Family & Life

Highway Fire

We were sitting on the couch last night, trying to make our way through Zero Dark Thirty (seems there was distraction after distraction) and I kept thinking I was smelling coffee.  Nice dark roast, full fragrance coffee.  I said "I  WANT some coffee!".  Instead of getting some though, for some reason I turned around to look out the window.  Through the trees I saw some odd orange/brown colors, which turned out to be the big column of smoke rising from a fire on the other side of the soundwall on the highway!  So, like any good photographer I grabbed my camera and ran outside to get a few pics (while like any good wife, Christine told me to stay inside and look at the floor).​


For once, living, basically, on the highway on-ramp had its advantages and I was able to get right onto the side of the highway and shoot straight across traffic.  A few minutes later Christine came and pulled my back in the house by my ear.​

Happy Birthday

... to me!  32 today... yikes.  I still feel 23 though.  You might get older on paper, and your bills might get 'more adult', but as long as you don't feel old, who cares!  ​

(​Cake donations are now being accepted.)​

​I decided to snap a picture today... a self-portrait I guess... while Christine opted for a couch nap in the middle of the day.  I figured it was a good day to get a shot, seeing as I now has this wonderful winter beard which I will be cutting off soon to allow my face to enjoy summer as well.  All I have are cell phone pictures of us (me and Beardo), so a proper picture was in order.



There were some out-takes, of course.  Poses that were meant to emphasize the full meaning of beard ownership...​



So, I've had my fun for today.  Tomorow I may treat myself to some camera gear as a
"birthday business expense", and in preparation for the summer shooting season.​

Stay tuned!  Stay frosty!

Fall Things

Who knows what pile lurks in the yards of men.  In this case... the neighbors know. This gigantic pile represents about 4 hrs of ranking and leaf-blowering.  As you can see, there are still leaves on the trees, and while I would have been quite content to wait for them ALL to come down, leaf pickup is this week coming, so I wanted to be ready.

1 broken rake, 2 hrs to collect into 1 massive pile, and then 2 hrs to divide in 57 barbage cans full and shake out over the fence.  The picture doesn't quite do it justice.  I could easily fit inside this pile standing up.  Its probably 7' tall, and 10' across at the base.  An epic pile for sure.  I look forward to doing this again in 2 weeks when the rest of the leaves have come down, and Mississauga is no longer sending the truck around to suck them all up.

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After snapping a few pics of my handiwork outside, I went inside and happened to catch the sunbeam through the door illuminating our decorative sticks, and a scarecrow guy who I dont remember seeing before.  Either he's one of those creepy come-to-life dolls and is waiting.... waiting.... or Christine put him there from the basement.  I'm guessing the latter is more accurate, but less dramatic.

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And after I was finished with the sunbeam, the dog wanted in on the action, so last be not least.... dog (yes, thats his normal face)...

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