AmplifiedLIFE

My backyard provides a very small, sheltered stream leading to a little pond below. This area protects birds on all sides by having the umbrella of my Japanese maple hanging above them, my 81-year-old garage behind them, slick rock walls on either side of them, and of course, at their feet, a gently flowing, shallow stream of fresh water meandering through small leaves, sticks and stones. This seems to provide a safe and cozy bird spa. As this brave little sparrow bathes in it, you can hear some of his sparrow friends hanging out in the nearby trees, calling out regularly that the coast is clear. Do they take turns bathing while the others act as lookouts? Birds don’t tend to luxuriate in their baths. They keep things brief and precise, since after all, a bird on the ground must always be wary of predators. (Some of my neighborhood cats come to mind.) So along with looking for fresh, clean water, birds need to be very conscious of their surroundings. In order to further appreciate the magic of a bird bathing, I have slowed this video down to 1/4 its normal speed. You can see the body swaying, the tail dipping, the wing sweeping, and even a little scratching and pruning around the eye area. Sparrows may be as plentiful as spring rain, but that makes them no less interesting to observe!

Sometimes, unexpectedly, you stroll right into a magic moment. Spring is always magical. Flower blossoms are always magical and paving a street with petals is nature’s icing on the magic. I live in Old Ottawa South, Canada, where the Spring streets are sometimes paved with petals. Follow the yellow brick road? Maybe. Or perhaps, follow the petal-paved road. I wonder where that leads.

Have you ever been to San Antonio, Texas? If you have, then you may be familiar with the Riverwalk area. From my room on the 17th floor of the San Antonio Marriot, (I always ask for the highest floor I can, for potential photographic opportunities) I had the perfect bird’s eye view of the River Walk. There is plenty of history and ambiance at this sought after San Antonio destination. The 2.5 mile San Antonio River Walk is a public park at river level (below the street). The lush riverside paths are lined with towering Cypress trees, restaurants, hotels, shops, museums, and recreation spots. It’s open 365 days a year and welcomes over 14 million people annually. The River Walk consists of 17,000 feet of walkways, about twenty bridges, and lots of beautiful vegetation, including some bald cypress whose branches now stretch up to ten stories. During the annual springtime Fiesta San Antonio, the River Parade features flowery floats making their way down the river. The River Walk was actually the result of a disastrous flood in 1921 along the San Antonio River that took 51 lives. Plans were then developed for flood control, and the resulting project morphed into the River Walk, which over the years has grown and changed and become the number one attraction in Texas! The San Antonio River Walk has inspired similar projects in other cities, such as the Little Sugar Creek Greenway in Charlotte, North Carolina, the Cherry Creek Greenway in Denver, Colorado, The Bricktown Canal in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and the Santa Lucía Riverwalk in Monterrey, Mexico.

You know a cow is happy when she dances for you! On a beautiful plateau overlooking California’s wine country, you will find the site of the Sugarplum Farm in Temecula. It’s a haven for many rescued animals, among other things. Lani, our AirBnB host, gave us a tour and introduced us to the animals. She and her husband work hard at this labor of love, and have been doing it for more than five years. Have you ever seen a Miniature Painted Pig, or “Juliana Pig”? Lani named the one we met here Daisy Athena. Juliana pigs have been bred to co-exist with humans, so most have a very pleasant temperament. They grow to only 15 to 17 inches in height and those who have raised them as family pets report nothing but positive experiences with them. Noel, the retired Disney Star as Lani tells us, is an alpaca. Don’t confuse him with a llama, as many people do. Alpacas are usually quite a bit smaller than llamas. They are similar though, and can even be successfully crossbred. Alpacas can sometimes be aggressive, but they can also be very gentle, intelligent, and extremely observant. For the most part, alpacas are very quiet. We met our first pygmy goat, Christmas Snow. Pygmy goats are small, but hardy and very adaptable. They are intelligent and friendly, and eager to interact with both adults and children, making them a favorite at petting zoos. They have personality, but are playful and docile. Lana explained that it all started with ducks! She rescued ducks first, and soon expanded to all the species you see here. Those ducks were pretty noisy! And it’s interesting to note that with most breeds of ducks, it’s the female doing the squawking! . In fact, some male ducks are virtually silent! The cows we met were interesting. I had never heard of a zebu, which is sometimes known as humped cattle. It’s is a species of domestic cattle from India. Zebu have a fatty hump on their shoulders, and sometimes drooping ears. They are well adapted to withstanding high temperatures, and are farmed throughout tropical countries. Zebu are used as riding animals, dairy cattle, and beef cattle. Our Sugarplum Zoo tour ended with Lani telling us they are “motivated by connection, compassion, and a commitment to sharing a meaningful bond with everyone who can benefit from time spent with an animal.”

My house, built in 1939, still boasts its original garage, and while it may be a little worse for wear and doesn’t house an automobile anymore, it certainly serves many purposes. Not the least of these is a perch for various animals that happen by. This morning, a robin must have sensed that I needed a model to test out my new closeup lens, as it paid a visit to the old garage roof at just the right moment. Like any good model, it sat for a moment, allowing me to get a good look at his features. The brown of its head, wings, and tail, and the gray of its under parts, all serve to contrast with its distinctive red breast. This one also has some interesting lighter marks around its eyes. Robins often puff out their feathers to stay warm. This is called rousing, and can certainly come in handy during an early spring morning in Canada. The male robin may also puff up his chest to attract a female for breeding. To me though, this particular robin is saying, “I’m in charge up here on this fine old garage.”

It’s June, it’s the Canadian countryside, there are leaves, therefore there are inch worms. In a certain mood, they can be entertaining to watch, as they, literally, inch their way along. Inchworms are actually caterpillars that belong to a family of moths with over 1,200 species native to North America. Depending on the species, they can be pale green like this one, or reddish-green, dark brown or even black. Inchworms have three pairs of “true legs” at the front of their bodies, and two or three pairs of prolegs (appendages extending from the abdomen) at the rear. They have no appendages at the middle, and move by drawing their rear ends forward while extending their front section and holding on with their prolegs. An inchworm’s body is smooth and hairless, and many species have projections on their bodies that help them mimic flowers, twigs or foliage. When in danger, some inchworms stand upright and still on their prolegs, making them appear like a twig. Inch worms feed on several types of trees, plants and shrubs. Some species feed exclusively on deciduous trees and shrubs, some feed only on conifers, and some feed on both. Only one generation of inch worms is born every year. Adult moths lay their eggs in the winter, leaving them on twigs and tree limbs in clusters of 50 or more. After the eggs hatch in April or early May, the caterpillars feed for four or five weeks. When they mature, they burrow into the soil and make cocoons of silk and dirt particles near the soil’s surface. They pupate in early June, but do not emerge as moths until November, when they surface to lay eggs. The adult female moth is wingless; the adult male has a wingspan of about 1 inch.

This is part four of our ‘vintage mobile home upgrade’ series. Powerwashing is actually really fun. So much so that everyone wants to have a go at shaking off some of life’s frustrations by taking charge of some focused, forceful water, and blasting away at some grit and grime. And watching it disappear! Very satisfying. In the case of this job – it was decades old dirt that needed blasting. This German-built, Bürstner trailer came as part of the deal when a young couple purchased a lake cabin, and it seems to have been sitting here since the 80’s. The front of the trailer had quite a buildup of moss and other material as it faces the lake to the north – from where the wind regularly blows up the hill right at it. Since the trailer is stationary,It was tough trying to fit the washing wand in between the back of the trailer and the adjacent hut. We’ll do the rest of that side later, with a bucket of soapy water and a sponge. And if you look very closely, you’ll notice an orange band suddenly appear across the top of the trailer, right at the 51 second mark. The orange stripe is the original look, and the former owner used some yellow vinyl siding left over from the cottage, to help the mobile home blend in with the cottage. However, after all these years, it was time becoming tattered. Time to strip the trailer back to its basics and proceed from there. Next up — furniture and power. Stay tuned! Part1 – Painting the walls: https://rumble.com/vgi373-terrific-trailer-time-lapse.html Part2 – Painting the floor: https://rumble.com/vie5i7-worn-out-floor-gets-fresh-coat-of-paint.html Part3 – Installing new floor: https://rumble.com/vikgg7-installing-new-floor-in-1980s-mobile-home-time-lapse.html

This is part three of our vintage trailer upgrade series. When a young couple purchased a cute lakeside country cottage in Quebec, Canada, it came with this vintage, German-built, Bürstner mobile home. The Bürstner company’s stated goal is: “Anyone who travels with a Bürstner should feel at home wherever they are.” Well, this particular trailer needed a bit of TLC before it could feel like a home, as it has been sitting dormant for quite some time. In the first video in this series we saw our friends gut the entire trailer interior and replace the deteriorating wood panelled walls with fresh new drywall, which they painted a crisp, clean, white. Next they prepared the floor, which you saw in the second video. The old floor surface was patched and repaired and painted, in order to get it ready for the new adhesive flooring, which you see being laid in this, third video in the series. TrafficMaster flooring was chosen as it’s designed for fast, easy, do-it-yourself installation, and requires no glue or underlayment. It can be installed on uneven surfaces and even in bathrooms. The job took about two hours, presented here for you in under a minute. Enjoy! Part1 – Painting the walls: https://rumble.com/vgi373-terrific-trailer-time-lapse.html Part2 – Painting the floor: https://rumble.com/vie5i7-worn-out-floor-gets-fresh-coat-of-paint.html

Walking close to the water along the banks of the Rideau River in springtime, I see thousands of pollywogs (also known as tadpoles). I decided to dedicate one of my walks to getting some closeups of them in the early morning, and I got some fascinating shots of these tiny creatures. Being a tadpole is part of the life cycle of all frogs and toads. Looking at this big crowd, it’s easy to believe that in a few weeks the city will be overrun with teaming frogs! But in actuality, almost every other river creature eats these little tadpoles! Ducks can be seen gobbling them up quite rapidly. And other aquatic birds find them delicious as well. Apparently, this is why frogs produce thousands and thousands of tadpoles in a season. It’s likely that only 2 will survive into adulthood to replace the parent frogs. Just before breeding, the females lay their fertilized eggs into the still water. The male fertilizes the eggs as the female releases them and they clump together to form spawn. Then, in most cases, the parents leave their eggs, and in a few weeks, the cells in the egg divide to give rise to the tadpoles. A couple of weeks later, the tadpoles are ready to come out into the open. Till now, the nutrients they needed were in the eggs. But now they have to go out in search of the food. So off they swim in search of algae and tender plants to feed on. As the tadpoles continue to eat, they grow in size and develop limbs, with the back legs growing first and the front legs second. At between 9 and 12 weeks, the tail begins to diminish, and the tadpole now has more significant limbs. It is now a froglet, a young frog, and can eat larger plants, and even insects. It starts to use its newly developed lungs instead of gills to breathe, and tadpoles at this stage will often swim to the surface and gulp air. This means that soon the frog can hop onto land and feel comfortable in or out of water. Curiously, the name tadpole comes from Middle English - tadde = ’toad', and pol = ‘head'. So, “toad head” lol. The name pollywog is made up of the same pol, 'head', and wiglen, 'to wiggle'. So “wiggle head”.

Have you ever thought about spending the night in a UFO … house? There I was, driving through Pensacola Florida on a rainy afternoon, when suddenly, I spotted a UFO! Of course, I HAD to do a U-turn to investigate. The video I took is a little rough as I was shooting one-handed out the passenger window while driving a rental car ;) After I shot this video, I looked on the internet to get some information on exactly what I had just seen. It turns out, what I was looking at is called a “Futuro House”, and this particular one has withstood many hurricanes—just as the experimental 1960s design intended. This portable space age structure, dubbed “The UFO House” on Google Earth, was originally conceived as a ski cabin. The experimental design was hyped as the home of the future, but less than 100 were ever built, and around 60 still remain scattered across the globe. This Futuro now houses the Pensacola Beach Preservation and Historical Society Headquarters. I found out that this house is privately owned but few people ever stay there. There are no fences or private property signs telling you not to trespass, except on the ramp leading up to the UFO door. Hurricane Ivan, Hurricane Dennis, a tornado -- the UFO House weathered them all. All Florida homes should be built like spaceships! The portable, fiberglass, prefabricated home design from 1968 is by Finnish architect Matti Suuronen. It had a single bedroom, bathroom, U-shaped kitchen area, separate dining area, a curved 23-ft. couch and a central fireplace that doubled as a grill. They were made in sections that could be delivered by truck and assembled on-site, or, for the really wealthy, they could be completely assembled at the factory and flown in by helicopter. They had four metal pads at the end of V-shaped legs that were meant to be bolted to concrete footings, and all utilities ran through a column, called a "utility pod," immediately below the house. “Spaceship House” is also a name commonly given to the structure at 1304 Panferio Drive in Pensacola Beach. The shape, reminiscent of a flying saucer, and the structure's airplane hatch entrance have made these houses sought after by collectors. A Futuro house (or pod) measures 13 feet (4 meters) high and 26 feet (8 meters) in diameter. The Futuro house was a product of post-war Finland, reflecting the period's faith in technology, the conquering of space, unprecedented economic growth, and an increase in leisure time. It was designed by Suuronen as a ski cabin that would be "quick to heat and easy to construct in rough terrain". The end result was a universally transportable home that had the ability to be mass replicated and situated in almost any environment. To facilitate transport, the house consisted of 16 elements that were bolted together to form the floor and the roof. The project could be constructed on-site, or dismantled and reassembled on-site in two days, or even airlifted in one piece by helicopter to the site. The only necessity on site for its placement were four concrete piers, so the project could occupy nearly any topography. Due to the integrated polyurethane insulation and electric heating system, the house could be heated to a comfortable temperature in only thirty minutes. By the mid-1970s, the house was taken off the market. From the beginning, it had been met with public hostility. Its avant-garde appearance and unfamiliar material influenced the public’s reluctance to accept the Futuro House. The first Futuro House that was erected in Finland elicited public protest because it looked too unnatural for the rustic environment. In the United States, Futuro Houses were banned from many municipalities by zoning regulations. Banks were reluctant to finance them. Some were vandalised. Some customers who committed to buy them backed out and forfeited their non-refundable $1,000 deposits. Some have been destroyed.

This is part II of the renovation of the little vintage RV trailer that came as part of the deal with a cute cottage on a lake purchased in Quebec, Canada. The hope is that it will be an attractive adjunct to the cabin, which will be offered as an AirBnb stayover in a beautiful wooded lake setting. In the first time-lapse video, we saw the walls and ceilings get a fresh coat of paint. Now it’s time to paint the floor to prepare the surface for the adhesive flooring that will be installed next. I set up three cameras to record this time-lapse, but my iPhone fell over on the shelf I had it propped up on, so we’re now getting two different angles. My Canon 80D, on another shelf, gave me the first sequence, and the second is from my GoPro, which was attached to a skylight for the panoramic overhead shot. When the job was all finished, I realized all my cameras were trapped inside, with all approaches covered in wet paint! It was a head-scratcher, but I came up with some solutions. Climbing onto the trailer’s tow hitch, I lifted open one of the hinged windows, reached around and grabbed both my iPhone and my 80D with minimal contortion needed. But how to reach my GoPro, which was still on the ceiling? This called for a more creative solution. First, I placed a bucket of water at the entrance to the RV. Barefoot, I picked up a loaded paint roller and carrying it, I made my way slowly (squish, squish) across the freshly painted wet floor, to the center. I retrieved my GoPro with one hand and slowly walked backwards to the door, erasing my footprints with the roller. Mission accomplished and I left no trace! Oh, and the bucket of water was handy for removing most the paint from my feet, and the rest came off when I jumped into the lake for a celebratory swim. Part 1 of the renovation: https://rumble.com/vgi373-terrific-trailer-time-lapse.html

I decided to experiment with staying as silent and unmoving as I could, while relaxing with a drink in a comfortable chair on my backyard deck. Right in front of me I set up a tripod with my Canon 80D with a 300 mm lens. I sat back and listened to music on my iPhone—with earbuds, so I wasn’t making a sound. Very shortly, I was rewarded with a great up-close-and-personal visit from a chipmunk! She didn’t seem to mind the peeling paint on my old garage one bit as she enjoyed a veritable feast of maple tree seeds (this IS Canada…) and pond-water while keeping a very keen ear and eye out for those children happily playing nearby. Her whole body seemed poised for escape if they came any nearer, but she seemed satisfied that there was no danger, and kept on munching. When her little one appeared, however, she made sure the youngster understood it was to stay under the garage until further notice! Chipmunks always seem to be moving so fast that it’s hard to get more than a little glimpse of them. But by maintaining my silent and unmoving stance, I was able to observe all the details this time. Such beautiful eyes. Notice how delicate and intricate their hands and feet are, and that the stripes go all the way over the back and continue down the tail. The precise action of their delicate hands demands a slow-motion camera to really catch what they’re doing when they eat, or even just scratch. Is that chipmunk using his tail to wash and “towel off”? Chipmunks are basically pygmy squirrels. They’re known for their burrowing habits and love of nuts. They scamper along the ground, but they are also expert climbers. The chipmunks’ call is a shrill chirring or chirping. Their signature behavior, so to speak, is to stuff seeds and nuts into their cheek pouches. Just one tiny chipmunk can gather up to 165 acorns in one day! They carry them to a burrow to be stored for later use. Most chipmunks do not accumulate significant fat, so they depend upon this cached food during the long winter, during which they wake from their hibernation at intervals for feeding. Their young are typically born in the spring, two to eight per birth, after about a month’s gestation. Chipmunks usually grow to no more than 6 inches in length, with a 3-inch tail, and the average chipmunk weighs less than one pound. Their lifespan is two to three years in the wild. And while the “wild” can be their ideal forest habitat, they also often live comfortably in cities wherever trees, water, and someplace to burrow are available. Chipmunks dig two types of burrows: shallow burrows in which they seek refuge while foraging during the day, and deeper, more complex burrows where they nest, store food and spend most of the winter months. They rarely venture further than 1/3 mile from their burrows at any time. They’ve got lots of places to burrow around my house, and fresh water is available in the pond. All I have to do is get myself to sit still and I will likely get to observe more of their talents and cuteness.

Isn’t a dog sticking its head out of a car window just the picture of perfect bliss? Why do dogs DO that, and risk getting bugs in their eyes? Because the thrill is SO worth it! Very few dogs can resist the feeling of a breeze running through their fur and their ears flapping in the wind as they ride along with wind-whipped grins. Dogs seem to be all-in when it comes to enjoying this simple pleasure. Not only do the sights and sounds whizz by, delighting and entertaining our pets, … but just think of the smorgasbord of smells that waft along as well! The more receptors you have, the more sensitive your nose is. We humans have 5 million scent receptors, but a dog has 300 million! By sticking their head out the window, they can smell every person in the street, every trash can next to the curb, and every patch of grass. And if the drive is going through a restaurant district — what happiness! And while many dogs love excitement and adventure, looking out the window may help some dogs gain a sense of control over their environment by allowing them to see where they are. They could be trying to anticipate what’s next, or trying to figure out if they’re going to the dog park or the vet. Big difference  And one final thought. When dogs are confined in any capacity, they tend to look for an opening. Whatever the reason, most dogs can’t resist a cracked window. The same might go for other animals too, in fact. Dogs simply happen to be the creatures we travel around with the most. I’ve seen horses with their heads out the trailer window and I’m sure most animals behave similarly. After all, who can resist the wind in their face? Certainly not Russell the Terrier!

Early June means installing the dock at the summer house. We’re in the Outaouis Region of Quebec, Canada, about forty kilometers outside of Ottawa. Right after we jumped into the lake we realized we were not alone. This very friendly red-ear sunfish seemed for all the world like he wanted to play! He wasn’t too happy about my GoPro camera floating nearby, but he didn’t let it deter him from his nipping around our tender tootsies! Since then he’s come back time and again. So, at this point my son decided he needed a name. He thought Nibbles McNibbleson. I quite like Bitey McBiterson, though. What do you think?

Now here’s something to chew on! Underneath the famous Pike Place Market in Seattle, you can experience a local landmark—The Market Theater Gum Wall. Believe it or not, it is listed as one of Washington’s “must see” tourist attractions. Just like it sounds, it’s a wall covered in ACG (already chewed gum). This strange and smelly phenomenon has been around since the early 90’s when patrons would wait in long lines to get tickets for the Market Theater. Apparently since back then, people didn’t have cell phones to keep them occupied while waiting to purchase tickets, someone started this innovative, if unsanitary creation by sticking gum on the wall and then sticking a coin into it. Others quickly followed suit and soon the wall was covered and thousands of wads of chewing gum! Some began sticking larger and larger blobs, even fashioning works of sculpture out of them. This unique and colorful attraction now runs along a 50 foot long section of wall, and gum covers it all the way up to 15 feet high! Theater workers did scrape the gum away twice, but people just started it up again, and eventually the theater gave up and gave in after market officials deemed the gum wall a tourist attraction around 1999. It seems the odd landmark had achieved a certain notoriety. The colorful wall emits a cacophony of smells—in every flavor under the sun. It REALLY SMELLS – so keep that in mind when visiting. You might also want to keep in mind that it was named one of the top 5 most “germy” tourist attractions in 2009 by Trip Advisor, second only to the Blarney Stone (which is kissed by up to 400,000 visitors each year). In 2015, for the first time in 20 years, the Great Gum Wall received a total scrub-down and steam cleaning, because the sugar in the gum was causing the wall to erode! Clouds of cloyingly sweet smelling steam blew through Post Alley and rose up into Pike Place Market as two men in protective suits and masks raked and sprayed down the wall. Gum softened and dropped from the wall onto steel plates that lined the ground to catch the sticky, germ-laden mess. Onlookers snapped photos for Snapchat while TV reporters launched into live reports. The cleaning took 130 hours to complete, and workers filled 94 buckets with 2,350 pounds of gum! When the cleaning was finished, the gum-sticking almost immediately began again! By the time Pike Place Market put out a Press Release saying Seattle’s famous gum wall was now clean, it was already no longer true! A couple other facts about the wall for you to chew on: A scene in the 2009 Jennifer Aniston film Love Happens was shot at the wall. And for some unfathomable reason it's a popular spot for wedding photos!

We had some free time in Sydney Australia before heading off on a cruise, so we set off to tour the downtown area on foot. Looking over at the iconic Sydney Harbour Bridge, I thought I discerned some movement on the crest of the arch. I grabbed my camera and zoomed in on the very top of the 440 foot structure, affectionately known as “the coat hanger.” I turned to my friend and said, incredulously, “There are people up there!” Intrigued, we decided to get some info. Turns out that since 1998, people have been suiting-up in specially designed outdoor gear, leaving their cell phones behind, and making their way up to and along the very top of the bridge, where they get an exhilarating 360° panoramic view of Sydney Harbour. “See Sydney at its best - take the Climb of Your Life!” says the website. Climb leaders shepherd their groups after making sure a safety belt is worn around everyone’s waist, and chains are attached to the belts and guardrails. It's not an arduous or difficult climb, but note that there are 1,332 steps to reach the apex, and it takes about four hours from start to finish. The climb takes place in almost all weather conditions—electrical storms and extremely high winds being the sensible exceptions. Nearly four million people having done the climb to date, making The Sydney Harbour Bridge the most-climbed bridge in the world. And this activity was voted the #1 Australia Experience by TripAdvisor. What else is the Sydney Harbour Bridge famous for? Before landing his starring role in Crocodile Dundee, Paul Hogan worked as a rigger on the bridge. And apparently it’s pretty romantic at the top, since over 5,000 proposals and over 30 weddings have taken place up there! If climbing this bridge is on your bucket list, you may just find yourself on top of the world, down under!

If only we could really paint this fast!

In the 1990s, I worked for a company called Cognos, Inc. – a business consulting and software company founded in 1969. The company enjoyed a good level of success from the outset, and it grew consistently – even throughout the 1980 economic recession— and in 1986 they went public, appearing on the Toronto Stock Exchange as CSN. From there, the successful upward climb continued, such that by the last years of the 20th century they were outgrowing their premises, and in need of new digs for their Ottawa, Canada headquarters. Plans were drawn, and the project broke ground on Riverside Drive in Ottawa in October 1999. As Director of Creative Services and Events, it was my job to capture a time-line of the construction, that spanned 9 months, right through a harsh Canadian winter! I decided to approach the job in two phases. First, I locked-off a MiniDV consumer video camera on the top floor of the original office, and surrounded it with “keep away” theatre stanchions. I set the camera to record on "interval". As the building rose, I repositioned my camera on top of the newly completed parking garage, by building a wooden camera shelter on the roof, and from there I continued shooting the final phase. The shelter looked a bit like a big birdhouse, complete with open area for the camera lens, a locking back door, independent power supply and small light bulb to keep the camera warm. Looking back these more than 20 years, I still think this time-lapse is awesome, if I do say so myself! In 2008, Cognos was acquired by IBM and ceased to exist as an independent entity, but it lives on in spirit inside these very walls, now housing IBM offices.

My job requires me to travel often, and in all seasons, from YOW (Ottawa International, the airport in this clip) to various cities in the United States, usually by way of a plane change in Toronto. The first snowfall of winter usually arrives in these locations in November, but can show up as early as October. The season's last snowfall typically happens in April although in some years a late skiff or even a dump of snow can land in May. Big snowstorms of over 10 cm a day (4 inches) normally occur about three or four times a year. But major blizzards that dump 25 cm (10 inches) or more in one day are rare events that happen once a decade. Both the Ottawa and Toronto airports are well prepared for heavy snowfall, be it sudden and unpredicted, or heralded for days. These airports spend many millions of dollars on snow removal equipment and personnel. There are eight big snow removal rigs in this shot, and that’s just one corner of the airport!

Riding the bike path along the Rideau River, right through the middle of the city of Ottawa, I pass through some still unspoiled wild nature areas. Then, at the Dunbar Bridge over Bronson Avenue, I enter a graffiti world that tells the story of The House of PainT. According to their website, "The House of PainT is a FREE Outdoor HipHop Jam that showcases Graffiti, Breakdancing, Dj’s and MC’s from across Canada. It is one of Ottawa’s fastest growing community events. Since 2003, House of PainT has created space to exhibit and uplift hip hop culture in the Nation’s Capital." The House of PainT often has festivals here and in the green space right next to it, where there are playgrounds, fields, trails and even a marshy pond – all right next door. It’s a vibrant community and the murals are always changing. Through an agreement with the city, creating graffiti here is perfectly legal, so there’s a relaxed atmosphere. In fact, being by the river gives the place a nicely serene vibe – if you don’t count the strange rumbling echoes from passing cars above.

We’re on the Ontario side of the Prince of Wales rail bridge (long since abandoned by trains), which spans the Ottawa River to Gatineau, Quebec. These two families of Canada Geese have over twenty-four (count ‘em) goslings between them! There seems to be very little sibling rivalry or rambunctious behavior here, but the geese and ganders are keeping a keen eye out, and will herd their young back into line in a heartbeat. Communal child rearing seems to be as innate in these geese as mating for life. The cyclists and pedestrians who frequent this spot usually respect and co-exist nicely with the geese. But if any pesky human does get out of line, a protective goose or gander will give them a piece of their mind with loud honks and aggressive gestures. And make no mistake—those gestures will turn into more if you don’t back right off! Canada geese are tough and relentless when they feel threatened. Their wings strike hard, and their claws tear. The bite of the gander can bruise a leg right through jeans. Ever wondered why geese would choose to live in the heart of a busy city that has parks, walkways, and more potentially dangerous human activities like biking and traffic? They are attracted to grassy lawns and freshly mowed expanses of relatively short grass. In these open places they can see and evade predators that might be approaching. Geese are birds, yes, but they’re very comfortable on their feet, and they can walk great distances. The goslings can’t fly at all until about 10 weeks of age, so for a few months each year, the whole family mostly walks about. As I shot this large and graceful group, the four parents lead their youngsters over a small snow fence. The adults went right over the top, and like all good parents, they allowed their offspring to figure things out themselves, and the little ones quickly found that squeezing through the wood slats worked for them. Turns out the reason they chose the route over the fence was to avoid me – the suspicious looking videographer! I got the shots as they made their way back over the other side.

My backyard pond and waterfall lie dormant under snow and ice throughout our harsh Canadian winters. Over many months, dry brown Gingko leaves and pine needles collect in the crevices, along with twigs, dirt, spiderwebs and various crawling creatures. It’s now the end of May and time for my yard cleanup, and that includes bringing the pond back to its summertime glory! Cleaning up took a back seat to creative instinct, however, when the inspiration struck me that a TIME-LAPSE of the pond revival would be awesome - immediately followed by the thought – and FOUR cameras would make it even better! My iPhone X handled the overhead shot. My Canon 80D got the rock wall closeups. My Canon G7X captured the stuff that swirled on the surface as the water level rose. And my battle-weary GoPro Hero3, nestled comfortably at the bottom of the pond in its waterproof case, witnessed the water making its way up, up ... Blub, blub, blub.

The magical Rideau river in Ottawa, Canada. This particularly peaceful spot on the river is just a few minutes’ walk from my house, so I come often, in all four seasons. It always has something special to offer. This early morning in May, a family of Canada geese are making their way across the glassy, rapidly-flowing surface. Mom (the goose) always leads the way, with the little goslings following in a line behind her, and Dad (the gander) bringing up the rear. The goslings in this clip are only a few weeks old, and not yet able to fly, so Mom and Dad are keeping them close and safe. Curiously, there also seems to be a little bit of commotion going on behind them at one point in the video. Perhaps some sort of goose disagreement? Did someone honk too loud? Enjoy the serenity as the geese glide by. And it’s fun to remember that as graceful and calm as those geese look as they cross the river, underneath the surface their little feet are paddling like mad!

On a Sunday stroll to the river in my Old Ottawa South neighborhood, I spot a handsome striped grass snake, not quite camouflaged by the lush green grass of early spring. While I scrambled to get my camera uncapped and ready to go, I heard some hurried footsteps behind me. Suddenly there appeared a curious boy with a butterfly net. He assured us that he is indeed, an experienced snake-catcher! Our young friend deftly scooped the snake into his net while calmly reporting that he’s been bitten before and that it hurts! Oops, the clever snake manages to slip out of the net and slither away to nearby cover. All part of a morning’s adventure.

Mosquitos and black flies are out in force during the spring season in Quebec forests. I wondered whether or not a raccoon’s fur would protect him from such pests. Well, I got my answer this early May morning as I idly gazed out the cottage window while waiting for my coffee to brew. This raccoon seemed very preoccupied with ridding himself of such annoyances. Finishing his efforts to liberate himself of these pests, or at least to scratch their bites, Rocky checks me out thoroughly before gingerly making his way down the tree trunk, and without even bothering to glance back, he disappears into the bush for the day. - - - - - - - - Some fun raccoon facts! - A raccoon’s coat of DENSE UNDERFUR naturally insulates them and protects them against cold weather – but – unfortunately NOT against black flies and such. - Raccoons are INTELLIGENT. Zoologists have said that they are MORE CUNNING THAN FOXES. In one study, raccoons demonstrated enough intelligence to open 11 out of 13 complex locks in less than ten attempts. This study reaffirmed that raccoons’ cerebral cortex can be compared to those of primates. - They’ve got GREAT HANDS. Compared to other animals, raccoon hands are almost human-like, with five fingers. That’s why they can open containers such as jars, bottles, and trash bins. - They’re TOUCHY. Raccoons mostly process their surroundings through their pronounced sense of touch. They even have whiskers near the tips of their paws! - Raccoons “WASH” their food, often dipping their food in water before they eat. Because they have such a strong sense of touch, they inspect their food using their hands. - Urban raccoons are smarter than their rural counterparts. City raccoons are exposed to a wider diversity of obstacles thanks to humans, which leads to more clever and cunning raccoons. They are bolder and more adapted to learning about man-made obstacles, such as opening trash bins with puzzling lids. - The name “raccoon” originates from the word “aroughcun”, a Powhatan term that means “one who scratches with its hands”. - Similar to cats, raccoons have surprisingly good NIGHT VISION, and their distinct face markings may help reduce glare to enhance it even more. - Raccoons have a GREAT SENSE OF SMELL that helps them move around at night and communicate with other raccoons. - Aside from an excellent sense of touch and smell, raccoons also have sensitive HEARING. A raccoon’s hearing is so sharp that it can detect even the movement of earthworms underground! - And finally, the SIZE of a raccoon can vary wildly. They can weigh from 10 to 60 lbs. (5 to 26 kg). Like bears, raccoons tend to weigh a lot more in the winter because they store fat to prepare for hibernation. That said, the largest wild raccoon ever recorded weighed 63 pounds! (28 kg).