Summer gardens

 I finally pulled my first beets. I planted four kinds this year along with fast-growing turnips. Yum!

 I also planted purple peas which grew to about 6 feet high.

We shucked em tonight. Not as sweet or dark green as regular peas but still pretty yummy.

And best of all? This year no construction! My little wood shed is up, tucked in beside the house and now that I don't have a barn in the backyard,
I actually have a backyard. And I just love it.

Dear old digitalis

Foxglove is one of my favourite flowers yet I can never grow them successfully.
Richard's brother-in-law's garden is full of them! Here's one of the loveliest. 

Moving slowly

Richard found this little painted turtle in my driveway yesterday, so I moved it to safety. 
It actually hung out with us most of the afternoon and slowly moved away.

A day at Morin Heights

 I'm so lucky to have such fun cousins! James, Jane and Maddy live in Nashville but have a cottage about an hour from here in Morin Heights, Quebec. Above is cousin Rick (from Ottawa) with James as Nyla (from Tennessee!) looks on.

 Jane and Nathalie took a spin around Lac Notre Dame in their pedalo.

 Matt and Nyla got along great!

 Ooh, while we were at the water, a family of mergansers swam by. Fourteen babies. Oh my!

Nice to see first cousins Maddy and Matt get together for a bit.

 Richard enjoyed some "me" time with the water. So calming!

 Before dinner, Jane showed off her new chairs and a new sport she invented: chair yoga.

I'm so blessed to have such a great family. Most people don't even know their cousins. I'm lucky enough to call mine friends.

Late summer vacation in PEC

 Our summer vacation (in September -- the best time to go on vacation as far as I'm concerned), started with a weekend in Kingston with my two besties. We had some great meals and took the Thousand Island boat tour. Fun!

 Then we headed west and took the Glenora ferry to Prince Edward County (PEC). The Lake in the Mountain is said to be one of the smallest Ontario Provincial Parks around. Maybe, but it has a heck of a view!

 Right next door is the Miller House, where we went for a drink...

 They brew their own Lake of the Mountain beer -- six kinds -- and you get this view!

And a September vacation? Usually great weather and not many people around. Perfect.

 We visited Birdhouse City, with 100 or so birdhouses, many reproductions of famous architecture.

 We visited a the County Cider Co. that had an amazing view.

 They also grew grapes!

 Richard amongst the apples...

And we went to a wine tasting at Sandbanks Winery.

We brought some of what we tasted home.

The piece de la resistance was Sandbanks Provincial Park.

It was like being at the ocean.

And the only other creatures we were competing with were the one-legged sleeping geese.

Farm to Table Dinner

Last night Richard and I had the pleasure of attending the Farm to Table Dinner, put on by our local (and favourite) eatery, The Quirky Carrot. 

I was looking forward to eating a meal featuring food that was all locally grown.

 Service was in a barn at Avonmore Berry Farm in Avonmore...Two long tables with hay bales as seats.

Isn't this place just charming?

Tables all set and ready for guests. There were even cloth napkins for all. Very classy!

And I swore I'd photograph every last bit of food offered. Here goes!

Here's our charming hostess Julia serving a terrific hors d'oeuvre:
Corn cakes with bacon, avocado and candied tomato.

Next up? Buckwheat blinis with sturgeon caviar (can you imagine LOCAL sturgeon? Yes! It's from down the road in St. Eugene.) 

Even better, it was served with panache by the lovely Grace, Julia's daughter.

 There were also crostini with butter, radishes and Maldon salt. Fabulous!

 Here's Richard trying wild boar smokies with homemade ketchup and mustard.

OK, my bad. Somehow I missed snapping a pic of the zucchini fritters with lemon aioli (I was likely too busy stuffing my face with them!) 

And we can't forget the Beau's beer as well as a selection of assorted local cheese and grapes.

BTW that's Julia with Chef Bruce beside her.

 The buffet was amazing! Where to start?

 Roasted potato and green bean salad with walnuts and pesto vinaigrette.

 Market carrot and charred corn salad with jalapeno

 Quirky kale salad with shredded beets and carrots.

 A selection of amazing bread and rolls by Fleidermaus Farms.

OMG, all so delicious.

Too many good choices!! (Is there such a thing?)

 Heirloom tomato salad with feta cheese.

 Roast chicken...amazing...served with...

 ...smoked ricotta and tomato mash. Amazing!

 Quinoa-strawberry tabouleh.

 Somehow I missed taking a pic of the ratatouille (under the red cloth to stay warm) but I did eat it and it was yummy!

 Julia welcomed her guests and we all chowed down.

 After all that, there was dessert! Her charming staff served us strawberry-rhubarb crisp with a choice of homemade raspberry or blueberry or strawberry ice cream.

There were a bunch of picnic tables outside and since it was 30C, we decided to enjoy the summer air and eat outside. 
There was lightning most of the night but it never rained. A perfect evening!

I especially loved this photo of Richard and me taken by the amazingly talented Anick Bauer.

It seems to capture the moment so well.