Camping in the Olympics

Here are some pictures of our latest adventure. Enjoy.

Bike ride slide show

We love to bike

This past Saturday, the Zumach family got a new addition. It's yellow and blue, it has two wheels, a roll bar and a rain cover. Yep, you guessed it. We are now proud owners of a "new to us" bike trailer. As both Ryan and I love to explore by bike, we knew the day was coming when we could finally bring Quayden along for the ride. After many hours of internet research and a reality check with the budget, I came to the conclusion that the really cool, cargo-style kid- carrying bikes were just not in the budget (they run in the neighbourhood of about $3000! Yikes!). So, then the debate was bike- mounted carrier versus bike trailer. We opted for the trailer for a few reasons but mainly so we could ride in all seasons (it sometimes rains here in Victoria) and so that we could ride for longer (the trailer has lots of room for Q's toys). Finally, after keeping a close eye on Used Victoria for a couple of weeks, an ad was placed that looked promising. We went to check it out and were delighted to find that even though the trailer is about 5 years old, it is in brand new condition. Being as keen as we sometimes are, we already had our bikes on the back of the car. We picked up the trailer and immediately headed off to the Galloping Goose for the inaugural ride. We hooked it up (nice and easy), loaded in Quayden, strapped on his helmet, geared up ourselves and were off. Quayden passed out for his regular afternoon nap within minutes and we enjoyed a pleasant ride from the Luxton Fair Grounds to Matheson Lake. We stopped for a quick snack and pedalled back, listening to Quayden babble happily most of the way. He did fuss for a bit near the end, but got over it quickly.

It was just a quick two hour jaunt, but it got us really excited about the endless possibilities of bike travel as a family... since the trailer can hold up to 100 lbs, and Q doesn't yet weigh 20, we figure we can probably get most of our camping gear in the back. We're hoping to test this theory with a camping trip out to Sooke Potholes or one of the Gulf Islands at some point in the near future. 'Til then I'm in "training" with my 30 km round trip ride out to Colwood everyday for the next two weeks for my grad school courses. Hope everyone is getting out and enjoying summer!

Dancin'

Quayden showing off his dance moves. Hopefully the link works this time.

West Coast Camp Outs

Quayden the Camper. Our little West Coast boy spent his first couple nights of temperate climate camping this June. Among the highlights were seeing a bear, playing in the sand, exploring the beach and sitting around the campfire. Quayden continues to amaze us with his easy-going nature and his adaptability to new situations; he absolutely loves playing in the tent and eating outside. Enjoy the pictures.

May Long Weekend

Home Grown

Sometime in the mid-1970s, my parents found a little piece of paradise at the end of a long dirt road. In April of 1980, they packed up their yellow Chevy pickup and their 8 month old daughter and left the Vancouver city lights in their rear view mirror.
My early memories of life on the Farm come from a combination of stories and photographs. There is the time I spent wearing green rubber gloves and diapers while peeling logs for the fence. There is the summer I spent feeding the cows, aptly named Steak and Roast. There is the time my grandpa had an elaborate plan to shoot the resident black bear and ended up shooting my swing set instead. The swing set still swings today, bullet holes and all. There are memories of summer days building forts, cutting firewood and working in the garden. Memories of bonfires, "doing " chickens and harvesting wild mushrooms.
31 years later, we show up at the Farm with our 8 month old little boy. Quayden has now made 3 trips up to the Farm, but this one was the most fun yet. He had a bath in a wash tub on the porch and another one in the same laundry sink I used as a bath until age 5. He came with me to feed the chickens and clapped his hands with excitement as they pecked at the compost just in front of him. He napped on my back while we harvested a feast of morel mushrooms. And most importantly, he snuggled with his grandma, grandpa, great grandma and great grandpa.
I feel so fortunate to have such a wonderful connection to a place. To know every trail like the back of your hand. To be able look way up to see the tops of trees that you once knew as seedlings. To find your own small handprint in the cement floor of the 31 year old garage. And, I feel so fortunate that I can now share this piece of paradise with my own little family.

Adventures in Crawling

Adventures in Crawling

Quayden is on the move.

A few short weeks ago, Q would sit contently and play with his toys. Of course, as first time parents, we weren't content with this developmental stage and eagerly anticipated the next milestone: crawling. We awaited the moment that he would crawl rather than fuss when the toy of choice rolled out of reach. And then, almost overnight, it happened. The incredible thing about babies is that they actually do change overnight. Massive amounts of brain development occur during sleep. The "crawling neurons" made all their connections one night and the next day Quayden put his new skills to use.

After a few short days of practice, he is now unstoppable. He loves his new found freedom... computer cords, bookshelves, plants, anything and everything is within reach. The baby proofing has officially begun and we're left looking at each other wondering why we didn't embrace the "sit and play" stage just a little bit more.

The adventure continues...

Underwater Maui

Maui 2011

A Maui Camping Adventure

So, I'm making the leap to blogging... here is a brief recount of our camping adventure in Maui. You can view the photos from my album above- click on the photos to view the slideshow and read the captions. Enjoy.

Step One: Assemble all the stuff needed for a week of camping (minus the food): Tent, thermarests, sleeping bag liners, camp stove, pots, plates, cutlery, sharp knife, headlamps and some clothes. Now add: travel size playpen, a high chair that attaches to the table, countless onesies, sleepers, diapers, teething medication, and a few toys. The result: 3 very large, heavy bags... we were ready for our camping adventure on the lovely island of Maui.

Quayden, at seven months old, was a perfect little camper. He loved the ocean, he loved swinging in the hammock, he loved eating his meals outside and he loved sleeping in the tent with mommy and daddy. Ryan celebrated his 35th birthday with a trip up to the Haleakala volcano, followed by a sunset swim at our campground beach and a dinner of fresh marlin* and local veg (all of which he cooked himself on an outside grill). We surfed, we snorkelled, we hiked. We made friends with some local families and ate delicious fresh fruit. We swung in our hammocks and played on the grass. We spied endemic bird species with the binoculars and watched as humpbacks breached in the waters just off our picnic lunch spot.

My highlight came on the last day while snorkelling at Honolua Bay. About mid-way along the pristine coral reef, I heard a whistling from one of the boats in the bay. Assuming that I was about to be run over, I looked up and saw that yes, the boat was trying to get my attention, but not because I was in the way. A pod of about 20 spinner dolphins was cruising into the bay, not more than 100 feet away. A few quick kicks later and I was close enough to watch eight or so dolphins swim by me underwater... it was magical.

Maui was the perfect destination for a first camping trip with a baby... safe, clean, beautiful and warm. We are looking forward to doing a lot more camping locally this summer and I'll post up those experiences here for those who would like to follow us as our little family explores destinations near and far.

*My little educational piece (I'm never one to pass up on a "teachable" moment): the marlin was locally caught using the pole and line method- this results in minimal by-catch... it is given a "best alternative" or yellow rating in the Seafood Watch guide (for more information on making good seafood choices check out: www.montereybayaquarium.org/cr/seafoodwatch.aspx )