Lovely, languid summer.
There is a vague suggestion of Autumn in the early mornings now and the garden dearly needs some rain. Mum and Dad return to Australia on Wednesday after having been here for almost three months. It’s been such a good, long visit – a lot of which Dad has been taking his amateur carpentry skills to the max – building us all sorts of stuff out in the garden. An extension to our woodshed ready for wood for the long winter, a swing, a sandbox for Lily, and his pièce de résistance – a treehouse.

Not all that long ago Dad built a treehouse in his backyard in Melbourne – you might remember it. It was a beauty. Shortly after Dad finished it, we told my parents that we had decided to move to Canada. Both the girls suggested that he shouldn’t worry, he’d just have to come and build us one in our new garden. And just over a year later, that’s what he’s done. What a legend my dad is.

Today we finished sanding off the splintery bits and hung a quick makeshift tent between the trees and the treehouse was ready for action. Dad’s plan is that he will return next year and build a little house up on the platform with sliding windows, shingled walls and a clear plastic roof. It’s going to be weather-proof enough to become a tiny little guest room. Our lucky guests will be able to lie  snuggled up inside, looking up at the stars above through the boughs of the fir trees. Sounds nice, really.

For those who are keen to make a treehouse – dad suggests that the The Treehouse Book by Peter Nelson helped him a lot for ideas, inspiration and some technical tips. It sits almost permanently on our coffee table, when it isn’t beside someone’s bed. It’s a lovely book for dreaming.

Eating: Apple-Blackberry Pie – the recipe says this is “advanced”. It’s not really. It’s a bit fiddly and takes quite a lot of time to construct and to cook, but it’s worth the effort for a seriously impressive pie.

Drinking: Coffee. Just one cup a day, but with *cream*. Oh Canada, you have brought me many good things, but putting cream in my coffee is my latest delight. Does anyone do this in Australia? I never noticed if they did.

Watching: The Young Visiters - a 2003 adaptation of the delightful book written in 1890 by 9 year old Daisy Ashford. Perhaps it’s because I had the book growing up, or perhaps it’s because I have an almost-9 year old, but I found this so charming. Starring Hugh Laurie, Jim Broadbent and Bill Nighy, the film is just how a 9 year old would write, art direct and produce a film if they had unlimited funds and imagination.

Counting down: The days until school goes back. Bitter-sweetness! This year Lily starts school and is ready and raring to go.

Vancouver 2011 – our 10 year anniversary trip.  There was so much goodness, indulgence and inspiration in one weekend. We saw the Surrealist exhibition at the gallery, walked through Stanley Park, walked a whole lot more all over the city to the point where our legs ached and ached. Shopped a little, slept in a lot. We did all the things we’ve been hankering for over the last year while living a slightly less urban life.

Some highlights for me:

A Bakers Dozen Antiques
3520 Main Street
For all your quirky antique needs. Require a small taxidermed fox’s head with a dolls arm in it’s mouth? Look no further!
But quite honestly, this place is fabulous and worth a trip to Mount Pleasant.

Paper-Ya
Granville Island
A place stacked full of little goodies – papers and stationary sets. Lovely, lovely things.

Miku – Japanese restaurant
#2 – 1055 West Hastings Street
(Guinness Tower)
Good (and interesting) Japanese food, accompanied by lots of loud, cheerful shouting from the expansive staff.

The Whip
209 East 6th Ave
A good place to have a late breakfast with a favourite nephew and his girlfriend. They drank caesars and ate burgers. I had a plate of perfect eggs, bacon and potatoes.

Anthropologie
2912 Granville Street
I walked around and around this place looking at all the things that are crazily overpriced but so pretty. I ended up buying two Nathalie Lete plates to add to my collection.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt 2
Of course it did not disappoint. But I got distracted by the sets – especially the beautiful Shell Cottage at the opening of the film. Built on the beach, untouched by tides and time (magic surely). It’s time to start pressing shells into  the plaster on all my walls.

Fine drinks
My new cocktail favourite was discovered in our hotel lobby. Because it was outrageously priced, I am reclaiming it for the people and have redubbed it the Vancouver Weekend: Peach vodka, Elderflower liqueur, ginger & lemon.

Coming home on a float plane
Flying across the Georgia Straight, across our little island – right past our house on the hill, landing with nary a worry in Ganges Harbour and home in time for tea and to tuck the little ones in to bed. It was nice to go away but even nicer to come home.

This little creature makes daisy chains, chocolate cakes, new friends and bedroom messes.

This little creature  (along with all its friends and relations) broke through our fence and ate large amounts of all our precious plants before being asked to leave.

This little creature (top) is a puppy pancake. I make pancake shapes to order if I’m in a good mood. I am quite versatile – for instance, the shape underneath is the eight eyes of a spider (what? you couldn’t figure that one out? really?).

Our Summer is full of little creatures. Tiny rabbits and a family of quail are living in our blackberry brambles. The quail have  14 children. 14 children. And I thought my summer of parenting was tough.

How is your Summer (you northerners)? How is your chilly winter (you southerners)?

I’m back, sort of. Back to try some blogging again.