Fat Saturday: The last day of the Brewery Market

Today was the last Saturday of the Brewery Market as it has been. It has outgrown its space and the bulk of it is moving to the Pier where there will be LOADS of space but perhaps not so many nooks and crannies and kooks and grannies - we'll see. Some of the sellers are staying but most are going - some are going to manage stalls in both locations...at least for awhile.
The step-dot and I decided we had to go and we had to have Fanny's fab Chinese food sitting on the stairs cuz that ain't gonna happen. I took lots and lots of pics. Want to see them? I knew you did!
And do you want to know what we bought? Sure you do.
We bought blueberries and peaches and plums.
We bought hot italian sausages and darn hot pepperoni.
We bought beets and zukes and green onions and broccoli and green,purple and yellow beans.

We yacked and ate and walked and clicked and then we came home a little sad but willing to give the new place an honest chance to enchant us.

A Whale of a Saturday!

OK, I've had fat Saturdays and fat Saturdays but this one is extra specially fat! I'm going to post this right away because I haven't walked Hoagy yet. I just got out of my swimsuit and it is nearly 5:30 pm. I don't know what we're having for dinner except I know it will include lettuce. We have lots and lots of lettuce.
Well, my dears, today is the sort of day I wouldn't trade for a visit with the Queen. And to think I got to do both this week. I must be under a special star!
The Sweet Patootie and I planned to go canoeing this morning a few days ago. We knew that on Canada Day the waters would be too full of yahoos partying hard. And yesterday we wanted to putter on our various projects.
So, we woke up nice and early and packed a lunch from things we'd bought late last evening. We boiled up water and put it in a thermos for we like to make coffee on an island somewhere. It always tastes specially good. SP put the canoe on the truck (do you remember Mr. Canoe Head?) and in we jumped and went down the hill to the marina. We popped that baby in the water and off we went. Our first trip of the year. The water was 'right some cam you' and we thought we'd take a visit to all our favorite spots. I'll show you photos of the whole trip with this disclaimer - I won't take my good camera on the canoe until I get a sea-proof bag for it so the pics were taken with SP's point & shoot - nuff said.
First up was the wrecks. The wrecks are a couple of big fishing barges that have been disolving into the ocean for about 35 years now. Every year they look a bit different...

After visiting the wrecks we were on our way to Hern Island - on the way there I took this picture of Prospect Village.

then we rounded the bend to see if the beach was full of boats and people and if it was we'd just keep going.

But it wasn't. It was completely empty. We thought we'd entered a parallel universe. A better universe.

here is a bit of the beach...

we pulled up the canoe and had the first part of our picnic - pita bread with chicken slices and goat cheese

then we walked to the high part of the island.

SP was sitting pretty and I was taking his picture when all of a sudden we both

heard a noise. A noise we love. It is a big exhale - PUUH - and then we saw the best thing ever! Yes, better than the Queen.

A whale!!

now, I took a lot of photos from a long distance away but I'm only going to share a couple because they just don't do it justice.

We watched her fish by herding in a circle and then making this big tada! I'm going to show you the weird bubble thing she'd do when she had them all herded - here it is -

and here is one more from above ...

then we went back down the hill to the beach and got our stuff in the canoe - yep, we were going out to where she was. There was a sailboat under motor doing the same thing from the other side so we knew she'd probably go -they like canoes though -we look like fish too big to eat to her. It was thrilling to be in the centre of her circle but the sailboat freaked her out and she left...

isn't this so nice?

Then it was off to Rogue's Roost for the other part of our picnic. RR is a hidden little cove. There were a few sailboats mugged up in there but we went to our best spot and SP brewed up a pot of coffee...

then we went off again to Bone Beach

wild irises

and home

to eat chips and read the Globe & Mail!

I defy anyone to have a fatter Saturday than that...

Fat Saturday

Yes - the step-dot and I stepped out yesterday. We went to the Hubbards Market instead of the down townie one. It was fun. Lots of plants, not too much real food but we found some.

We met old guys (see Crazy Jane), heard stories, talked heather winter-care and other esoteric gardening things.

Then we went home the slow away along the shore. If I told you there were diamonds on the water and the colour was cobalt and turquoise and that we talked about all manner of funny and important things would you get the idea of a fat saturday? We stopped at the Finer Diner and had eggs benny with smoked salmon and black coffees (oh yes, the step-dot is practising for when she goes to Paris sometime and wears a black beret). She made towers of milk containers...

Life doesn't get sweeter than these days.