our lady gets a facelift

Legends of the Morgeti is a recent publication by local author Jerry Prager in which he details the history of organized crime in Guelph. Volume I covers the period from 1900-1922.
Among the interesting facts in this book is this statement about Church of Our Lady:
"... the Elders of Guelph's Church of Our Lady, an almost cathedral-like limestone edifice that overlooks the city, insisted that the Italians of the Ward enter through side doors and sit in side pews rather than enter through the front and sit with everyone else."

Guelph, April 2007

winter's tail

Everton, Ontario, April 2007

ways of seeing

Susan Sontag, in her recent posthumously published book At The Same Time, says photography is not seeing - it is a way of seeing. To me she seems to be saying that photography tends to separate people from reality while pretending to show it to them.

I do believe all photos lie to some extent. When someone looks at my photos it would make me happier if, rather than saying 'oh that place is beautiful', they said 'I'd like to see that for myself' and they go and look.


Everton, April 2007

Everton

The Eramosa River cuts through the 400 million year old rock at Everton.




Everton, Ontario

who's been sitting in my chair?

If you're walking along the Eramosa River trail in Everton and need a rest this chair might come in handy.




Everton, April 2007

groups of gigantic men

You can get pretty much anything in downtown Guelph. Even group orders of clothing for gigantic men.





Guelph, April 2007

Looking Ahead

35 years ago.
Here's today.

You can see more photos from today - we played at the Boathouse - courtesy of kjane.



London, Ontario, early 70s

Wellington County Museum

Wellington County Museum








Elora/Fergus, Ontario, April 2007

community water

This is the revamped gravestone of my great great great great grandparents, John and Mary Caesar, who came from Tipperary Ireland to the Peel area of Upper Canada when Toronto had only a few thousand residents.
Since then a lot of changes have taken place - and things are changing now even more quickly than ever.
If we want to preserve the beauty and bounty of this land for future generations we will need to give attention and respect to it's natural gifts.
One of the most precious is water. Clean fresh water.
There is an organization of concerned citizens in Guelph who spend their precious time helping to protect our water supplies. Check out Wellington Water Watchers. Especially now that our water is directly threatened by multinational corporations with little community concern.


Chinguacousy, Peel, Ontario, 2001

over and under

Over the gorge under County Road 7 bridge.




Elora, Ontario

for the love of words

Sarah, Tony and I will be aiming for some harmonic communion when we play at this year's Action Read fundraiser - this Friday at The Boathouse. Details here.



The Boathouse, Guelph, 2001

Elora Gorge

Elora, Ontario

snow rock and root

Elora Gorge Conservation Area

downtown fire

There was a major fire in downtown Guelph last night causing extensive damage to several historic buildings including the beautiful Gummer Building. More photos are posted on Blog Guelph.


Guelph

Elora Gorge

There's an excellent book called Elora Gorge - A Vistor's Guide by Elora resident Kenneth Hewitt, a professor of geography, which is fascinating reading - explains the geological and social history of the region. Also contains very detailed maps of various hikes through the gorges outlining the salient features.

Elora Gorge, September 2006

glass of smoke

Toronto, 1973

changing state

Decew Falls, March 2007

Garbasaurus

Why are images of decay so popular? From the rustic falling down barn, the romantic limestone ruins of mills to the junky city alleys and maybe even the 'wrinkled old person' - why do we find these attractive?


Royal City Park, Guelph

Wellington County Museum

A model of the Wellington County Museum - quite detailed, some of the people are only a few millimeters high. Worth a visit, nominal charge $3 adults. Beautiful building - the last surviving "Poorhouse".


Between Elora and Fergus, Ontario

Cadence of Joy

Guelph

great horned owl

"I said who are you."




College Royal, Guelph

break on through

The doors are opening to spring.







Guelph

Downtown Guelph

The first day of spring in downtown Guelph.





Guelph

Bird Kingdom

If you're interested in how people see and enjoy books like, say, John Berger's Ways of Seeing or Susan Sontag's On Photography, you'd likely enjoy Geoff Dyer's latest book The Ongoing Moment.
He surveys photography by examining how various photographers treated various subjects, e.g. hats, and what it all means. Fun read.


Niagara Falls, March 2007

Three Red Doors

Macdonnel Street.



Guelph

Bird Kingdom

Well done aviary in Niagara Falls.



Niagara Falls, March 2007

Lower Ball's Falls

Two waterfalls and some nice trails enhance the beauty of the Twenty Mile Creek along the Bruce Trail as it follows the Niagara Escarpment.


Ball's Falls, Ontario, March 2007

red dogwood

Red Osier Dogwood at the Arboretum.
Handy for basket making if you're overcome by an urge to construct containers while out walking.

Guelph

Decew Falls

Upper Decew Falls and the Morningstar Mill are on a beautiful ravine where we were guided through slippery mud slides by a mystery German shepherd.

Decew Falls, Ontario

Fire in the Head

A fire juggler entertained visitors to Fire in the Head - Shakespeare Edition at the Barber Gallery on Saturday.




Guelph

Spring Sparrows

If you've got sound you can hear some Folk Songs of the Far Right Wing.






Niagara-on-the-Lake, March 2007

dog and knife xray

Among the xrays on display at the Vet School during College Royal was this one of a dog who swallowed a knife.


Guelph

College Royal

In addition to the horses and cows and pigs, the goats llamas and sheep, the whole animal carpet, there were friendly birds too.


College Royal, The University of Guelph

Horsehoe Falls

At dusk, the view from the Skylon Tower elevator.





Niagara Falls

Clifton Hills at night

Ferris wheel in Clifton Hills tourist area viewed from the Skylon Tower.



Niagara Falls, Canada

Curiosities at Niagara Falls

When the Niagara River below the Falls froze over "Until 1912,visitors were allowed to actually walk out on the ice bridge and view the Falls from below. February 24th of 1888 the local newspaper reported that at least 20,000 people watched or tobogganed on the ice. Shanties selling liquor, photographs and curiosities abounded. On February 4th 1912 the ice bridge broke up and three tourists lives were lost."

Well the shanties selling photographs have been replaced by 4D movies but, other than that the liquor and curiosities truly do abound. Haunted house followed by inn followed by wax museum then pizza place then cuban cigars then haunted house then the crimianls wax museum then the gentlemen's club then inn after inn after inn.. very curious.

Clifton Hill, Niagara Falls

Winter at The American Falls of Niagara

Rainbow passing through the American Falls - in the lower right you can see the summer viewing platform.


Niagara Falls USA

Ice at Niagara

Ice several stories high at the base of Horseshoe Falls.




Niagara Falls, Canada

The Rainbow Bridge

The Rainbow Bridge between Niagara Falls Canada (left) and the USA - is that why it has that name.


Rainbow Bridge, NiagaraFalls

Niagara Falls Rainbow

A cold mist rose and the late afternoon sun created a complete rainbow, doubled at certain points.



Niagara Falls

Horseshoe Falls

A lucky rainbow was rising right out of Horseshoe Falls at Niagara.




Niagara Falls

snow on cedar

Along the Speed River, Guelph

gull rock and water

Elora, Sep 2006

clown

Guadalajara, Mexico, early 80s

pink seams

Bayfield Inlet, August 2006

pale orange tree fungus

You take your colour where you can get it in this monochromatic season.






Along the Speed River, Guelph

Trail along Speed River, off Niska Road

Lots of geese in the Speed along the trail off Niska Road this morning.
Nice wooded trail for taking the kids out or walking the dog.



Speed River, Guelph

G.C.V.I.

The Lord's Prayer in Hawaiian Pidgin English:

God, you our Fadda, you stay inside da sky.
We like all da peopo know fo shua how you stay,
An dat you stay good an spesho,
An we like dem give you plenny respeck.
We like you come King fo everybody now.
We like everybody make jalike you like,
Ova hea inside da world,
Jalike da angel guys up inside da sky make jalike you like.
Give us da food we need fo today an every day.
Hemmo our shame, an let us go
Fo all da kine bad stuff we do to you,
Jalike us guys let da odda guys go awready,
And we no stay huhu wit dem
Fo all da kine bad stuff dey do to us.
No let us get chance fo do bad kine stuff,
But take us outa dea, so da Bad Guy no can hurt us.
Cuz you our King.
You get da real power,
An you stay awesome foeva.
Dass it!

Guelph Collegiate Vocational Institute

riding out the storm

Guelph

in like a lion

Ah we had to wait till March for a decent snowstorm, better late tha..

Beauty full.


Guelph