Memories of Thanksgiving

Man, if PC made that sauce, boys and girls, I would totally eat it with a spoon.

Yeesh!  I guess it's already been a week since Thanksgiving, that most glorious of Canadian holidays.  We had a lovely time at the Crompton Estate.  One branch of the extended family arrived on Friday night, and the rest on Saturday morning.  As soon as I was home from work on Saturday, we went for our annual walk-about-the-neighbourhood, to look at my brother's jobs (he's a landscaper and you can check the fabulous work he does here).  We then had lovely naps, silly drinks, and delicious dinners until the cows came home.  This is why Thanksgiving is so great - a giant family celebration where the main activity is eating, drinking, and gadding!

On Sundays we always have an event.  Some years it's been going to an art gallery, a museum, or one of my favourites, apple-picking.  This year we opted for a short, easy, and nice little hike in the Gatineaus.  This is the joy of living in a "city" like Ottawa.  you drive for about fifteen minutes from the downtown, and your smack-dab in the middle of one of the country's greatest natural wonders.  The weather was glorious, the trees splendiferous, and the hiking frabjous.  Here are a few highlights from the day out:

The glorious colours on the drive up

View from the road of the lake at the edge of our hike

Starting off, featuring the bums of Cromptons and Fruhwirths alike

The first big payoff - a spectacular and breath-taking view of Quebec farmland

All the present cousins, nicely in a row.  The squinting is either because it's super sunny, or because we are super related

Kyle planking like a good hooligan at our second viewpoint

What he saw as he planked.  Nice place the Ottawa Valley, eh?

Our lunch spot - we couldn't possibly go three hours without eating, could we?

A pictorial representation of the weekend's emotions, ft. Renee and Emma in the convertible

That night we had all the trimmings of the perfect Thanksgiving, care of my mother-dear and other doting aunts.  After all the adults went to bed, us kids got up to our usual antics. . . PTFOing at, like, midnight, on the couch whilst watching some David Attenborough.

Most everyone left on Monday morning (after the second traditional neighbourhood walk), but my cousin Emma stayed for the day.  She did homework while I read and interneted, and I took her to another branch of the coffeeshop I'm working at.  She's also a barista, so our conversations tend to espresso really easily (that, or our grandmother - we're really quite alienating to those around us, haha).  We spent the evening chatting, watching videos, and snuggling as all good cousins do.

So I guess now begins the countdown for next year!

Keep memorially warm on these cold, grey, blustery days, boys and girls!

Love,

Your friend Lina