Been Away

I have been away for a couple of weeks. Just arrived back on Sunday, late. I enjoyed my time away, but it felt a lot longer than it really was.

My first week I spent in and around town with the kids. This was fun, we went bike riding and did a lot of swimming and some visiting. We then travelled up to the Okanagan and went to a place called Naramata Centre. This is a truly fantastic place. In the morning, each morning, the kids attend 'school' where they do crafts, music, outdoor activities and swim-like-mad at the beach. I attend my own school, but my courses are much different. The afternoons are free to do whatever you like, which normally means more swimming.
In the evening there are also activitivies.

This year we elected to skip much of the evening activities and head to the beach after dinner for more swimming. This was a really nice cool break from the heat as the cabin in which we were staying was not air-conditioned and for some reason I could not get the main windows openened. It got a tad hot, especially when I decided to cook.
You would think, that this sounds like a particularly relaxing week. However, by the end I am normally exhausted as are the kids. It is just so tremendously busy.
The course I took this year was the same as I took last year, photography of nature. It is an excellent course. I had not intended on duplicating the course again, but they cancelled my 'other' course at the last minute, so I had to take what I could get. I learn a lot from the course, so much so I now have a camera in which I keep slide film loaded at all times. This allows me to go out and take photographs anytime the weather, and my time permit.

Being back I am now back at work, groan. I am also back to my regular blading. I just passed 900km today, 2/3 of the way towards my goal. The winds have been tough, and being idle for 18 days meant I have to regain some of my fitness, but it should be back by the end of the week. July and August are normally low months for my blading, due to other committments, but I expect that by September I should have reach my goal. My prize, of course, is a new pair of blades and I am already salivating at the thought of this....

Later....