I’m going to start adding some of my writing to my posts occasionally, as it’s really all good noise. And it’s what I do. Below is my first.Wednesday Wisdom.

If you feel down about the state of the world or depressed because life isn’t fair, rather than following the same old patterns or blaming people or things beyond your control, try something different. Go for a walk, sit quietly for 10 minutes, soak up the sun, read, join a group, start a group, make something… the options are endless.

Because, as my mom always told me (and something it’s taken me a long time to understand) - “you can’t change the world, but you can change yourself.”

Hello, Sun! So nice to see the long shadows of Leith, Ontario again.

Went to town this morning.  Drive in was fine, but started getting progressively worse the more south I got.  Probably explains why all the highways south of us are closed.  

We haven’t had much snow yet.  A blizzard was forecast for yesterday, but it never materialized here, at least.  Today, we are getting some follow-up snow squalls.  Which adds a nice touch to the landscape.

I took a walk through our local Hibou conservation area with my friend, Bill, today.  Forced myself to only use my 24mm on my Canon body.  Here are my favourites.

First post of 2024 captures what I plan on spending more time on this year - the beauty of the everyday.

We spend so much time looking at heavily stylized photos taken in faraway places we forget how much beauty there is right under our noses.

Here are some of my personal favourites from the past year.  It was another great year.  And there are still so many photos I’ve never even looked at.  Hope everyone has a happy new year.  Looking forward to branching out in 2024.

Moon over Owen Sound Santa Claus Parade 2023

Merry Christmas! May it bring peace to all.

My wish is that we all learn to live with less. Less anxiety, less stress, less money, less stuff, less suffering.

Another attempt at pan-focussing. Unlike the windsurfer (posted on my FB page last week), this subject has quite a few more moving parts that make it more abstract. It captures her energy and length very well, though. This is my grand-dog, Phoebe (Bridgers).

Yesterday, two very close friends and I went for a hike to try and find the back corner of one of the friend’s property.  Although we ran out of time and had to turn back before we got there, we did make it to the back fence of the 100 acres.  Standing amongst trees that rarely see humans is a powerful experience.  As is the feeling of being completely alone in the wilderness.  It both reminds me of my insignificance and that I am part of something much larger than myself.  And it reveals more of the beauty of the ordinary that I love to photograph.

I am grateful for the nature that surrounds and protects us.  And I am grateful for friends who are willing to get lost with me.  

I’ve started sharing photos I took during my 20 years of teaching at what turned out to be the last version of the same high school I attended, the O.S.C.V.I. (sorry for the “the”, but it deserves it).  The early photos I’ve shared aren’t terribly artistic. So I wanted to share a photo to show them it (and I) will get better. I chose this one from 2012.

I am very grateful for all the photographic opportunities teaching gave me.  Sports was a favourite. But it definitely took me a while to get good at it.  This is one of my favourite Falcon photos.