The things leaves can teach us

The world at our feet
Komoka, ON
August 2022
This photo originally shared on Instagram

The leaves are already piling up on the forest floor. And if we listen closely enough, they hold a number of lessons for us:

1. Some leaves are brightly colored. Others less so. They’re all beautiful. Whatever their color, they all play a role in the lifecycle of the forest.
2. Not so long ago, they hung on the branches overhead. Now they await their fate underfoot. Time moves in one direction, and no one is immune.
3. There isn’t a lot of light down there in the dirt, so you have to linger a little to take it all in. It’s always worth taking the time to see the entire picture.
4. This may look and feel like an ending, but everything here eventually decays and fuels whatever else will grow here in future. Beginnings and endings are fuzzy that way.
5. We were raised to not get dirty. Our parents were wrong. Never miss a chance to get down in the dirt and feel it between your fingers.
6. If you close your eyes just so and wait patiently for a few minutes, you’ll hear the heartbeat of this place. Forests are noisier than we think. Gloriously so. Drink it in.

I could go on. Looks like another wander through the woods is called for.

#ldnont #london #komoka #provincialpark #ontario #canada #walkabout #forest #tree #trees #leaf #leaves #texture #nature #naturephotography #landscape #landscapephotography #photography #Nikon #nikonphotography #nikon_photography #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded

Related:

Streetheart, August 2022

One tough leaf, February 2022

When maples leaves fade, January 2022

Holding on for dear life, November 2021

When leaves end, October 2021

Starting to see red, September 2021

Waiting for the leaves to fall, September 2021

Leaves at our feet, September 2021

Red leaf down, October 2020

Don't stand so close to me, October 2020

The things we find deep in the woods, September 2020

When life ends, September 2020

Temporary red blanket, October 2019

Where a dog sniffs out a leaf, July 2019

Dying leaves on a cold, wet street, October 2018

Forgotten on the forest floor, October 2017

Grounded, October 2017

One wet red leaf, among many, October 2017

Look into the fading sky

Multiple shades of salmon
London, ON
August 2022
This photo originally shared on Instagram

Don’t regret the storm.

Be thankful for the painted sky it left behind.

#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #sun #sunset #sky #weather #wx #onstorm #walkabout #forest #tree #trees #water #cloud #clouds #jayceepark #nature #naturephotography #landscape #landscapephotography #photography #nikon #nikonphotography #nikon_photography #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded

Related:

Trees under a farm country sunset, August 2022

Our daughter's sweatshirt, August 2022

Cloudy with a chance of flare, August 2022

Thirsty treed crying tears of joy, August 2022

The things storms leave behind, August 2022

Monsters in the flames, August 2022

(Almost) back to the moon

Windows on history
London, ON
August 2022
This photo originally shared on Instagram

As a kid, I woke up early and stayed up late to watch shuttle launches. I read every book and article I could about NASA and space travel.

My fire for technology was sparked by a boyhood obsession with things that not only flew, but flew so fast that they achieved orbit. My rock stars were astronauts and engineers and ground crew who made these miracles happen.

As an adult, I mourned the losses of Challenger and Columbia and their respective crew members, and the weaknesses in human behaviors that fuelled these avoidable tragedies.

I watched superpowers evolve from enemies on the ground and adversaries in space into true partners who built a beacon in the sky that inspires kids like me every time it flies overhead. Then I watched those same superpowers begin to dismantle that same partnership.

Somehow all these lessons of space flight helped shape my storyteller’s brain. Because the stories of rockets really are the stories of us.

All of which explains how I find myself early this morning, surrounded by screens as I watch NASA attempt to launch Artemis 1 on a crucial test flight. Half a century after the Apollo program wound down, we’re about to take the first steps toward returning to the moon.

It’s one of those inflection points in history, which largely explains why I find myself wearing my NASA meatball logo t-shirt over my space-themed jammies while the rest of the fam sleeps.

NASA teams are currently troubleshooting some chilldown issues with engine 3 on the core stage, itself carried forward from a storied career powering shuttles to orbit. So it’s anyone’s guess whether they’ll hit their launch window, let alone the original T-0 at 8:33 a.m. ET.

Whatever happens next is anyone’s guess. [UPDATE 8:35 a.m. ET: the launch director has called a scrub for the day.] But I can’t imagine missing out on a story that, unlike so many that dominate the news cycle today and every day, represents the very best of who we are.

Moments like this were humbling and memorable when I was a child, and they’re precisely so today, as well.

Godspeed, Artemis 1. May the dreams of the countless heroes who created you continue to soar not only into the heavens, but well beyond.

#Artemis #Artemis1 #GoArtemis #NASA #SLS #Orion #spaceflight #space #moon #dream

Related:

Space Math: Gagarin+60+Columbia+40, April 2021

10 years after Shuttle, July 2021

Remembering Columbia - 18 years later, February 2021

Staring at the belly of the beast, January 2021

Crew-1 takes flight, November 2020

Atlantis in the abstract, October 2020

Staring Atlantis in the nose, August 2020

Logo on a space shuttle's wing, July 2020

Watching rockets fly from afar, May 2020

A dog watches space history, May 2020

Old orbiter. New code. February 2020

Where Atlantis feels the heat, February 2020

Looking through Columbia's windows, February 2020

Saying thanks to the Challenger crew, January 2020

Rocket science, up close, January 2020

The warmer side of (space capsule) cool, January 2020

Face-to-face with Space Shuttle Atlantis, January 2020

Orion flies. Hope comes along for the ride. December 2014

The Shuttle Era ends, July 2011

Challenger, 20 years on, January 2006

Raiding the Archives 11 - Risk, December 2004

Staring into the reflective waves

The things that happen when we change our perspective
Thornhill, ON
August 2022
This photo originally shared on Instagram

As photographic subjects go, water is a particularly fascinating one.

On its own, it’s perfectly clear - and absolutely useless at telling its own story.

But shift your perspective a little and suddenly everything changes.

Like here, where a low-angle stare into the waves lets us see an ever-evolving, mirror-like surface. A quick tour through my photo archives highlights countless images of water, all incredibly diverse, all just scratching the surface of water’s visual potential.

Rather impressive for something that’s completely transparent.

It’s a timely reminder that first impressions are rarely the last word, and we owe it to ourselves to try, try again when we’re not content with that first glimpse.

Because the waters we peer into have so many more stories to tell.

Come to think of it, maybe this applies to much more than water.

#toronto #thornhill #ontario #canada #water #waves #reflective #reflection #mirror #texture #photography #Nikon #nikonphotography #nikon_photography #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded

It's new keyboard day

Touch this
London, ON
August 2022
This photo originally shared on Instagram

My name is Carmi, destroyer of keyboards.

I wore out another one yesterday, so off I went to the big box electronics store.

I thought I’d grab some pixels of the new one before it, too, meets a similar fate.

I feel I need to apologize to it.

#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #logitech #mac #keyboard #random #homeoffice #writerlife #stilllife #photography #apple #iphone #shotoniphone #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded

Related:

Before the keys get touched, May 2020

That fresh laptop smell, November 2019

QWERTY madness, August 2018

A writer's weapon of choice, June 2016

(Key)boarded, January 2015

Your wish is my command, October 2011

Thematic Photographic 153 - Parallel, July 2011

Thumbellina, September 2020

Echoes in green jello

From generation to generation
London, ON
August 2022
This photo originally shared on Instagram

Decades ago, my late mother-in-law started making green jello whenever we brought our then-toddler son, Zach, to visit.

Why green? It was his favorite color.

Fast forward to today, and Zach is now married, and he and his wife, Michaela, are the proud and incredible parents of Lilly.

So when they got to town for the little one’s first ever visit here, my lovely wife Debbie, aka Bubby, had green jello ready.

Lilly is, of course, too young to eat it. But practicality means less than the simple significance of how a simple treat came to be because of a simple connection between a little boy and his grandmother.

And as this seemingly simple family tradition continues into the next generation, I can’t help but think about all the other small things family members do for each other. And how lucky I am to have married into this particular family, where the tiniest of gestures seem to have the most profound impacts over us all.

Indeed, Zach became the person he is because of tiny gestures like a green bowl of jiggly jello.

Soon enough, their daughter will learn - and carry on - that identical lesson.

#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #green #jello #glass #food #foodporn #random #kitchen #stilllife #photography #apple #iphone #shotoniphone #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #family #everything

Related:

Did our kid just become an adult? June 2013

Two months on... April 2013

It's more than green jello to him, October 2011

The pie postscript, May 2010

Slice of life, November 2006

The Filet-O-Fish Conundrum

Marketing > Fish
London, ON
August 2022
This photo originally shared on Instagram

Am I the only one who thinks McDonald’s Filet-O-Fish buns are made from a substance that doesn’t originate on Planet Earth?

Perhaps I’m making too big a deal out of something so trivial, but the texture isn’t remotely close to an actual bread-like creation.

And yet this has been my bizarre fast food go-to since I was old enough to choose for myself.

Not everything needs an explanation, after all. Not everything needs to be haute cuisine, either.

As long as it brings us comfort whether we’re sitting in our own kitchen or find ourselves far from home, that’s pretty much all that matters.

#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #mcdonalds #filetofish #fish #fastfood #food #foodporn #texture #random #stilllife #photography #apple #iphone #shotoniphone #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded

Where the sky tells stories forever

Journeys to faraway lands
London, ON
September 2020
This photo originally shared on Instagram

Will the sky ever run out of stories to tell?

Eventually, yes.

But not today. Not tomorrow. Not within our lifetime.

So I guess I’ll see you out there sometime. I’ll be the guy staring up into the not-so-random randomness, thankful to have the chance to do so at all.

#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #sun #sunset #sky #weather #cloud #clouds #wx #silhouette #walkabout #forest #tree #trees #optimistpark #nature #naturephotography #landscape #landscapephotography #photography #apple #iphone #shotoniphone #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded

The two sides of any fence

Lean in
Arva, ON
July 2022
This photo originally shared on Instagram

Fences can divide us.

Or they can bring us together.

Our choice, really.

#ldnont #london #arva #ontario #canada #walkabout #fence #texture #nature #naturephotography #landscape #landscapephotography #photography #Nikon #nikonphotography #nikon_photography #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded

Dog bathed in light

Did someone say treat?
London, ON
August 2022
This photo originally shared on Instagram

Shafts of brilliant sunlight pierced the forest canopy and settled diagonally on the grass below, cutting perfectly defined angles through the humid morning air.

I’ve seen these before - often far off in the sky as storms roll in or out - but never had the phenomenon played out so close in that I felt I could reach out and touch the light.

Of course, Calli the Wonderschnauzer didn’t seem to feel the same way, and instead chose to focus her attention on the squirrels tormenting her from the trees towering over her rather small-ish form.

Never mind, though, as she eventually allowed a quick pose in the valley before we headed back to reality.

Looking at this photo, it occurs to me that all it is is light. Ephemeral, easy-to-miss optics. Mere echoes that slip past us without much thought or impact.

But it also occurs to me that the stories behind how that light comes to be, and how it makes us feel, are more profound to our existence than a simple snapshot might suggest.

Thankfully I have a furry partner in crime to remind me of that each and every day. We’ll be ready the next time the morning light decides to come out and play.

#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #calli #callitheschnauzer #dog #dogs #schnauzerpuppy #schnauzersofinstagram #schnauzergram #schnauzers #dogsofinstagram #instapuppy #medway #valley #photography #apple #iphone #shotoniphone #photooftheday #ınstagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded

Trees under a farm country sunset

Life in silhouette
Elginfield, ON
July 2021
This photo originally shared on Instagram

Either the trees are saying goodnight to the sun, or the sun is saying goodnight to the trees.

Maybe the answer doesn’t matter as much as the fact that we’re there at all to witness the moment.

#elginfield #ldnont #london #ontario #canada #sun #sunset #sky #weather #wx #country #farm #rural #roadside #tree #trees #silhouette #nature #naturephotography #landscape #landscapephotography #photography #nikon #nikonphotography #nikon_photography #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded

Our daughter's sweatshirt

Screen printed wisdom
London, ON
August 2022
This photo originally shared on Instagram

Words to live by, courtesy of Dahlia.

#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #sun #sunset #sky #weather #wx #walkabout #forest #tree #trees #jaycee #park #nature #naturephotography #landscape #landscapephotography #photography #apple #iphone #shotoniphone #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded

Cloudy with a chance of flare

Life near and afar
London, ON
August 2022
This photo originally shared on Instagram

It’s easy to dismiss water vapor floating through the air as not worthy of our time or attention.

Until said water shapes itself into clouds high above the planet.

Until those clouds are caught by the setting sun just so.

Until they reflect the light in a way that’s never happened before, and won’t happen again. At least not in this particular manner.

Wonder happens all the time. And it’s hardly realistic to spend all our waking moments looking for it. The day-to-day of modern life means most of us can’t fill our days staring up at clouds.

But every once in a while, it can’t hurt to disconnect from that day-to-day so we can take in the brilliance of reflective water vapor before the sun disappears for the night.

Because an occasional sense of wonder is good for the soul. I’ll watch for it more often if you will, too.

#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #sun #sunset #sky #weather #wx #walkabout #forest #tree #trees #water #cloud #clouds #jaycee #park #nature #naturephotography #landscape #landscapephotography #photography #nikon #nikonphotography #nikon_photography #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded

Thirsty trees crying tears of joy

The source of all life
London, ON
August 2022
This photo originally shared on Instagram

I learn something new every time I shoot photos alongside our daughter.

This time out, the trees at the edge of the baseball field caught her eye, and soon enough she was artfully shooting through them toward the setting sun. Her framing-with-leaves technique is seriously unreal.

Every parent wishes their kid will exceed them, and it brings me immense joy to see all of our children do things I can only dream of. In Dahlia’s case, her ideation through the lens is next level.

I needed something to do while she worked her magic, so I found another tree nearby and tried my best. Needless to say, hers are way better. Which is as it should be.

#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #sun #sunset #sky #weather #wx #walkabout #forest #tree #trees #water #droplets #jaycee #park #nature #naturephotography #landscape #landscapephotography #photography #nikon #nikonphotography #nikon_photography #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded

Related:

The things storms leave behind, August 2022

Flying fish over #LdnONT, July 2022

Thanks again, Sun, June 2022

When twilight fades, June 2022

Long after the sun sets, May 2022

The things storms leave behind

At the tail end
London, ON
August 2022
This photo originally shared on Instagram

Mother Nature redrew the sky last night, with thunderstorms that left a mess of iridescent clouds and ethereal golden hour light in their wake.

It felt right to head over to a nearby park for a spontaneous photo shoot.

Just because.

Because no matter how many times we stand in the same place and look at the same sky, the story playing out both above our heads and within them will be unique.

So will the memories that we’re left with.

And we never know how many opportunities we’ll be given. All we know is that number is finite.

#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #sun #sunset #sky #weather #wx #walkabout #forest #tree #trees #jaycee #park #nature #naturephotography #landscape #landscapephotography #photography #apple #iphone #shotoniphone #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded

Related:

Swimmer in the sky, August 2022

Under an angry sky, August 2021

Painted cloudy sky, August 2021

Someone painted the sky again, July 2020

Red skies at night... July 2020

Speechless underneath a painted sky, July 2020

Looking down on a cloudy day, August 2012

Atmospheric drama, July 2006

Monsters in the flames

Predator and prey
Thornhill, ON
August 2022
This photo originally shared on Instagram

At one time or another, we all have nightmares involving some kind of monster chasing us through the darkness.

Something in this photo makes me think of those frightening moments. Yet at the same time this particular scene brings me comfort, as we were surrounded by the warmth and kindness of friends the moment it was captured.

As is so often the case when I shoot abstract scenes, I can’t explain any of this.

But I certainly feel privileged to get to stick my lens close to the flame and wait for something magical to happen.

#toronto #ontario #canada #fire #flame #family #photography #nikon #nikonphotography #nikon_photography #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded

Beach bird brain

Goal-focused...
Grand Bend, ON
July 2022
This photo originally shared on Instagram

Deep bird thoughts: “If I fly just a little bit faster, maybe I’ll be able to touch the left side of the frame with my beak.”

#grandbend #ontario #canada #beach #great #lake #huron #bird #birds #gull #seagull #flight #sky #summer #wildlifephotography #animal #nature #naturephotography #photography #nikon #nikonphotography #nikon_photography #photooftheday #instagood #photooftheday #picoftheday #pictureoftheday #nofilter #nofilterneeded

The trees that protect us

Peace in nature
London, ON
August 2022
This photo originally shared on Instagram

Our daughter and I took a walk through the woods yesterday.

We left the puppy at home and took our cameras, as it’s much easier to compose without a spring-loaded Schnauzer pulling on the leash.

Yet it’s this picture, a fast snapshot captured on my phone, that sticks with me.

As we stood in the cool forest, feeling incredibly small amid the endless carpet of green overhead, she took out her phone and snagged a quick image. She called it a moment shot.

Something snapped in my brain as she said it, because in one word - okay, two - she managed to capture the very essence of why we were out here in the first place.

It wasn’t remotely about dialing in the perfect shot on our super-specialized Nikons. We weren’t focused (sorry) on which lens we coulda/shoulda brought, or whether it made sense to push the ISO in the shady green murk of the deep woods.

That single word, moment, made it clear that what we brought back mattered less than the fact that we ventured out at all.

We ended up having some pretty memorable moments - including almost getting lost when we detoured up an uncharted hill, and when we followed a monarch butterfly for what seemed like an age. And whatever pixels we collected along the way will ensure these - and all the other - moments stick with us.

Whether they’re technically good or great is beside the point.

That life thing, again. Where we’re gifted time, which we’ll hopefully convert into moments worth remembering, with a little help from the folks who matter most.

#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #medway #valley #forest #tree #trees #green #cathedral #nature #naturephotography #landscape #landscapephotography #photography #apple #iphone #shotoniphone #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded

Related:

Finding peace in the snowy valley, February 2022

Looking up at a bare canopy (again), February 2022

The forest loses its cover, December 2021

Deep in the wide angle woods, October 2021

Standing under the cathedral, December 2020

Finding peace amid the yellow trees, October 2020

Seeking sanctuary in the woods, October 2020

Cathedral in the forest, March 2019

Return to the cathedral, May 2012

A cathedral where nobody prays, October 2011

Where grass meets concrete

Cast a giant shadow
London, ON
August 2022
This photo originally shared on Instagram

The sunlight you see here has already had an interesting morning.

After travelling 151 million kilometres through the inner solar system, it ends up at my feet where it nourishes the grass and casts artful shadows on the concrete sidewalk.

It is the very catalyst of all the life you see here - and ours - and it seems like an odd thing to stand in the middle of empty suburbia and ponder the physics of it all, as well as its meaning.

But odd is kinda my thing. And the dog doesn’t seem to mind as she grazes quietly just out of frame, waiting patiently until we stumble into the next unexpected discovery along our grand adventure.

Random life moments. I hope we never run out of them.

#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #nature #naturephotography #landscape #landscapephotography #stilllife #green #grass #shadow #texture #random #sidewalk #streetphotography #photography #apple #iphone #shotoniphone #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded

Related:

Green leaves on a sunny morning, July 2020

Finding shadows at my feet, May 2018

Late afternoon shadows on a neighborhood sidewalk, May 2018

Mushy berries and a patient kid

Remember the fallen
London, ON
August 2022
This photo originally shared on Instagram

You come across a lot of weird stuff over the course of an average day.

Like a sidewalk covered with berries in various states of mushiness.

I can’t explain why I ended up sitting on the concrete to get the shot while our oh so patient daughter entertained the dog - I’m thinking it’s because scenes like this disappear into the past if you don’t capture then now, Now, NOW. But I’m not entirely sure.

Whatever the motivation may be, I can’t promise I won’t do it again the next time we come across a similar scene.

The planet is random, after all. So are we.

#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #nature #naturephotography #landscape #landscapephotography #red #berry #berries #texture #random #sidewalk #streetphotography #photography #apple #iphone #shotoniphone #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded

Related:

Streetheart, August 2022

Kindness by the side of the road, June 2022

Blink before the pink disappears, May 2022

Winter gets its first blanket, January 2022

Getting lost in farm country, February 2021

Lost acorn on concrete, August 2020

Beside the rushing waters

Splash
Ingall Falls, near Dryden Ontario
July 2022
This photo originally shared on Instagram

A lot can happen in 1/4,000 of a second.

Let’s use our time wisely, then.

However much we’re given.

#dryden #ingallfalls #ontario #canada #forest #river #water #rocks #texture #nature #naturephotography #landscape #landscapephotography #monochrome #photography #Nikon #nikonphotography #nikon_photography #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded

Related:

Playing in the water, metaphorically, July 2022

Water in many forms, December 2020

The energy at the edge of the planet, March 2019

Same day, same beach, March 2019

Pounding surf on a windy day, April 2018

Returning... January 2018

Relentless, pounding surf, January 2018

Splat goes the ocean, January 2018

Broken wave. Or not. July 2012

Where waves go to die, June 2012

The end of the big blue ocean, June 2012

Swimmer in the sky

Staring up from the sidewalk
London, ON
June 2022
This photo originally shared on Instagram

It’s 9:18 p.m., long after the sun has slipped below the horizon.

But out of sight doesn’t mean irrelevant, as our closest star still manages to light up the twilight sky with shades and tones I couldn’t describe if I tried.

The dog patiently waits for me as I find the perfect spot on a nearby sidewalk and take the camera out of my backpack. I had a hunch tonight’s sky would be an entertaining one, so I grabbed the bag on our way out the door.

Calli the Wonderschnauzer waits patiently on her leash as I size up the sky and read the ever changing color palette way over our heads.

It’s an exercise in futility, as no camera can ever hope to capture the full fidelity of a magical sky. At best, it’ll capture enough of an echo to share with the folks back home. I’m strangely okay with that.

As the sky eventually fades and I give our pup a thank-you ear rub for being such a good girl, I remind myself that moments like this aren’t as frequent as we’d like. And lugging a backpack around the neighborhood is a small price to pay if it means I get to enjoy tiny vignettes like this with my dog.

The cynics among us might think I’m being unnecessarily silly. But who says the cynics get to have any say in how I choose to chase fleeting moments?

As Calli nudges the back of my leg with her wet nose and we continue on our way, I get my answer.

No one.

#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #sun #sunset #sky #weather #wx #silhouette #walkabout #nature #naturephotography #landscape #landscapephotography #cloud #clouds #photography #nikon #nikonphotography #nikon_photography #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded

Related:

Under an angry sky, August 2021

Painted cloudy sky, August 2021

Someone painted the sky again, July 2020

Red skies at night... July 2020

Speechless underneath a painted sky, July 2020

Looking down on a cloudy day, August 2012

Atmospheric drama, July 2006

Concrete stairs after the storm

Watch your step
London, ON
August 2022
This photo originally shared on Instagram

After the storm is over, the dog leads us on a walk into the woods.

Everywhere we look, we notice subtle hints of the storm’s impact, tiny signs here and there that the stories around us are being constantly rewritten, and we aren’t necessarily the ones holding the pen.

#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #medway #valley #walkabout #forest #concrete #stairs #gameoftones #texture #landscape #landscapephotography #monochrome #photography #apple #iphone #shotoniphone #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded

Related:

Playing with lines at the mall, August 2022

Steps to another world, May 2022

Watch your step, January 2022

So I climbed the stairs, anyway, October 2021

Looking sideways into history, April 2019

Shadows of lives lived, December 2012

Concrete stairs, January 2007

Streetheart

Message at our feet
London, ON
July 2022
This photo originally shared on Instagram

I’m just naive enough to believe that a single heart-shaped leaf, found in a dusty street gutter during a recent walk, carries a critical message for the rest of us.

Be kind.

Simple, isn’t it?

#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #random #road #street #stilllife #photography #heart #leaf #apple #iphone #shotoniphone #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded

Related:

Kiss my asphalt, November 2019

Death to smokers, sort of, March 2019

Dying in the middle of a frozen street, November 2018

Dying leaves on a cold, wet street, October 2018

Because Mother Nature always wins, September 2012

Blood on the street, December 2011

Shelf cloud, incoming

Something wicked this way comes
London, ON
August 2022
This photo originally shared on Instagram

I’m no expert, but this doesn’t look remotely good.

#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #sky #cloud #clouds #storm #weather #wx #nature #naturephotography #landscape #landscapephotography #photography #apple #iphone #shotoniphone #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded

Return to Kensington Market

Tightly wound
Toronto, ON
August 2019
This photo originally shared on Instagram

We’re all connected in some way.

So it’s up to us to figure out what those connections are, and how we can work together to strengthen them.

Life, really.

#toronto #yyz #ontario #canada #throwback #urban #street #streetphotography #photography #kensington #market #alwaxman #kingofkensington #canon #canon_photography #canonphotography #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded

A quiet night on Clarence Street

9:41 p.m.
London, ON
March 2021
This photo originally shared on Instagram

Red light district.

#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #throwback #urban #city #downtown #night #clarence #street #streetphotography #photography #canon #canonphotography #canon_photography #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded

Nine years on...

Heroes indeed
London, ON
February 2021
This photo originally shared on Instagram

Something you may or may not know about me: 9 years ago today, I suffered a stroke.

It was a freak accident - I cranked my head to the left as I made a u-turn on my bike, and tore my carotid artery in the process. A few hours later, after I had luckily - somehow - made it home, the injury threw clots into my brain and I collapsed. I was paralyzed down my right side, and could barely speak.

Even after all this time, the memory chills me. Yet thanks to immediate, world-beating medical care, I dug my way out of the terrifying rabbit hole and managed to recover. Today, I live with a lousy sense of balance and a massive appreciation for our health care heroes - and for this country’s priorities. But I’m still me, the same sarcastic, sardonic doofus I’ve always been.

Basically, I dodged a freaking bullet. But I couldn’t just leave it at that.

Because beyond my Canadian sense of gratitude I also feel a responsibility to tell my story. Not because I particularly enjoy the experience of doing so, mind you. Quite the contrary: it stresses me to talk about it. Even writing about it, my smartwatch says my heart rate is up.

But in the immediate days and weeks after it happened, I remember talking to friends, family members, and even strangers, and many of them had stories of their own. Too many of those stories were disturbing: victims shrugged off the symptoms, dismissed the concerns of others, didn’t seek immediate care. Some died as a result. Others lived, but with crippilng disabilities. Lives ended or ruined. Families altered forever.

Which bothered me. Immensely.

Stroke may seem like an uncontrollable event, but we can all control the outcome to a certain extent if we recognize the signs and move fast.

My wife did, and she saved my life.

Stroke math is actually pretty simple: the longer it takes to get to primary medical care, the more brain cells die. That curve is frightening, but the fix is easy:

Move. Now. At best, you get the care you need, and you get to go back to your previous life. Or you live with far less disability than would have otherwise been the case. At worst, you waste a few hours in the ER and come home with a crazy story to tell.

So despite my fears of becoming identified solely by my stroke experience - and becoming “that guy” in the process - I dive in head-first every time I’m asked to talk about it. I’ve done interviews across the media spectrum, and will never say no for as long as I am able. I’ve even been chatted up in the frozen foods section, on a bike path, and in a coffee shop. And I've written about it here (check the links out below.)

Because I want everyone to hear my story.

Because as it turns out, I'm ok being "that guy".

Because my experience could be anyone’s experience - even yours. And hearing from one person who caught an interview or read a blog post or saw my story on Instagram or Facebook or Twitter is all the validation I need. If I reach one person, it’s worth it. But you know me: more = better.

I can’t change what happened to me. But I’ll do everything I can to change the outcome for others.

Maybe it’s my way of trying to make sense of something that seemingly makes no sense at all. Or to find the light amid the darkness. Whatever. Life is finite and fragile. I learned that lesson the hard way. I’m one of the lucky ones.

#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #stroke #awareness #lhsc #universityhospital #uh #healthcare #apple #iphone #shotoniphone #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins #family #health #everything

Related:

So, about that stroke - August 2014

When even "thank you" seems lame - August 2014

More stroke stuff... - August 2014

Stroke survivor shares his story, London Free Press, Aug 14, 2014

Coming up on Canada AM - Lookahead to February 2015 interview

Winding down the day that was - February 2015 - incl link to Canada AM/Heart/Stroke Month segment

Life at the crossroads - April 2015

Two years on... - August 2015

Three bonus years - August 2016

Four years later - August 2017

Five years on - August 2018

Luke Perry could have been me - or any of us - March 2019

The day everything changed - August 2019

Seven years on, August 2020

Eight years on, August 2021

#StrokeAwarenessMonth, the video, June 2022

PODCAST: Lessons to my Younger Self, with Sam East, July 2022

The last before

Curves and tangents
London, ON
August 4, 2013
This photo originally shared on Written Inc. and on Instagram

I tend to think of things in terms of befores and afters - especially when it comes to pictures.

Facebook Memories decided to serve up a whopper of a "before" today, taken on a perfectly ordinary summer's afternoon in the middle of an otherwise ordinary bike ride.

It was Sunday, August 4th, 2013. I was cruising the bike path beside the river when I decided to stop beside the fountain and watch the waters dance.

Before long, out came the BlackBerry (!) and some early-smartphone-photography happened. And as I got back on the bike for the ride home, I was blissfully unaware that this would be my last ride and photo for a while.

Life is filled with tangents, apparently.

More tomorrow...

#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #beatstroke #tvp #thames #river #fountain #water #throwback #cycling #photography #blackberry #shotonblackberry #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins

Down the long, scary corridor

Authorized personnel only
London, ON
July 2022
This photo originally shared on Instagram

Behind every gleaming facade, there’s a gloomy corridor.

Mere mortals never get to see it, but the gleaming facade wouldn’t be gleaming if not for this unsung part of the architecture.

Now, let’s look beyond the building, shall we? Turns out everything - and everyone - has a gloomy corridor of its own.

Which begs the question: are we doing enough to catch a glimpse?

And another: what might we learn if we take the time?

I’m guessing lots.

#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #masonville #random #retail #street #streetphotography #geometry #monochrome #photography #apple #iphone #shotoniphone #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded

Everything eventually returns to Earth

Laser focus
Grand Bend, ON
July 2022
This photo originally shared on Instagram

Dirtied up on final approach.

#grand #bend #grand #ontario #canada #beach #great #lake #huron #bird #birds #gull #seagull #flight #sky #summer #wildlifephotography #animal #nature #naturephotography #photography #nikon #nikonphotography #nikon_photography #photooftheday #instagood #photooftheday #picoftheday #pictureoftheday #nofilter #nofilterneeded

Related:

You're a berry good bird, July 2022

Poetry in a clear blue sky, July 2020

When a bird chases the sunset, July 2020

My father's pelican, December 2019

Playing peekaboo with the birds, November 2019

Taking off into the unknown, February 2019

Two birds, one sky, January 2018

Headed out to sea, January 2018

High-g turn, January 2018

Pelican on final approach, January 2018

The Pelican Brief, January 2018

Big beak, setting sun, January 2018

A bird dances above turbulent waters, September 2017

Through my daughter's eyes, August 2013

Thematic Photographic 228 - Faves of the Year, December 2012

Bird on a...car, December 2012

On curved wings, February 2011

Caption This 80, July 2008

Gull flies on New Year's Day, January 2007

Made a new friend at the beach, January 2007

Free bird. Distant sun. October 2006

Where I touch airplane skin

Pause before flight
Hamilton, ON
July 2022
This photo originally shared on Instagram

I have a strange personal ritual whenever I fly: as I board the plane, I place my right hand on the outside of the fuselage just to the right of the doorway.

I’ll leave it there for a quick second, just long enough to feel the coolness of the alloy skin. Then, before the folks behind me start to sharpen their pitchforks, I’ll step inside and say hi to the heroes responsible for getting us to our destination safely.

I can’t explain why I do any of this. I think I started it as a way of grounding myself, of connecting with the aircraft in some strange way, and of giving myself a quiet moment of reflection before a long journey.

It isn’t just limited to planes. I’ve been touching things before departure - cars, bikes, boats, whatever machine I’m about to board - for as long as I can remember. It makes me feel better. In control, even.

That word, though: feel.

Travel isn’t just something we do to get from here to there. At every stage of the journey, I’d like to think that we’re feeling something special or different. That we’re deliberately trying to savor the experience in some way, to remember how a given trip changes us.

It’s why we travel at all, and I’m guessing a palmprint on aluminum and a quickly stolen photo makes a normally forgettable moment in transit something to be held onto long after we’ve arrived at our destination.

#hamilton #international #airport #ontario #canada #yhm #road #trip #roadtrip #travel #travelphotography #travelgram #swoop #flight #flying #aviation #boeing #boeing737 #avgeek #plane #planes #nikon #nikon_photography #nikonphotography #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded

Related:

Fat Albert from another angle, July 2022

When giant planes disappear forever, November 2020

One blue plane, December 2019

Climbing out of Pearson, November 2019

Staring out the window at the airport, November 2018

Hurtling headlong into a rainy sky, November 2018

Before she takes flight, December 2013

Thematic Photographic 272 - Dawn and dusk, December 2013

Sunrise in a distant airport, November 2012

Pretty plane, January 2007

Silhouette, August 2005

Playing with lines at the mall

Step carefully
London, ON
July 2022
This photo originally shared on Instagram

The pandemic has rewritten the rules in virtually every nook and cranny of everyday life, and retail is no different.

When lockdowns were first implemented, a simple trip to the mall was suddenly no longer a thing. With the help of tools and technologies that barely existed a decade ago, we found ourselves ordering everything online, then waiting for it to magically show up at our front door. E-commerce for the win.

28 months on, we live in a different world as masks disappear and life seems, on some levels, headed back toward something approaching normal. Whatever normal is, of course.

Online retail is now a permanent part of our personal toolkit, and for good reason. Yet humans were built to connect, and it’s only a matter of time before we need to ditch the virtual and get out into the real world.

And as I stood at the edge of a second-storey railing in a nearby mall and wrestled with the angles playing out far below me, I mused about how an experience like this might be replicated in an app.

And I concluded it simply couldn’t be. Because sometimes there’s just no replacement for being there.

No app could ever hope to deliver a scene like this. Or the feeling one gets by experiencing it not through a screen or a Zoom window, but with our own eyes.

This may look like a stupid picture of a forgettable sliver of public infrastructure. And for the most part, that’s precisely what it is.

But I hadn’t realized until this very moment how much I had missed it.

#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #masonville #random #retail #street #streetphotography #geometry #monochrome #photography #apple #iphone #shotoniphone #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded

Related:

Scene from a dying mall, October 2019

Dead store in a dead mall, August 2019

Cavendish Mall Walker, March 2019

The lowest price is no longer the law, October 2010

Natural and artificial light, January 2007

Same faucet, 13 months later, January 2007

Just a faucet? November 2005