summertime in Oregon

Home is always sweet, but perhaps even more so in the summertime. After Ottawa, I traveled on to Oregon to visit my family for a week. It was 38°C / 100°F on the first day and I relished the heat.

The week was spent playing with my nieces, swimming, barbeque dinners on the terrace, roasting marshmallows, harvesting tomatoes from my sister's amazing garden, eating fish tacos, boating on Foster Lake, enjoying conversations with my parents and sisters, and drinking my first root beer float in years. Yeah, it was pretty amazing.

Oregon in August is just about as good as it gets.

summer sailing

During our holiday in east Germany, Marcus' father took us sailing on the same lake we visited last year. He and Marcus have sailed together for years, but it was only my second time out. I love boats and being on the water, but am still getting used to all the rope and steep turns. The wind whipped us around and the fickle sun finally dominated over the clouds.

summer in Germany

We took our annual summer trip to Germany in the middle of July. Marcus' father has a house on the edge of a lake and protected wildlife area. We spent most of our time in the woods and on the water, enjoying nature and the quiet. There was no internet, but lots of fresh fruit, nightly barbeques on the back terrace, the spotting of deer, reading books, and dancing in the fields.

exploring Vinkeveen

Nothing says summer to me more than water, a wooden dock, and swimsuits. The forecast for the weekend was rain, rain rain, but on Saturday morning the sun was shining and we dared to head out to explore until the rain arrived.

Our destination was Vinkeveen Lakes, a water recreation area with 12 sand islands and plenty of room for sailboats and waterskiing. A road crosses through the middle of the lake with houses on either side overlooking the lake. Marcus and I headed to a small beach area on the north side of the lake and claimed a secluded dock extending over the water. A moment to lie in the sun and carefully watch the clouds pass overhead.

sailing on Geierswalder See

Needing some relief from an overdose of Dutch rain, Marcus and I headed to Germany last week for sun in Berlin and then time swimming and sailing the lakes in the east. Marcus and his father Matthias have sailed together often, but it was my first time and I loved every minute. The combination of water, wind, and sun was invigorating and relaxing.

We spent several days on the lake (der See in German), staying in a houseboat with a great view and the sailboat waiting out front.

We also had a front door that opened right to the water and a ladder that beckoned us to dive into the green waters.

Just down the lake, there was a beachfront area with canoes, windsurfing equipment and plenty of ice cream.

A perfect holiday.

on the water

Between two weekends in Berlin, an escape to the lakes in the south. Sailing, waking to the sunrise, hanging my feet off the front of our houseboat and into the green waters. All quietness.

Detroit and the Land of Stumps

On our return trip through the mountains, Marcus and I stopped at Detroit Reservoir, enticed by the tree stumps exposed when the waters are released from the dam each winter. During the summer, the lake is alive with boats, skiers, and campers enjoying the water and sun. I might just prefer the quiet winter version of the emptied lake, the still air, and clouds of fog resting between the trees. (Mushroom photo taken by Marcus.)