Random shots from a walk

December 7, 2015 by Created by RCW

On my way to my weekly bacon sandwich at Rashers (long story) and eventually a Toronto Marlies game (second post to come), I grabbed some photos of the neighbourhood.

: Snack time will not be disrupted

: The beach slowly reclaims its territory

: Playing with focus

: Waiting for Jacob Marley’s ghost

: Something mystical attracted me to this tree

Falling into autumn

November 16, 2015 by Created by RCW

Last week, I took my camera out to catch a glimpse of nearby Toronto’s Kew Gardens and the fading remnants of our Remembrance Day commemorations.

: Flowers slowly drown in a water-filled commemorative font

: A crimson reminder of the fallen

: On a bright autumn day, any path is a good one

: Colourful blooms refuse the onslaught of autumn’s cold and darkness

Autumn in the backyard

October 15, 2015 by Created by RCW

As I was putting trash into the bins behind the house, I was caught by the profusion of colour pouring down the wall at the back of the yard. What is usually variegated blanket of green had exploded into a rainbow.

: Welcome to Canada in the autumn

: Reminded me of a spray of flowers

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.

Assumption of malevolence

May 13, 2015 by Created by RCW

As I sat at a picnic table near the boardwalk along Lake Ontario, I watched parents pushing children in strollers, local residents walking dogs and chatting, and a squirrel accost me for my choice in sandwiches (seems he preferred nuts over chicken).

It wasn’t long, however, before the gentle peace of wind and waves was broken by an angry tone.

“Hey! Your dog left a package back here!” shouted a woman to people further along the boardwalk.

“Sorry?” came the gentle query.

“And let’s just say it’s a present I wouldn’t want to step in,” the angry woman shouted while mimicking the slide of sneaker on grass.

“He did?” the other woman questioned, turning back down the boardwalk.

“Yeah! You want to get back here and pick up after your dog,” the first woman barked. “It’s over there behind the bench.”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t see him do it.”

“Of course not! You were too busy talking to your friends,” the woman sniped as she stormed across the park to some other destination.

The dog owner reached the bench, and after a few moments of searching, bagged the offending substance and rejoined her friends.

I appreciate that dog dirt litters our parks and streets and beaches, and that the angry woman was fed up with this happening in her neighbourhood.

And based on the demeanour and response of the accused (woman, not the dog), I am confident that this was not a typical dump-and-run, but rather an innocent oversight.

Sadly, rather than assume any degree of innocence, the angry women immediately jumped to an assumption of malevolent or at least willful ignorance.

She could have approached dog owner calmly with “Excuse me, but your dog seems to have left something behind that you may not have seen.”

Instead, she attacked with a tone that suggested the dog owner herself left the steaming pile.

At least in North America, there seems to be a growing trend to assume malevolent intentions before acknowledging the possibility of innocent ignorance or unfortunate stupidity.

Are there malevolent self-centred people in the world? Certainly.

But should that be our default assumption about anyone who slights us or causes us discomfort?

If the answer is yes, then I want out of this society. It has become too angry for me and I have no desire to be victimized by it.

I wish both of the women in this story well.

Mostly birds at the beach

May 4, 2015 by Created by RCW

After a few hours of radiation sickness (aka sunshine) wandering the boardwalk and nearby woods along Lake Ontario, I managed to get a really good shot of the evasive red-winged blackbird.

I say evasive simply because this particular species would much rather spend its time strafing my head than sit still for me to take its picture.

Enjoy.

Lake Ontario

April 15, 2015 by Created by RCW

While waiting for Windows to update my computer (ugh), I was left without my laptop and so decided to take advantage of the springtime weather (finally!!!) and nearby beach to do a bit of photography in east Toronto.

: The birds hung close to the trees today

: The light breeze made for amazing visual effects

: When colour fails you, go to b/w

: The light and water waves danced on the stones

: A terrible photo but my first fish for Lake Ontario

: Had to get the canonical v-winged gull image

: Couldn’t pass up on it…got a Rolex and a Timex

: It was like the lake bottom was alive

: These little guys were out in profusion today

Iceholes of Toronto – Part Two

March 2, 2015 by Created by RCW

More photos from my wander along the Beaches boardwalk in east Toronto, with some of my favourites from the walk in this stack.

: Not expecting to see the old man himself

: A sign of the layering that went into the massive ice formations

: A splash of colour held over from the holidays

: Another photographer grabs some close-ups of the ice

: The wind and waves force the curtain of ice to billow

: The constant dipping of the waves makes for oddly shaped icicles

: A sparrow surveys the landscape for food

: Walk carefully when looking from this vantage point

: Frozen echoes slowly release the fence below

: A grim visage holds the cliff, its teeth dangling in the water

: An attempt to brighten the chill with a colourful swing

Iceholes of Toronto – Part One

March 1, 2015 by Created by RCW

So, we’ve finally hit the sweet spot of Toronto’s winter…cold enough for the ice to be amazing along the lake, but warm enough I can actually work the camera button without suffering frost bite.

Here and in my next post are a few images I took down at the Beaches boardwalk in east end Toronto.