mcollinknight

I spent most of the day out at Kirby's Beach - Muskoka's best-kept secret. Well, okay: it's not really a secret, but the secret is that on windy days, the place is perfectly lovely, but nearly empty. It's a small park with tall shady trees and and even smaller beach, stretching out to hug a small bay of Lake Muskoka. It's always been my favourite beach, from the many times I went there with my family as a kid (hustled, still dripping and sandy, into the back of the car at the end of the day) and the chance few times I've gone there with friends (like the time Jaden and I rode out there on our bikes, lemonade and strawberries in our backpacks).

I spent the late morning in and out of the water, reading my book and listening to music and tanning. I didn't want to be at the beach by myself, especially since the place was EMPTY, so I went and got jessica_june and we spent the rest of the afternoon eating raspberries, pretending to be water ballerinas (WHAT. I AM FIVE IN MY HEAD, OKAY?) and talking about working in retail, boys showing off in cars, and people we knew that were pregnant (a surprising amount).

It was a perfect sunny day (a bit cool), but I enjoyed it, even though I got a sunburn (!) on my upper back. I'm getting more and more used to driving the Little Black Pony around - I still stall sometimes, especially at intersections (it's when the pressure's on that I freak out), but it's getting more natural, and I'm more and more proud to have something to check off my summer list. I'm making myself a pact, though: next time I have to learn something that frustrates me, I am NOT going to freak out and cry about it, because in a day or two it will be easier and I'll be better at it, and no matter how out-of-control you feel, that will pass.

Speaking of crossing things off lists, it's time for a Mission101 update!
17. Learn to drive standard.
39. Travel overseas on an international development/aid trip.
67. Go horseback riding again.
96. Find ten quotes I really, really like.

I think I'm going to have to adjust my Mission101 goals, because a lot of them are either not what I really meant, unattainable, or not what I want to focus on anymore.

Also: where are all the peaches and Ontario strawberries? I know it's not quite peach season yet, but there are ZERO Ontario strawberries to be found anywhere - I tried two grocery stores and the veggie store today. Je suis un sad panda.