I love living near Albany, but sometimes, the winters can wear me down. When the temperature falls and the days get short, I start to long for warmer climes, like the balmy tropics of southern Canada.

How do they stay warm up there? I can tell you one way. They eat poutine, a dish invented in Quebec in the late 1950’s. It’s made of french fries covered in gravy and topped with cheese curds. It tastes much better than it sounds, and after you eat it you want to sleep until spring.

I was in Quebec to speak at the Eastern States Literacy and Technology Symposium and visit some schools. The kids were great, and everyone made me feel right at home. At Ayer’s Cliff, they built their own version of the wall from Edwin’s clothing shop. (Edwin is the tailor who sells Backbeard his outfit.)

It was a wonderful trip, and my thanks go out to Wendy King for all her work setting up the visit and chauffeuring me all over the place on Thursday. Take it from me, Quebec in February is not to be missed.

I’ll leave you with some terrific artwork from the kids at Ayer’s Cliff…