iPads are strangely ubiquitous

Before the arrival of  COVID-19, all my granddaughters did not have iPads, or what they like to call iPads. In truth, they have less expensive tablets made by Apple competitors. But whether iPads or tablets, these portable computers are now everywhere.

Find a kid and you may well find a tablet. The big force pushing tablets into our children's lives has not been games but school. With the arrival of COVID-19, the importance of computer learning has soared. All my granddaughters do a massive amount of their school work on their tablets. This is true both in school and at home.

But when school work is done and it is time to play, the versatility of these things becomes very evident. These tablets are also good for playing computer games, chatting and sharing pictures with distant friends and relatives and even for taking pictures.

Computer tablets are a good example of a product we didn't miss when it didn't exist but now many of us cannot live without them.

E-Bikes are amazing

E-bikes come in lots of styles: motorcycle, scooter, bicycle, mobility scooter and awfully expensive toys. All these various E bikes were cruising along under my personal radar until this afternoon. I had no idea these things even existed. I'm just an out-of-touch old geezer, I guess.

Imagine my surprise when two of these big beasts came up up the hill topped by a lookout over the city. Clearly, these machines are powerful. And the two riders appreciate that power and take their sturdy machines everywhere. Municipalities can prohibit the use of e-bikes on paths, trails and other property under city control but in London there are few restrictions.

There are a few rules: riders must be sixteen and must wear a proper motorcycle helmet. And there are rules determining what is and what is not an e-bike. For instance, an e-bike cannot weight more than 120 kg, nor exceed a speed of 32km/h.

The rules certainly leaves lots of room for fun.

Healthy hotdogs? I'm kidding, right?

It's pretty hard to claim that hotdogs are healthy. That said, I'm going to do it. These hotdogs are heart-doctor approved. One and a half hotdogs on buns dressed with strips of Strubs Full Sour pickles, chopped red onion, a slathering of French's mustard and French's ketchup has maybe 100 calories and no more than 50mg cholesterol. There is no trans-fats at all.

Why is the cholesterol so low? These are turkey-dogs from the family-owned turkey farm on the south edge of town. My heart doctors allow patients with serious heart problems meat only every other day. The daily limit for cholesterol is 100mg. It doesn't take much meat or many eggs to push one's consumption above the daily limit.

Being it's November 6th, it is safe to say that this is the last BBQ of the year. I refuse to stand in the snow to grill dinner. Why grilled hotdogs are considered a treat in my household, is a puzzle to me. But my wife and my granddaughters all are delighted when dinner is grilled turkey-dogs. When the hotdogs have swollen and split from the intense heat, the hotdogs are perfect. Serve immediately.

A word about the ketchup. It is French's in our home as in many homes across southwestern Ontario. The local Heinz plant, open for more than a century, closed awhile back, throwing the dedicated workers out of work. French's moved in and took up the slack. French's hired many of the unemployed workers and signed new contracts with many of the area tomato growing operations. French's, which in the past did not have shelf space in many stores, is now a southwest Ontario favourite when it comes to ketchup. French's mustard was always popular.

Remember when kids did stuff with other kids?

The other night we had to drive to a nearby mall. We noticed another closed business. It made me stop and recall for a moment a time when restaurants were packed with diners, cars lined up for take-out and, if it was warm outside, folks relaxed on restaurant patios.

And kids were able to get together in big groups with other kids to sing, to dance, to practice martial arts and dozens of other things. I miss those times.

Avoiding the bus in the COVID-19 era

 

More and more children are being picked up by parents after school. Why? My guess is to keep them off the somewhat crowded school buses to avoid COVID-19. Although the mortality rate for children seems to be exceedingly low at this time, there are other health issues being encountered by kids. Many parents are trying to minimize the risk by dropping their kids off at school and picking them up afterwards. No school buses for these children.

Reaching for a kind hand

I had to look through my files for a photo showing a moment of kindness. It may be stretching it a little but these two little girls both wanted to wet their hands in the backyard fountain. It took a little  kind cooperation between the two for both these young girls to reach the fountain and play in the water together.

First snow

Some folk had grass still uncut, others had leaves waiting to be raked, others had shrubs begging to be cutback in anticipation of winter. But everyone had snow. It was the first snow and it provided a window into the coming winter. Almost everyone complained except for the kids who asked, "Is there enough to make a snowman?"

A new mask for Halloween

Lots of kids were wearing a new mask for Halloween: a COVID-19 mask. There is one poster to the Daily Photo site who is opposed to mask wearing. This may come a surprise but he has a point. Most folk agree masks are a barrier to transferring the COVID-19 virus from one person to another but there are some caveats.

Masks must be clean. And masks must be dry. Masks should not be quite damp, saturated with contaminated moisture from one's breath. Google this. You may be surprised to learn that moisture retention in reusable masks may result in poor filtration and, and this is the big surprise, increased risk of infection.

That said, the child pictured is wearing a clean, dry mask. She is at the door but still outside. And we, my wife and I, are both wearing fresh masks. We wore gloves to place candy in bags and we used tongs to give the bags to the trick-and-treaters. We believe our handing out of Halloween treats was a low-risk activity as far a spreading COVID-19 is concerned.

For more info on mask wearing, check out this post by the ECDC (European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.) Scroll down to number 5, It is clearly stated that the appropriate and consistent use of face masks is key for effectiveness.

Kids and parents braving virus

Halloween is O.K. in southwestern Ontario in the eyes of both the municipal and the provincial governments. It is not such an easy slam dunk for a lot of parents and their children. I'm amazed that we are getting any Halloween trick-or-treaters at all this year, but we are.

These two little ones are new to our court and have so looked forward to Halloween. Their parents are taking them on a limited run about the court and going a short distance down the street itself. To put everyone at ease, my wife is using tongs to hand out the candy and chips. And, of course, she pulls on a mask immediately before opening the door.

Halloween school bus ride was special

 

School buses, almost unknown in the city when I was a boy, are seen almost everywhere today. Every morning and every afternoon hundreds of buses fan out over the city picking up and dropping off students. I think we walked more when I was a boy.

Today the ride home was different, one might even say special. The bus driver had Halloween treats for every child and the inside of the bus was very simply decorated. A school bus must be safe inside -- just in case. 

The children were delighted. Kids who were regularly picked up at the school by their parents, took the bus home Friday. The driver was prepared for the extra riders. No one was disappointed.

What does RIP mean, gug?

"What does RIP mean, gug?" My granddaughters were curious about the meaning of the three letters appearing on many Halloween displays in the neighbourhood.

It means "rest in peace," I said. It is a pleasant wish that the deceased will find tranquility in the afterlife. "Oh," the little  girls replied quietly.

I don't think it had ever occurred to the little girls that one could be anything other than tranquil after death, very, very tranquil.

We may have to have a little talk. The oldest one didn't sleep all that well last night. 

Ghosts and cemeteries adorn Canadian homes

 When ghosts and cemeteries adorn Canadian homes, it can only mean one thing: Halloween.

Have Halloween lighting displays appeared in your neighbourhood?

 

In the daytime this display not so great but at night these Halloween lights add colour to the neighbourhood. It was not until the 1960s that large numbers of folk began the tradition of stringing rows of small, coloured electric lights along the eaves of the home. The practice caught on and today's LEDs are both efficient and inexpensive.

Now, the practice of stringing small electric lights on bushes, trees and eaves around the home is beginning to show signs of becoming a Halloween tradition as well as more and more homes are illuminated at night.

Some kids like simple decorations light on the horror

  

On Halloween night, follow the white cats to the front door of this home to be rewarded with some candy and chips. 

My granddaughters are not fond of the homes decorated with fake body parts and oodles of simulated red blood. But a couple of white cat cutouts stop the two little girls in their tracks. The cats say fun. The other displays leave the two kids feeling uneasy.

Isla loves the googly eyed door

Folks seem to think that ugly scenes of death in someway celebrate Halloween. It wasn't like that when I was a boy. These googly eyes spotted by my youngest granddaughter are a bit of a throwback to those times now somewhat faded but clearly not gone. The googly eyes on the door attest to that. Simple silliness with no dark side still has followers.

Isla saw these eyes from our car as we drove past on our way home. She dragged me back to get this picture. And she was awfully happy to have gug get the shot and to share it on the Internet. 

I'll another shot or two from our walk in the coming days.

Cheers and stay healthy! 

A warm fall day to celebrate

 

Some days are too nice to stay inside and today was one of those day. A perfect fall day. Warm but not humid, breezy but not windy, and all-in-all just plain inviting.

And so a very happy seven-year-old hit the street skipping and laughing as she headed off to inspect the Halloween lawn decorations to be found all about her grandparent's neighbourhood.

At Halloween skulls are decorations

 

It's Halloween and skulls are popping up like mushrooms in neighbourhood lawns. With COVID-19 still raging, I was concerned most folk would pass this year on Halloween. Nope. The decorations are out and the number of displays is growing daily. I'm thinking lots of kids will hit the streets for trick or treating and virus be damned!

No raspberries to be seen thanks to the squirrel

 

If you don't see the red of ripe raspberries, thank the squirrel. 

My granddaughters love picking the ripe raspberries and by this time of year the bushes are loaded. Well, this year the low hanging fruit has been spoken for by our neighbourhood black squirrel.

Oh well, the kids are generous and after a little thought have decided they don't mind sharing the bounty.

Location is not just important in real estate

 

I ran a photo of this scene yesterday. After shooting yesterday's image, I began walking back to my car and noticed a second picture. It was arguably a better shot than the first.

What grabbed my attention was the way the three bushes, viewed from this new angle, lent themselves to a cropping accenting the three distinctive falls colours. 

The lighting shifted with the changing location. I liked the change. The leaves had more of a glow with the light coming through the leaves rather than being simply reflected.

To force the three bushes to appear visually close, a longish lens was used and a slow shutter speed was teamed with a small aperture. Doing this maximized depth of field, keeping all three bushes in tight focus.

And so, in the interest of accenting the medium, photography, forgive me but I'm running a second image from yesterday's shoot.

Burning Bush is well named

 

My wife calls this a Fire Bush. I believe it may actually be a Burning Bush. Whatever is correct, it is spectacular in the fall. I have three of these and did not realize that my trimming was what was keeping them small and bush like. Let them grow wild and they become veritable trees. 

There may be a Halloween Inspite of COVID-19

Many folk are wondering how we will handle Halloween this year. As decorations appear everywhere throughout the neighbourhood, it is looking more and more like folk are going to celebrate. Guidance has been promised by both the municipal and provincial governments. My grandkids want to go out trick and treating but their mother has doubts. "Mom's overly protective," according to the kids.

iPads are also for homework in COVID era

iPads were once mostly for fun. Today, in an era so coloured by the presence or threat of COVID-19, iPads are now for school, for doing homework, for learning. But as soon as the educating wraps up, the games come out.

Flu shots in the time of COVID-19

 

It's flu shot time. Our doctor put two shots of high dose flu vaccine with four times as many antigens than a regular flu shot aside for us, Many believe the more complex flu shot is a better option for seniors.Why? In a word COVID-19.

And speaking of COVID-19. The nurses giving the shots parked themselves in the lot outside the doctor's office and gave the shots to those arriving for the shots while they were still sitting in their cars. This was done to eliminate having patients from all over the area packed into a small waiting room. 

A vaccine for the present corona virus cannot come soon enough.

Traffic jams quickly and backs up a long way

 It is amazing how quickly traffic backs up and how long the lines extend back from the site of an accident. Roads like Wonderland Road South are especially bad as there are no other streets to carry the traffic thanks to the presence of the river.

I wish I could say this happens rarely but it happens all too often. It was promised that the red-light cameras would cut the number of accidents at Wonderland Road South at Springbank Drive but one wonders if they cameras have performed as promised.

Cameras don't prevent all accidents

 

The London intersections with the highest number of accidents are monitored by red-light cameras. Run the light and receive a ticket in the mail. Was this accident caused by a car running a red? No idea. But clearly this intersection just suffered another accident despite the presence of the cameras.

I've wondered if the cameras can, at times, cause accidents. I admit that when there are cameras mounted around an intersection, I find my self somewhat distracted. I'm thinking about cameras and not driving. When I googled this question I discovered many researchers believe that red light cameras may not make intersections safer.

Scientific American reports that fear of fines may fuel more sudden stops and rear-end collisions.

Television towers are not what they once were

 

When I was a boy there were tall television broadcasting towers all over the province. Every TV had a pair of rabbit ears sitting on top to pick the television signal out of the air. It was not uncommon to jump up, go to the television and turn the rabbit ears to improve the reception, lessen the "snow." Often it was not possible to get completely rid of the snow, especially if the channel was a distant one.

I've noticed these towers are disappearing. One of the towers in town, there were two, had its top chopped and its height reduced. The other tower is still standing on the edge of town but its presence is under pressure.

When I started thinking about this, I googled the topic and discovered a piece posing the question: Will Television Disappear in the Years to Come? According to the linked article many rural Americans have seen most or all their over-the-air stations disappear." 

Television, paid for by advertising, pulled for free from the air has been minimalized by the advent of cable. I can see the day the towers, left with no use, will be removed. The sight of these towers will be relegated to memory along with other sights once so common. Need an example? Think of the smoke on the horizon left by a passing coal burning steam engine.

Sumac spectacular in fall

 

Many species of sumac boast striking red-leaf displays in the fall but some sumac turn bright yellow and others a deep but rich orange. Every fall, I watch for the moment the sumac changes. I find the brilliantly coloured stands breath taking.

The Forest City

There are those who argue that London is no longer the Forest City. From where I sit on Lookout  Court in southwest London, in the former Byron community, The Forest City seems a perfect moniker for our town.

According to the London St. Thomas Association of Realtors, 

London received its nickname of The Forest City from the British Government to poke fun at Governor Simcoe, as he envisioned a prominent, prosperous city at The Forks of the Thames, when it was only a time village carved out of the centre of a forest. Since then, London has prospered and continues to live up to the name "The Forest City" by caring for, continually planting and respecting the history of its trees.

Vine covered barrier lush and colourful

 

The new cars sit in the corner of the new car lot in front of a high wall of lush, colourful foliage. The red leaves are sumac and the nearby green and yellow leaves tumbling downward waterfall-like are a vine the I don't recognize. The thick foliage not only looks beautiful but it also muffles the loud rumble of the Canadian National Railway freight trains that pass regularly through the city.

Is this native or invasive?

 

I thought the tall grass was an invasive grass that has been spotted flourishing not only across the province but throughout North America. I may be wrong. This may actually be a stand of native phragmites. Both plants grow in the wet soil at the bottom of the ditches found beside provincial roadways.

The best ending to a day at school

 

An amazing number of children take a bright yellow bus to school in the morning and to return home in the afternoon. When I was a boy, I never saw a school bus in the city. Still, there are children who are walked to and from school each day. Maybe mom doesn't work. Maybe with COVID-19 mom is working from home and can take a break to walk over to the neighbourhood school. Whatever the reason, I'm sure the best ending to a school day is walking hand-in-hand home from school with mom.

Cooper's Hawk visits backyard

My youngest granddaughter was excited. Gug, get a camera! There's a big bird on the  fence in the backyard. Come quick, Gug!

It was a Cooper's Hawk also known as the chicken hawk of Colonial America. Small birds and little mammals are often on the menu. The large fields growing wild in today's environmentally conscious cities provide a chicken hawk with lots of opportunity to snag a meal.

This is the first chicken hawk that Isla has seen in our backyard but it won't be the last. This worried my wife but Isla set her mind at ease. I know what is worrying you, grandma, but relax. It is all part of the food chain.

Eat carefully, take your meds and keep your fingers crossed

 

My nephew is not fifty-years-old. But the other day he had a heart attack. Is he overweight? No. Does he not get enough exercise. Hell no! Then why? Genes. He has bad genes. His grandfather died from a heart attack and two of his grandfather's brothers died from heart as well: one at only 39 and the other in his early 40s.

Canadians are lucky. We have good health care with which to deal with medical emergencies. As soon as the doctors had his heart stabilized, my nephew had two stents inserted into his plugged arteries. He was then put on some drugs to fight the future build-up of plaque. 

As his uncle with the same family history, I have a good idea what his doctors are going to ask him to do. Watch the diet. Slash the amount of cholesterol consumed.

Our bodies make most of the cholesterol found in our blood. Only about 20% comes from the food we eat. For that reason statins are often prescribed to those who arteries are plugging. Statins help to block the body's production of cholesterol. 

So, why watch one's diet? Why cutback on the cholesterol we consume? Simple: with healthy folk, the 20% does not cause problems. With those with heart disease, cutting the amount of cholesterol found in the blood, even cutting this by a small amount, is important. There is even a class of drugs to help prevent the body from absorbing cholesterol from food. Ezetimibe 10mg is the cholesterol absorption inhibitor that I take. I believe there are number of choices here as well as different statins from which  to choose. 

But that does not mean I don't watch my diet. I do. 

• First rule: only eat red meat, if at all, once a month. Go for fish first, then chicken or turkey and only have these every other day. One become an every-second-day vegetarian.
• Second: eat lots of veggies every day. 
• Third: give fried foods a wide berth and when using an oil for cooking, lean towards olive oil. 
• Fourth: no eggs. Period. I aim to consume no more than 100gm of dietary cholesterol a day. Two large eggs can have five to six times my daily limit. Replace eggs in recipes with something like Egg Creations.
• Last rule: enjoy your food. If you like nuts, have some. Don't overdo but nuts can be part of a balanced, healthy diet. Be creative in the kitchen and you will enjoy dining. In fact, one's heart-healthy diet may turnout to be more delicious than your old plug-your-arteries diet.

Old Chevrolet still a daily driver

 

It looks to me like a late 1920s Chevrolet pickup. Where was it spotted? Not at an antique car show. No. It was spotted on the street being used as a daily driver. At least, it's a daily driver as long as the good weather lasts. Once it snows, it is off the road.

Rare today but when I was a boy cars like this were common. One could buy a used antique car for about $25. Less if it wasn't in drivable condition.

Sadly, the large number of old cars combined with ridiculously low prices meant these fine old vehicles got absolutely no respect. Kids bought 'em and entered them in the weekend demolition derby. A couple of dozen old cars would be driven into a large, fenced field surrounded by seating. 

As the crowd roared the cars were raced about the field frequently and purposefully slamming into each other. The last car standing, running, was declared the winner and the driver would claim something in the order of a hundred bucks.

Inspired by years spent travelling throughout Italy

 

Cynthia has spent years travelling throughout Italy and not just as a tourist but as a tour guide. Cynthia knows Italy. Her home and the grounds surrounding it reflect this interest. My nephew tells me Italy is famous for its gardens--gardens often featuring vine-covered walls. One could be forgiven for feeling one has left southwestern Ontario for Italy when visiting Cynthia.

Dining on the porch during covid-19

 

The porch is big and airy and in these times of COVID-19 it is an excellent place for hosting a lunch with a friend. Not many modern homes have porches like this but this century home does and the owner is delighted to have it today.

Link: The Science Behind the Decorative Gourde Season

 

According to the Smithsonian, "For farmers, breeding for novelty has paid off. Between 1993 and 2007, prices for decorative gourds doubled, and in 2016, the world collectively grew more pumpkins, squash and gourds than corn or mushrooms." Amazing.

Dining out during COVID-19

 

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Restaurants are open at the moment with limited seating. Outdoor patios are popular and large heaters are extending the outdoor patio season. This local restaurant has a front wall composed of sliding glass panels. When the weather is right, the entire front of the restaurant is open. A prefect design for these days of COVID-19.

Our dinners, have just arrived, my wife is still wearing her mask as she sprinkles coarsely grated Parmesan cheese on her dinner. She will soon remove her mask to dine. Our waiter will always keep his mask on and no one will sit closer than about twelve feet away from us.

Unfortunately, the number of COVID-19 cases is soaring in the province and restaurants are facing the threat of another closure. Rather sad considering how truly safe this location seems to be. I do hope it can remain open.

Not quite a yellow brick road

 

It is not quite the yellow brick road of Wizard of Oz fame but it is still quite nice at this time of year. This street is but one bordered with Sunburst Honey Locust trees planted by the city some decades ago. The burst of colour does not last long. In fact, the leaves are already darkening, taking on a warm brown hue.

Speckled Swan Gourd

 

The well-named speckled swan gourd is a popular decorative gourd. Sometimes it is painted before being displayed. But it is pretty well never eaten. If a veggie is known as a gourd and not a squash, it is most likely considered inedible.

White pumpkins

 

Many white pumpkins are similar to the more well know orange variety in that these are edible as well. Apparently some white pumpkins are best used as a fall decoration but most are edible and delicious when baked om a manner similar to that used to cook other fall squash.

South western Ontario is farm country. Many areas have good topsoil, very rich. Team this with some of the best growing weather in Canada and one has great a land with great farming potential. Sadly, the good weather also attracts people and industry and this consumes land that many argue would be better used for farming. Send industry north, many argue.

Turk's turban heirloom squash -- maybe

 

These clearly two toned squashes are, I believe, all varieties of turk's turban heirloom winter squash. Many folk used these as fall decoration but if you should bake them, I understand they taste very much like the butternut and acorn squash with which we are all familiar.

Toad pumpkins are good carving pumpkins

 

It is officially fall and the weird pumpkins are beginning to appear. As a young boy I could never understand why so many pumpkins were grown and marketed simply for decoration. No one every ate these strange pumpkins. I decided it wasn't just pumpkins that were weird. Toad pumpkins, by the way, are excellent for carving.

New home in Italianate style

The large, squarish tower caught my attention. I stopped for a closer look. It is a new, red-brick home built in a style reminiscent of the Italianate architecture so popular in Ontario from about 1830 to 1900. I'm not all that knowledgeable when it comes to architecture but even I know the significance of the widow's walk feature.

A widow's walk is small rectangular platform, bound by a low railing. Inspired by the cupolas of Italian Renaissance homes, widow's walks were very popular for decades in Ontario. Even when the heritage homes are still standing, it is rare for the widow's walks to a have survived. It proved easier to remove them than spend money maintaining them.

The new home features more than a simple, idealized widow walk topping an Italianate tower with the numerous tall, narrow windows sporting tightly curved tops. For instance, note the robust eave brackets, the window shutters, the irregular roofline. I'm sure there's more but I'm not an expert.

It would be neat to have time machine to zip a hundred years into the future. Will this home still have shutters? Home in my area that once had faux shutters now have a clean look. The home owners removed the shutters rather than paint them and most folk think the homes look better.

And will the widow's walk still be present? Or will it disappear just as many of the original, heritage examples disappeared with the passage of time? (And, truth be told, the brick home is, to be accurate, actually brick veneer. The brick is real but it is only one brick thick. The home is actually wood-frame construction. A true brick home has an exterior wall constructed with a minimum of three brick depth and many have use an interlocking five brick design. And the true brick wall does not require the support of a wall-strengthening wood frame.)

Only memories of memories from summer of 2020

Fall is here. Summer is gone. And what memories do we have from the summer of 2020? Mostly we have memories of memories. My wife and I and our grandkids sat together, but socially distanced, and we all recalled stuff that we did in years past. With COVID-19 restricting travel, cottage country was out. I'm sure the sunsets were still beautiful and I'm sure there were folk standing at the water's edge taking in the view but it wasn't me nor my wife nor anyone I know. This is the first summer in 73 years that I did not get so much as out of the county. In fact, I hardly escaped the city. 

A European Immigrant to Canada

 

What can one say about a praying mantis? A lot, I've learned. First, the one shown is not native. Nope. It is a European immigrant that came to Canada via the States. There is also a Chinese mantis but it is found mainly in British Columbia in Canada.

There is one mantis that belongs here: the Carolina mantis. The native species gets too little respect. Why do I say that? Well the European praying mantis is the official state insect of Connecticut and not the  Carolina mantis. And when garden centres sell mantises to dine on destructive insects in our gardens, the mantis species sold is invariably the European. And the insects dined upon may even include our own native mantis. 

The European mantis may threaten the existence of the Carolina mantis. For this reason, some advise destroying the egg clusters of the European and Chinese mantises. I would think it awfully hard to differentiate. That said, there is cluster glued to the underside of the brickwork near where my granddaughter spotted today's example. I think I'd be safe in assuming this was left by the green-winged visitor.

Even 7-year-olds making waffles benefit from trade

 

When Isla, 7, makes waffles for a family breakfast, she does not think of trade but it is an important ingredient in making her waffles a success. The strawberries she used last Saturday came from a local grower but the berries she will soon be using will come from the Imperial Valley in California. The waffle mix comes from a company founded in Seattle in Washington state in the early '30s. The egg is local but not the olive oil. It is imported from Tunisia.

The all important waffle maker itself is made in China. It wasn't all that long ago that it would have been made in either Canada or the USA but for the moment that day has passed. The bowl holding the water came from Portugal, the bentwood bar stool on which she is sitting was made in Czechoslovakia.

She gives it not the slightest thought but trade between nations quietly colours her days.