The Monster Backpack!

Friday, November 5th, 2021

For Akiva’s first day of first grade at his new school, I sewed him a new backpack! The design is all my own, fully lined, in two colors of orange canvas with generous and deep water bottle pockets, a rear pocket, and a MONSTER pocket on the flap. The shoulder straps are padded with felted wool from old sweaters. The closure under the flap is a drawstringβ€” my favorite kind.

 

 

 

Although designed for school books, it works fine for walks in the woods, too.

 

 

 

When we get to the place of the Grandparent Trees,

Iris demonstrates the effects of centripetal force.

 

 

 

Akiva demonstrates his own sort of force.

 

The School of Everywhere

Thursday, October 28th, 2021

If we have to have a school and a school has to have a name, thus I have named it: The School of Everywhere.

Perhaps our mascot can be the wind.

 

 

The Rope at Val-Estrie

Thursday, October 21st, 2021

Here we are again!

 

 

 

 

 

I know I’ve taken many, many photos at this spot, but this is the only one I can find:

29 June, 2018

Unidentified Myco Objects (UMO), part III

Sunday, October 10th, 2021

Unidentified Myco Objects (UMO), part II

Thursday, September 30th, 2021

Unidentified Myco Objects (UMO), part I

Saturday, September 25th, 2021

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In Sepia (Baie Sainte-Marguerite)

Thursday, August 26th, 2021

 

A cloud hangs over the bay,

 

 

 

 

and Iris looks out on the morning.

 

 

 

 

She returns with specimens:

 

 

 

 

seaweed, driftwood, stone.

 

 

 

 

Β *Β  Β *Β  Β *

 

A cloud hangs over the bay,

 

 

 

 

and Akiva drives out in the morning.

 

 

 

 

Out in the morning, out in the morning. Akiva drives out in the morning.

 

 

Baie Sainte-Marguerite Automobile Show & Popcorn Extravaganza!

Wednesday, August 25th, 2021

While Iris and I went for a walk up the Sainte-Marguerite river,

Martin stayed by the bay and played with metal cars with Akiva.

 

 

 

 

Upon my return, I noticed we were situated in the perfect location for shooting 4×4 truck advertisements!

I made some mock-ups using Toyota advertising slogans and Lorem Ipsum text.

 

I.

 

 

 

 

II.

 

 

 

 

In the afternoon, we went on a hike.

 

 

 

 

In the evening, we made popcorn with a cute little popcorn cage that we held over the fire. I made a couple of batches and timed it: six minutes to pop over good coals. Martin wanted to make a batch, so I filled up the cage with corn. Wanting to be a guy and beat my six-minute average, he tossed a couple of logs on the coals to build up a roaring guy-style camp fire. Unfortunately, Martin never did spend much time studying the physics of campfires and did not know that before you get a roaring flame, the logs have to catch fire. Then after you get a roaring flame, you have to wait for good coals or you just burn the kernels. It took him a good 20 minutes of shaking those kernels over the cold fire in an uncomfortable squat position before I relieved his suffering by moving aside the logs to reveal the coals. Sorry, Martin. Sometimes, it hurts to be a guy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Parc National du Fjord-du-Saguenay, Baie Sainte-Marguerite

Tuesday, August 24th, 2021

At the sea in the morning, the tide was out,

 

 

 

so we went exploring.

 

 

 

One can walk a long way into the bay of St. Margeurite without getting one’s knees wet.

 

 

 

Far, far out into the bay at low tide, even the bird people had dry knees.

 

 

 

Then we turned and walked up the low-tide river.

 

 

 

Beneath our feet, little green things enjoyed the sun while waiting for the tide to return.

 

 

 

*Β  Β *Β  Β *

 

Later in the day, Iris and I took a walk together.

We discovered an outhouse that would prove to be the only place Martin could poop.

For this reason, I have immortalized it in my photo album with the grand headline,

“Remote Outhouse Saves 50-Year-Old Man’s Colon from Bursting on Week-Long Camping Trip.”

 

 

Mom & Dan come to visit! (Marais de la Rivière aux Cerises)

Thursday, August 19th, 2021

Unfortunately I didn’t take any photos of my mother and brother while they were here.

Fortunately, I did take many photos of Iris wearing Dan’s sun hat at the Cherry River Marsh.