#IfYouReadOneThingToday - School Tech Fail

#IfYouReadOneThingToday, make it this piece by Slate’s director of technology on how parents can help their kids fight anxieties over remote learning tech.

TL:DR version: The technology is a failure, and teachers, parents and kids are paying the price.

Why I’m Teaching My Kids That Computers Are Dumb Machines

By Greg Lavallee

Slate

October 01, 2020

Canine destroyer of worlds

More fiber
London, ON
October 2020
This photo originally shared on Instagram

This is what our pup does when she thinks no one's looking.

Unlike most other - read normal - dogs who simply leave a mess behind, she likes to finish off by eating it whole. Paper towel, toilet paper, even good old letter-sized sheets left too close to the edge of the desk are all fair game for her.

Yes, imagine the gift-wrapped fun we then have on our walks. Just awesome.

On top of this week's broken finger incident (I'll be fine - and I deeply appreciate everyone's kind wishes) it begs the question of why we have a dog in the first place when she gets herself, and us, into so much trouble.

I can't logically answer this question, because by the numbers, pets simply don't add up. Take a quiet home, subtract sleep, add expense, increase complexity around travel and day-to-day scheduling, expand the noise envelope, and slide in heartache when they leave us. It shouldn't be a thing.

Yet it very much is. Because she shadows you a little more closely when you're having a rough day. Because her wet-nose-nudges on the back of your lower legs remind you you're never alone. Because returning home is always an event for the ages. Because this is what unconditional love looks like. 

Besides, life itself isn't always logical. And not everything has to add up to make sense.

The equation, then, is a lot simpler than we might think: Life is better with them than without. Especially now.

#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

Busted finger. Same old perspective.

Helping those who need it
London, ON
October 2020
This photo originally shared on Instagram

So the dog broke my finger.

It was an accident, and I'll leave the story of how a 15-pound Miniature Schnauzer can snap the right pinkie of a much larger human being for another day.

Suffice to say she didn't mean to hurt the guy who feeds and walks her before dawn and shoos those nasty rabbits and squirrels away from her favorite window. Suffice to say we love her more today than we did yesterday.

It meant a trip to the hospital, and another grand adventure for my old standby, Po the Teletubby. Taking her along was as deliberate this time out as it's been every time I've taken her anywhere over the past couple of decades. We were going to a place where smiles were needed, and a grown man toting a tiny stuffie couldn't help but make strangers smile. And it did.

I'll leave it at that for now, because when viewed through the lens of perspective, this is little more than a hiccup, and a minor inconvenience - a missed day of work, some lost sleep, slower typing speeds, and hilarious moments when I try to eat dinner.

And as I walked the pandemic-tension-filled halls of a place where health is never a guarantee, I was reminded, as I was when I spent large chunks of my childhood in another hospital that looked a lot like this one, that there was always someone else who was worse off than I was. That I should be thankful this was as bad as it got. That I had the privilege of laughing about my experience after the fact.

Because not everyone can say the same. Not everyone gets to post about it to Instagram or Twitter. Not everyone gets better.

#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #hospital #health #healthcare #po #teletubby #photography #apple #iphone #iphone11 #shotoniphone #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins #family #everything

A Warthog leaves its mark

Let's play some Twister
London, ON
September 2020
This photo originally shared on Instagram

There are days when you feel twisted. Today would be one of those days.

Fortunately we live in a world where Thunderbolts occasionally visit our burg and paint vapor trails in the sky.

It doesn't fix the chaos elsewhere, or make stupid people smart, or unkind folks kind. But it does provide a neat, albeit temporary, distraction.

#ldnont #london #airport #ontario #canada #SkyDrive #AirShowLondon #aviation #fairchild #republic #a10 #thunderbolt #warthog #brrrrrt #flight #aircraft #avgeek #aviationphotography #planespotting #instaplane #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #Nikon #nikonphotography #photography #lifeinthemargins #family #everything

The echoing trees

I'll be there for you
London, ON
September 2020
This photo originally shared on Instagram

One look at this group of trees, standing quietly in a meadow a short walk from where we live, and it becomes obvious that they're special.

They may be separate from one another, each uniquely rooted in the ground. But they've clearly grown in a sort of lockstep, as if some kind of force wanted to ensure they echoed each other's lives. Not identical, but parallel. Connected, in some way.

I often stop to take them in when I pass by, partly because of the way they look, and mostly because I think they're trying to tell us something.

Because this isn't mere coexistence or tolerance. They're actively protecting those beside them, their growth providing cover against whatever threats the environment can throw at them. It's like a sign from Mother Nature, a message that if the trees manage to find a way to reflect each other's twists and turns, then perhaps the lesson need not end with the trees.

Even if this turns out to be little more than my wandering-suburbanite's attempt to seek resonance and refuge amid a world that seems to offer none, I'll take it.

Because even if we never notice the trees to begin with, a walk in the woods is a pretty good way to find that elusive break from the relentless strain that lurks just beyond this resonantly peaceful spot.

#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #walkabout #forest #trees #tree #leaf #leaves #nature #naturephotography #gameoftones #texture #monochrome #landscape #landscapephotography #photography #Nikon #nikonphotography #nikon_photography #dslr #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins #family #everything

Bridge over somewhat troubled water

A quiet spot on the way home
London, ON
September 2020
This photo originally shared on Instagram

Like many of you last night, I watched the presidential debate. And I was appalled.

I've worked in and around media long enough to know that politics is a tough, dirty game. But I never thought I'd see a sitting president refuse to denounce white supremacy, then literally call out to a specific group to "stand back and stand by."

I was pretty sure my brain would explode at that point, but I had another thought, as well. Hear me out.

This world, our world, is composed of elements far more diverse than a grifting, hate-filled narcissist who can't string a coherent sentence together. Someday, hopefully soon, American voters will finally get a clue and ask for leaders who focus on them instead of lining their own pockets.

But whatever happens November 3rd, we all have lives, at home and closer to home, that continue to unfold as they must despite what happens on an electoral stage or at the ballot box.

To wit, this bridge over the river beside the bike path that I often take on the way home from the office. I like to stop here on occasion, to reflect on the day that was and appreciate that I live in a city that routinely offers up places and moments like this. I'll stand in the middle of the span, almost feeling the energy of the water below and the light from above.

The pandemic has obviously put a stop to the daily bike commute, but I still like to return here now and again.

Because it helps me turn off the outside world and just be alone with my thoughts for a few minutes. Because we all have places that resonate with us. Because we all deserve moments like this.

Because not even a shameful display of anti-humanity can erase the blessings we all have right in front of us.

I hope you have similar places near you, and I hope you make the time to go to them. You deserve it. We all do.

#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #walkabout #thames #valley #parkway #tvp #river #springbank #park #bridge #debate2020 #landscape #landscapephotography #photography #Nikon #nikonphotography #nikon_photography #dslr #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins #family #everything

Saying goodbye to the day that was

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

There's a moment at the end of the day, just as the sun ducks out of sight, that the skies come alive.

The show often ends mere seconds after it begins. But if you're lucky enough to be there when it happens, it's just long enough to imprint on your memories forever.

Colors become shades. Shades become tones. Tones become textures. Textures become something you can practically feel from your little spot way down on the ground.

Tonight's walk with the dog coincided with this magic moment. So I looked up. The rest is history. Nothing else matters.

#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #sky #sunset #dusk #blue #sky #clouds #light #tree #abstract #landscape #photography #apple #iphone #iphone11 #shotoniphone #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins #family #everything

Quasi-Charlotte's Web

The things we find when we look
London, ON
September 2020
This photo originally shared on Instagram

Spider. Not from Mars.

#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #spider #insect #bug #medway #valley #forest #nature #naturephotography #sun #light #texture #stilllife #macro #macrophotography #photography #Nikon #nikonphotography #nikon_photography #dslr #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #everythingchristian #lifeinthemargins #family #everything

Thunderbirds are go

Four-ship formation
London, ON
September 2020
This photo originally shared on Instagram

Before this year's airshow, I had never seen the @afthunderbirds fly. My, was I missing out.

The F-16 has a pretty expansive flight envelope, and it's pretty clear the show, as designed and performed, uses most of it. The energy and precision are off the charts, and I stopped counting how many times I was left without words as they tore up the skies above us.

It was a privilege to watch them. Alas, they flew away too quickly for us to give them a proper thank you.

Thanks team. Godspeed to you all.

#ldnont #london #airport #ontario #canada #SkyDrive #AirShowLondon #aviation #lockheedmartin #f16 #fighting #falcon #viper #fighter #flight #aircraft #avgeek #aviationphotography #planespotting #instaplane #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #Nikon #nikonphotography #photography #lifeinthemargins #family #everything

When life ends

No more to give
London, ON
September 2020
This photo originally shared on Instagram

The one constant in life is that it ends. For all of us.

We can argue until we’re blue in the face about what a “fair” amount of time might be, but it’ll never change that singular, stark reality.

So we make the most out of what we’ve been given.

No choice, really.

#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #forest #leaf #leaves #nature #naturephotography #sun #light #texture #gameoftones #landscape #landscapephotography #photography #Nikon #nikonphotography #nikon_photography #dslr #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #everythingchristian #lifeinthemargins #family #everything

Getting lost in the tall grass

The things that grow tall
London, ON
September 2020
This photo originally shared on Instagram

"In the plains the grass grows tall, since there is no one to cut it. There is no one to water it either."

Vera Nazarian

#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #walkabout #thames #valley #parkway #tvp #river #tall #grass #monochrome #landscape #landscapephotography #photography #qotd #Nikon #nikonphotography #nikon_photography #dslr #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins #family #everything

Look closely at the purple flower

Nature's little miracle
London, ON
September 2020
This photo originally shared on Instagram

Always look for the color. It is as true alongside a path through the forest as it is in everyday life.

And with that, I think I'm about due for another one of those walks through the forest. See you there. 

#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #walkabout.#green #purple #flower #macro #bokeh #forest #nature #naturephotography #sun #light #gameoftones #landscape #landscapephotography #photography #Nikon #nikonphotography #nikon_photography #dslr #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins #family #everything

Schnauzer in fog

The nose always leads
London, ON
September 2020
This photo originally shared on Instagram

We're trying to teach her to take in the beauty that surrounds her, but all she's really interested in is sticking her massively sensitive nose into the grass in an eternal search for bunny poo, or possibly the occasional dropped Goldfish (tm) cracker remnant.

So, no, she didn't much care for the fog. But she was still happy to be out, which is a win by any definition.

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Bridging a longstanding gap

 Bridge to a sustainable future
London, ON
September 2020
This photo originally shared on Instagram

Mmm, it has that new bridge smell. Can’t wait to take my first ride on it.

It may seem strange that of all the things that tickle my soul, a bridge would rank near the top of the list. But this isn't a simple structure.

You're looking at the latest addition to the Thames Valley Parkway, the multiuse path network that's supposed to make it easy for cyclists, runners, pedestrians and other non-motorist folks to get around town without having to wrestle with traffic.

Nice in theory, but somewhat lacking in practice.

Because unlike other towns, our car-culture-led burg built a network with huge gaps in the middle. That doesn't serve entire swaths of the city. That stops mysteriously outside a given neighborhood. That often forces cyclists and others to cross high-speed roads, with nothing more than paint to protect us.

The bridge you see here is part of a pair - the other is around a kilometre to the left - designed to close a yawning gap in the path and open non-stop access to the city's northeast sector.

We'll take it, because any new piece of infrastructure that gets more people out under their own power is a blessing. And when they finally cut the ribbon on this new section, I'll be there on my own two-wheeled machine. To ride. And appreciate.

But it won't stop there. It can't. Because sustainability is never truly done.

And we're nowhere near the point where we - individuals, cities, society at-large - can, with a straight face, say we're doing everything we can to change the script.

#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #walkabout #thames #valley #parkway #tvp #river #cycling #cyclingislife #bridge #monochrome #landscape #landscapephotography #photography #Nikon #nikonphotography #nikon_photography #dslr #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins #family #everything

Praying in a forested cathedral

Humbled and hushed
London, ON
September 2020
This photo originally shared on Instagram

I've been doing this thing lately: I pick up my camera and go for a walk in the woods.

Part of it is exercise: Those step goals silently mock me from the smartwatch on my wrist, and I owe my family a healthy Carmi.

Another part is creative. Exploring the world through new glass is a privilege, and only by using the thing with my bare hands will I figure out how to unlock its - and I'm guessing my - visual storytelling potential. 

The final and likely most critical part is disconnection, because it's overwhelming to be alive these days. 

Don't get me wrong: It absolutely beats the alternative. But still, Planet Earth has become an insanely noisy place, and we all deserve some refuge. Disclosure: Some days I need it more than others. So here I am, in a valley carved over the millennia by the quiet brook just behind me.

A stand of towering trees covers the entire sky way above my head, casting a protective shadow over the slope you see here. I stop in the hushed silence to take the scene in, not so much look at it as feel it in my bones. You can smell the peacefulness of this place. I wish I could bottle it up and take it home.

"Cathedral" often floats through my head when I stand under tall trees. I'm not one to pray, and even if I were it wouldn't be in a cathedral. But it somehow feels right to appreciate this spot for what it is: A place to reflect, connect, and recharge.

The rest of the world can wait for a while.

#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #walkabout #forest #trees #tree #green #leaf #leaves #nature #naturephotography #sun #light #gameoftones #landscape #landscapephotography #photography #Nikon #nikonphotography #nikon_photography #dslr #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins #family #everything

Losing the leaves for good

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

Autumn’s colors are starting to show themselves here in the Great White North, so I’ve been looking for flashes of green wherever I can.

Because the planetary clock is ticking. And we miss the show if we don’t make the effort to get out there for a bit.

On the one hand, it won’t be completely game over once the leaves you see here turn some fiery shade of red or orange before falling to the ground. Next spring will bring new leaves, new life to this quiet path through a hushed valley.

But on the other hand, they won’t be these particular leaves. They won’t catch the light in this specific way, on this very afternoon. Different lives, different times, different experiences.

All the more reason to appreciate what we’ve got before it flutters to the shadowy earth below one last time, never to reflect the rays of the sun again.

#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #walkabout.#green #leaf #leaves #forest #trees #tree #nature #naturephotography #sun #light #gameoftones #landscape #landscapephotography #photography #Nikon #nikonphotography #nikon_photography #dslr #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins #family #everything

Follow the mama plane

Poseidon the protector
London, ON
September 2020
This photo originally shared on Instagram

When I first showed this photo to our daughter, she said it reminded her of a mother bird shepherding her babies across the sky.

Indeed, we’d all do well to have some mother-like guidance during long, perilous journeys. Perhaps on shorter ones, as well.

#ldnont #london #airport #ontario #canada #SkyDrive #AirShowLondon #aviation #airbus #cc150polaris #cf18 #hornet #fighter #flight #aircraft #avgeek #aviationphotography #planespotting #instaplane #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #Nikon #nikonphotography #photography #lifeinthemargins #family #everything

Wheels up!

A Hornet leaves Earth
London, ON
September 2020
This photo originally shared on Instagram

It may not seem apparent, but this is the most dangerous moment of any flight.

You've just unstuck from the runway, your wings tasting lift for the first time, the engines clawing out as much speed and altitude as possible. If something happens here, there's little room below you to recover, little runway ahead to land once more. Your options are limited.

Of course, this is a supersonic, twin-engined fighter plane with seemingly limitless power. Why not simply point the needle nose up, mash the afterburners and put it all behind you?

If only it could be that simple. Sadly, the laws of flight can be cruel: We've lost 20 Hornets since they first joined Canada's fleet 38 years ago.

But if you're going to be part of the global community, this is part of the cost of membership. Some may decry the need for machines like this in the first place. They're expressly designed for war. The money spent on them could be better spent elsewhere.

Valid points all. But this is an imperfect world, and our neighbors don't always have our best interests at heart.

Ask anyone who lived in London during the Battle of Britain if they would rather the government had spent the money allocated to Spitfire production on something else. This is how you deter aggression - or resist it when it comes knocking on your door. This is how you maintain sovereignty. This is how you keep the forces of darkness at bay.

Fast-forward back to today, and I doubt the dictators in our modern neighborhood would waste much time shifting their military strategies if we decided to get out of the fighter plane business altogether.

So let's call the need to arm ourselves not optimal, but necessary. Which makes me thankful for folks like this pilot, willing to brave basic physics and risk leaving the planet behind so the rest of us can sleep soundly at night.

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Fenced in

Unequal geometry
Port Burwell, ON
September 2020
This photo originally shared on Instagram

At first glance, it’s just a fence.

But like everything, everyone, and anyone, it has a story, a history, a context.

Someone decided there was a need. Someone picked up some tools and built it. Someone maintains it. A whole lot of someones benefit from its very existence, even if they never take the time to think about it. Or give it a second glance, let alone a first.

But here’s the thing: At first glance, there’s no such thing as “just” a fence. At first glance, there’s no such thing as “just” anything. At first glance, maybe just one glance just isn’t enough.

Not a bad lesson to hold onto as we reflect on the year just ended and ponder the one ahead.

#port #burwell #ontario #canada #beach #wood #fence #green #grass #landscape #great #lake #erie #travel #travelphotography #travelgram #explore #photography #Nikon #nikonphotography #nikon_photography #dslr #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins #family #everything

Welcoming the New Year, Differently

Endless Reflection
Port Burwell, ON
September 2020
This photo originally shared on Instagram

Today is the first day of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. I am, of course, a bad Jew, because a good Jew wouldn't be posting photos online on one of the holiest days of the year. And on a Saturday, even. Oy. 

But here's the thing: It's never been about the dogma to me. As much as I love being part of thousands of years of culture, tradition, language, and community, I don't believe that knowing how to recite certain prayers in a certain order will make me a better person.

Because I've crossed paths with entirely too many folks who are expert in the mechanical delivery of religion, yet wouldn't hesitate to look down at the rest of us for failing to meet their lofty ideals. The hypocrisy hurts my soul, because last I checked, unkindness wasn't part of the Jew code. Or, frankly, any code.

So here we are, on the cusp of a new year, in the midst of a global event that keeps most of us home and apart. Which, the more I ponder the reality of a pandemic-colored holiday, the more I realize just how much of a blessing this can be if we choose to see it as such.

Because we aren't engaged in the usual dog and pony show of crossing paths with folks on the way into services, we have a bit more time to think about how we'd like to change the script over the next year. How will we do better? Act more kindly to others?

Because reading words in a book won't make me a better Jew or a better person. I realize the mere act of expressing this may make me seem like some sort of heathen, but I'll risk the judgment of others if it means I go into the new year feeling just a bit more comfortable in my own skin.

Whatever you celebrate, make it a good one.

#port #burwell #ontario #canada #beach #great #lake #erie #waves #water #sand #rosh #hashanah #jewish #newyear #judaism #badjew #photography #apple #iphone #iphone11 #shotoniphone #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins #family #everything

Green grass in a strong breeze

Everything is temporary
Port Burwell, ON
September 2020
This photo originally shared on Instagram

Take some long grass by the lake, mix in some stiff winds and sunlight muted through a hazy grey sky. This is what you get.

It'll all be gone in a couple of months, a mere echo of a uniquely memorable day our little family spent here.

I do that when we spend time together, take pictures of weird stuff like this because I want to remember how the experience felt just as much as I want to hold onto how it looked.

Feelings from two-dimensional images. I'll have to mull that one over for a bit, but it's clear I'll be toting my camera on a few more walkabouts before winter puts the grass to sleep. 

Because nothing lasts forever.

#port #burwell #ontario #canada #beach #green #grass #landscape #great #lake #erie #road #trip #travel #travelphotography #travelgram #explore #photography #Nikon #nikonphotography #nikon_photography #dslr #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins #family #everything

Dogs, mental health, and you

I get treat now, Daddy?
London, ON
September 2020
This photo originally shared on Instagram

Let's do a little experiment, shall we? Hypothesis: Seeing a photo of a dog makes our souls feel better. 

Yes? No? Maybe we should substitute a cat? Wherever you land, please weigh in with a comment.

I'll read 'em all to Calli, but make no guarantees that she'll share her own, as she lacks opposable thumbs. 

#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

And now the bottom half

Let's pull some Gs, shall we?
London, ON
September 2020
This photo originally shared on Instagram

I'm not suffering from the dreaded disease known as doubliosis. This is indeed the second Raptor photo I've shared today.

I thought if we started the day with a topside view of the world's most capable air dominance fighter, then we should end it with a view from underneath - even if there's a large-ish splotch of radar-absorbent coating missing underneath the port-side engine behind the gear doors. I hear Canadian Tire might have something in the paint department.

I'm weird in a whole lot of ways. Symmetry in my feed is one of them. Sorry.

#ldnont #london #airport #ontario #canada #SkyDrive #AirShowLondon #aviation #lockheedmartin #f22a #raptor #stealth #fighter #flight #aircraft #avgeek #aviationphotography #planespotting #instaplane #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #Nikon #nikonphotography #photography #lifeinthemargins #family #everything

Related: Stealth jet in a blue sky, Sep. 16, 2020

Stealth jet in a blue sky

Is this my best side?
London, ON
September 2020
This photo originally shared on Instagram

I could watch the Raptor punch holes in the sky all day. But I'll settle for a few magical moments on a sunny afternoon.

#ldnont #london #airport #ontario #canada #SkyDrive #AirShowLondon #aviation #lockheedmartin #f22a #raptor #stealth #fighter #flight #aircraft #avgeek #aviationphotography #planespotting #instaplane #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #Nikon #nikonphotography #photography #lifeinthemargins #family #everything

Shooting a Diamond in the sky

Out for a morning cruise
London, ON
September 2020
This photo originally shared on Instagram

On a day when the skies above #LdnONT are filled with some of the most sophisticated military aircraft on the planet, it's a small-ish twin-engined propellor-powered aircraft that captures my attention.

Of course, this isn't just any prop plane. It's a Diamond Aircraft DA-62. The company has a plant here in town, and it's not too much of a stretch to say it's beloved by anyone with even a remote connection to our city's aviation and tech communities. They create and build world-beating aircraft that push the bounds of private aviation. That's inspiring.

The show was not yet underway, and I found myself targeting private aircraft to calibrate my camera and get my head in the game before the so-called sexier aircraft were scheduled to show up.

But here's the thing: They have nothing on this stunning design. And they aren't made here. This one is. And we always support our own.

#ldnont #london #airport #ontario #canada #SkyDrive #AirShowLondon #aviation #diamond #DA62 #flight #aircraft #avgeek #aviationphotography #planespotting #instaplane #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #Nikon #nikonphotography #photography #lifeinthemargins #family #everything @DiamondAircraftInd

Morning painted sky

Someone took the off-ramp
London, ON
September 2020
This photo originally shared on Instagram

As the closest star we'll ever know begins its march above the horizon, unseen forces closer to home paint the early morning sky with color and vapor.

This celestial paint job, of sorts, will shape the day back on the ground. It will influence the weather, what we wear, even our mood. It may water the landscape and make things grow. Or blow hot winds that fan the flames consuming forests, communities, and lives.

We can't stop any of this from happening up there, but we certainly can write our own stories down here on the ground. In doing so, we can make the best both of and from what we've been given.

And as we start a new week amid a seemingly never-ending period of uncertainty, it's a timely reminder that we have far more control over our respective journeys than might have otherwise thought.

#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #sky #sunrise #dawb #blue #sky #clouds #light #tree #abstract #photography #apple #iphone #iphone11 #shotoniphone #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins #family #everything

A Raptor creates its own weather

Air dominance
London, ON
September 2020
This photo originally shared on Instagram

I spent the day yesterday sitting on a taxiway at London International Airport with my good friend, Steve, watching airplanes fly by.

Pandemic be damned, #LdnOnt had an airshow thanks to the good folks at Airshow London who moved heaven and Earth to make this happen. We're incredibly lucky they pulled it off. And I'm incredibly lucky I got to point my camera skyward every once in a while and try to capture some very fast-moving hardware as it ripped holes in the sky.

It was quite the experience, and as I start processing the massive pile of pixels that I hoovered through glass onto my memory cards, I realize I ended up with at least a couple of moments worth sharing here. Like this F-22A Raptor throwing off more than a little vapor during a full afterburner pass. It's one of those weirdly abstract scenes I couldn't recreate if I had all the time in the world (though if we're timing this out, this one took 1/3,200 of a second at f/5.6.)

But EXIF data aside, I'm glad I was there to witness and record it, and spend some all-too-precious time with a friend who loves this stuff even more than I do.

More plane-y moments to come, because I kind of have a thing for planes. And photography.

#ldnont #london #airport #ontario #canada #SkyDrive #AirShowLondon #aviation #lockheedmartin #f22a #raptor #stealth #fighter #flight #aircraft #avgeek #aviationphotography #planespotting #instaplane #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #Nikon #nikonphotography #photography #lifeinthemargins #family #everything

My wife is (finally) my age

Her best girl
London, ON
June 2020
This photo originally shared on Instagram

September 12 and 13 are important days in our little family; a one-two birthday punch, if you will, thanks to Dahlia arriving a day before Debbie's birthday.

Debbie often calls Dahlia the best early birthday present ever, and thanks to their perfect timing, we get two-for-one deals on birthday cake.

It may mean a bit of a sugar overload, but it’s well worth it, because without Debbie, none of this would have been possible. She sets the tone for all of us, answers our questions at any time of day (or night), and somehow always seems to know when we need her most. Which, as you may have guessed, is often.

It’s a lot for one person to carry on her shoulders, but for as long as I’ve known her, that’s been how Debbie operates. I can’t imagine our world without her, and I wish for nothing but more of all this, to 120 and beyond.

Happy birthday to my favourite person in the universe. Cake always tastes better because of you.

#LiveLaughLevy #ldnont #london #ontario #canada #happy #birthday #happybirthday #birthdaygirl #apple #iphone #iphone11 #shotoniphone #photography #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins #family #everything

No longer just a kid

By the breezy waters
Port Burwell, ON
September 2020
This photo originally shared on Instagram

Peanut Girl completes another orbit around the Sun today. To the rest of the world, our daughter is known as Dahlia, and she is, in my completely unbiased dad's opinion, a righteous human being and the kind of kid every parent wishes they could have. 

Whether we're picking up our (identical) cameras for a walk-and-talk-and-shoot, or sitting around the breakfast table figuring out the day, or just letting the dog have her way with us, she never fails to make me smile, and make me wish we had even more time together.

She treasures that time, appreciates the little things, has wisdom beyond her years, and is relentlessly kind. We are so very proud not just of her accomplished track record, but also the way she goes about achieving everything she does.

In other words, she's a good kid, a good person. And today, she's just a tiny bit older. 

Enjoy, little one. You are so loved.

#LiveLaughLevy #port #burwell #ontario #canada #happy #birthday #happybirthday #birthdaygirl #Nikon #nikonphotography #nikon_photography #dslr #photography #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins #family #everything

19 years after 9/11, nothing's changed

Lost to time
Delray Beach, FL
December 2010
This photo originally shared on Instagram

19 years ago today, the darkness of hatred managed to crowd out the light.

Not a whole lot has changed since then. Today, as I idly scan my feeds filled with endless vitriol, and witness unprecedented state-sanctioned abuse of freedom and democracy, I fear we've learned nothing in the intervening years.

It's as if we've allowed the darkness to win.

Meanwhile, somewhere far away, someone sits in a cave and laughs.

#delray #beach #florida #throwback #september #september11 #wtc #memorial #twintowers #nyc #neverforget #worldtradecenter #monochrome #photography

The things we find deep in the woods

Shaped by history
London, ON
August 2020
This photo originally shared on Instagram

At the lowest point of a steep valley deep in the woods, the water runs, almost silently. It's easy to miss it, a creek so tiny and unassuming you have to look closely to ensure it's still moving, still alive.

Not to worry, it is. And when you get right down to the beds of rocks that border this particular stretch, one thing becomes become absolutely clear: Nature always wins.

The rocks you see here? Scoured to a relentlessly smooth edge over countless years. The trees? Grown, generation after generation, since long before there was such a thing as human history. The very space we're in? Formed by plate tectonics, then shaped by wind, water, fire, and more recently, us.

But here's the thing: Long after we're no longer here, the forces of nature will continue to shape this place. Resculpt the land. Cover it with trees. Smooth the rocks.

As they always have. As they always will.

So on a quiet Saturday afternoon late in a summer most of us would rather forget, I crouch down and capture this scene. It only takes 1/100 of a second, and as soon as I get up it's already begun the process of shape-shifting into something else.

No one notices because no one's looking.

But we should. We might learn something.

#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #green #leaf #leaves #forest #trees #water #medway #valley #forest #nature #naturephotography #landscape #landscapephotography #photography #Nikon #nikonphotography #nikon_photography #dslr #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins #family #everything

The colors of school

Where creativity begins
London, ON
August 2020
This photo originally shared on Instagram

This is the most bizarre back-to-school period in history.

Yet I still found myself in a store a few weeks back staring at the displays and wondering if any of the colorful, magical stuff on the shelves would ever actually find its way into a classroom.

I sure hope so. I sure hope students, staff, and teachers - including my wife, who returns to class this morning - somehow find some normalcy amid the weirdness.

Because back-to-school should be a time of possibility and discovery.

Because everyone who ventures into a school has a family waiting back home.

Because looking out for others has always been one of the first lessons new students would learn.

And that's even more vital as this very different school year gets underway.

#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #backtoschool #school #education #teachersofinstagram #staples #retail #store #shopping #color #random #stilllife #photography #apple #iphone #iphone11 #shotoniphone #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins #family #everything

Where we take the time to look up

Another day ends, uniquely
London, ON
September 2020
This photo originally shared on Instagram

Sometimes we can see images or shapes in the clouds above. Other times, we'll find them in the trees that frame the sky.

The beauty of this lies not so much in the image, but in the fact that we take the time to look up in the first place.

Because composition, pixels, exposure, and all the other mechanics of photography can be easily explained. The wonder of seeing something that no one else has seen previously? Not so much.

#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #sky #sunset #dusk #blue #sky #clouds #light #tree #abstract #photography #apple #iphone #iphone11 #shotoniphone #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins #family #everything

Their first...

Beginnings
Dryden, ON
September 7, 2019
This photo originally shared on Instagram

A year ago today, our son, Zach, married his best friend, Michaela. And while grizzled old married couples would say they're just getting started, they've already made their first year one to remember, and one to cherish.

Parents want nothing more for their kids to be happy, healthy, and successful, and together, Zach and Michaela are all that and more. We can't wait to see what the years ahead offer you both, and how you take every moment you've been given and make it special and memorable.

Love you both to the moon and back, and then some.

#LiveLaughLevy #family #everything

The giving tree

Remember the fallen
Medway Valley Heritage Forest
London, ON
August 2020
This photo originally shared on Instagram

We can choose to be saddened by the death of a tree. Or we can find light in the fact that it still contributes to the growth, health, and future of everything around it.

Some days, this life thing feels complicated. But walking through the woods and observing it through complex slivers of glass seems to help make sense of it all.

Or at least that's what it feels like. Regardless, I'll take it.

#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #walkabout #forest #trees #tree #nature #naturephotography #water #reflection #texture #gameoftones #monochrome #landscape #landscapephotography #photography #Nikon #nikonphotography #nikon_photography #dslr #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins #family #everything

Mountain range in a Great Lake

The things we see when we play in the surf
Port Burwell, ON
September 2020
This photo originally shared on Instagram

Every once in a while, it does the soul some good to leave the everyday behind and go somewhere new. 

Granted, that’s a little hard to do these days thanks to a certain virus and scads of stupid people who fail to understand personal boundaries. But if you plan carefully enough, you can find quiet spots here and there where, if you squint your eyes just so, it can almost feel normal.

Which explains how we ended up at the beach in Port Burwell, a town on the edge of Lake Erie that has an ice cream shop, a hairdresser, and an honest-to-goodness submarine. The weather was questionable, which thankfully kept the crowds away, and the winds whipped the chilly waters and gave the snack-seeking gulls ample opportunity to show off their flying skills.

Pro tip: The birds like Bugles. Even better pro tip: Don't offer your fallen snacks to the birds. They're nasty. But today was about more than getting into trouble with some angry birds. At some point during our all-too-brief visit, I managed to get in some serious play-in-the-sand time. Now that I'm ostensibly an adult, I've traded the colorful plastic pails and shovels for cameras.

But I nevertheless reconnected with my inner child as I looked for optical inspiration in the turbulent stretch where waves play out their final act. That soul thing, after all, revolves around doing the things that make you feel whole. It was just as true before lockdown as it is today.

Now, though, I think we appreciate it a bit more. Or at least we should.

#port #burwell #ontario #canada #beach #great #lake #erie #waves #sand #abstract #road #trip #travel #travelphotography #travelgram #explore #monochrome #photography #apple #iphone #iphone11 #shotoniphone #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins #family #everything

Resting amid the seaside ruins

I've always got your 6
Cancun, Mexico
November 2019
This photo originally shared on Instagram

Two birds seek refuge from the wind atop a decaying set of pilings just off the coast of Cancun.

One happens to have black feathers, while the other is covered in white.

Somehow, they seem to coexist with ease.

Perhaps we should follow their lead.

#cancun #mexico #throwback #travel #travelphotography #travelgram #explore #beach #caribbean #sea #nature #birds #landscape #photography #naturephotography #landscapephotography #canon #canon_photography #canonphotography #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins #family #everything

Sunlit poetry by the ocean

Reach for a star
Cocoa Beach, FL
December 2019
This photo originally shared on Instagram

A Saturday morning Sun haiku:

Greetings, Planet Earth.

Another day awaits us.

Let's grab the wonder.

#cocoa #beach #cocoabeach #florida #fla #throwback #road #trip #travel #travelphotography #travelgram #vacation #explore #sunrise #waves #reflection #atlantic #ocean #water #photography #google #pixel2 #teampixel #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins #family #everything @floridaspacecoast

Power by the side of the road

Messy infrastructure
London, ON
September 2020
This photo originally shared on Instagram

I took a walk the other night to pick up a few things at our neighborhood grocery store. Chocolate chips may have been involved.

On the way home, I decided to go for a bit of a wander when the perfectly imperfect power lines down the road grabbed my eye.

I don't go for wanders often enough. That needs to change.

#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #random #suburban #walkabout #street #photography #canon #canon_photography #canonphotography #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins #family #everything

Barking up the right tree(s)

Years in the making
London, ON
August 2020
This photo originally shared on Instagram

Not everything needs a story. Sometimes it's enough to just stare at something and simply appreciate it because it makes you happy.

Because you probably need a break from everything else that's been coloring your days.

And if you choose monochrome to remember it, so much the better.

Because we all know monochrome makes the world a better place.

#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #walkabout #forest #trees #tree #nature #naturephotography #sun #light #gameoftones #monochrome #landscape #landscapephotography #photography #Nikon #nikonphotography #nikon_photography #dslr #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins #family #everything

Temporary lines in the sky

No, the government isn't spying on you
London, ON
September 2020
This photo originally shared on Instagram

Cargo jets high over #LdnONT paint lines in the cloudy sky as they make their way toward the sea.

While their passenger-plane equivalents sit in desert storage depots, the long-haul heavies belonging to FedEx, UPS, Amazon and others are doing big business keeping the freight flying through the pandemic. It's another easily overlooked impact of this historic event, another not-so-subtle rewriting of the way we live now.

To most of us, assuming we look up at all, they're simply lines in the sky, mere streaks of condensation that'll be gone within seconds. So temporary they are that it's tempting to write them off entirely as just another easily disposable facet of day-to-day life.

But significance is never an absolute thing. And droplets of water hanging in loose formation thousands of feet in the air tell a story that already profoundly touches us all right here on the ground.

We just have to take the time to look, and think, and hope someday those same lines tell better stories than they do today.

I'll be watching. And hoping.

#london #ontario #canada #sky #clouds #contrails #weather #wx #aviation #photography #apple #iphone #iphone11 #shotoniphone #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins #family #everything

Dahlia makes the paper

Proud dad alert: Our daughter, Dahlia Levy, made the paper - The London Free Press - today:

Switch to online learning not universally welcomed by students

She worked with a brilliant journalist (Dan Brown) and photographer (Derek Ruttan) to help tell a story that needed to be told. And while the outcome - some really insightful quotes in a great story, topped by a neat photo in today's paper (lfpress.com) - is laudable, it's HOW she went about it that sticks with me. She took the time to understand the ask, shape her thoughts, ensure what she said would add the most value to whoever would read the piece.

She's wise beyond her years, passionate about the communities that surround her, focused on finding ways to help others. I know it's part of every parent's handbook to be proud of your kid. And we are, of course, immensely proud of our entire brood.

They kick it and take no prisoners in everything they do - school, work, family, community, you name it. We're never at a loss for things to talk about around the kitchen table, or the Snapchat family chat, or the FaceTime video call from the couch.

But some days, they stand out by doing something even more extraordinary than usual. Today's one of those days, and I didn't want to miss a chance to share it here.

Nicely done, kiddo. I'm sure your fellow students will benefit from this.

#ldnont #parenthood #family #everything

Staring into the turbulent waves

Water, churned
Cancun, Mexico
November 2019
This photo originally shared on Instagram

Ever notice how a wave is at its most spectacular just before it ceases to exist?

Note to self: Spend more time standing in the surf. Because there are lessons to be learned in this chaotic, transitional, magical space.

#cancun #mexico #travel #throwback #travelphotography #travelgram #explore #beach #surf #sea #nature #photography #naturephotography #landscapephotography #google #pixel2 #teampixel #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins #family #everything

Green leaves and bokeh

Turn toward the sun
London, ON
August 2020
This photo originally shared on Instagram

Life is an ongoing journey filled with nuance and texture.

Discuss.

#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #walkabout.#green #leaf #leaves #forest #trees #tree #nature #naturephotography #sun #light #gameoftones #landscape #landscapephotography #photography #Nikon #nikonphotography #nikon_photography #dslr #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins #family #everything