Duck Island

Spring is making her presence felt ... the warmer days (and the suspicion that morning frosts are behind us - hopefully), rain showers, emerging bulbs in the garden, flowering trees, and pollen everywhere. The ground is covered in pollen. The car and outdoor furniture are covered. It floats in the puddles left by the rain and leaves tide marks when the water evaporates. It's everywhere and it seems that almost everyone is complaining.

I am no exception. I love the warmer weather but I hate having to deal with the symptoms that are a result of all the pollen. Last year we cut down our silver birch trees because of the symptoms I was experiencing ... including tingling in the mouth every time I ate fruit. But I can't cut down all the silver birch trees in the neighbourhood, or all the pine trees that seem to be the worse culprits.

I can, however, get away for a weekend, and that is what DH and I did this past weekend. 

Last year we were unable to be with Son#2 and DIL#2 and The Most Adorable Granddaughter#5 for their birthdays due to lockdown, despite living only several kilometres apart. Since then, things have changed, and it's now a four hour drive to see them - which we timed to coincide with at least one birthday that is occurring during this week of birthdays for their family.

Son#3 and DIL#3 and The Most Charming Grandsons#1 and #2 also made a trip (shorter than ours) and we were all able to spend some time together on Saturday. After the rain stopped, we decided to visit Duck Island and try one of their yummy ice creams. We had been talking it up to the girls all morning and they were excited - even those who didn't seem to know what it was all about. The staff must have cringed when they saw our group coming in but they handled it superbly (although DH and I somehow ended up with a toddler's serving - but perhaps that was deliberate as one of us at least does not need a full serving).

Ice creams in hand, we walked off the calories with a long stroll along the riverbank.

And of course where there is water and children, the obvious happens ... 

(And the grandparents are mostly to blame for this transgression ...)

And even though the weekend ended far too soon (and I know for a fact that I didn't get my share of cuddles from The Most Charming Grandson#2 - nor from The Most Adorable Granddaughter#4 for that matter) we have come away with some lovely memories.

Naturally, we look forward to our next trip ... and less pollen.