For a good explanation of how Newton’s cradle really works, watch this video:
Archive for the ‘Woods & Rivers’ Category
Point Drouin Covered Bridge, Sunny Day
For my dad’s 79th birthday, I took my children to play at the Point Drouin covered bridge in Compton.
He was unable to come. Happy birthday, Dad!
Camping at Mont Megantic
Whenever I hear the name “Megantic,” I think of this horrible train accident that occurred on July 5th, 2013. I heard about the crash on the radio while driving to Quebec with my one-year-old daughter, Iris, and her father, Martin, the man who I eventually married and remain married to a decent number of years later. Am I not lucky?
Because that was the first I ever heard of Lac-Megantic, the national park and dark-sky preserve will forever be tied in my mind to a train carrying 72 oil tankers that crashed and burned in the middle of a small town. On that day, the beauty of a sky full of stars exploded into an inferno so bright it rivaled the lights of Quebec City as seen from space.
As they say— at least for now— “life goes on.”
We went to the national park & dark sky preserve with our friends, the Maurice Family Girls. It is great to camp with friends and kids! I love it. I did not take any photos excepting on this one day when I was particularly tired. I stayed above on the bridge for a while, using my camera as an excuse to view Claudia and the children from afar. In the entire national park (which I admit we saw very little of), this little river crossing was voted the absolute best place.
The maroon girls work on the mouth of the canal. Akiva attempts various bridges.
Tabéa works on an independent study. Claudia keeps the peace.
Iris fixes the walls of a pond. Tabéa’s tripple-pond complex is revealed.
Back at the canal, bridge construction is not looking good.
Akiva attempts a different style of bridge at the opposite end of the canal from the initial construction.
It works!
Iris says she is all out of English stories.
She begins a series of French stories for Tabéa while sitting atop something tall, hollow, and resonant.
Johnville Bog in June
Here I am again! Oh, how I love this place.
I like to take a photograph both with my back to the sun—
—and facing the sun. I love to see the light on the plants and the clouds.
I love the kettle lakes, formed by receding glaciers.
I love my family as they follow me.
To show them my love, I take 137 photos and choose my favorite one.
I love how quiet it is.
When we walk through the bog on the way back, the light has changed again!
I love it!
Iris follows every photographic suggestion. She is the perfect model.
Akiva refuses to pose as I wish. He is a different kind of perfect.
I like the curve of the boardwalk, the light of the late evening sun,
the smile on Akiva’s face as he runs at the camera for 43 more photos.
I chose one of my favorites.
I love this place!
I told Akiva that if he wanted to learn to swim,
it would be a good thing to practice floating on his belly.
On the Island
I
In the Trees
II
Throwing Rocks
III
River Sitting
IV
Woodland Napping
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 thus 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!
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.