Akiva, throwing logs to the sea,

finds a bigger log from the base of the bluffs

and rolls it to the water

and paddles in the bay.

Log in the water!

Iris joins him,

& they bounce across the bay.

Later, when they return to land,

I tell them the log is to slow erosion, so please put it back by the bluffs.

They move like sea turtles up the sand,

footprints like turtle crawls, pushing their log-boat to its nest beyond the waves.

Here the photos stop.

Pushing a log on wet sand is not too hard.

Pushing a log a up a hill of forgiving sand

requires the force of a photographer.

I.

Early in the morning, Akiva plays toss-the-disk—

and Iris reads and reads as the tide recedes and recedes—

—and recedes.

II.

Middle of the day.

Every year, we hike closer closer and closer to the Abri Trois Murs des Cèdres.

We reached it for the first time! It is not an easy hike.

It is all up and down and up and down and hot, with not enough water.

Not enough water is a problem.

There is water at the shelter if you have a filter. I did not know that. I did not bring a filter.

When we finally arrived at the shelter, I asked the kids to pose for the camera and look happy.

They did the best they could.

This is the sign that tells us how far we have to go to get back to where we came from.

III.

Evening, Martin plays toss the disk.

Akiva works on flamboyant catches.

Iris writes & writes.

I can’t decide which picture I like.

She writes—

She smiles!

She writes.

IV.

Before the sun sets, I force the two together into a smile.

No, I mean a smile.

I say, “Pretend you adore each other.”

Iris thinks that pretending to adore her younger brother is a hilarious idea.

Their expressions haven’t changed significantly over the past six years:
https://barefootfool.com/goofballs-lile-du-marais/

V.

& in the end, the sun does set.

Martin boils water for dishes at the campsite and washes in the little shelter,

where there is a sink to let out dirty water and a faucet to let in brownish, brackish water.

It is dark out. The lights are on. Martin & Akiva play a game of checkers before bed.

I.

Akiva plays with fire.

II.

Martin returns with clean dishes.

III.

Iris in blue.

IV.

Martin in firelight.

V.

Family portraits without me.