puddle jumpers

Springtime = water and mud = rubber boots = puddle jumping.
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(notice the muddy bottom)

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“DADDY HELP ME!” Adelaine dives face first in the soggy grass, but doesn’t want to put her hands down to push up as it is wet.

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Adelaine dredges to puddle to ensure maximum splashing depth.

Puddle Jumping

Puddle Jumping

another year…

and another steak.

Troy_birthday_-20090410-28 by you.

This year, my fabulous wife made us steak, carrots, stuff baked potato with cheese, sour cream, and garlic.

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Mmmm… grain fed local Alberta beef. One of the best steaks I have ever had. Looking at the size of these brontosaurus steaks I determined that as I am no longer a teenager (when steak dinners included two plates, one barely containing the massive steak, the other with the rest of my meal) I wouldn’t be able to eat the whole thing. Wrong.

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It’s almost enough to make me want my next birthday to come quickly. Almost.

The girls were more than happy to help me to blow out the candles and open presents.

Troy_birthday_-20090410-52 by you.

The in-laws must have figured that I would be depressed as it was my birthday, so they got me enough anti-depressants (a.k.a. potato chips and ketchup) to last me a few days.

Troy_birthday_-20090410-10 by you.

So.. how old is I? Here is a clue:

Troy_birthday_-20090410-44 by you.

Oh yeah.. I had some cards and presents too. Yup, another April 10th, another birthday. Life is good.

Good Friday

It may just be a bunch of dust being backlit by the stars of the host galaxy, but the impression it gives is a more substantial. Galaxy NGC 7049 is being dubbed the “Crown of Thorns” galaxy, for obvious reasons. A timely reminder of the sufferings of Jesus.


Credit: NASA, ESA and W. Harris (McMaster University, Ontario, Canada)

In other news, Ellie likes to wander around the house singing random things. It is always a joy as parents to hear her sing about one of her favorite subjects: Jesus.

Happy Easter.

Mountain Mirage

Awhile I go I was driving to work on a cold, clear morning and suddenly hit the brakes. Something wasn’t right.. there was something that didn’t look the way it should. It took me a few seconds to realize that I shouldn’t be able to see the Rocky Mountains from this part of the road. Sure, after I round the corner they are there before me, but here, I couldn’t remember seeing anything more that just the peaks barely visible above the trees. Yet there they were..

Mountain Mirage

This mirage is caused by a temperature inversion of layers of air, creating an optical illusion. It was a strange sight as a drove to work and I stopped frequently to take pictures as the effect changed as I went up and down hills. Sometimes the tops of the mountains seemed normal, but there was this weird middle part that looked like it was stretched by a inept photoshop hack, other times the tops were inverted and cut off, and some times there were gaps in the mountain range where they just disappeared.

Mountain Mirage

mountain mirage air inversion