I love water.  Seeing as how I grew up on Vancouver Island, I developed a huge love for the ocean and childhood summers were spent with my Grandparents at the Lake.

This is my ocean love:

Saratoga Beach

And my lake love:

Upper Campbell Lake (Picture credit to Ciara Singer)

I love the ocean for sandcastles, long walks, deep thoughts, the smell of seaweed and the fresh air.    I love lakes for the clean water, the boat rides, pebble skipping and admiration of its beauty.

For this summer, I wanted to spend more time at both.  Last summer I spent time at Sulphurous Lake near 100 mile house and was reminded how much I missed being around water. 

So I booked a few cabin days at Saratoga Beach while in Campbell River for two weeks in August.  Can't wait!

But the lake was calling me.  I spent a good hour online trying to find a cabin at a lake Mason and I could drive to and there is no shortage of options but there is a shortage of money.  It's not exactly cheap.  For the price I'd pay for a few days, I could go to Mexico for a week.  I wanted a lake.

Well the stars aligned shortly after that.  I was trolling FB and my Cousin Leanne who happens to live at the lake happened to be looking for a housesitter for 2 weeks while they were on a road trip to CA/OR.  I raised my hand as a volunteer to look after said house + Elk the cat and Siren the Dog.  I was last at the house in 2011 when Mason and I came up for a few days on our way back to Edmonton.  

We have finished our first week here and while I worked all 5 days, we have made time to explore.  I've also learned a few things about myself that I had forgotten and not known so that was cool and I got to expose Mason to 'free run' childhood which is how I grew up but sadly not possible for him in a large city.

These are the things I've experienced in the first week:

• Living in a whole house is kinda cool.  Much more space!
• Sleeping in a big house can be scary.  I doubt the crime rate is very high in Winfield, but there are three doors and many windows into the house.  I used to have issues being alone in my childhood home as a teen, the house creaked and it would scare the bejesus out of me.  
• Pets like to be fed super early.  I had no issues walking out on the deck to put dog food in the dish..in my underwear.
• When I win the lottery, I'd much rather buy an older house and perfect it than buy something brand new.  I think I would love doing a reno!
• I really want a garden.   Fresh fruits & veggies...berries and flowers.  I deadheaded a rose bush.  I had no idea what I was doing but it was therapeutic to prune
• Picking raspberries is fun!  It hurts the back a little, you gotta crouch then look up to get the ripe ones hiding under leaves.  I'm not a fan of spiders and it felt like bugs were crawling all over my bare arms and legs but I picked enough berries in 15 mins to make a pie.  Buying that many raspberries from the store would have cost me at least $15.  And a week later, another batch was ripe.  More berries!
• It's hot here, moreso than any other city I've lived in so the heat makes the lake very inviting.  The downside is the beach here is pebbled rather than sandy but that's okay, sandcastles are for the ocean beach.  My Cousin has this really cool springy floaty thing which was super lightweight to carry, took about 5 mins to blow up by mouth and was perfect for lounging in the water.  Mason immediately wanted on my lap and I was totally blissed out having my 'little' (almost 4'!) cuddled up in my lap while we floated around.  It's become his favourite part of our trip
• Because of the heat, there are water parks a plenty!  
• The TV is completely ignored.  Being in the offseason of shows might have something to do with it but I haven't had any desire to watch it
• I think for the first time, Mason ran through a sprinkler.  Clayton lives in a condo and I live in a basement suite with a lawn that has a sprinkler system.  It was fun to watch him run back and forth (ahh #childhood memories)

All in all we had an awesome time in Winfield and thanks to my awesome Cousin Leanne for planning a super awesome camping trip with her family or we wouldn't have had the experience!