They're cutting it a bit close this year... |
Saturday, June 30, 2012
The Transformation of Stan Wadlow Park
Friday, June 29, 2012
Rob Ford is Shiftless
A surprise visit from RoFo at the IDAHO flag-raising |
But the benefit of the doubt is no longer an option, in my opinion. Ford clearly is not in the process of a paradigm shift - or, indeed, of any other sort of shift. Mayor Ford is completely "shiftless".
Thursday, June 28, 2012
Nora's Lists
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Nora Ephron, 1941-2012 |
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
"Photocopia"*
*pronounced: "fo-to-CO-pee-uh", as in "cornucopia" but with photos.
There's not too much happening 'round these parts today - sort of the calm before the storm while we wait for the carnies to show up and take over the northern part of Stan Wadlow Park. Sometime later this week the trucks will start trickling in and a midway will take shape, mostly under cover of darkness. The first ride/attraction/food booth may appear late tomorrow night, but I expect it's more likely we won't see any activity until sometime on Friday. I hope they can handle the "ovenlike conditions" which are apparently on their way to Southern Ontario. Seriously. The paper called them "ovenlike". Hyperbole much?
In any event, and in lieu of any real "news" today, I thought it would be a good time to play "catch-up" with some of the recent pictures I've taken at home. First up: this bold, brazen pigeon. Being on the twentieth floor, we're quite regularly visited by pigeons - especially in the first light of the day. However, they seem to have become much more frequent in their appearances over the past week or so and I have no idea why. This guy landed on the sill just in front of my computer and proceeded to strut right past the open window, stopping on the other side to stare through the glass at Addie, who was as taught as a bowstring on the couch behind me:
There's not too much happening 'round these parts today - sort of the calm before the storm while we wait for the carnies to show up and take over the northern part of Stan Wadlow Park. Sometime later this week the trucks will start trickling in and a midway will take shape, mostly under cover of darkness. The first ride/attraction/food booth may appear late tomorrow night, but I expect it's more likely we won't see any activity until sometime on Friday. I hope they can handle the "ovenlike conditions" which are apparently on their way to Southern Ontario. Seriously. The paper called them "ovenlike". Hyperbole much?
In any event, and in lieu of any real "news" today, I thought it would be a good time to play "catch-up" with some of the recent pictures I've taken at home. First up: this bold, brazen pigeon. Being on the twentieth floor, we're quite regularly visited by pigeons - especially in the first light of the day. However, they seem to have become much more frequent in their appearances over the past week or so and I have no idea why. This guy landed on the sill just in front of my computer and proceeded to strut right past the open window, stopping on the other side to stare through the glass at Addie, who was as taught as a bowstring on the couch behind me:
"Come and get me, copper!" |
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Another "Pleasant Valley" Sunday (and Friday and Saturday, too!)
Relaxing on the porch with coffee and the Globe and Mail |
Monday, June 25, 2012
The Art Fayre "Report"
Jolly dancing letters |
Sunday, June 24, 2012
Art Fayre in Dunvegan...Full Report Tomorrow
Grumpy P and partner are away in the beautiful Ottawa River Valley right now. I hope to be back in time tonight to post a piece about the events of this weekend. In case I am not, please have a look at the Art Fayre blog and Facebook page for this event - there should be updates there. I'll be back as soon as I can with pictures and tales from Art Fayre!
If that isn't good enough for you, here is a video of a squirrel eating peanut butter from inside the jar. Enjoy!
****UPDATE Sunday, June 24, 10:50 PM****
After an exhausting weekend we arrived home late this evening far too tuckered out to do the Art Fayre any justice. I'll have a post up on Monday about the Art Fayre itself and another post on Tuesday relating how the rest of the trip went. Please come on back and check them out! Thanks!
Saturday, June 23, 2012
The Late, Lamented Ontario Place
One of the "pods" suspended out over Lake Ontario cc Flickr user: sookie |
I miss Ontario Place. Weirdly, though, I don't know if I miss the actual, concrete and glass Ontario Place or the idea of it, the spot it holds in my heart.
The Forum in its early days Toronto Star File Photo |
Friday, June 22, 2012
Heading for the Ottawa Valley
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Sunset on the Ottawa River, seen from Mom's home |
Thursday, June 21, 2012
Happy Solstice!
Ready for the Solstice in Virginia Beach credit:Lorraine Eaton | The Virginian-Pilot |
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
The Social Marketing Summit
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Mythic Niagara Falls
****GUEST BLOG****
The Grumpy Penguin spent the day at a Social Marketing Summit presented by Enterprise Toronto at the Scarborough Civic Centre. A full blog post on this event will be available for public consumption on Wednesday. As the A/C was not working at today's event, Grumpy P took the rest of the day off and has asked a special Guest Blogger to fill in for one post.
The Guest Blogger for today is Sarah Gledhill, who could probably have used a day off herself but stepped up to the plate like a champ. (Love ya, honey!)
Here is her Guest Post!
*************************
Last Friday I insisted that we turn on the TV to watch Nik Wallenda walk the tightrope across Niagara Falls. I had been reading in the paper for days about his intent to perform the feat, and surprised myself with my own excitement at seeing the event.
Nik Wallenda credit: cc ThaddeusB, Flickr |
Monday, June 18, 2012
If I Hadn't Been a Dad
Grumpy P and the chicks, Father's Day, 2006 at Bluffer's Park |
"The first time you hear the word 'Daddy', I don't care who you are, your heart just melts."
I blame Three Men and a Baby.
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Tim, brand-new. Nice specs, Dad. Good idea with the sticker, too. |
Sunday, June 17, 2012
Happy Father's Day!
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Grumpy P and Pop, 1965 |
Saturday, June 16, 2012
Woozy Weekend
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Vertigo! |
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Click on the picture for cool facts about vertigo! |
Friday, June 15, 2012
Ontario Turtle Tally
Snapping turtle on the road in Eastern Ontario |
Thursday, June 14, 2012
"Jays Care" Indeed!
Lawrie, Bautista, Romer-o my! |
More permanent Jays' signage at Stan Wadlow |
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
June is Bustin' Out All Over!
♪ June is bustin' out all over!
All over the meadow and the hill!
Buds're bustin' outa bushes
And the rompin' river pushes
Ev'ry little wheel that wheels beside the mill! ♫
Our view of Lake Ontario (Woodbine Ave. is at the far right) |
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Los Angeles Kings: 2012 Stanley Cup Champions
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The 2012 Cup Champion Kings |
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Captain Dustin Brown and Lord Stanley's Mug |
Monday, June 11, 2012
A Locked Car is NO PLACE for a Pet.
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Firefighters finally broke the back window of this death trap |
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A Chocolate Lab/Weimeraner mix |
Sunday, June 10, 2012
Sarah Takes Another Walk
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Happy little summer snowman |
Sarah didn't head down into the valley today as she did on previous perambulations, opting instead to walk down to the Danforth and poke around there for a while. On the way she passed the local rink, still operating for the figure skaters and summer hockey players, and she stopped to make me this miniature snowman out of the ice left outside by the Zamboni®. Poor Sarah might have been better served by then either eating him or stuffing him down the back of her shirt to keep cool.
From the rink she proceeded to Danforth Avenue and then west a little past Woodbine to East Lynn Park, where there is a Farmer's Market every Thursday evening from June until the end of October. For the past three weeks, the park has also been home to the Art of the Danforth festival, which ended today. I've been there in past years during the outdoor art festival and it has been quite bustling; for whatever reason, judging from Sarah's pictures, it was pretty quiet there today as it came to a close for another year.
Here are some of her best shots of the winding-down of the festival:
Saturday, June 9, 2012
A "Cat Got My Tongue" Kind of Day
Cat on a tray, anyone? |
Friday, June 8, 2012
A Spontaneous Night Out
Yum! |
Thursday, June 7, 2012
The Ford Chronicles Continue
That is, unless you are a certain lame duck mayor of a certain giant metropolis in Canada who has absolutely no other "cause" that he is capable of "winning". Then it becomes the Biggest. Issue. Ever.
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
Strutting Peacock, Purring Jaguar (Volume 2)
Flamingos doing what flamingos do best |
On Tuesday, our intrepid Zoo-venturers, Sarah and Steve, braved the mid-morning threatening skies and less-than-inspiring forecast for a trip to the Toronto Zoo. In yesterday's gripping yarn we learned that the skies cleared up, the crowds were small (actually, that's new information), the animals were engaging and the trip was a success. Here is the exciting conclusion to their story, post-penguins. Well, perhaps "exciting" is too strong a word......
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
Strutting Peacock, Purring Jaguar (Volume 1)
"How you doin'?" |
Wherein the saga of "Sarah and Steve's Day of Fun!" is so long, dear reader, that your humble author saw fit to break it into two parts. Volume 2 will appear tomorrow.
Sarah and I had planned to go to the Zoo yesterday, but *gasp!* the weather people were wrong. It was cold and damp in the late morning when we decided to stay home; it stayed that way all day long, so that was a good call. Luckily, Sarah had had the forethought to book off a back-up day today and, even though it was overcast with a small threat of rain when we took off for the Rouge Valley, we decided to brave it. Thank goodness we did, because by the time we had been at the Zoo for about 20 minutes the sun came out and the skies were a warm, cloudless blue the rest of the day. The peacock pictured above we encountered on our way to see the penguins shortly after we arrived and he was strutting around like nobody's business, completely ignoring all the little people (by which I mean "kids") who were following him around on his walk. We had to go another 40 feet or so before we saw the intended recipient of his display, a peahen who was, unfortunately, ignoring him even more effectively than he was doing to the kids. I hope it made him feel a little better that we were darned impressed with his "rack".
Monday, June 4, 2012
BlackOutSpeakOut
What Bill C38 means for the environment. (hotlink)
Please read more on the Ontario Nature Blog. (hotlink)
Thank you for your support and understanding. Please check out the links and consider writing to the party leaders or signing the petition.
Sunday, June 3, 2012
My Blog will be "Dark" on Monday
Our friend Natalie steered me to an event that is happening tomorrow, June 4th, across Canada: Black Out Speak Out. The Ontario Nature - Federation of Ontario Naturalists Facebook site offers this explanation for the undertaking:
On Monday, Ontario Nature will support a national campaign called Black Out Speak Out. Environmental organisations and supporters across Canada will darken their websites as a response against efforts to silence Canadians who speak up in favour of environmental protection. The support for this protest is in reaction to the federal budget bill C-38 and the provincial budget bill C-55, whose amendments to environmental legislation significantly threaten protective measures for species at risk and the integrity of the environment.They (and I) urge you to read the full details on their blog.
I support these efforts 100%. I feel that the absolutely disgraceful "Omnibus" budget bill the Harper Government has put forth has the potential to set environmental efforts in Canada back scores and scores of years with one flourish of the pen. This faux-majority, which may very well have stolen the election last May, is on a dangerous path of destruction and I believe that concerned Canadians should fight them tooth and nail for every millimetre of our national fabric that they try to erode.
On Monday I will make no formal blog post. I am scheduling a picture and link to appear on my blog at 12:01 AM and that will be my only entry for Monday, June 4, 2012. Also, I will make no posts on Facebook or Twitter from midnight tonight until at least 12:01 AM on June 5. I felt an explanation prior to the actual event would be helpful, hence this post you are reading.
Please consider supporting this fight in any way you see fit. Thank you for reading this and please check out the links I have posted for further and more detailed information.
See you on Tuesday.
-Grumpy P.
Rainy Sunday: Perfect for a Stroll
As usual, Sarah was the brightest thing I saw on the walk |
"Habitat Restoration": a very good idea indeed |
Saturday, June 2, 2012
Something in the Air Today
I guess I shouldn't be surprised that today just felt tense from the time I got up.
We had to miss the Sophie Milman concert last night - the one I won tickets for - because of the flooding of our apartment during the day. We almost had it under control enough to think about heading down to Massey Hall when the skies opened up again and the howling wind returned to buffet our balcony door, which started the flooding all over again. We knew we couldn't leave for the night not knowing how far into our home the water would get (and with Addie left alone to deal with it) so we decided to stay home. Luckily for us the rain had stopped by the time we went to bed, but I don't think either of us slept particularly well.
Friday, June 1, 2012
Après hier soir, le déluge*
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In case you didn't believe it was raining here |
Kemp and Michael were good enough to pass along their photos from last night's wonderful evening. I don't have much commentary to add after yesterday's post, so I'll just showcase the pictures themselves here:
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