June ~ come and gone

Let me share a few random photos from the past month...

as well as some of our comings and goings.

I just have to include one photo of my favorite June blooms.

I cut the last of the peonies on June 9th and brought them indoors to enjoy.

Two weeks later, I took this photo.

Since when do peonies last that long?

There was a birthday party over at the farm...

for Chester!

He is a big one-year old.

Emme and Spencer made him a doggie cake...

bought him a party hat...

and marked the occasion in style.

Chester looked pretty blasé about the whole thing.

Sunshine, grey clouds...

and white-faced beef cattle.

It made for a nice photo one night as I was going for a walk down our road.

A BBQ with good friends on a lovely June evening...

the perfect way to finish off our year together as a 'small group'.

Micah played soccer this spring.

I had to smile as I watched him in goal.

He obviously wasn't letting the pressure get to him!

We took in the 'Ryder Lake Ramble' earlier this month...

a chance to visit some beautiful farms and gardens in the upland community of Ryder Lake.

How's that for a view...

with Cultus Lake in the distance.

This was our favorite place
...that of a good friend who has lived in Ryder Lake for many years.

Lupines...

...and irises gone wild!

It was lovely.

By mid-June the spring cropping was done on the farm...

and we were able to get away for a few days.

We decided to go somewhere we had not been before...

and landed up at a provincial park near Merritt.

We hiked every day...

relaxed, read books...

and enjoyed the peace and quiet.

We spotted this yellow-bellied marmot scampering over a rock shortly after we arrived.

He disappeared over the top and a chipmunk scooted up to take his place.

Who knew chipmunks liked red licorice Twizzlers?

While I was cleaning up our dinner dishes...

he helped himself to the Twizzlers which were in a bag on the table.

There were three left...

and he made off with them all.

I caught him as the last one was disappearing.

This osprey kept his eye on us from above.

Apparently there are lovely beaches at Nicola Lake...

but they were beneath the 'high water' during our stay.

The park is surrounded by ranch-land...

looking quite lovely in June.

The boss was strutting his stuff!

We were just a few hours from home...

but it seemed a world away.

When we see that peak in the distance...

we know we are soon home.

We returned home just in time to take in Ranen and Micah's year-end violin recital.

They both did a fine job!

There's a 'new to them' ATV on the farm...

and the grands rode across the field to show us.

Love their back seat driver!

Though Emme and Spencer are still two years away from graduation...

we had the honour of being 'surrogate grandparents' at Rosalyn's grad.
Rosalyn has lived next door since she was wee,
grown up with our granddaughters,
and milked cows on the farm for the past few years.
She no longer has grandparents...
and invited us to her grad banquet in their place.
How special!

It wasn't many years ago that Rosalyn and my grands 

operated a candy store in the neighbourhood every summer.

Grandpa spent all his spare change there!

Where have the years gone?

Rosalyn is leaving on a trip of a lifetime to Europe next week.

In fall she will continue her studies at our local university...

and milk cows when it suits her schedule! 

She will do well in life.

June was also the month of track meets.

Both Maggie and Ranen were representing their respective schools at the district track meet on the same day.

Both ran their hearts out in the heat!

Maggie took first place in the 1500 meter for nine year-olds.

Whoaa! That is a long race.

She runs like the wind.

Last Saturday we watched her play soccer with her team in Bellingham.

...at a beautiful soccer park with Mt. Baker keeping watch.

She gave it her all on a day when all-time temperature records were broken.

On the eve of Canada's 150th birthday celebration...

we took in an outdoor concert in Abbotsford featuring amazing local talent.

Youth orchestra,  drumming band, skipping club, children's choir...

and last but not least...

Ranen was on stage with the Sionnaine Irish dance academy.

It was a wonderful evening to sit outside, 

catch up with friends and family...

and eat B.C. cherries.

Happy Canada Day from our home to yours...

on this the 150th year since confederation!