The forest city kills its forests

Hmm, looks like the City of London, Ontario - Municipal Government is quietly trying to carve out some lands from the Meadowlily Woods Environmentally Sensitive Area.

Under the proposal, the subject lands would be removed from the ESA, and would be subject to an amendment that would change their designation from Green Space Place Type to Neighbourhoods Place Type. In other words, protected lands are about to be opened up for low-density residential development.

Maybe I'm naive, but aren't ESAs supposed to be protected from this kind of thing? Hoping Steve Hillier, the city councillor for the ward where this is all happening, might be able shed some light on why the change, who's behind it, and why ESAs seem to be so vulnerable to this type of activity.

I raise my voice because if we keep snipping off pieces of our ESAs - absolute jewels of our shared urban environment - then it won’t be long before we have no ESAs at all. Either we say something now or we eventually regret not having said anything at all.

CC:
CBC London
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Giant pile of tomatoes

Ready to make the sauce
London, ON
March 2026
This photo originally shared on Instagram

There are days when the only answer is a jumbled pile of roma tomatoes.

I believe today is such a day.

There doesn’t need to be a reason.

All we need to do is revel in the weirdly random joy of chaotically arranged vegetables.

This moment of agricultural peace has been brought to us by our local Sobeys grocery store and the kind lady who chose not to report me to the food police for taking this photo.

#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #grocery #stilllife #photography #fruitography #apple #iphone #iphone17 #shotoniphone

Pandemic + 6

An indelible day
London, ON
March 2020
This photo originally shared on Instagram

Six years ago today, the World Health Organization declared a global pandemic, and in an instant, COVID went from a once-obscure virus that had been fuelling increasingly alarming headlines to a generation-defining event whose impact continues to be felt today.

I recall being at the office when the news broke, surrounded by confused colleagues rushing around and wondering what might happen next. Before long, a company-wide email went out and we were being sent home - officially for the next two weeks until this would all hopefully be over.

Well, we know what happened next. And as I loaded my bike down with everything I could and pointed for home, I thought about how quickly the world had just changed. I pedalled under cold grey skies along the flooded, angry river, and decided I didn’t want to forget what this day felt like. So I hit pause on a nearby bridge and took in the scene.

I remember how I felt as I took this photo, that for a fleeting moment I was able to withdraw into composition, shutter speeds, and f-stops and ignore the chaos spiralling around us. Photography had always been something of an escape, but on a cold morning on an empty bridge, it became starkly obvious just how much this medium now meant to me.

I spent much of the subsequent months of lockdown taking silly pictures like this one, and ended up with a wildly diverse record of an extraordinary moment in history that defied - and still defies - explanation.

I guess we all revert to the things that bring us comfort. I guess we all need anchors in the inevitable storm. #ldnont #london #ontario #canada #throwback #gutter #ice #abstract #stilllife #photography #google #pixel

Frozen in (curved) time

Icily yours
London, ON
December 2025
This photo originally shared on Instagram

If you follow weather to any degree - and I think we all should, if only to know what we should be wearing on any given day - you may get all tingly when the weather warnings are first posted.

Today’s weather fun revolves around a possible ice storm that may or may not move into the region. We know we’re getting some kind of significant weather event, mind you, but it remains to be seen whether the tiny temperature shifts one way or another will result in a major freezup or just a lot of rain. Such mystery from on high, and frankly it’s one of the things that makes weather so enjoyable to track. Even with all the technology in the world, there’s still a bit of uncertainty in the skies.

So I find myself looking back at photos from an ice storm earlier this winter, when the branches were weighed down with thick layers of frozen delight. As much as I appreciate the danger of this kind of meteorological event, I similarly appreciate its stark beauty, and the quiet comfort of observing it from behind a window, preferably with a mug of something in hand.

Alas, we have a dog, so I had to venture out for a bit. I found this encrusted tree not far from home, its curved branches seemingly speaking with each other as they gracefully endured the weight from above. It seemed like something worth remembering before the inevitable next meteorological twist melted the ice and spawned the next round of breathless weather-related speculation.

Because there’s always a new story waiting to be written in the skies, ready to reshape the otherwise ordinary places below. We’d hate to miss the show, wouldn’t we?

#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #onstorm #icestorm #winter #night #bokeh #naturephotography #landscapephotography #photography #nikon #nikonphotography #nikon_photography

The not so simple simple tree

Surviving...
London, ON
January 2026
This photo originally shared on Instagram

It may look simple at first glance, but it really isn’t.

Maybe it’s a tiny tree stuck in winter’s grip, or perhaps it’s a person we encounter along the way.

Because we’re all reaching higher.

Trying to survive the storm.

Or just hoping to stay warm until the seasons change.

#ldnont #canada #medway #winter #monochrome

Filthy window in a quiet airport

Focus on this
Mississauga, ON
February 2026
This photo originally shared on Instagram

The scene: Pearson International Airport, 6:00 a.m. The terminal wears the early-morning quiet like a soft blanket, the few passengers nearby speaking in hushed tones as they make their way to destinations both known and unknown.

On the other side of the glass, ground crew members crowd around aircraft at the gate in a coordinated ballet of non-stop motion, readying them to return to the darkened skies.

Kaleidoscopic lights flicker in the distance, interrupted occasionally by the ghostlike silhouettes of heavy jets being towed back to the hangar.

The thick windows keep most of the noise from seeping inside, save for the deep thrum of the occasional departing wide-body. The massive panes are filthy, the textured layers of dirt from relentless flight ops making it impossible for the autofocus to do its job.

At first it’s frustrating, the camera unable to zero in on the early-morning scene, the messy foreground stealing the focus from the tarmac behind it, turning it into a blurry mess of smudged lights and lost details.

But I keep shooting, anyway, the chaotic mess slowly grabbing my attention, refusing to be rejected as a failure.

Eventually I settle on this particular one as my absolute favourite of the entire morning, filled with tones and shapes that capture the very spirit of this very unique space at this equally unique time of day.

Perhaps there’s a lesson in this imperfect image of an otherwise perfect moment. That an airport can be a sacred space before the sun comes up, where countless unseen heroes move heaven and earth to get strangers safely on their way.

It only looks chaotic.

#toronto #yyz #pearson #airport #ontario #canada #night #abstract #photography #apple #iphone #iphone17 #shotoniphone

Shadowy trees on a shadowy planet

Deep in the snowy valley
London, ON
February 2026
This photo originally shared on Instagram

Not so long ago, the ground was frozen, covered in white, the bare tree branches whistling as the winter wind blew through them unimpeded.

The setting sun cast long shadows through the empty valley, painting stark lines in the deep snow under the brilliant blue sky.

Weeks of rising temperatures have since redrawn the landscape, so I’m sharing this now because I never want to forget what it felt like to stand above it all and breathe it in.

Stories get told in milliseconds, then vanish. Photos keep them alive in our memories for just a little while longer.

#ldnont #canada #medway #winter #landscape

Where trees wear their scars

Imperfectly perfect
London, ON
February 2026
This photo originally shared on Instagram

Trees wear their scars out in the open, sharing stories of past trauma for anyone who bothers to slow down for a closer look.

Humans, not so much. Our scars often remain unseen, holding stories known only to us.

Something to ponder, perhaps, when we encounter others. Assume they have scars. Assume their stories remain untold. Have some empathy.

#ldnont #canada #medway #monochrome #stilllife

Let's get canned

Overlooked spaces
London, ON
February 2026
This photo originally shared on Instagram

Nobody enjoys grocery shopping these days. It’s expensive and frustrating, and complete strangers still think it’s acceptable to spontaneously invade my personal space so they can beat me to the pickle display.

My coping mechanism is a familiar one: random acts of photography in weird corners of the store. Because in my world, pretty pictures - or even less-than-pretty ones - bring joy. Since I don’t ever want to be accused of being a self-absorbed pickle-picker, I work quickly and quietly in otherwise empty aisles. Or as empty as they can possibly be.

I scan the place for strange scenes and wait for my brain to decide on what’s worth shooting.

And on this particular afternoon, I find inspiration in the geometrically shadowy spaces behind the canned beet display. I figure it’s a part of the store most of us have never seen - likely because our heads are too big to fit between the shelves - so before long I’m wiggling my smartphone behind the randomly arranged cans in search of a workable angle.

Like so many photographic adventures of mine, this one doesn’t follow a logical roadmap. The universe doesn’t need a photo like this, and I’m reasonably sure you don’t either.

But the universe is a big, sometimes frightening place. So we seek solace in hidden oases where no one else would think to look.

The beets are a bit of a bonus.

#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #grocery #shelf #sobeys #stilllife #photography #apple #iphone #iphone17 #shotoniphone

Where I talk about Iranian cyberattacks on CBC Radio

As our national digital intelligence agency warns Canadians of potential Iranian cyber attacks on critical infrastructure, I’ll be joining CBC Radio stations across the country on Thursday morning.

We’ll discuss why this particular threat is so concerning, and what we need to do in our everyday lives to reduce our risk profile.

#technology #cybersecurity #radio #analystlife

UPDATE:

Here's the link to the one of the interviews I did this morning.

This one's with CBC Winnipeg's Marjorie Dowhos.

Lost in the fog, for now

Enjoy it while it lasts
London, ON
February 2026
This photo originally shared on Instagram

When the day dawns foggy, the only option is to head outside and revel in it for a while.

The rest of the world can wait a bit.

#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #medwayvalley #forest #trees #fog #weather #wx #naturephotography #landscapephotography #monochrome #photography #nikon #nikonphotography #nikon_photography

Of selfies and noses made for radio

Rarely seen
London, ON
February 2026
This photo originally shared on Instagram

There are countless reasons why I don’t share many pictures of myself.

I figure the world has enough photos of me. And video. And audio. Too much, really.

I also have quite the face for radio. Complete with an asymmetric nose, baggy eyes, and a strangely shaped forehead.

Despite spending large amounts of my adult life staring down the barrel of a lens, I never know what to do with myself when someone is taking my picture. Smile? Smirk? Frown? Look serious? It feels, just, odd. Like a pony in a petting zoo.

And lord knows how irritated I get when I happen upon social media accounts that are, quite literally, all selfies all the time. I’m not one to judge, but I’ll never understand how anyone thinks that isn’t all kinds of weird. As if there isn’t anything better to focus on than…yourself.

Wait, maybe I’m judgy after all. Sorry.

But I also do this thing with my wife that I like to call the proof-of-life photo. Whenever I’m out and about, at some point I’ll take a selfie and send it home so she’ll know I’m safe and sound and happy.

The photos almost never go anywhere, because they’re an us thing, a tiny moment of connection that started the day I almost bled out on a bike ride far from home. So we share photos now, just because.

But sometimes I take a picture that I sorta like, that reminds me it’s okay to turn the lens inward on occasion.

Because I’m still here, and I still get to be out and about. And that’s something worth recording in some way. Celebrating, even.

Even if my nose is still all kinds of wonky.

#ldnont #canada #winter #photowalk #selfie

A dog in a coat in the snow

Only love
London, ON
January 2026
This photo originally shared on Instagram

While the planet burns and everyone else rage-posts about it, I’m just going to leave this right here.

Because the notion of a dog whose only goal in the moment is to frolic in the snow and make sure she isn’t alone is something I think we can all appreciate.

This is all she cares about. She has no concept of the things that weigh the rest of us down. She doesn’t watch the news, and even when she does, the headlines just wash over her. She gives kisses without being asked. No one hates her because she’s an 8-year-old girl who happens to have a beard. There is no such thing as Anti-Schnauzerism.

I’m under no illusion that the charmed life of a dog doesn’t somehow exist in some broader context. It absolutely does. And a single photo of a frozen-faced pup doesn’t magically repair the world.

But maybe it starts simply. Maybe everyone needs a moment with a dog to get back in touch with what makes us human. Maybe it’s how we begin to heal the planet and each other.

Woof.

#ldnont #canada #callithewonderschnauzer #actofdog

Iran through my friend's eyes

I have wonderful friends. Sometimes they say really nice things:

At this critical moment in Iran’s contemporary history, when the world is finally beginning to confront the brutality of the regime, I want to publicly thank my former colleague, neighbor, and dear friend, Carmi Levy.

From the very first days of the digital blackout in Iran — when information was being suffocated and tens of thousands of innocent lives were being lost — there was almost complete silence in media. As a Persian Canadian, watching in anguish, I reached out to Carmi and shared what was unfolding.

He didn’t hesitate. He did his own research. He connected the story to the technology sector he covers. And he used his voice to raise awareness when it mattered most.

In moments like these, silence is easy. Speaking up is not.

Carmi, you are a true human being and a loyal friend. I will never forget that.

Mahmoud Ramin

(Originally published on Facebook)

One surviving leaf

Singular
London, ON
January 2026
This photo originally shared on Instagram

Months after this forlorn leaf should have been swept off the branch and into oblivion, it still holds on.

It’s a bit of a stretch to say a humble leaf can be so defiant, but how else can we explain why it continues to flutter in the winter winds while just about all of the others have long since disappeared?

I stand in the bitter cold and wonder about the why of this particular leaf, about the story it could tell if it had the ability to tell stories at all.

And then it hits me: everything has a story, even if we’ll never know what that story is. Because some things are destined to remain mysteries to those on the outside looking in.

#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #medwayvalley #leaf #texture #stilllife #bokeh #naturephotography #landscapephotography #photography #nikon #nikonphotography #nikon_photography

Balconies and angles

Meet your neighbours
Toronto, ON
January 2026
This photo originally shared on Instagram

In my ideal world, neighbours on opposite sides of this delightfully shaped building would sit on their balconies and befriend each other.

In the actual, real world, no one sits on a high-rise balcony during a Canadian winter. So the architectural dance in the sky plays out without an audience.

Still, major chops to whoever decided to build something more inspired than a basic box. Who wanted to create a space where strangers could somehow connect in a space that demands second and even third looks.

Where when the weather warms up, neighbours gather in opposite corners high in the sky and share moments worth remembering.

They say design creates community. Whoever they are, they’re right.

#toronto #ontario #canada #architecturephotography #architectureporn #downtown #geometry #monochrome #photography #apple #iphone #iphone17 #shotoniphone