Maid of the Mist

cousin Sandy

I took a ride on the Maid of the Mist this week with my cousin Sandy Lawson, visiting from Ireland.

Being engulfed by the mighty roar and incessant spray of Horseshoe Falls is a humbling experience, a thrill I won't soon forget!

The End of Growth Tour

I went to hear David Suzuki and Jeff Rubin speak at Hope House in Guelph on Tuesday night. As a person who is deeply concerned about the future of our world - the diminishing ability of our land, sea and air to sustain life as we know it - I wanted to hear about signs of change, something that would make me feel a bit more optimistic about the future.

Instead I came away with the sense that a huge crisis is looming, that the human desire for ever-improving life-styles and maximized short-term profits is going to be the undoing of the Earth's delicate balance, and our unsustainable way of life.

Black Widow Spider

While putting out the garbage this evening, I noticed a rather large black spider in one of the garbage cans. A black widow! It had the tell-tale red marking on its abdomen. But in Ontario? Apparently they inhabit temperate regions around the world, including southern Ontario.

She is now safely housed in a bug container. So now what? I don't like killing spiders but I can't just let her go. Suggestions welcome.

Autumn Activities

Rattlesnake Point

This is one of my favourite times of the year to be out with my camera exploring the beauty of the fall season. Sometimes a little patience is in order as the winds roll across the landscape, rustling the leaves and opening the clouds to briefly let a little extra sunlight illuminate the scene.

a student captures some of the magic of autumn with her camera (3D parallel view)

My nature photography students are never short of interesting subjects to photograph at this time of year: colourful leaves, emerging mushrooms, dying flowers - they all provide a rich but fleeting palette of opportunities to work with.