scaffolded

It was a beautiful morning so when I finished work last night, I decided to head out for a walk along the beach and a coffee on the waterfront. 

I decided to do this in Hamilton.

(this is an evening view of the beach from a previous night. the beach faces east, so the sun would have been in the way...)

Anyway, this would normally involve going over the Skyway, 











but because it was early and the light was perfect, I decided to get some photos of the newly erected scaffolding that has gone up on the underside of the Toronto bound portion of the Skyway.

There seemed to be an awful lot of traffic for 7am on a Saturday morning, and I thought at first that the lift bridge was up (which was odd, seeing as how I had checked before I turned down this route) but it turns out it would have made no difference which route I wanted to take as I would have ended up in this mess.


This is what happens when there is an accident on the highway, the Niagara bound portion, on the first day of a holiday weekend...

by the time I got there, the light was no longer quite so perfect.

This scaffolding will be up until late next year as they repair and repaint

more pics on my other blog at Sightlines


... as if the traffic wasn't enough, it has taken me hours - hours - to post this because everything on this computer is running slow, from Picnik to Blogger. Anyone else experiencing that?


You can see more bridges over at Sunday Bridges, hosted by "Louis"

the second five random words

It's time for the second set of five random words, this time offered up by Geewits of Trying to Fill the Unforgiving Minute.

BEARS
I have never seen a bear.
I have been to Banff and Jasper and even Yellowstone National Parks. I have camped in Algonquin and Killarney Provincial Parks. I've driven the Trans Canada Highway from Toronto to Vancouver 2 times and to Winnipeg 3 times. I've seen salmon swimming upstream to spawn. But nary a bear. It seems almost un-Canadian.
It's probably for the best.

FOG
My best memories of Switzerland are in the fog. I know - what a waste of beautiful, amazing scenery, THE ALPS, in the fog! And yet, it was all so beautiful. To wake up in fog and watch it shift and move. To be on the train and feel that you are climbing up, up, up, until suddenly the fog lifts and the clouds part and you see... mountains. All around you. I think we entertained the other Swiss passengers on the train with our squeals of delight and racing from one side of the train to the other to drink in the views. My friend Denise was from Kansas and we were living in Holland, so the peaks of the alps were a wondrous sight after so much flatness. I don't think it would have been quite so exciting had we seen them all along. Or if every day weren't first enshrouded in fog so that we didn't know for sure if would ever see them again.

GRAPES
There are a lot of grapes near where I live. The Niagara Peninsula is the largest grape growing area in Canada. This means there are a lot of wineries, too. If you come to visit me, I will take you on a wine tour. We will drive down roads beside fields and fields of grapes. I will not be able to tell you what kind of grapes they are, but we can visit any number of wineries for tastings and ask. Driving around in September and October is the best time to see the vines laden with grapes before harvesting. And we can stop in at my favourite bakery, The Pie Plate for some grape pie. Quite possibly the most expensive pie I have ever bought. But I had to try it, and without asking the price, the last one in the shop was boxed up. You don't see grape pie very often, so the 14.99 was maybe worth it. Once. Or for a very special occasion.

TOENAILS
Most people don't seem to like their feet. I don't really think about whether I like mine or not, but I do like to take care of them. Having a pedicure is more than making your toes pretty and colourful, though if you don't like your feet, I say get a good polish. Polished toes will detract from the rest of your feet, because once there is some colour on your toenails, that's what everyone will be looking at. I have small toenails. So small, that there is barely anything on my baby toes. I figure I should get a discount for only needing eight toes polished.

KISSING
Not a day goes by without more news being written about H1N1 and how we should not only wash our hands every minute of the day, but stop that disease ridden practice of shaking hands. Trust me, no elbow bump will ever become a part of my greeting. So, I'm guessing that the kiss hello is definitely out forevermore. As uncomfortable as I can feel with the kiss hello, I sortof wish I didn't feel uncomfortable. I wish I knew exactly what to do - left cheek peck or right cheek peck or right, left, right, or air kiss... it is all so confusing. Unlike the handshake which is direct and formal and polite without invading anyones personal space. I was walking behind two little girls yesterday; they were holding hands and kicking the leaves on the sidewalk and laughing, when one of them spontaneously put her arm around the other's shoulder and gave her a kiss on the cheek. It was all so sweet. As all kisses should be.

So far, Meggie and Susan have also played from the first set of words. If you wish to check out their post, click on their names. And if you wish to play just ask for five words.

the first five random words

It is time for another meme!
I like these kind of free flowing ones where you ask other bloggers to supply you with questions or, in this case, FIVE random words chosen specifically for you. All you have to do is write anything that these words make you think of. These five random words came from mrwriteon of And I Still Think So.

TROPICAL
Everything seems so much bigger in the tropics. Bigger and more intense. The sun is hotter, the rain is more frequent, the flowers are huge, the greenery more lush, the birds more colourful. The humidity more exhausting. The spiders and other bugs way too frightening. So, not quite paradise.
I used to think a holiday on a beach would be the most boring thing. I needed a little more stimulation. I now know better, the sand and sea are so mesmerizing and the heat so draining, I don't want to go anywhere but sit with a cool drink with one of those umbrellas. They are talking about snow and frost on the weather channel at the moment....

MYTHOLOGY
The first time I sent a donation to PBS (public television that relies on funding "from viewers like you") was after seeing the Bill Moyers interviews with Joseph Campbell. I had to have that book. I was devoted to his writings and soon my bookshelves were heavy with all manner of books on mythology and comparative religions. About a year ago, when I needed more space, it was my books on mythology that were redistributed in the laundry room. I kept a few, most definitely Joseph Campbell, and Bullfinch, though I will likely never get around to reading it. But I now have a few more feet of space for other genres. It seemed, at the time and still, a strange passion for someone who tends to take things literally. Maybe it was my creative side that needed to be explored.

SATIN
Seriously overrated. Oh sure it looks so slinky and sexy the way it drapes and flows and shimmers. Until it hugs a bulge. Or snags. And you know that if you wear that gorgeous outfit to a party you will come home with some kind of stain decorating your front that will not come out.
Satin is perfection and who among us can attain that. Who can wear perfection well? Who among us can eat bruschetta without dripping? Yes, it is wonderful to have those sheets floating over your body as you sleep, until you see the wrinkled mess in the morning.
No, satin is annoying.

STREETCARS
When I was very little I wanted to be a streetcar driver when I grew up. I always liked sitting in the very back to watch the cable that attached to the overhead electrical wires. It would swing back and forth when the car turned corners and sometimes, if we were lucky, the driver would have to get out and prod it back into position with a long stick. Then there were the areas where several tracks merged and he (for it was always a he back then, though that never occurred to me as a young girl, I still thought I could grow up to be one of their exalted group) would again need to get out with a different long stick and do something magical with the tracks so we'd be going in the right direction. These things never happened on the bus. Then I grew up and had to take the 504 car every day to work. The novelty soon wore off. Though I still feel a certain nostalgia when I see streetcars and am ambivalent at the newer designs that look like mini futuristic trains.

CITIES
I love cities. I was born in Toronto, although technically it was a suburb and felt very suburban. When I was young, going 'downtown' was a major event. It required getting dressed up in your almost Sunday best. "I am not going to be seen downtown with you wearing that outfit" was often heard in my house. I love the energy that comes in a city. Seeing the streets full of life and restaurants with patios full of people makes me feel happy. The noise and the smells are another story, one that comes with city life that needs to be endured but not enjoyed. I moved a lot while in Toronto and managed to always live within walking distance of the subway each time. That is almost as important as being able to walk to a coffee shop, grocery store and book store. The idea of living out in the country with no neighbours for miles around sends a minor panicked feeling through my bones. Way too much enforced quiet and solitude.

If anyone else wants to play, just let me know and I'll choose five words for you to be creative with.

where I explain a photo

It seems my filing system is perhaps the most boring on the planet. I've been tagged by Sistertex to show the fourth photo in the fourth folder of where I store my pictures. I have a haphazard system of moving photos into folders that are named such things as "blogger pics" and "violet's pics" as they are posted. I have no idea at the moment whether I thought there should be a difference in these folders, as they both seem to hold photos that have been posted to my blog. I also have a folder named "family pics". Since I rarely think to take people photos, most of these are a collection of photos that other people have taken and sent on to me. Bless them for that.
Thereafter most of my photos are listed by date uploaded. Which makes it difficult to find certain ones at times. I think about reorganizing, but am a) lazy and b) overwhelmed by the fact that I haven't deleted any unless they were truly bad. Some are not even in folders and I still have not figured out why.

I was feeling a tad worried about this tag thinking, maybe I should just randomly open my pictures and keep looking until I found a nice picture with a story attached... but, I played by the rules and it worked out nicely without any covert cheating on my part.

So, before we begin, here are the rules:
1. Open the fourth folder where you store your photos
2. Go to the fourth photo in that folder.
3. Explain the photo.
4. Tag four people to do the same.

Hmmm, so consider yourselves tagged: Geewits, Susan, Oliag, Jazz.

Now, back to me.

So, since I bought my camera to take with me on my first, and so far only, trip to New York City, my 4th folder is the first dated one in 2008 (after the three 'named' ones I mentioned above). The 4th pic is this:

And the story is (partly) this:

I went to NYC in January to meet up with an Australian friend who was stopping over on her way home from Peru. It seemed a long way around to get back to Melbourne, and it involved a few days in Portugal, where quite frankly, I would rather have gone to meet her. For some reason, New York did not hold much interest for me, especially in late January. My friend, Fiona, really wanted to go shopping on Fifth Avenue, and I really did not. I thought we'll have to go to Central Park because we were staying right there, but it being in the dead of winter, I figured a quick peek in and out would suffice.

I was so wrong. I spent more time wandering through and around that Park than anywhere else. I could not get enough of it. The bare trees only enhanced the view and reaffirmed its immense size. People were friendly and helpful in giving directions. Even though the weather was warm enough to feel like an early spring, I ever so briefly thought it might be fun to go skating. I was a little surprised to discover you had to pay for the privilege (on top of the skate rental) and since I hadn't skated in far too many years to know if I still could, I contented myself with more walking. I found some hot pretzels and sat on a rock and watched the skaters before wandering the streets of Manhattan. Alone. Because somehow I lost Fiona.

That is another story, unrelated to this particular photo.

There is a new game of tag going around the blogosphere, all about thinking happy. Finding joy in the little things in life. Interestingly, the blog that just this week won a Webby for best personal blog and the People's Choice Award is 1000 Awesome Things. Check it out and see if you don't find yourself smiling in recognition at some of the insignificant awesome things in life that just seem to make you happy, even if only for a moment. It's more than a list, with interesting perspectives thrown in. Started almost a year ago, he updates daily with another of life's little pleasures, giving one pause for thought and laughter. Or cynicism.
“A lovingly beautiful blog. It’s like being a three- or four-year-old and looking at the world for the first time again. Read it and you’ll feel good about being human.” – Jim Hedger, Webmaster radio

I'd like to say that waking up refreshed and rarin' to go after a good deep sleep is one thing that makes me happy. Well, it is, but I don't think it falls into the 'unimportant things that make you happy' category. which is the point of this tag. That is a really important thing. This past week has been especially trying, for some reason. The mere act of waking up has exhausted me. Walking over to the kitchen then the computer, I'm glad of the chair. Even the computer has been a bit trying of late, taking so long to upload some blogs, that I give up and go lay down, where my desire to read fights with my need to sleep. Neither one seems to come out a winner.

But, with the birds singing and the sun shining I headed outdoors today. And thought about the Six Unimportant Things That Make Me Happy.
A tag from reflecting Susan over in the 'Swamp. I won't tag any of you, but if anyone else feels like playing, "you're it".

1. A good hair day
2. The smell of laundry fresh off the line. Especially bedsheets. And pillowcases.
3. A brilliantly painted sunset after a dull day.
4. A really, really, good cup of tea in the afternoon.
5. Ducks. Playing, waddling, quacking, swimming, diving. How can you not smile when you see them?
6. When a young child, who is not yours and you've just met, reaches up and puts her hand in yours. Of course, I get this same warm feeling when a cat climbs onto my lap and curls up to sleep. It's a tie.

A bright, sunny, if cold, Monday it is, too.

A special Hello to all you visitors from A Majority of Two
(a well deserved Blog of Note, I say).

Some of you may remember that I started a photo theme of posting a daily shot of yellow from around my neighbourhood. That went well, on my other site Sightlines. Then I sort of lost the daily photo hunt habit.

There are many photo memes out in blogland, and I have been tempted to join, but obviously my discipline is a little lacking for such strenuous weekly commitment. But now, Drowsey Monkey has started a new photo meme, called Mellow Yellow Monday. And I thought, hey, this is great, I already have a lot of yellow photos I can post. And I can get in at the beginning, which is always exciting. Of course, I forgot that my best yellow photos had already been posted...

Anyway, I've joined and if you are interested, take a peek at Sightlines and at

for more great shots of yellow to cheer your day. You may even want to join on the fun.

meme #2

Still feeling sniffly. (which spellcheck says should be sniffy?? or snuffly??)
So am pleased to have an easy post that practically wrote itself. Well, after I copied it from Geewits and Ian.

The Bold is what I have already done, green is what I would still like to do. (everything else, I haven't done and don't really want to do.)

I also won't tag anyone, but if you do it let me know so I can read yours - it is interesting to see what we've done with our lives. So far.


1. Started your own blog (and aren't you glad I did!)
2. Slept under the stars (it was heavenly)
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii (does a stopover count? probably not)
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland/world
8. Climbed a mountain (or was it just a hill? took hours, anyway)
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea (lake actually, but still)
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch (not very well)
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning (not recommended)
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty (elevator ride, maybe)
18. Grown your own vegetables (amazing what a balcony can hold)
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked (back in youthful days)
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill (known as mental health day?)
24. Built a snow fort (of course, I live in Canada!)
25. Held a lamb (New Zealand Spring Lamb, even. yes, alive)
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse (sun and moon)
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset (mostly every day)
31. Hit a home run (if I ever did it was surely an accident)
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language (again, not very well)
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied (briefly, but satisfyingly)
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal in a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies (as a Girl Guide)
62. Gone whale watching
63. Gotten flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a cheque
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy (doll and bunny, and Lego)
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt (if by 'pieced" one piece is meant!)
73. Stood in Times Square (underwhelming event)
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job (should be more embarrassed...)
76. Seen the Changing of the Guard in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper (newsmagazine, crowd scene)
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee

food, glorious food

After a weekend of good food to be thankful for, I read Jazz's post on other foods we should at least try, whether thankfully or not.


So here is the stolen meme:
"From the parent post at Very Good Taste:
Below is a list of 100 things that I think every good omnivore should have tried at least once in their life. The list includes fine food, strange food, everyday food and even some pretty bad food - but a good omnivore should really try it all. Don’t worry if you haven’t, mind you; neither have I, though I’ll be sure to work on it. Don’t worry if you don’t recognise everything in the hundred, either; Wikipedia has the answers."

Copy this list into your blog or journal, including these instructions.
Bold all the items you’ve eaten.
Cross out any items that you would never consider eating. (or as in my case, who hasn't figured out how to cross out, italicize)
Optional extra: Post a comment at www.verygoodtaste.co.uk linking to your results.

Added bit:
Colour in bold red the items you LOVED, and bold lime green items you HATED

So here is VioletSky's unusual (or not) food taste:
I actually find it rather interesting the foods I have never tried - a Big Mac, chitterlings - compared with the foods I have tried - Krispy Kreme, haggis. Obviously, I am selective.

The Omnivore's Hundred

1. Venison
2. Nettle tea
3. Huevos rancheros
4. Steak tartare
5. Crocodile
6. Black pudding
7. Cheese fondue
8. Carp
9. Borscht
10. Baba ghanoush
11. Calamari
12. Pho
13. PB&J sandwich
14. Aloo gobi
15. Hot dog from a street cart
16. Epoisses
17. Black truffle
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes
19. Steamed pork buns
20. Pistachio ice cream
21. Heirloom tomatoes
22. Fresh wild berries
23. Foie gras
24. Rice and beans
25. Brawn, or head cheese
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper
27. Dulce de leche
28. Oysters
29. Baklava
30. Bagna cauda
31. Wasabi peas
32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl
33. Salted lassi
34. Sauerkraut
35. Root beer float
36. Cognac with a fat cigar
37. Clotted cream tea
38. Vodka jelly/Jell-O
39. Gumbo
40. Oxtail
41. Curried goat
42. Whole insects
43. Phaal
44. Goat’s milk
45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more
46. Fugu
47. Chicken tikka masala
48. Eel
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut
50. Sea urchin
51. Prickly pear
52. Umeboshi
53. Abalone
54. Paneer
55. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal
56. Spaetzle
57. Dirty gin martini
58. Beer above 8% ABV
59. Poutine
60. Carob chips
61. S’mores
62. Sweetbreads
63. Kaolin
64. Currywurst
65. Durian
66. Frogs’ legs
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake
68. Haggis
69. Fried plantain
70. Chitterlings, or andouillette
71. Gazpacho
72. Caviar and blini
73. Louche absinthe
74. Gjetost, or brunost
75. Roadkill
76. Baijiu
77. Hostess Fruit Pie
78. Snail
79. Lapsang souchong
80. Bellini
81. Tom yum
82. Eggs Benedict
83. Pocky
84. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant. (I wish!!!)
85. Kobe beef
86. Hare
87. Goulash
88. Flowers
89. Horse
90. Criollo chocolate
91. Spam
92. Soft shell crab
93. Rose harissa
94. Catfish
95. Mole poblano
96. Bagel and lox
97. Lobster Thermidor
98. Polenta
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee
100. Snake