Were freeways necessary?

 

It's been said that the German Autobahn system, with its four land divided highway and limited access, was the inspiration for the freeways that today criss-cross farmland around the world. The first Autobahn motorway was, opened in the early 1930's. It was the world's first freeway but it was far from the last.

Canada's busiest freeway is 401 passing over Toronto. Its first section opened in 1947. Since then it has grown in length and width with the passing years. My father had been a farmer. He understood the need

for highways but he had reservations about 401. He saw it as a land hog.

The King's Highways, as the older, two lane roadways were called, seemed adequate to my dad for hauling goods over long distances. He believed a well designed rail network would be more efficient than the growing freeway system.

In some ways my dad's fears have come to pass.

A well visited cemetery

 

Leaving small rocks on the tops of a headstones is apparently a common practice. But, until the other day, I had never noticed the  stones and when I did I was left to wonder about the significance. After asking about I found the most frequent explanation, and there were a number, was that this is based on what was originally a Jewish tradition. The small stone indicated that someone had visited the grave. Someone had shown respect for the deceased.

Look closely at the headstones marking the graves of soldiers who died in the Second World War and you will notice that many of the headstones have a small rock on the top of headstone. Clearly, this is a well visited cemetery.

Turkey vultures common in SW Ontario

 

 

Turkey vultures are common in Ontario and very easy to spot, even in silhouette, thanks to the very distinctive head and beak. These are large birds that are often spotted soaring in large circles high above the ground. Turkey vultures take advantage of warm air rising off dark fields and even dark pavement to soar and move about in the sky.

There were about a half a dozen vultures perched in this bare tree sitting on the edge of the City of London landfill. Vultures are very opportunistic. These migratory birds head south when it gets too cold for comfort in Ontario.

Turkey vultures keep our natural world clean. They eat carrion. Ugh! Thanks to their dietary habits, these birds have developed incredible immune systems; they can eat carrion without getting botulism, anthrax, cholera, salmonella and even rabies. Amazing.

Is this a teen wearing a hair mask?

 

Little known fact: when it's not the Christmas season, Santa keeps himself fit rollerblading in Springbank Park in London, at least that was my take on this photo. My granddaughter, Eloise, thought that this was a teenager wearing a hair mask out rollerblading. I'm sticking with my Santa story.

I posted this yesterday but neglected to click the post button. Oops! 

Some craftsmanship is still to be found

It seems that folk love to complain. All too often I read how this or that is not as good as it was when . . .  And I admit that I am guilty of doing this as well. Oops!

Well, let's score one point for the optimists. Exterior doors used to be solid wood. Nice to look at when new but they aged, often poorly, and the old doors were not always good at keeping the heat in in the winter. 

Today there are dozen of choices when it comes to exterior doors. Fiberglass and metal are very popular and if you insist there are still solid wooden doors to be had. But these wooden doors are actually an improvement over many of the wooden doors from the past.

This home has a new door. Neither the door nor the trim will ever need painting. The glass in the door and the sidelights is a double glazed design with a Frank Lloyd Wright inspired leaded glass look. It wasn't all that expensive and the entire affair was installed in less than a morning. And it was made in Ontario, not all that far from London.

Energy efficient windows and doors are now common. Windows no longer need painting, nor do windows require storms during the winter months as all are either double or triple glazed. Yes, somethings are better today.

Go easy on the air

The mix of intense heat and drought is causing wildfires in Western Canada to generate their own weather systems. The phenomenon, known as a pyrocumulonimbus firestorm, has been noted in British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Alberta, Manitoba and Ontario.

But not tonight. At least not in London, Ontario. London got haze, thick haze, as it has for the past few days. The sun does not so much set as fade away into a smokey haze so thick that we no longer even see a glowing orb.

People with breathing difficulties are finding the poor air quality a problem. The health department is recommending that on hazy days, folks with health issues should remain indoors. Adding to the misery, today there was a heat advisory. So, drink lots of liquids but go easy on the air.

Ruby meadowhawk

 

Dragonfly or damselfly? Until I took a picture of this ruby meadowhawk and hit the Web seeking to learn more about my subject, I had thought that dragonflies and damselflies were simply different names for the same flying insect. I was wrong.

Dragonfly adults have robust bodies, and perch with wings held out to the side. The eyes are huge and may meet at the top of the head. The bodies of damselfly adults, on the other hand, are slender, and most damselflies fold the wings together over the abdomen when resting. 

Damselfly eyes are very large and are set to the side of the head rather than dominating the front as with dragonflies. The two even look different when in flight. Dragonflies have a smooth flight path while damselflies flutter.

The meadowhawks are skimmers. Why these dragonflies are called skimmers is a good question. It certainly is not because of how they catch their prey. Meadowhawks perch on twig and rocks, sit quietly and scan the immediate area for flying insects. The ruby meadowhawk in my photo is seeking a meal on the wing.