This is getting closer to the top of my bucket list right about now! I usually like adventure vacations however even a day at the beach would be great this week. Warm breeze, hot sand, fresh water. Maybe start the day with an early morning long walk, then some sun after lunch, and perhaps star gazing after sunset. Throw in a margarita or two… Are you with me on this one?
2 months shy of 100 years of age. Pretty damn sweet! The monarchy is not my personal thing however I recognize the family’s role in the United Kingdom and around the world, and it’s never easy when a prominent and well liked person passes. I read Prince Philip visited Canada 29 times in his life and USA a further 6; that unto itself is quite something for North America. RIP.
A wet spring day today in Toronto has me indoors flipping pictures from years past. I really appreciate how this artist captured the marina and surrounding buildings of Dubrovnik in vivid color, and is a perfect contrast to what I see outside. This town is amazing – I’ve posted a few pictures from Dubrovnik over the years – due to the history of its people, the imprint of wars gone by, and its great food. One day we’ll be back!
Who is ready for spring? This was not the harshest of winters to live through however it did feel like the longest due to the pandemic. We are hardy people and have gotten through it – yay! The Oxford English Dictionary says a pastime is “a diversion or recreation which serves to pass the time agreeably; an activity done for pleasure rather than work…”. That kind of sums up the scene here. Grab a hot chocolate, sit in the sun, and watch the ice melt.
Who wouldn’t love a dinner setting like this right about now? Most of us are craving a nice meal out with friends and no masks. Happy to have this photo to remind us of what is not too far off once again. Wish I could say this was our dinner spot back in 2018, but alas, we walked past this wonderful table for 6 as we made our way to another location. No complaining allowed… it was warm, the food good, and we were having fun as a family.
Back to summer 2019 when walking a car show was reality in our lives! What does this interior remind you of? For me it feels like a classic dinner with the red bar stools and a jukebox playing a track for everyone to hear. This 1949 Chevy Club Coupe is so well customized and maintained… stare closely to find the compass, skeleton figurine hanging by its hat, the Ace of Spades, singers microphone, and if your really good, the skull and cross bones for the locking door button (bottom left of photo, slightly blurred). According to Wikipedia these were assembled here in Oshawa, came with a 3 speed manual, and delivered 90 horsepower (really?)
We are traveling virtually again this post back to 2015 visiting Dubrovnik, Croatia. A well preserved 16th century city on the Adriatic in the southern end of Croatia, Dubrovnik is an incredible step back in time. It was almost destroyed (1667 earthquake), controlled by the French, then Italians, Austrians, and finally Yugoslavia. In 1991 the city endured considerable shelling as Yugoslavia came apart. When walking the streets and alleys within the walled city you will read stories on the walls of what shelling occurred and what business or cultural place was sadly hit. Here we have a wonderful rest spot outside the fortress walls on the rocks by the Adriatic. Looking at this today while in COVID-19 lockdown is surreal, yet its also a glimpse into what we have to look forward to.
Architect I.M. Pei designed the Louvre Pyramid to contrast the new and old, bringing a very modern feel to the museum’s entrance. Courtesy of Google we know there are 673 panes of glass and these people are trying to count them all. This picture of the Louvre was taken summer 2015 which explains the crowd, lack of social distancing and no masks (Do you believe we used to congregate like this?). That’s what makes this picture so special right now while parts of where we live are in COVID lockdown. Enjoy your travels via the internet this holiday season! And remember to wear your mask 😉
This COVID thing is changing the pictures I’m getting. There are less trips out and about or abroad and more images from the home, immediate community or lake front. Being home so much has also allowed the family to appreciate the smaller things that were previously overlooked. And there is more time to go back over earlier pictures and remember certain things or special celebrations. So while there is snow outside now (brrrr!), I can share this earlier picture taken at twilight looking across the lake and remember how hot that evening was and how silent the air was.
This hawk is very impressive to be around. Starting with it’s awareness, it knows where I am all the time and tracks my movement continuously. To a certain degree it finds me curiously entertaining and I would say definitely not a threat. It visits each year for roughly 3 weeks bridging end July and beginning August. Sometimes its by itself (like this year) while others years there are two of them… adult and juvenile. Here its perched high atop a 75ft dead Birch watching me with the camera.
life art images 