Josh's Birthday Gifts from Mom

Christmas Trees from Hartland, NB

I broke out my Christmas CDs this week, including... Jim Henson and the Muppets! I started seeing truckloads of Christmas trees last week heading down the highway. Just to the right of the view is a big truck and a bunch of trussed trees ready for shipment. It was kind of sad. In Boiestown, I saw wreaths in production. Some of these are probably headed for New England and Ontario.

There are two weeks left for Christmas prep among international borders. You'd better post, or group email something soon, or gawd knows what surprises you'll end up with in what locations!

Here's my list:
pictures
wwww.chapters.indigo.com
Check the wishlist for wlisik@gmail.com
argyle socks
hat
mittens
skinny spatula
something interesting
a good story
food
a dog

Saying Goodbye

Bjorn and Isaiah had some alone time on Thursday night.

Weymouth, NS

These are scenes of the same place, from opposite angles. Weymouth is about 15 min. from Digby, NS. It's small, and pretty, but the fish in the Sissipeeg river are contaminated from a naturally occuring bacteria resulting from the low water levels (as I understood it).

Souris Church

This is the Anglican church in Souris, PEI, on the upper East coast. A sign on the primary graveyard tree says it is still in use in the summer. No doubt it's a good tourist attraction. I've noticed that the churchs in PEI in general are colourful: yellow, blue, striped, etc. Even if the church building is mostly white, the window frames and steeples might be decoratively painted in black, blue, red or green. Church steeples are especially popular to stripe (vertically and horzinatlly). I've never really understood the attraction of tourists who go around looking at churchs before, but I couldn't help craning my head at most of them this week.

Mournful Cow

I took this near Mount Stewart, PEI. The seagulls hang out in the empty fields, it looks like they're nesting in the furrows. They also hang out in the green grass fields, with or without cows. This guy looked a little overwhelmed byt them, but really, all the cows looked sad on Thursday- it was rainy.

Ominous Tower

So ominous that the only explanation can be that i was once improsoned here during a now forgotton part of my life. Even now scrambling away forom it's shadow brings back feelings of liberation and hope.

Or it's just an old tower and i like the word ominous.

Minus the Bear at the Middle East Downstairs

pretty swell. pretty unexpected.
it's great being a contrubutor by the way!

A beautiful day deserves a good song

Tony and Isaiah dance to Curtis Mayfield, on Thanksgiving Monday.

the six million dollar man

Tragic accident left me maimed. I am forever grateful to professor peabody for building me a mechanical ankle.

Isaiah Sleeps Some More

Isaiah may not be sorry to Josh go, but he will regret Josh's comfortable clothing, tossed onto a comfortable air mattress. He takes up position every day, making good use of the afternoon sunlight.

Josh Chooses Hudak's Grade A Dark Amber

We did a maple syrup taste test last night with 3 Vermont and 2 New Brunswick maple syrups. This is Josh's champion, a selection Tony and I both panned (I went for a NB selection).

Josh's Butt; Josh as Bjorn

Shy Sam

Sam stayed at Gramie's on the night before school started. It was also our last night there, when everyone suddenly became camera happy. Although he tried to escape poor Sam was surrounded and didn't have many options in the end but to have his photo taken by a herd of rude relatives.

Classic Gramie

Every time Gramie noticed her picture was being taken, she was inspired to stick her tongue out. She's eating a gingerbread cookie Zeb and Shayo brought her from the Fairfax bakery. I hung out with a fat dog on the porch.

Josh and Gramie

Kuna, at Gramie's Request

Zeb and Shayo try Tenting

Zeb and Shayo slept in Tony's tent in Gramie's backyard. They were inspired by our Cape Breton pictures. We were likewise inspired to recreate the sense of immediate wildlife we witnessed in Cape Breton. To that end, a snuffling wild dog visited on their first night.

The Scrabble Game

When Lisiks congregate, they play games. Shayo has adapted very well to this approach, and probably asked for games more than Gramie or Josh did, on our recent visit. Unfortunately, Zeb won this game.

Everyone Loves Sam

Zeb and Mikaela at Camp

Smiley Shayo

Shayo kept rocking, and I kept blurring the photo. Tony was the only steady hand around and took this shot Monday night as we all became photo happy.

Don of the Puzzle Mafia

Peter gave this puzzle to Gramie for Christmas 2005. And everyone has been wokring on it since. It was really Shayo who gained the most progrees on it this weekend. But Zeb was responsible for finding pieces under the heater, and Gramie was the crucial cheering section.

Matt and Zeb on a Couch

The living room was a lazy scene of reading, puzzling and watching the National when Matt arrived to pick up Josh.

Kuna Husks Corn

This organic corn was picked, purchased, husked, cooked and eaten on Sunday, and it was tasty!

Chatty Gramie

Josh and Zeb on a Couch

Josh and Zeb on Gramie's couch.

Sam and Peaches

Sam Flanagan was hanging out at Gramie's on Sunday evening, when Matt came to pick up Josh.

Grand Army of the Republic

Route 15 in Vermont is also known as the Grand Army of the Republic Highway, which seemed like a misnomer as it wound lazily through fields, farms and small cute villages selling antiques.

Another Lisik Lives on the Air Mattress

Isaiah Helps Make the Bed

Tony as Tugboat Operator

Eddie does Yoga

More from Cape Breton

Camp Tony in Cheticamp. This one's for Shayo who is rumoured to be envious of the camping life. He's preparing a pancake breakfast.

We saw these black bears on the side of the road, in the park, between Cheticamp and La Grande Falaise. The mother is reacting to the cars pulling over on her side of the road, and people getting out. Otherwise, she didn't mind. They're busy turning over rocks, looking for things to eat, I think.

View of a house Tony and I liked, on La Petit Etang, just north of Cheticamp. Note the details of the roof. Eventually, we lost count of the number of houses in Cheticamp and surrounding area with that kind of roof.

Crofter's Hut

This is a replica of a Scottish crofter's hut. The guy who bequeathed the land for the Cape Breton Highlands National Park required that a replica be built like the one in Skye, Scotland. Skye, is where many of the Scots came from who settled in the area that is now the Cape Breton Highlands. It's pretty dark and dank inside. On the left, there is no wall. Apparently that's where you would herd in your animals and make a peat wall, for bad weather.

Windblown at La Petit Etang

This was a convenient sod finger just begging for someone to run and stand on it. In retropsect, I should have a frock with extra fabric to blow around with.

Tony and his Ancestral Street Sign

Here's Tony in Cheticamp. We're pulled over on the Cabot Trail, heading south. This is the third of three photos where I'm trying to get him to smile.

Cape Breton

Tony and I spent an extended weekend camping in the Cape Breton Highlands National Park.

The top image is La Grande Falaise. The cliff is covered in scree and looks like it could fall down on you while you're on the road. We're viewing it from La Petit Etang, a beach.

The second photo is from French Mountain, but I don't know what this mountain is called. We're standing at a curve in the road, hugginh French Mountain, looking into a free fall to the valley below.

I'm not sure where the third photo is taken from, but it looks typical of the Western side.

Zeb in his uniform

Yes well there it is.
actually the apron is worn in half, so the top part is folded down. it forces students to be more mindful of their neatness