blogging from life…
is it just another day?
I don’t particularly like humans. Over the decades I have been surrounded by the uncaring, the unknowing and the cruel hence the distrust in humans. The current state of the world just reinforces my warranted distrust of people.
The chaos around the globe highlights the lack of humanity in the world.
Chaos created by delusional leaders greedy for power, land and money has increased most significantly by one in particular.
trump.
Supported by the unqualified, the unthinking and the corrupt.
In the fact the president of the united states is an authoritarian leader who is also a convicted felon. Hmmm, wouldn’t have thought a right minded person would willingly vote for a felon…..proof maga has no smarts. trump is backed by his billionaire friends, drag the knuckles nationalist conservatives and unintelligent magas bent on destroying a free and democratic nation.
White-washed america has bought into the lies about anyone who is different.
The goals of this nationalist conservative administration include regressing to a time when women were seen not heard. A time women couldn’t vote, women didn’t have body autonomy, and were under control of their husbands. This administration is not for the huddled massed, the downtrodden or the different. This administration is racist. It displays prejudice and discrimination against its own citizens. It is antagonistic towards humans of different cultures, sexual orientations, race, religion, social class, and ideology.
america is against anyone who does not fit the white supremist model
It is just like the Nazis in World War II.
A war is a war is a war.
How any individual can stand at a podium on air and unequivocally lie about what their government is doing? No mirrors at home Karoline?
Especially when the president repeatedly calls it war.
This is happening america, right now.
Need proof? Watch and listen, from journalists to everyday citizens who are reporting on the american created chaos around the globe. Like starting a war in Iran without congressional approval, ICE murdering American citizens, repeated aggression towards other sovereign nations, ELBOWS UP CANADA! Like kidnapping the President of Venezuela so trump can have the oil, cutting off Cuba so trump can takeover, threats to all who don’t bend a knee Spain and turning Gaza into a hotelplex for the rich, the list goes on.
How’s the price of eggs, america?
Listen to the maga people who are now feeling the repercussions of the off-the-rails government tariffs to get a gist of what’s up in america. You can see these crying sods on YouTube.
#democracy #trump #war #nationalism #america #eggs
PS The reason names are uncapitalized is because I have no respect for this nation nor its administration or cohorts. If america one day rights itself I may reinstate the capitalization names.
since then….
Graduated from college with honours, Yay! So I got a dog, he is awesome.
We are together every day he is my biggest support and gets me out the door to enjoy nature rain or shine or snow.
Wakamow Valley
Jackson’s new garden
the new Prairie
Last term is coming to a close and I am currently on Practicum at Discover Moose Jaw https://discovermoosejaw.com shooting sports and learning the ways of radio.
I have been in Moose Jaw for three months and all I have met tell me I am home with their kindness and generosity. These riders, for instance, let me interrupt their day, shoot their photo and be nosy, for Freelance Class.
For more photos go to https://fotosbywendyb.ca
Have a great day everyone!
well, between then and now…
Life is always changing and throwing curve balls, and I have catch a couple recently.
School is now five weeks in and I am learning cool stuff and shooting better pics every week.
To see my current work you can go to http://fotosbywendyb.ca
I’m back….
Well it has certainly been a busy summer. I finished my first year of college, YAY! Great learning experience even online. I was looking forward to a productive finish to August however I broke my leg just before school ended and alas I have been very limited on my needle art studio setup, travel to the mountains for photographing wildlife and even our summer end camping trip to the mountains was not an option this year, 😦
Ahhh, such is life!
So it is time to get back at it and today I have the photos I took on our modified summer end vaca. We went to Edmonton to stay at our favourite place, this time with our cat Toby, we enjoyed some great food at Mr. Mike’s, played some games at the Rec Room, an amazing drive to Elk Island and generally relaxed to the max.(all the while being compliant with COVID-19 safe guidelines)
These photos are of Beaver Pond an easy hiking trail in the park.
Elk Island is a national park about 40 minutes east of Edmonton. The park has several trails from easy to difficult and gives visitors the ability to see the wildlife by car, hiking or bicycling. There is camping at the park however this has been curtailed by the pandemic and should be confirmed through their website.
These beautiful creatures are why we went to Elk Island and going early at 0630h paid off, we saw two herds and some loners on our drive through the park. I got numerous shots and will be adding more to the gallery section of this website. Our secondary goal was to go to Beaver Pond where we got out and slowly walked (limped and hobbled) for a short hike.
A really lovely way to spend our day on our anniversary vaca!
Remember we are all in this together so wear your mask, wash your hands and physical distance when possible, the life you save my be your Mom’s…
encounter with reality
So as the weekend has flown by working on my magazine, setting up interviews, transcribing and taking photos for my next assignment, I am thinking of all the incredible photos I have taken in Nicaragua.
Just walking around you encounter reality and see such a different way of life that at first you don’t understand why people do the things they do.
So it was one day we were walking along the beach in Puerto Cabezas. Not all of it is covered in trash, that will be another post. What I encountered was the turtle market on the beach at the pier.
To me this was shocking, to the people there is was everyday life and where their dinner was coming from, to feed their families.
Readers may feel this is cruel and shouldn’t happen but in Nica the second poorest country in this hemisphere, this is sustenance and a way to make money.
It is sad to most of us to see this, and the knee jerk reaction may be how can they do this?
Those of us who have a home filled with things we want, jobs that pay our bills, vehicles that take us to the mall (safely distancing of course) and the money to do pretty much what we want living in a country with health care, and a social welfare network, do not know what this dire poverty, hunger and lack of basic amenities is like.
In a country where being armed is the norm and people are just trying to survive we cannot judge folks for trying to live and take care of their families.
Have a safe and happy week Canada, remember being kind to everyone is the way to a better world.
off the beaten path
So often I see ads for group travel to remote places for that one in a lifetime experience. I see these and close my eyes to remember my adventures. No group. No hired travel guide. Not always a hotel, room or normal bed, and sometimes way off the beaten path.
My first trip to Nicaragua, was the first of several adventures I was able to experience and take lots of photos of.
Nicaragua was like adventures within an adventure. My favourite was trekking into the jungle in R.A.A.N.
A rickety school bus with holes in the floor and puddle water in the radiator took as far as humanly possible to a spot far west of Santa Marta. It was evening when we started into the jungle, we were headed west into the oncoming darkness. Our gruelling trek lasted until midnight with the path chopped clear by a young man known to my travel buddy.
As always, I have my coffee, a place to lay my head and it’s a good thing I like spiders as this fine fellow was sharing my mosquito net and woven mat of leaves. This is on the Wawa River and, very much, off the beaten path.
This is chocolate, not looking too tasty at all.
Some of the surrounding sights to see including a large tree across the river known as “The Devil Tree.”
Dugout canoe is the way to travel and if you are not paddling you are bailing, with no pitch to seal canoes the rags used only do so much. This was our way back to civilization, heading east along the Wawa River.
I was fortunate to travel to different places, always off the beaten path, carrying everything I needed in my backpack and my sling camera bag. These once in a life time adventures were amazing and I have more to share, so stay tuned!
Till next time, stay strong and keep safe Canada!
vintage, muscle, rare, fast
Good morning everyone!
No, I didn’t forget to post Friday evening. I decided to take a break from being in front of the computer which is everyday of the week for my college program (and no, having a full course load online doesn’t mean you are sitting playing xbox all day).
I did some much needed gardening which was well timed since there have been thunderstorms most of the weekend. I chilled with Jody and watched some good movies and I got to knit. This is my most favourite needle art and my top of the chart thing to do followed by a close second with photography and hiking.
Now on with the show, literally, a car show.
Anyone who knows me or reads my blog knows I love cars, so when there is an opportunity to attend a car show I’m there. I am not into the new car shows. I love vintage, muscle, rare and fast cars as well as hot rods. My only problem is getting good shots because lots of other people are there, also lovers of beautiful cars.
Through out my life I have always been around cars. My Dad liked odd cars, he had a Commer Cob van and a Morris Mini for running around. He bought a brand new 1969 Chevelle two-door for the family car, don’t think my Mom was too impressed, but my brothers were! Then as a teenager Dad bought another old car, a Mercury Parklane two-door hardtop, this is the car he taught me to drive in….our should I say big long car…..
Throughout my life I have been fortunate to have driven lots of different cars, the fastest was The Black Olds, a 1969 W-30 engine blued and balanced in a 1971 Olds Cutlass Supreme two-door body, the biggest was an MLVW, a six wheeled truck I drove in the army, the family car when my kids were little was whatever their Dad fixed in the body shop or came across, the coolest being an Olds Vista Cruiser in my favourite colour deep red.
Well that’s it for today, late breakfast is cooking in the kitchen and I can smell the fresh ground coffee is brewing. After breakfast will be back in school mode to do some homework and hopefully once completed I can get back to knitting and finish my cotton tee shirt.
I hope everyone has a great Sunday, get outdoors, breathe in the fresh air, say hello to your neighbour and remember to treat others as you wish to be treated.
Thanks for reading, Stay Strong Canada!
6 June 1944
Tomorrow is the anniversary of D-Day, so I am posting some photos of my Mom and Dad in their honour. (photographer unknown)
Mom and Dad met in England during the World War II and got married before returning to Canada.
Dad’s unit published periodicals while in Europe; I have two of these. The photos I took above are, one of the front cover and the other is an excerpt from this periodical, of 5008 “C” M.S.U. movements starting on 6 June 1944.
Photo of Dad in Belgium and two photos of Dad back home in Toronto.
Hoping we will all remember what our Veteran’s past and present have done for us and this country.
Take care, and stay strong Canada.
how about some football
So I actually used to watch football back in the late seventies when I followed the Dallas Cowboys while I was living in Florida.
I did not see a game in person until I was with the Royals in Toronto and was given tickets to see the Argos; it was CAF Appreciation Day in, I think, 2002. It was a good game, lots of us Royals in attendance, “who let the dogs out!”, and a tee shirt launcher that never seemed to be pointed in the right direction.
Three years after being posted here to Calgary, my first football game was in October at McMahon Stadium. A business owner with season tickets gave these to my unit and I was fortunate enough to be chosen to go. These were good seats but we were outside so we had to totally bundle up to fend off the cold.
And as fate would have it the team they were to play that night was the
Toronto Argonauts!
So on with the fun, it was a great game, my new home town team won, I got to chat with some friendly fans, got a souvenir scarf and even had a glass of wine, or should I say plastic wine goblet with red wine in it to be specific.
Refs have to break up a fight! Thought that only happened in hockey, who knew!
All in all a great night out!
Happy Friday my friends. Stay safe, wash your hands and physical distancing still happening here!
thru my lens 