When our yeast runs out...

...we'll have to stop making these bad boys.

Maybe the shops will be getting more yeast and bread flour down the road...?

Mom, Sav and Rocket up Mount Doug

Frisbee Dog

We didn't plan for it, but one day, Glen just started bringing a frisbee to the beach and then presto, Rocket was hooked! Hard getting it back off him after he runs it back to you though...

 Rocket won't go fetch the volleyball though. Only Dob.

Cutest Barista Ever?

Sav is a Sewing Beast

Lynnie, thank you for letting us use your amazing machine. Sav is on fire!!!

 

Rocket's Time to Shine

When you have already spent 3 weeks together, and you are gifted with two more while the boys are isolating at Nana's, you are on the hunt for games and new company. 

Rocket's status raised to all new levels.

 Thank goodness for nature, and the glorious sunshine we have been having.

 

New toy to transport Rocket to Caddy Bay.
New bday tank while playing ball at the beach.

 
When life returns to the crazy schedule, or some new form of such, Rocket will be seriously bummed.

France with Beast 1... and JOEY!

Unbeknownst to us, cheeky, schrewd Joey made his way to France to crash the Sav-Mom party. The lazy lout mooched a lift here there and everywhere.

 
 
JoeyLisa...

We lost him after Paris, and assumed he had found Bleuette, a beautiful French 

poupée to start a new life.
However, he surprised us back in our hood the other day. Must have hitched his way home!
Classic Joey.
 

Savvy Turns 13!

You can have any birthday party you want.
As long as it is at home alone with me!

Huge thank you to all the ding-dong-dashers with baked goods, the amazing 3-metre-apart-serenaders, and to Savvy for her kind heart, knowing we have waaaaay too many front line folks risking it all for her to complain about her limited (but still awesome, frankly) party options.

 
 
  

France with Beast 1: The Return

It was a bit tricky making sure we could get back to Paris (shot below at the Marseille airport), but we felt quite sure of our Air Canada flight from Paris to Montreal. In the end, the travel was smooth, and we made it back on our original return date.

 
It was so nice to get back, and so kind of Nana and Chi to host Glen and Mac for our 2 weeks of isolation.

France with Beast 1: Life on the Farm

We feel very fortunate to have been in such a heavenly spot for our final week in France. Isolated, but with amazing trails and great food.

The farm always had a wood fire on the go, so the air had the beautiful campfire smell.

There were dogs and cats to admire. Here is our favourite chat, Vanille, who loves to sit and watch TV all day.

 Breakfast and dinner were each a 3 course meal. The food was outstanding. And if they did not have a veggie option for Savvy, they would whip her up a gorgeous omelette. 
 Savvy had her first Crème Brûlée, and her first tiramisu. Then she had it again. And again. 

In the evening, from our comfy bed, we would sometimes watch a special show on my phone, moving into more adult territory it being just Savvy and me. 
We covered some great material during our trip, and each movie/episode provided wonderful discussion for the next day's hike. Elizabeth, Madame Bovary, Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice, The Crown, Les Misérables ...and yes, Frozen 2 was allowed one night.

Savvy also red four novels from the Unwanted series. Our hikes would always start with line one, page one of the chapters she had read the night before, and she would describe the story to me in detail. Then we would move on to analyze the show, if we had watched one the night before. We would bundle up the stories in themes, favourite moments and worst moments, who was the author and what was their background, how we would have changed the story if it had been ours. The conversations where peppered with a million intense questions from Savvy; they were genuinely amazing. How this kid hates school so much, I do not know.

If the books and shows had been exhausted, Savvy would effortlessly come up with a ton of moments to rehash and dreams to share. She retold the story of seeing Frozen 2 with uncle Kevin. How he did not remember Olaf ("This guys is hilarious. Why wasn't he in the first movie?" She laughed so hard about this, she had to sit down on the trail), how Kevin appeared from a washroom break with a full bag of candies for her, plus a blanket, plus a toy. She described how she plans to spend her summers at the cabin, where everything will go, how she will make her bed, what adventures she and her new cat will get up to. She described the kind of baking she would do when home, and what kind of actress she will be, what kind of interior designer she will be, and how she will be very, very wealthy, but generous.  
Basically, I just had to navigate and listen.

France with Beast 1: Barbarengue, Les Cabanes, St Gens

Thomas helped plan another great route for our last day of hiking.

"Head through Barbarenque. Stop at the touching memorial for the 5 young local heroes killed in WWII, who used the caves to surprise attack the Nazis as part of the Resistance. Wander through our ancient old stone villages. And then, picnic at la jolie Chapelle St Gens. St Gens brought much needed water to the area and now his spring flows with sacred water that cures all ailments and disease. Yes, it cures all. 

But not Covid 19." 

 
 
  Proivron break.

 We took the long way home. Beautiful.

France with Beast 1: Le Beaucet et St. Didier

No shortage of beauty views on this lovely 6 hour round trip hike. Destination - St Didier for poivrons and meringue, via the beautiful tiny village of le Beaucet.

Le Beaucet in the background.

A couple of detours with my navigating...
but we made it to St. Didier.
 
1 at a time!

 
Success on both fronts - meringue from the pattiserie et poivrons from the supermarche.

 Hike. Chew. Hike. Nom nom nom. It was a 2.5 hour climb back, so just as well she made the meringue last.

It was worth stopping in Le Beaucet for a proper walk around and a picnic at the remains of the chateau. I was marveling at the roof tops and all the sweet flowers poking out of windows. Savvy was counting 7 swimming (7 from where she stands).

The darling wee mayor's office.

The amazing stone houses built into the limestone rock.

All the stunning single track. Loved it for hiking, but was also dreaming of my bike!

Another amazing day, followed by a delicious 3 course meal at the farm. Boom!

France with Beast 1: Les Trois Luisants et Barbarenque

 This was a 6 hour epic with magical views and tired calves. We had good water with us, but otherwise limited supplies ...some baguette burrowed from breakfast and half an apple each!

Navigating this loop was tricky. So many single track options this way and that. And at one point we found ourselves scaling a cliff (see left, below), before I had to concede defeat, retrace steps and find the better path down. It was worth it. We popped out of some trees eventually on an actual chemin, and then voila, look at that view!

 We hike down down and down some more. Then we found interesting religious offerings deep in the valley with a lovely fountain and manicured garden. The trek people must make to care for this spot... amazing (gardens not pictured).

 Tree, Savvy, tree! There's a good girl!

We more or less managed Thomas' proposed route and he was pleased to hear all about it that night at dinner as we scoffed down our delicious dinner, wine, orangina, and tiramisu!