Magical Ice Skating On Ward’s Island Lagoon in Toronto

Magical Ice Skating On Ward’s Island Lagoon in Toronto

putting on skates at lagoon skating rink - ward's island - toronto

One of our objectives when visiting Ward’s Island was to go ice skating on Lake Ontario!  We had heard from a friend, a long-time resident on the Toronto Islands, that, over the years, rare opportunities had arisen when people could actually skate around sections of Toronto Harbour and perhaps, more dependably, on the ice of the frozen lagoons.  Those occasions have been few and far between. Read more

Snowy Owl With Kill On The Ice At Frenchman’s Bay

photograph of a Snowy Owl on the ice at Frenchmans Bay in Pickering, Ontario.

Snowy owl on the ice with kill at Frenchmans Bay in Pickering, Ontario, Canada

The winter of 2014 went down as the year of the Snowy Owl judging by the number of sightings here in Southern and Central Ontario, in Canada.  It seems that every Tom, Dick and Mary has spotted one be it on a fence post, a light standard, the roof of a building, along a hedgerow, in a treetop and even lots of them in flight.  Bob and I caught sight of this Snowy Owl out on the ice at Frenchman’s Bay, on edge of Lake Ontario. Read more

Playing The Street Piano On Ward’s Island

Jean plays the street piano at Ward's Island Ferry Terminal in Toronto, Ontario

Before winter draws to a close, Bob and I wanted to make a visit to Ward’s Island in Toronto Harbour.  With the coldest winter in years still embracing Ontario, we set off on the ferry at the bottom of Bay Street for the 10-minute ride across the frozen harbour.  I think it took a bit longer since the vessel had to cut through a thick veneer of ice.  Once on the island, and near the pier, I found a Street Piano. Read more

Crushing through ice aboard a Toronto Island Ferry

toronto harbour in the winter

One winter, Bob and I decided to make a trip to Ward’s Island aboard a Toronto Island Ferry in Toronto Harbour.  It is one of 13 in the chain of islands that gives protection to Toronto’s Inner Harbour.  With the winter of 2014 being the longest and coldest in recent memory, the bay separating the mainland from the islands had become totally frozen over.  We thought it would be a neat experience on board the ferry as it negotiated the icy waters on its way to Ward’s Island. Read more

Clark’s Nutcracker At Lake Louise In Banff

Clark's Nutcracker, Lake Louise, Alberta

On our first morning in Banff National Park, Alberta, Bob and I made a beeline for Lake Louise to take advantage of the morning sunshine for photographing that iconic location.  When we returned to the parking lot at Chateau Lake Louise, Bob quickly pointed out an interesting bird loitering near the vehicles and seemingly unafraid of the humans coming and going about their business.  The bird turned out to be a Clark’s Nutcracker.

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Ice Skating On Lake Louise

Ice Castle on Lake Louise in Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada

On our first morning in Banff National Park, Bob and I had planned to go cross-country skiing, but with the sun shining brightly, we headed up instead to checkout the skating surface on Lake Louise.  We were pleasantly surprised to find not one but two ice rinks, with one reserved for ice hockey, and the other set off by a glistening castle fashioned out of blocks of ice for ice skating. Read more

Snowshoeing On Lake Agnes Trail To Big Beehive

Jean snowshoeing on the Lake Agnes Trail at Banff National Park, in Alberta, Canada

During our stay at Banff National Park, not a day passed without a dump of fresh snow.  Either we awoke in the morning to an additional 6 inches weighing down the trees, or snow fell so thickly when skiing that we could barely see which way to go.  One afternoon, owing to the lack of freshly trackset cross-country ski trails, Bob and I opted to go snowshoeing up into the mountains following the Lake Agnes Trail from Lake Louise. Read more

Our Message In A Bottle Tossed Back To Sea

jean holds message in a bottle over side of BC ferry

I was filled with anticipation when Bob and I boarded the B.C. ferry returning to Horseshoe Bay from Vancouver Island because it was from the ferry that I planned to cast adrift our Message in a Bottle.  It had been over a year since we found the bottle that contained an inspiring message from its authors. Read more

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