Where Am I?

At the bottom of Lake Iroquois.

Glub, glub....

Where Am I Now?
On the shore of Lake Iroquois.

Who Gives A Crap?Hey hey, now....

Does This Help?
Casa Loma.....

Where The Hell Is Lake Iroquois?It was (about 13,000 years ago anyway) just a little larger than Lake Ontario.

It was a proglacial lake, created when ice dammed up The St. Lawrence River, preventing melting glacial water from escaping.

Hence its escarpment is only a few miles inland from - and 100 feet above - today's Lake Ontario shoreline.

Right where Casa Loma is!

And a hundred years ago made a great viewpoint for Toronto's rich and powerful.

(Further east, the Scarborough Bluffs also formed part of the Lake Iroquois shoreline...)

When the ice dam finally let loose and released the water, it created the ravine system running though Toronto.

Info courtesy of another Toronto Heritage Walk. You're welcome.

Reprieve?

A while back I had blogged (ranted, harangued, spouted, prattled on...) about some turn of the century buildings that were clearly "Doomed!" to the wrecker's ball.

Perhaps I spoke (ranted, fumed, etc.) too soon, because, upon further inspection of the hoarding surrounding the site either 1) in my blind rage I didn't actually look at the pictures I took or 2) - and I'm pretty sure this is what actually happened - the developer read my blog! and was shamed into redesigning their project to incorporate the historical buildings.

So they are keeping the façades - and then some.

Looks pretty nice for this area of Yonge St.

Okay, okay, even Don Cherry has to admit he's wrong once in a while....

True Love?

I stole this from someone.

But I won't say who, 'cause her and her big butt will hurt me.....

Mmmmm......Bacon Jam.....

High sugar and saturated fat.

And likely a few dashes of sodium as well.

I like it!

Sign With Lowest Probability Of Being Helpful

I'm afraid the only way you'll be reading this sign.....

...is if you are face down, after tripping over the broken step (or the sign)....

Boo!

....I know how he feels....

Hang In There, Little Dude

How did this little guy ever miss the wrecker's ball?


I'll just mind my own business, tucked in between these guys. La la la....

No need to look over here, friend. Just keep moving along.....

Smackers, That's One Big Parking Lot....

And Inviting!

Only in Calgary, you say?

Correctamundo!

The Great One's Great One's House

Or....Walter Gretzky's house.

On a recent trip to Brantford.

Boy, do retired guys know how to live or what!?

Totally Botanical, Man

Duuudes....

Went on a totally excellent walk with Heritage Toronto the other week. To the Toronto Botanical Gardens.

Not only did we sherpas guide the walkers through the gardens, there were speakers at each stop to explain the history of the area.

[Guess that's how Heritage Toronto bosses can sleep at night, by getting TBG to toss in a little history.]

It is also om the same site as Edwards Gardens.

But they co-exist peacefully.

A massive place. The guy running it, John, says he has over 400 volunteers.

Makes us HT types look like a bunch of pikers.

But there are still huge tracts of land remaining from the original 500 acres.

It was a working sheep farm, started by Scottish weaver Alexander Milne in 1817, and they produced wool and cotton.

And in case you think city workers have only been brain dead recently, the original name of this tributary of the Don River running through the property was to be called Woolcott Creek.

Get it?

Wool....Cott... [Ed. note: Uhhh...yeah. Let's move on.]

But the tall foreheads at City Hall garbled it up and it is now known as Wilket Creek.

Hey. Even the weeds look great.

So that wraps up this season's heritage walks.

Back to the couch....

Ahhhh....So This Is Where I Haven't Been Shopping

Coming Soon To A City Near You

Don't worry.

Police can easily disperse these protesters simply by attaching job applications to their riot shields......

Julie & Mike - That's A Wrap

Well, they're home. After an elapsed 48 hour journey.

No they didn't bike. But couldn't have taken much longer.

So some snaps of the last day of the trip.

Here little Min Lee is with her new friend, Bighead.

I think this was a pity shot for me.

No spiders or snakes, but looks like they did see a big honking cockroach.

Thanks, Julie.

Tiger, Tiger, Who's Got The Tiger?


OMG! My favourite!

It's good to be home!!

Julie & Mike - Day ? + 2

Last day in Ha Noi.

I think Mike is still resting up from all that moped riding, so Julie here:

"Hey Jim! Last day in Hanoi. Here are some pictures from yesterday:"

Drinking Vietnamese Coffee
Because....they drank all the Tigers in Vietnam?

More from Julie:

"Yesterday we visited King Dings temple, built in the 10th century after he died"

Good of them to wait.

Here they took in a boat tour on a little river.

Or on one of the downtown streets. Hard to tell the difference with all the flooding they had on this trip.

Might be a good idea to consult the Farmer's Almanac next time. "Boy I can't believe the good deal we got on this trip!"

Winding down over a last group dinner.

The girls are giving the now universal "Two more Tigers, please" sign.

But to no avail. Nary a one to be found on the table.

I guess they really did drink Vietnam Dry.

Anyway, according to Julie, this shot was "just after that we had dinner and went out to party! Same as usual.

Today we do some last minute shopping before jumping on a plane back to Canada."

Well great trip, guys. Have a good flight home.

But I am disappointed. With all the rain and flooding, not one spider or snake story.

Bummer.....

Julie & Mike - Day ? + 1

Another day in Ha Noi.

Mike: "Still in Hanoi What a town still can't get over how
they drive and the traffic in general."

Well...click "Traffic"to check it out yourself.....



Hotel where Team Tiger is staying.

"Pouring rain again. another storm passing north of us but whadya expect in monsoon season.

Great planning. Oh well, it's off season.

nyhow having a blast. Folks we're with are lot's of fun."

Okay - standing by for more tales of "daring do".

Although tomorrow might be come home day....?

Julie & Mike - Day ?

Well, looks like the gang made it to Ha Noi.


Mike: "Arrived in Hanoi after a 14 hour train trip.

First 5 or 6 were fun drinking beer and telling stories about the trip. Great bar car at the back. Had a bit of a birth shared with 3 other small people.

Just checking in to the Flower Hotel."

However, before they left, they had some sightseeing in Hue. And according to Mike:

"Moped tour 3 or 4 hours around Hue. Went to ancient kings tomb. The only king/emperor buried in Vietnam.

Then we went to a "Nunnery" or convent which also served as an orphanage for 200 kids.

Got to play with them for a while which actually was fffffffffun and good to see their happy faces. Also great lunch there."

"We get get to visit "Uncle Ho" who still lives on in the hearts of the people here. Or so they say.

It's almost 5 am here now. We can't check in for a few hours so it's off to tie chi...."

Tai chi?! Mike?

I hope he sends a picture of him doing that. It'll be sure to be hung prominently in Mainstreet.

Okay - so they made it to their destination. Let's see what shenanigans they can get up to over the next couple of days.......

Julie & Mike - Day 5...Or So....

Make it to Hue City, north of Da Nang today.

And just barely made it, due to monsoons, typhoons and lagoons.

Because according to first hand reports.....

"....Wow last night we had this wild storm go through. Never seen the beat!

Torrential.

Anyway all is well now except we had to bike thru the aftermath. Roads flooded all over the place. Biked thru 2 to 3 ft of water several times, like for 1/4 mile and more."

This looks to be a shot of the previous evening when the waters were rising and flooding their restaurant.

Mike again: "I mean it's low to begin with but all the rivers have blown their banks and most houses near them are half under water.

Seems routine though.

Everyone is laughing, and the kids are all happy and saying hello to us all over."

Hey, quit hogging, Dad....Julie here:

"Yesterday was the big 10k pass - uphill the whole time! huge mega challenge but we did it! It has also been rainning for 4 days, apparently there's a typhoon in the Phillipines.

I have never seen so much rain! The streets are flooded, houses are underwater and were biking through lakes! its crazy.

Today was our last biking day - it was finally sunny!

Biked through the most beautiful mountains today, amazingly gorgeous country!"

A shot of Team Tiger, nicely inside and dried out.

Now although this trip looks to have been a blast (mainly of torrential rain) all these folks are Pedalling With A Purpose.

So it's great to know that all money raised on each of their Care Vietnam websites and through fundraisers and donations, etc. goes directly to Care Canada to support Vietnamese women and girls.

If anyone would like to help out, please remember you can still go to "Cycle for Care Vietnam 2011" to contribute.

That being said.....

Two More Tigers, Please!So to wrap up Day 5...or so.....

Mike here: "Ended up at the Asia Hotel in Hue City.

Nice place. Not like the resort we were in last night though.

Off we go now to a big wind up party. Biking is over.

Tomorrow we go mopeding up into the mountains then catch a train to somewhere. More on that later."

Okay guys, well done.