2003 – A is about 10 weeks old and totally freaked out by the whole thing.

2004 – What a difference a year makes.  A is now wandering the course, learning the basics.

2006 – Skip ahead a couple of years.  A enjoys hanging out with Auntie M.

2006 – K makes his debut at the croquet match.  His hair would debut a year later.

2007 – K is two years old and is already showing his mischievous side.

2008 – A discovers the joys of a feather boa and poses for a photo that will inevitably come back to haunt him.

2010 – K is in his “everything can be turned into a gun” phase

2011 – The boys learn that flamingos come from giant pink eggs.

I traveled first to Yellowknife to attend the Folk on the Rocks music festival.  In the weeks leading up to the trip, I had developed this mental picture of Yellowknife as a rugged frontier town, filled with adventurers, manly men, and eccentrics.  As it turns out, it’s remarkably similar to towns you might find scattered throughout cottage country, complete with all the conveniences of home – Walmart, Tim Hortons, Shoppers Drug Mart, etc.

Yellowknife is a pretty young city, with miners descending on the tiny town in the 1930s in search of gold.  Old Town is a charming collection of mostly original homes from that period.  It’s incredible to think of workers toiling in the mine for hours and then coming home to a little log cabin.

The harbour is a pretty busy place, with lots of fishing charters and float planes taking adventurers to more remote camps. The water in Great Slave Lake is incredibly blue.

This is the most famous street in Yellowknife.  It’s tucked away in Old Town, and truth be told, the sign is really the only thing to see there.  My boys think it’s hilarious, though.

I was struck by the beauty of some of the old cabins, especially the way the weathered wood contrasts with the beautiful wildflowers that manage to thrive in the short growing season.

FYI, apparently this place used to be a whore house.

During the summer, the days in Yellowknife are pretty long.  Dusk started to settle in around 11:00 pm while I was there, so there were probably a couple of hours of darkness each night.  It was definitely the first time I’ve ever seen a rainbow at 10:30 pm.

Based on my brief trip, I have a few suggestions for first-time visitors.

You can’t visit Yellowknife without eating at Bullock’s Bistro.  You’ll find it in Old Town in an old cabin.  It’s a pretty simple menu – mostly a selection of fish (pan-fried or fried) with salad and fries.  I loved my Great Slave Lake whitefish fillet and the warm, rustic buns that came with it.  Some people complain that it’s too expensive, but seriously – it’s good food in a memorable setting, and the cost pales in comparison to however much you spent to get to Yellowknife in the first place.  Grab a seat on the patio and a ten-dollar beer and ease into the northern pace of life.

The Explorer Hotel is arguably the best hotel in town.  I had a nice clean room with a great view of Old Town.  The restaurant and lounge have decent menus, and the staff was very friendly.

There are a few car rental places at the airport.  If you rent from National, the office is located off site so someone will have to come and pick you up.  Hertz and Budget have rental desks right in the terminal.

Up next:  Folk on the Rocks.

Aside from the closure of the 401 on the way home, which caused a massive traffic jam and led to an unwelcome detour through the darkened back roads of Hastings county, it was a good visit.  Kyle and I got together on Saturday night – a rare brothers-night-out made even more special as it was also the 10th anniversary of our dad passing away.

Desmond’s birthday was a fun family get-together.  As the photos below show, he’s a really cute kid.  Like nearly every first birthday, there was a lot of talk about how quickly the year had gone by – looking at my boys, I still can’t believe they’ll be 8 and 6 in just a few weeks.

The cake was a perfect replica of the Man in the Yellow Hat’s yellow hat (banana cake, of course).

Desmond really liked hearing us sing “Happy Birthday”.

Nothing makes K happier than cupcakes and icing.

A is starting to look more like a teenager than a 7-year-old

Desmond making sure he doesn’t waste a crumb.

I think he likes it.

It’s actually a pretty simple hike, and the boys were way more into it this time around. A in particular seemed excited about the possibility of exploring some 100 year-old ruins.

Our destination was the old Thomas “Carbide” Willson fertilizer mill. Built around 1911, it was an impressive sight back in the day, with a mill, dam, and a large condensation tower. Just the walls, foundation, and waterfall remain today, and the site is a popular spot for families and photographers. And nudists.

The mill back in 1917.

The mill as it stands today.

B taking a break after a long 1.48 km hike.

B, A, and…Batman.

Me and the boys hanging out in the old condensation tower.

The challenge when planning a daytrip with two young kids is not to get too ambitious.  My ideal itinerary for the day probably would have included a walk up Mont Royal, shopping on Ste-Catherine, a quick visit to Fluevog on St. Denis, a walking tour of the old city, and steak frites at L’express.  Of course that would have been disastrous with kids in tow, so we limited ourselves to a couple of stops.

First up was Outremont for the legendary bagels at St. Viateur.  As is often the case, the bakery was much smaller than I had imagined, but the smell was heavenly.  Outside the store, dozens of Hasidic Jews were making their way to synagogue – it felt like we’d stepped into a Mordecai Richler novel.

We ended up at a Greek restaurant around the corner for a last breakfast / early lunch.  The boys each ordered a chocolate milk and were rewarded with essentially a chocolate milk shake.  Although it’s a little blurry, K’s excitement at his good fortune is evident.

To top that off, K’s waffles tasted like they were made with doughnut batter drenched in table syrup.  He didn’t seem to mind.

After a nice walk through Old Montreal, we made our way to the Centre des sciences for a little educational fun.  The boys really liked the hands-on activities, and the modern layout made me feel sorry for our poor aging Museum of Science and Technology.  The water table was the highlight – I’m tempted to see if we could build something similar in our basement.

A tries to maximize power generation by changing the flow of water.

The science centre currently has a major exhibition on sex, but it’s recommended for children over the age of 12.  I was tempted to take a walk through, but the thought of A & K grilling us for two hours in the car on the way home on the finer points of reproduction was enough to convince me to leave it for another day.

Our final stop was Olive & Gourmondo on rue Saint-Paul.  While the sandwiches and baked goods are terrific, it’s not really the ideal place for kids.  We decided on the $14 mac and cheese for K, and of course he ate about three bites before declaring “I’m full”.  A picked at a green salad before deciding he didn’t like it.  At least they enjoyed the cookie on the walk back to the car.

In the end, the boys had a great time and are eager to return.  As they slept in the car on the way home, I began planning another trip for the winter.  Perhaps we’ll take the train, stay in a hotel, and visit the Biodome and Insectarium.  If we’re lucky, perhaps we can sneak in a trip to Fluevog, too.

In recent years, I’ve gone to Meech Lake many times, and have run into neither politicians nor nudists (nor nude politicians, for that matter). While I prefer the swimming at Lac Philippe and Lac la Peche, the trails at Meech Lake are easily accessible and extremely pretty, especially at this time of year. So, on a cool October morning, I decided to take the boys for a walk on the trail with the hope of making it to the ruins of Thomas Wilson’s carbide mill.

Alas, A and K did not share my enthusiasm for a walk through the woods. Within the first five minutes, concerns were raised about the temperature (too cold), the trail (too steep, too muddy), and potential dangers (wild animals, lava, etc). After considerable negotiation, I convinced them to at least do part of the trail and then we would reassess our plans.

We made it as far as the bridge where Meech Lake empties into Little Meech Lake. The boys were suitably impressed by the clear water and beautiful view, and we spent a bit of time scrambling over the rocks. That was as far as we made it, though – the mill will have to wait for the next hike. On the positive side, the boys did stand still long enough for a few nice photos.

A & K on their own little island. A said “This feels like home to me.”

A admiring the changing leaves across the lake.

It’s so hard to get them to actually stand still and smile together long enough to take a decent picture – this is my new favourite.

K has become pretty photogenic.

K doing his best Jack Benny impersonation.

King Mountain is a pretty good trail for younger kids.  There are a lot of stairs on the way up, but then you’re rewarded with great views of the Ottawa valley at the top.  Interpretative signs along the way also offer an educational element for the scientifically inclined.

One of my many critics has pointed out the scarcity of posts or photos about my wife on the blog.  I shall endeavour to be more inclusive in my posts about family events, and am pleased to offer a number of photos that prove B does, in fact, exist (and in a most beautiful way, I might add).

Enjoying the view from the top of King Mountain

B, A and K.  K is working on his winking – he’s getting there.

Me and B.  A took the photo, and with some cropping it turned out O.K.

Another photo by A.  K is trying to decide whether the stick will fit inside his nose.

K wanted the chance to take a picture too.  If I only had some Photoshop skills we might be able to put together an actual family portrait.

The beginning of the King Mountain trail. Fortunately, the boys were undaunted by the steep ascent.

The reward at the top is a great view of the valley.

The seldom seen, always appreciated moment of brotherly love.

K with his cute pose.

K with his skeptic pose.

A showing off his new smile – the front tooth came out around 6:30 this morning.

DunnD’s Minigolf in Chelsea is a nice little course, complete with a waterfall feature. Not sure what K is doing here – seems like a hip hop kind of pose.

K showing off his nice putting stroke.  Maybe he’ll grow up to be another Tiger (minus the sex addiction and chronic adultery.)

Under my expert tutelage, the boys were both left with tap-ins for birdies.

Of course, no trip to the Gatineaus would be complete without a stop at the Chelsea Bakery for Jamaican patties and brownies, followed by a stop at the IGA for cheap Quebec beer.

If only the boys would have a nap, it would truly be a perfect summer day.

The trip got off to a rough start.  We were creeping along in rush-hour traffic on the way out of town when a dashboard warning light came on.  Our power steering had failed, and despite my herculean efforts (turn the car off, turn it back on, curse, repeat), it wouldn’t work.  Fortunately our local garage agreed to stay open until we could get back there, and of course it worked perfectly when we got there.  In any case, nearly four hours after I left work we were finally on the road, which is not the ideal way to start a 540 km drive.

The rest of the weekend was great.  The boys met their new cousin Desmond, completed an epic Easter-egg hunt, and had a fun play-date with cousin Ian.  We stopped in Kingston on the way home and took a walk down memory lane.  We took a trip on the Wolfe Island ferry and gave the boys their first taste of Indian food at Darbar.  Overall, a very enjoyable 72 hours.

A, K, and new cousin Desmond (approx. 1 month old)

A at Tiffany Falls in Ancaster

K enjoying the Tim Hortons Canada doughnut.

Attention Tim Hortons:  This image is available for future promotional campaigns.  Please contact me directly to discuss pricing.

Me and the boys sticking close to the flotation devices…just in case.

One frustrating thing about getting the school photos is the weird sizes you end up receiving. I spent a fair amount of time trying to find a nice hinged 4 x 6 photo frame, and nearly lost it on Christmas Eve when I found out the actual photo size is 3.5 x 5. What the hell is that?

Last year’s school photos were a little disappointing. There was something odd about A’s photo – I can’t exactly put my finger on it, but it just didn’t look like him. They also had him pose with his chin resting on his hand, and that became his default photo pose for the next six months.

I think this year’s photos are much better. A & K look like little Alex P. Keatons in their sweater vests, but that’s O.K. – I totally wanted to be Alex when I was in grade 9. Enjoy.

K, Junior Kindergarten

A, Grade 1