The biggest stairs I've ever seen.

I live in the area of London with the most hills, Byron. It is so hilly that Boler Mountain, the local ski hill is located in my subdivision.

My granddaughter, Fiona, loves to go outside and she loves a good walk. Yesterday, we took off down the slope across the street from where I live. There's a small playground down there and the neighbourhood public school.

To make it easier, and safer, for the kids coming to and going from the school, there is long staircase behind the building. When Fiona spotted the stairs she exclaimed, "Look! The biggest stairs I've ever seen." Seeing how she is just 29 months, she's probably right.

She had to climb those stairs, and she did.

Warm winter for southern Ontario in Canada

It has been one warm winter with very little snow. I've actually had my English roadster out twice this winter. No snow. No salt. No slush.

But Fiona found some snow to enjoy. She called it a snow doughnut. It was the snow piled in the court by the snow plow. It has been so warm that the entire middle of the pile was melted away.

London at Night

This short video of London at night was shot by StoryBox Productions, a local communications company specializing in telling stories with a strong visual bent. They love producing stories with stylish, artistic visuals that people will remember.

A little snow angel

Fiona has watched Max and Ruby make snow angels. If you don't know who Max and Ruby are, well, you clearly don't have little ones. Max and Ruby are rabbits, rabbits in a cute cartoon for kids.

For the past few weeks Fiona has been making floor angels. We haven't had much snow. She did get out once to make some real, snow angels but just once. It got warm and it rained. The first snow was washed almost completely away.

Well, this past Saturday was different. We had snow and Fiona had her snow suit, mittens, a warm hat and new, cozy boots. That's her word for warm boots: cozy. She was ready to hit the snow.

And she does hit the snow. She let's herself fall backwards, hitting the fluffy, light white powder with a bit of a thud. I try to stop her from pulling the stunt where the snow is a light dusting over paving stones. She doesn't protest.

We walked together all the way to the park, with Fiona dragging her sled behind her. Sleds are great fun to pull. It's even more fun if the sled is filled with snow. And if one is pulled in one's sled, it is just the best if a bed of soft, cold snow cushions the ride. If you don't know that, well, you clearly don't have little ones.

We searched the neighbourhood for fresh, unblemished snow. Nothing. Everywhere we went other kids had been there first. Everywhere that is, except for the slide in the park. No other kids had the will, or stick-to-it-ive-ness to struggle through the snow to the top of the slide. But that snow, as untouched as it was, was not suitable for snow angel making.

Fiona slogged through the snow, climbing to the top of the slide. Carefully positioning herself at the top of the snow-clogged slide, she then eased herself down. She moved forward --- slowly, pushing snow ahead of her as she gradually descended. "Again! Again!" she said with excitement and satisfaction. She made five climbs up, each one easier than the last, and five slides down, each one faster than the last, until fully cleared of snow, the slide was open for use.

The challenge met, we headed home.

And at home we found it: unblemished snow. It was in Gugga's backyard. (Fiona has christened me Guggga. Her other grandfather is grandpa Bill. But I'm Gugga; Her buddy.) Finally, Fiona made her snow angels. She made lots of snow angels. And then, she spent a little time admiring them.

I took these moments to do something similar. I admired my little snow angel: Fiona.

Lockout of workers entering fourth week

A local locomotive plant (but always American owned) was purchased two short years ago by Progress Rail, a subsidiary of Caterpillar Inc., and is now facing the threat of possible closure. The approximately 425 unionized workers were given a "take it or leave it" offer; they decided to pass. But, and this is important, they did not decide to strike. When they made it clear that they would show up for work after the strike vote, the company locked them out.

Saturday a rally in support of the locked out workers was held in Victoria Park in London's downtown. The mayor spoke and both provincial and federal representatives were on stage showing support. Although, all the federal Conservative MPs were absent. It appears Prime Minister Harper has put out the word to his minions: Stay clear of this dispute.

I posted more images and a story on the Digital Journal news pages.

Neighbourhood devolution

The Spot restaurant on the right burned the other day.

I don't mind seeing homes converted to businesses. It is possible to do this in a way that respects the former homes. Done properly, these conversions can make for a very pleasant street, lined with heritage properties.

All too often, this is not done in London, Ontario. If an addition is necessary, it is often simply a boxy mass slapped onto the front or the side of the structure. Ugly.

Down the street from The Spot, the residential feel is intact.

A restaurant/apartment complex in the core burned the other day. It is always sad when a building suffers a fire, especially a residence. People can be injured, or killed, and treasured, irreplaceable stuff is lost. When a business is involved, the expense to the owner can put the business out of play permanently.

All that said, maybe the fire that gutted a restaurant and several attached apartments in London's core, causing an estimated $450,000 in damage, can be turned into a positive.

Maybe the restaurant can be rebuilt in keeping with the architecture of the older building. Let's blend the commercial smoothly into the residential.

Let's make this old, heritage structure evolve rather than devolve. Let's honour the past, the present and the future.

Many of the residences in this downtown neighbourhood date are circa 1880.

 All images screen grabs from Google Maps.

Locked out EMD workers facing Hobson's choice

The short story is that the Electro-Motive Diesel plant that has made locomotives in London, Ontario since 1950 has locked out its workers. The CAW, Local 27, members were asked to accept a 50 percent cut in wages, have their benefits chopped and sit by while their pension plan got gutted.

The workers are now out on the street 24 hours a day in shifts. So far the company has not tried to get replacement workers, at least ones who would be there to build locomotives, across the line.

I blogged the whole story with my guess as to its outcome here. [But, I so hope that I am wrong and that the workers win this one. A cut of 50 percent in salary is impossibly large, especially when you consider that Caterpillar, the ultimate owner, is making a bundle even in today's economy.]

An historic battle unfolds in London

A battle pitting a giant American multinational against a small group of organized workers in London, Ontario, is presently unfolding in this Southwestern Ontario community.

When the workers would not agree to having their wages cut by half, their benefits slashed and their pension plans gutted, the company, Electro-Motive Diesel, locked out its skilled workers.

The EMD name may not be known to you, nor the immediate owners of the EMD, Progress Rail Services. But the big name behind it all is Caterpillar Inc. Caterpillar is infamous for its union-busting tactics and for its willingness to close and move plants to avoid collective bargaining.

Last night, I visited the locked out workers on the picket line and this morning I checked in with them to see if any replacement workers had yet crossed the line. I reported all to the online newspaper Digital Journal out of Toronto.

Heritage homes overlook the Thames River

At least one of these homes had an historic plaque visible beside the front door. I should have taken the time to read it. I have been unable to find anything on the Internet about Riverside Avenue in London, Ontario.

The name of the street say it all; These homes border the Thames River. They both look like wonderful homes and I'm sure they both have interesting histories. There is a certain similarity to these two places and I wouldn't be surprised that they are in some way historically connected.

I took this picture yesterday while walking back to my car from the London Children's Museum. It is interesting, to me, how neighbourhoods evolve. The museum is in the former Riverside Public School. It was a pretty, three story school in local, yellow brick. If the school hadn't become a museum it would most likely have become a memory.

As children grow up, the enrollment at area schools declines. The city does not mothball under-used schools. They demolish them. This leaves a neighbourhood without a school. It is no wonder that families do not repopulate the neighbourhood with the passing of time.

These two homes hint at the elegance that was once Riverview Avenue. But what sits across from these two grand, heritage homes today? A Salvation Army complex.

London Children's Museum New Years

The London Children's Museum in London, Ontario is a gas. It is even greater fun if you're a kid. My wife and I took Fiona there yesterday when I learned that they were celebrating the new year 12 hours early for the children.

It was great fun. There was music, and dancing kids, and balloons --- lots and lots of balloons. Fiona's first balloon broke and she this really upset her. An older girl heard her distress and graciously gave Fiona her balloon. Fiona wiped her tears and whispered, "Thank you."

The latest display at the museum is My Arctic Discovery. Fiona loved it. The inukshuk display encouraged kids to build their own inukshuk. The little black blocks that Fiona is admiring are made of light, black plastic foam and the sculptures were done earlier by other children. Soon Fiona was making her own "stone" sculpture.

When I was in Iqaluit a few years ago, the Inuit told me that inukshuks were often used to mark trails across the arctic wilderness.

How busy was the museum on the last day of the year? Busy. I took a picture of the cars parked along the street half a kilometre from the museum. There was not a parking spot available anywhere near the museum. I guess kids love celebrating new years early.

Fences up, security guards in place

The fences are up and the security guards are in place. The Electro-Motive Diesel plant in London, Ontario shows every sign of hunkering down for an ugly strike or a nasty lock-out. EMD makes diesel-electric locomotives and has made them in London since 1950.

Until 2005, the plant was part of the Electro-Motive Diesel division of General Motors. It was then that GM sold the entire company to an equity investment group for $201 million. They actually did a good job running the operation and flipped the company to Progress Rail, a subsidiary of Caterpillar Inc., for $810 million just last year.

Caterpillar has a well-earned reputation as a powerful, and successful, union buster. Progress Rail is essentially a non-union company. The unionized EMD workers have been asked to accept a cut of more than 50 percent in wages, slashed benefits and put their pensions on the table.

Many see this not as an offer but as a gauntlet being thrown at the feet of the skilled workforce. The workers have responded by giving the CAW a strike mandate with a 404 to nine vote held Friday.

The question is will the company demand that the workers, returning after Christmas break, accept a cut in pay of 50 percent? If this happens, a strike is sure to ensue. Or will the company simply lock out the staff?

Many of the affected are skilled workers. They can leave London for work in the oil-rich western provinces. The older workers, facing retirement in a few short years, will be left with concerns for their pensions. And the City of London, already reeling from the recent recession and the loss of jobs, will lose another 2000 jobs if the plant closes, if one counts the jobs in the community that are only there to support the plant.

With an unemployment rate hitting almost 10 percent, this Southwestern Ontario city cannot afford to have this plant sit empty. Will the city rally behind their friends and neighbours, the EMD workers, or will the workers stand alone while Caterpillar strips them of their income?

Some have written that Cat is also trying to strip the workers of their dignity. I don't know that I agree. But dignity has certainly been lost here, and it is Caterpillar's. Sad.

I've posted two stories on this to the Digital Journal. These can be found here and here. Click the links.

The local paper, The London Free Press, also has some excellent reports. The ones by Jonathan Sher are especially good.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper once used as the backdrop for a photo-op. The PM toured the plant and briefly chatted with some of the 900 employees then employed there. The number is now down to about 700.


Harper used his stop at EMD to make an announcement on his government's efforts to make Canadian manufacturers competitive in a global marketplace. The London Free Press reports Harper proclaimed, "Ontario is the heart, it is still the engine of the Canadian economy. There's no reason the Ontario economy can't be as strong as the economy in any other part of this country." To spur growth, a $1-billion tax break for Canadian industry was announced.

If the Electro-Motive story plays out as poorly as many believe, Prime Minister Stephen Harper will be looking for a new photo-op back-drop in London. A deserted factory, devoid of workers, will not convey the right message --- but it would be an accurate one.

The Electro-Motive Diesel plant is down for the holidays. Will it re-open on schedule?

Merry Christmas!

'twas the night before Christmas, and all through the house, not a creature was stirring . . . well O.K., one creature was stirring: Fiona.

Here's wishing you a very merry Christmas and a happy new year. If this isn't quite right for you, hey, I do hope you have a great time over the holiday season.

Cheers,
Rockinon.

Eastern wild Turkey

It has been almost three decades since the eastern wild turkey was re-introduced to Southwestern Ontario. Before Europeans settled in the area, these large birds thrived in the forests. About a hundred years ago the species  disappeared due to unregulated hunting and the loss of native forests.

On the way home from the neighbourhood supermarket I noticed a number of turkeys in a field near my home. Under the glow of the setting sun, I grabbed a shot of one member of the grazing flock.

Today there are some 70,000 wild turkeys living across southern Ontario. Active during the day, the wild birds roost at night to avoid predators. In residential areas, it is not uncommon for turkeys to be found in suburban backyards, attracted by the seed that blankets the ground beneath backyard bird feeders.

First good dusting of snow for London, Ontario

The first decent snowfall has dusted London, Ontario. The light snow, when hit by the afternoon sun, reveals hidden patterns. The above is the result of snow-hidden paving stones. The ridges are caused by bulging moss.

Christmas Time in Canada

It is December 6th and time to get the Christmas tree up and decorated. Like many Canadians, we have an artificial tree. We have had it for years and it is developing a rich patina of memories. Tonight we burnished the patina. We let little Fiona, our 27-month-old granddaughter help decorate the tree.

When our daughters were young, we always had a real tree. The home filled with the wonderful aroma of a real fir tree. That part was nice. Then there were the not so nice bits: The fallen needles, the jammed vacuum cleaner, the carpet stained from the spilled mix of water and sap, and the trunk of our car filled with so many evergreen needles that we never got them all out.

Real trees are nice but artificial ones can be nice too. The memories that attach themselves to those ersatz branches are anything but phony. The memories are the real deal.

. . . and the candy canes were "Yummy!"

I see big parades like the annual Santa Claus Parade in New York or the Rose (Bowl) Parade in Pasadena, California, and I think, "Wow!" But, they are truly over-the-top events.

There is something to be said for a simple parade of local kids marching for the fun of it, and being encouraged by the positive hoots and hollers of thousands of local kids and their parents who line the parade route.

Saturday's parade was small even by London standards, but it was still good. Hey, just ask Fiona. And the candy canes were, "Yummy!"

Santa Claus Parades are about fun

Don't you just love her smile. Saturday's parade featured lots of smiles.

London, Ontario has two Santa Claus parades. The official London parade was held earlier in November, downtown and a night. The much simpler parade today was held before noon in northwest London, ending in what was once the village of Hyde Park.

Did the parade have fancy floats? No. But, there were lots of smiling kids --- both in the parade and lining the sides of the road. This parade was a throwback to the days of the small village parade. It was an opportunity for kids to parade, to dance, to strut their stuff, to wave and it was a chance for other kids to watch and to cheer. Everybody knew their part; There were lots of wave and lots of cheers.

The parade was a success.

Long walls are becoming common

When I was born, Canadian neighbourhoods didn't have walls. This is no longer true, especially in the newer subdivisions. Roads are far busier today than they were in the past. And busier means noisier. Walls not only block out the sight of a busy road, walls deflects noise.

This wall is quite new. It is just a few years old. As you can see, some areas are already showing wear. This is because the wall is not solid brick; It is not even a brick veneer; It's fake. This wall is a relatively, inexpensive prefab construction. It is not very durable.

Curious as to what is to be found hiding behind this wall only a short walk from my London, Ontario home? Look below.

City Centre towers

Decades ago the finest hotel in London sat at the corner of Dundas and Wellington Streets. Londoners still talk fondly of Hotel London and its beautiful, oh-so-ornate ballroom. But the hotel fell to the wrecking ball, makimg way for the modern towers. At the time they were built, the towers were the tallest buildings in London, Ontario.

Today a hotel is part of the complex: Hilton London. It's a nice hotel but not all that special. Originally, it was a Holiday Inn and one might say the old girl's roots are showing.

Personally, I wish Hotel London was still on the site. I'm very fond of old, city-core hotels.

White swan on dark water

You can't go wrong with a shot of a white swan on dark water. Trees bare of colourful leaves and ground still bare of white snow, take a picture of the perfect fallback - a white swan on dark water.

(This image has been messed with a bit using Photoshop content aware. To learn more, I posted some info on my Photo blog on a post titled, "It was a firing offence." Stay alert, there is a link that leads to a post on media use of models to illustrate news stories. Forgive me if this appears like I am trolling for hits. I'm not. I'm just trying to share.)

Children are the future of our cities

Fiona checks out the bouquet she gathered for her grandmothers.

Many cities are in trouble, all around the globe. But they do have a hope: Children.

Fiona loves walks and this fall she discovered the dry, withered leaves of fall covering the ground. She loves them. They crackle and snap when walked upon. They float wildly, dispersing everywhere, when tossed in the air. And they make a great bouquet when gathered up and carried home. (Huh? I never thought of that.)

The little 26-month-old child carefully gathered a fist full of leaves, telling me they were for her grandmas back home. When she had gathered too many to carry without damage, she called for me. "Help, gah-gah! Help!"

After spending some time gathering leaves, she examined her collection with a critical eye and decided something extra was needed. She picked a couple of dandelions gone to seed. The white fluffy heads contrasted perfectly with the brittle, brown-yellow leaves. She had the focal point for her dried leaves bouquet.

Our children have imaginations that are not trapped in the past. We must nurture these young minds. We must encourage our children. The seeds of a promising future are contained within.

More Fall Colours

This is another shot of fall colours in London, Ontario. This one, too, was taken in London's Springbank Park on the Thames River in the southwest end of the city.

For a post on art, craft and photography, please follow this link to Rockin' On: The Blog.

Fall colours in London and Southwestern Ontario

Took two shots, then wind blew away the yellow leaf.

The past couple of days have been blessed with wonderful fall weather. Days just on the verge of being warm. They've been perfect for getting out to enjoy the fall colours.

Today I hiked about Springbank Park. I took lots of shots but the one I liked best was a shot of fallen leaves on pavement. Maybe I should have just shared it as it was shot, but I shot it RAW and when it came time to convert the file I took some liberties with the colour. It was just too tempting. Forgive me.

The colours now reflect my memories of fall rather than the reality.

Green Toys sold in London, Ontario

"Oh boy! Yots uh yummy stuff. gamma."

Fiona's mother and father follow the green path as do many of their young friends. When Fiona hit two, a couple of months ago, her mother's lifelong friend, Emily, gave the little girl a Green Toys tea set.

I had never heard of Green Toys but it is not surprising that Emily knew of the company and supported it. All Green Toys are made in the States, mainly from recycled plastic milk containers. The company says that every pound of recycled plastic they use saves enough electricity to power a television for three weeks.

Just recently I blogged on a Canadian entrepreneur, Kevin O'Leary, the chap from the Dragon's Den and Shark Tank. In researching the piece I learned that the American toy manufacturer Mattel no longer makes toys in the United States. Some years ago, Mattel CEO Robert Eckert closed the toy company's Murray, Kentucky, manufacturing facility, moving all production to China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Mexico. (I don't believe they have brought back much, if any, of the production.)

Surely, making stuff in the States from materials made in the States is better for the American economy than the Mattel approach. It would certainly have been better for the workers and the cities and towns affected by the closures.

If companies like Green Toys are able to produce stuff in the States, why idle plants and throw thousands out of work? Is the company's bottom line that important?

Dandelions are invasive; they're from Europe!

I always knew dandelions were invasive. When they invade one's lawn, they are just about impossible to get rid of. This is especially true in Ontario now that the province has banned herbicides for use on lawns.

What I didn't know is that dandelions are a true invasive species; They are not native to North America but came here from Europe. Gosh! Did someone bring them here with the goal of making dandelion wine?

I hate to confess this but in the spring I actually find lawns bright with yellow blossoms quite attractive. But it isn't long before the youthful, spring dandelions have grown old and grey, covered with seeds ready to be spread by the wind.

Fiona loves dandelions, spring, summer or fall. I told the little girl to make a wish and then try and blow all the seeds away. If you can blow a dandelion bare with one try, I assured her, your wish is granted. Well, that's what my mother told me. I'm just passing on the fun.

Using up the Thanksgiving leftovers

"Me try. Me try." She tried and she succeeded. Kids amaze me.

Monday was the Canadian Thanksgiving. Today, Thursday, we are down to our last leftover turkey, thank goodness.

Judy was making a turkey pie from the last remaining bits of turkey. Little Fiona wanted to help. The little 25-month-old grabbed her toy pastry roller, pulled a chair up to the kitchen counter, climbed up and set to work.

In the end, the kid was actually successful. She managed to roll some dough flat. It was just too cute. Judy took the little piece of dough and patched it into the bottom of her pie shell.

Fall is here!

Fall has come to London, Ontario. Leaves are turning red and yellow, streets and sidewalks are covered with fallen leaves and kids are excited. The red and yellow leaves and stuff are new; kids just tend to be excited; The season doesn't matter.

Little Fiona just turned two. This is her first fall and she loves it. Without prompting, she scoops up oodles of leaves and tosses them into the air. She thinks leaves are even better to toss than the sand she threw everywhere this summer. Leaves don't get in your eyes.

And the big, blue, leaf rake is so much more fun than the tiny sandbox pail and shovel. And leaves are everywhere, just everywhere. Sand is only found in any really amounts at the park --- or in the gutters at the side of the road. But the gutters don't count 'cause nobody will let you play there.

Gosh, if she thinks fall is fun. I can hardy wait to see her reaction to our Canadian winter.

Canadians love their pets

Taking a well earned time out for himself.

I don't own a dog nor a cat. Yet, many of my friends and relatives have at least one pet and often more.

Whenever I take my young granddaughter for a walk around my London, Ontario neighbourhood we encounter lots of folk out walking their pets. It is not uncommon to look up the street and see a couple of dogs and then to look behind us and see another dog or two, all being walked on a leashes.

After shooting this picture of one of my nieces' pets, I began wondering, just how many dogs and cats are there in Canada? I found this estimate on a pet forum site:

"Canadians currently own a total of eight million dogs and cats. According to Statistics Canada, there are approximately 3.5 million dogs and 4.5 million cats in the country."

Well, now I know. And if my granddaughter had her way, I'd be among those pet owners.

Neo-gothic buidings at the UWO

The University of Western Ontario (UWO) is famous for its campus. It is has lovely grounds with a great many neo-gothic style buildings. Up until the 1960s, the neo-gothic style was the rule rather than the exception. Today, the UWO plays an important role in the life of London, Ontario. The building towering over the trees is Middlesex College.

Rain, rain, don't go away! On second thought . . .

It rained today. At times the downpour was a veritable deluge. Fiona thought it was simply wonderful. You see, she had her red raincoat, red-plaid boots and a new umbrella. This was walking weather.

Fiona ran down the street; She spun about with merriment; She stopped to check her reflection in a small puddle. Everything was wet and that was neat.

She greeted other walkers with a happy "Hi!" They, in turn, would smile and return her cheery greeting. Fiona was the one bright spot in a rather dark and dismal day.

And then it started to rain, really rain. Big, fat drops fell all around with loud plop, plop, plops. When the rain started pounding down on Fiona, I put her umbrella up and showed her how to hold it above her head

This was not a good move, in Fiona's opinion. Her new, hot-pink umbrella was getting wet. She could hear the rain belting down on the taut plastic. Looking up, she could see the rain drops through the translucent plastic. The rain was running down the umbrella to the circular edge and falling to the ground in numerous, steady streams.

Even with the umbrella up, Fiona was getting wet. Dark, wet patches were appearing on her purple pants. It was time to head home and watch the rain from the comfort of a warm kitchen. I picked Fiona up and we headed back up the small hill towards home, all the while Fiona was cheering me on with calls of "Go Ga-gah!"

A Day in the Life of London, Ontario

Stuff is expensive. Children require lots of stuff. You do see where this is going, right?

My little granddaughter was was two as of the second of this month. She is a delight and has brightened up this old man's life. That said, she is expensive. I cannot believe what a good pair of shoes for a little kid cost.

I got very lucky when it came to buying Fiona a little girl's kitchen. I found one at Homesense. And I mean one. I imagine it wasn't the last one in stock but the only one they ever had.

You see, Homesense is a "jobber" outlet, that is, it is a store (in this case, a  Canadian chain of stores) specializing in buying odd lots of leftover inventory from wholesalers and other retailers, and selling the stuff at discount.

The Homesense inventory changes drastically from week to week and, with some things, from day to day. There's no guarantee they will have what you are looking for, but when they do, the price is an incredible bargain.

Scarecrow, nope. A scareowl.

To keep pigeons off roofs and ledges, folks often resort to using plastic owls as a type of "scarecrow" meant to banish the troublesome bird pests. The London Free Press had one; Pesky birds still built nests in the large company sign mounted on the paper's east wall. The owl pictured was set on the roof of an area hairdressing salon. Local birds didn't seem to take much notice.