Quiet time

Shayla stayed with us for a few days after Ann and Ryan left - this is the first time we have had the opportunity to be with her on her own. It was fun for us and I hope for Shayla. She did lots of crafts with Ruth, helped with meals and she helped me with projects like putting a preservative on the cedar siding on the gazebo. We went for walks, played lots of games, Shayla and I went canoeing one day and Ruth and Shayla went to Perth together and Shayla got Ruth into the water!
Shayla is now back home and things are quiet until Rick and Joanne get here the Tuesday after Labour Day.
Not many photos but there is one to document Ruth's swim and one of Shalya in her water colours "lesson". A Great Blue Heron flew into the bay and "perched" on a rock while we were eating dinner in the gazebo and that same evening there was a unique red sunset in a virtually cloudless sky.

Games and crafts

Click on any photo to see a larger image.

Michael, Ann, Shayla and Ryan were here for a few days (too few) last week and over the weekend (joined by Pat for two days). We were lucky to have great weather the whole time they were here, so there were walks, swimming (Shayla and I swam to Gull Rock, accompanied by Ann in the canoe and Ann swam back so the tired young and old could ride), canoeing, kayaking, catching fish, games, crafts, lots of photos and the annual shared "surprise" birthday party for Shayla, Amber and me.
Too many photos to show on the blog, but here are pics of crocinole on the deck and sculpting in the gazebo.

Dinner and games in the gazebo

When Vic and Babs were here we had our first full dinner in the gazebo on a beautiful but very cool August evening - the photos show the jackets required.

We have had several dinners there now including Rick and Ron along with Ann, Shayla and Ryan and Ruth and me. We haven't worked out the best arrangements for dinner for more than 4 or 5, but that will happen.

Since Ann and the kids arrived we have had two evenings of after dinner games.

The first two photos are a bit blurry as they were taken through the screen.

The next is a photo of the game players in the gazebo (not that clear) with the evening sun shining on the gazebo and the last is taken inside as the game goes on.

New West Window in the old cabin.

Rick and Ron came yesterday to do some additional work including installing another new window in the "lower cabin" on the west side. As can be seen from the photos it is a long narrow window set low in the wall. It gives a very nice view of the lake from different areas of the room, including while lying in bed!

As is the habit this year, we had a very heavy and long rain this morning so they were not able to install the other windows as they had planned. That will have to be done in September when they return.

The photos show the holes from old window and new from outside and inside, Rick getting ready to put siding on and the last shows the completed new window in place with new siding highlighted by the setting sun.

Visit with our grand daughter, Candra.

Last week we had a wonderful two day visit with Candra Marr, our grand daughter from New Westminster. We were very happy and fortunate that she came to spend two days with us during her short vacation, though, for us, the visit was too short.

Candra is the first to stay in our new sleeping cabin!

Ruth met her for the first time and they found several areas of common interest.

The weather was excellent so we were able to do a bit of kayaking and swimming and had good food and lots of interesting conversation - it was great getting to know her better. The time went much too quickly, but we have talked about another visit next summer, hopefully a bit longer.

Unfortunately, my camera settings got changed so only a couple of pictures of Candra are salvageable.

The young deer in the last photo suddenly appeared across the bay while we were sitting at the dock.

Candra took several pictures so hopefully she will share them when she has time so that I can post a few more pictures of her visit on the blog.

Sleeping cabin - complete!

Rick and Ron left yesterday having essentially finished the sleeping cabin! sided around the new window in the main cabin, put in the laminate floor and took several loads of debris to the dump. They will be back soon to finish putting in the other windows in the main cabin.
Today I took another load to the dump and put a bunch of material in the garage so the area is now free of debris! and one of the photos is taken late in the day after all of the trash had been removed.
Today I also painted the inside window which was given to us by Bob and Darlene, brought the trunk, storage cabinet, green fold out sofa and the bed frame into the sleeping cabin so the inside is beginning to shape up for occupancy.
The first person to sleep there will be our grand-daughter, Candra, who arrives Monday August 4. She will leave on the 6th and Vic and Babs arrive on August 8.
Well, I had some luck with the night photo of the gazebo so I made one of the sleeping cabin with the lights on.
Tomorrow Ruth will arrive- the beginning of our approximately six weeks here.
I will keep a blog record of the rest of the summer.