Botanical beach bounty

July 25, 2013 by Created by RCW

A few of the amazing flowers and plants I discovered on my recent walk along the boardwalks and parks in my neighbourhood. (Don’t worry, more bees on the horizon.)

: The light played beautifully off the colours of the ripening fruit

: This bud had the most interesting outer shell

: You don’t see a lot of cacti outside in Southern Ontario

: The colours and textures of this flower were so intense it almost looked like a confection

: Loved the mirror-like quality of this image, and these flowers in general

: Eye was caught by the gentle pastels of the blooms

: Liked the way the stem aligned with the rock and seemed to reach for the boat on the horizon

The new neighbours

July 25, 2013 by Created by RCW

Rather than unpack yesterday afternoon, I decided to take a walk around my new neighbourhood and get to know the neighbours.

: Hunting for treasure at the water’s edge

: It was like she and the chair were mad at each other

: Bless her for trying to control the hounds

: This seems like a more manageable ratio

: A man preps his outrigger

: Nothing like a good book on a sunny afternoon

: Did you know there is a dog in this photo?

: Not as many kites as I might have expected today

: Cool breeze, bright sun…perfect for melanoma prep

: A photo of a photo shoot in the park

Forgotten tribute

July 11, 2013 by Created by RCW

A nation born

On the backs

Of men not welcome.

Forgotten thanks

Never remiss,

Never too late.

Humble peace for your

Nation-building sacrifices

[Dedicated to the sacrifices of the Chinese population within Canada as they helped build the railway system that connected the country shore to shore, as commemorated in an art instillation in downtown Toronto]

Building a trestle, the basis of a bridge perhaps

A lone man stands in the line of fire should that rope fray

His safety harness, a lone hand

Bird is the Word – Toronto

July 4, 2013 by Created by RCW

A few more images from my Canada Day wanderings.

: A sparrow taking in the local pedestrians

: A robin spent some time grooming in a bush

: As the robin groomed itself, it splayed its wing and tail features making an interesting pattern

: The swans were out in full force

: The sparrow grabbed a little snack as I watched

Canada Day relaxations

July 2, 2013 by Created by RCW

Thank goodness the Fathers of Confederation picked July 1 as the day to form the Dominion of Canada.

The thought of possibly celebrating on something like February 3 literally sends shivers down my spine and would have kept me from getting any pictures of people just relaxing on the warm summer’s day.

: Taking in a Blue Jays game at the Rogers Centre

: A young lady whizzes by on roller blades, showing her pride in her handbag

: Poor pooch must run a marathon every time this long-legged lady goes walking

: Life vests are the call for women taking in the water

: Lake Ontario waters were calm for these intrepid kayakers

: Hawking the benefits of milk at a waterfront festival

: Electronic devices were the call of the day for park visitors

: A chance to listen to some bad karaoke or your wife

: Why is Canada great? Because this guy can make a living as a street performer

Flying stingie thingies (and a snail)

July 1, 2013 by Created by RCW

What better way to celebrate Canada Day than to wander the great outdoors? So that’s exactly what I did.

These are the insects…less creepy crawly to come soon.

: Worked on my flight shots today

: Many of the bumbles looked like they were wearing leggings

: Something said don’t mess with these winged fellows

: Bumbles were out in full force today

: The contrast between the flowers and the bumble was impressive

: I’ve never seen one that looks quite like this…mostly red

: These flowers were amazingly bright

: The bumbles were quite active, so I had a few chances at these photos

: Two bugs in one for this photo

: No idea what this little guy is

: The ants are pretty big this year

: Bumbles weren’t the only bees taking flight today

: A bee checks out the dome

: The aforementioned snail

Awake with love – Canada

July 1, 2013 by Created by RCW

I have been a very lucky man.

I was lucky enough to be born in a great country. In my almost 50 years, I have not known war. When I have been sick, I have been able to find treatment. When I have been poor, I have been able to find support. When I have been lonely, I have been able to find friends. And a lot of that is because I live in Canada.

Canada is not a perfect country—it is no Shangri-La—but it is a good proxy. And today, July 1, it is 146 years old.

Being so free, however, I have often been complacent about how good things are for me. I have forgotten what went into creating this haven. Forgotten how my life has compared to those living elsewhere.

One of the great things about living in a cosmopolitan centre like Toronto is that I get the opportunity to meet many of the people who started elsewhere.

Several years ago, in the span of just a few months, I played host to a couple of post-doctoral researchers who came to Toronto to work at the Hospital for Sick Children. One was a researcher from Moscow, the other a student from Beijing. Both rented a room in my house, and while the rent money was nice, the life lesson was more valuable.

Wei marveled at the space available in this thriving metropolis; that he could go for a walk and find places where he saw no one. He also marveled at the speed and insanity of NHL hockey on Saturday nights (just because it’s cliché doesn’t, mean it’s untrue).

Sergei was reminded of home in some ways, and amusingly found Torontonians a bit repressed (ah, our Scottish banker roots were showing through). At the same time, when I informed him that yes indeed, public consumption of alcohol was illegal in our parks, he marveled that no one stopped him or that the police didn’t arrive suddenly. And he was grateful at the open welcome he received from everyone including my family. Our cookies were a little stale, but then, I didn’t have the heart to tell him that he’d mistaken dog biscuits for cookies (we call them Sergei cookies, now).

As I would listen to both of these men recount their lives back home, I gained a new appreciation for what I had…and for what I took for granted.

From my geographically central location, I have had the luxury of traveling most of my country. I’ve taken in its historical sites—Fortress of Louisbourg, Quebec Citadel, Plains of Abraham—visited some of the most majestic landscape I could hope to see—the Shield of Northern Ontario, the Fraser River valley, the Bay of Fundy, the Lachine Rapids—participated in amazing cultural festivals—the Stratford Festival, Pride Week, Fringe Toronto, Caribana—and met amazing people.

I am a lucky man to live in such a beautiful, dazzling country.

Happy birthday, Canada. I love you more today than I did yesterday, and I will love you even more tomorrow.

RC Scanner – Toronto markets

June 25, 2013 by Created by RCW

As I continue to plunge my way through a series of magazine features and a new screenwriting class, I haven’t had as much time to write for the blog, so here is another dip into my personal photo archives.

For all its concrete canyons, Toronto has some amazing neighbourhoods and open markets. Two, in particular, form the core of the city, places where the entire city–people of a thousand backgrounds–can gather to shop, drink and talk: Chinatown and Kensington Market.

: A quiet day, on Saturdays, this street is shoulder to shoulder with people yelling in every language

: Whether mushrooms, teas or sea food, you can find anything dried in Chinatown

: A chef’s dream, any recipe can be created from the boxes lining Spadina

: Leela and my grandmother leaving their favourite kitchen supply store Tap Phong

: One of my favourites from Kensington, the bean bins sadly disappeared a couple years ago

: In the summer sun, the colours of the fruit market dazzle

: Never could I imagine the myriad forms of peppers available in Kensington

: A hatch-work of side streets, Kensington offers shoppers anything and everything

: Made to order or off the rack, the smell of this store permeated the neighbourhood

: A daily pilgrimage to purchase the day’s repast

: Hunter-gatherers haven’t disappeared completely in the era of Internet shopping

RC Scanner – Algonquin Park

June 17, 2013 by Created by RCW

Okay, so I’m continuing to play with my scanner, which does a decent, if not brilliant job with photos.

Here are a handful of shots taken about 15 years ago in Algonquin Provincial Park in Ontario, several hours north and west of Toronto (Canadians measure distance by how long it takes to get there, not actual units of distance).