last brush with mr. frost.

From what is predicted for the next 14 days, it looks like this might be our last brush with Mr. Frost. The snow has started to say its goodbyes at the homestead. This happened earlier..

beauty in the eye of a canuck

the world will still be here tomorrow

I caught myself having the TV guide channel on for a record 10 minutes tonight. I just seemed to forget to switch it before I turned my computer back on to surf the web to cure yet another curse of insomnia. Too many `the world is ending' thoughts going through the dome while the world looks a snow globe through my bedroom window. I joke. The world isn't going to end. The media just wants to make you think it is. And that's why the advertisers give them dough. I digress. I was searching for odd stuff via the Mighty Google. I then toured Tumblr, Twitter. The Yellow Board, and the other usual suspects. Now. I'm here. Writing. For the second time today. I don't remember the last time I wrote this late. Walked home today thinking it would've been a beautiful day if it weren't for that wind. Just happy I didn't have to come home after 9pm. And lived in Toronto. Or even worse - Mississauga. I heard they're getting hammered. I'm rambling. That's my cue to go. Just a quick note to exercise the money makers before sleep attempt number two. Sleep well, all. The world will still be here tomorrow.

no rhyme. no reason.

I'm a huge storm chaser. Not because I want to grab my videocam and put myself in danger, but because I find tornadoes interesting. Glued to CNN's coverage of the Texas Tornado, watching homes, cars, trucks all get spun in the air and fly for a couple hundred feet. No rhyme. No reason. It just does. Lasts for seconds but leaves its mark. Incredible.

welcome mother..

I welcomed Mother Spring to our lives this year with an impromptu 3k hike and a haircut. Took some mandatory shots along the way..

the hike..

Since I've been feeding this health kick I've been having since the new year began, I thought my newest hobby now that the nice weather has arrived (and here to stay, I hope) is to take in some pleasurable hiking trails around the hood. A quick Google search landed me on a great site sponsored by the city of some great adventurous  trails to embark on. Most of them are not too long. I think the longest one is just under 4km's. That's OK. As long as I can get some good walking in and take some good shots while I'm at it. Water is packed. Camera battery charging. Going to see if i can take in a path this week. Can't think of any other way to welcome Spring 2012.

indoor recess

Will be outside again tomorrow.

end of november..

Tomorrow is the end of November. It's been a long month. It was a good experience. I know moustaches aren't for me. If I didn't care about supporting the cause this month, It would've been gone a long time ago. I would've shaved it off. Gone. But I didn't. I'm happy I held strong and kept my head high, sporting the moustache proudly. The rain doesn't help with my motivation. Just makes me want to sleep. Especially today since I'm just getting over a bit of a cold and the laziness that comes with cold meds is still in my system. Sleep the day away. Woke up, however. Got my stuff done. Wrote. E-Mailed. Read. Finished a chapter. Sometimes it pays to wake up early while the world sleeps. No interruptions. Just you and your work. It might be rain, but I woke up craving tea rather than coffee. I need coffee in the morning to wake up. But today, tea was a great substitute. It got me going. Kept me warm. Kept me fresh. The taste of honey and natural flavours first thing in the morning is a wonderful thing. As December approaches, I'm happy it's rain rather than snowing. Can you believe it? No snow. And tomorrow is the last day of November. I worry about Mother Nature's health.

what does this mean?

I saw a rainbow this evening. I ran to get my camera to take a shot. As I stepped outside, I noticed that there's a slight double rainbow there. I laughed. Remembering the double rainbow guy from last year. Had to look him up one more time. For old times sakes. He never gets old. Rainbows never do, either. One thing the double rainbow guy was right about, however, is that these magnificent nature creations are sure one hell of beautiful.

thanks for being you, rain..

Rain. I love the girl. If it wasn't for the whole wet thing, I would sit out with it while it pays a visit and enjoys it company. We have come to an understanding that I can't really chill with it and would rather spy on her from the inside. The rain came over this weekend and did my garden a couple of times. Thanks, pal. Appreciated. It cut off my TV during Dateline tonight. That's when it becomes an annoying friend. But you still have to love her. She also was around to keep me company during my chicken noodle and gardens salad Sunday dinner. Great times. Rain. Thanks for being you. But you really got to work on some of you more annoying qualities.

mother nature's magic light show

I always loved watching the skies. Especially during a cool thunderstorm. Watching the skies move on you and turn from a bright sunshine into a dark monster of evil thunderous disaster is utterly amazing. Tonight I placed the old videocam by my bedroom window and by the window looking into the backyard to cover it all. The following is what happened. Just look above and you'll see Mother Nature's magic first hand. Beaut'.

Thanks to Germany, Germany for the tunage.

another boring storm..

My Twitter and Facebook feeds came alive earlier with the threatening of a huge thunderstorm. Doors shut, the television cracked on the news, I was ready. I set up my cam by my bedroom window to cover the footage to post up later on. Thought I would have some fantastic views of the thunder and the potential hail. And that rumor of a tornado landing. The storm came and went. Nothing. I uploaded the footage anyway and this is what I got. A lousy, boring storm in Newmarket. I hear just down the street though got a classic show. Lucky them.

soldier on...

I heard there is a rain storms advisory sent out today. I heard there might be a tornado. Perfect. I love storms. Perfect to finish up work early and head to bed with the window open a jar and listen. Listen to the pitter patter. Thunder. Lightning. Water swooshing around while the cars drive by. Hail falling. Wind blow. Mother Nature is an amazing women who is capable of hurting us or just fooling around and showing us what she can do without touching us. She's unpredictable. And that's why I love her. She keeps me on my toes and wanting more from her. Wanting to know how else is she going to surprise me. Motivate me. Much like the women I adore. The ones who keep me guessing while teaching me in other ways. In better ways. If the storm comes, enjoy it. And soldier on.

the day the snow died..

As I entered my room this afternoon to grab my phone, I opened up the window and let the wonderful spring breeze hit me through the mesh separating myself to what could be called as a journey back to childhood. School. As soon as I took that big whiff of fresh air, memories came flooding back of me and my pals running into the school yard to say hello again to our friend the playground after being away from her since Fall. Winter came and went but we knew that our playground will always be there for some prepubescent fun. I snapped back to reality and realized I couldn't let this day go without making a run in the positive degree weather. I got ready, grabbed my camera and mp3 player and headed out the door. A little photo bombing mission in the nearby park to be followed by some afternoon coffee at Tim's. Sounded like a plan.

I turned up Reflection Eternal while I was in the park taking shots of the sky, basketball net, this really cool wooden hut and the sand. The sand. Nice to see that brown color again. With some of the white stuff still around, and the grass wet while the mud was just sticking onto my Doc Martins, I couldn't care. I was just wearing my jogging jacket and jeans. I was good even though the nice little chill from the breeze was making it a bit uncomfortable. I felt like a kid who jumps into the cold pool. They don't care how cold the water is. They just care that they're in water.

I usually hate these little teasers that Mother Nature throws at us every year but this year it was different. It was a nice little peak into what's to come. That more nice days like today are going to be here soon. We just have to man-up and survive the few weeks of cold weather left.

alexander's band

No. I'm not getting into a music group, but Alexander's Band is what you get when you see two rainbows - which is what happened in Toronto on the weekend. Both on Friday and on Saturday. Here's what Alexander's Band is all about according to Wiki.

Alexander's band or Alexander's dark band is an optical phenomenon associated with rainbows which was named after Alexander of Aphrodisias who first described it. It occurs due to the deviation angles of the primary and secondary rainbows. Both bows exist due to an optical effect called the angle of minimum deviation. Light which is deviated at smaller angles than this can never reach the observer.

The minimum deviation angle for the primary bow is 137.5°. Light can be deviated up to 180°, causing it to be reflected right back to the observer. Light which is deviated at intermediate angles brightens the inside of the rainbow.

The minimum deviation angle for the secondary bow is about 230°. The fact that this angle is greater than 180° makes the secondary bow an inside-out version of the primary. Its colors are reversed, and light which is deviated at greater angles brightens the sky outside the bow.

Between the two bows lies an area of unlit sky referred to as Alexander's band. Light which is reflected by raindrops in this region of the sky cannot reach the observer, though it may contribute to a rainbow seen by another observer elsewhere.

some rainy time songs.....

It's been raining for the past two days. Supposed to warm up with plus 20 sunny type conditions for the weekend. Thought I'd post some of my favorite rainy type tracks.


I Can't Stand The Rain - Ann Peebles



Can You Stand the Rain - New Edition


Here Comes the Rain Again - Eurythmics



Everyday It Rains - Mary J Blige


It Never Rains in Southern California - Tony! Toni! Tone!