Someone painted the sky again

Reach for it
London, ON
July 2020
This photo originally shared on Instagram

We live in a great, big, beautiful world, capped off by a sky that quite literally and perpetually redraws itself, in real-time.

Granted, if we spent all our time staring up at it, we'd never get anything done back on the ground. But there's no reason we can't steal away moments here and there to appreciate the things that take our breath away. Right over our heads.

I hope when you do, the sky puts on an even lovelier show than it did for me the other evening.

Because we all need an excuse to get outside. Because we all deserve to have our breath taken away.

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

COVID Alert goes live. Finally.

If you live in Ontario, the pilot for the national contact tracing app, known as COVID Alert, goes live today and is available for download for all Apple and Android devices.

I’ve just downloaded it, and suggest you do the same. It’s what Canadians - community-minded folks who want to do the right thing - do.

iOS download

Android download

Additional Government of Canada Links:

COVID-19 Landing Page

Digital Resources for COVID-19

Little Man finishes his teens

Adulting at the altar of democracy
London, ON
October 2019
This photo originally shared on Instagram

And just like that, he’s 20.

In my mind’s eye, Noah was just born, our Little Man completing our perfect trio of kids, the final piece in the delightful puzzle that is our family.

But time has a funny way of moving faster than we might think, and before we knew it he had blossomed into a razor-sharp, creative, funny, and kind human being. My wife once called him “The Complete Package,” a phrase that very much fits him.

He is the natural center of whatever room he’s in, and a wonderful friend to a lifelong circle of many. He’s the kind of kid any parent could hope for, the kind of adult any parent wishes that kid would grow into.

We can’t wait to see what he has planned next. We love you, Noah Mayer Gideon Levy. May you continue to go from strength to strength.

#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #parenthood #birthday #boy #lifeinthemargins #family #everything

Perseverance leaves for Mars

Ready to go
Merritt Island, FL
July 2020
This screen grab originally shared on Instagram

Some days are more historic than others, and today is one of those days.

I woke up early to watch a nuclear-powered rover - @MARSPersevere - leave Earth for the final time and point itself toward Mars. We've done this before: Pathfinder/Sojourner, Spirit, Opportunity, Curiosity. But it never gets old, and each mission goes that much further than those that came before it.

I've written before about why space exploration matters perhaps more back home than it does out there. And this is probably more true now than at any time in history. When the planet runs into turbulence, we look for inspiring achievements to remind us of the best in humanity. That we're more than what we scroll past in our Facebook feeds, and better than what we see on the evening news.

So we watch the best of the best in the scientific community do their thing and send robotic emissaries to other worlds. And we hope their devotion to advancing the state of the human race somehow rubs off on the rest of us.

#Mars2020 #CountdownToMars #Mars #NASA #Perseverance

Ball of sleep

What dreams may come
London, ON
July 2020
This photo originally shared on Instagram

I don’t know what she dreams about, but I’ve got to believe that whatever’s bouncing around between those schnu ears of hers, it’s being powered by bright, happy, comforting thoughts.

And when she wakes up, her favourite bone - okay, chewable, bone-shaped toy - will be waiting for her.

So she can make new memories, and new happies for future dreams.

#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

Say goodnight, sky

Touch the sky

There's something resonant about the fading light of a late summer evening, the gradient of blue that sticks with you long after the final flickers have gone dark..

Which makes me glad I looked up this time. Because no one wants to miss the show.

#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #sky #sunset #twilight #silhouette #night #trees #light #photography #apple #iphone #iphone11 #shotoniphone #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins #family #everything

Logo on a space shuttle's wing

Back home for good
Merritt Island, FL
December 2019
This photo originally shared on Instagram

Meatball or worm?

I ask only because we're two days away from NASA's planned launch of the Perseverance rover - @NASAPersevere - to Mars, and talking about all things spacey, even a decades-old debate over the space agency's preferred logo, is the perfect antidote to a challenging time.

So it may seem like a trivial question. But in reality it is anything but.

Safe exploration today, gang, wherever your adventures may take you.

#kennedy #space #center #ksc #kennedyspacecenter #florida #fla #spaceshuttle #shuttle #atlantis #ov104 #rocket #science #meatball #logo #aviation #avgeek #spaceflight #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #google #pixel2 #teampixel #lifeinthemargins #family #everything

Stung!

‪Bee: 1. Carmi: 0.

Of course it’s a Monday.‬

Just shine

The look of efficiency
London, ON
June 2019
This photo originally shared on Instagram

Be the light. We say it often, but rarely do we stop to think about its meaning. So let's start the workweek with a bit of a primer. Here's what I'm thinking:

Be kind to others. Not polite-kind, but truly kind, where you smile when you think of and interact with them. And when you smile, really smile. From your soul. None of this game-show-host silliness.

Skip a beat. Words and tones matter far more than we believe. And unlike a keyboard, once it's been said there is no delete key.

Be empathetic. We never know what's really going on in someone's head, home, life. Recognizing that everyone comes from somewhere, and is shaped by those experiences, can help us shape how we choose to interface with them.

Be the model. Don't just say it: Do it.

Be partnered. Life is not a zero sum game where someone has to lose in order for someone else to win. Our definition of competitiveness needs a rethink.

Be human. No one is perfect. It's perfectly okay to share your moments of weakness and vulnerability. And if you don't feel comfortable doing so, consider changing who you choose to share them with.

Cherish time - both yours and others. Remember that everyone is just as challenged as you to squeeze more out of what we've been given. Work together to maximize our collective moments.

I'm sure I've missed out on a bunch. Got any additional suggestions?

#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #random #light #bulb #led #power #light #lines #geometry #stilllife #photography #google #pixel2 #teampixel #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins #family #everything

Pick a direction

Where Sunset meets Talbot
St. Thomas, ON
July 2020
This photo originally shared on Instagram

On the road as in life, we'll all eventually arrive at a crossroads.

Humans being human, some of us may agonize over which way to turn. We'll twist ourselves into knots as we fret about making the wrong decision, going the wrong way, getting lost.

But here's the thing: On the road as in life, most of us are lucky enough to have been given the gift of time. Not unlimited amounts of it, or so much so that we can afford to waste it. But enough such that we're in it for the long(ish) haul.

Think marathon more than sprint. Now think none of this was ever a race at all. We get there when we get there. Even the concept of "there" is up for ongoing debate.

So if you take a wrong turn here and there, consider it a new chapter within an ever-unfolding journey.

There will be other crossroads ahead, other places along the road where you get to decide which way to go, other opportunities to discover things along the way you couldn't have begun to imagine when you first set out.

Besides, who wants to live life without ever once wondering what happens when we turn toward the unknown?

#stthomas #ldnont #london #ontario #canada #elevated #park #railway #train #bridge #landscape #green #photography #apple #iphone #iphone11 #shotoniphone #photography #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins #family #everything

The color of shoes

Choose your Kicks
London, ON
December 2016
This photo originally shared on Instagram

This may be the toughest decision you face today: Red or black?

#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #random #store #shopping #retail #red #black #white #converse #allstars #classic #style #light #shadow #stilllife #photography #throwback #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins #family #everything

Grey is a color, too

Linear growth
London, ON
February 2012
This photo originally shared on Instagram

Not every day is going to have color in it.

But even monochrome days have their virtues.

And blacks, whites, and limitless shades of grey are colors all the same. We just need to change the lens we use to perceive them.

#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #random #monochrome #throwback #urban #street #landscape #photography #Nikon #nikonphotography #nikon_photography #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins #family #everything

Someone sits pretty

Is it playtime yet?

Who am I kidding? It's always playtime in Calli's world.

Her world sounds rather appealing, does it not?

#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

Wherever the tracks may lead

Into the unknown
London, ON
March 2017
This photo originally shared on Instagram

Everyone is on some sort of journey.

They may not always know the destination, or even the route. Maybe none of that matters to them. Perhaps all that matters is the need to be anywhere but here.

The point is we never really know what's going on in the minds of others.

We could ask, of course. But even then, there's no such thing as a comprehensive answer. And most folks don't really listen, anyway.

Because we're probably all too busy with our own journeys to give much thought to the journeys of others.

We may want to rethink that somewhat.

#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #random #rail #train #throwback #urban #street #landscape #photography #Nikon #nikonphotography #nikon_photography #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins #family #everything

Lines on a grocery store floor

Step right up
London, ON
July 2020
This photo originally shared on Instagram

Do you ever stop and wonder what certain periods in history might look like? What would it feel like to walk the streets the day Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed on the moon, or when the Allies declared victory to end the Second World War, or when the Iron Curtain came tumbling down?

I suspect the current pandemic will be added to a list of major turning points in history that are worthy of such memories. Which brings me to this shot of a simple line of tape on a grocery store floor.

One of the first visual indicators of the crisis came in the form of signage - taped-on circles, lines, arrows, and other guidance - hastily added to every public space imaginable. Stores were given no time at all to rework traffic flows and re-teach age-old habits to keep us all the requisite 6 feet apart from each other. None of this was planned or methodical, and the fraying strips of tape betray the temporary nature of it all.

We'll be dealing with physical or social distancing for quite some time, so scenes like this beg the question: What next? What will these spaces look like? Will grocery stores continue to tape up letter-sized signs printed on the store manager's ink jet printer or will we begin to see a more permanent shift in messaging?

However this all plays out, I can't ignore what it all looks like now. And I want to be able to look back at this someday and remember not only what it looked and felt like to experience it, but better understand how it changed us all as people.

Because make no mistake: The signage may be temporary. But the change will be permanent. And I can't imagine not having a few visuals from the here-and-now to remind me - and us - what it felt like to be in the middle of it all.

#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #random #suburban #grocery #store #shopping #retail #stilllife #abstract #photography #covid19 #pandemic #physical #distancing #apple #iphone #iphone11 #shotoniphone #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins #family #everything

Where the water meets the sky

Bands of temporary color
Port Stanley, ON
August 2018
This photo originally shared on Instagram

I shouldn't like the beach as much as I do. Between the heat and the crowds, I often feel overwhelmed just a few minutes after our feet first touch the sand.

But get out beside the water, where the crowds get thinner and the winds pick up, where you can hear the birds and feel the spray, where even a small wave washing over your ankles is enough to take the edge off and remind you why this place keeps calling you back.

On this day, a single boat roams the hazy lake between the shore and the horizon. You have no way of knowing who's on board, or what their plan for the day might be.

None of that should matter, anyway. Because they're out there, on an adventure. And some days it's enough to stand by the shore and feel inspired by the moment, and hope you're not the only one moved in some way by the magic of this remarkable place.

#port #stanley #portstanley #beach #ldnont #ontario #canada #throwback #great #lake #erie #boat #boating #wind #weather #wx #nature #summer #landscape #photography #Nikon #nikonphotography #nikon_photography #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins #family #everything

Protection from a hot star

Color above the horizon
Port Stanley, ON
August 2018
This photo originally shared on Instagram

The scene: An afternoon at the beach that was so hot and humid that you could practically see and feel the air.

The only relief from the relentless sun was found underneath one of the countless umbrellas that dotted the sand and swayed in the breeze.

Hopefully, one of them was yours.

#port #stanley #portstanley #beach #ldnont #ontario #canada #throwback #great #lake #erie #umbrella #color #texture #wind #weather #wx #nature #summer #photography #Nikon #nikonphotography #nikon_photography #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins #family #everything

#IfYouReadOneThingToday - Losing Democracy

#IfYouReadOneThingToday, make it this piece. It's a long read, but a necessary one for anyone who still cares about democracy, and may be struggling to understand how we got here.

History Will Judge the Complicit

By Anne Applebaum

The Atlantic

Recycling in Shanghai

Staying alive
Shanghai, China
May 2012
This photo originally shared on Instagram

I'd like to kick off the workweek with an image of a stranger eking out a living on the streets of Shanghai.

I crossed this man's path 8 years ago as I traversed a giant city halfway around the world. I was on my way to a technology conference, shooting photos out the window of a chartered bus filled with journalists. And in an instant, the very epitome of globetrotting advantage came face-to-face with a single man just trying to survive by collecting bottles for recycling.

Closer to home and closer to now, we've had our own reckoning with the realities of entry-level work, a knee-jerk response to the onset of the pandemic, a simplistic realization that without the unseen greasing the skids of our cities, nothing works. Of course, that conversation only flared for a few weeks in March and April before it faded from our attention-deficit public conscience. The forgotten are only worth discussing, apparently, when society deems them to be trendy.

This man will never be trendy, but he never needed to be in the first place. Because what others think, in Shanghai, in my hometown, anywhere, should never matter to us.

But I'll never forget his face. Like so many strangers whose images I capture as I move through the streets of cities near and far, I hope against hope that he's safe and secure, that he's found some measure of peace in the years since our paths crossed for the first and only time.

#shanghai #china #throwback #may2012 #travel #travelphotography #travelgram #random #urban #street #photography #Nikon #nikonphotography #nikon_photography #dslr #zoom #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins #family #everything

Live TV from home

I often get to do some fun things between dawn and dusk, and yesterday was no exception: I did a live TV interview from my home office thanks to the wonders of FaceTime and a fabulous production crew at CTV News Channel. Angie Seth and I chatted about the two most frightening cybersecurity - or rather cyberINsecurity - stories from the past week* and why I've been awake at night more frequently of late.

CTV News has posted the video here.

*Twitter got hacked, and the Russians were revealed to be cyberstalking COVID-19 vaccine research in the U.S., UK, and Canada. We live in quite the disturbing digital age, apparently. Thanks Vlad.