The World Through Our Lens
Our stay at the Quirpon Lighthouse Inn on Quirpon Island, Newfoundland and Labrador, promised a unique and fascinating experience. The location is well written up as one of the five most remote and harshest places to visit and to stay anywhere in the world. Right there, we were hooked on the idea! Read more
Having left Cerro de San Juan Ecological Reserve behind us in Tepic, Bob determined that there were still sufficient daylight hours to make a stop and go hiking near La Bajada. The coffee and banana plantations in that area promised good birding habitat, and it wouldn’t be too far off our route back to San Blas. Read more
When staying at Hotel Garza Canela, a great birding base in San Blas, Mexico, we found the hotel staff and other birders quite willing to give helpful tips on where to go looking for birds. One recommended area was Cerro de San Juan Ecological Reserve near Tepic. A trip to this area required a 1 1/2 hour drive to get there. Read more
As Bob and I made our way into the Main Pavilion at Skukuza Rest Camp to sign up for a guided night safari in Kruger National Park, South Africa, our mission was interrupted when a flicker of yellow drew our eyes to a nearby palm tree. We were delighted to see a beautiful Lesser Masked Weaver dangling upside down from a stiff palm frond. Read more
On what seemed a very ordinary winter day, Bob and I took a leisurely walk over to one of our local parks to escape the routine of familiar household chores. Milliken Park in Toronto, Ontario, was almost deserted. Though we scanned bushes and trees, not a single bird was seen until I noticed a solitary Cooper’s Hawk perched on a sunlit branch. Seconds later, the hawk launched into the air and nabbed a Big Brown Bat that was flying by. Read more
An irruption of Snowy Owls in southern Ontario in the winter of 2017/2018 gave Bob and I huge expectations of seeing one. Reports had been pouring in from all across the province, so we made plans to go touring with friends in the hopes of turning up a couple. Read more
An initiative by the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, the Honourable Elizabeth Dowdeswell, to commemorate Canada’s 150th birthday resulted in this marvelous compilation of 150 stories that examine what it means to be Canadian living in Ontario. Each story is paired with a relevant photograph. Read more
Te Puia Geothermal Preserve near Rotorua, New Zealand, is located within Whakarewarewa Thermal Valley. Bob and I decided to investigate the natural wonders caused by the continual geothermal activity in that Taupo Volcanic Zone of the North Island, this after spending the early part of the same day at another attraction, Hobbiton. Read more
It was with notions of mystery and intrigue, memories of historical facts and a sense of spiritual respect that Bob, our son and I headed to Salisbury Cathedral. After recently reading Sarum and Pillars of the Earth, we could hardly wait to set eyes upon this magnificent cathedral whose spire has dominated the Wiltshire skyline in rural England since 1320. We were in awe! Read more