Even birds prefer OJ

Crossing the finish line
Montreal, QC
July 2012
Click photo to embiggen

I wanted to round out our fave pics of the year - you can share yours by clicking here - with this one. On the surface, it's a standard shot of the kind of thing you'd see in an average used car lot, a cheesy come-on to get you to pay attention.

As it is, this wasn't a used car lot. It was OJ - or, more formally, Gibeau Orange Julep, that ginormous orange ball in Montreal that sells food that's not remotely healthy, but you go there anyway. Because it's as much a part of generational culture as anything in this storied city, and it's an integral part of the early days of my relationship with the lovely girl who eventually became my wife.

So whenever we come back to Montreal, we bring the kids to give them a glimpse of life before they even existed. (We've been here before: here, here and here.) And because there are only so many ways to shoot a massive orange ball, I found myself looking for alternatives this time.

The gull made this one memorable.

Your turn: Do you have a place from your teen years that sticks in your own memory? What makes it special?

One more thing: New Thematic theme, On The Water, launches tonight at 7:00 p.m. Eastern. Hope you can make it!