Blog Guelph: Happy CanDay Eh!

O, Canada, Begging Bear!, originally uploaded by AlexRustlewood.

Hello lovelies,

Am just flying here, over the sweet din of the Friday Noon Hour Concert, and between art on the street program distribution. But I wanted to wish you all a Happy Canada Day, wherever you may be.

If it's downtown, be sure to catch the final Euro Cup match with Rodolfo at Van Gogh's Ear. Always a fan fave.

Be a good Canadian out there.

-DowntownLynn

Blog Guelph: The Woods Are In Me

I'd know that silhouette anywhere! by Chris Earley, a photo by The Arboretum on Flickr.

What right do I have to be in the woods, if the woods are not in me?
~John Cage


We talk about Guelph a lot. About what it means to live here. What it looks like. What it feels like. 


We talk about our uniqueness, our connection with the land, our bohemian culture, our art, our history, our environment, and our water. We talk about progress and future and development and innovation.


But we can’t talk about Guelph without talking about its people. The people that make this town not just a place - but who make it a family, a community, and a home.


Often, we are so busy in our lives that we don’t take the time to recognize the outstanding leadership of some of Guelph’s most committed advocates. I’d like to take this opportunity today to dedicate this Blog thread to the inspiring Alan Watson who many of you may know, announced his retirement from a twenty-year tenure as the Director of the Arboretum at the University of Guelph.


The Arboretum.  


Over 400 acres of land lies at the heart of our city. Land that has been granted protection from development. Land that is cultivated for education and research. Personally, I can’t think of Guelph without thinking about the Arboretum – it is one of the most special places to me. It is a healing place. A place that constantly reminds me to honour our world, to live with compassion, to love with grace. Out in the wildwood air, on the turn of trails, by the rocks of the reflecting pool, on the path of roses, in the heat of a solitary field, or in golden angles of a setting or rising sun. It is truly a place where I find myself once again. 


Nature is something as much a part of us as we are it.


And it’s hard to estimate the worth of something so large, something so rich and vital - as the Arboretum in Guelph. 


“Ourboretum”


Alan Watson likes to call it the “Ourboretum” – a fitting testament to our responsibilities as citizens to help continue the legacy of this site. For twenty years, Alan has advocated, educated, and lead this organization to be what it is today – a powerful site of discovery and community. Among his many roles, Alan is a faculty member in the Department of Environmental Biology and is currently managing the Ontario Tree Atlas Project and Elm Recovery Project based at The Arboretum. He is also very actively involved in sustainable tourism issues globally and locally he helped found the Guelph Round Table on the Environment and the Economy.


And although his involvements and advocacy extends well beyond the borders of Guelph, it is within these borders that we know him best.


He is truly someone we can say has a right to be in the woods.


For the woods are in him.


~ Aidan M.D. Ware

Blog Guelph: The Woods Are In Me

Merrill Star Magnolia frost damage, a photo by The Arboretum on Flickr.

Blog Guelph: The Woods Are In Me

Spot the spots by Chris Earley, a photo by The Arboretum on Flickr.

Blog Guelph: The Woods Are In Me

View of the "World of Trees" collection in The Arboretum, a photo by Corbeau du Nord on Flickr.

Blog Guelph: The Woods Are In Me

Arboretum Eastern Redbud (Cercis canadensis), a photo by Corbeau du Nord on Flickr.

Blog Guelph: The Woods Are In Me

November Sun Dog, a photo by Corbeau du Nord on Flickr.

Blog Guelph:Splash Dance

Splash Dance, a photo by felixtrio on Flickr.

Wasn't that a great party? Music, a special dance performance in the new splash pad in Market Square, and the best part of the evening? Loads of people dancing and splashing to the sounds of local group Eccodek. The latest installment of Fourth Fridays was a show stopper. As I was dancing, and I admit it, splashing, I took an informal poll amongst the participants to see why they had such big smiles on their faces. Some people had no idea what was going on and thought this happened all the time (I wish). Others, who were visiting Guelph said it reminded them of Toronto (saves me a drive). The general consensus was that this production was brilliant and kudos to all those who made it happen. I couldn't agree more. 


Waiting for the next excuse to flip off my flops and splash around,
Bunny Safari

Blog Guelph: Eccodek

Eccodek, a photo by felixtrio on Flickr.

Blog Guelph: Street party on Carden. Woo!

Street party on Carden. Woo!, a photo by kim/ber on Flickr.

Blog Guelph: Splash Dance

Splash Dance, a photo by felixtrio on Flickr.

Blog Guelph: Fountain of Fun

Splash Pad, a photo by felixtrio on Flickr.

Blog Guelph: Faery Fest

Faery Fest, a photo by thomevered on Flickr.

I'd hoped to get to Faery Fest's Enchanted Ground on the weekend but couldn't fit it into my schedule. It's an annual fantasy arts festival with a wide range of entertainment and activities including jousting knights, tournaments, dancing, costume awards, puppet shows, and a masquerade ball.


Given that i missed it, I was pleased to see a selection of photos on Flickr. It looks like a fun event and hopefully i'll get there next year. 


Kim

Blog Guelph: Faery Fest

Nap Time, a photo by thomevered on Flickr.

Blog Guelph: Fairy Fest

Dryad - Ashley, a photo by Alan Norsworthy on Flickr.

Blog Guelph: Faery Fest

It's her eyes, a photo by thomevered on Flickr.

Blog Guelph: A Matter of Perspective

standards., originally uploaded by Mary Calarco.

It all depends on how you look at it, really.
To some, Downtown Guelph is rife with social problems, controversial shifts in development, and the age-old claim of little parking.  But to others - like myself - we only see a very living, breathing place teeming with the intangible stories, and the successes. 

Take summertime, for example. The Market Square "Splash Pad" works as well for the public as it did when a winter rink. With the coming of the heat, all of our our civic spaces are humming along nicely. Downtown Guelph hosts our fabulous and varied Friday Noon Hour Concerts until September 14. We're also revving up for a killer 10th Annual art on the street Exhibition & Sale on Quebec Street, July 14.

And tonight? Well, our delicious and burgeoning Fourth Fridays offers so much to do and see. One such event is the collaboration between the Downtown Guelph Business Association, City of Guelph, Fourth Fridays Guelph, the Fab 5, and Dancetheatre David Earle  offering the free  Summer City Street Party in Market Square. We'll all get to listen to Doug Larson at 8pm, Matt Brubek at 9pm, then The Rubber Brothers. We'll be dazzled with a stunning water dance by Imageo Art Works, and finally be invited to dance in the Interactive Water Fountain "Splash Pad" ourselves to the world fusion music grooves of Eccodek.

This just skims the surface of the livingest life in the core this season. Stay tuned for more and then some.

We are undeniably vibrant and cutting edge from this perspective.

-DowntownLynn

Blog Guelph: A Matter of Perspective

building code, originally uploaded by Mary Calarco.

Blog Guelph: A Matter of Perspective

to contemporary, originally uploaded by Mary Calarco.

Blog Guelph: A Matter of Perspective

does not conform, originally uploaded by Mary Calarco.

Blog Guelph: A Matter of Perspective

The barn, originally uploaded by Mary Calarco.

Blog Guelph: The Ponderosa

Skyscraper, a photo by WeiWong on Flickr.

Recently I’ve been watching Bonanza. This show, which ran a stunning set of fourteen years between 1959 and 1973, has surprisingly a lot to teach us – about life, values, and even about land. It follows the lives of the Cartwright family – the father Ben and three sons Adam, Hoss, and Little Joe who live on the Ponderosa, a 600,000 acre ranch on the eastern shore of Lake Tahoe in Nevada.

For its time, Bonanza was an unusual western because the storylines focused less on the range and more on the human drama - how the Cartwright family cared for one another, their neighbours, and just causes. It may have been a period drama but it confronted contemporary social issues – themes of industrialization, pollution, alcoholism, domestic abuse, ethnic discrimination, gender, civic law, and capital punishment among many others. Issues that are still very contemporary today.

So, I really do think of Guelph like the Ponderosa.

While we may not be quick on the draw or ride mustangs, we are quick to stand up for what we believe in and we don’t back down from a hard or difficult ride.

Out on the Guelph Ponderosa:

We watch out for one another.

We know our neighbours.

We care for our land.

We stand up.

We run honest.

We stand deep in our grassroots.

We love and cry together.

We celebrate together.

And yes, we always ride together.

Many amazing things are taking place on the Ponderosa  - you can’t possibly miss the Summer City Street Party tomorrow on Carden Street which is part of an array of fantastic Fourth Friday activities in Guelph. Sunday ushers in the Local Food Fest at Ignatius from 11am to 5pm.

See you out there… on the Ponderosa!

~ Aidan M.D. Ware

Blog Guelph: The Ponderosa

Big Sky, a photo by Royal_Rivers on Flickr.

Blog Guelph: The Ponderosa

G-Town, a photo by BleechBiPass on Flickr.

Blog Guelph: The Ponderosa

Sunset, a photo by felixtrio on Flickr.

Blog Guelph: The Ponderosa

Splash Pad, a photo by felixtrio on Flickr.

Blog Guelph: The Ponderosa

Rain and the Rainbow, a photo by Royal_Rivers on Flickr.

Blog Guelph: The Ponderosa

Dawn in Guelph, a photo by gfreeman on Flickr.

Blog Guelph: Cool Water

Shakin All Over, a photo by BunnySafari on Flickr.

Think cool, calm and refreshing water.
Repeat.

Drink more water.

Think cool, calm and refreshing water.
Repeat.

Stay hydrated and move slowly.
Happy longest day of the year!!

Bunny Safari

Blog Guelph: Cool Water

Setting sun on the water in Wolfond Park, a photo by ndh on Flickr.

Blog Guelph: Canoe Polo on the Speed River

Canoe Polo on the Speed River, a photo by felixtrio on Flickr.

Blog Guelph: Splash!

Splash!, a photo by ICT_photo on Flickr.

Blog Guelph: Cool Water

Ice Shelf on the other side, a photo by Our Enchanted Garden on Flickr.

Blog Guelph: Waters

Waters, a photo by Royal_Rivers on Flickr.

Blog Guelph: Yarrrrd work

Yarrrrd work, originally uploaded by TheGiantVermin.

It's a hot dog kinda day out there. Please be mindful of your pets. No leaving them waiting in hot cars while you bask in air conditioned coolness.

Sue Richards

Blog Guelph: Dude.....This Water's Wet

Dude.....This Water's Wet, originally uploaded by Mother Earth's Magic.

Blog Guelph: Eat, Drink & Be Merry

Gordon Street , originally uploaded by rubberschmuckie.

Happy Friday folks,

Given that it's Father's Day on Sunday, I thought the whole, "Eat, Drink & be Merry" thing to be apt.
For me anyway.
My dear old Pa taught me many things, he showed me the world and the joy that lies therein, he taught me how to get my groove on, how to drive at 13, and perhaps above all, showed me how to eat, drink and be merry. I wouldn't be half the lass I am without his seriously shining living example.

So why not grab your Pa - if you've got one - and take him out to eat, drink and so on. Word has it that downtown Guelph has some world-class restaurants and pubs.

Or maybe go for the gusto and take him by the hand to the Father's Day Ale Trail .
There are no doubt a thousand more things going on this weekend - Aidan mentioned the Two Rivers Festival yesterday which will surely be one of the highlights.

And on to next week? We 're giddy with the announcement of the Wednesday Farmers Market, opening from 3 until 7pm on a day that suits some better than a Saturday morn. The news has been heralded with rousing cheers, and rubberschmuckie here has given our Market the superstar treatment in this shot.
Clearly one of our best spots to Eat, Drink & Be Merry.

As for myself, I'm all heads down with a particularly brilliant project - the 10th Annual art on the street Exhibition & Sale coming at Quebec Street July 14. Click on that hyperlink to have a look at the stellar line up of artists, and then save that date.

3 Cheers for you Dad,

-DowntownLynn

Blog Guelph: The Wind and The Watershed

Speed Reader, a photo by PhotoFinish001 on Flickr.

Eventually, all things merge into one, and a river runs through it. The river was cut by the world's great flood and runs over rocks from the basement of time. On some of the rocks are timeless raindrops. Under the rocks are the words, and some of the words are theirs. I am haunted by waters.

― Norman Maclean, A River Runs Through It

Rivers represent so much more than watershed. They are a metaphor for our lives – the journey from one origin to one destination.  They ebb and flow with the seasons, they are calm and rough with the winds, they are bright and dark with the sky, they absorb and reflect, take in and give back. They even change and evolve.

Guelph is almost synonymous with its rivers. And like the rivers, it is changing in the wind.

Some people think it’s a watershed moment – the heart of our city becoming urbanized by high towers and big corporate development.

But at the heart of that watershed are our rivers the Speed and the Eramosa – two of the four major tributaries of the Grand River that flows into Lake Erie. For centuries, those rivers have run through this land - provided water, food, industry, and brought families together. Recently they’ve brought together our neighbours and community.  Check out the Greenway Actions Living Rivers page.

We have the opportunity to celebrate the really profound legacy of our rivers this week – I hope you’ll take time to check out the 2 Rivers Festival. As part of this festival tomorrow, we are celebrating the 20th anniversary of the covered bridge which spans the point where the Eramosa joins the Speed River.

It is much more than a meeting of two rivers. It is much more than the wind and the watershed.

It is about us. It is about Guelph.

~ Aidan M.D. Ware

Blog Guelph: The Wind and The Watershed

Guelph Covered Bridge III, a photo by Davey S on Flickr.

Blog Guelph: The Wind and The Watershed

nightfall in Guelph, a photo by NaturesEssence on Flickr.

Blog Guelph: The Wind and The Watershed

The river near Goldie Mill, a photo by kim/ber on Flickr.

Blog Guelph: The Wind and The Watershed

Super, a photo by downtownlynn on Flickr.

Blog Guelph:Come to be danced

Come to be danced, a photo by downtownlynn on Flickr.

Who would have thought that you could have fun at City Hall? It is true, because I have experienced it! The newly opened water feature in the Market Square is more fun than a barrel of monkeys. Big kids, little kids, toddlers and teens have all been dipping their toes and squealing with delight. Children splash with their own little people and the adults get to talk to other adults, it is great therapy all round.

Have a fabulous day!

Bunny Safari

 

Blog Guelph: Savannah Sparrow

Savannah Sparrow, originally uploaded by rattlesnail_5.

Today I dedicate my blogging efforts to the "early, early bird" - the dude with the big tweet that likes to get things started in my hood around 3:54am.

The original tweeter!

Sue Richards

Blog Guelph: Shackled

Shackled, originally uploaded by crisscrossgirl.

Blog Guelph: Robin

Robin, originally uploaded by rattlesnail_5.

Blog Guelph: Good One!

GBH-02, originally uploaded by rattlesnail_5.

Blog Guelph: Evening Rest

Evening Rest, originally uploaded by pannachagalla.

Blog Guelph: Eastern Bluebird

Eastern Bluebird, originally uploaded by 1AGFOXXX.

Blog Guelph: Kim Lawrence

The line at Planet Bean, a photo by kim/ber on Flickr.

Happy Monday Blog Guelph!

Today I wanted to show off the incredible artwork from Kim Lawrence.

I have been a fan of Kim's work for a long time.

I love how deeply rooted her images are in Guelph. Anyone who calls the city home, can appreciate Kim's work. The locations are recognisable, and the resulting images are filled with warmth.

All of her shots are taken and edited with her iPhone. The shots I chose today were edited with a combination of Hipstamatic, iPhoto and Moku Hanga.

Make sure you check out all of Kim's work on Flickr and 500px.

See you all next Monday!

Krista