A cold moment by the tracks

To infinity and beyond
London, ON
January 2020
This photo originally shared on Instagram

A year ago today, I had just left the office and was walking to my car, braced against the bitter cold.

As I crossed the rail line on the edge of downtown, something in the sky made me stop. Maybe it was the color of the painted clouds. Or the whistle of the winds through the nearby buildings. Or the subtle reflection of the fading sun on the tracks as they stretched all the way to the treeline.

I thought the moment deserved to be remembered, so I pulled my smartphone out for a quick photo. As I composed the scene, I was approached by another worker bee, a stranger, and she asked me if I did this often.

I explained my weird photographic habit of capturing everyday, even trivial scenes. She said she had always wanted to do the same, but didn't have a good camera.

I asked her if she had a smartphone. When she nodded her head, I told her she had a camera better than most, and it's never about the equipment, anyway.

So she took her phone out and for a few seconds, we both captured the darkening sky before continuing on our way.

She thanked me as she left, and I remember hoping she had been inspired to use her phone as more than just a phone.

Because we all want to tell our everyday stories. And we all want to share them.

With that in mind, what's your next story?

#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #random #rail #train #throwback #urban #street #landscape #photography #google #pixel2 #teampixel #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins #family #everything

A new day dawns...

Welcome the light
Cocoa Beach
December 31, 2019
This photo originally shared on Instagram

Hope...

#inaugurationday #throwback #cocoa #beach #cocoabeach #florida #atlantic #ocean #road #trip #travel #travelphotography #travelgram #vacation #explore #sunrise #waves #water #photography #Nikon #nikonphotography #nikon_photography #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins #family #everything @floridaspacecoast

The new face of grocery shopping

Random scene from the vegetable aisle
London, ON
December 2020
This photo originally shared on Instagram

Grocery shopping in the age of COVID...

#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #grocery #store #loblaws #fruitography #shopping #retail #random #street #photography #apple #iphone #iphone11 #shotoniphone #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins #family #everything

On smarts

"Cleverness is not wisdom."

Euripides

 

Happiness is...

At least one of us can touch our nose with our tongue
London, ON
May 2020
This photo originally shared on Instagram

Happiness is a soft pillow, a comfy couch, a safe home, your favorite peeps, and lots of time to enjoy them all.

Lucky dog. Lucky 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

#IfYouReadOneThingToday - On lies

#IfYouReadOneThingToday, make it this piece by the superstar journalist who did more than any other to track every presidential lie of the last 4 years.

If you aren't following Daniel Dale, you should. Here's his Twitter account: @ddale8

The 15 most notable lies of Donald Trump's presidency

By Daniel Dale

CNN

January 16, 2021

Calli the ice-hunting dog

Geometry at our feet
London, ON
January 2021
This photo originally shared on Instagram

There’s a reason I’ve been bringing home more than my fair share of abstract ice pics from the sidewalks and driveways of our neighborhood.

Our dog.

Calli the Wonderschnauzer walks with her robotic nose practically buried in the ground before her. What she’s sniffing for I do not know. But ohmygod can she can get into trouble in a blink, and I stopped counting how many things - some identifiable, and some, ah, not - I’ve pried from her mouth.

So walking her is an exercise in vigilance, watching her every move to ensure she doesn’t hoover something that might do her harm. It can be stressful, especially on the early morning walks before the coffee has kicked in.

The flip side of a bonkers puppy is an innate awareness of every subtle nuance at our feet. Rough pavement, cracks in the sidewalk, gnarly tree roots....I have become the Google Maps of neighborhood dog walkers.

So when puddles form after a major melt-off, then freeze overnight because, well, Canada, some spontaneous photography is called for. And thanks to my helpful assistant, we know exactly where to look.

While she may very well be an annoying pain most mornings, she knows what to do when the camera comes out. And she works for treats.

Good dog.

#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #water #ice #frozen #winter #walkabout #nature #naturephotography #monochrome #stilllife #photography #apple #iPhone #iphone11 #shotoniphone #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins #family #everything

This spud's for you

A pile of faces
London, ON
January 2021
This photo originally shared on Instagram

You can see it in their eyes.

Sorry.

#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #grocery #store #potatoes #fruitography #shopping #retail #random #stilllife #vegetable #aisle #photography #apple #iphone #iphone11 #shotoniphone #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins #family #everything

The things we find in the forest

Life, defiant
London, ON
January 2021
This photo originally shared on Instagram

Life has a funny habit of thriving regardless of what gets thrown in its way.

I’m certain there’s a more profound meaning here, but it’ll have to wait.

Because another wander with the camera awaits.

Back soon.

#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #medway #valley #heritage #forest #walkabout #landscape #landscapephotography #nature #naturephotography #photography #Nikon #nikonphotography #nikon_photography #fullframe #fullheart #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins #family #everything

Tossed away

The messes we leave behind
London, ON
January 2021
This photo originally shared on Instagram

An unknown stranger tosses an empty can of Budweiser aside on a wintry suburban sidewalk.

There’s a story here somewhere, and I’m rather certain it starts and ends with sadness.

#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #random #suburban #walkabout #budweiser #beer #remember #fallen #photography #apple #iphone #iphone11 #shotoniphone #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins #family #everything

Hockey Night in Canada, Again

Let's play
Toronto, ON
January 2020
This photo originally shared on Instagram

An interesting thing happened in Canada last night: the National Hockey League returned to the airwaves.

That may not sound like a terribly big deal within the context of a global pandemic, and given what's happening in hospitals everywhere, it really isn't. Over 3,900 people died in the U.S. alone yesterday. So a game involving shooting a frozen puck into a net atop a large sheet of ice doesn't seem all that serious in comparison.

And yet it is. Hockey is Canada's game. Well, our official national sport is actually lacrosse, but hockey is the one we play on neighborhood rinks well into the night and good-naturedly argue about over breakfast the next day. It very much is the story of what it means to be Canadian.

So when the NHL decided to schedule a shortened season in front of empty stands, the all-Canadian division was born. And much joy was had in the land.

Hockey won't solve COVID. A game where the ultimate metric involves who put the puck in the net the most shouldn't rank as the most critical part of our day. Bitter debates over the merits of "your" team over the "other" team reinforce the frequent myopia of all sports, our inability to appreciate all the other benefits these games bring us far beyond the final score.

Still, sometimes you just have to watch it to appreciate its subtleties.

So that's what we'll do in this unusual year. We'll close our eyes and just listen to this signature of our Canadian experience. We'll connect with others over something we all love. We may even smile.

In the end it's still just a game. But it's ours. And we owe it to ourselves to find color wherever we can, to turn the greys of a numbing period in history into something more vibrant.

#toronto #ontario #canada #throwback #hockey #nhl #hockeylife #sports #hockeyislife #hockeygram #instahockey #google #pixel2 #teampixel #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins #family #everything

Gasoline-toting vandal strikes Shaar Hashomayim

#Antisemitism is sickeningly alive and well in my hometown of #Montreal.

When one hate-filled individual attacks one beloved synagogue, we are all attacked, and we must all act.

Enough.

#NeverAgain

Arrest made after one of Montreal's largest synagogues vandalized with anti-Semitic graffiti

By Adam Kovac

CTV News Montreal

Jan. 13, 2021

Throw someone a line

Standing guard
Port Burwell, ON
September 2020
This photo originally shared on Instagram

Today feels like the perfect day for a lifesaver. If you need help, never be afraid to ask.

#port #burwell #ontario #canada #throwback #beach #pier #landscape #orange #great #lake #erie #travel #travelphotography #travelgram #explore #monochrome #photography #Nikon #nikonphotography #nikon_photography #dslr #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins #family #everything

On impermanence

"Nothing is forever. Everything goes to 0 eventually."

Naval Ravikant

Behold the grey forest

Natural monochrome gradient
London, ON
December 2020
This photo originally shared on Instagram

The forest may be grey and bare, but that doesn't mean it isn't beautiful in its own right.

Another metaphor for life, perhaps?

#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #medway #valley #heritage #forest #tree #trees #walkabout #landscape #landscapephotography #nature #naturephotography #monochrome #photography #Nikon #nikonphotography #nikon_photography #d750 #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins #family #everything

#IfYouReadOneThingToday - On Censorship

#IfYouReadOneThingToday, make it this piece that explains the fundamentals of freedom of speech.

And please don’t troll me no matter how smart you tell me you are.

Life is just too short to waste on trolls.

Why the First Amendment can't protect Trump on Twitter or save Parler:

Here's what you need to know about the constitutional protection of free speech in America.

By Marguerite Reardon

CNET

January 2021

UPDATE: While we're on the subject, CNN has an excellent explainer, as well. I realize this makes it TWO things you're reading today, which violates the spirit and the letter of the hashtag title of this series. I'm willing to risk it if you are. Either way, enjoy the reads:

The First Amendment doesn't guarantee you the rights you think it does

By AJ Willingham and Scottie Andrew

CNN

January 2021

Be kind. That is all.

Sign of substance
London, ON
January 2021
This photo originally shared on Instagram

As another workweek dawns, some of us will be lucky enough to return to work.

Others won't be.

Teachers like my wife will do their best to teach in virtual classrooms that they have miraculously pulled together with duct tape and twine, while students will do their best to learn in ways they and their parents often struggle to understand.

Healthcare workers will wrestle with an invisible enemy on the front lines, while politicians - assuming they aren't trying to keep their tropical beach vacations under the radar - will stand in front of cameras and try to tell their stories to citizens increasingly tired of listening.

We are each responsible for navigating ourselves and those closest to us through this chaotic chapter in history in the safest possible manner.

There are no set methods to do this. No script. No rulebook.

But however we choose to manage ourselves through this seemingly endless turbulence, I hope you'll keep the message, found on this sign beside a nearby school, in mind.

Kindness matters.

Of course it mattered before last March. And it'll matter every day until whatever this is is deemed over and done with. And then for every day thereafter.

But the then doesn't matter so much as the now.

And now, today, we must be kind. We must try harder to be kind. We must pay closer attention to those around us, look out for them, and be prepared to speak up, and act, and reach out to them when they falter.

We must make kindness our mantra as we strive to keep hope alive.

Please keep this top of mind as you move through your week. And beyond.

Thank you.

#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #kindness #sign #walkabout #photography #apple #iPhone #iphone11 #shotoniphone #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins #family #everything

#IfYouReadOneThingToday - On the 737MAX

#IfYouReadOneThingToday, make it this Forbes piece that thoroughly breaks down the what and the how of the Boeing #737MAX mess.

Faulty To The Max: Boeing And The FAA’s 737 Debacle

By Robert Zafft

Forbes

January 2021

Frozen water, part 3

Motion, stopped
Delray Beach, FL
December 2017
This photo originally shared on Instagram

Since good things come in threes, here's another water fountain view from a few years back.

I hope you enjoy seeing it here as much as I did shooting it.

#delray #beach #florida #throwback #water #fountain #frozen #road #trip #travel #travelphotography #travelgram #vacation #explore #Nikon #nikonphotography #nikon_photography #dslr #high #speed #photography #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins #family #everything

Related (because I have a long history of shooting water fountains):

Frozen water, part 1, January 2021

Frozen water, part 2, January 2021

The hated fountain, June 2019

Stare into the dancing waters, June 2019

Playing with water (again) at the airport, July 2018

Hidden figure, January 2018

More fun with dancing water, January 2018

Playing with water at the airport, January 2007

Flashed fountain, December 2006

Frozen water, part 2

Dance with me, please
Delray Beach. FL
December 2017
This photo originally shared on Instagram

Earlier today, I shared a shot of a water fountain stream frozen in mid-flight.

Doing so made me happy, which I realize may sound trivial to the point of irrelevance, but I assure you it is neither trivial, nor irrelevant.

Here’s the thing: photography is good for my mental health. From wandering around with a camera in my hand to sizing up the shot to post-production and sharing the results here, it’s something that brings me joy.

And when I flip through them years later, I’m brought back to the moment I took them. Which, as you’ve probably guessed, brings me even more joy.

And given the current state of the planet, the nastiness, the prevalence of misinformation, and the continued double whammy of pandemic and economic hardship, I hope you’ll forgive me if I take an occasional time-out to stare at pictures.

Or share more than one from a tiny chapter that I’d like to revisit.

You’re always welcome to join me.

#delray #beach #florida #throwback #water #fountain #frozen #road #trip #travel #travelphotography #travelgram #vacation #explore #Nikon #nikonphotography #nikon_photography #dslr #high #speed #photography #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins #family #everything

Frozen water, part 1

Gone in 1/2,500th of a second
Delray Beach, FL
December 2017
This photo originally shared on Instagram

Take one fountain.

Add too much time on your hands.

And a camera.

Some patience.

A memory card with lots of free space.

A fully charged battery.

A very understanding wife.

A bit of curiosity.

Mix it all together, and sometimes you come home with something worth keeping.

And even if you don't, the journey was worth every moment.

#delray #beach #florida #throwback #water #fountain #frozen #road #trip #travel #travelphotography #travelgram #vacation #explore #Nikon #nikonphotography #nikon_photography #dslr #high #speed #photography #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins #family #everything

Twitter's Jack Offs Trump

BREAKING: Twitter permanently suspends @realDonaldTrump's account.

Nice work, @Jack.

Finally.

Related:

Twitter's statement.

My Newstalk1010 interview on Barb DiGiulio's show, The Nightside.

The uproar this generated on my Facebook account.

Talk to the paw

Sleeping while the world burns
London, ON
January 2021
This photo originally shared on Instagram

It's difficult to sugar-coat the fecal matter show of a week we've had - rather, continue to have - so I'd like to kick Friday off with a photo of Calli having a mid-afternoon siesta on the living room couch.

She sleeps rather frequently, which is understandable given how hard she plays, and how bonkers she can be when she's awake. I'm rather certain she was dreaming as I took this particular shot, about what I do not know, but I can only imagine it was a happy dream.

I often stare at her as she snores away and think about how lovely it must be to be inside that Schnu head of hers. Where her biggest issue is the squirrel tormenting her from the back yard, who she'll con for her next treat, or how far she can get with a stolen sock before one of us realizes it and tries to pry it from her mouth. Ah, good times.

Whether she's awake or asleep, she's blithely unaware of the stresses that tug at the seams of the world around her, and remains content to either wrap herself around us as she naps, or simply stick close to us and be her usual nutty self. Or, as she's done here, conk out on the couch and allow us to pet her endlessly.

If we could sketch out what unconditional love looks like, I'm pretty sure it would, in some part, look like this. If only the rest of us would follow her lead. #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

On seeing beauty

"Sometimes you have to shut your eyes, so you can see the real beauty."

Kilian Jornet Burgada

 

At the windswept edge of America

Not your typical beach day
Jensen Beach, FL
December 2017
This photo originally shared on Instagram

Three years ago, I stood on a windswept beach in Florida as the setting sun cast ever longer shadows over the sand.

Small groups of people were spread out at distant intervals for as far as the eye could see. Some had cast fishing lines into the heavy surf, while others idly strolled past them. It wasn’t your typical beach day, but it was immensely comforting all the same to just stand amid the stinging sand and drink it in.

After I finished shooting this photo, I tucked the camera away and closed my eyes. I thought about all those people in the distance, enjoying this extraordinary place in much the same way that I was. We were all privileged to be experiencing this small sliver of normality, one of countless scenes playing out in this impossibly rich, diverse land.

Yesterday was an ugly day in the history of this land, a stain in the richness and diversity that have always underpinned what she stands for. And for some reason the freshly minted chaotic scenes from a crowded city took me right back to the decidedly less chaotic, less crowded scene from three years earlier.

America was beautiful that day. She still is. Indeed, she’s always been.

#jensen #beach #florida #atlantic #ocean #throwback #road #trip #travel #travelphotography #travelgram #vacation #explore #waves #water #weather #wx #photography #Nikon #nikonphotography #nikon_photography #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins #family #everything

No fans here

Patterns not in nature
Toronto, ON
July 2017
This photo originally shared on Instagram

There's nothing quite like a baseball stadium packed to the rafters with fans cheering on the home team. Except, perhaps, the sight of that same stadium when it's empty.

This is Rogers Centre in Toronto, home of the Blue Jays, and I shot this on a hot summer's day, mere minutes after the good guys won. As my wife and I were assembling the kids and waiting for the crowds to disperse, I thought it might be fun to shoot some pictures before heading out.

The section below us was completely empty as I carefully leaned over the barrier and squeezed off a few. All I could think of was how neat the rows looked and how surprised I was that they weren't covered with post-game snack wrappers and beer cups. I guess Canadian ball fans are a polite bunch.

This stadium has been empty for well over a year as lockdowns intensify and, admittedly less critically, rumors fly about a possible redevelopment of the site. It's only one of many venues whose future now lies in doubt, and I can't help but wonder how long it will be before we can gather in any capacity to cheer on the home team.

Maybe we'll have to find better ways to celebrate wins and commiserate over losses. Maybe the very nature of community has already shifted, but we were too busy staying home to notice.

#toronto #yyz #ontario #canada #throwback #bluejays #rogers #centre #stadium #skydome #forever #baseball #sports #sportsing #urban #streetphotography #photography #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #canon #canon_photography #canonphotography #lifeinthemargins #family #everything

On how we make others feel

"I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel."

Maya Angelou

We don't much value feelings in our modern, hurry-up-and-get-it-done, metrics-driven world. Yet ultimately they are all we are left with.

If I have but one spot on my wall to print up and frame a quote that resonates, it will be this one.

The sign of love

Hard to miss
Cancun, Mexico
November 2019
This photo originally shared on Instagram

Love is a simple word, really.

And we could all use more of it.

So off you go. Make it happen.

Please and thank you.

#cancun #mexico #throwback #road #trip #travel #travelphotography #travelgram #explore #beach #photography #google #pixel2 #teampixel #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins #family #everything

The ice show continues

Frozen sculpture in a surprising place
London, ON
December 2020
This photo originally shared on Instagram

Ice never gets old, so here's another look from our final spontaneous street shoot of the year.

Lesson? Even the worst year offered up flashes of light in the margins. All we had to do was look for them.

Same deal this year, too.

#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #water #ice #frozen #walkabout #nature #naturephotography #photography #happynewyear #newyear #apple #iPhone #iphone11 #shotoniphone #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins #family #everything

Related:

Driveway ice show, January 2021

Frozen solid to the ground, January 2019

Visions in the ice, January 2018

Icy spine, February 2007

Going feet wet on the way home

Light from above
Kincardine, ON
May 2012
This photo originally shared on Instagram

Airplane window photography is a hit-and-mostly-miss process, as those scratchy plastic windows make it almost impossible to shoot with anything approaching clarity.

But sometimes you get lucky and God smiles through the clouds. And sometimes you need a little extra light when returning home from far away.

#ontario #canada #landscape #throwback #great #lake #huron #shanghai #china #travel #travelphotography #travelgram #flight #flying #aviation #avgeek #explore #photography #Nikon #nikonphotography #nikon_photography #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins #family #everything

A different Vegas

In the mountain shadows
Las Vegas, NV
November 2019
This photo originally shared on Instagram

On occasion, it can be instructive to take photos of the familiar in an unfamiliar manner.

To wit, Las Vegas from my hotel room balcony, captured on the morning before we headed home a year ago November.

It isn't the strip. There isn't any neon or glitz or glamour. Just a sprawling city growing so quickly it seems to be bumping into the mountains that surround it.

This photo reminds me that people live here, and many of them have nothing to do with the things that made this city famous. It's also a gentle reminder that sometimes you have to get yourself out of the valley of the expected so you can appreciate things you might have otherwise missed.

Strangely, I miss this place, and hope we get to return here after this insanity fades into history. Until then, landscape photos from windswept high-rise balconies will do nicely as placeholders.

#lasvegas #nevada #throwback #road #trip #travel #travelphotography #travelgram #city #explore #weather #wx #landscape #photography #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #Nikon #nikonphotography #nikon_photography #lifeinthemargins #family #everything

Related:

Desert scene from way above, March 2020

A blinding light in the Nevada desert, November 2019

Staring at a shiny airport floor, November 2019

Celebrating an on-stage face plant, November 2019

Po takes on Vegas, November 2018

New profile pic for Facebook

I don't tend to pay too much attention to my profile photos. Whether it's here on the blog or on my various social media accounts, I tend to set 'em and forget 'em.

But I looked at my Facebook profile pic earlier today and realized it had been a while - and to put it mildly, I look older. It was time for an update.

I took this pic for work. We record a video series, called the Info-Tech Brief, and I've been shooting it from home since we first went into lockdown. As part of the process, I shoot a still photo, as well, to give our editor to use when posting the segment to YouTube.

I've accumulated more than a few of these spontaneous headshots in recent months, including this one when I decided to include Calli the Wonderschnauzer. She doesn't much like being picked up, but on this particular day she relented.

I'm glad she did, as it's one of the few pictures with me in-frame that I actually like.

Related:

Facebook profile photo album

Old brick wall. Many stories.

Historic signatures
London, ON
August 2019
This photo originally shared on Instagram

If this wall could talk, I wonder what it would say.

Amazing things, I'm sure.

And thanks to a lovingly planned repurposing of one of London's most iconic factories, stories will continue to be told here.

#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #throwback #100kellogg @100kellogg #random #urban #architecture #architecturephotography #building #buildingporn #brick #manufacturing #kellogg #cereal #factory #photography #canon #canon_photography #canonphotography #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins #family #everything

Related:

Industrial Age brilliance, September 2023

From cereal factory to showpiece, September 2023

Red velvet dreams, December 2022

My first Christmas market experience, December 2022

Picture window, November 2022

Simple lines far above my head, November 2022

Making post-industrial tracks, April 2021

Life After Frosted Flakes, March 2019

Deep inside an old cereal factory, August 2018

Kellogg's to London: No cereal for you, December 2013

McCormick/Beta Brands factory burns - No more cookies for you, September 2012

Staring at the belly of the beast

The magical door
Merritt Island, FL
December 2019
This photo originally shared on Instagram

This is the underside of Space Shuttle Atlantis, specifically the orbiter's midbody near the starboard landing gear door. When we visited her last year at KSC's Visitor Complex, I spent an inordinate amount of time just staring at her seemingly limitless details.

Like this door. It has one job - open up just a few seconds before landing so the gear can drop down and lock in place. Easier said than done considering what that singular piece of hardware had to endure in the seconds, minutes, days, and weeks leading up to that pivotal, all-or-nothing moment.

First it had to survive the stresses of liftoff and acceleration to orbital speed within just over 8 minutes. Then it had to alternately bake and freeze in the vacuum of space while the ship chased the ISS, then sat docked to it for a couple of weeks. Then it had to endure the hellfire of re-entry, followed by a coup-de-grace of hypersonic airflow before it opened up in lockstep with its port-side twin and main-gear doors up front.

Engineers will scoff at the wonder of it all - because in coldly rational terms, it's easy to understand how this thing works. After all, NASA had plenty of opportunity to figure it all out through the program's 135 orbital flights and 4 atmospheric test flights. But two out of five orbiters never came home, so engineering can only go so far when the folks running the show fail to learn from history.

I'm thankful that this door worked as it needed to, that Atlantis brought all 156 folks who flew on her home safely over her 33 round trips to space, that I got to see firsthand what an engineering miracle looks like. I wonder how I'll tell more of her story when we eventually return.

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

Related:

Staring Atlantis in the nose, August 2020

Where Atlantis feels the heat, February 2020

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

Saying thanks to the Challenger crew, January 2020

Looking through Columbia's windows, February 2020

The Shuttle Era ends, July 2011

On Atlantis once more sinking beneath the waves, July 2011

Atlantis comes down for good, July 2011

#IfYouReadOneThingToday - On bikes

Fun trivia fact about me: years ago, I survived being hit by a car while riding my bike through east end Montreal. Brain-dead middle-aged man was arguing with his wife as he accelerated through a stop sign into a bike path and proceeded to obliterate my bike. I miraculously walked away that day, and to this day don't understand how.

But the memory sticks with me every time I decide to take a ride. What if?

Which may explain why this Outside Magazine piece stopped me in my tracks. The pub decided last year to track every cyclist killed by a driver. This article tells the story of just a few of the nearly 700 cyclists killed on American roads in 2020, and I'm sharing it as our latest #IfYouReadOneThingToday article.

Please don't leave comments telling me about the cyclist who ignored the stop sign near your house. Or frightened your dog on the sidewalk. I share this not to start a driver-vs-cyclist holy war.

FWIW, I both pedal and drive, and however we choose to get around the planet, we all deserve to do so safely. The paradigm needs to shift, and it starts with important journalism like this.

Enjoy the read.

They Went Out for a Bike Ride. They Never Came Home.

Outside Magazine

December 22, 2020

#2020CYCLINGDEATHS

The sun rises on a new year

The fire above
London, ON
January 2019
This photo originally shared on Instagram

Dear 2021,

Please try to look more like this.

Thanks from all of us who thought 2020 looked (and sounded, and smelled, and all-around was) crappy.

#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #sky #sunrise #dawn #silhouette #orange #pink #clouds #light #weather #wx #abstract #nature #naturephotography #landscape #landscapephotography #photography #Nikon #nikonphotography #nikon_photography #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins #family #everything

Disney on fire

Castle amid a storm of light
Orlando, FL
January 2020
This photo originally shared on Instagram

This morning’s photo of a patch of ice beside a nearby driveway was one of the final photos I took this year. The fireworks photo in this entry, shot just after midnight last January 1st, represents one of the first.

And they couldn’t be further apart.

Today’s photo was taken on a nearly deserted, frozen suburban street. The other was shot in a hot, humid Disney park, packed into crowds so dense I literally could not move my feet without bumping into a stranger.

No one’s vacationing this year. And if they are, they’re probably not sharing the experience on social media. Which makes the bookended pics that much more stark when I place them side-by-side.

I’ll never complain about losing a trip to a warmer place. We can fly again when this is all over, and I know legions of people who wish all they lost this year was a vacation. 3,800 people in the U.S. alone died from COVID yesterday. One life every 22.7 seconds. Last week, one of them was my cousin.

Whatever kind of year we’ve had, memories matter. In the end, memories represent the only tangible things that those left behind have to hold onto.

If we commit to anything as 2021 dawns, I’d like to humbly suggest that we try to make better memories for ourselves, and for those who matter most to us.

Nothing else matters, and nothing else represents a better use of the time we've been given. However much time that turns out to be.

Now, what memories will YOU be making in the year ahead? Let’s start the year with light, shall we?

#orlando #florida #fla #canada #throwback #road #trip #disney #disneyworld #waltdisneyworld #magickingdom #travel #travelphotography #travelgram #vacation #explore #fireworks #photography #google #pixel2 #teampixel #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins #family #everything

Related:

Let's blow this place to smithereens, March 2020

Disney castle, reflected, March 2020

Burn the sky down, January 2020

Driveway ice show

Flattened chaos
London, ON
December 2020
This photo originally shared on Instagram

Calli the Wonderschnauzer discovered this frozen scene on this morning's walk, wedged in the usually-overlooked sliver of dirty asphalt where the driveway meets the sidewalk.

She's got quite the eye - and nose, as I had to pry her away from the ice before I could take this picture.

Our dog's photographic vision aside, this scene strikes me as an appropriate metaphor for a year many of us would rather forget.

Indeed, 2020 will be remembered as the year when COVID took away some pretty memorable folks, including Mary Ann, Darth Vader, and the guy who inspired Bull Durham.

The real numbers are even more sobering: as of today, over 1.8 million souls have been lost, with countless others' lives permanently altered by a scourge that will doubtless paint the next year as darkly as it did this one. From job losses to shuttered main streets, overwhelmed hospitals, mental health crises, and spillover impacts to health and life that we can't even begin to imagine, we'll be paying for 2020 for years to come.

Yet the mere fact that I write this - and that you're reading it - is testament to the fact that we survived when so many did not. Whatever the calendar may say, life will always throw challenge our way, and our choice will be to either face it or cave to it. Let's not fool ourselves that an arbitrarily defined 366-day period in history is any more or less special in this regard. It wasn't, and it isn't.

This morning, a dog who wants nothing more than to be loved by everyone she meets found something in the usually-ignored margins of the neighborhood that made her happy. She graciously stood by as I recorded the scene and pondered what it meant before we continued our journey. We'll be out again later today, and tomorrow, and every day for as long as the universe gifts us with the opportunity.

Maybe we'll find more scenes of random, fleeting, imperfect light in the margins. In fact, I'm counting on it.

#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #water #ice #frozen #walkabout #nature #naturephotography #photography #happynewyear #newyear #apple #iPhone #iphone11 #shotoniphone #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins #family #everything

Puppy tuck-in

Bedtime at the zoo...

 

Video link here: https://youtu.be/mo2kwNirpi8

Originally shared on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/p/CJchBuIH4Ql/

#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

Fizzled sunrise amid the clouds

The view from the doorstep
London, ON
December 2020
This photo originally shared on Instagram

The sky briefly teased us before reverting to its customary grey.

But still, we went out, looked up, and hoped.

Because you never know when the rewards will come.

And even if they don't, at least we made the attempt.

#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #sky #sunrise #dawn #silhouette #orange #pink #clouds #light #weather #wx #abstract #nature #naturephotography #landscape #landscapephotography #photography #Nikon #nikonphotography #nikon_photography #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins #family #everything

Waiting for the next train

Alone
Toronto, ON
February 2020
This photo originally shared on Instagram

It's been a while since I took a train to the big city, and it'll probably be another long while before I do so again.

Which is my way of saying I kinda miss scenes like this one, furtively stolen moments of normality amid journeys far from home.

I shot this fleeting scene barely two weeks before the first lockdown began. It didn't occur to me at the time how profoundly things - and by extension, our views of them - were about to change.

At the time, I took days like this for granted, assuming I'd be back in a couple of weeks, assuming things would continue to roll along as they always had.

Funny how that works, though, because nothing is promised, and even if the pandemic hadn't painted over the landscape so thoroughly, the view could have just as easily been changed by some other singular factor, or combination of many.

It can be headache-inducing to ponder all the possibilities, all the coulda-woulda-shoulda moments that govern day-to-day life. But the answer is to simply stop pondering at all. There's no controlling what happens next, so we may as well refocus our efforts on enjoying what we have, in the now.

And on this Thursday late-February morning on a bitterly cold TTC subway platform, I took a moment to enjoy what I had before the rest of the day beckoned.

It may look like an ordinary shot of a stranger waiting for his train, another soul going through the paces of his own life. But for me, it was a rather timely reminder to continue recording seemimgly ordinary moments every day, wherever we may happen to be.

Because anything and everything can be extraordinary, but only if we allow ourselves to appreciate it.

#toronto #ontario #canada #throwback #downtown #subway #ttc #rosedale #station #commute #commuter #transit #landscape #building #travel #urban #photography #travelphotography #streetphotography #yellow #google #pixel2 #teampixel #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins #family #everything

Recharging her batteries

The nap pose
London, ON
December 2020
This photo originally shared on Instagram

Every once in a while, she sleeps. But don't worry: she'll be back at full strength before we know it.

#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

Water in many forms

One wave after another
Delray Beach, FL
December 2019
This photo originally shared on Instagram

There's no way to minimize it: there's a lot of water in this scene. So let's take a quick look at all the forms it takes, shall we?

1. The clear stuff closest to the camera, at the bottom of the frame, painted beige by the sand underneath.
2. The frothy white wave tops as they splash into the air in one last spectacular act.
3. The shades of blue and green, reflecting the deeper waters just above and beyond the surf zone.
4. The ominous clouds painting the horizon, contributing to the turbulence we see below.

I could probably slice the descriptive pie ever more thinly, describing every form of water in this photo in excruciating detail. But I won't.

What I will do is briefly explain why I'm sharing this in the first place.

Because we often stare at things and make snap judgments about them. We assume we know their whole story. We assume they all fit a similar mold.

News flash: we don't. And they can't.

Water isn't monolithic. It is shaped by the forces around it. By the vessels in which it finds itself. By the light that reflects off of it.

We can say the same about people. For we are all, after all, shaped by our environment, unique results of a combination of factors more complex than we'll ever hope to fully understand.

Perhaps if we spoke less and appreciated contextual nuances more, the universe might be a kinder place than it currently is. Perhaps if we stood in the pounding surf more and simply allowed our imaginations to wander, we'd realize how much something as random as wind-whipped water can teach us.

#delray #beach #florida #atlantic #ocean #throwback #road #trip #travel #travelphotography #travelgram #vacation #explore #waves #water #weather #wx #photography #google #pixel2 #teampixel #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins #family #everything

A ship on the horizon

Churning to somewhere
Delray Beach, FL
December 2019
This photo originally shared on Instagram

Somewhere along the horizon, a massive cargo ship claws its way through rough seas, another in a seemingly endless stream of vessels headed for ports unknown.

As I watch it almost imperceptibly make its way north, so loaded down with cargo that I can barely make out the superstructure, I briefly consider downloading a marine tracker app that will happily serve up every last data point. Owner, cargo, destination, track, you name it.

I've got an app for planes, I think to myself, so why not fetch one for ships, too?

I get as far as the app store before I stop myself. I decide it's perfectly acceptable for some things to remain a mystery. And to leave the data points aside for a bit in exchange for simply watching an unknown vessel make its way toward an unknown port.

Technology has allowed us to answer virtually any question we may have. But here, now, I decide not every question needs an answer. Sometimes it's absolutely sufficient to simply stand in the driving wind and feel the moment.

So that's what I did.

As I write this, a year to the day since I tripped the shutter, I smile at the notion of this mystery ship. She could be anywhere today, and I hope she and her sailors, whoever they are, are safe and well cared for.

#delray #beach #florida #atlantic #ocean #throwback #road #trip #travel #travelphotography #travelgram #vacation #explore #waves #water #weather #wx #photography #Canon #canonphotography #canon_photography #dslr #zoom #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins #family #everything

Standing too far from the sea

Feel the surf
Delray Beach, FL
December 2019
This photo originally shared on Instagram

A year ago today, I stood on the edge of a seemingly endless ocean and waited for the waves to come to me.

I didn't have to wait long. And I'm not ashamed to admit I stood in the same spot for an inordinately long time as wave after wave washed over my ankles, as my feet sank ever more deeply into the gloriously mushy sand.

Eventually the storm that had painted the horizon in ominous shades of grey moved inland and ended our day, but not before we created a pile of warm memories and packed them away alongside our sandy towels that now smelled like saltwater.

We obviously aren't in Delray Beach this year, and most folks with a shred of empathy and community-mindedness are staying home and sucking it up for the greater good.

Because the beach will still be there when this is all over.

Because sometimes we have to sacrifice our todays so that we - and others - can have some tomorrows.

Because whatever we're doing now doesn't even rank compared to what others have endured.

Because as much as we all love the beach, it's hardly the only spot on the planet that stands out.

Because memories can be made anywhere we wish. Anytime, too. And today is as good a time as any to make some new ones.

#delray #beach #florida #atlantic #ocean #throwback #road #trip #travel #travelphotography #travelgram #vacation #explore #waves #water #weather #wx #photography #google #pixel2 #teampixel #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins #family #everything

#IfYouReadOneThingToday - On Tomcats

I'm a fan of many things, but technology and aviation consistently rank near the top of my list.

They're intricately connected, of course, and they've both played an integral role in how my life has unfolded thus far.

I'm also a fan of long-form journalism, the kind of feature writing that digs deep into a story and imprints itself on your psyche. And if it moves me, then I hope it moves you, too.

That's the thinking behind the #IfYouReadOneThingToday series, and it explains why I've selected this particularly brilliant, personal story.

I hope you enjoy this read as much as I did:

The Secret History of the First Microprocessor, the F-14, and Me

By Sarah Fallon

Wired

December 2020

(Alternate link in case you hit the paywall: https://pocket.co/xhksJU)