Off for the Long Weekend

It's another long weekend up here in the Great Green North; this one is known as Simcoe Day in Ontario. July wasn't as hot as last year but the episodes of wildfire smoke were worse, so enjoying the outside was difficult. This weekend looks more pleasant, at least when it won't be raining, so I'm taking the weekend off to enjoy it and give my yard some TLC. I'll be back here on Tuesday. 

In the meantime, here's a picture of a couple of sailboats on Frenchman's Bay. I wish I was out there with them. 

Boats on the bay

Happy Canada Day!

Today is Canada Day, the celebration of our nationhood. I'll probably watch the Blue Jays game in the afternoon as they play in their Canada Day red and white uniforms. There will be fireworks, of course, and if it doesn't rain I'll be out in my front yard watching them.

I am proud of Canada. We're not perfect and there are many things I would change if I could (better treatment of our indigenous peoples, and an government that wasn't so in thrall to the fossil fuel industry, to name just two). But all I have to do is look south to know how lucky I am to have been born here. 

Coincidentally, I came across this article this evening and thought I should include it here. Anyone who grew up in Canada in the last half century will be familiar with most of the objects cited in the article. (It's an Apple News+ link and I can't find a more open link to it, sorry). 

Finally, here's a column from Dean Blundell, who expresses his love for Canada much better than I can. 

Thank you for being the country that runs toward the ambulance instead of billing it. Thank you for a Charter that treats my humanity as a starting assumption instead of a negotiation. Thank you for leaders who, whatever their flaws, at least know the job is about us and not about them. Thank you for two official languages, for a hundred unofficial ones, for a mosaic that never asked anyone to melt away who they are.

Thank you for being close to perfect in a world that’s forgotten what perfect was even supposed to look like.

I’ve never been more aware of what democracy actually costs, or how fast it can be stolen by a man who mistakes a nation for a mirror. And I’ve never been more grateful that I get to raise my glass tonight in a country that still knows the difference.

You’re 159 today, Canada. You don’t look a day over indispensable.

Happy birthday. I stand on guard for thee. I always will.

A Note About Posting

I've been thinking about what I want to do with this blog and I'm going to change my posting routine a bit. 

Going forward, I'm going to stop doing most of the regular link posts like Featured Links and We're Toast. I'll continue the Saturday Sounds posts and probably occasional posts about Canada - US relations.

I'll continue posting about things that interest me or that I want to record here for future reference, like the next couple of posts that will be up tomorrow and Wednesday. 

Given that it's summer and I want to spend more time outside, I probably won't be posting as much. 

Off for the May 24 Weekend

Yes, I know May 24th isn't until next weekend, but up here in the Great White North, 24 means something other than the date. Look up what 24 means in Canadian slang. I won't be consuming one (just a few tall boys), but I will be cleaning the BBQ, mowing the lawn, raking over the garden, and staying away from my computer and the news as much as possible.

I'll be back here sometime next week. In the meantime, here's a tulip from our front yard that somehow survived having two metres of snow dumped on it over the winter.

A hardy tulip

Off for Easter Weekend

It's Easter weekend up here in the Great (not so) White North, and I'm taking the weekend off from blogging. It's time to work on my income tax return and maybe start getting the yard back in shape if it doesn't rain too much. 

I'll be back here on Monday with a post about Canada and the US. Until then, here'a a picture of our cats (CJ on the left and McGee on the right). 

CJ and McGee

Posts Will Be Sparse This Month

I haven't been able to keep up with a regular posting schedule this month. Part of that is just being too busy with household problems (a dead washing machine soon to be replaced) and prep for the holidays. I'm also having some eye problems, which I'm hoping will clear up over the next month (bad dry eye) and that's making it hard for me to read.

I don't want to shut the blog down but it's likely to be quiet here until early January. 

Off for t he Thanksgiving Weekend

It's Thanksgiving weekend up here in the (soon to be) Great White North. We celebrate earlier than our US cousins because our growing season is shorter and harvest earlier. So I'm taking the weekend off to do things like getting the garden ready to plant garlic, cooking a big dinner for the family, and watching the Blue Jays in the ALCS. I''ll be back on Tuesday. 

Future home of next year's garlic crop

Been Busy

You may have noticed that posts have been sparse the last week or two. Nothing bad has happened; I just seem to be too busy to post much. I'll have more posts next week.

I may change my posting routine. I've been trying to keep to sort of a schedule with a Featured Links post every Monday or Tuesday and a couple of other posts on the weekend, with various subject-related items in between. I may start doing the link posts when I have enough  interesting links to fill them and not on a fixed schedule. 

In the meantime, here's a cat picture. This is CJ. 

CJ relaxing

c

Taking the Weekend Off

We're coming up to another long weekend here in the Great White North. Our heatwave has disappeared to be replaced by autumn-like temperatures, though given the overall climate, I'm sure more warm weather is on the way. I'm taking the weekend off from blogging and will be back here on Tuesday. 

In the meantime, here's a picture of two of Toronto's best known landmarks, the Rogers Centre (which will always be the Skydome to me) and the CN Tower. I took this with my Pixel 8 Pro from our seats at Wednesday night's Blue Jays game. 

The Rogers Centre and CN Tower in Toronto

Off for the Long Weekend

It's another long weekend up here in the Great Green North, this one known as Simcoe Day in Ontario. July was ridiculously hot and humid with episodes of wildfire smoke, so enjoying the outside was difficult. This weekend looks more pleasant so I'm taking the weekend off to enjoy it and give my heat-stressed yard some TLC. I'll be back here on Tuesday.

In the meantime, here's a photo of another farm north of Oshawa baking in the hot July sun. I hope they've gotten enough rain because it's been pretty dry here.

A farm north of Oshawa

Happy Canada Day

It's Canada Day up here in the Great Green North. The flowers in our backyard are loving the warm weather though I suspect they would like a bit more rain. The garden is happy and with any luck we might get some tomatoes this year. 

So a BBQ, beer, and fireworks today as we celebrate all things Canadian. 

Here's some colourful natural fireworks from our backyard.

Backyard flowers

Off for the Weekend

 It's another long weekend up here in the Great No Longer White North. The Monday holiday is known as Victoria Day here in Ontario, though most people call it the May 24 weekend even though it doesn't often fall on that date. A 24 is the colloquial term for a case of beer, which will hopefully be consumed at one's cottage. 

I will be back next week. In the meantime here's a (cherry?) tree in full bloom.

A tree in bloom

Taking the Easter Weekend Off

It's Easter weekend and while I don't celebrate it as a religious holiday, it is also a civic holiday here. That's a good excuse to take some time off from blogging and the crazy news cycle. Things have been a bit hectic around here recently so I'm taking Monday off too. I'll be back on Tuesday. 

In the meantime, here's a seagull, Canada's other national bird. 

Seagull standing on a fence post

Taking a Break - Merry Christmas

It's that festive time of the year again and it's time to take a break from blogging. I'll be back here early in the New Year. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy the season and I'll see you again in January.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

Happy Birthday, Core Dump

Happy birthday, Core Dump. I started this blog 21 years ago today. It was originally on Google's Blogger platform, but I moved it to a self-hosted WordPress blog around 2010, then back to Blogger in 2018. 

I'm still at it, though I sometimes wonder why. I'm not posting as much as I used to and readership (assuming I can trust Google's stats) is way down, but it satisfies my creative itch. And it is a useful resource; I often find myself looking up old posts for reference.

At some point, I will probably have to shutter the WordPress site. If I can figure out how, I would like to have a local copy available for reference on my PC. For now though, I'm keeping it going; at least until Google kills of Blogger. 

Taking the Weekend Off

It's Labour Day weekend here in the still green Great White North and looks to be a nice one. I'm taking the weekend off so I don't have to labour over this blog.

Links, rants, and raves will resume next week.

In the meantime, enjoy this picture of some swans diving for whatever they eat in the bay. 

Swans diving for food in the bay

Off for the Long Weekend

It's another long weekend up here in the hot and humid Great Green North. July was the wettest month on record for Toronto, beating out October 1954 (of Hurricane Hazel fame) and that weather pattern looks to continue for a while. It's been a bit hectic around here, so I hope to have a quiet and relaxing weekend.

I'll be back on Tuesday. In the meantime, enjoy this tranquil scene along the Talbot River, taken with my Pixel 8 Pro during a family get together last weekend.

Along the Talbot River

Off for the Canada Day Weekend

Monday is Canada Day here in the Great White North. Unlike last year, when we were blanketed by wildfire smoke, the weather looks like it will be good if a bit cooler than seasonal (which is fine by me). I'll be taking the weekend off from blogging and will be back here on Tuesday.

In the meantime here's a picture of one of our native species, the Canada goose. 

Canada geese at the bay

 

Off for the Long Weekend

It's a long weekend up here in the now greening Great White North. Monday is Victoria Day, as it's known in Ontario, or more informally as the May 24 weekend, where Canadians can finally indulge in the traditional practice of knocking back a few cold ones on a dock (or in my case, a backyard patio). And gardening of course; it's the traditional time to plant your garden as we are likely out of the risk for a frost. (We do check the weather forecast, just in case; it has been known to snow even this late in the spring as Nancy and I found out about a decade ago). 

In the meantime enjoy these flowers that I found growing along one of our neighbourhood streets. .

Update: I had planned to do a post for Tuesday, but I was just too busy over the weekend. Maybe it'll go up on Wednesday.

Spring flowers

Off tor the Weekend

It's Easter weekend up here in the Great (no longer) White North, and I'll be taking the weekend off from blogging. It'll be time spent with family and watching the Blue Jays, who are well ahead of the Rays in their season opener as I type this. I'll be back Tuesday. 

In the meantime, here are a couple of geese enjoying the spring sunshine. 

Two geese enjoying the spring sunshine