Oct 29, 2011

Halloween Screeemmers


 It's that time of year again at the Toronto Exhibition Place, where "Canada's Ultimate Haunted Houses' are showcased in SCREEMERS!' THE SCARE IS EVERYWHERE! 


Thats me in the back, lookin at my camera!! My pretty niece in the front!
Your first scare may happen when you see the prices at the ticket booth! Luckily I met up with family and my sis in law had coupons which are available, so check in advance to see where you can pick some up.  Once inside, you'll find the Queen Elizabeth building is pretty spacious for the event.  Ghouls, Slashers, Ghosts and Mad-men wandering around aimlessly.  Mock cemeteries and fortune tellers.   There are 6 Haunted Houses to go through and we were only really able to get to 3 of them - !  The Asylum, DARKNESS (my fave) and The Slasher Wax Museum.  What was really enough to make you SCREEEEM were the long lineups getting into these houses! 
Long line ups : (  for each haunted House!






The Free Rides!!
Okay for the good news...Yes!! I SCREEEMED - many times actually much to my surprise, and yes, the 'actors' who make this event really fun did a great job! There was a lot of attention to detail as well.  As well there are free rides that are available to everyone, once you are inside and you can go on the 'ScRaMBleR' or the Ferris Wheel, or the "Freak Out" (yes that freaked me out)!! I found this on YouTube that someone else had recorded of the same exact ride The Freak Out Ride 

My brother lookin a HIS camera (hey it runs in the family :)
Just your average ghoul


My Black Widow Costume
We all had a great time and I really don't think you can be too young or old to enjoy HALLOWEEN!! What isn't there to like? All the candy you can eat and dressing up to be anything you want to be! This year I am "the Black Widow"


HAPPY HALLOWEEN! 

Oct 25, 2011

Fall Colours on the Don Trail

Autumn really is the prettiest time of the year.  Leaves change color and even the smell of wood burning at dusk in the neighbourhood is nicer in the Autumn than in winter.  Ever wonder why that is?  


I rode my bike through the Don River trail and Tommy Thompson Park stopping every once in awhile to take some pictures to share of some autumn colors of the Lower Don River Path and trail.  


I rode all the way south on the trail to the Tommy Thompson Park and was amazed to see how much weed had grown in just 4 weeks from when I was last there.  You can see from the before and after shots on what the difference is. 

Oct 16, 2011

Niagara Falls - Canada/US

View from the American Side
 On a recent trip to Niagara Falls, I was able to get some fairly decent shots of the 3 falls, which are the American, the Bridal Veil and the Canadian Falls.  The Canadian falls is the largest of the 3. Niagara Falls is the second largest falls in the World, after the Victoria Falls in Africa reaching a height of 54 metres.  


View of both Falls while crossing the border

600 billions litres of water flows through the falls from the Great Lakes every hour!  If you've ever been to Niagara, I don't have to tell you that it is by far one of the most spectacular sights and sounds you will ever see in your lifetime.  In fact it is listed as one the the 7 wonders of the world.  The actual change in appearance of location of the Falls was created during the last ice which occurred about 10,000 years ago.    

the Grand Rapids!
Look out below!
While looking out on the Canadian side, you must have noticed that boat that sits right on the brink of the Falls.  I always wondered about why it was there.  Apparently it's been there since 1918!  It's called the old scow (barge). At that time, there were two men on board who frantically moved 50 tons of rock by hand to avoid their fate! 



The men were finally rescued by "Red" Hill who was a Niagara daredevil.  To this day the barge is still secured on a rock while water rushes past it!  There are tons of sites on the Falls (Cataracts) out there that will give you more details.  


Here are the some pictures of the Rapids flowing from the Niagara River!





Oct 12, 2011

Albion Falls (Autumn)- Hamilton

1906 Postcard of the Old Mill
Courtesy of Joseph Hollick













The breathtaking beauty of a 19 metre drop of complex cascading water of 'Albion Falls".   Located on top of the Red Hill Valley in Stoney Creek, you'll find this treasure.  One of many located in Hamilton, known as "the city of Waterfalls".  It is especially beautiful in the Autumn when the local trees of beech, elm, maple, ash and walnut surround the falls with a myriad of colors of orange, yellows and red.  You'll love the hiking trails and the scenery of King's forest. If you're not a local like me, you can find places to park in 3 different lots on the escarpment.  On Mud St. (w. of Mt. Albion Road), at the Junction of Mud St. and Mt. Brow Blvd or Mt. Brow Blvd (just west of Mud St). The Shorebirds, warblers and sparrows are heard and perhaps seen in the cooler months of autumn. Parts of the terrain on the trail can be pretty rocky and wet, but it's all worth it for a view of the falls.


As a constant supply of water, it is no surprise that almost 100 years ago it was used to supply water to the "Old Mill"  located at "Mount Albion"  Today, the Mill is gone, but the creek known as 'the Red Hill creek' is a constant flow of water into what is known as "Albion Falls" 


Today hundreds of visitors can be found on weekends exploring this splendid waterfall in Hamilton's east mountain. 


Oct 6, 2011

Don River Ravine in the Autumn!


Lower Don River
Off path of lower don trail
There are so many Discovery Walks in Toronto.  In a real sense the walks link people with nature in all corners of the city.  The amalgamation of the boroughs of Toronto in 2000 brought about some change in preserving our natural heritage.  The City and the Conversation Authority have worked to improve several features which included vegitation communities as well as the city's watersheds.  The pictures of the Don River you see today, look much different than that of even 10 years ago.  Believe it or not, there was a time, when the storm water and sewage ran directly into the Don, thankfully direct access is blocked by culverts, watersheds and smaller storm sewers before reaching our rivers and streams.   In fact there are at least 6 sewers plus a number of culverts that empty along the stretch of the Don.  
The Lower Don River


Environmental causes and groups crop up all over all the in and around major cities.  It's almost become trendy and fad to 'go green', save the planet, save our waters.  It's a good thing and from I see, work has paid off and will continue for generations to come.