CREATIVE ARTS GROUP 3 DAY WEEKEND
CREATIVE ARTS GROUP 3 DAY WEEKEND
Posting this a couple of hours early cause I'm going out in a couple of hours - filling in for A.Mac again. My topic will be wonderful memories, but everyone can post whatever creative efforts they wish. One of my great memories is watching the Blue Jays play ball. I took this photo while I was a guest in the Blue Jays Corporate Box at Toronto's SkyDome (which I believe has since been renamed The Rogers Centre). I was kind of amazed that even the 1/1000 shutter speed was able to stop the ball that was just hit.
RED BOX RULES: AN IMPORTANT REMINDER
From time-to-time, I should remind all members of NT, etc., that when posting photos, artwork, etc., it's important, when posting, that you own, and/or legally represent the licensing, copyright, etc., of what you post, and TO PROTECT YOUR WORK, TO INCLUDE YOUR COPYRIGHT SYMBOL/INFORMATION; and/or, WHEN POSTING COPYRIGHTED PROPERTY BELONGING TO PARTIES OTHER THAN YOURSELF, TO …
• BE SURE YOU HAVE PERMISSION TO POST, TRANSMIT, etc, SUCH PROPERTY, and,
• IF/WHEN SUCH PERMISSION HAS BEEN GRANTED, TO PROPERLY AND CLEARLY ATTRIBUTE THE COPYRIGHTS TO THEIR RIGHTFUL OWNER(S).
VERY IMPORTANT … IN THE FUTURE, I WILL REMEMBER TO POST THIS CAVEAT REGULARLY.
Thanks, A. MAC
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OK, I'll go first...
The Garden of Flowing Fragrance - Liu Fang Yuan 流芳園 (© G. Gam)
Stunning, G.
LOL, stunning was the first word that came to my mind before you posted your reply. very calm and serene. virtual postcard...
An image of absolute serenity.
Beautiful.
MEMORIES. When you get to be my age, memories are really important because the day will come when they will fade away. I have so many great memories, and here are some photos that are reminders of them.
1. This is the first home my father bought, the first one I lived in, for the first 18 years of my life. My bedroom was at the back, overlooking our double back yard. The second one was sunken and we would flood it in the winter to have our own little skating rink. Behind the garage my mother grew a victory garden. The big maple tree up front set the stage that I have had maple trees on my properties for many years.
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2. George R. Allan Public school was just a few hundred yards away, where I attended from kindergarten to grade 7. It was in that schoolyard when I was in kindergarten during WW2 that we kids would run around the schoolyard with our arms stretched out making buzzing sounds imitating Spitfire airplanes. My mother saw me doing that, nick-named me "Buzzy" and from that time until now I was known more as "Buzzy" and then "Buzz" than my real name among family and friends.
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3. The first home that I owned myself I bought before I married. It was designed and built and first lived in by a famous Canadian Architect, Walter Allward, who designed famous statues in Toronto and Canada's Vimy Memorial in France. It was 3 bricks thick and was one of the first Toronto homes to have forced air heating which made it simple for me to add air conditioning. It was the home that Seizi Ozawa, conductor of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra (and later the Boston Symphony) lived in when he was conducting in Toronto. It was close to downtown, conveniently located within walking distance of Toronto's midtown shopping areas. As you can see it was set back from the road, the only one so located on the whole street.
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4. While living in that house I lived my wild 'weekend hippie' life for a few years, and a neighbour who became a friend, Gale Garnet, who composed and sang "We'll Sing in the Sunshine" presented me with a kitten from her cat's litter, a kitten I named "Fidget", who became my buddy for 17 years. This is Fidget.
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5. After a few years of living in that home I married, and my wife and I travelled a fair amount. One of our trips took us to England and Wales. I took this photo while we drove across North Wales.
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6. But we soon had our first child, wanted her to grow up in a more family-oriented neighbourhood, so we bought this home in a lovely Toronto neighbourhood called Hogg's Hollow, a/k/a York Mills Valley, a valley through which a minor river meandered through., It was on a reverse ravine at the back of our "back (actually side) yard" that you see encircled by the obligatory white picket fence. We lived there for many years, raised our daughter and son there.
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7. And we bought our lakeside getaway home a few hours drive north to the Haliburton Highlands Lake District. I've posted articles about our life there.
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8. But all that is in the past and far away. Now a whole new wonderful life had started with my moving to a magical land, discovering how satisfying teaching students was, and getting married to a new and beautiful, wonderful wife, to whom I will be married for 16 years this December.
We have something in common re: schools-- when I was in those grades my parents lived in a house that was literally directly across from my public school and its wonderful playground!
Any photos from back then?
My high school has been demolished..it was rather old and decrepit even when I was there. But when I go past where it was I can still can picture it...
Lots of good memories some life long friends were made and some sadly are no longer with us...
It was long ago. But I may have some some photos in old file boxes.
My public school in the photo above was demolished long ago as well. In fact, after we sold that beautiful Cape Cod style home, the purchaser demolished it to build a monstrosity.
If you have an all-in-one printer, copier, scanner you can scan them to your computer picture library and then post them. That's what I've done, but I regret that I haven't brought most of my film camera photos or any coloiur slides with me here.
Nice, Buzz. And that stopped baseball in the intro photo is awesome.
Thanks Dig.
Another similarity to the house I mentioned-- it was small house, but we had a double back yard! My father was very much into gardening--lots of fruit:- we had a large Peach Tree and a Cherry tree. Also Blueberry and Gooseberry Bushes-- and Strawberries.
But he also planted lots of vegetables. Especially unusual varieties of Tomatoes. (Now-a-days those types of Tomatoes are called "Heirloom Tomatoes). I remember the "Black Tomatoes" (they were actually deep Purple).
I LOVE tomatoes, just like my father did. He would eat them like apples. However the Chinese people simply don't do it right. They pick the tomatoes before they're ripe. Even though they're red. they're white and hard inside.
A long time ago I told A.Mac that I thought the Audobon Society should use him as a photographer. I think you qualify for that as well.
Thank you.
You're welcome.
Great shots. Do you know what kind of bird the last one is? I'm totally unfamiliar with that one. Maybe strictly a northerner.
I while back I saw an ad for a computer program you can load into your phone. You can point your phone at a leaf (or maybe the entire plant, I ferget)-- and it will dientitfy the plant!
I think there may also be a program that can identify birds (Isaw something that may have been like that in a TV ad for Samsung).
I think I found it at All About Birds. It looks like a Common Redpoll female or juvenile male.
And yup, it's a far northerner. It looks like they actually breed in the arctic circle in the summer and are scarce where I am, even after they've migrated south for the winter. I don't think I've ever seen one before.
It is a redpoll. We don't see a lot of them either, so it was cool to catch this one.
Although they winter where I come from I don't recall seeing them, but that's probably only because they're not common.
is there no middle ground in google tracking? have I fat fingered my zip code somewhere online? I keep getting all oz all the time in my youtube feed.
luckily, I'm a firm believer that art is everywhere, we are surrounded by art, and life is art. while all art may reach for you, the best art for you is the art that touches you.
When I lived in Oz I would go out on the deck in the morning and it would be covered with colorful birds waiting for breakfast.
I imagine you had to be careful where you stepped.
They are messy little buggars but we love them..
Morning...see told you..you have become an honorary Aussie..you just don't know it yet..you to can live on a rock..🤣
They are rainbow lorikeets and speak of the devil some just rolled up this morning.. they are after the nectar in the gum trees out the front of my place as it is Spring..
Now when do you want to start eating Vegemite!! 🤣
We are taking over the world..🦘🦘🦘
you're going to be on that raft all summer if you plan on paddling this direction...
I paddle fast..
That photo could well have been the photographer's LAST photo.
Nah he is just smiling for the camera... loves his picture being taken before munching on a leg, arm, head etc etc..
Close up of a rainbow lorikeet..
Not my photo...note the beady eye..they love tourists..
don't tell me those wannabe parrots are blood thirsty killers as well ...
Nah. They are friendly but they could smother you to death..
It looks sort of like a parrot-- is it a type of parrot?
Arvo Krishna..
Yes we have heaps of parrot's here they are the most beautiful birds..
Cockatoos, Galahs, Cockatiels, Gang Gangs, Budgerigars, Rosella's, Corellas to name just a few..
Of COURSE Australia is famous for its birds. Didn't England colonize it to send its jailbirds there. What other GREAT EXPECTATIONS could there be?
Huh... they sent them to the States first..they had convicts running around way before us...approx 50,000 of them..
Funny you never heard anything about that though..seems to be very hush hush..
We love our convict heritage and celebrate it..I am spewing there are none in my family heritage..I am not a happy Vegemite..
Wow!!! You're right. It must be hush hush about sending the convicts to the USA - I never heard of it. It's common knowledge that they were sent to Australia.
The only reason they stopped was the Brits lost the War of Independence..
So yes the US has plenty of convict stock running around over there...from 1718 to 1776..50,000 of them..
So don't look at us being first...white man only discovered Australia in 1770..the Dutch did stack into the coast of WA earlier in 1606 but didn't like what they saw so cleared off..phew!!! otherwise we would be speaking Dutch..the Kooris have been here though for 60,000 years..
So you would think the Americans would claim the fame but in this case apparently not..,we embrace it, they hide it..🤣
Maybe there are a lot of people in America who are descended from them. In fact, maybe there are NT members who are descended from them. LOL For sure no Yankee is going to admit it.
Morning...yes there would be hundreds of thousands of people who are descended from convicts in the States..
They obviously don't teach it in the schools over there as most Americans don't seem to know about it..
But we have great delight in informing them on this matter..
More power to you. I join you in that amusement.
A friend of mine (in the U.S.)had a Cockatiel as a pet. Thet are the most amazing bird-- they have distinct personalities, in some ways they are very like humans! They also like to interact with himans.
Also they are good at mimicking any sounds in their in environment.
I just googled them and found that they apparently originated in Australia.
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A rabbi walks into a bar with a parrot on his shoulder.
The bartender asks, “Where did you get that?”
The parrot says, “Brooklyn, they’re everywhere!”
Arvo Krishna..yes Cockatiels are most certainly are Aussie..
The same as budgies they are Aussie..but in the wild you only ever see green budgies never any other colours..they fly around in flocks of thousands..
Not my photo..
Looks like a locust invasion.
The dogs were playing at our Labor Day cookout. They were running around and
would not stay still for a good picture. Bailey was wagging her tail so much she
knocked the Dashounds over.
No doubt looking for and getting left overs??
Or taking it home in a doggy bag..
🐾🐾
They got some treats. When the food is served, I have to take Bailey home, she
gets too excited. But at every cookout a pack of hot dogs is grilled to take home
for her and she expects them when I get back
And she will know exactly how many you have got so don't try and bluff her...
She eats hot dogs? Isn't that kind of cannibalistic?
She knocked the Dachshund over? That's quite an accomplishment considering they're built so close to the ground.
And so I must say now that this good thing must come to an end because the 3 day weekend has come to an end. Thanks to all who posted images, comments and votes up.
OMG I thought it was Sunday. The signs of senility are showing up, and maybe I shouldn't be surprised at my age. My apologies to all and especially to A.Mac. We're open for business and I'll add a day and not close until Monday night.
Morning...no drama...I do that all the time since I have been retired..
Only know it's Monday as that's when the garbos come..this morning I didn't hear them but knew it was Monday as the empty bin lids are banging in the breeze...
Besides it's not our fault we are ahead in time..you were just being efficient...
You're right. Our being ahead of them time-wise has created some confusion. However, there's nothing wrong with being ahead, right?
Absolutely not..we get everything first..the best one being sun rise..always a winner..
Not my photo..I am not up at that ungodly hour..
Actually, I'm up before the sunrise pretty well all the time. However, I also go to sleep not too long after our western members wake up.
Obviously it made little difference that I mistakenly closed this article too soon. Unless this comment pushes it back onto the Front (Home) Page, it's wiped out anyways.
Not if we have anything to do with it..
We're okay now, but I'm going to close this article in an hour and a half. It will be Tuesday in Hawaii then.
Fell asleep, but I think that it's time to close this article (again LOL), so again thanks to all who posted, See you next weekend.