You know how you have a family tree with all your uncles, aunts, grandpas, grandmas, dad, mom, brothers, sisters, and cousins? It’s the same with apes. They have a family tree with their different species. We’re on the ape family tree because we are a species of apes. There are hundreds of species of apes. There’s neandertals, australopithecines, paranthropus, homo erectus, homo sapiens, homo antecessor, and a whole bunch of others. Our tree is full of ape species.

Most ape species come from Africa and climb trees. We apes, evolved through time. Instead of walking on four hands and climbing trees, we walk on two feet. It’s amazing how we can get new techniques as we evolve. We apes now have better speech and technology, thanks to evolution.

Skye was very safe. She listened intently as I briefed her on safety procedures, range rules and firearm operations. She primarily shot with my Ruger Mark III Hunter .22 pistol. When that got heavy she switched to my Glock G26 9mm, but she didn’t like the harder recoil.

Her shots early were high and to the right. After discussing techniques to improve her accuracy she was able to shoot a loose grouping around the center of the target. I was quite proud.

We had a great time. She says she wants to go again, which I think is terrific. She’s an excellent shooter.

Skye was very excited to shoot guns for the first time

Skye enjoyed loading magazines

Skye did a great job with both accuracy and safety

Skye had a great time with me at the range

Skye was thrilled one of her shots was in the bullseye

The 9mm Glock G26 was a bit much for Skye

I enjoyed shooting at my new club with Skye

Safe and ready to go

We have an ocean and mountains and lakes and woods and lighthouses. We have real seasons. I love to see the first snows of winter, see the new buds on the trees in spring, visit the hot sandy beach in summer, and photograph the beautiful foliage in autumn.

We have excellent hiking trails and beautiful islands around which to kayak.

I also love the proximity to Boston, New York and Montreal.

New Englanders are smarter than the people in other regions of the country. That’s a relief, for sure!

Brent: What is so great about Family Night?

Hayley: I think it’s so great because we can all get together and have a time to be together and, like, spend time with each other.

Brent: How many numbers are there?

Hayley: Infinity and beyond.

Brent: If you could choose any ice cream toppings, what would they be?

Hayley: Chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. Marshmallows. Hot fudge.

Brent: Would you like to have another brother or another sister?

Hayley: Sister. They aren’t so, like, wild, like you are.

Brent: Why are boys smarter than girls?

Hayley: I don’t know.

Brent: Why do kids have to wait until they’re 16 to drive?

Hayley: Because they can see better and they can learn how to drive.

Brent: What are three things you can do with a banana?

Hayley: Peel the skin, eat it, put it in cereal.

Brent: What is your favorite book?

Hayley: Germs, Germs, Germs.

Brent: Why is Dad so great?

Hayley: Because he wrestles with me and takes care of me.

Brent: What is so fun about wrestling?

Hayley: When you tickle me. And I like when I tickle you. Getting unstuck.

Skye: If you could change your full name to anything, what would you change it to?

Brent: I wouldn’t.

Skye: If you could interview anyone else in the whole wide world, who would you interview, and why?

Brent: The intellectual, Christopher Hitchens. Because he’s brilliant and interesting.

Skye: Have you ever felt left out? How?

Brent: All the time. I feel left out by my family because I’m not a member of their church, the Mormons.

Skye: What would you rather do, live by the ocean, in the forest, or on top of a mountain, and why?

Brent: The ocean. I love the ocean because I love the salty smell, I love how pretty the water is, I love the sounds of the sea gulls, I love the beach…bikinis. Everything about the ocean is great.

Skye: If there was only one thing you could take pictures of, what would it be and why?

Brent: Naked women, because they’re all beautiful and they’re all different.

Skye: If you could be anything in the world, what would you be and why?

Brent: A bald eagle, because they can fly really high and they’re an apex predator.

Skye: What do you like better, electric games or board games?

Brent: I like board games but not boring games. Card games, perhaps. I like thinking games. Strategy games. I like flight simulators, too. And racing games.

Skye: Have you ever met a famous person?

Brent: I once met Donny Osmond at church.

Skye: If you had to leave somewhere and you could only bring three of your things, what would you take and why?

Brent: My camera. My computer. My family.

Skye: If there could be only one animal to live on the whole wide earth, what would you want it to be and why?

Brent: It’s a silly question. An African lion.

This morning the girls and I met Jason for breakfast at the Palace Diner in Biddeford. It was excellent, as usual! After Jason left I met a couple guys my age and enjoyed a conversation about iPhones and education (they both had iPhones and one was a local elementary school principal).

Breakfast at the Palace Diner in Biddeford

After breakfast we washed the car before driving to the ferry terminal in Portland. The girls always enjoy the automated car wash so I procrastinated until they could be with me. They were not disappointed and giggled the entire time.

The girls LOVE to go through the automatic carwash

We met Jason, David and Bob at the ferry terminal. Because the sky was overcast and the weather colder than forecast we decided to go only as far as Long Island. We bought our tickets and embarked Aucocisco III at Gate 3.

The girls got a table inside and read books while the rest of us braved the frigid windy cold to capture photographs. The ferry made several stops before we disembarked.

Photo: David Chu

Photo: Bob Delaney

Skye braves the cold on the deck of Aucocisco III

Photo: David Chu

Portland Head Light and Spring Point Ledge Light

Hayley inside the Casco Bay Ferry Aucocisco III

Jenna braves the cold as we pass island in Casco Bay

Photo: David Chu

Photo: David Chu

At Long Island we found a small store. The shopkeeper was a very nice lady who gave us fresh coffee and allowed us to photograph everything. Bob wanted decaf but there wasn’t any brewed since their only decaf drinker was not on the island. She made a pot especially for Bob. From the store we walked up a hill a short distance until we found an old fire truck parked in the snow. It was weathered and rusty and perfect as a photography subject. We explored and photographed every detail. Before long it was time to head back to the dock so we wouldn’t miss the ferry back to Portland.

Our ferry, the Aucocisco III

Snickers and David Chu

Photo: David Chu

The girls and old lobster pots at Long Island, Maine

David (and Bob) tried his first Moxie on Long Island today

Share the road, with everything

And old firetruck at Long Island, Maine

Jason shoots David through the tube

The girls at Long Island, Maine in Casco Bay

Bob, Jason and David are dedicated to the craft

Photo: David Chu

It was great to hang out with the guys, smell the salty sea air and take over 300 photographs. On the way to Portland Skye said, “I like Maine better than Kansas. In Kansas you can’t ride a ferry.” I like Maine better, too.

After chemistry I took Kirsten to Eggspectations where we enjoyed Stimulus Pancakes (they’re free!). Kirsten looked amazing in her short plaid skirt and thigh-high knit socks. Oh, and the rest of her, too. I didn’t have my camera or phone so I sketched her picture on the Science section of the New York Times. She doesn’t think my artwork is an accurate depiction. What do you think?

On the way home we stopped by Borders so I could pick up the current issue of The Economist.

I love Kirsten. It brings me great pleasure to just sit and talk with her. And to make plans. And to just be together.

Kirsten Uhler

We did it! We made it to lucky number thirteen. I really hate to celebrate an institution for which I have so much disdain. However, any excuse to celebrate you and us is good enough for me.

I love you, Babe. You make my world go ’round. You’re sexy and smart and funny. You’re the best mom on the planet and a damn good lover.

You complete me. I look forward to the next year together, and I cherish the hours, minutes and seconds.

Cheers.

I grew up in Alaska so these Maine winters don’t really bother me. As I said, I actually like them which makes most other Mainers scratch their heads and give me quizzical looks. Kirsten and I agree that the winters here are far more agreeable than those we experienced in Kansas.

I think it’s important to have balance in our lives. Winter balances summer nicely. People in Maine are adventurous and active partly because most activities are seasonal. The anticipation heightens the experience.

Winter, especially in Maine, is awesome. It snows a lot, which makes for fantastic photographs: lots of reflected light and very long shadows. For the most part the snow can be swept off the porch and vehicles because it’s dry and light. I rarely have to scrape ice off the car’s windscreens, which is nice.

Heating the apartment sucks. It’s expensive. Kirsten doesn’t run around the apartment clad in a t-shirt and panties during winter. I miss that. But there’s always next summer.

Here are a few photographs I took this morning. Enjoy.

Our plowed street

Mainers know how to plow snow (and drive in it). This is how our street looked early this morning. How awesome is that?!

Debbie in snow. I need to put her in storage.

I need to put my bike in storage. She won’t see action until spring.

Looking out on a winter sunrise

David is very good about clearing the driveway

When it comes to snow removal our landlord, David, rocks! I think he’s spent about as much time blowing snow the past few days as he’s spent indoors. Thanks, David.

David clears the snow from our parking spots

David removes snow from the driveway. Then I sweep the snow off the cars (with a kitchen broom, which the girls think it hilarious) and move them to the freshly cleared driveway so David can blow the snow off our parking spots. It’s a good system. We’ve done it several times the past few days. We’ll repeat our choreographed dance many times this winter.

Yesterday was the first official day of winter. The days will be getting longer now. Hooray for spring! :)

P.S. I love my vehicle’s remote start!

What can I say about Brent? He’s such a clown. He likes to make me laugh, and it always works. I love that about him.

Skye loves listening to her mp3 player and wants to be a rock star when she grows up. She also gets excited about buying stuff with her own money. So when she happened to get a microphone necklace out of a toy vending machine filled with miscellaneous necklaces, she was ecstatic. She never takes it off. Of course Brent likes to tease her about it, often grabbing the microphone and singing on it. I love that she’s confident enough in herself not to worry about what others think.

Hayley often comes up with clever and unusual thoughts and ideas. She pretended to disguise herself by hiding her face in her turtleneck and blending her white clothes in with the white wall behind her. We were all laughing about it. She’s so funny.

Jenna loves being fancy and pretty. She asked if I would help her paint her fingernails and toenails the other day. She wanted the fingernails on each of her hands to be a different shade of pink and the toenails on each of her feet to be a different shade of red. She was so careful about not touching anything after they were painted. I think she would have liked to wear sandals to school so everyone could see her lovely toes.

This is my wonderful and unique family. I appreciate all their characteristics which make them individuals. They’re great!