Nature / Writing

When I was a kid, one of my favourite chores was polishing silverware. I can't say how many times I was asked to do it, though it couldn't have been very many. Most of the time the good silverware lived in a heavy wooden chest on the top shelf of the hall closet, waiting patiently for a few holiday dinners a year. But every once in awhile it would be brought down and placed on the big table on an otherwise unremarkable Saturday, and I would be set up with a little blue tin of silver polish and a soft white cloth. I would methodically work my way through the curious array of oversized spoons and undersized forks and oddly shaped knives, genuinely enjoying myself. I wish I could say my pleasure came from being able to contribute to family celebrations, but the truth is that I just really liked watching the tarnish disappear beneath my fingers. It didn't feel like cleaning; it felt like I was conducting a ceremony to remove a curse.  It felt like magic. Decades later, I don...

We've been staying home and social distancing for two-and-a-half months now, as the spring of COVID-19 stretches into summer. All things considered, I'm surprised it took me this long to decide to spend some of this formless time giving my website a little refresh. When I was looking for a new banner photo, this image felt like the perfect choice. It's a lovely photo if-I-do-say-so-myself , but it's also a lovely memory. A year ago next weekend, Steve and I rode the Maple Leaf together, a train that connects Toronto and New York City. We'd travelled to New York before, once by plane and once by bus, but since then I'd discovered the joy of train travel during a three day solo rail trip across America (which is a story for another time). Although that trip was filled with once-in-a-lifetime sights, it was even better to rattle along a little closer to home if it meant I could watch the sunset with someone I love. This year, there's no travel lined up i...

Sunday May 25, 2014 For the most part, I was glad there were children between us and the snakes. They weren't there in a human-shield kind of way - the snakes weren't dangerous and the kids weren't that coordinated anyway. When Steve and I first approached the Sciensational Sssnakes!!  display at Saturday's Spring Bird Festival in Sam Smith Park, we were both pleased and disappointed by the size of the crowd. Pleased, because it was wonderful to see so many children interested in learning about the frog, turtles, and snakes that nature educator Jenny Pearce had on hand, but disappointed because it didn't seem like we were going to get a chance to personally reconnect with Ross, the Everglades rat snake Steve had so enjoyed hanging out with  last year . Children take turns gently handling a hog-nosed snake. We watched the kids for a few minutes and I was impressed by how careful they were not to hurt the snakes, as per Pearce's instructions. Then Steve...

Monday April 21, 2014 I really enjoyed going to the TIFF Kids International Film Festival, but after more than a week straight spent inside dark theaters watching movies or inside bright theaters watching panel discussions, it was time to spend some time outside. One of the first things I saw on today's nature jaunt was a red squirrel. I've seen them before in the park, but not very often and not for a long time, so this made for a great start. Then there were many of the usual suspects for this time of year. A grackle took time to pose on a rock for me, I pestered a robin while he/she was in the bath, and the red-winged black birds were out in force: I also saw Northern flickers, a night heron, plenty of tree swallows, a brown creeper, lots of ducks and geese and sparrows, and heard a woodpecker. It had been a very nice walk and I was ready to go home when a passing young couple noticed my camera and I heard the woman say "Tell her about the owl...

Monday February 17, 2014 So far, 2014 has been busier than my blog would make it seem. But I guess that can be the trouble with blogs - the more life that happens, the less time you have to spend writing about said life. Anyway, although there are lots of bigger stories to catch up on, today's post is about one of the smaller adventures Steve and I had this weekend: This photo is from a  Canadian Women's Hockey League game that took place on Sunday afternoon - the Toronto Furies versus the Montreal Stars. I know that for many people going to a hockey game isn't much of an adventure, but Steve and I don't pay any attention to sports, so for us this was a big change of pace. The last time we went to anything like this was when we took in a few Toronto Roller Derby  games years ago, before the league moved bouts out to Downsview Park. This weekend's outing only happened because we were handed a two-for-one CWHL coupon during the local Santa Claus Parade. B...

Friday December 27, 2013 Sometimes when I go for a walk, I'm hoping for a good birding day. Maybe the weather just seems right, or I spotted a hawk through our window, or someone online has reported an uncommon sighting in the area. Today though, I just wanted to get some pictures of the ice. There was an ice storm in Ontario before Christmas, which knocked out power for thousands of people. We were lucky, and have been well-lit and warm all through the holidays. But today was my first chance to go out with the camera. Although I wasn't particularly looking for wildlife, a Mockingbird showed up within minutes, and the ducks were out and about.  But those are the usual suspects in our neighbourhood. This lady or gentleman, however, is not: If my I.D. skills are serving me well, that's a Long-eared Owl, and it's the first time I've ever seen one. Actually, it's the first time I've seen any wi...