It’s that time of year again!  Having missed all the hustle and bustle last year, I’m soaking up every minute of it.  This weekend in Toronto we finally had weather that was agreeable enough (read: dry and hovering around zero) to get out and shoot, for the first time since I moved down here.  Hope you enjoy some of my favourites!

While out on the street I stumbled across a rally against climate change.  There were speakers from every group imaginable (while ALMOST every group), including the NDP’s Jack Layton.  It was a huge group so most of my shots are from the crowd. 

I love this little guy!  His folks were out for the protest, he was out for sticking out his tongue.

As some of you will know, Craig and I recently moved in to a new apartment in Toronto.  We’re still waiting to get our favourite pieces from Asia framed, so our walls remain unadorned.  Which comes in handy when it’s too cold to go outside and exercise your camera and you need a picture for your Christmas card.  Luckily, Craig is quite patient and put up with me while I tested out all kinds of lighting in here.  Guinness didn’t stick around quite so long.

Today in Canada we remember those who gave their lives so that we and others could be free.  Sadly, there are fewer and fewer each year who are here to remind us of the sacrifices of so many brave Canadians in the first half of the twentieth century.  The responsibility of keeping these memories alive will fall to our generation so that we may never forget our history – what was and what could have been.

Years ago, when I was a 16-year-old high school student on exchange to France, I went to my host family’s grandfather’s 80th birthday party.  He immediately introduced himself and told me how pleased he was to have a Canadian at the celebration.  He then told me why Canadians are so near and dear to him.

During the second world war the region of Franche-Comte in Easter France was heavily occupied by the Germans.  The French in this area lived under the constant surveillance of the soldiers and were subject to their every whim.  The people were not so much living as enduring.

Then the war took a turn.  The Germans began to lose ground, and when Franche-Comte was liberated, it was the Canadians who came in and took the territory back for the French.  Mon grandpere francais relayed his memories of our soldiers riding in to his village and tears sprang to his eyes.  He was amazed that these people would travel around the world and fight to bring freedom and independence back to a country that wasn’t even their own.  Since that day Canadians have held a place in his heart.

Every year on Remembrance Day we have fewer people to share these memories.  It falls to us to make sure that they won’t be lost forever so that we may never have to make these memories for ourselves.  Lest we forget. 

So here he is.  The newest addition to our little family.  Craig and I adopted this tiny little cockapoo this week and promptly named him after our one of our favourite things.  Seemed appropriate, since he’s black with a little white foam.

Anyway, I’m a proud mama, so here he is!  I’ll try to update over the next few days with the rest of what’s been going on the last few weeks.

This past weekend I went home to Port Elgin to visit my family.  Unfortunately, we had a sick amount of rain, so not much opportunity to take the camera out.  However, it cleared up briefly on Saturday afternoon so we ventured to the beach and came across a gaggle of geese. 

It was just too tempting, so I chased them, and got a few great shots.  People probably thought I was crazy, but I suppose I’m used to it.

Welcome to my first blog post!  In this section I’ll try to update regularly with photos, mostly of what’s going on around me at the time.  These are a few of my favourites that I took while on a little nature walk with my good friends Katie and Jay, and their ‘so-ugly-he’s-cute’ Boston Terrier, Logan.  (Check out those ears!)  And keep your eyes peeled for more regular posts!