my thumb is slowly turning green...

This is what my front garden looked like this summer.

It's finally starting to look like something.
Although next year I plan to re-arrange some stuff.
I think I need more varied height distribution.
My bamboo (which was given to me by my fabulous former boss) is filling out beautifully.

And the Chinese Privet I planted in the backyard in an attempt to hide the hideous chainlink fence grew like crazy this year.
Hopefully I'll prune it properly so that it'll fill out next year.

The ornamental grasses didn't do super well this year for some reason.
But my flamingo friends still seem to like them.

peach milkshakes...

Last weekend was our 11th wedding anniversary.

So we took a drive out to the Okanagan for some peach milkshakes in Keremeos.

To Parson's Fruit Stand to be exact. (over 100 yrs in Keremeos, 4th generation owners)

 

  

Absolutely delicious.

Okanagan peaches are my all time favourite fruit.

And yes, they have to be Okanagan peaches.

Grocery store peaches just don't measure up.

 

I know...we could make them here ourselves and save an awful lot of gas, money, driving etc.

But that just wouldn't be the same.

We wouldn't experience the intense desert heat.

And feel the cool mist from the edge of the fruit stand roof to cool us off.

And smell all the fantastic Okanagan grown fruit and vegetables.

Plus, the peaches are picked that day from the orchard right behind the fruit stand.

We waited what felt like forever for our milkshakes to be made.

But man, they were so worth the wait.

And the drive.

ahh...summer in b.c.

This is how I spent the past two weekends.
First on one of the Gulf Islands with Glen's family.

...with some fun easy summer reading...

...sitting at the beach with my husband...



















...trying to rescue a baby raccoon that seemed to be abandoned by his mom...
(can you see him? he's very tiny).
Glen tried to pick him up but he growled/hissed at him so we gave up.
We decided against the risk of rabies...

Then at Shuswap Lake with my family.

...on the boat...
























...with Captain Glen...

Ahhh.
Beautiful British Columbia.
It really is the "best place on earth."

anticipating lazy summer days...

I bought new deck chairs.

From Canadian Tire of all places.

They are charcoal grey with light grey cushions.

I think they were made with me in mind.

Then I bought some cute outdoor fabric...it was the only fabric in the entire store that I liked and it just happened to be outdoor fabric...and made a couple of throw pillows.

Yay!

So pretty.

So comfortable.

So summery.

I hope it's nice and warm this weekend because I've created the perfect spot for a morning latte.

The chair in the photo is my chair...it faces away from the ugly lattice deck contraption 2 houses down.

Blech.