Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Museum Piece?


Museum Piece?
Originally uploaded by Ontario Wanderer

Wonder when someone will want to put me into a museum?

I used to ride with my grandfather in a truck like this to visit his brother who had the only TV in the community. Guess I am beginning to think I am getting old but I don't feel that old yet. I still have not decided what I want to do when I grow up.

(We saw this truck in the Museum of Civilization in Ottawa last week.)

Friday, December 25, 2009

Scanner Testing


Scanner Testing
Originally uploaded by Ontario Wanderer

Thanks to Eglantine's daughter and son-in-law, we have a scanner. This was the first slide that I tried on the scanner and it worked well. This is a scan of a slide that I took while on an outdoor survival camp in February of 1978 up north of Thunder Bay, Ontario. It was -30 on our camp out night.

On Road


On Road
Originally uploaded by Ontario Wanderer

Slow shutter speed but high highway speed equals strange figures.

Thursday, December 17, 2009

Old Memory


Old Memory
Originally uploaded by Ontario Wanderer

This photo is so old that my beard is still dark. It's been a while since I played in whitewater but the memory is still good.

I put an 1980 date for the photo but I am really not sure. I just remember doing a lot of swimming on that weekend of "canoe" practice.

www.owl-mkc.ca/mkc/

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Finally!


Finally!
Originally uploaded by Ontario Wanderer

The snow has been very slow to arrive this year. We almost have the ground covered now but there are only flurries in the forecast. I have been watching temperatures from our previous home places in Kansas and northern Ontario. So far this winter it has often been colder in Kansas than either here or in northern Ontario.

Sunday, December 13, 2009

Waiting for the Jingle Bell Run


Waiting for the Jingle Bell Run
Originally uploaded by Ontario Wanderer

Fleur-Ange caught me waiting to be one of over 2000 Santas running in Burlington's Jingle Bell run yesterday. I was pleased to be 2nd of 11 runners in my age group and #788 of 2014 runners that finished. It was a cold wait for the start as we stood for 25 minutes in -7 C temperatures with a wind chill of -13 C. Those Santa suits are OK for running but not for standing around.

Friday, December 11, 2009

Cold Vetch


Cold Vetch
Originally uploaded by Ontario Wanderer

With the 47 km winds it felt like - 17 as I took this photo. You can see my thumb turning blue as I held the Cow Vetch flowers still in the wind. Not much blooming today! Only found 15 species compared to almost 50 last week. Lots of wind and cold temperatures here but no real snow yet. The ground has not been fully covered yet where we live.

Sunday, December 06, 2009

Bowls & Gongs


Bowls & Gongs
Originally uploaded by Ontario Wanderer

I attended a quartz crystal bowl and paiste gong concert at the Welkin Wellness Centre in Brantford last night where I usually go for yoga. David Hickey kept the crowd enthralled for over two hours with his skills on the gongs and bowls.

http://www.crystaljourney.ca/david.html

Friday, December 04, 2009

Redbud Pods


Redbud Pods
Originally uploaded by Ontario Wanderer

There are several varieties of Redbud trees in the RBG Woodland Garden but the pods on this tree were catching the afternoon light in an interesting way.

I was in the gardens looking for late wild flowers. I visited the rose garden, the woodland garden and the waterfront trail to see what was blooming and found 46 species of flowers in bloom not counting the roses and a few other cultivated flowers whose names I don't know. I like to check the flower beds to see what weeds have come up to bloom after the summer staff left for school etc.

Sunday, November 29, 2009

Steel Town


Steel Town
Originally uploaded by Ontario Wanderer

I looked across the Hamilton Harbour just as Defasco put up a lot of smoke and steam at the steel mill.

I am still annoyed with myself for not doing the tour in the days when they were still doing them. Too many safety regulations these days to allow the public in. (I expect gyms to be closed soon for the same reason.)

Friday, November 27, 2009

Rose Moss


Rose Moss
Originally uploaded by Ontario Wanderer

A week ago I went with RBG staff and people from Guelph University to look for the Rose Moss (Rhodobryum roseum). It was to be used for research by a researcher in Spain. This moss is rare in Ontario but found in several places in our area. As you can see, we found it!

Thursday, November 26, 2009

Morning MIst


Morning MIst
Originally uploaded by Ontario Wanderer

It's been a while since I spent time with my watercolours. This was the second of my attempts in class at a wet-on-wet painting and the first painting that I finished this term. I have several others in various states of being "almost finished." This one too could probably benefit from more work but it seems safer to leave well enough alone for now.

Sunday, November 22, 2009

Another Unexpected November Find


Another Unexpected November Find
Originally uploaded by Ontario Wanderer

Last year on Nov. 22 we had almost 2 cm of snow on the ground with temperatures between - 11 C and - 4 C. This year I found this snake not far from a wild strawberry and a thyme-leaved speedwell that were blooming. The temperature is currently + 9 C and the sun is going down in the late afternoon.

Mallow


Mallow
Originally uploaded by Ontario Wanderer

This Musk Mallow (Malva moschata) was blooming on November 20 next to the Hamilton Harbour just off the Waterfront Trail. I saw several other Musk Mallow plants but only this one was blooming.

Saturday, November 21, 2009

Teasel


Teasel
Originally uploaded by Ontario Wanderer

Dipsacus fullonum ssp.sylvestris is the Latin name. I did not find any blooms but the seed heads are just as interesting. People often spray paint them for flower arrangements but I like them as they are much better.

Friday, November 20, 2009

Herb Robert


Herb Robert
Originally uploaded by Ontario Wanderer

This small flower is a kind of wild geranium and was still blooming, in a protected, sunny spot on November 20th. (I also found about 50 other species on my wild flower hunt today.)

Thursday, November 19, 2009

Cleaning and Painting


Cleaning and Painting
Originally uploaded by Ontario Wanderer

The people of Cuba seem to like pastel colours for their buildings. I am reminded of other places on the water in Newfoundland and Italy. Buildings in Cuba tended to be very clean and freshly painted or in poor states of repair with not many in-between states. (Photo from March of 2009)

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Art From Cienfuegos, Cuba


Art From Cienfuegos, Cuba
Originally uploaded by Ontario Wanderer

Another mixed media piece that I found quite intriguing in the small gallery in downtown Cienfuegos, Cuba last March. If I remember correctly it was paper mache and acrylic paint.

Sunday, November 15, 2009

November Chores


November Chores
Originally uploaded by Ontario Wanderer

Easy 10 k run this morning so I had enough energy to cut and haul wood this afternoon. I was cleaning up some old fallen trees in the area behind the barn where the donkey and goats spend their time.

Saturday, November 14, 2009

Does Your Mother Know You Are Out This Late?


Does Your Mother Know You Are Out This Late?
Originally uploaded by Ontario Wanderer

Looking for late mosquitoes . . . (I found a winter mosquito last year in December.)

Friday, November 13, 2009

Late Flowering Daisy


Late Flowering Daisy
Originally uploaded by Ontario Wanderer

Found at the Hamilton, Ontario waterfront on November 13, 2009. It was one of fifty-seven species that I saw in bloom today in the same area. Also included in the fifty-seven were three species that I had never seen before in November. My list of wild flowers found blooming in November is now up to 201 species seen in the last 11 years.

Thursday, November 12, 2009

Early Road


Early Road
Originally uploaded by Ontario Wanderer

Walked out to the road for a slightly different perspective on the sunrise for this photo.

Sunday, November 08, 2009

"But soft, what light through yonder window breaks?"


"But soft, what light through yonder window breaks?"
Originally uploaded by Ontario Wanderer

Sorry, Romeo, it's just our barn but the goats and donkey would be glad to see you. Bring treats!

Calla and I were doing our morning, pre-dawn walk through the fog in the east field this morning when I saw this view of our barn through the trees in early light. These days, the animals eat before we do.

Saturday, November 07, 2009

Pink


Pink
Originally uploaded by Ontario Wanderer

In 1981 I led my first Naturalists' Club walk looking for wild flowers in late October. Today Eglantine and I will lead another late fall wild flower hike. This is number 28 for me. If you are in the Hamilton area, meet us at 1:30 p.m. at the large parking lot at Princess Point to see what flowers are still blooming. You do not have to be in the club to come walk.

Thursday, November 05, 2009

All is Not Brown in November


All is Not Brown in November
Originally uploaded by Ontario Wanderer

Even when the fields look brown, there are still flowers blooming if one looks closely. There are several species of goldenrod and aster blooming in our brown looking fields at present.

Friday, October 30, 2009

In the Quiet I Hear Leaves Falling


In the Quiet I Hear Leaves Falling
Originally uploaded by Ontario Wanderer

The sound of leaves falling and hitting both ground and water; the call of the chickadee; the scream of the blue jay; the gurgle of a small streamlet; these are the sounds of the quiet ravine behind our house

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

East Pond


East Pond
Originally uploaded by Ontario Wanderer

I don't usually like rainy days but the colours and the raindrops on our east pond really caught my eye on the dog walk this morning so I had to go back to get this photo. Not many more days of coloured leaves this bright are left this year.

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Looking Close


Looking Close
Originally uploaded by Ontario Wanderer

About 4 mm (1/6 in.) in size, this Thyme-leaved Speedwell (Veronica serpyllifolia) is easy to miss any day. Finding it in late October in Southern Ontario is a real treat. This one was on one of our mown pathways in the west meadow on our Brant County, Ontario property.

Sunday, October 25, 2009

Some Unharvested Soybeans


Some Unharvested Soybeans
Originally uploaded by Ontario Wanderer

Most of the soybeans in our area have been harvested but I found these down by the Grand River today on the edge of Brantford that are still waiting.

Thursday, October 22, 2009

On Guard


On Guard
Originally uploaded by Ontario Wanderer

This chap has been guarding the garden for three summers now and still does not look too bad . . . from a distance. This past summer a house wren build a nest inside his shirt so I guess he cannot be called a scarewren. Our neighbours built him to help frighten unwanted creatures away from the garden that their children helped plant on our property.

He has company. Two other sets of people made scarecrows that spring so there are three scarecrows in the garden.

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Neighbour


Neighbour
Originally uploaded by Ontario Wanderer

I took a different way home the other day and discovered that we have Texas Longhorn cattle living only a few kilometres away from where we live. If I remember correctly, and read the map correctly, they live within the borders of the city of Hamilton.

Neighbour


Neighbour
Originally uploaded by Ontario Wanderer

I took a different way home the other day and discovered that we have Texas Longhorn cattle living only a few kilometres away from where we live. If I remember correctly, and read the map correctly, they live within the borders of the city of Hamilton.

Neighbour


Neighbour
Originally uploaded by Ontario Wanderer

I took a different way home the other day and discovered that we have Texas Longhorn cattle living only a few kilometres away from where we live. If I remember correctly, and read the map correctly, they live within the borders of the city of Hamilton.

Sunday, October 18, 2009

Mullein


Mullein
Originally uploaded by Ontario Wanderer

One of ninety-three different flower species found during the weekend in bloom. There are many wild flowers still blooming along the Hamilton Waterfront Trail as the harbour helps keep temperatures more moderate and the street lights add more light to the shortening days.

Friday, October 16, 2009

Valley Path


Valley Path
Originally uploaded by Ontario Wanderer

We are moving toward fall colours but there is still a lot of green around. I chose this photo for the colours but overall I think there is about 60% green, 30% colour, and 10% of the trees have already dropped their leaves.

Thursday, October 15, 2009

Another Late Bloomer


Another Late Bloomer
Originally uploaded by Ontario Wanderer

There are two small patches of violets that I have found blooming in the late fall. This is from the patch that I found first many years ago. I can usually find a few blooming in October and sometimes even in November and once in December. This is a Canada Violet growing not far from Webster Falls in the Spencer Wilderness area.

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Swamp Falls


Swamp Falls
Originally uploaded by Ontario Wanderer

I took a drive out to the Beverly Swamp, just north of where we live, to see what the fall colours were doing. Most of the leaves had already fallen down and it was looking bare in the trees but there was still some colour in the water.

Monday, October 12, 2009

Farms Feed Cities


Farms Feed Cities
Originally uploaded by Ontario Wanderer

This is a photo montage of a cornfield in Brant County and the skyline of Toronto, Ontario.

Saturday, October 10, 2009

What Frost Warning?


What Frost Warning?
Originally uploaded by Ontario Wanderer

This Field Strawberry (Fragaria virginiana ssp.glauca) is one of 95 wild flower species that I have found during the first nine days of October. I photographed it just an hour ago on Oct. 10.

It is not uncommon for several spring wild flower species to bloom again in the fall. I assume it is the amount of daylight hours that is the stimulus.

Onward


Onward
Originally uploaded by Ontario Wanderer

The Royal Botanical Boardwalk is more slippery on rainy days but less crowded and leads to a colourful fall walk. The trails were filled with puddles but still quite firm and enjoyable to walk upon.

Friday, October 09, 2009

Puddle Watching


Puddle Watching
Originally uploaded by Ontario Wanderer

Trying to brighten another subfusc Friday. (Yes, it's today "word of the day." Came just on the right day here.)

Taken in the wild part of the Royal Botanical Gardens in Hamilton/Burlington, Ontario.

Tuesday, October 06, 2009

Sun Colours


Sun Colours
Originally uploaded by Ontario Wanderer

Sunlight was doing interesting things to colours and lines last evening. I had to pull off the road and attempt a capture.
This was on the edge of Dundas, Ontario.

Sunday, October 04, 2009

Millipede


Millipede
Originally uploaded by Ontario Wanderer

Of the over 10000 species of millipedes in the world, over 1400 are in North America so I don't even want to think about figuring out the species name. I will be content thinking about how they figure out which legs to move when as they move along.

Saturday, October 03, 2009

Lucky Star


Lucky Star
Originally uploaded by Ontario Wanderer

This is a small metal sculpture by David Hind of Brantford. He was part of the Brantford Art Tour this past weekend. I was lucky to see it as a thunderstorm with lots of rain was rolling in and I only managed two photos before the rains.

Thursday, October 01, 2009

"Perche"


"Perche"
Originally uploaded by Ontario Wanderer

Sculptural work by Antonio Nunez Chaviano located in Cienfuegos, Cuba. Photographed in March of 2009.

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Pepper Plants


Pepper Plants
Originally uploaded by Ontario Wanderer

As part of my work at the organic farm this morning, I picked about 50 pounds (23 kg) of peppers from this greenhouse growth. (If my math and estimations are correct, that's about 6 pecks of peppers or maybe slightly more. None of them were pickled however.)

I am glad that I don't have to do work like this too often. My back is still sore this afternoon from all the bending over.

Monday, September 28, 2009

One-Seeded Bur Cucumber


One-Seeded Bur Cucumber
Originally uploaded by Ontario Wanderer

1 of 113 wild flowers that I have found blooming in the last three days (September 25,26,27). I found this one by the Grand River just before the 5 km Waterworks run started.

Friday, September 25, 2009

Resting


Resting
Originally uploaded by Ontario Wanderer

Fungi found on a stump. Sorry, no ID. It was just off one of the trails in the Hendrie Valley of the Royal Botanical Gardens on Friday, September 25.

Thursday, September 24, 2009

Amethyst Aster


Amethyst Aster
Originally uploaded by Ontario Wanderer

One of 111 species that I saw in bloom last week. This is a hybrid aster that is less common that most asters. I failed to recognize it at first as I don't see it every year and this was the first time I saw it this season.

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Jimsonweed Opening


Jimsonweed Opening
Originally uploaded by Ontario Wanderer

This Datura stramonium, or Jimsonweed is trumpet-shaped when all the way open but looks more interesting when opening or closing. I found this one in the Royal Botanical Gardens in the Burlington, Ontario section not far from the Rose Garden.