September ended up being a very busy month to end the summer. It started off with the usual labour day weekend festivities – Brome Faire. It’s an annual tradition for our family to attend, I haven’t missed one since I was a baby. We ate greasy food, played 25 cent crane machines – despite the horrible prizes to be won. It’s crazy to think they had nudie card decks and pellet guns in there in the 90s when I was a kid. Now you’re lucky if you can get a unidentifiable stuffed creature. We still like to play because … tradition.
The following weekend we went camping at Sharbot Lake, about an hour past ottawa. It turned out to be the coldest weekend of the month, right before the crazy heat wave. Our campsite overlooked the lake and we spent 2 days exploring the provincial park, cooking up our meals and cuddling to keep warm at night when the temperature dropped. I am determined to get a thin auto-inflating mattress for next year, I don’t mind sleeping on the ground but a good night’s sleep makes such a big difference on a trip.
We also planned out a apple picking trip with my sisters. Usually when we go apple picking in the fall, we do it in cozy sweaters and boots but this year it was like a hot summer day. Not complaining, it was great to spend the day out in the sun. We headed down to Dunham in the morning and visited a few wineries along the way. After a few tastings, we picked up a few bottles for our picnic lunch at the orchard. We discovered the Au Pic orchard last year, they allow dogs and have a perfect picnic spot on the top of the hill that overlooks the property. I think it’s going to be our yearly spot. I brought home about a dozen lbs of apples and made an apple crisp, and ate my fare share of them raw. I only have a few left, which makes me think I should have gotten a few more dozen. Apple season is short here, we can’t get local fresh fruit all year round so we make the best of what’s in season.
We spent the last weekend of the month at Beau’s Oktoberfest where we mostly hid in the shade from the sun it was so hot out that there was a heat warning. Matt has been going every year since it started, the Beau’s brewery have made a really great event every September. You can try all kinds of beers, and not just theirs. They have something like 60 different types of beers from local brewers. On top of that, they have local restaurants serving up all types of foods from oysters to sausages and beer nuts. They always have a few vegan or vegetarian options for me so I love checking out whats available each year. This year I had a vegan sausage with sour kraut, pickles and mustard. Nothing like a german inspired meal with your local organic beer.
Now that October is here and the weather is finally cooling down, I’m planning to slow down a little and spend my time reflecting internally and working on some personal projects. September was busy with lots of fun outings but I’m ready to stay in more. I’ve already started a fun little creative project with a friend of mine, which I will share in the next few weeks. I’ll be listing some new stuff in the shop (fall is here, time for boots!) and I’m working on some wedding invitations for a friend which I am really excited about! On top of all that, I am half way through my calligraphy classes and really enjoying it. I’m definitely going to have to find some time to work on my lettering and spend more time with ink and paper.