Blog Guelph: Dig Deep

P1100053.jpg, originally uploaded by Peter A Wolf.

Good Friday fellow photo-lovers,

Here's the much beloved cannon at U of Guelph, scrubbed down and giving us insight into all the many painted layers throughout the years.

Beautiful new patterns emerge when you dig deep, as Peter Wolf illustrates.

Isn't it so?

-Downtown Lynn (on assignment, outside of the downtown)

Blog Guelph: Auspicious

The Moon and Jupiter, a photo by Corbeau du Nord on Flickr.

Let us know peace.
For as long as the moon shall rise
For as long as the rivers shall flow
For as long as the sun shall shine
For as long as the grass shall grow
Let us know peace

~ Native American Prayer

May the moon always rise
And the river flow
And the sun shine
And the grass grow

And may we always know peace in our lives.

~ Aidan M.D. Ware

Blog Guelph: Auspicious

dark night, a photo by K.Jane on Flickr.

Blog Guelph: Auspicious

Early November Moon, North of Guelph, a photo by Aidan M.D. Ware on Flickr.

Blog Guelph: Auspicious

Moon light, a photo by steelers_#1fan on Flickr.

Blog Guelph: Auspicious

Moon Sets on Church of Our Lady - a series, a photo by Our Enchanted Garden on Flickr.

Blog Guelph: Creativity is Everywhere

Laundry Guardian, a photo by BunnySafari on Flickr.

Good Morning!

Welcome to another full colour photograph shot on Kodak Portra film. I still can't kick that film habit of mine, nor do I intend to. Why is there an interesting face on my fencepost? Why not, I would ask you. In 2001, my first ceramic mentor, Ms Goldie Sherman challenged herself to make a mask a day for an entire year. I thought at first she was mad. At the end of the project I realized what a great creative leap she had made. What dedication to your craft. The results also demonstrated a slice of the culture around us and was reflected in the mask of a particular day. The tragic day of 9/11 was marked with a mask. Happy, sad, confused, perplexed faces began to surround us on the walls of the studio. The whole collection was eventually part of a show Goldie had at the Wellington County Museum. It was a sight to behold.

Now, Goldie has given many of the masks away, time to make room for more creativity. I am one of the lucky recipients and this mask graces my garden. I think this one may have been fleshed out on a full moon!

Have a brilliant day!
Bunny Safari

Blog Guelph: Water in the woods

Sunrise in Wild Goose Woods, a photo by kim/ber on Flickr.

I discovered water in the woods at the Arboretum this spring. 

Having been there numerous times over the past few years I can't believe I missed it. I didn't even know the amazing boardwalk existed... crazy! 

The swamp in Wild Goose Woods instantly became one of my favourite places. Photo ops abound and watching the sunrise from the boardwalk is an incredible experience. 

I was there a couple of weeks ago on a frosty morning and the sights and sounds were so beautiful and memorable that I'm eager to return. The water was coated with a thin sheet of ice that crackled as the sun rose. Colourful leaves were visible below the surface. I saw wet raccoon footprints on the boardwalk, squirrels scurrying through the forest, and a variety of birds.

I love it there SO much.

Information on Wild Goose Woods and other natural areas at the Arboretum is available from the University of Guelph. If you're interested in photography, be sure to check out the workshops being offered in 2013.

- Kim  

Blog Guelph: Water in the woods

Untitled, a photo by NaturesEssence on Flickr.

Blog Guelph: Water in the woods

Leaves under ice, a photo by kim/ber on Flickr.

Blog Guelph: Water in the woods

frozen swamp, a photo by oliverstreetphoto on Flickr.

Blog Guelph: Water in the woods

Thin ice, a photo by kim/ber on Flickr.

Blog Guelph: November Christmas

Santa arrives, a photo by Bruce Shapka on Flickr.
It was around November 13th when I was doing a photo shoot at The Cutten Club, I noticed their main dining hall was sporting a Christmas tree and each table had snow globes with Santas and Reindeer. I think it was almost 20 degrees that day - but a company was indeed having their Christmas party.

You know, the holidays are in December. Christmas is not until the 25th. Despite this, it seems that as soon as the plastic skeletons, inflatable pumpkins, and other Halloween paraphernalia are taken down, the plastic candycanes and inflatable santas are put up.  And the mass slaughter of thousands of trees begins again for another year.

Why has Christmas become like Halloween?

I don’t understand it, personally. And I think it’s disrespectful.
I do think it’s nice to celebrate the holidays with friends and family, to enjoy each other’s company, to share food and drink and memories and futures. But I will never chop down a tree and decorate it as it slowly dies in my living room.

Also, why do we insist on celebrating Santa in November? There’s hardly ever any snow.  It’s like we can’t exist without having some form of a cultural carnival going on all the time. One now blends into the next and as soon as we get through the pressures of the Christmas holidays, we’ll be into the plastic hearts and cut flowers for Valentines.

It’s like we’re going through all the outward motions, but not the inward ones. We make a great show of celebrating, but the traditions themselves are eroding into nightmares of debt, shopping frenzies, environmental degradation, and major stress for a lot of people.

Isn’t it time we got back to what matters?

When I was little, Thornbury, Ontario used to have an old fashioned Christmas every year with hay wagon rides, fire barrels, dunking for apples, local food, hot cider, and a street dance with a live band. There wasn’t garbage and gaudy decoration. It was simple and community-focused.  It was always in December – and hey, there was usually snow!

It was always magical.

Isn’t it time we got back to Christmas in December?

~Aidan M.D. Ware

Blog Guelph: November Christmas

Santa lands among the trees, a photo by crisscrossgirl on Flickr.

Blog Guelph: November Christmas

big and bouncy, a photo by vw-busman on Flickr.

Blog Guelph: November Christmas

the big man in red, a photo by vw-busman on Flickr.

Blog Guelph: Red

upload, a photo by downtownlynn on Flickr.

Good Morning,

I thought I would share my gem of the day from that great gal Downtown Lynn. Just remember to look with your eyes not your hands kids. The deadly nightshade berries are TOXIC.

Pure eye candy.

Cheers!
Bunny Safari

Blog Guelph: Ditto

fashion lighting, a photo by blairware on Flickr.

Sharing some super cool reflections by Blair whose Flickr profile states that "seeing is part of life that i should not, cannot ignore." 

I like what he sees.

Kim

Blog Guelph: Ditto

river landing 4603, a photo by blairware on Flickr.

Blog Guelph: Ditto

dandelion jail 3606, a photo by blairware on Flickr.

Blog Guelph: Ditto

Making Gowdy Eyes, a photo by blairware on Flickr.

Blog Guelph: Ditto

reflection 7672, a photo by blairware on Flickr.

Blog Guelph: Walking People Bring the City to Life

2011 Aug 21 048, originally uploaded by rubberschmuckie.

Being firmly invested in the health of the city, the functionality, the perception of what makes it tick, I've happily bookmarked an article on walkability as critical to an urban life well-lived. Granted, this is based on U.S. studies, but it applies nicely here.

If we cannot move on foot - or wheelchair, perhaps the arm of a friend - safely, and with interest, then what can we see? To what can we contribute?

Walkability of the city then, is critical to the "economic, environmental, and cultural health" as a society. To move sans vehicle must be useful, safe, comfortable, and interesting.

Too true.

Seize today's beauty on foot if you can. And see what you can see.

-Downtown Lynn

Blog Guelph: Walking People Bring the City to Life

Clare's Photos, originally uploaded by harpersandra.

Blog Guelph: Walking People Bring the City to Life

Untitled, originally uploaded by Jay Morrison.

Blog Guelph: Walking People Bring the City to Life

uneven keel, originally uploaded by BleechBiPass.

Blog Guelph: Walking People Bring the City to Life

YA WANNA BUY ME A COFFEE?, originally uploaded by TonyGuelph.

Blog Guelph: We Live In Deeds, Not Years

Donkey Day 2008: Watch them Fingers!!!, a photo by JohnnyBallgame on Flickr.

We live in deeds, not years; in thoughts, not breaths;
In feelings, not in figures on a dial.
~Philip James Bailey

Recently we've been asked to examine our deeds more closely.  Random Act of Kindness Day and Remembrance Day were both occasions that demanded us to respond with gestures, actions, and not just words – whether that’s buying someone a coffee or standing still for a moment of deference. 

But the concept in this quote is so much larger than even that. It is really the idea that we measure our lives not by our age, but by our contributions; not by our routines, but by our dreams; and not by our money or success but by our emotions.

I think people are really used to measuring themselves and their lives by literal things – the car, the house, the job, the business, the wedding rings, the salary, and so on. But these things are cover-ups for the real things – a façade veiling the actual person underneath those accumulations of status symbols.

When you look back on your life, it isn't the car you think about. It’s the time you were all singing in the car; it’s not the job you remember, but the time you all had the best staff party; it’s not the wedding ring you’ll reflect on, but those moments of being in love.

In the end, our deeds and our thoughts and our feelings are what make us human. This mad quest for status takes from us savagely – it causes us to shore up our values in the shallows, to be less than what we are; to think we are accomplished when we have so much more to do.

I heard someone say that Random Act of Kindness Day actually made her very sad. She felt that we shouldn't have to designate a day to being kind, but that every day should be filled with generosity of spirit.

Remembering that we truly measure our lives in deeds, let’s get out there and be brave enough to keep on sharing.

The car, the house, the job, the wedding ring – they are only shadows. Our deeds, our thoughts, and our feelings, are us.

~Aidan M.D. Ware 

Blog Guelph: We Live In Deeds, Not Years

Sidewalk Accordionist, a photo by peterkelly on Flickr.

Blog Guelph: We Live In Deeds, Not Years

Knit 3, a photo by dothewu on Flickr.

Blog Guelph: We Live In Deeds, Not Years

A Bird in the Hand...., a photo by 2Scooters on Flickr.

Blog Guelph: We Live In Deeds, Not Years

With this hand ..., a photo by Bruce Shapka on Flickr.

Blog Guelph: in a laneway

in a laneway, a photo by D J England on Flickr.

Good Morning!

This one particular image caught my eye this morning. It reminds me of walking down long lane ways in England. Walking down those English lanes often reminded me of meandering around the small sides streets of good old Guelph. Go figure.

Have a brilliant day!
Bunny Safari

Blog Guelph: 4 ducks, 2 squirrels and a beaver

Duck love.., a photo by Natures Caretaker on Flickr.

About a year ago I approached a guy I saw regularly by the Speed River taking photos of waterfowl to ask if he was on Flickr. He was...and I've been enjoying Randy Bartholomew's nature photography ever since. 

Natures Caretaker has captured stunning images of waterfowl in flight and a wonderful collection of wildlife.

What I especially like about his photography is the character and expressions he captures... a startled skunk, a mallard duck fascinated by his reflection, and a curious baby raccoon to name a few.

Ever seen a chipmunk swimming? ... or a bald eagle in the Guelph area? Randy has... and I recommend you check out his photostream for more great nature photos.

Kim

Blog Guelph: 4 ducks, 2 squirrels and a beaver

Reach for the sky varmit.(a beaver), a photo by Natures Caretaker on Flickr.

Blog Guelph: 4 ducks, 2 squirrels and a beaver

Yeh I'm dirty and got big feet so what.., a photo by Natures Caretaker on Flickr.

Blog Guelph: 4 ducks, 2 squirrels and a beaver

Yeh were going the right way.., a photo by Natures Caretaker on Flickr.

Blog Guelph: 4 ducks, 2 squirrels and a beaver

I'm so handsome.., a photo by Natures Caretaker on Flickr.

Blog Guelph: Remembrance Day

Cenotaph in Downtown Guelph, a photo by Our Enchanted Garden on Flickr.

Happy Monday!

I wasn't sure how to write about this, but here goes...

Yesterday I was downtown for the Remembrance Day Parade. It was the first time I had ever attended it. Partly because I am usually at work, and partly because I was never interested.

Perhaps, the problem is I never really understood Remembrance Day. Sure, I know what it means, and I know why we have a day to honour our soldiers, because we were always taught about it in school.

I think the problem is, I have never had to live in a time of war. If I feel this way now, how are my children going to feel in another ten or twenty years. And what about their children?

I am eternally grateful for everything our Canadian soldiers have done for us. I am gratefully for everything being Canadian means.

Yesterday, as I watched the veterans walk down Wyndam Street, I was filled with emotion. I wondered what they had seen in their lifetime, and felt grateful for everyone of them.

So here is my question... How do I make sure my children, and future generations feel everything I felt yesterday while I was watching the veterans march by?

Knowing what Remembrance Day represents is one thing, but being able to truly understand is another.

I hope that makes some sense to you.

See you all next week,

Krista

Blog Guelph: Remembrance Day

Rememberance Day, a photo by Glooscap on Flickr.

Blog Guelph: Remembrance Day

Veteran Derek, a photo by Glooscap on Flickr.

Blog Guelph: Church of Our Lady and Rainbow

Church of Our Lady and Rainbow, a photo by Royal_Rivers on Flickr.

A rainbow seems like the perfect sentiment for a Friday!

Take care of each other.

-Megan

Blog Guelph: I've Faced Stronger Walls Than Yours

Friends, a photo by Robert m Williams on Flickr.

I've faced stronger walls than yours
(Bob Dylan from ‘Tempest’)

People are like fortresses.

The walls that bind our emotions grow strong with time. And we are strong when we are behind them. We can hang out a banner of ourselves, cast the right shadow on the wall, let the public voice ring out to the streets.  Be popular. Unbreakable. Undeniable. Fortified. Safe.

We need nothing.

Those strong walls keep the world out.

Yes.

But they keep a lot of good things out too - love, happiness, fulfilment  connection.

My fortress is on the hill. I've lost the keys a few times in my life. Locked myself inside.

But eventually, someone brought me back out again – to see that the walls are actually emotions themselves.

We must remember to move outside; we must remember to enter the fury and foray. To be brave when bravery is scarce. To be open even when the doors are closed.

I could say a lot of things to you. That I care. That I will always be there.

But mostly, I just want to say that I have faced stronger walls than yours.

~ Aidan M.D. Ware

Blog Guelph: I've Faced Stronger Walls Than Yours

Cubbyhole, a photo by peterkelly on Flickr.

Blog Guelph: I've Faced Stronger Walls Than Yours

And The Band Plays On, a photo by peterkelly on Flickr.

Blog Guelph: I've Faced Stronger Walls Than Yours

september 29, 2010, a photo by dickie pea on Flickr.

Blog Guelph: I've Faced Stronger Walls Than Yours

The door that dreamed it was a window, that became a wall, a photo by spaceamoeba on Flickr.

Blog Guelph: I've Faced Stronger Walls Than Yours

Mill Walls, a photo by peterkelly on Flickr.

Blog Guelph: Good Morning!

The beginning 8511-, a photo by fishwithme55 on Flickr.

Good Morning!

I woke up to hear some great news on the radio this morning. For me, this image conveys the many positive possibilities of a new day.

Have a great day!
Bunny Safari

Blog Guelph: Perfectly painterly

The Trees, a photo by digitalambitions/ Valerie Hogg on Flickr.