12MP digital camera with Ultra Wide, Wide, and Telephoto options. Minimum aperture f/1.6 and 4x optical zoom.
Purchased in November 2023 as an upgrade from the iPhone 8.
Baxter is displeased at the change of seasons. After Connor gets on the bus in the morning, I now spend some time before work in the family room instead of the sunroom, since the sun is barely up and it’s pretty chilly out there. Some days, I open the sliding door just a crack to let Baxter decide for himself that 58F is too cold for sunroom time.
I’ve also been letting him smurgle my super-soft Pusheen hoodie once I log on for work, and that seems to satisfy him well enough.
While waiting for the bus this morning, wearing his vintage Southview High School jacket in the 54°F weather, Connor assured me, “There’s probably gonna be kids wearing shorts.”
Connor has eschewed shorts all summer, opting instead for joggers and jeans. Some of those pants have become high-waters over the past few months — the tiny hole he tore in the knee of one pair of athletic pants during skateboard camp back in late May has migrated at least an inch northward since.
He didn’t request any new clothes for the new school year, although I did buy him new shoes and a couple new pairs of jeans. Interesting how his style changes over the years… In elementary school, he always wanted to dress up for the first day of school, and that became what he was known for. Nowadays, he’s leaning toward graphic tees with gaming themes, topped with a dapper hat (although the hat will have to stay in his locker for the day).
Connor’s summer has been uneventful overall, so while he’s not exactly glad to be back at school, he’s looking forward to getting back to the usual routine.
Me, too, dude. Me, too.
When my mom suggested we go somewhere for a short trip this summer, the things most on her mind were 1.) a swimming pool and 2.) waterfalls. The waterfall requirement was the main reason that Cedar Falls was the first stop on our Hocking Hills nature adventure, despite me having already researched the local attractions and having decided that Conkle’s Hollow and Ash Cave would be our best bets for truly accessible hiking.
Pro tip: if your knees can’t tolerate stairs, hiking Cedar Falls may not be in your best interest.
Rather than trying to find things to do around my Mom’s place this summer, she suggested that the three of us — she and Connor and myself — go on a trip and see some nature. I suggested Hocking Hills, since it’s only a few hours’ drive, and I decided to take a chance on romance and book an Airbnb for the first time. The Chalets in Hocking Hills were more expensive than a hotel would have been, but having an A-frame to ourselves was totally worth it.
We visited Cedar Falls and Conkle’s Hollow, enjoyed some local restaurants, and did a lot of driving. More photos to come, but for now I’ll sum up the trip by saying that we’ve already decided that this needs to be an annual tradition from now on.
Yesterday morning, we got out and about much earlier than usual for a Saturday. We hadn’t been to the Ann Arbor Art Fairs in years, and we were itching to get out of town and do something different — or, at least, Aaron and I were. Connor was just along for the ride.
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