Three years ago today...

I love the "archive" feature of Flickr. By the looks of things, August 28, 2005 put me in Thayer's Acres - a favorite camping are when I was a teenager and home to a great many mosquito.

It was on this day and in this forested area that the picture for by blog banner was taken. I was walkabouting at the time (likely one of the first times actually walkabouting, where I called it such). I had been a blogger for only four short months when I took these photos. That blog is long gone, of course but I'm very glad I still have the photos to share.





I regret that when I made the most use of this land, I wasn't in a "take only photographs and leave only footprints" frame of mind. My friends and I fancied ourselves small game hunters and improvised pyrotechnic builders, and thus we spent 90% of our camping trips hunting squirrels and blowing things up. I'm so not about those things now that it all kind of surprises me.





Anyway, it's because of all this that I'm thinking this forest doesn't like me now.

As supporting evidence, our last trip there, several weeks ago, saw us fleeing only moments after arriving while swatting away billions (with a "b") of mosquitoes. It was like the bush was shouting at us to get out, and so out we got.

With cooling temperatures (and hopefully less bugs) we're planning another venture into this wilderness soonish (mayhaps today or tomorrow) for some photography, nature watching, and possibly a picnic lunch. Who knows...we might even see bigfoot.

And also, if you're wondering about the gnome, as I'm sure you all are... It was gone.

Accidental Art

Found this on a pile of ruble on the way into work yesterday....

I wanted to make a lamp out of it, but my wife pulled the "no garden gnomes in the house" card. So, now I'm thinking of fashioning a Yoda head for it and placing it in the front garden.

If it's still there today.

:-)

Use your mind's eye to see a clever title here.

I've been busy the past few days, boning up on calculus for school, doing inventory at work, and of course taking pictures of the baby.

Hey, gimme that camera!

Things should get into a routine in September, allowing me to post on a regular basis once more.

I hope.

A certain point of view....

I'm thankful for being tired because it means I was up every two hours last night re-tucking in my daughter, and she brings more joy into my life that I could have ever imagined.

I'm happy that my wife has mood swings because it's a natural part of pregnancy and it means there's another baby on the way. This time a boy!

I enjoy that I'm broke because it means I have (most of) my text books for school, and my honey mustard in the fridge.

I'm grateful for the epic amount of dog fur in this house because it means there's always a furry companion to hug close by.

I love living with my in-laws because it means I have the opportunity to go to school and work part-time.

I'm thankful that my feet are sore and calloused because it means I get plenty of exercise, which helps me stay trim despite my diet of chocolate and pizza.

I'm overjoyed that the baby just started crying because it means I can go and comfort her now, and like I said - more joy than I could have ever fathomed.

Fin

A spider, a dog, and a baby.

I contemplated long and hard about what to post tonight. I haven't been taking many pictures of late, and also I completely skipped a day of blogging yesterday. I figured to make up for all that I should try and come up with an extraordinary entry for the evening... but then I wound up writing this one instead. :-)

Cheryl the orb-weaver spider
Cheryl lives a little higher than shoulder height on my route to the trash compacter at work. Her diet consists mainly of shad flies, moths, and stale theatre popcorn. I used to take many pictures of the Araneidae family, although I think this is my first of 2008. Expect more, as I intend to make a habit of stalking this one with my camera. Yes, I even take it to work.


Mojo the grumpy mixed breed
Mojo has been without her toys since our last move - we forgot to unpack them. She has them back now and says, "My toys! Don't touch 'em!"


Stella the sleep-o
The baby is adorable as ever. She fell asleep cradled in my arm tonight as I thumbed one handed through a book of North American plants and their medicinal values. Only I wasn't really reading the book, just pretending to read while I watched the little one fight to keep her eyes open. On one hand, I'm frightened of the prospect of having another baby in 4 months(ish), but on the other, I look forward to being able to experience the joys of an 8 month old again so soon.

And that's it. Not too exciting I know, but it might at least illicit some interesting Google searches: spiders, dogs, and babies...

...also fossil junky salamander, the olympics, and pregnant bigfoot just for good measure. Betcha THAT gets me traffic! (but probably not many comments)

Not a thing about demons, wizards, or goblins.

For two weeks now I've been coming up short on pics for Carmi's Thematic Photographic. To be fair though, I haven't really been taking pictures of anything, thematic or otherwise. School hasn't even started yet, and already I find myself quite wrapped up in the bureaucracy and red tape of Canadian academics.

The Canadian Government, Ontario Colleges, and perhaps Microsoft seem to share the innate ability to take what should be a very simple function and then combine that process with the inter-web only to make said task 10 times more complex than it need be. All that said, I'm finally in the system at Sault College. After many a clogged tube, I find myself enrolled in the electrical engineering program - which is what I really wanted in the first place - so, huzzah!

But I digress, this week's thematic photographic is "poignant". It took some digging, but I think I finally came up with something fitting....

Taken precisely one year before my wedding day :-)

This fellow seemed to be suffering from a broken heart, as he wanted to "be friends" with the girl bunny on the other side of that screen door. Poor little dude.

Delicious Edible Plants

I recall seeing a film, some 20 years ago, about some dude who made a stew from cattail roots, lichen moss, birch bark, and seasonings indigenous to Northern Ontario. I'd very much like to try the recipe, but can't find a reference to it anywhere. Any help with this would be wonderful. I think it was a Film Board of Ontario flick, and I think I saw it while camping at Agawa with my family, if that helps (Karen or Robin, I'm looking at you here).

Lando sniffing at a wild carrot

I can't explain the sudden interest in such things, especially since yesterday I was craving overly processed and factory farmed fast food for lunch. The more I think about it though, the more I'm wanting to make a real go of the "caveman diet". No processed foods, and no set meals through the day. Eat when hungry and no unpronounceable chemicals or preservatives in what goes into me.

I'm guessing that means no donuts with delicious smarkles on them.... and that's a sacrifice I'm willing to make.