Niagara Falls 26-Feb-06

Took the kids to Niagara Falls this weekend.

The Falls looks quite different in the winter.

This is the US side of the falls. The snow and frost was spectacular.

Clifton Hill -- as goddy as always, and goddier every year. But the kids just adored it. I can remember being their age and feeling the same way.





This is what will happen to you when you eat at Burger King.

Skiing Blue Mountain

I finally got to Blue Mountain today for some unbelievable skiing. It was about -10 degrees celcius with a windchill about minus a zillion. I thought my face was going to fall off when going up the lifts. But the snow was luscious.

This is me at the top of the Mountain without proper face gear. Later in the day I put on a scarf and a pair of goggles. I was wearing two hats, gloves, two pairs of trackpants, splash-pants, 3 shirts, and a coat.





My mom and dad at the top of the mountain getting ready for their second run of the day.



The recently retired South Chair Lift is now an historical site.



Mmmmmm, moguls :-) Lots of moguls. I'm proud to say that I didn't fall once today.

This is me going up the chairlift late in the day. Notice how cold I look. After I took this photograph -- with my bare hands exposed to the cold -- I thought my fingers were going to fall off.

My parents on the lift directly behind me. Man, I love Blue Mountain, and hopefully we'll be able to make it out again this season.

Today's drive to Blue Mountain

I went to Blue Mountain near Collingwood Ontario today for some skiing. Once you get past Barrie, you enter a different world -- a very cold, arctic world.

Blowing snow made for some difficult driving.

I think I passed at least 3 cars in the ditch today.

Thankfully, the conditions cleared up near the mountain.

Toronto Mural at Dundas & Ossington

Another mural for my collection

Skiing

Aimee Mann Toronto concert

I went to see Aimee Mann at the Mod Club last night in Toronto. Aimee's set was entirely acoustic. The arrangements included piano (giving some of the tracks a Coldplay feel), accordian, electric bass, acoustic guitars, a beat box, and some synth soundscapes (like strings).

She played acoustic guitar, some electric bass and even dabbled on the piano for a bit -- a new instrument for Aimee. The sound and performances were extraordinarily good; except forsome silliness it could have been recorded for a live album.

Aimee was in very good spirits despite the fact that her brother-in-law died a week ago. She was extremely playful onstage, a far cry from the last time I saw her at the Palais Royale a number of years ago where she said virtually nothing to the audience and stared intently at the back of the room.

I took some pics. They're not great, but here they are:

Cal's Staples

Calvin needed two staples last week (kinda like stiches). He was playing tug-o-war with his brother and he fell back against the dresser. Poor guy :-(

A weekend's stroll through Toronto

I took some photographs during a stroll through Toronto this weekend. My girlfriend and I were walking around the Harbord and Ossington area and also on College near Dovercourt. Toronto is such a fascinating and dynamic place; it's visually rich nearly everywhere you go. One only has to walk around the block in any central neighborhood to get sights such as these.

If you want to see larger images, just click on each picture.

What a neat house! Btw, note the Gord Perks sign out front -- he ran for the NDP and got hammered a couple of weeks ago.

A closer view of the artwork on 2 Macklem.

A view looking south on Macklem.

This delightful and colourful mural can be found on the side of a building at the intersection of College and Macklem.

How cool is this? Public art on what would otherwise be an eyesore.

On the wall of a coin laundry on Harbord.

More from the mural on the wall of the coin laundry. A few minutes after this picture was taken it started to pour, followed soon thereafter by gigantic wet snowflakes.

George in the hood. No, I'm not that tall - the door is freakishly small.

McGuinty is the Liberal Premier of Ontario.

Looks like somebody wanted a chair in the bus shelter.

The Portuguese love their soccer.

A nice stain glass window.

Now this is just simply un-Canadian!

This was on the wall of a store on College near Dovercourt.

Some bizarre art shot through a gallery window.