Summer Fun

Don’t you hate it when you have good intentions then things fall apart?

My camera broke my good intentions of photo blogging the summer fun. Luckily the fun still happened - but I don’t have many photos to prove it… Everything was going so good then all of a sudden my camera wouldn’t read the card. I planned to take the card to Costco to download the pictures and print them but my brain broke too and I forgot the camera the one time I went to Costco. So there ya go - no pictures - no summer blogging. Well, that’s my excuse anyway!

We had some really good times this summer, boating with friends, exploring new places and enjoying our time in Egmont, but summer is nearly over for me. Only 8 more sleeps til we leave Egmont, then the Labour Day weekend at Port Sydney Marina where we’ll meet up with the Crescent Beach Yacht Club for the weekend. We also hope to see Jean, Rollie and Auntie Nell. I love the shopping in Sydney as there are lots of thrift stores, dress stores, touristy type stores, book stores and plenty of restaurants. Then we head home to ready for the big trip to Orlando!

Crystal and I are going to Izeafest in Orlando. It’s a 4 day blogging convention which we are turning into 7 days of fun in the sun. Both of us are very excited as we KNOW how much fun Izeans create when they put on their party faces!!! Oh, yeah - NO - it’s a blogging convention - I forgot, I’m going to attend a convention where I’ll learn to be a better blogger. You’ll see

Meanwhile, back to Egmont… no, never mind - we did so much this summer I can’t put it all in words. I will tell you about my birthday though… I went home for two days to go to a couple of very important appointments, run errands, buy supplies and catch up on the bills and mail. Crystal quickly convinced me to stay 3 nights so she could cook a fabulous birthday dinner for me. She is a very good cook, so I didn’t require much convincing - especially when I heard Kaia was coming! We had a pasta dinner (my fave) and a ‘made from scratch’ carrot cake with cream cheese icing. Imagine! How many people make cakes any longer? It was delicious. The rest of my ‘present’ was going to have to wait until the weekend they told me. I headed back to Egmont the morning of the 14th. Pop, Kent, Gus and Darlene were sitting under the apple tree enjoying happy hour when I arrived and they sang Happy Birthday to me. Kent, Pop and I went to the Backeddy Pub for dinner where Kent had arranged a surprise party for me - My cousin Joyce and our friend Charlie were waiting and friend Dave joined us too.

Next day Crystal, Morgan and Sherry arrived by car. Trevor and his Dad arrived a couple of hours later by plane and Sean and Kaia arrived by car. My cousin Judy and her husband arrived by boat. We barbecued on Pop’s front porch and then a whole group of family and friends arrived by foot, car and boat. We had another fabulous home made dessert by cousin Joyce.

Saturday we boated to Hotham Sound, enjoyed a fun day in the sea and sun then arrived back at Pop’s by 2:45. I quickly changed and we drove to the Wilderness Lodge where my cousin Judy arranged for her sister Joyce and two others to take a “birthday” plane up Jervis Inlet to view Princess Louisa Inlet, Freil Lake and Falls, Egmont and back to the dock. We sat on the deck at the Lodge, with a few drinks while waiting for them. I think there were 18 of us once the plane ride was over! Joyce and I had discussed a potluck dinner a few weeks ago, so we loaded up all our dinner preparations, a cooler of drinks, dessert, etc. and headed over to Joyce and Bob’s. There were already 20 of them, so it was a huge dinner and a fabulous evening. Pop rode his 3 wheel scooter over and with a bit of assistance managed to get it right on to the patio. It was one of those really special ‘family’ times where second and third cousins get to know each other. Those are special times to me!

Sunday, we took everyone to see the Skookumchuck Rapids by boat. The current was blasting out and Kent got us really close - too close for my comfort, but everyone else was awed and amazed and took tons of photos. Judy and I talked of it later, both agreeing our mothers had instilled fear and great respect for the ‘Chuck’ and neither of us are comfortable boating near it. Of course, our mothers both lost friends, community members and friends children to the raging water - so there was great reason to teach us to fear and stay away from such a dangerous area. After viewing the ‘Chuck’ we toured around Egmont, around Egmont Point and over to Dark Bay. It was a perfect day. Once back at the dock, I quickly made Nachos, the ‘kids’ remade the beds, packed their stuff and readied for departure. Sean made a bay dive, changing the zincs on the boat, checking the anchor and enjoyed a few minutes of ‘free diving’.

We all helped and watched as Trevor and his dad readied the plane for takeoff. It’s always such an amazing sight to watch him taxi out and get airborne - and of course he buzzes us and waves his wings. All of Egmont knows when he’s visiting! Morgan drove Kent’s truck home, which was a big help to us as we can now leave via boat when we’re ready and not have to work out how to get the truck home. By 3 o’clock there were only 6 of us left under the apple tree - and we all agreed it was NOT to early to start ‘Happy Hour’!