Kayaking through Swamp Water

The houses in Fitch Bay stand in front of the river that feeds into Lake Memphremagog. There are a surprising amount of water plants in the river, and the long weeds turn to grass and lily pads as you kayak down the river.

The roots are visible like this.

In the mornings, the lilies in bloom can be seen. They were small and white...

...but I found a lone yellow one.

... 

There were also many different types of dragonflies. I particularly liked this one, with the pretty wings.

Red dragonfly.

Turtles on a log. They were mighty quick to disperse when they sensed the boat coming near.

A water helicopter, tethered like a dog on a leash.

 Found in the water.

 Trapped for a moment, and then set back into water.

A Walk in Fitch Bay

One of the more morbid "be careful" signs I've seen in my life: "Be careful with our children. It could be yours."

Signs of fall already.

Puffin the dog, oblivious to the caterpillar in front of her.

 

They come in white...

...but more or less seem to alternate in yellowness, whiteness, and furriness.

The best yard on the street.

Perfect little dahlia.

The beetle looks almost ornamental.

Bee colonies are said to be disappearing in North America, but I saw so many of them on my walk.

Spiderweb spun like cotton candy.

Super-sour berries.

Raspberries that were more seed than berry.

Woodpecker holes.

Moss overgrown on a tree stump.

Sunrise Times Two, and Twilight

Sunrise in Fitch Bay, a village thirty minutes' drive away from Magog.

It would have been sunrise hour, except for the huge blanket of fog that obscured everything.

Mid-September and it must have been only 8 degrees Celsius.

After-dinner marshmallow roast on the same exact spot, with a fire going.

We could hear coyotes around us, which became increasingly chilling.

Better luck finding the sun two days later, when it was much warmer as well.

Waiting for it to come up over the forest meant it took about an hour after the actual sunrise.

Introducing Magog

Magog, Quebec, a two-hour drive east from Montreal.

 

Looking at the row of shops in the center of town, you wouldn't guess that the population is only around 25,000.

It seems to be an area full of vacation homes, both in summer and winter. There is a beautiful lake so long that it extends beyond the US-Canada border and into Vermont, with rows of pretty little houses along the channel.  

Pretty little church that gleams as if it's been painted silver.

The local supermarket (a Metro, a supermarket chain found in Ontario and Quebec) also stocks Magog-made products.

Is the phone box a time machine?

Summer was at  the end stage, but the flowers were still in bloom and overflowing.

Papier-mache rooster.

Third Street Promenade on Labor Day

 On my walk from the Santa Monica Pier to the Third Street Promenade, a looooong stream of cyclists passed me by.

British iconography in LA.

The mismatched time on these clocks drove me crazy. How blue and how beautiful is that sky?

I could recognize that face everywhere. Unfortunately, this was not a sequel to Ghost World.

This woman had the thinnest, hugest hoops in her ears, and was gorgeous to boot.

Baby cacti.

A Japanese want ad in LA, with some specific requirements that will probably make hiring easy for them:

-Someone who is looking for a new experience.
-Someone who is a little interested in cooking.
-Someone who is in need of money.
-Someone who is energetic, motivated, and friendly.

Dinosaurs line the Promenade, for some stylistic reason.