A brand dedicated to camping vibes is a brand after my own heart. Norquay brings a love for the outdoors together with great design in their collection of canoe paddles. The Montreal-based company selects the 100% cherry wood paddles from Teal Paddles in New Liskeard, Northern Ontario, which are then hand finished, marked with a cow brander, and topped off with a leather harness. I can see their paddles fitting in perfectly on the lakes of Oregon or simply mounted on a wall, a reminder of summer when winter has descended.
Two weekends ago I went canoeing through the canals of Leiden early enough (at the beginning) to enjoy the quiet. I came upon this duck, also interested in the dejected Christmas tree with its lone red ball still hanging from its dried branch. Perhaps it served as a temporary decoration for a boat party in December. Too laborious to carry inside, it was left behind to decompose. Along with the boat. Or perhaps, one January morning, a Dutchman tossed it out his front door to be picked up, when a large gust of wind caused it to tumble into the canal and land conveniently in the boat. The duck, a master of luck himself, claimed it as his own and raised his family beneath the protective branches. He watches passing canoes with great suspicion.