Blustery day

October 14, 2015 by Created by RCW

The seasons change pretty quickly in Toronto. One moment, we are complaining about the heat and humidity; the next, we’ve swapped t-shirts for parkas and bathing suits for balaclavas.

Such was the case earlier this month when a windstorm rolled in over Lake Ontario and the beach near my home. I still have sand in my pockets.

Marlies season opener

October 13, 2015 by Created by RCW

After a long and dreary hockey-free summer, I was delighted when my beloved Toronto Marlies started their new season at Toronto’s Ricoh Coliseum. The visitors were the Manitoba Moose.

Because of other plans on Sunday, I had my camera with me for the game. I was entertaining family at the game, so I did my best to only take warm up shots, so to speak.

: Home away from home

: Sparks prepares while teammates gab

: Excited fans

: There was a pre-game wedding

: Carrick tests Sparks

: Carrick fires

: Hellebuyck makes the save

: Fans love Duke

: Loov fires on Bibeau

: Bibeau denies Nylander

: Garret Sparks

Next series is Sat. Oct. 17/Sun. Oct. 18 vs the Albany Devils. Both games start at 3 pm.

Visiting the Rouge Valley

October 12, 2015 by Created by RCW

Last week, I spent the day on the eastern edge of Toronto in a large conservation area called the Rouge Valley, which basically extends from the north end of Toronto (near the Metro Zoo) down to the shores of Lake Ontario.

And yet, for the 6 or 7 hours I wandered, I can only really say I explored maybe 10 percent of the region. Perhaps, I’ll get back before the snow flies…I know I’ll be back in the Spring.

When your mania becomes a MANIA

October 11, 2015 by Created by RCW

As many of you patiently know, I am a fan (see “fanatic”) and season seat holder for the Toronto Maple Leafs AHL farm team, the Toronto Marlies. I am also pretty much whack-a-doodle crazy. These two facts are related if not necessarily cause-and-effect.

I make my living with words (several of them, in fact), but I am also a not-terribly-closeted graphic designer wannabe. Thus, when my hockey mania was given a booster shot with the launch of the new AHL season, I took to my lap top and started to play.

My apologies to all those on whom I will inflict my insanity…to the rest of you, enjoy.

(Please note: Demon image used without permission)

(Please note: Pond image used without permission)

A collection of my photos and season schedule for fans (available for $20 CDN + postage)

Twirling spiders and battling butterflies

September 19, 2015 by Created by RCW

So as I checked the mail earlier today, I noticed that our entire front porch has been taken over by a huge spider web…perfectly timed for Hallowe’en, it would seem. Even better, the spider was still in the web, wrapping up it’s lunch.

Honestly, I only planned to take one photo…and an hour or so later, I had several one-photos.

: Bad photo but had never seen this behaviour before

Bringing joy to others

September 18, 2015 by Created by RCW

I’m not a celeb-stalker generally, but I was killing time with my camera downtown when I stumbled across a crowd awaiting the arrival of movie stars (no one knew who) for the Toronto International Film Festival or TIFF.

I managed to grab a couple of shots of Dev Patel and Jeremy Irons (check out my Twitter feed), but I specifically loved this photo. If you can bring this type of joy to people in your life or to those completely peripheral to it, you have done well.

After premiering his movie, Dev Patel came back out to embrace his fans.

Don’t forget to live

September 14, 2015 by Created by RCW

Memories of Iceland

September 4, 2015 by Created by RCW

Can’t believe that it is has been four years since I first set foot in that bizarre otherworldly island paradise.

To stand where the Earth is wrenching itself apart, to walk along cracks in million year old lava flows, to feel just a smidge of the planet’s inner thermal turmoil is to be humbled.

Seeing this photos again reminded me how badly I need to go back to Reykjavik and those wonderful lava fields, the juxtaposition of life and death.

: As though the town was pulled from a toy railroad set

: Seems like everyone in Iceland is connected to the sea

: Downtown Reykjavik centres on a public pond

: The city is dotted with beautiful gardens

: An artificial geyser set up in town

: The island country is slowly torn in two

: The icy waters slowly erode the mossy stone

: An old volcano slowly fills with water

: AS the planet comes apart, its cracks are filled by nearby lakes

: Life clings to every surface in Iceland

: The sweat of distant glaciers slowly finds the sea

: Tour buses flock to the gap between tectonic plates

: Scuba divers flippered their way through these channels

: Geothermal energy is the name of the game here

: A chance to walk right through a rainbow

: Wasn’t too keen on looking for the pot of gold

: The 4-terraced waterfall was so beautiful and powerful

: The salts are so thick, the water takes an unearthly hue

: Tourists and locals bask in the Earth’s embrace

Colourful interludes

August 27, 2015 by Created by RCW

After completing my day at The Ex (see Back to visit the Ex), I still had to get home and because the weather was so cool, if grey, I decided to wander along Toronto’s waterfront.

Back to visit the Ex

August 26, 2015 by Created by RCW

My annual pilgrimage to the Canadian National Exhibition, an end-of-summer ritual in Toronto. Sadly, The Ex is our national fair that seems to get smaller and smaller each year.

The grand old lady has definitely seen better days, but she still entertains the crowds.