What I Did on My Family Vacation 2008...

Well it was that time of year again - time to pack up the family truckster to the max and set off east - go east young man, all the way to Picton, Ontario - ancestral home to Ben's mother's family. We rented an amazing cottage that had everything we needed...a fully closed in deck (so no stray children or dogs could fall in), beds for everyone including some visitors, a secluded property - yet only 5 minutes to town (and the hospital - more on that later) and a family of ducks that we were responsible (and only too willing) to feed twice daily. Here you can see some of the members of our duck family - very cute and very friendly with us - but then again we were bribing them with corn and other goodies. So what did we do all week? We hung out and relaxed around the cottage - as our resident supermodel displays above.
We visited the local emergency room after Dash fell and hit his head on a tombstone at the cemetery (only Dash could manage that one). He was fine and only required a bandaid, but has acquired the new nickname of the "Tombstone Kid".We had some campfires - complete with smoke...Some marshmallow roasting...And the requisite family sing-along - although with a very kindergarten slant (anyone for Old MacDonald had a farm ten times?)We puttered around Prince Edward County daily and even took the Glenora Ferry twice in one day (take that Pat!). Here's Ben and Christine posing in their shades...And an equally cool Dash and I in our shades. We visited the amazing Sandbanks Beach and made sandcastles... Played in the shallow warm waters... And watched for dolphins (no luck on that one).
We had some kind of brain-stealing slug visit from outer space - here's a shot of Christine before realizing its debilitating ways.
Dash is desperately trying to inform us that the brain-stealing slug is sucking our brains out but can't...quite...make...out...the...words...
And now it's too late for Christine - all she can say from this point on is "Peace out, man".

And then before we knew it - it was all over. One last feeding of the ducks...
One last game of peek-a-boo Dash...
And one final swim for Molly the dog, despite her valiant efforts she did not manage to catch any water fowl during the week away.

And our last night there a serendipitous sign for future vacations - a beautiful rainbow across the bay.