June 30 - The Boys And I Try Nymph Falls Again And Finally Find A Rock To Perch On

Owen clutches tight
We inch our way through currents
To a sunny rock

June 29 - Another 48-Kilometre Day, Which Justifies A Very Good Snack

Finally, I ride
Eating ice cream and rich cake
At the Gas 'n Go

June 28 - A Day Of Wild House Prep To Prepare For The Return Of The Parental Units

The boys can't believe
That the stove could get this clean
We breeze through Chore Day

June 27 - One Of The Perks Of Working On A Story On The Capital Iron Family

Road trip for PT
Four hours of interviews
Best part: Free parking

June 26 - Not That Caring For A Five-Year-Old And Making A Living Are Mutually Exclusive, But Just Saying

The little guy's fun
But man, I can do more work
Without him around

June 25 - In Which The Camping In The Woods Turns Into Putting A Tent In The Yard

Time in the sun as

Zach's sleepover gets going

Boys at every turn

June 24 - Off We Go To Get Photocopies, Mail Forms, Deposit Cheques, Buy Groceries, Drop Off Gage and Search For No. 6 Coffee Filters. Oh, And A Bear Came To Visit

The boys sip iced tea
During the Plum's first oil change
Braced for many chores

June 23 - A Rainy-Day Wander Along The Nymph Falls Trails

Cold laps our ankles
The boys skip stones and find glass
glittering below

June 22 - Surely Jordan Didn't Really Want These Jumbly Looking Plants Crowding The Driveway

Giant fennel stems
Crunch underfoot on the road
Strewn by fragrant hands

June 21 - I Suppose It Really Does Look Like An Impulsive Act. But It Wasn't

A surprising twist
We buy a PT Cruiser
Gage is bamboozled

June 20 - Net-Fishing With The Newly Flip-Flopped Gang At Puntledge Park

Five tiny trout caught
In a bucket where small boys
Dangle their fingers

June 19 - A Sleepy Day In The Country Digs, Made Better By The Gang Leaving For The Library

Rain keeps us indoors
But I'm working, so it's good
The boys bring books home

June 18 - At Any Rate, I'd Prefer An Outdoor Office

It's peaceful outside
The sounds of long sleepovers
Don't carry out here

June 17 - In Which One Grandson Misses The Early Show Of 22 Jump Street

It's not that easy
To make small talk at midnight
With an edgy mom

June 16 - And In The End, I Packed It Up And Took Him To The River

Owen can't accept
That paid work has to come first
He wants to find fish

June 15 - At The Paterson Family Reunion

Cousins, too much time
Passes without us talking
So good to see you

June 14 - The Long And Chatty Drive To Victoria. Again.

Bike ride, car ride, Mom
Five of us packed in the car
Hearing prairie tales

June 13 - Family Outing To Puntledge Park After Nymph Falls Turns Out To Be Too Full

Water deep and clear
Kayaks swirl in the rapids
Hold your breath and swim

June 12 - Today It's Royston, But Tomorrow Could Be Anywhere

Feels like a habit
Kids off to school, me riding
Exploring old haunts

June 11 - The Incident

The question lingers
Did the salamander die?
I choose to think no

June 10 - What Is It About Being Around Children That Makes Me Bake Chocolate Cupcakes And Spend Hours In The Garden?

Confusing new life
I'm a domestic goddess
Or a bored housewife

June 9 - It's Easier To Write About Tea With The Sun On Your Shoulders

Too nice for working
I pull a chair onto the lawn
To type in the sun

June 8 - Daniel's Yard Will Eat Up Every Spare Moment I Have

This lawn's gigantic
Here, an overgrown garden
There, a frightened frog

June 7 - Garden Chores, Housecleaning And Cycling

We sleep in past 8
Paul's sucked into kid duty
I fly through the sun

June 6 - We Put One More Hectic Victoria Visit Behind Us

A bald-girlz breakfast
Then we flee north with Owen
To a dry garden

June 5 - "To Honduras With Love" Goes Quite Well, And Never Mind The Way The Projector Kept Turning The Photos Hot Pink

We tell them stories
They shower us with money
I call that success

June 4 - The Planning Committee Meets For The First Time With 24 Hours To Go

Were it my event
I might have held this meeting
Several weeks ago

June 3 - But Damn, I Was So Busy I Forgot Jordan's Birthday

Finally, paid work
Tea talk first, then we "vision"
I'm back in the groove

June 2 - Another Week In Victoria Barely Underway And I'm Already Tired And Stressed

Three of us head south
Off to the hyped-up city
Where it's all a rush

June 1 - A Double Cycle To Comox Lake For A Long, Sunny Afternoon Of Nothing

Whoa, this lake is cold
Each plunge an affirmation
When all else fails, swim