It must be admitted...

[pyat]

I have to admit, I lead an enviable life. Today was a family picnic. My sister took this photo of me trudging through a stream, catching crayfish. Yes, it looks like I'm chasing butterflies, but it was actually crayfish.


We were at Hidden Valley, just outside Burlington. Here, my dad, older sister, and oldest daughter are also hunting for crayfish and other slippery beasties.


My dad, and Elizabeth and Claire. My father's beard is so intensely white and enormous as to cause lesser men to weep spontaneously.


There were dragonflies.


My older sister and her husband, Ryan.


There was marshmallow salad!


Horizons were gazed at, heroically.


Darth is a very good dog!


And very good at leaping with all fours in the air!


Family and friends!


Just as we pulled out of the Hidden Valley, the Lancaster went thundering past directly overhead, perhaps 250 feet up. I fumbled to get the camera out, and velvetpage managed to snap this shot through the front window.

It really is a fine life, packed with serendipitous moments, and just the sort of life I'd hoped to have.

Comments

[firesign10.livejournal.com]

What a great day! :-) That is a fine batch of pics.

Your father does indeed have an enviable beard!! And your helmet is nothing to be scoffed at either! :-)

I am always struck by Claire's large blue eyes :-)

[kores-rabbit.livejournal.com]

Agreeing with the beard and helm comments laid out here before me!

To your life I heft a glass of water (for I do not drink of the vine very often any longer!)

[pyat.livejournal.com]

Huzzah! Aqua vitae!

[pyat.livejournal.com]

She takes after her mom!

[mar2nee.livejournal.com]

What an awesome day!
Daniel was yelling earlier about 5 aircraft flying in formation overhead. Something must have been up at the warplane museum.
At the football game on Wednesday they had one WWII plane fly over, a bunch of guys jump out of helicopter that was high enough up that we didn't hear it (they had parachutes and were able to land in the field) and then the helicopter buzzed us, and then a more modern (I assume) jetplane buzzed us twice, and Syd's latin teacher (who has been on active duty as a reserve) talking about his missions during halftime - overall, a salute to the tropps on Canada Day.
Life is pretty cool.

[stress-kitten.livejournal.com]

Clearly you were catching the extremely rare and elusive Hamiltonian Flying Crawdad.

Looks like you had a blast... and yes, it's a pretty idyllic existence.

[hossblacksilver.livejournal.com]

I wasn't the only one thinking that. ;)

[momentrabbit.livejournal.com]

Darth Dog seems to have mastered Force Jump. ;D

[sassy-fae.livejournal.com]

I grinned all the way through this post. What a great looking day!

[kisekileia.livejournal.com]

Do your kids confuse Grandpa and Santa Claus? :)

[summerfields.livejournal.com]

I wish Jasper could come and play!
(and us, too....oh, I miss Hidden Valley!)

Regarding beards

[katepufftail.livejournal.com]

http://harkavagrant.com/index.php?id=22

:)

[kfops.livejournal.com]

You seem to have a great life, but I think there is also a certain quotient in there about how you've embraced the life that you've been given, too. I may've mentioned it before, but it certainly looks like you're doing it all right!

[elvishefer.livejournal.com]

That first photo done up as a monochrome (I think that's what the technique is called) and cracked up would be awesome.

It'd look like something out of Field and Stream.

[elvishefer.livejournal.com]

I was thinking of something like this, but I don't have the Photoshop skills to pull it off properly.

[pyat.livejournal.com]

Dude, that is very cool.

[paka.livejournal.com]

I wish I had a lot of the same stuff. But I'm really glad someone's getting to have this experience - someone I like, who isn't part of my country's superficial ruling class. If that makes any sense.