Lake.  This hike is rated as one of Canada's best, and it sure did live up to the hype!  Above pic shows Brent leaving the tunnel (yes, you need to crawl through a natural tunnel to get to the lake!) after climbing the ladder to access this amazing feature.

 

And they made it! Hello Crypt Lake!  Next year, I am so doing this hike!

 

 

Check out the video below....this is how hot it was the day the boys did this hike.  Crazy!

 

 

 

The weather was so hot, we spent a lot of time playing and swimming in the "refreshing" creek, and even the lake!  Even mommy went for a swim!  Now that means it was really hot! 

There were even moments of quiet, soaking up all of the magnificent surroundings. 

Enroute on a hike to Bertha Bay.  It was a hot one! 

So, as you can see, Waterton was an absolute blast.  Many campsite friends were made (including a few from last year that ended up on the site next to ours...what are the chances!), adventures were had, ice cream was eaten, stargazing was fantastic almost every night, the weather spectacular....thank you Waterton!  We have wrapped up one of our best camping seasons ever, and what a place to end it!  Spending a week in one of our favourite places with family and friends, it doesn't get much better than that! 

See you next year!

 

Vancouver Island 2012 Trip - Part 4 of 4

Rathtrevor Provincial Park & Surrounding Area

What a time we had on Vancouver Island this summer.  Wow!  I think the videos have summed up our holiday quite well, and I owe a HUGE thank you to Brent and his iMovie expertise, and the rather large amount of time it took to put these videos together for you all to see.  It not only allows us to share our journey and relive so many moments, but we now have a great record of our trip for years to come.  Amazing! 
It's always sad to leave the Island, and there were definitely tears, and grumps, and fits, on board with us the entire way home.  I think that says a lot as to how much we love it out there.  It has truly become a very special place indeed, and a place where it seems that every year as the kids get older we uncover so much more and create so many new memories each time we visit. 
Once again Vancouver Island, we thank you.  Our time spent on your shores was absolutley fantastic, and dare I say "we will see you next year"?  Let's hope so...

Vancouver Island 2012 Trip - Part 3 of 4

Tofino & Ucluelet
How does exploring secret coves, discovering the coolest marine life up close and personal, campfires on the beach, and hiking beautiful coast line sound to you? Fabulous right! Well....that's just what we did with our time in Tofino and it's neighbouring community Ucluelet. This area is one of the most beautiful spots we've been to, and every time we venture back to these rugged shores we are never disappointed. We were even lucky enough to enjoy a few days with some close friends who also made the trip to the Island for a little camping. How lucky are we?

Up next....our adventure comes to a close with our last days on the Island spent in and around Rathtrevor Provincial Park.

Vancouver Island 2012 Trip - Part 2 of 4

Oh, Miracle Beach, how we love you so! Enjoy the video highlighting our time at our favourite campground ever! It's number one for us, and each time we visit, we have an absolute blast.  We met some amazing families this year, spent loads of time on the beach, learned the sport of skim boarding, attended many evening interpretive shows, and the kids had a blast at Jerry's Rangers.  It's kind of like being at summer camp, only for the entire family!

Next up, our time in Ucluelet and Tofino!

Victoria & Goldstream

Victoria and Goldstream....the adventure begins! A HUGE thank you to Brent for the above video done with iMovie! Unbelievable what this program can do, and friends, this is just the beginning. It's a very cool and fun way to show you a lot of pics, and tell our story, all at the same time! Yes! Enjoy!
You may need to turn up your volume on your computer to hear the tunes that go along with the movie, and increase the size so it's easier to view and read the text.
So lovin' iMovie! Brent may just start making regular appearances in this space! Quite the movie maker he is!

Up next, the adventure continues.  Our time at our favourite place, Miracle Beach!

we're back!

Hello!  Yes, we have returned from a most fabulous time on Vancouver Island.  Boy were we busy!  We saw and did, and explored so much that I am still sorting through the just over a thousand - yes, you read that right - I took a little over a thousand pictures, egads -  so I am hoping to start sharing our stories very soon.  Brent is even working on a little iMovie, and if all goes well, we'll have it up here in this space of mine soon.  So, bear with me friends.  I am sorting through and reliving all of our time on the island and I will hopefully get some highlights up here very soon.  It's a difficult task going through that many pictures and trying to narrow down the cream of the crop without boring you to tears!  I will try, once again, to cut out the chit chatty parts and just focus on the pics - and let them tell the story!  Pictures afterall, are definitely worth a thousand words!