August 2014 was a busy month for me, perhaps even busier than August 2013 which was the final month before my wedding. This August was full of other wedding related activities such as bachelorette parties, bridal shower and dress fittings for two of my best friends. It’s been a blast to say the least.
The most recent bachelorette party of the two took place at Tod Mountain Ranch near Sun Peaks in BC’s interior. This dude ranch, which we came to learn was used often in the past to describe a guest ranch (as they are called now), that primarily catered to urbanites or ‘city slickers’, was a setting for what was a great bachelorette getaway. The ranch is situated in the Louis Creek Valley whose surrounding mountains provided incredibly scenic views. The cozy cabins feature hade-made wooden furniture and offer luxuries such as a mini fridge and super soft housecoats. The main lodge includes a giant square table where guests can sit down with the hosts who provide full (and delicious) meals 3 times a day, a pool table, TV and DVD’s, games and more to entertain you between rides. The lodge is open 24 hrs, which made it the perfect place for us to YouTube line dancing instructional videos and practice our skills at 1am.
The horses of course, steal the show. You are matched up with a horse according to experience level, height and weight (and in my case at least it seemed, personality). I had the pleasure of spending my time at the ranch with Charlie. Charlie (seen above) was one of the newest horses at Tod Mountain, and the youngest in our group. His need to be in the lead and his quick pace in combination with his stubbornness meant a perfect match. We were both happy to take the first spot behind the wrangler, however Charlie’s stubbornness meant I often wandered off instead of waiting for the group to catch up. By the second day we became fast friends and he seemed to enjoy the trail much more. Below is a collection of photos from our experience at Tod Mountain Ranch.
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I don’t know if it’s the cooler air we’re experiencing on the West Coast, the fact that a friend informed me that Starbucks is bringing back the Pumpkin Spice Latte very soon, or just the need to have a distraction from our wedding preparations, but whichever the reason, I felt the need to immerse myself in the impending spectacle that is Autumn. Don’t get me wrong I love Summer just as much as everyone else – the sun, the heat, the beaches, the water, the bikinis.. it’s great. Winter is a magical time for me too. I can’t get enough of fresh fallen snow, and Christmas is definitely my favourite holiday. Spring… I’ve never enjoyed Spring all that much. I think this is because I grew up in a place which had very long winters, and all Spring meant was a dirty city. Melting, gravel filled snowbanks are not pretty.
Two weekends ago was the Victoria Day Long Weekend which loosely marks the beginning of summer for many in BC. It has always been my favourite long weekend, namely because my birthday often falls on it. When we were younger we usually celebrated both my brother’s birthday (which is ten days earlier) and mine on this weekend while camping at a nearby lake with family and friends.
I’ve recently been inspired to do some organizing in my life. Now I like organization, I like being organized, and I like boxes, bins, baskets, labels, and coordination, so when I came across this image on Pinterest of a great D.I.Y. box that you can use to keep all those tidbits that are collected in your pockets, wallets and luggage during a trip, I thought it was genius! Working in the tourism industry, picking up maps, brochures and keeping ticket stubs has become kind of an addiction of mine. Needless to say this project was very much needed.
explore. create. discover. 