Wine Lovers

I call Highway 97 the road to heaven. There is no other way I can describe the place it takes me to. It gives me unforgettable views of Kalamalka Lake, with its sometimes blue, sometimes green, sometimes aqua water. Then it leads me onto the Okanagan Lake, which is even bigger, even more breathtaking.
The Okanagan is my favorite area in Canada. Hands down. It is where I want to live. It is where I come to relax, to get away, to bask in the sunshine.
It is also where I come to drink wine.
The Okanagan has an absolutely amazing wine country, with a vast array of vineyards and wines to choose from.
Take Dirty Laundry Winery for example. First of all, Dirty Laundry?! Ya, I know...if you're anything like me, you're thinking, how fun!
Their patio features vines growing right above you, what a canopy!

You can take a picnic here and buy a bottle of their amazing wine (their 2007 blush was my choice) and sit on the patio and just take in the day. Or you can buy a picnic from them as they have baskets already made up. Fun!

Then there are wineries like Gray Monk, which has an upscale restaurant attached. GREAT food, I was so impressed.



And check out this view!! (our rings in the foreground)



My personal favorite winery in the Okanagan is located in Naramata. I think I love it because it's one of a kind. It's orchard wines, fruit wines. AMAZING wines. It's a fun place to visit, and fun wine to drink.

And here are a few more fun pics from the honeymoon...involving wine ;). Gotta love it! We sure do.

On the patio at Predator enjoying some live music...and some wine

Isn't summer wonderful?

Much love,

Shauna

Newlyweds

Here we are, Mr. Roughley and I, sitting at the kitchen table in the cottage where we are spending our honeymoon. We are in Vernon, BC, Canada, one of our absolute favorite places in the world. What more can you ask for when you are surrounded by vineyards and beaches with the sun shining down on you?

We have just gone and seen the movie, Julie & Julia, and I have been inspired, for the third time now, to start a blog. Correct that, to start a personal blog.

We already have a blog, for Gareth's photography, which has been neglected for far too long as the wedding date closed in. So just as we are going to get going on that one again, I am going to use this one to pursue my passion-writing. Since I still don't know what I am passionate writing about, I am going to use this space to try to figure it out.

Along the way I hope to document my new life, as a wife, and what that means. Mr. Roughley and I have big plans and big dreams for our lives, so if things go according to plan there will be a lot to write about!

We have been discussing what we want out of life, what we want to do, and how we plan to get there. As most people do, we have the best of intentions to live life to the absolute fullest. I am going to report about this quest on here, and I promise to be completely honest! Because let's face it, sometimes it feels more right to stay in your pj's all day watching movies than it does to explore a new city, so it all shall be reported.

Gareth, my new husband, and I have crafted up a list on the right of the blog detailing some of our plans for our life together. I'm sure this list will grow and change over time, but as of today, these are our plans, goals, hopes and dreams. I will report back monthly about how the Intentions have gone, as well as periodically when we cover one of them. I think you'll even hear from him from time to time!

A quick note about the title of the blog. I wanted to inlude my new last name in the title, and also emphasize how I view life. In short, life isn't always easy, it isn't always pretty, but Gareth and I want to have a blast working through it all. So we will roughly get through everything life throws at us, and we will love every minute of it.

So please sit back, relax, and enjoy as we embark on this crazy thing called life together.

Much Love,

Mrs. Roughley