TWO-FOUR!

Happy birthday, Queen Vickie! Here in Canada, the summer season officially starts with Victoria Day, the third Monday in May. Historically it's all about celebrating the birth of the reigning monarch (so happy birthday to Liz, too) but really it's about opening the cottage, taking out the shorts and t-shirts, and firing up the Q. And pouring a few refreshing beverages along the way.

New deck overlooking vineyards at Three Dog Winery

Mine was spent shopping,  eating and drinking my way through downtown Kingston with Ma on our annual Mother's Day getaway (belated somewhat, but delightful nonetheless.)

The Market Square; Chez Piggy's patio

We also day-tripped to Picton, stopping in at Three Dog Winery along the way. The grand opening is still a few weeks away (June 14) but John and Sasha have been busy preparing for the occasion. A new deck, flourishing gardens and a Mediterranean colour scheme on the tasting room house complements their roster of delicious wines: their flagship DogHouse White (vidal/riesling), the DogHouse Red (baco blend), and the newest release, Pinot Grigio. Gamay and rosé are also in the works.

We headed up the steep incline to Lake on the Mountain, where John had managed to score reservations for us at the resort restaurant (everything else was booked solid, what with it being a long weekend and all.) 'Resort' is kinduv loosely put here; in County-speak, it's a rustic collection of cottages huddled around an old stone house serving as the inn and dining room. The food was a bit hit-and-miss, depending more on sheer portion size rather than flavour. But the views were spectacular:

Lake on the Mountain; pretty surroundings at the Inn

So my credit card may have been a little worn out by the time we packed up, and I'm sure my calorie consumption was slightly higher than really necessary, but hey ... it was fun.