Home

Dustin will be home in two days.  He will have been away fishing for 7 weeks.

We've had a few challenging days, and I'm definitely feeling tired these last few days, but the boys and I have mostly had a very happy summer together.  And, home has been an important of our sanity.

One of the silver-linings that I hadn't anticipated in having Dustin (our main bread-winner) away is that we've had a break from the monday-friday routine, and have been able to be mostly oblivious to what day of the week it is.  And, in many ways.. it's been a treat to let the days and week merge a little more than we can normally allow.  I can't say we've slowed down any (.. the boys take care of that), but, out of both necessity and desire, we've spent many days at home in the lagoon. The boys are independent enough to play outside alone in the sandbox or the trampoline, and I've been able to garden and tend to home chores. 

The lagoon has a magical fairy-tale feel, with individual animals and birds taking on story-book characters for themselves and becoming every much as part of our life as our human lagoon neighbors.  We've been loving watching the kingfisher, and our family of wrens, and right now I'm watching a seal hunting salmon in the lagoon at high tide. It's been a treat to just ramble around near home, and be able to witness and feel more part of all the daily dramas and changes that happen with the season.  

Lots of berries.  First the salmon berries, and now blueberries.  Today Leif went blueberry picking with me.  Except Leif wasn't Leif- he was a bear cub (with no pants on..) who insisted on eating the berries straight off the plants using only his mouth.  He was quite the partner..

The beach

The tide and water conditions are constantly changing, but the rocks are wonderfully familiar and very much part of the boys' life.  Leif has a rock "house-boat".  Peter a "stone zodiac".  And, there are always lot of hermit crabs to find, and hoppers to catch for our chickens.  

We've also been swimming in the ocean a lot this year.  The water is unusually warm, and very clear.  I've had flashback feelings of freedom and swimming as a kid and teenager in Britain.  Peter has a new level of water confidence, and is also loving jumping in at high tide with his wet suit.  It's been fun to have a cold water swimming partner. 

It does take time and energy to live here with the two boys.  There are daily chores with just living in the lagoon that add up when you're flying solo, and getting the team out for a set-time (with all the paraphernalia needed for a summer adventure) becomes a military maneuver.  But, on the flip side.. it's been paradise to easily be able to enjoy life outside our front door.   And, I've been very thankful for our home this summer.  

Trampolining with Ria and Finn

Lots of paddle boarding

We split some fish-processing with friends-- we smoked and Chelsea canned.  It was a great team-effort, and, it was fun for the boys and I to tackle the fish processing together.  Peter worked pretty much non-stop for five hours cleaning and brining the fish.  He thrives having a job and being part of a team.  Leif doesn't like the cutting up much, but loves the brining part. 

It was a happy day, and I was proud to see the boys work together with such focus.  

It isn't always like that...  

Hard to see, but Peter's face was covered in slime, blood and scales..

One of the many uses of our baby bath!