Friday, January 3, 2020

Gene turns eastern grey squirrels black


Technically, it's an eastern grey squirrel, or so I understand, but its fur is black and not grey. It seems black squirrels have a DNA modification that results in black-furred grey squirrels. Grey or black both squirrels belong to the same species: backyardi pesti.

The little monsters dig up my wife's tulip bulbs long before the plants bloom and eat each and every one they find. That said, I have to admit the fluffy-tailed rodents are cute and cute will takes a wild, urban animal a long way with my three granddaughters.

Without flower bulbs to devour, our backyard pest is supplied with slices of apples, chunks of carrots and handfuls of raw nuts by my three granddaughters. This keeps the squirrels happy. Grandma? Not so much.

Thursday, January 2, 2020

The Mallard: abundant and widely distributed






















These male ducks, with their iridescent green heads, are very common in London, Ontario, even in the winter. This comes as no surprise as mallards are said to be the most abundant and widely distributed duck species in North America. Mallards are also found in Europe and Asia.

According to Ducks Unlimited, "With the exception of the muscovy duck, mallards are the predecessors of all domestic ducks; they have been domesticated in Southeast Asia for over 2000 years and in Europe since at least the 12th century.

Wednesday, January 1, 2020

Happy New Year!




I'm not sure if this is my favourite photo of the year or not but it certainly places high. I like it so much it makes me seriously consider moving to the spot pictures in a few years. It looks like a pleasant place to spend some time. I know my granddaughters would enjoy visiting me if I moved into a neighbourhood featuring a small herd of urban deer.

Tuesday, December 31, 2019

Jumbo statue in St. Thomas outside London


The Jumbo statue is located in St. Thomas about twenty-five minutes or so from my London home. The life-sized statue was erected in 1985 to mark the 100th anniversary of Jumbo's death. Possibly the most famous elephant who ever lived, "The King of Elephants" was killed when struck by a railroad locomotive in the southwestern Ontario city.

Earlier this year, the CBC did an excellent take on Jumbo, his life and death. Here is a link to: 
Jumbo: The Life Of An Elephant Superstar.

According to the CBC, "More than a century after his death, mystery still swirls around Jumbo. Was he really the tallest elephant in the world? How was he treated? Was his death part of a conspiracy?"

Monday, December 30, 2019

Unicorn-pig hats not made here

When I was in school I was taught how import trade was to early cities and city states. What they couldn't make themselves, they could obtain through trade. For instance, China prospered by trading jade, spices and silk.

I thought about this while prowling London stores after Christmas. Today China prospers thanks to strong global sales of unicorn-pig hats. Unicorn-pig hats?!

When I was a boy London produced a long list of stuff that underpinned our way of life. We made everything from massive electrical transformers to fashionable wool sweaters. We were capable of so much. The range of what we produced was staggering. Today, the range of what we don't produce is equally staggering. Transformers? China. Sweaters? China. Today, we cannot even make our own unicorn-pig hats.

But before I could post this, my one granddaughter assured me that this is actually a unicorn hat despite its piglike nose.

She tells me it's not nice to point out that its nose is rounder, flatter and more snoutlike than most. It's unkind, she says.

To underline her point she has called up a true unicorn-pig on Pinterest.

Sunday, December 29, 2019

Christmas candles: a fading tradition


When I was a boy my grandparents' used to set out a display of Christmas candles on their dining room table. I heard rumours of lit candles being placed carefully among the branches of the annual Christmas tree by some families but I never encountered the dangerous practice myself. Although my immediate family didn't light candles at Christmas, nevertheless, I came to consider brightly burning candles a Christmas tradition.

When my wife and I visited a friend over the holidays, she had a Christmas candle display arranged on a table in her living room. It was beautiful, traditional and slightly dangerous. The candles do not just add a visual delight to a room. The candles are scented. As the candles burn, fragrances, such as cinnamon, are released into the room.

I hadn't encountered a Christmas candle display like our friend's in years. I was left wondering how many people are still continuing to follow the old tradition.

Saturday, December 28, 2019

Heritage home in London (Ont.) area

This is the heritage home just outside London with the face-nailed hardwood flooring that I discussed yesterday. The century home has been well maintained. Where possible it is original and where necessary it has been upgraded: bathrooms and kitchen.

Yet, this home has not had its walls removed to create an open-concept living space. The kitchen is modern but small; the dining room is useful but closed in on all four sides. It's intimate. And the entry has a small foyer with a number of exits plus a staircase leading to the bedrooms on the second floor.

Homes like this are not inexpensive in southwestern Ontario. In Toronto a home such as this would be valued at more than a million dollars (Canadian). Outside Toronto, in a place such as the London area, the price may drop by as much as half. But a price of as much as $900,000 would not raise eyebrows in the right location.