Manitoba Must-Haves

When we moved here last year, we had numerous people tell us, "Make friends with people who have cottages - it'll make your summers bearable."  With Whiteshell Provincial Park and Ontario's Lake of the Woods only 2 hours away or Lake Winnipeg just 80 kilometres north, "going to the Lake" is where it's at in the summer.  Not that we really noticed this year, but apparently there's quite the exodus that happens on the weekends.

We didn't set out to do this - we're just happy to have friends.  Period.  :)  It was a bonus that a new friend (from both the Mom's group I attend and from church) has parents who bought a cottage this summer.  Her husband just finished his actuarial studies, so they had a party at the cottage yesterday to celebrate.  With S away for a work trip in Saskatoon, I wasn't sure how it would fly to attend solo with three kids - we can be overwhelming even when there aren't ten other children under the age of six, plus numerous other adults all in a little place!  Fortunately, there were many helping hands and it was a very relaxed, understanding environment with plenty of room to run around in outside.  Nature ensured we knew it was the first day of Autumn, as the day started off at zero degrees and made it to around 11.  It was rather nippy, especially as the sun popped behind clouds throughout the day and the wind came in spells.  However, the kids hardly noticed and had a marvellous time.  

One cool tire swing.  The kids decided on the van-ride home that
 Grandpa needs to make them one when he comes to visit.  :)

My little monkey, though she informed me that she was a 'sloth,'
then proceeded to hang upside down.

Matching sisters, just in case any one wasn't sure they were together

Iz, my expert frog-catcher

Fun on the hay bale

All around, it was really enjoyable, surrounded by a few youngsters who matched or surpassed my kids' energy levels and volume at times, and many kind adults willing to help direct and engage them.  Cottage-owning friends might be a Manitoban-necessity, but for me, there's got to be those welcoming, helping hands at the cottage or I'm far happier to stay in the city.  Yesterday, it was definitely worth the risk of going.  Phew.  I was so thankful we made the trek, even though we didn't get in till just after 10:00.  And an amazing thing happened.  For the first time since she was a toddler driving 14 hours to Vancouver, A fell asleep in the van!  The wild day chasing younger boys around finally did her in, or maybe it was the fact she had to hold up her pants while doing it!

The other Manitoban Must-Have that no-one had mentioned to us, is that it's great to make friends with people connected to a farm.  I popped by a friend's home the other week with my empty bike-trailer, on my way to get groceries.  Turns out I returned with a massive pumpkin, a few spaghetti squashes, beets and tomatoes she had grown on her in-law's farm.  What a bonus!  The past two weeks we've also lucked out, as friends of ours who'd moved were shareholders in Canadian Mennonite University's urban farm collective.  They weren't able to collect the last two weeks of their share, so offered them to us.   Last week we came home with 20 pounds of tomatoes, some carrots, onions, garlic and peppers of various varieties - all local, organically grown.  This afternoon the kids and I headed over to pick up squash, carrots, parsley, beets and a few other odds and ends.   The kids had fun exploring the now-finished gardens.  With an early frost hitting last week, there were lots of veggies that had met an untimely end, so it was hard to restrain Iz from scrabbling through the bush to dig out mushy tomatoes, beans or carrots to munch on.  Maybe if we're around more next year, we'll invest in a share ourselves as it certainly feels great to know how and where one's food is grown.  I just have to figure out some kid-friendly recipes to make use of what we've scooped!   Though having seen where the veggies come from, they were excited to try the different squash varieties.  We'll see how that goes . . . 

I'm sure there are some other 'essential' things to help enhance one's life in Manitoba.  With S away for the week, I'm just relieved that the taste of a Manitoban farm and cottage experience boosted our weekend.  I have low expectations for when he's away, so it was nice to be surprised with fun.  :)