First week of July Pics - Holidays!

One of our favorite aspects to our place is the backyard and of course the inflatable kiddie pool is a must with our Manitoba summers of heat & humidity! So here's a few shots of the kids enjoying the backyard pool!Zachary's first plunge with his doting sisters Aimee & Chelsea.

I'm not convinced the hat is a great fashion choice but it kept the sun off his head.

Zach's surf shorts are pretty rad from my perspective!

Aimee with her gorgeous eyes!
Zee chillin'

Chels & Zach

The pantry at the Star Lake cottage has this cool glass door that I discovered the girls playing in when they were supposed to be getting ready for bed. It just so happened there was some cool light shining into the cottage from the sun setting & it just illuminated the girls well - so a little artsy but I think the results are cool!Chelsea peering out in discovery mode!Another more artsy shot of the girls in the pool - they play with water while I play with light!

The Mighty Ducks of Star Lake

Another series featuring a clearly identified subject - the mighty ducks of Star Lake. They happen to rest upon our shoreline occasionally - I guess they like the beach?A classic headshot - good color in the shot but not overly exciting.

One of my personal favorite shots in this set - I love how the middle duck pops amongst his blurred siblings. I got unbelievable close to these presumably wild ducks who only got nervous when I got closer than a couple feet from them or made an unnatural sound.

Another tight closeup - wildlife photographers recommend focusing on the eye of the subject but ducks are tough because of their large beaks which tend to become the focal point - so I focus just behind the eye.

Another group shot of the ducklings - not sure how old these babies are but they still can't fly.

I like the huddle of the ducks on the beach with the lake within squawking distance!

Another headshot - with a curious nip of feather in its' beak - probably from grooming itself or one of its ducklings.I'm in the water for this shot - which panics the mama duck a bit until all the ducklings leave the beach and start to explore the shoreline. They calm down eventually and I get a whack of pictures of them in the water. I had to really play with my exposures here with the fading light of the sun setting.A shot taken basically right above the duck in the water - I wanted to capture the webbed foot utilizing the almost clear water that magnifies the sandy bottom. The orange-y color is the result of the light & sand below.Another favorite shot of mine - taken at their level towards the shore with the sun setting behind me. My camera was inches from the surface of the lake & I managed to still get their reflection in the water along with some color from the sun.

The Role of Shared Experience in Relationship

When I used to do more whitewater kayaking - it was always cool to meet up with other paddlers - you were instantly connected because well - we're a rare breed and engaging danger somehow bonds people. A shared experience in dealing with any obstacle somehow builds or cements relationships. Climbing rock or ice is the same thing, once you've trusted another person with your life - there is a connection that stays with you. What does danger do to relationships?

The previous quote actually comes from a response I submitted from a previous blogpost. How does a shared experience of going through struggle, trouble, or danger if you will unite people? If you think of the significant friends you have developed over the years, there is always a story that captures that relationship. Something that makes you laugh or cry when you recall it or share it with another.

Remember when...you broke your arm? you wiped out over that jump? I lost control of my dad's truck two days after passing my drivers' test and ended up going through a ditch full of snow & water? When we traveled to Israel and our bus window exploded because of some Palestinian throwing a rock at us? When we paddled the White River? When we climbed Mt. Jacques Cartier? When we paddled the Ocoee River? When we mountain biked Tsali in North Carolina? When we saw those northern lights at Red Rock?

Each of those queries are real stories about my life that I share with someone else. Each of those stories helped shape who we are both as individuals but more importantly as friends. There is a camaraderie that exists on a heavenly plane it seems when we go to war together as soldiers, when we take on a wild descent with a bike or kayak, when we face danger head on together! Band of Brothers is my all-time favorite mini-series which captures how men become brothers through facing the trials of life & death on the battlefield of world war two.

What events took place in your life to make you the man or woman you are today?

My guess is that other people were involved in those events.

What stories & what relationships have shaped you?

One of my key aims in life is to live a full life! A life marked by adventure, by passion, by relationships, by stories, by wide-eyed wonder! Isn't that what explore play is all about?

Busy Weekend Big Escape

After a slew of graduation activities on the weekend it was only fair for me to escape for another 12-13km singletrack today on another gorgeous day - cooler temps than Friday but sunny skies. Pat joined me on this one - ironic that it is our first mtn bike ride together this year - I've been either out solo or with others. Started out on Rd 17 - hit the St. Labre junction trail and continued on to the Red Pine section. We had to hurry back as Chelsea had her own exploreplay lined up with a gymnastics demonstration for parents. I got some great pics of her doing both routines and practicing on parallel bars, balance beams, etc. Did I mention I'm really loving my new rig - it just wants to go fast - very light for full-suspension & very responsive! Woot!

Pictures & Personality

Here's an interesting exercise entitled the Imagini Visual Profile that describes a person's personality in response to mood, food, love, habits, etc. by the participant choosing their favorite images. These images interestingly correspond to our personalities & interests. I would have to admit that however you choose pictures, a personality is spun in a positive way. My honest favorite images result in me being described as:

Mood: - adventurous, pioneering attitude, unconventional when it comes to art, good sense of humour, music is the soundtrack to my world, I like to escape reality from time to time. - all true!

Fun: - you love physical activity, spirit of adventure, adrenalin rushes, take risks & push limits, holidays are about exploring, etc. - also all true!

Habits: - you never have enough rest - either too busy or too exhausted, snooze is your best friend or worst enemy, you have a relaxed approach to life & the environment, caffeine, etc. - mostly true!

Love: - a real romantic and bit of a dreamer, freedom is about energy and activity, exploring your boundaries and pushing limits, etc. - mostly true.

All in all the profile is pretty accurate for where I am at right now - have a try & let me know your results as I'm always curious!

Vintage 1989

Weird to think anything is vintage that was made in 1989 but as I googled Game Boy - sure enough it came up as a vintage on Ebay and instead of selling for $99 it is listed at 99 cents. I'm sure it will sell for more but wow! Interestingly, I still have my Game Boy from 1989 and I definitely used it well.
It's pea-green monochrome screen has a few scratches but it has held up well over the test of time. SuperMarioLand & Tetris were probably the most used games on it...

My first year of college I admit to bringing it along to a few of my more dull classes where profs would drone on about theology & philosophy. Tetris helped me stay awake and provided some entertainment while I took in all that valuable information. Plus it had that lovely classical music that obviously deepened my understanding of musical scales & timing. Those creative Russians!
Oh the ironies of life as I know all too well that I've had students playing Solitaire in class on their handy dandy laptops. I like to think generally speaking my lectures keep most more focused & alert. But who knows? I realize that I do use big words too and bring up theology & philosophy in class as well...ultimately - I do know that my relationships with students in the end will count more than anyone lecture but it was cool to get a note & a few comments from students this week who appreciated how the classes had connected with them - maybe the mojo is real!

Escaping the Doldrums

It's been awhile since I've last reflected on the actual focus of this online journal - exploring play. Play can be a distraction from life and clearly we all need to just getaway sometimes but I believe that play can actually help us focus on what life is all about. The lives we live should be full and absolutely play-full. It is through play that we discover what we lose in our busyness - joy for being creative, for being alive!

When we exercise our bodies, our minds, etc. through play we awaken what was lost in the doldrums or in the fast-lane of traffic. How often do the threat of looming deadlines kill our spirit or murky the waters where clarity once existed? Nobody likes to be the Eeyore, the prophet of impending failure - right?

Exploring play is all about changing pace - maybe slowing down or turning a corner or even just resting & contemplating ones' existence. Play can be about asking questions like why do we do what we do? Play can be philosophy just as much as it can be about escaping. Play can bring us back to the importance of relationship - of genuine presence in the lives of others. Are we strangers in the night? When is the last time you laughed? When is the last time you were good and kissed? When is the last time you enjoyed exploring play?

Exploring Key Words

It took me a lot less time "key-wording" exploreplay thankfully than my musings blog. Here are the top seven topics for you to peruse if interested: mountain-biking, traveling, musings, photography, play, quotes, & skiing.

Explore Space

Do have an extra $200,000 kicking around? Wanna go to space? Apparently Virgin Galactic Richard Branson's latest endeavour is in the running to start space tourism! How cool is that? Apparently Branson is hoping to get this new industry going by around 2009...you'll get to fly 100kms or more above the earth, witnessing the earth's curvature & experiencing weightlessness. And apparently, the title of astronaut will be given to all who partake...hmmm - I wonder if I could get a loan for that?

Escape

To escape is to seek freedom from capture. What are the things which hold us, which prevent us from being being free? When we seek escape, it seems we are also seeking refuge. So it is not only the "slipping away" that is our concern but our destination. I love playing with words and exploring their meaning in whatever the context. This diversion called a blog, is in someway an escape. A way of allowing my thoughts escape and find refuge in a netherworld of electronic reality.

When I find escape in sport, I seek the freedom of using my body to its potential. Whether it is rhythmic pedal up a steep hill or the screaming descent into an unknown valley - it is freedom I am pursuing. Freedom from worry, from stress, from the doldrums of life. When I kiss the lips of my beloved - I am finding refuge. When I strum my guitar, when I embrace my wife & kids, when I snap a portrait, when I inhale a sunset, when I dive into the ocean, when I find a place of beauty I've never been before, when I zig zag down a powderey slope, when I surf the perfect wave, when I find the perfect melody, when I find paradise...I have escaped and explored play to its fullest.


One of my favorite quotes of Jesus states, "I have come to bring life and to bring it abundantly." Living life to the fullest - that should be what we explore, what we escape to, what we immerse ourselves into! To live without regret...

Exploring Happiness

I came across this interesting article that notes that Vanuatu is the world's happiest country. I explore the concept of contentment in reaction to the article at my other blogsite: Musings - drop by and leave a comment if you feel so led!

Exploring the Costa Rica Chronicles:

So we are back from Costa Rica and once again I was impressed by how travel changes a person. It doesn't take long to realize the strengths and weaknesses of your culture back home and those of the country you are visiting. The people were incredibly warm & friendly, the food simply unbelievable (who knew that rice & beans could be so good?! and the pineapple, mango, other fruits - simply amazing!), the scenery breathtaking - jungle, coffee plantations, volcanoes, whitewater, waterfalls, etc. I don't regret a trip I've ever gone on - each one is unique in what I learned. Highlights for me included: ziplining through the jungle & rappelling down multiple waterfalls, meeting a red-eyed tree frog, spending time with my wonderful wife Wendy, mtn biking through misty jungle trails, reading books not for work, having amazing coffee, see the "Costa Rica Chronicles" at Musings:

Day One: Arrival To Costa Rica
Day Two: Kayaking & Exploring
Day Three: Volcanoes, Mtn Biking, & Hummingbirds
Day Four: Waterfall Rappelling, Jungle Ziplines, & Fun!
Day Five: Celebrating 10 Years, Snakes & Frogs, Whitewater Rafting
Day Six: Caribbean Coast, Surfing, & a Jungle Eco-Hotel
Day Seven: More of the Carib, Snorkeling, Coconuts, & Driving
Days Eight-Ten: Farewells, R& R, Taste of Italy, & Homeward Bound

Looking For Some Comments

If you look above to my header - you clearly see what the focus of this blog is all about - exploring the role of play in our lives. So here I am attempting to generate some comments on that very topic. I know I have a number of blog visitors who so far have never posted a comment. Perhaps this is in part due to shyness or maybe you just haven't found anything to really comment on but here's your big chance to "come out of the lurker's closet!" What are your top ways of exploring play? What do you enjoy doing to get away from stress or work (that is if you can't play there)?

Obviously for myself - mountain biking is my favorite escape into playdom. It's relatively easy to do and quite economical once you have a bike. Especially if you can bum rides off of friends! Right Pat? I'm paid up now I suppose! Other forms of play include - being creative with photography, just relaxing & spending time with Wendy, playing with my kids, table games like Settlers of Catan or Carcassonne, swimming at our local pool, kayaking or canoeing (preferably whitewater), & skiing in the winter. I could continue but those are probably my favorite ones. I definitely tend to prefer the outdoors as my environment for play - winter tends to quash that somewhat unfortunately.

So yeah lurkers or regular posters - what is your favorite way of exploring play? I know you are out there!!!

Play Au Naturel?

Bet my title caught your eye! No, I'm not referring to playing naked although that would probably make an interesting topic to explore sometime? Instead, I want to explore the question whether or nor play is a learned activity or something that comes naturally, a part of being human?

Obviously we are created for play, why else has the cardboard paper box become such a beacon for creativity! Ever seen the movie Millions? If you have seen you'll understand, if not have a view - well worth it! I think we teach play to an extent but the seeds of play reside in all of us, it is inborn like the need to breathe, think, and explore!

Real, honest play is ripe with creativity! No need for audio tracks, dvd interactive features, battery power, etc. Lose the technology - all you need is just a crayon and a piece of paper; a stick and some sand; some dirt and a finger....and simply add natural inborn creativity and you have play au naturel! Technology in fact often kills the creativity that resides in each of us. There are exceptions like perhaps digital cameras but honestly a pad of paper and a pencil has the potential of creating more beauty than 1's and 0's ever will!

Honest, naked play is stripped of programmed fun and replaced with natural expression of the tools of creativity! All you need is a few ingredients like paper or paint. When is the last time you played in mud? Sat in a sandbox? Fingerpainted? Play-doughed? Made a snowman? The list continues - feel free to post your favorite all-natural full-on play activity! I'll give a prize to the best one ;)

Explore Treehouse

A visit home to Riverside for Thanksgiving resulted in an "explore" of a local treehouse! This is no ordinary treehouse but a multi-tiered fortress that resembled something reminiscent of the elven dwellings in Lord of the Rings...designed by local boys who apparently don't spend time watching TV and rather enjoy exploring play the way it was meant to.

These shots reveal the height and beauty of the tree...click for full view

My daughter Chelsea is in pink, my wife Wendy in the grey top

...and my little sis' Keira way up!!!

Hanging out on a platform just below the highest point!

A shot meant to give perspective of the height of the mighty elm!

Looking down to see the different platform levels.
That's me and my daughter Chelsea below.

The river I grew up along, near the aptly named village of Riverside.

The "Scratching" river at sunset.

Finding Rest in Play

I find rest hurtling down steeps on my mountain bike. I need my legs to be throbbing, my heart beating and my lungs out of breath to truly find release from stress. I love this time of year when it comes to riding. The autumn colors, the visibility on the trail, even the cold air and smells of fallen leaves is so refreshing. How do you find rest - is it in play? When I get home from work I often want to just crash on to my couch and find the remote. But life changed when I got married and eventually we were blessed with kids. I have to say, one of my greatest joys coming home from work is being greeted by my two daughters and wife. Play is not optional - it is a necessity when it comes to life, family, work, and rest!

Bocce on the Labour Day Weekend

Who would have thought I would enjoy such a simple game as bocce. You don't know what bocce is? Check out this link - bocce rules. We made our annual escape to the cottage on a very fine weekend - complete with 30 Degree C. weather on Sunday, some canoeing, gaming, reading, relaxing, playing with our kids, and of course eating! I have to say though I really enjoyed our Friesen bocce tournament - no we aren't italian although my love of their food would perhaps say different! Maybe it was the terrain in which we played the game or perhaps the fact that my team (consisting of me and my brother Blaine versus Dad and my brother Kyle) won 2 of the 3 matches. Hmmm - we'll see how I'll explore play at work this week. That's right college is back in action and I have a lovely week of orienting students in registering their courses for the year tomorrow!

Over and out...

Exploring The Definition of Play

"Play is creatively exploring and finding contentment in life's pursuits: leisure, work, & self-understanding." - any comments, suggestions? I have refined this definition from a number of posts and the contributions of others but I am still willing to tweak it further with your help! Or if you just want to give me a high five I'm cool with that too! Play should be possible wherever we are - at work, at home, on the soccer field, or in the office! How does play affect our leisure quality? How does it change how we work? And in what way does it contribute to our self-understanding or our concept of spirituality?

Recent Musing Pics

Check out my latest Musings post - complete with some explore play pics!

Chelsea exploring sliding!

Refined Definition of Play

"Play is creatively exploring and finding contentment in life's pursuits: leisure, work, & self-understanding." - any comments, suggestions? I have refined this definition from a number of posts and the contributions of others but I am willing to tweak it further with your help!

When play is defined as simply amusement (the typical dictionary definition) or having fun it seems too trivial or even shallow. As well, work and play are often put against each other as opposites but I have experienced play as being a component of work or vice versa. In fact, when we are most effective and creative in our work - the joy of play has clearly occurred! Is not every innovation the result of a brilliant mistake while playing at work?

Children use play as the primary means of learning new skills - why do we as adults ignore the value of play in our education? I get asked a number of times a year to lead team-building initiatives or challenges. What seems like a simple game, is in reality an amazing opportunity for self-understanding, teamwork, creativity, a recognition of strengths & weaknesses, leadership, etc.

G