MORE SHADY BUSINESS

The gazebo is great and provides a wonderful amount of shade plus creating a cozy place to sit.  Stuart’s Mom and sister came to visit us a couple of weeks ago and while they were here, Sharon and I worked on sewing curtains for 2 sides of the gazebo.  We had purchased outdoor fabric online and spent the better part of the day measuring, folding, pining and sewing the seams.  They look good and help provide more shade when the sun shines in from an angle as well as privacy.

It was hot during their visit but we still managed to get out for a walk along the Trans Canada trail beside the Kettle River.  Beautiful views and the trail has been upgraded this year. They have spread a fine gravel material and graded it wider.

Stuart continues to find things to build and made 2 tables for the deck out of left over fence board ends.  There is no end to the projects you can do with them.  They can be used separately as side tables, or put together as a coffee table.  Very creative and useful.

Golf is our main recreation these days and we are getting out twice a week.  We took the boat out last week and went swimming in Christina Lake.  The water temperature was 24.9 and it felt very refreshing.  This time of August seems to be the peak of tourist season around here so we will probably stay away from the lake for a while.  At the public boat launch, there is only one dock operational so it can get very congested.  The second dock was supposed to be put back on the July long weekend but it doesn’t seem to be a priority with BC Parks.

Back in the middle of July, the Snowbirds (Canadian Forces 431 Air 
Demonstration Squadron) attended our local air show and put on a stellar performance.  We have seen them before so we decided to watch from our house and even from that distance, they were impressive.

Our tomatoes and cucumbers are coming on strong right now as well as many other garden vegetables.  It’s always fun to see what’s ripe each day and to find new recipes to try out.  I’ve recently done a refrigerator bread and butter pickle with zucchinis and cucumbers that is delicious.  And we always do a variation of tomato strata where you make a base of croutons covered with sautéed onions, peppers and any other veggies that you have on hand.  Then top it with a layer of sliced tomatoes, cheese and bake.  Yummy.