Hello Everyone,

We watched "Anne of Green Gables" recently which should explain the several quotes or allusions. This post and the story of Anne Shirley really have nothing to do with each other, except that both are set in Canada. So to Canada let us go.

The Extended Martin Family Goes to Canada

No, we didn't take a bus.

Though could it be that Grandpa is taking his dump-truck?

Finally we arrived. In Canaba.

Trust me, Candace's spelling has been showing major improvement over the past few years.

Since we were in Canada, a maple leaf. Obviously.

(Candace, now that we've mastered your spelling, perhaps we will turn our attention to your drawing.)

The first evening was... A time to look at pictures.

And a time to take them.

What's this? Wow! Definitely a time to take pictures.

Definitely not a time to ride bike.

Ladies on cowback.

Who said being a lady is easy?

Ladies in waiting (for their turn).

Ladies in distress?

Or not so distressed.

The knight with shining air compressor comes to the rescue, and we're good to go again for a while, except...

...it looks like it's time to play "pin the tail on the donkey."

Dad and Uncle Gary, you coming too?

Dad: "When I became a man, I put away childish things."

The question is, did Cindy?

My fire-leaping cousin.

His photo-loving sister.

Pretty abstract for me, I know.

The next morning, many veteran cooks...

...give Gloria advice on her beans.

(It's a good thing she wasn't making soup or it would have been spoiled for sure.)

Fortunately, this sign was in the local bookstore, not on our aunt's door.

The aforesaid local bookstore.

Love me, love my crayfish.

Love crayfish?!

Before it was martyred for -

its Faith!

Well, I suppose in the end it was a romantic way to perish, for a crayfish.

Having Uncle Dale pull them - probably not a romantic way for weeds to perish.

It's hard work to fulfill Daddy's vision sometimes.

Adam gets weeding the yard and picking up toys confused.

Hey, where'd my toy go?

Over lunch, the scientific club convenes to discuss string theory, wave/matter duality, Lorentz contraction, multiple universe theories, space-time warpage, and double-slit interference patterns. Seriously, they did.

The wrong lens gets you into the wrong places.

Even from that position, I couldn't get the photo. Gloria's powershot saved the day.

Not only did I have the wrong lenses at the wrong places, I also was at the wrong places at the wrong times. I totally missed this photo shoot. Powershot to the rescue again.

I didn't miss this photo shoot, but the subjects did miss the point. It makes for an intriguing randomness that captures my cousins far better than any formal shot.

For volleyball, Seth was the server.

Grandma was the press.

When Grandma left, we were de-pressed.

No depression here.

Or here, unless you count the depression in the grass.

Saturday afternoon, instead of posting to my blog (it did that by itself *sniff*), I went to this local gorge. Local, as in close to our aunt's house.

Gorge-ous.

Jealous?

Ever been on the blog before, Uncle Jay? Your first time too, Caleb? Sorry, didn't mean to overlook you.

Candace Martin, what on earth are you doing?! Fishing for lake trout?

Me and Gloria - uh, make that Gloria and I.

Row vs. Wade

*scratches head* Big decision.

With no boat in sight, Seth realizes that there is only one option.

It's not the first time Row has come up against Wade. This time the right one won.

The sore-necked-photographer way to carry a camera.

The no-axe-available way to split wood.

"Come to finish the job?"

A responsible mother and father providing food for...

...the empty plates of their children.

Mom... Dad... My plate's empty again.

So we were having this debate over who's coolest.

Pretty sure it's not him.

I think you're both pretty cool.

But this guy takes the prize for coolness. After all, heat does rise.

That charred thing on the end of the stick - it's the second course of every true hot dog roast.

Mindtrap question: When the day after tomorrow is yesterday, today will be as far from Wednesday as today was from Wednesday when the day before yesterday was tomorrow. What is the day after this day?

It stumped us. You figure it out.