*All pics are polaroid shots by D. using the new PX and PZ 680 film.*

overlooking Adolphus Reach from Lake on the Mountain

Prince Edward County, ON

~ 18 days off

~ 4 nights in a row spent at Ottawa Bluesfest (Ben Harper, Steve Miller Band, Cage the Elephant/Rise Against, The Tragically Hip, plus many more)

~ 4 random documentaries watched (from the library: one on the Rockies, Eleanor Roosevelt, Happy Valley, and another great one on successful local economies, but the name escapes me)

~ 10-12 days spent almost entirely in the back yard, sipping beverages appropriate to the time of day

~ 3 books read, D. read 4!

Angeline's Inn and Restaurant, Bloomfield

Prince Edward County, ON

~ 2 days spent exploring Prince Edward County (1 winery, 1 cidery, 1 meditative labyrinth, 1 conservation area, 3 art galleries, 3 blocks of cheese + 2 bags of curd from the Black River Cheese Factory, 1 new gargoyle for the garden)

~ 3 visits with D.’s brother and his family; 1 morning with niece A. stockpiling snuggles and sweet baby smell

~ 5 computer-free days

~ 1 urban oasis discovered on a morning walk

bullfrog on a log and Koi - a hidden oasis

~ 4-5 days (toward the beginning) plagued with guilt for "doing nothing"

~ 13-14 days spent living in the moment guilt-free

~ a lot of ice cream and gelato

Smitten...

~ by the beauty of Prince Edward County, Ontario, on a sunny summer day.

~ by an evening walk through a meditative labyrinth with D.,

where I connected with this winged messenger:

~ by weeping willows, roadside lilies and sky-reaching hollyhocks.

~ by the beauty of Lake Ontario.

~ by D. hauling two Polaroid cameras around his neck, pulling off to the roadside when the scenery spoke to him, playing with composition and light.

~ by the road less traveled and hidden gems like this:

D. walking along the beach with his Polaroids

We had the entire beach to ourselves!

~ by art galleries and studios housed in restored houses, barns and straw bale structures.

~ by business people who care about local food, creativity and learning.

~ by artists who love what they do and take time to share it with us.

Stunned...

~ by how many places, ideas and individuals encountered on a two-day getaway were physical manifestations of specific concepts and ideas that came up in either dreams or stream-of-consciousness writing during the past ten years.

Stymied...

~ by jumbled thoughts, emotions, hopes and dreams.

Stoked...

~ by possibility.

Vacation by the Numbers

Smitten, Stunned, Stymied and Stoked