This year’s rabbit pasture—
Minnie Bun the Giant Rabbit is a wonderful mama—
The view from the balcony at sunset—
Photographic Journal
Swimming Spot: Massawippi River, North of the Mouth of the Coaticook
To get to 45.323320, -71.889162 where we play in the river, I like to bike up Ch. Swede, cross 143, go down Ch. Sherbrooke through “downtown” North Hatley then turn right on Rte. 108 just after it crosses the bridge. Rte. 108 leads to the Route Verte 1.
The Route Verte 1 leads all the way to Sherbrooke, and I have taken it as far. Rumor has it that the path emerges on the other side of the city unscathed and travels far, farther on, tho I have never found it. My inability to ask directions when lost (it’s a language issue, not the same inability that is most frequently associated with the presence of the Y chromosome) has never helped.
From Route Verte 1, back where I was in the first paragraph, I bike along and I bike along until I see a river. The river comes and goes. I shout, “Hello, River!” when I see the river. Just south of Capelton Mine, the Coaticook River that passes through Waterville dumps itself into the Massawippi River flowing up (because north is “up,” not because I believe the river is actually gaining in altitude) from North Hatley. Just north of Capelton Mine there is a bend in the river. Here, at approximately 45.323603, -71.890372, the children and I dismount the bike and walk a short steep slope downward to a path that reaches the river. This is where we find our spot: 45.323320, -71.889162.
The Island in Spring (L’Île du Marais)
We went to the island for Mother’s day. I insisted we go before breakfast.
We spent the morning looking at things.
I took many fascinating photos through a magnifying glass, after which I learned a few things.
One: I have a hard time focusing the camera properly.
Two: magnifying glasses are made of glass, and glass does a lot of reflecting.
In the end of all of it, I ended up with one good magnifying glass photo.
There is a big-ol’ sideways root ball along the path.
It makes Martin feel quite manly to climb a few feet up it,
so he always gratifies himself with a wee climb on ye ol’ root ball.
He talks about how impressive he is to Akiva, so naturally Akiva climbs up it, too.
100% of the time that we visit L’Île du Marais, I have to take a photo at this exact spot.
Just for some variety, I’m leaving the colour up to your imagination this time.
Going through some old photos, I discovered this old photo of her winking into the sunshine while looking in the camera.
Nearly a lifetime and a half later, she’s only getting cuter!
Interview with a Mason
Iris needed to interview someone about their profession then write up and illustrate the interview for school.
Here is Papi Gabi Fournier building a house. He is very good!
Here is the text of the interview. It says something to the effect of:
Papi worked as a mason for 40 years. He worked really hard.
He did not work [as a mason] in the winters, and he does not have a favorite color of brick.
Pestalotiopsis microspora
Pestalotiopsis is a genus of fungus that seems to be found, ya’ know, everywhere. As fungus is. Blights caused by varying species of this fungus are exacerbated by climate change.
For example, Pestalotiopsis microspora causes a wide range of symptoms on cedars and other conifers. It begins in the low dense shady area of the canopy in the warm parts of summer then will spread upward through the tree over a few years. Leaves and stems die. Trees are less vigorous. In addition, Pestalotiopsis microspora discovered in rubber plantations the early 1900s has recently reached epidemic proportions. Leaves get spots. Trees are less juicy and vigorous. No one likes a fungal infection.
Well, that’s not true. Pestalotiopsis microspora also eats polyurethane. That’s nice, isn’t it? In honor of its plastic-digesting prowess, I named the monster I sewed Akiva for his birthday after it. Akiva just calls him Pest.
Sling
Minnie the Giant Rabbit’s first litter of bun-buns was born on April 10th.
There were eight. Iris does not pick favorites:
she puts them all into the doll sling and takes them out for a walk.
Fortunately, rabbits like snuggling.
Later, we take a walk without the rabbits. We go to the little creek that flows from the old Val-Esterie property past the water treatment plant and into the Coaticook River. Two Little People mamas come with us. For some reason, they have twine around their necks. I think they were going to go swimming. Standing at the edge of the creek, Akiva holds the end of one piece of twine and twirls the mama round and round as one would twirl a sling with a rock in it. Like a rock shot from a sling, the toy flies through the air, never to be seen again. At least not by us. Somewhere down by the creek there is a little blue Little People mama with blonde hair waiting to be found. Akiva is distraught.
On the way home we stop at the school playground.
Akiva swings high like a rock in a sling.
And like a rock shot from a sling, he flies high over the trees, through the clouds, back home.
Little People in the Sandbox
The best thing about vintage Fisher Price Little People is all the people and the accessories.
We got rid of most everything else.
In this case, I am not exactly certain what is going on—
something involving some goats and some people in blue police-style hats. They might be farmers.
There are a lot of other people, too— tho none of them seem to lively at the moment—
and an up-turned television, currently being used as a trough.
The fields are well groomed.
The machines are well maintained.
It looks pretty peaceful. I will try to remember it that way.
At the Car Cemetery
We went to the Car(r) Cemetery. Whole car(r) families are buried there.
We found Father and Mother Car(r)—
Their ancestor, Parker Car(r), who seems to have lived a very sedentary lifestyle—
And Parker’s wife, Sarah—
And Ernest A. Car(r), who was always serviced by the most honest of mechanics—
We also found Mary, whoever she was— a wagon, perhaps.
Many people doubt that cars have funerals, but I have proof.
Here, for example, is the funeral of a maroon 2005 Prius, as documented by my brother, Dan Shanahan.
Iris’s 9th Birthday
For Iris’s birthday, she decided she wanted to eat carrot cake on top of Mount Ham. So we did. If mount Ham was good enough for me, then it was good enough for her. Carrot cake was what the rabbits voted for, but we didn’t bring rabbits. At the last minute, Iris also decided to bring a friend. Fortunately, there was a very good one available for last-minute birthday parties on mountain summits.
Hymie and Napua came with us for the purpose of taking photos. Hymie is all fixed up so he could attend the doll party in good form. The biggest difference, aside from the fact that his fabric is now perfect, is that his mouth is about 1/8th of an inch narrower. It’s quite noticeable if you know him! Napua is Megan reincarnated. She includes all of Megan’s stuffing plus some, and her head is configured over Megan’s old head. But really, nothing is the same aside from the fact that Iris still has three dolls instead of four. You wouldn’t recognize her in any way shape or form, but they say that reincarnation is like that.
While Amaëlle took time to finish her cake (she is especially good at savoring), Martin hiked to the other high point on the peak. Once Akiva saw that his papa was all alone, he wanted to go, too! Do you see that tiny blue spot to the left of the slightly larger red spot, just to the right of what appears to be a ham radio tower on the peak?** That’s Akiva! He went all the way over there all by himself.
**It is not actually a ham radio tower: it is the profile of the enormous crucifix where they tortured the last of the wild mountain giants.