The Sisters
We are two crazy Canucks (Canadians) that were raised in a nature loving family. Usually where you find one of us, you find the other. Like Calvin and Hobbes. Frank and Joe Hardy. Captain Kirk and Spock. Woody and Buzz…you get the idea. As our mom says, we’re joined at the hip.
Our parents, to whom we are forever grateful, encouraged creativity and free play indoors and out. Curiosity and discovery led to the greatest adventures. Little did we realize how important the freedom to enjoy unstructured play would be to our physical and emotional development.
Our home was regularly invaded by myriads of creatures, large and small, and was filled with jumbles of hobbies. Our favourite vacations were family camping trips – no radios, no tv, no technology. They were the best.
Those simple times are the memories we treasure the most. Curiosity and discovery led to the greatest adventures – real or imagined – and those adventures helped us build confidence, life skills, creativity, and assisted in our growth into (reasonably) stable adults.
The photos on our website are real moments captured in our childhood or taken by us personally later in life. We want to share some of these memories in the hope that it will help others experience the joy that comes from a playful mind.
The little sister
Hi! I’m Kara. I’m the youngest in my family. I grew up feeling like I was Joe Hardy from the Hardy Boys – the younger (and slightly impetuous) brother to the more responsible Frank (aka – Trista).
My sister likes to call me a Koala – I’m on the quiet side, a dreamer, and am pretty unassuming, but have a little hidden ferocity and quirky sense of humour that may be surprising.
To me, the most calming sound in the world is a paddle gently dipping through water. The peace that comes from being in nature in unmatched by anything else in the world. Especially when it’s accompanied by the laughter of those I love being carried across a lake.
I readily admit I have what our family calls: Streak of Geek. Which basically means enthusiasm about learning and doing cool stuff. Especially if it gets my hands in the dirt or water.
The world (and space!) is filled with such awesomeness: Science, art, culture, music, books, gardening, cooking…To quote Slartibartfast (from Douglas Adam’s “Life, the Universe and Everything”): “I care about lots of things…life, the Universe. Everything, really. Fjords.”
The big sister
Hello, I’m Trista. I’m the stuff in between the bread of our sibling sandwich (the middle child). My sister says I’m like an Octopus. I’m content keeping to myself, am curious, enjoy thinking outside the box, love using tools, and if there’s a problem or puzzle to solve, it’s fun to figure it out.
As a kid, I never went anywhere without a bug net and jar – and usually never brought them home empty. I love books – from Blacksmithing, James Herriot, thermodynamics, woodworking……and one of the best things is enjoying such books in my second home: while floating in a canoe.
I love being a geek. I seek out adventure and trying new things, hopefully with my camera ready. I really enjoy working with my hands – whether it’s cutting out a scroll saw pattern, sewing a dress, refinishing a canoe or a table, or baking a soufflé. It doesn’t matter if I’ve never done it before – that just makes it more fun. If I fail, so what? If I don’t like it, I’ll try something else. But it could be awesome. Just try it!
As Calvin said: “Wow. Look at the grass stains on my skin. I say, if your knees aren’t green by the end of the day, you ought to seriously re-examine your life.”
our logo
Our elementary school asked for submissions to make a school T-shirt for fun. Our dad came up with one that was a hit.
Our logo is based on our dad’s design and is a dedication to him, our mom who fought to keep our little school from closing, and to that school who piloted innovative, creative teaching and gave us plenty of crazy recesses full of creative play.