Leif in Montreal - August 1989 - Age 14 and a half

Someone recently asked if I'd been to Montreal. That brought back memories of our trip across eastern Canada in August 1989. It was just the three of us, Peter W., Leif and I. Peter A. was at the Air Force Academy. As you can see in the photo, Leif was already towering over his father (and, of course, me, too), tall and slender.

Although a lot of kids at this age might not have appreciated a long car trip with their parents, away from their friends, Leif really enjoyed the trip. He took a lot of photos, particularly of interesting architecture, liked the museums, the scenery and the food. We visited Ottawa, Montreal, Quebec City, and smaller towns. In many ways, these Canadian cities reminded us of Europe, partly because of the architecture, and partly because of the food and outdoor cafes.

This photo was taken in front of Brother Andre's Chapel in Montreal.

We also visited Niagara Falls, which impressed Leif mightily. He took a lot of photos of the falls from every viewing angle.

Leif remembered this trip with a lot of interest and fondness, and when he was later stationed in Fort Drum, New York in the army and we drove there to visit him and Nikko, we all went to Ottawa so that we could experience it again and show it to Nikko. It was then that we found the Zaphod Beeblebrox Bar that they posed in front of. The two of them went back again to "party."

More of Leif's Childhood Art

Leif was far more interested in drawing weapons and space ships than people or animals as a child, and I can't recall that he ever drew or painted anything that one might have called a landscape or a still like. He didn't photograph them, either.

However, in his Kindergarten Art Portfolio, he did have three "animal" drawings. The top one here is a spotted dog, and it is much more like what other children his age might have drawn, with little idea of anatomy or real shape. However, the second one of the Dachshund is quite sophisticated and impressed the art teacher. His ability to define the dog's shape with the vertical lines and make it look as though it weren't stiff like the first one but active was remarkable for his age. I don't think he ever did anything like it again, though.

The third crayon drawing is an owl with a graduation cap. I believe he got the idea for this drawing from the "Little Professor" math teaching electronic "game" he had. He never drew anything remotely like this again, either.

I don't think I have any drawings or art creations of Leif's between kindergarten and junior high. The top photo is of a soft sculpture he made in one of his junior high art classes. It is Zaphod Beeblebrox from Douglas Adams' "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy," a science fiction book he read on his brother's recommendation. He loved it, did a book report about it, and read the rest of the "trilogy" that had four books (absurd, as the books also were). I think his sculpture of Zaphod was quite good and I still have it.

Leif & Nikko - Ottawa, Canada - July 1999 - Zaphod Beeblebrox Nightclub

While we were in Ottawa with Leif and Nikko in July 1999, we happened upon the Zaphod Beeblebrox Nightclub. It was late afternoon, so although we could look in and the bar was open, there wasn't a show or an audience then. We were sightseeing and had a long drive ahead of us. And besides, loud rock music wasn't something Peter W. and I were especially fond of.

But Leif would have LOVED to spend time there, listen to the bands, and drink a Pan Galactic Gargleblaster in honor of Zaphod, the two-headed character in Douglas Adams' "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy." At least we got a photo of the two of them in front of the place.

Leif was introduced to Adams' absurb sci fi series by Peter Anthony, who had read it in his science fiction literature class at the Air Force Academy and insisted the whole family needed to read it. We did. Leif was captivated, reading the first book while in junior high and (the boy who said he didn't like to read) doing both illustrated book reports and a Zaphod Beeblebrox soft sculpture to creatively fulfill school assignments.

Leif read all of the books in the trilogy - a trilogy with more than three books, true to the absurdist element, and he had a boxed set of which he was proud.

I think Leif and Nikko later went back to Ottawa and did visit the night club, but we weren't with them, having driven back to Kansas.

I think photos I took of Leif and Nikko on this July 1999 trip to see them at Fort Drum are the last ones I have of them together. That fall, he was deployed to Bosnia with his unit, the Tenth Mountain Division, for seven months. The two of them came back to Kansas to visit the following summer, 2000, and it was clear that the separation had been hard on their young marriage, which had dealt with strains before but now was breaking. I could see that they were unhappy, and had some long talks with them, but I hoped they could overcome the difficulties. It was not to be.

On this trip, not knowing what was ahead, we all had a good time. I'm glad we had those days together.