Love . Leigh . Knitz: Nothing like a great vacation!

oh my gosh.... i've certainly strayed from any sort of regular "posting" schedule on this thing.... but i have good reason! 1) my home computer is a dial-up (prehistoric technology) which causes incredible frustration to the user (me) when trying to upload/download anything on the Internet (yes, i'm the one sitting at the desk swearing feverishly at the computer screen to hurry the #$%!!?#*! up!)... 2) i've been under the weather for the last month and a half with the nasty bug that has been running rapid across the country - so my creative mode hasn't been in full gear... and 3) well, i finally took a much needed vacation at the end of August... (i know... that was over two months ago).... it took me to a place that was computer and cellphone free... how GREAT is that!!

so, there i am - up there in that photo at the top - on the front porch of the adorable "Dinky Soleil" cottage that i rented with a friend on Lake Caroga in Upstate New York.... a place quite easy to call "home"....

my childhood friend, boo (sue) (that's her in the picture above) came across this very special vacation spot and we decided to make a wonderful "family" week of it on the lake!

so... i flew into jersey from surf city.... and boo, her hubby jp and the adorable mia-bia jetted in from the UK.... we met up with her kid sister, nancy and set off from their folk's home in rivervale, nj - that's nan, boo and Mrs. G ... are these gals ready for a long-awaited summer vaca or what!!

en-route to the lake, we took a jaunt off the NY Thruway into the town of Saugerties in the Hudson Valley - stopping for a bite of lunch and touring through the local shops... plenty of antique stores to keep us happy ... a yummy bakery (you could smell the sugar all the way down the alley to the entrance!) and a nice new wine shop (with a cute wine merchant!) where i picked out a Italian red that was very pleasing ... while window-shopping along the streets of Saugerties, i bumped into a friendly moose(head)... but found that he was a bit too large to pack in my suitcase and take back to surf city. DARN!

we spent a thoroughly enjoyable week on the lake... bidding farewell to summer... nan and i were housemates residing in the Dinky Soleil lakefront cottage... boo, and the porritt clan were up the road a piece in the beautiful and spacious Firefly. we did a whole lot of nothing except relaxing in Adirondak chairs.... kayaking... swimming... sipping Hard Lemonades, wine and fresh spring water... and throwing our diets out the window to enjoy increcible Italian feasts prepared by Mrs. G! Her broccoli rob ROCKS!

we each found our favorite way to relax... on our own and together... and made the most of what lake caroga had to offer! here are some more pix of the gang... (for a larger image, just click on the desired photo...)

jp and mia set sail...

the girls enjoy a cocktail before dinner.. (that's grape juice in mia's glass...)

mia-bia, arrives at the dinky... ready for blueberry picking...

mom-boo and mia-bia enjoy a cuddle!

...jp on the Cat's Meow dock...

the "let's make a cocktail party out of leftovers" event at the dinky soleil...

nan... in her favorite spot!

our evenings were filled with fun conversations and lots of laughter, as we devoured a variety of Ben and Jerry's ice cream flavors following our fine dinners... (who even had room enough for another bite?) and then there were those peaches that uncle mike brought from an orchard in southern jersey!!!! o-my-GOD.... one bite and you've gone to heaven!

i enjoyed snapping pix throughout our stay... capturing memories for all of us to look back on and smile...

the Kenmore dryer at dinky soleil...

the weather was perfect... no humidity (a rarity on the east coast during the summertime).... an occasional overcast sky covered us from above.. and a light drizzle the eve of our arrival (which made all of the twinkle lights inside of Dinky sparkle - the cottage glistening as it welcomed us in!)...

the neighborhood ducks and butterflies were abundant... not to mention a sweet couple of loons, a river otter... and a bullfrog (who i fondly referred to as "Prince Charming") and who appeard in the same spot each day at Dinky's dock... it must have been an ideal bug-catching corner!

the resident duck... who became intruqued by boo's toes!

flutterbies...

n' froggies...

there were scenic views each and every way you looked... and how wonderful it was to wake up each morning and see the lake just on the other side of my bedroom window - not to mention wandering down the lawn in my jammies n' Uug boots to sip my morning java lakeside! i could definitely get used to that!

boo n' jp discover dinky's dock...

dinky's view... after sunset...

the week left us all feeling rested and rejuvinated... it's amazing what a change of scenery and time spent in good company can do for the soul! i believe this may be the beginning of an annual "tradition"... only wish we weren't separated so far apart by miles during the rest of the year!

...and so i leave you with a few remaining snapshots of this special place... here's to lake caroga 2008! CAN'T WAIT!