We went down a huge mountain, through a vast forest, peered across a raging river, crossed multitudes of suspension bridges slung across deep canyons, hiked across the great planes, then, on the final hill home, hit Heather’s backyard with an amoeba of children. Here is a photo featuring the Almassalkhi clan’s amazing carry-all contraption: Mommy.

This photo is a lesson in the extreme foreshortening effects of a wide-angle lens. Notice how my 6-month baby looks larger than my 6-foot brother, despite the fact that one is only a couple feet in front of the other. Notice, also, that my husband and my father are sitting within whispering distance, yet Dad’s head is positively dwarfed by Martin’s. If I were to use a lens with a longer length and step back a minimum of 10 more feet, our relative proportions would appear more pleasing— tho I’d have to purchase a new camera and punch a hole in the front of the house.

I keep trying to emulate a photograph taken of me at my second Thanksgiving, when I had just recently turned one. It’s rather difficult. Mom suggests I cook Akiva a turkey for his 1st birthday, in May, to see if we can do a better job.

Original:

Facsimile:

We went to the Shelburne Museum to see the horses come off the carousel. They break down the carousel for the winter. The horses spend their time in the Circus Building, dreaming of spring when they come out, leap back upon the carousel, and gallop once more.

Dismantling the carousel was slated for Tuesday and Wednesday. When we showed up not too long after opening on Tuesday, the carousel had been completely taken apart. We arrived just in time to see them closing the doors to the Circus Building.

So I went inside where ghosts of horses dream above a small circus,

waiting for embodiment in spring.

I have been having trouble getting out of the house since my little one was born. He doesn’t sleep well in the house, and he sleeps even worse out of the house. During National Babywearing Week in September (What? You didn’t know there’s such a thing as National Babywearing Week and are now wondering if there is a national strollering week?), the babywearers had a hiking event that took place practically right outside my door. I attended.

We went for a walk in the woods, to the waterfall and back, carrying our babies. I took up the rear because (1) I was the only one walking with a little child and (2) I rather like the rear. Also at the rear was the woman who was supposed to be taking up the rear. She started a branch of a group called “Hike it Baby” in South Burlington.

I talked to her for a bit. Her name is Brittany. She’s great! She told me that Hike it Baby was started by a woman who just had a baby and was getting depressed so she started going walking a lot and invited others along. She also told me that I should lead a hike, because right now she’s the only one leading hikes and she needs more people to lead hikes. I said, I think I can do that. The following Thursday, I lead my first hike. One person showed up. Yay!!! I got a person! We went for a walk in the woods together then looped around the field. The next week, three adults, one carried baby and three walking little kids showed up. Yay!!! We had LOTS of fun. Iris acted like a complete goofball.

Sometimes, people cancel for rain and other less than ideal walking weather, but I decided I want to see how many weeks in a row I can attend a weekly event that takes place right outside my door. So this week, when the forecast was for 100% sky cover and 99% chance of rain, I announced I would not be canceling the walk. I said, instead we would walk to the waterfall via the sidewalk, see how big the falls had gotten, then walk back on the sidewalk. I made the offer of hot chocolate to anyone who showed up.

Well, no one showed up. So we went by the trails.

The sky stopped raining for the occasion, and it was simply beautiful out.

We saw some Autumn moss,

and tall trees,

the river, running fast from heavy rains, and capped with steam,

and our own bare feet.