Photo Adventure No.12: Snowboarding For Beginners

It's hard to beleive 20 years have passed since I learned to ski. Well today I crossed snowboarding off my "Bucket List". Both skills conquered on the same Ontario slopes. Mount St. Louis Moonstone A funky, faux Suisse chalet located just north of Barrie. My friend and I both had sausage on a bun for lunch. I passed on the sauerkraut. As for the the snowboarding...I took some of my ski knowledge, a dash of skateboarding and sprinkles of ice skating. Whipped them together and was shreddin' the gnar, heel toein' by the fifth run. The last few runs of the day were blue squares. Not bad for the first time out. When I go back I'll take a trip down memory lane on Big Lonely. PIX

Photo Adventure No.11: Patti Smith @AGO

I went down to see the Patti Smith photography exhibit on at the AGO. There is a wonderful selection of photos Smith had taken with her Polaroid Land 250. It's a very personal set of photos and subject matter. A mosaic or patchwork quilt of images reflecting the artist's life and character. Simple black and white 4x5 uniform prints. Beautiful. Solo Camera Pix

Photo Adventure No.10: Cocktail Party!

Who doesn't like a good drink? ...or more?? Cocktails have their roots in the Prohibition days.Some of the liquor may have been poorly made or blended with other agents to stretch supply and grow sales margins. Sodas and fruit juices helped make it all go down smooth. Mixology is an old science that has been nearly forgotten in the bottled beer & booze cooler world we now live in. It's a labour of love to mix a beverage that can get your taste buds alive with spirits. The bar was well stock Saturday night. It was like an episode of Boardwalk Empire without the violence. Liquor, liqueurs, bitters, syrups, lemons, limes, rinds, mint, berries, sodas, juices and all the accompanying tools to muddle your mind. I brought the umbrellas. Cocktail Party Pix

Foodie Favorites No.05: Rashers & Paulette's

I took a trip to Leslieville today with my sights set on greasy goodness. A few weekends ago I helped a friend move near the area. We were eating at Leslieville Pumps (I'll blog about that another time). After lunch we hit up Paulette's for some amazing donuts. Warm sugar donuts with garam masala spices. A real twist on a classic. They do fried chicken as well but I will need to return with a bigger appetite next visit. For lunch today I went to Rashers. It's a tiny take-out place with 6 stools if you want to eat in. The place was steadily busy while I was there. What a truly special place it is indeed. A showcase for our beloved salted piggy bits. All sandwiches have some form of bacon except for the veggie ooption. I had one of the specials. Applewood smoked bacon strips with pickled beets, spinach and goat cheese served on a baguette. Boom! So good!!!  Rashers & Paulette's PIX

Photo Adventure No.09: 2013 Canadian International Auto Show

My day job is in the automotive world so it's a yearly tradition to take a field trip to the Auto Show in Toronto to check out the new models... and the cars they are showcasing ;) Ba doom tssh! I always enjoy seeing the concepts and new technologies being introduced. Chevy and Nissan seem to be investing in their Volt & Leaf electric cars. In fact almost all the big companies had an electric or hybrid on display. As much as I like cars, I am also an environmentalist. On the surface, the idea of electric cars will lessen emmissions from tailpipes but it will increase the need for better power grids and generation. There was a dimly lit area in one of the hallways, behind an escalator that literally had a corral of electric and hybrid vehicles. It gave me a sad feeling that these  "Green" ideas have been put out to pasture. In contrast, it's always great to see the gas guzzling Hot Rods in all their metallic paint and chrome beauty! Auto Show Pix

Photo Adventure No.08: Winter in a Day

It snowed for close to 12 hours and has turned Toronto into a winter wipeoutland. This all brings back memories of 1999. Our powerful military can focus on more important things this time. I actually enjoy this snowfall since we hardly have a winter in Toronto any more. Here are some PIX of the whole mess.