Grapes of Niagara

It's harvest time in the vineyards of the Niagara Region. So Gail & I took a drive down there for lunch and a bit of wine tasting yesterday. We visited some well known wineries such as Inniskillin  and Hillebrand but they were too crowded. Lesser known ones such as Stonechurch and Pondview were both very welcoming and offered free tastings. We stopped for lunch at Ravine Winery, one of the newer wineries, located on the St. David's Bench. Sitting outdoors with a soft breeze to keep us cool, we were in culinary heaven. Thank you Chef Collin Goodine for a delicious lunch and a bottle of your best Dijon Mustard!

George & Pat

Pat Stevenson & George Hunter, taken with an iPhone

My friends George (90) & Pat (101) have been together a long time, and still have their quarrels now and then. Yesterday Pat smiled at me and said, "We're talking again!"

I laughed and said, "Let me get a picture of you two lovebirds." Don't they look great!

Check out George's wonderful photography at
his web site.

Salmon Run

Bronte Creek is alive with salmon at the moment. Each September local fishermen descend on the streams that feed Lake Ontario, hoping to snag one of these behemoths that thrash their way through the shallow streams to find a suitable place to lay their eggs and die.

Green Darner

When I visited Bronte Creek yesterday, I noticed thousands of dragonflies flying over an open field and sunning themselves on the bushes nearby. It took a little patience to approach the ones at rest, but with a quick swipe of my bug net  I had one as my subject for close-up photography!

These giants of the insect world, with 3 inch wingspans, are called green darners. They catch other flying insects on the wing with their barbed legs. They lay their eggs on water plants and their larvae are ferocious hunters in fresh water.

Check his compound eyes in this stereo cross-view close-up. Amazing!

Guelph's New Legion Hall

I was asked to be the official photographer for the Grand Opening of Guelph's new Royal Canadian Legion Hall on Saturday. I was once a British Army Cadet, and I have great respect for the sacrifice that was made by my father and his generation in WWII. Today's legionnaires do good work supporting the war veterans still living and encouraging us all to 'Never Forget'.

Air Cadets greet arriving veterans and dignitaries

An evening Candlelight Tribute Ceremony led by Rev. Dr. Ron Smeaton

Mont Saint-Hilaire

I hiked to the top of Mont Saint-Hilaire's Pain de Sucre (Sugar Loaf) a few days ago, while staying in Montreal at my son Trevor's new apartment. An easy hike of 3 kms to the top, it afforded a stunning vista from the 414 meter summit of the Richelieu River below and the skyline of Montreal in the far distance.

Coincidentally, the town of Mont Saint-Hilaire is mounting a major outdoor exhibit next month of photographs by my friend George Hunter. The exhibit is part of the region's annual Apple Festival and consists of 54 large-format prints of George's travel photography, taken over his seven decade career. Be sure to check it out if you are in the area in October.

Best Shawarma in Montreal

I drove my son Trevor back to school in Montreal on Monday. Trevor is completing his last year of Environmental Geography at Concordia. It seemed like we ate fast food all the time while I was there. Just part of a student's life in downtown Montreal, I was warned. The best fast food, a Lebanese-style shawarma, was from Boustan on Crescent Street. It seems Mr. Boustan has taken a liking to my son and he told me how much it meant to him that Trevor had brought me to meet him. Trevor swears that Boustan serves the best shawarma in the city, so stop by sometime and say, "Trevor sent me!"

Yellowstone Book

I finished a new book project today. I've titled it Yellowstone and The Grand Tetons. It features all of my best shots - 2D & 3D - from the week I spent there in July, with some interesting facts and personal anecdotes mixed in. I put it together in Apple's Aperture, with Gail's copy editing assistance, and sent it off to Apple. It will be printed in 'who-knows-where' and arrive back here in just a few days. Amazing technology. And good service. But pricey.

Community Shared Agriculture

Gail at the Ignaatius CSA pickup

Today was a CSA  - Community Shared Agriculture - day. First, Gail and I went to Ignatius Organic Farm and collected a 1/2 share of weekly produce that we had previously won in a silent auction.

Members of a CSA buy shares in the harvest and pick up their "share" each week all year long. It's a great idea that's quite popular in Guelph.

Kim & James at the Ploughshares CSA pickup in Guelph

Then we stopped by another CSA pick-up location to get a photo for SNAP. James Gordon - singer/songwriter and now candidate for the provincial NDP - happened to be there picking up his weekly veggies. We chatted and he took the time to play for us his new song using words from Jack Layton's final letter, now called the Manifesto for Social Democracy. Check it out on YouTube. It's great!

those little tomatoes taste so good!

Then we can home to wash and prepare our own organic veggies. Don't they look good! As Joni Mitchell's song said: "Give me spots on my apples but leave me the birds and the bees. Please!"

Jack Layton

I'd like to share this photo of Jack Layton that I took at the Gay Pride Parade in 2003. I can't say I really knew the man. Our paths crossed a number of times: at Alex Macdonald's annual parties; and on the campaign trail in Guelph, where he'd show up regularly to support Tom King. I'm a Liberal by instinct but after the last election I had the thought that Jack Layton would be a great leader for a new party of the left, merged from the NDP and Liberals. That won't be possible now. I'll miss him and his sunny, hopeful disposition.

Family Photos

Sorting through old boxes of 'reject' slides today I came across this 'keeper' of my kids, Heather and Trevor, playing dress-up with their friend Robin on the right. I may have a better one filed away in a binder, but I thought I'd scan it just in case. I love the poses being struck. The younger we are, the less inhibited we can be!

Heather, Trevor and Robin circa 1985

Awakening

After a 16 day slumber my second Black Swallowtail emerged from its chrysalis this afternoon and Gail & I were fortunate enough to observe the process. The chrysalis had turned dark so I knew today was the big day. We kept the situation monitored all morning with cameras ready. First there was some wiggling, then a crack appeared and after another long wait the wet butterfly pulled herself out of the chamber.

The body was plumb and the wings were tiny but over the course of the next several minutes the wings grew and the body shrank to its normal size. Then the butterfly settled down to let her wings dry and harden. Another successful butterfly birth!

Storm over Mount Nemo

Driving back from Guelph yesterday I encountered some strange weather. It was sunny and raining at the same time. In the distance were enormous cumulus clouds that seemed to gather together into a dark wall. As I pulled over to take this photo Gail called to say a fierce storm was pummeling Oakville with high winds and hail. I promised to drive carefully and returned to capturing the fearsome beauty before me.

stereoscopic cross-view

A New Butterfly

For the past two weeks I've been minding a couple of Eastern Black Swallowtail chrysalises. This morning one of them turned dark and a new butterfly was born! I missed the actual emergence from the chrysalis but when I picked him up (it's a male) his wings were still floppy and damp. What a gorgeous creature! Perhaps I'll have better luck in observing the birth of the next one.

Melanie Price

We took a walk down to our local beach here in Oakville this evening. By co-incidence a long distance swimmer, Melanie Price was arriving on the beach at the same time, after an 18 hour swim from Port Dalhousie on the other side of the lake!

Melanie's 40km swim across Lake Ontario raised funds for Lake Ontario Waterkeeper, a registered charity working to restore and care for Lake Ontario. Melanie had a big crowd of fans waiting for her on the shore. After a rest in a rescue boat she was carried through the cheering crowd to a van where her daughter was the first to greet her.