Dog under the radar

Election night viewing
London, ON
November 2020
This photo originally shared on Instagram

It must be fun being a dog.

Global turmoil means nothing in your world. If you’re lucky, you woke up in the morning and, like this little one here, played with your toys in a home filled with humans who adore you.

You went for a walk through the neighbourhood where you chased squirrels and buried your nose in a pile of leaves. You came home and got treats for sitting pretty and not licking the inside of the dishwasher.

You curled up in a tight ball on your favourite blanket on your favourite couch. And while the TV played in the background and you heard your humans talk to each other, all of that stuff flew way above your head.

You may not know it, but the mere act of watching you do what you do - chase squirrels, lick dishwashers, curl up in an impossibly tight, cuddly ball, watch TV without being affected by it - soothes our souls.

You might think we’re taking care of you, but on any given day - especially on this particularly challenging one - you’re the one who’s taking care of us.

#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #calli #callitheschnauzer #dog #dogs #schnauzerpuppy #schnauzersofinstagram #schnauzergram #schnauzers #dogsofinstagram #instapuppy #photography #apple #iphone #iphone11 #shotoniphone #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins #family #everything

Two dragonflies. One leaf.

Fleeting shadows in the woods
London, ON
October 2020
This photo originally shared on Instagram

Two dragonflies cling to a leaf blowing in a stiff autumn wind.

If they can hold on, so can we.

#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #forest #westminster #fall #autumn #color #colors #bugs #insects #stilllife #nature #naturephotography #landscape #landscapephotography #photography #Nikon #nikonphotography #nikon_photography #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins #family #everything

Back to the creek

Deep in reflection
London, ON
October 2020
This photo originally shared on Instagram

I'll admit I'm blown away by the overwhelming response to this morning's #ElectionDay mission. So let's do it again, shall we?

In case you're new to this, here's how it works: Find a photo or video that makes you smile - and post it as a response here.

Why are we doing this? Because there's too much darkness on Planet Earth, and I'm just naive enough to believe that a bunch of folks in Social Media Land can make it brighter by sharing photos.

I captured this particular photo during a recent walk beside Snake Creek not far from our home. I didn't have a lot of time, so I was working quickly to absorb the spirit of the place before I had to head home.

Looking back at this photo, I'm reminded that unspoiled refuges like this will still be there even after we've had a hard day, gotten into an argument, or, as may or may not be the case after tonight, received some unwelcome news. Nature has an inspiring way of reminding us that our seemingly insurmountable problems aren't always as insurmountable as they initially seem.

Sometimes all it takes is a walk among the leaves to remind us of that.

Okay, I've said enough. Gonna go take care of dinner for the fam - and when I say "take care of" I mean "pick up from a local resto" - so we can settle in for what promises to be a roller coaster of a night. Popcorn will be made, chocolates will be consumed, and remote controls will be given a serious workout.

In the meantime, keep sharing those photos here. And keep looking for the light. It'll always be there.

#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #medway #valley #heritage #forest #fall #tree #trees #water #reflective #autumn #nature #naturephotography #landscape #landscapephotography #photography #Nikon #nikonphotography #nikon_photography #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins #family #everything

An #ElectionDay Mission

Every choice is the right one
London, ON
July 2020
This photo originally shared on Instagram

PLEASE NOTE: Today's #ElectionDay photo comes with a mission, so please read the full caption, and consider joining in. Thank you.

Let's go...

Unless you've been in a cave for a while, you probably already know that today isn't just Election Day in the U.S. It's an inflection point in history.

I'm Canadian, so I don't get a say in who gets to live at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue for the next four years. But make no mistake: This will ripple out globally. And since we live right above the political zoo, us Canuckistanians won't escape unscathed.

Social media land has been an especially ugly place of late, and I'm guessing the next little while will plumb new depths. So I hope you'll view my offering today as something of a minor effort to bring light to an otherwise dark place.

I don't want to talk politics. I want us to focus on what we need to do to make the world a better, kinder place. Lofty and naive? Of course. But that's how I'm built, and that's how I roll.

SO HERE'S YOUR MISSION: Find a photo or video that makes you smile - and post it as a response here.

That's it. If we throw goodness out there, we're part of the solution to whatever disease it is that got us to where we are today.

I started us off with cupcakes waiting for their not-quite-forever-family in a supermarket display case. Because who doesn't like cupcakes? And of all the choices we'll make today, this will most certainly be the sweetest. And we could all use some more of that.

Are you in? Let's do this, shall we?

#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #tikkunolam #grocery #store #loblaws #cupcakes #dessert #junk #food #foodporn #shopping #retail #random #stilllife #photography #apple #iphone #iphone11 #shotoniphone #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins #family #everything

#IfYouReadOneThingToday - On Trump

#IfYouReadOneThingToday, make it this searing piece from the Chicago Sun-Times.

Even if we ignore Trump’s poor personal character, he has been an awful president

By Jesse Jackson

The Chicago Sun-Times

November 02, 2020

#longreads

Winter's return

Let's make some tracks
London, ON
November 2020
This photo originally shared on Instagram

Winter returned with a vengeance last night, but I won't be joining the social media chorus of outrage.

My feed now screams with bitter complaints about the unfairness of the weather. The outrage, too. Because weren't we all just wearing shorts and sandals?

We were. But none of it matters on a night when immense winds sweep across a Great Lake and target our little burg with intensely stormy conditions. Complaining changes nothing.

Besides, the dog loves it. And seeing her wiggle uncontrollably as she bounces into the white stuff is one of those unwritten joys of dog ownership.

I also got to explore the snowy streets with our daughter as we tried out our winter gear. Back home, we filled mugs and listened to the howling winds.

We're lucky. Because too many among us don't have a place to go when the winds change. Home could be a bus shelter or alleyway. Winter gear is whatever can be scrounged from the streets.

It feels wrong to complain when we have so little to complain about. Others always have it worse.

#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #winter #snow #storm #onstorm #weather #wx #photography #apple #iPhone #iphone11 #shotoniphone #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins #family #everything

Revisiting the mysterious flock

Treetop raiders
St. Thomas, ON
October 2020
This photo originally shared on Instagram

This photo may seem somewhat familiar, and there's a story behind it.

See, a little while back, I shared a hastily-grabbed photo of some birds flying over the forests near the St. Thomas Elevated Park.

They flew into view so quickly that I didn't have time to reconfigure the camera. I shot wildly and hoped something came out, using the old spray-and-pray technique beloved by hack photogs like me.

Miraculously, it wasn't a total washout. Sure, there's some trademark fuzziness amid the haphazard composition, but I liked them enough to hold onto them. And while the entire set won't make it into a gallery, I'm calling them good enough.

Remember those two words: good enough.

Because you don't have to be standing on a giant old railroad bridge for them to matter. Whatever you're doing, in any context, you, and the results of whatever it is that you're up to, are more than good enough.

You, like the somewhat fuzzy photo you see here, matter. And the stories that surround you are meaningful to many.

Don't allow others to determine the value of your photos. Or of your narrative. Or of you.

Please believe that. I wish I had learned this lesson sooner.

Besides, fuzziness is the new cool. And if you've read this far, I'm rather certain your fuzziness deserves to see the light of day. I hope you'll let us see it.

#stthomas #ldnont #london #ontario #canada #elevated #park #railway #train #bridge #landscape #autumn #fall #color #colors #bird #birds #blur #flight #photography #photography #Nikon #nikonphotography #nikon_photography #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins #family #everything

Related: When birds dance in the sky, October 2020

A not-so-simple ice cream story

Corner detail
St. Thomas, ON
October 2020
This photo originally shared on Instagram

Never underestimate the power of simplicity to stop us in our tracks. Because the simple stories are often best remembered.

Like this one, of a beloved ice cream shop, Shaw's, that's been rolling with the punches to survive the pandemic.

Early on, the owners quickly relocated customer traffic from the initially-off-limits indoor shop in front to outdoor-facing windows around the side, where folks would line up, even on hot days.

It made for a different experience, but it worked in taking the fear out of the simple act of getting a cone, and in giving the rest of us something to look forward to that promised to brighten the darkness.

They painted the exterior a bright shade of blue with red accents, another thoughtful counter to the grey shades we faced the rest of the time.

In a way, this place became a beacon for us, an easy suggestion to the kids when the weight of the world seemed to overwhelm. That fresh, hastily-applied coat of paint became a familiar sight as we turned off the road and pondered the power of ice cream to create a smile.

On our last visit, under a perfectly blue late-summer sky, I found myself staring at the building, thankful for the small things that we hold onto when the ride gets a little rough.

I thought an abstract picture of geometry and color might help freeze the feeling in time.

The scene is still simple, even if the story behind it is a bit more layered. Whatever the case, we need more spots like Shaw's. And more moments like this one.

What's your spot? Where do you go to take the edge off of life?

#stthomas #ldnont #london #ontario #canada #shaws #icecream #concrete #building #architecture #architecturephotography #design #buildingporn #architectureporn #lines #geometry #texture #blue #sky #photography #Nikon #nikonphotography #nikon_photography #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins #family #everything

Atlantis in the abstract

Orbiter up-close
Merritt Island, FL
December 2019
This photo originally shared on Instagram

Even a retired Space Shuttle orbiter deserves to be fawned over with pixels and glass.

She's earned it.

#kennedy #space #center #ksc #kennedyspacecenter #florida #fla #spaceshuttle #shuttle #atlantis #ov104 #rocket #science #aviation #avgeek #spaceflight #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #Nikon #nikonphotography #nikon_photography #dslr #zoom #lifeinthemargins #family #everything

Dirty old leaf

Not quite done yet
London, ON
October 2020
This photo originally shared on Instagram

The first thing that comes to mind when you see a tattered old leaf just barely clinging to a branch is a single word: "Why?"

Why bother shooting it? Why would anyone want to spend their free time looking at it? Isn't it long past its best-by date?

By the conventional standards of beauty, the answer should be fairly simple. It's tired, worn out, done. And consequently not worthy of further attention. It had its time.

But here's the thing about conventional standards of beauty: They make no sense to those of us who bristle at the prospect of conventionality.

Think about it: Who defines those supposed conventional standards in the first place? What qualifications do they have? And why are we so content to follow their lead like so many sheep?

From the things we wear, watch, listen to, and buy to the things we choose to record, talk about, and spend time with, we've allowed ourselves to let others dictate our path. We've allowed others to tell us what is and is not beautiful instead of figuring it out for ourselves. We've become followers. And in doing so, we've allowed our stories to look and sound a lot like theirs.

Pity that.

So on this sunny autumn day, my path took me into the woods around Westminster Ponds where I found a ratty leaf just before it fell one last time. No one told me where to go or what to do. I followed my own path.

I humbly suggest you do the same. You might be pleasantly surprised by the unconventional beauty - your beauty - that you find along the way.

#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #leaf #leaves #forest #fall #tree #trees #autumn #color #colors #nature #naturephotography #landscape #landscapephotography #stilllife #photography #Nikon #nikonphotography #nikon_photography #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins #findthelight #family #everything

Leafy patterns in nature

One last blast on Wonderland Road
London, ON
October 2020
This photo originally shared on Instagram

They say there are no patterns in nature. I'm inclined to disagree. But politely, because I’m Canadian.

Canuck geniality aside, I must ask, yet again, who are "they", anyway? And why are "they" always raining on our parade?

And why am I overusing quotation marks again? Perhaps I should stick to shooting leaves. It's better for my blood pressure.

Hope you enjoy this. The colors may have to hold us for a while. #ldnont #london #ontario #canada #red #orange #leaf #leaves #tree #trees #medway #forest #nature #naturephotography #light #texture #gameoftones #landscape #landscapephotography #photography #Nikon #nikonphotography #nikon_photography #dslr #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #lifeinthemargins #family #everything

Pet picture time!

Looking at you looking at me
London, ON
October 2020
This photo originally shared on Instagram

I'm calling it: We need more dog (or cat, or any other animal) photos, so start sharing yours, please.

Because pets can only be forces for good, and our lives are enriched by theirs.

You're probably wondering where this is coming from. Simple: Work. In our environment, we use the Microsoft Teams collaboration platform for pretty much everything, and from my home office it has become, quite literally, my window on the working world, and my only means of real connection to my colleagues.

And as the remote work marathon continues, I'm sensing a slight shift in demeanor among the folks I speak to. At the beginning of most meetings, there's a bit more chit-chat than usual. We've always been a friendly bunch, but this is different. We talk more about home, family, and pets. There's an inevitable beat of personal-time before someone transitions us into the meeting agenda.

And I like it. Because it reminds me that we're all experiencing this together. And we're all looking for ways to just get through it.

I'm not afraid to share that some days are harder than others. Much harder. And I've found great comfort in distracting myself with the antics of a rather deranged puppy. And from my chats with colleagues, I don't think I'm alone in this.

So as we lean ever more heavily - and, to be clear, figuratively - on the pets that hopefully surround us, I invite you to share photos and stories from your own bubble.

And if you don't have a pet of your own, please revel in the stories of others. Because animals never judge. Just don't take her blanket away while she's napping.

#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #calli #callitheschnauzer #dog #dogs #schnauzerpuppy #schnauzersofinstagram #schnauzergram #schnauzers #dogsofinstagram #instapuppy #photography #apple #iphone #iphone11 #shotoniphone #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins #family #everything

Peering into the woods

Soon they'll all be empty
London, ON
October 2020
This photo originally shared on Instagram

Photography is essentially a two-dimensional medium that struggles to tell the story of a three-dimensional world.

This photo drives that home for me. On one plane, the craggy, grey textures of trees and branches that have already lost their leaves. On another plane, seemingly just behind, the few colorful remnants cling to life before their inevitable fall. I'm reasonably certain most of them were gone by the time I got back home.

There are countless layers in this rich valley, yet all I can do is capture them on a flat sensor, then display them on an equally flat screen.

It's all woefully inadequate to explain, with anything approaching proper fidelity, what it feels like to be in this place. But given the limitations of technology, it'll have to do for now.

I guess I'll just have to keep coming back here. Some stories, after all, never really have an ending.

#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #medway #valley #heritage #forest #fall #tree #trees #autumn #nature #naturephotography #landscape #landscapephotography #photography #Nikon #nikonphotography #nikon_photography #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins #family #everything

Memories of B-52s and parking lots

Historic
London, ON
September 2020
This photo originally shared on Instagram

Days with B-52s are better than days without. Discuss.

I grew up in Montreal, not far from Plattsburgh, New York. That small, upstate town wasn't just a border shopping mecca for beleaguered Canadians deprived of Count Chocula, Moon Pies, and Peanut Butter & Jelly Oreos. It was also home to Plattsburgh Air Force Base, which served as a Strategic Air Command Base.

SAC no longer exists, but back when I was a munchkin, it was responsible for protecting U.S. airspace from the bad guys (aka, communists), and for launching nuclear bombers and missiles toward the Soviet Union if the Cold War ever got hot.

I remember standing in the parking lot of the old Pyramid Mall (ah, Montgomery Ward) watching B-52 strategic bombers and KC-135 tankers trace inky black smoke trails through the sky as they screamed overhead, so close I could almost touch their wingtips. If you were inside the mall at the time, you could feel the rumbling through the floor. If you were outside, you either held your ears tightly or you went temporarily deaf. It was glorious.

So when the B-52 was added to the list of participants in this year's drive-by air show in London, it sealed the deal. We saw one on static display a couple of years ago, but nothing quite comes close to one of these eight-engined monsters in flight.

By the time they finally retire these planes, they'll be pushing close to a century of service. Think about that for a second. Mad respect to the engineers whose timeless design has survived through the ages, outlasting at least two of the aircraft - the B-1 Lancer and B-2 Spirit - that were supposed to render the BUFF obsolete.

What is "obsolete", anyway? Most certainly not this master of the timeless skies.

#ldnont #london #airport #ontario #canada #SkyDrive #AirShowLondon #aviation #boeing #b52 #stratofortress #strategic #bomber #flight #aircraft #avgeek #aviationphotography #planespotting #instaplane #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #Nikon #nikonphotography #photography #lifeinthemargins #family #everything

The partnering trees

Together we stand
London, ON
October 2020
This photo originally shared on Instagram

These days, we're rightfully encouraged to keep our distance from others. When proximity could result in infection, our base instinct is to back away.

Forests, of course, follow a much different script, and the sight of more trees than I could count huddled closely together was just what I needed to see on a quiet Sunday afternoon. On any afternoon, frankly.

In this simple shot, I see community, empathy, and teamwork. I see individualism taking a back seat to the collective good. I see something we don't always see in the human world that surrounds this hushed valley.

Maybe I'll just return here more often for timely reminders of the need to stay connected despite the current state of the planet. Maybe we can learn from nature. Maybe trees are good for us in more ways than we originally thought.

#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #medway #valley #heritage #forest #fall #tree #trees #autumn #nature #naturephotography #landscape #landscapephotography #photography #Nikon #nikonphotography #nikon_photography #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins #family #everything

Creeping along in silence

Final gradient of the year
London, ON
October 2020
This photo originally shared on Instagram

I'd like to think that ivy is the very definition of tenacity, the kind of plant whose resilience serves as a lesson to anyone who takes the time to appreciate it.

Like this single strand, clinging tightly to the abutment that holds four lanes of traffic high above the valley below. Somehow, it finds a way to survive and thrive despite everything that gets thrown at it. No one cares for it, yet here it is.

I've made a note to keep an occasional eye on it through the winter and into next spring. It doesn't need my help, of course, but it never hurts to have someone looking out for you.

#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #snake #creek #medway #valley #forest #red #leaf #leaves #ivy #nature #naturephotography #light #texture #gameoftones #photography #Nikon #nikonphotography #nikon_photography #dslr #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #lifeinthemargins #family #everything

One last flash of red

Look over here
London, ON
October 2020
This photo originally shared on Instagram

The colors outside are fading into an inevitable grey murk. So as I set out for a fast photowalk through the neighborhood, I'm not expecting to find much.

My, am I in for a surprise.

Just down the hill from us, beside the house where a sweet Jack Russell Terrier often barks at the fence in a futile attempt to befriend our dog, a single maple tree stands. And on a breezy Sunday afternoon under a flat grey sky, it decides to put on one final show before shedding its leafy coat for the winter.

In all the years walking past this house, I doubt I've ever noticed this particular tree. But I suppose every tree has its moment. The red almost begs to be remembered, and I am, of course, happy to oblige.

It's a reminder that the whole timing-is-everything mindset is as valid in the suburban forest as it is in life. And we owe it to ourselves to slow things down every once in a while so we can take in the things we've been missing all along.

Because pleasant surprises await, in any color, on any street, on any day. And when the red fades into a grey monotone in the days ahead, there will be equally compelling stories to tell.

#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #red #leaf #leaves #maple #tree #trees #forest #city #nature #naturephotography #light #texture #gameoftones #landscape #landscapephotography #photography #Nikon #nikonphotography #nikon_photography #dslr #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #lifeinthemargins #family #everything

Making 26 his own...

Everything that matters
Dryden, ON
September 2019
This photo originally shared on Instagram

This is what 26 looks like.

A wife who's also your best friend.

Siblings who adore you.

In-laws who have welcomed you into the family.

Work you love, in an environment where you excel.

It's a long way from the tiny little guy who fought his way into the world, but you've always taken the long view, and always found ways to get where you wanted, and needed, to be.

We couldn't be more proud of the man you've become.

Happiest of birthdays, Zach. We know you'll keep making every day count - not to mention more charmed for everyone lucky enough to call you their own.

#parenthood #life #birthday #celebrate #moments #lifeinthemargins #family #everything

A dozen eggs fall in a parking lot...

The chickens will not be pleased
London, ON
October 2020
This photo originally shared on Instagram

They say we shouldn't cry over spilled milk. I'm reasonably sure the same logic applies to eggs in the Costco parking lot, as well.

I'm also reasonably sure "they" have entirely too much free time on their hands if they spend their days spouting time-worn platitudes about gravitationally-challenged food products.

We'll never know the story behind this particular scene, as the folks now doomed to breakfast without omelettes were long gone by the time we happened upon what was left.

But I did enjoy the rapid-fire experience of sizing up the scene, composing the low-angled shot, stealing a few frames, and surreptitiously watching curious shoppers take in the spectacle of a weirdo chasing Instagram moments with his iPhone. I hope they were smiling beneath their masks.

I hope they realize monotony is our common enemy, and anything that breaks it, even for a fleeting moment, is worth the effort.

Waste is never a happy thing, but finding a smile in an unusual place feels like a reasonable means of salvaging a stranger's moment of admittedly minor loss.

#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #random #costco #parking #lot #eggs #broken #remember #fallen #food #foodporn #store #retail #photography #apple #iphone #iphone11 #shotoniphone #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins #family #everything

Our award-winning daughter

So focused...
London, ON
October 2020
This photo originally shared on Instagram

Not a day goes by when my wife and I don’t reflect on how proud we are of our children. Of the people they’re becoming. Of the impact they have on those around them.

We let them know as best we can, because every kid deserves to know mom and dad think the world of them. We may not always have all the answers, but imperfection is fine as long as your heart is in the right place.

While they’re worthy of pride just by being who they are, some days come with a little extra reason for recognizing them. Tonight is Dahlia’s turn, as she’s being honoured with the London Jewish community’s Young Leadership Award.

For as long as she's been able, she's stepped up. She designs and leads after-school, weekend, and summer camp programming, she teaches, she shows up. She balances this all with a heavy load at Western.

And that juggling act has an impact: Countless kids in our community have had a better start - and stronger connections - because of her.

Just like her mom, it isn't something she does so much as who she is. We speak often of having the right spirit, of being a good person. She does and she is, and it's gratifying that we aren't the only ones who see it in her.

Way to go, Peanut Girl. We are so proud of all you've accomplished, and all that lies ahead. Future's so bright... #ldnont #london #ontario #canada #parenthood #dahlia #JewishLondon #leadership #award #photography #apple #iphone #iphone11 #shotoniphone #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins #family #everything