Parc de la Gatineau

A papa’s delight is a toddler’s terror (Letter #041)

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We'd have been *really* scared if we'd seen what was behind us!

Papa learned a valuable parenting lesson this past weekend: It’s really easy to over-estimate your child’s readiness for things.

We took Baobao to the Luskville Falls trail in Gatineau Park on Saturday, where the southern tip of Canadian Shield descends into the Saint Lawrence Lowlands. Our intention: to hike at least part of the Luskville Falls Trail.

In retrospect, a pretty dumb idea even if conditions had been ideal. The National Capital Commission rates it as a “Difficult” climb, and we had a toddler in tow.

But it wasn’t the difficulty that made us turn around. Read More …

Letter from two bubbles (Letter #026)

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Photo of baby Baobao on Papa Zesser's lap holding the steering wheel of an SUV.

In which Papa Zesser returns from a visit with Mama Raven and toddler Baobao to Parc de le Gatineau with decidedly mixed emotions.

As the west coast of the United States burns, five tropical storms churn through the Caribbean, and both fire and floods afflict much of the rest of the world, Baobao and company are able to visit a beautiful park in which, so it seems, all is well with the world.

Read more …