Rain Moves Across City

Southwestern Ontario is known for the flatness of the countryside. That said, there is a glacial moraine running across the southern end of London and I am lucky enough to live high on the slope. When a storm moves across the city, there is a get a great view from the end of Lookout Court. At times, one can actually watch the wall of rainwater crossing the city.

Creeping Charlie on the Move

Taken with a Canon PowerShot S90.

Creeping Charlie is a type of ground ivy which releases a strong aroma when cut. I rather enjoy mowing my spreading patch of creeping Charlie. The pleasant aroma makes mowing the lawn a little more pleasurable.

Native to Europe, creeping Charlie was intentionally brought to North America by European settlers. Today it is found much of the U.S. and Canada.

Landscapers consider creeping Charlie a lawn weed and not a beautiful wild ground cover. They will expend a lot of energy trying to get rid of it. They often fail. There was a time that they would use repeated applications of 2-4-D in an attempt to eradicate it but that time has past in Ontario.

The provincial government, backed by medical experts – like the Canadian Cancer Society – believe we should be reducing our exposure to pesticides. Children, who often play on lawns, are particularly susceptible to the potential toxic effects of pesticides. 

Ontario’s pesticides ban came into effect on Earth Day, April 22, 2009. Today, Ontario lawns are home to creeping Charlie and dandelions along with Kentucky bluegrass.

Not the brick for which London was once known

There are a lot of older yellow brick buildings in London. Of course, most of these are homes. The bricks in these home were, and still are, good bricks. Unlike today's product, the beauty of these old bricks was not just skin deep.

When you see warm brick today, it is often red brick with the surface coloured. This brick quickly begins to lose its looks. As the surface flakes off, the red interior becomes visible.

Oh well, in lots of cases no one will notice the flaking because the graffiti will distract us. Why every brick wall is not treated to repel graffiti is beyond me. There are a number of excellent products to make it easy to quickly wash spray-painted-graffiti from walls.

The wall pictured is one that runs beside Southdale Road. Walls similar to this line many of the busiest roads in London. They hide the view of traffic from residents and mute much of the accompanying street noise.

Note the true red colour of the brick now visible in a number of areas.

Morgan Run in the Rain

It was supposed to storm in London yesterday. It was supposed to storm right across Southwestern Ontario. I was supposed to drive from London to Burlington in my Morgan to meet up with a number of other Morgan owners for a group run up, down, and around the Niagara escarpment. I wimped out; I didn't make the drive, at least not in my Morgan. I drove down with another Morgan owner in what the club members call a tin-top.

Despite the forecast, many of the cars arrived at the departure point with their tops down. English roadsters can be very uncomfortable when it is warm and humid. Almost all agreed it was better to be wet with the top down than dry, or almost dry, cooped up inside the small sportscar, sealed inside the hot, humid, exceedingly small space.

But the weather cleared, blue sky could be seen and all was right with the world. Don't be fooled by the chap forced to do some emergency repairs. It just wouldn't be a Morgan run without someone taking the time to do a little repair.

Provincial flower - the Trillium

The large, white trillium is the provincial flower of Ontario. Although some claim the trillium is rare, it isn't. Acres of the flowers will soon brighten many a forest floor across the province. Another myth is that it is against the law to pick trilliums. No Ontario law specifically protects the provincial emblem. That said, it is illegal to pick any wild plant in a provincial park, and that includes trilliums. And I'd say picking wild flowers in any public park, even municipal, is asking for trouble. Look but don't touch. If you must take something, take a picture. And speaking of pictures, this trillium is in Warbler Woods off Commissioners Road in southwest London.

There are thousands of trilliums growing wild in Warbler Woods in London.

The Shoprider - the cool scooter

I had the same surprised reaction to the Shoprider enclosed cabin scooter that I had to the Smart car on seeing one on a street in Nice, France. I gasped at its incredibe small size and it just looked so cool. Then, I took pictures.

Shoprider 889XLSBN

It may look like a small car, a very small car, but it is the Shoprider 889XLSN --- a simple covered scooter for folk unable to walk long distances. It is powered by the usual, large scooter battery. Note the serial number of the uncovered Shoprider. The two scooters are brothers under the skin.

I wondered what it would be like to be cooped up inside one on a hot day. Unpleasant? Then I learned that the doors can be removed. The Shoprider really is cool.

Jets over London, Ontario

Once I read somewhere how many jets fly over London, Ontario, every day, but I haven't been able to find that information to add to this post. Maybe tomorrow I'll call the airport.

I believe, and again this is from memory, that London is on a Great Circle Route from here to there for a lot of cities. I believe the number of planes that pass over London, streaking the sky with their jet engine vapour trails, may number in the hundreds.

Whatever, it makes for a neat picture.

Cheers!