Trees around McMichael Gallery
Posted: March 30, 2014 Filed under: Ontario, Plant Life | Tags: ice storm, Kleinburg, McMichael Gallery, Ontario, spring, trees Leave a comment
We went to the McMichael Gallery this weekend to see an exhibit of Mary Pratt’s work . The gallery, which is surrounded by trees, is 45 minutes to an hour north and west of Toronto, near the town of Kleinburg. We walked around a bit at the end of the day and saw that many branches were down. I wondered if this was part of the aftermath of December’s ice storm and the harsh winter we had. Despite that, the melt is on and spring is gradually arriving.
The Tree That Held Up the Cloud
Posted: March 19, 2014 Filed under: Ontario, Plant Life, Sky, Toronto | Tags: bare branches, cloud, Toronto, tree Leave a commentIt’s been a grey day in Toronto. We’re moving slowly toward spring, but it’s not here yet. The trees’ bare branches will be with us for a while longer. In January, I saw this peach coloured cloud sitting in the arms of a tree in the neighbourhood.
On a Warm Winter Day
Posted: March 17, 2014 Filed under: Ontario, Plant Life, Toronto | Tags: black and white photography, Toronto, tree, tree trunk, urban nature Leave a commentAnother discovery on my walk last week on a warmer than usual day: this wonderfully textured tree trunk.
Tree trunk, March 11/14, Toronto
In Search of Open Water
Posted: March 16, 2014 Filed under: Animal Life, Ontario, Toronto, Water | Tags: ducks, Great Lakes, ice, open water, Riverdale Park, snow, Toronto, waterfowl Leave a commentIt’s been a hard season for waterfowl. The extreme cold has frozen most of the Great Lakes for the first time in around 20 years. Around Toronto and north of here, there are reports of many swans and ducks being found dead because of the lack of open water that they can land on and find food in.
So on a warm day (10° C) last week when I took a long walk, I looked out over Riverdale Park off of Broadview Avenue onto melting snow. I soon realized that the specks on a sizable flooded area were actually ducks. And I wondered if they have come here because they are having trouble finding open water on Lake Ontario.
Ducks in melting snow and ice, Riverdale Park, Toronto, March 11/14
Travelling Shells
Posted: March 8, 2014 Filed under: Animal Life, Books, Water | Tags: Atlantic Ocean, beach, Caribbean, coast, collection, coral, New Jersey, ocean, seashells, shell, shells Leave a commentWhen I was a child, I loved collecting seashells along the New Jersey coast. I’d walk the beach, small bucket in hand, and find tiny rainbow coloured clam shells, the occasional little conch, scallop and mussel shells. There was also a round snail-like shell whose name I forget. I had a book, written in 1955, that I’ve kept to this day. I read it many times, pouring over the line drawings and photos.
This love of shells has remained with me throughout my life. They’ve travelled with me to the various apartments I’ve lived in. The majority of shells and bits of coral in the glass jar in this post are ones I found on beaches in the Caribbean during the 1970s and early ’80s when I used to visit relatives there. There’s also the odd shell from other wanderings plus 4 or 5 interspersed that I bought in the ’70s while travelling in Florida.
Fresh Snow at Kortright–2013
Posted: March 6, 2014 Filed under: Ontario, Water | Tags: kortright centre, Kortright Centre for Conservation, Ontario, snow, winter Leave a commentLast year, in February, I photographed the fresh snow on this walkway at the Kortright Centre for Conservation, around an hour north of Toronto.
Kortright Centre for Conservation, February 2013.
of humans and nature 
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