Warning Signs

Proof that I need to change the password on my phone. This was one of a series of bathroom selfies.  Juniper also managed to turn my GPS off, leading to hi-jinx galore as I tried to find someplace downtown one day

The post this week comes to you live from not-so-sunny Fredericton, NB.  This year's annual CMOS (the Canadian Meteorological and Oceanographic Society) meeting is happening here, and Clark was, of course, committed to go.  The rest of us made a relatively last-minute decision to all tag along.  This decision wasn't made lightly: it is a VERY long car ride there and back, and the kids are missing a whole week of school (meaning I am therefore hanging out with them, rather than carting them off every day), but in the end we decided it was worth it.  I'll tell you all about it next week, complete (hopefully) with a nice round of photos.  In the meantime, however, I bring you a little exposé entitled: warning signs.

I often write here about the beautiful green space around our home in Kanata, posting pictures from my daily walks, like this:

It is as wonderful as it sounds.  But it is not perfect.  There are reminders along many of my favourite trails that these paths and woods are only temporary -- that some day soon, they will be levelled in the name of expansion. Or, as in the case of this trail, that the expansion has already begun:

"Trail closed due to construction"

The community, however, is not silent -- along one path, in particular, they have reclaimed the danger signs to convey their own messages about the importance of green space:

It is a pretty interesting form of community dialogue and protest, and I am following it, of course, intently. 

Back on the home front, Juniper has been making some signs of her own.  This one is posted on her door:

Anyone have a guess as to what this is warning against?  Exactly what it seems, as it turns out:  "no smoking cigarettes by fruit trees".  Juniper is concerned the smoke will "get in" the fruit, and make people sick.  A very good reminder.

Then, there was this gem, which I found on her desk one morning:

Translation: "Do not listen to dad.  Do not eat what dad gives you.  Warning!  Do not get in trouble!"

This was after a bit of an argument, wherein Clark insisted that Juniper have some protein for breakfast.  She was requesting bread with butter and jam; Clark told her that if she wanted bread, it had to have peanut butter.  She stomped off to her room, and apparently took out her frustrations in the form of (relatively hilarious) warning sign to herself.  

There are, however, some positive signs around as well, if you know where to look:

"a big hug" (thataway)

And with that, I'm off to figure out what Fredericton has in store for us today. I'll report back next week!