Dave had an Ontario Town Crier’s Competition in Amherstburg to coincide with a special anniversary at Fort Malden.

The Black Museum was also celebrating and the park was full of people in various period outfits.

I asked this young girl’s father if I could photograph his children with a view to doing a painting of either or all.

Every time the children saw me they stood at attention and looked their perfect best but that was not what I was after.

The day was long and the sun was hot. As the event wound down we all became weary. Then I spotted the girl in the white eyelet dress. She was tired and bored and her feet were sore from walking around bare foot. She settled down on a chair and I took several shots as the sun reflected off of her wayward, kinky, curly hair. What a sweet heart.

It is moments like this we remember  . . .the imperfections of being a child rather than the stiff posed model.

I loved painting the frothy feminine eyelet lace and the young girl’s puckered brow and pursed lips. A glimpse of another era  . . . an idyllic time . . . a carefree childhood of simple pleasures. What every child deserves.

TA! TA! For now. –Jenny