So cute

Here you are - photos of our deer.

There really is a herd of about 8 that roam the neighbourhood. Big antlers and everything. They stop traffic.

We're thinking of building them a shelter for the winter. Kinda like the North Pole. Without the Abominable Snowman. Or elves.

You will notice the obvious omission of strawberries in these pictures.

20,000 Leagues Under

Here he is, down, down, down in the deep blue sea. Back up on surface, I played a bit in Photoshop to make the dive a bit more artistic.

Crisp, clean fall

Just read this passage about fall on the British Columbia Magazine blog.

"It’s a season of enhanced sensory pleasures. The crisp air seems scrubbed clean and its gentle nip makes you appreciate a cozy scarf and gloves. In the coastal forest, the beauty of the evergreens is enhanced by the contrasting deciduous flares of yellow, orange, and red."

I took a float plane today from Victoria to Vancouver and dipped in and out of some of that crisp fog that makes fall what it is. I had on my biggest scarf, my winter coat (the one that makes me feel like I am wearing my mom's old warm winter coat - and that's a good thing) and my new fall kick-ass boots. The enhanced sensory pleasure came in the form of air sneaking into the cracks of the plane by my feet (all normal, I assure you).

Yellow, orange and red could be seen as I flew over Mayne and Galiano and James and Sidney and Saturna. Gulf Islands all a-glowing!

Yep, fall is here in full form. Beauty.

Special

Him: I have special taste buds, you know.

Me: Oh yah, what makes them special?

Him: Half of my tongue has them. Special taste buds.

Me: What is different about special taste buds?

Him: I can taste different things. Like green blackberries.

Me: What do green blackberries taste like?

Him: They were okay.

To my family and friends, thanks.

For asking me to play with you. For asking me to help ensure the dinner table is full of food all night. For asking if your friend can come for dinner, too. For saying yes when asked if yet another friend could come for dinner. For bouncing on my knee and giggling uncontrollably. For asking me to put you to bed, read you a book and kiss you good night.

For wanting to come back to the cabin with me instead of hanging out with your friend. For holding my hand. For dancing and laughing outside on the deck (we really should do that more often.) For speaking french and not once correcting me this weekend when I tried to speak french too.

For not getting upset when I threw your brother on top of you after you were already asleep. For asking me to sit between both of you on the love seat. And then saying you miss my squishy warmth when I moved. For being honest about the homemade blackberry port. For taking your niece for a long, long walk on the beach. I love that you love doing that. For rescuing the crabs and putting them in a bigger home. They were squished too.

For letting me borrow your hot pink wig and feather boa. And not getting worried when I put on your teeny, tiny dress up shoes. (Thank god I didn't break them!) For finding feathers all weekend long and passing them to me as a reminder of how much fun it is to dress up with the girls. For bouncing on the couch. For saying nicely that in your house we don't bounce on couches, recognizing that in our house it's okay.

For sharing your potatoes and peas, pumpkin pie and pinot noir. For fixing the slinky, and then fixing it again and again. And again.

For dressing up. For not dressing at all. (Baby bums are so cute!)

For the toast. Amen. For going golfing so I can have fun with the kids by myself.

For saying you will miss me when I am gone in such a sweet, sweet sad voice. (No you don't have to get on a plane to France to see me and yes, I will see you in just a few short weeks when you come to visit me in my home.)

For the company. All 21 of us.

Thanks.

Dramatic dew

More from Mount Doug. I love the water droplets full of colour and life. Imagine little fairies sipping from a sploosh of rain.

Red

Fall. Red shoes. Red bags. Red pomegranates. Red flames on swim shorts. Red licorice. Red pepper soup. Red Roma music (Feisty, fiery red full of duende). Went hiking up Mount Doug last weekend. Fell in love with Garry Oak leaves over and over again. The ultimate Red set off in black and white.