70 years 70

Does everyone get the title reference? I'm such a musical theater nerd it's ridiculous.

Anyways, not the point of this post...the point of this post is to wish my lovely father in law a happy 70th birthday! He just came back from a seven week RV adventure through New Zealand with his wife beside him, where they did more than one hike over hills, mountains, volcanoes and sand dunes. I know right??? 70 is totally the new 30. We surprised him with our arrival on the west coast and "duped" him with a huge party filled with his closest family and friends. (who all lied to his face all week. he keeps calling himself the "dupee") On his actual birthday we went to La Cucina Restaurant in North Vancouver and when we got home we had a very touching and emotional moment where over a "wee dram" of Macallan Scotch he went around the room describing all the things he loved about each of us the most. Leave it to Colin to be so sweet and kind on a day that should be all about him.

Seeing him so happy to be surrounded by the people he adores and who adore him back was a joy to behold. So in the spirit of the celebration of life, and love, and family I leave you with a quote from the awesome Lululemon bag of manifestos. (and yes of course I had to stop and shop at the outlet-I am in the land where Lululemon was born!)

"that which matters 

THE MOST

should never give way to that which matters 

THE LEAST"

Prince Edward Island-I would highly recommend it

Here's the rest. Became addicted to this:

 Let me be more be more specific. This ice cream, COWS, is one of the best in the world. Having traveled the world I must agree.

Jason found a Scottish buddy.

Beautiful teahouses...

A bikeride along the northshore...

I am so tough with my fold-out bike.

 We ate seafood. LOTS of seafood.

But the highlight of our vacation for me was seeing our best man Greg Barry and his Full Monty... I mean, STAR in The Full Monty at the Charlottetown Festival!   He was amazing, and you really know you are on vacation when you don't have to be at the theater at half hour to curtain. 

We also got to see Anne of Green Gables, the Musical and it has made me obsessed with wanting to play Miss Stacey someday. In the meantime I will IMAGINE that I am Anne.

Anne of Green Gables

I don't know about you, but I was raised reading Anne of Green Gables. Unique, intelligent, spunky, full of a vivid imagination, and on a eternal quest for kindred spirits, Anne evokes so many wonderful attributes I do not see often portrayed in young girls on television and the internet today. She was quite literally the "brainchild" of Lucy Maud Montgomery who would say that even though Anne was a work of fiction she felt like Anne was a real girl who walked the island. We who love Anne feel the same, so coming to the inspirational place for all of Ms. Mongomery's books was, as Jason liked to call it, my "coming to Oz" moment.

If you weren't raised with "Anne" the following pictures will be of very little interest. So go read the books and come back! (the Canadian TV mini series is amazing too so check it out!)

The schoolhouse where L.M.Mongomery taught with Anne's slate

The chair where she wrote. The chair where I blog.

Anne's bedroom!

Happy stance at Green Gables where it is so...so... GREEN!

Her house isn't there anymore...but this is right where L.M.Montgomery wrote Anne of Green Gables.

This is the farmhouse that inspired the book.

This is exactly where Miss M got married so Jason and I had to take our anniversary pic for good luck

The "Lake of Shining Waters"

First time for everything and this time it's...CAMPING!

All I have to say is that camping was very similar to my first experiences with raw fish. I was very apprehensive, but it was actually quite refreshing, and in the end I loved it!

Have to present the tent with a bevel. Can't believe I just posed a pic of myself without make up...but that's part of camping people!! I want to prove to the world how low maintenance I can be. It's like an earthquake in NYC. Recent and rare.

Worth the price of the ticket (only 30 bucks!) and the pitching of a tent when you wake up to this:

We were going to stay two nights here in BEAUTIFUL Camden Hills, Maine, but we unfortunately had to run away as fast as possible from our uninvited guest hurricane Irene.

Crossed a couple of very cool bridges to get to Oh Canada...

to the Prince Edward Island National Forest!!!

Happy stance amidst PEI infamous red rocky coastline. Yet again no make up. I am one with the earth.

Bevel, one hand on hip, and green grassy flowering knolls. The knolls are the best.

 Don't worry, I made friends there even on my first night...it might have helped the bonding experience that we were sharing the same space.

My chipmunk friend...

my rabbit friend...

Miss Foxy Lady...

...and a lobster.