All I wanted for my birthday this year was some family time. So on my birthday, June 29, Alex and I went on an overnight camping/hiking trip to Sidney Spit, on Sidney Island, and then I headed to Victoria for a backyard barbecue/campfire with my family the next evening. Alex and I topped the weekend off with a hike up Mt. Finlayson on Canada Day in 40 degree heat, which I admit was a bit ridiculous and not that fun. But, we did it anyway. I spent Canada Day evening in an air conditioned theatre watching The Great Gatsby with Roger and Elizabeth, which was a nice rest after trudging up hot rocks all day. All in all, it was a perfect birthday weekend.
My gear.
Alex's gear. Note: we had to carry this all a kilometre into our campsite from the Sidney Spit dock. Oh, don't worry, they said. There are wheelbarrows. Which other campers had totally hoarded within their own campsite...
The back view from our campsite.
The front view from our campsite.
Master camper.
In Grade 5 I taught my class how to set up a tent in 3 minutes or less.
Our mother taught us how to camp with class, OK? Alex is BBQ'ing my birthday dinner.
I forgot to bring my flip flops so Al's became the "Family Flip Flops." Meaning, I wore them the whole time.
We got a lot of good walks in while we were on the island
.
Victory! A wheelbarrow for the return trip! We guilt-tripped a family who were letting their kids use this as a toy.
Hook Spit.
Fordie Cat really likes my hiking boots.
When we got off Sidney Spit, I had a nap lying in my parents' backyard in the shade.
The view from my nap.
Dad's pond.
On top of Mt. Finlayson.