Saved!

A couple of weeks ago I wrote about an elegant 200 year old American Elm that was threatened by the proposed expansion of a train and bus station in 2020.
Good news!
A local geography teacher thought that his Grade 8 class would be interested in getting involved. After much discussion in the classroom, the students wrote letters to Metrolinx (who will be designing the station) and the local Member of Parliament to try and save the tree.
And they were not the only letter writers. Many students from other schools and members of the public were asking for the tree to be spared from the chainsaws. It seems the outpouring of mail has had the desired effect, and Metrolinx has announced that the station site is being redesigned around the tree.
Hooray!

Some of the students and the local Mayor and Councillors and the Member of Parliament at the announcement. I think the tree is breathing a sigh of relief!

ATC Swap Meet

I spent a couple of fun hours on Sunday getting to know an assortment of artists and crafty people at the Annual ATC Swap Meet. What's an ATC? And why do people want to swap them?

Well, ATCs - Artist Trading Cards - are tiny works of art, measuring 2.5 inches by 3.5 inches. They are the same dimensions as baseball or hockey cards, and fit into the same plastic sleeves in a collector's binder. They can be on paper, card, plastic, foam, and feature collage, paint, ink, fabric, photographs..... everything is acceptable, the only rule is the size. And everyone has a different style and subject.

Each artist lays their cards out on a table. There's about 30 minutes when people meet each other, chat, look at the cards that have been displayed and decide what they would like to have in their collection.

The real fun gets started when the organizer rings the bell, and trading begins! The New York Stock Exchange is a calm and gentle walk in the park compared to artists at an ATC Swap!

Here is a selection of the ATCs that I took to the meet. None left now. I'll have to make more.

And here are some of the cards I came home with..... rather fuzzy picture with some reflections as they are in the plastic sleeves.

On the Chopping Block?

Not far away from my house stands this beautiful and elegant tree, an American Elm, ulmus americana. It's age is estimated to be around 200 years old, which makes it the largest and oldest tree in the area. This tree was just a tiny seedling when Queen Victoria was born in 1819.

The tree is 40 metres tall, has a canopy of 40 metres, and a 4 metre trunk circumference.

It is situated on a piece of land that is to be the site of a new expanded GO Station.... that's the public transit buses and trains that will take commuters to the city.  Metrolinx, who will build the station, planned to chop the tree, but the local paper says that there are negotiations going on to save the tree.
Yes we need public transportation, but we need the tree too. Surely we can have both? 

Experiment Number 2

Another experiment with the gouache / Indian ink resist process. This time I used a good quality canvas board and gave it a coat of white gesso. And then painted the negative image with water based gouache paint. I used colours as I wanted to see if the gesso would hold the pigment.
The gouache was painted where I wanted the image to stay white.

Then the whole canvas was covered carefully with black Indian ink. Nothing was left uncovered. It was just a black rectangle. Scary moment.

When the ink was totally dry, the canvas went into the sink under the warm water tap, and some gentle scrubbing with a soft brush revealed the image as the gouache dissolved, taking the black ink with it. Almost all the colour washed off and I completed the piece by using transparent acrylic paint and acrylic glazing liquid. I'm quite pleased with the result.

Remembered with Honour

IN MEMORY OF

PRIVATE JOHN TURNBULL CHANDLER

175142, 5TH COY., CANADIAN MACHINE GUN CORPS WHO DIED AGE 20 ON 03 JULY 1917.

ONLY SON OF JOHN WILLIAM AND AGNES CHANDLER, OF GEDNEY DYKE, HOLBEACH, LINCS.

NATIVE OF SOUTHEA, NR. WISBECH.

REMEMBERED WITH HONOUR

BULLY-GRENAY COMMUNAL CEMETERY, BRITISH EXTENSION,

BULLY-GRENAY, FRANCE

John Turnbull CHANDLER was my mother's cousin. He was born 31 August 1896 in Lincolnshire, England, and was known as Jack.

Jack left England to learn farming techniques in Canada and settled in Grimsby, Ontario. He joined the 86^th Machine Gun Battalion of the Canadian Overseas Expeditionary Force on 13 August 1915 at Welland, Ontario, stating that his date of birth was 1894, not 1896. At that time he was already a member of the 44^th Regiment of the Canadian Militia. His enlistment papers show him to be “apparent age 21 years 8 months”, 5’4”, fair complexion, blue eyes, brown hair, a member of the Church of England, and fit to serve with the Forces.
His life ended in France on 3 July 1917, serving with the Canadian Machine Gun Corps.

His obituary:

GEDNEY DYKE SOLDIER FALLS We regret to report the death in action of Pte. John Turnbull Chandler, son of the late Mr. John W. Chandler, schoolmaster, Parson Drove, and of Mrs. Chandler, schoolmistress, Gedney Dyke. 

The deceased was educated at Barbourne College, Worcester (1908) and Framlingham College (1909-1912). He learned farming and went to Canada in April 1912. He enlisted in January 1916 in Grimsby, Ontario, came over to Shorncliffe June 1916, went to France October 1916, and was killed in action July 3rd. He was only 20 years of age. He leaves a mother and six sisters to mourn his loss.

I visited his grave in France with my two sons in 2005. Perhaps the only family members to do so.

AND ALSO REMEMBERING

Herbert Leonard Darch, known to his family as Len.

Len was born in the village of Combe Martin, in North Devon, England in 1895. He was the son of Matthew Darch and Sarah (nee Rooke), who lived at Glenwood, Combe Martin.

Len had three brothers, Theo, Bert and Wilf, and one sister, Aileen, who married my Uncle Albert in 1919, and therefore became my Auntie Aileen.

Len joined the 1st/7th Battalion, Worcestershire Regiment, and was sent to France to fight in WW1, also known as The Great War.  1/7^th Battalion Worcestershire Regt was part of 144th (Gloucester & Worcester) Brigade. This photo may have been taken when he first volunteered.

Herbert Leonard Darch, Private 202233,  probably took part in the ‘Pursuit of the German retreat to the Hindenburg Line’ (14 March – 5 April 1917), but on Monday 24 April 1917, at the young age of 21, he was killed in action at Gillemont Farm.

His life is comemmorated with honour on the Thiepval Memorial, Thiepval, Department of the Somme, Picardie, France, Plot: Pier and Face 5 A and 6 C.  As there is no grave, his body was not recovered. His remains are probably still lying where he fell in a farmer's field.

Experiment with Indian Ink

I've been trying an experiment.... this definitely works on absorbent watercolour paper, but does it work on a canvas board? I wanted to find out.
First I used water soluble blue gouache paint to sketch out a negative image on a cheap 4" x 6" canvas board from the Dollar store. I didn't want to waste a bigger more expensive canvas.  Everywhere I wanted the canvas to stay white I painted with the gouache.

When the gouache paint was absolutely dry, I covered the whole canvas with Indian ink, taking care to spread the black ink lightly so I didn't smear the gouache underneath. The canvas was a black rectangle, nothing else showing. Uhoh, what next?
Then when the Indian ink was completely dry, it's time for the experiment. I held the canvas under the tap and scrubbed gently with a soft paintbrush. When the gouache started to soften in the water, it washed off the canvas taking the ink with it, and leaving black ink where there was no paint.
I may have rubbed too enthusiastically as some of the ink came off the canvas too.

So I darkened some of the greyed out lines with more ink and added a light colour wash of ink and gouache paint. It doesn't look too bad. Sort of what I intended.

This was on plain untreated cheap canvas. Perhaps the ink might stick better if I had used some gesso.... maybe I'll try that next week.

Feathers

Some good looking winners at the poultry show at the Fair!
When I was a child, my dad always kept chickens for eggs, and later for meat, when they stopped laying.  We got a delivery of two dozen baby chicks from the hatchery every spring, and it was my job to feed and water them for the first few days.  When they were big enough, they went outside to the henhouse and the enclosed chicken run, to keep them safe.   I don't think we ever lost any to the local fox.

The Musical Ride

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police Musical Ride were at our local Fall Fair at the beginning of October. They performed in a much smaller area than they are used to and had to cut some pretty sharp corners with their horses when executing some of the more complicated maneuvers.

I spoke to one of the riders while we both waited for lunch to be ready at the hamburger stand. She said she had been a rider for 3 years, and had almost finished her time with the Musical Ride and was going on to other duties in December.  I was surprised to learn that many of the riders had no knowledge of horses in their previous civilian lives, and when they apply to be part of the Ride they go through a year of training, and then are able to complete all the complicated patterns. I enjoyed watching the Ride so much, I watched it twice!

A Walk in the Woods

With the sun shining and the sky a vivid blue, I decided to get some fresh air. There are not many of these lovely days left and the cold winter winds are not far away. We haven't had a real frost yet, although one is forecast for tonight.
So I walked though the nearby woods by the local reservoir. The sign says "No Pedestrians, Sensitive Environment" or words to that effect, but if I stick to the path I'll be OK.  I could hear the Canada Geese on the water, honking and flapping their wings. No geese pics.... the bulrushes were too tall and I didn't want to get my feet wet!

 And a big surprise.... art in the forest! Lovely idea.

RCMP and YRMU Horses

A couple of horses and riders from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (red jackets) and the York Region Mounted Unit (blue jackets) of the York Region Police Force were at the park for a "meet and greet" yesterday.
The Mounties are in town as they are performing the RCMP Musical Ride twice a day at the nearby Markham Fall Fair.

Pictures taken by Max age eight. He very sensibly didn't want to get too near those very large horses.

Billy Gauthier

I really enjoyed wandering around Billy Gauthier's exhibition of carvings, "Beyond Bones", this summer at The Rooms in St John's.     Billy Gauthier was born in Happy Valley - Goose Bay, Labrador, in 1978. He has Inuit and Metis ancestry and started carving in 1996 after visiting his sculptor cousin, John Terriak, who gave him some stone and some tools to try out. After successfully selling his second piece of carving, Billy decided to carve full time.   Billy creates intricately detailed carvings and uses natural materials such as stone, bone, antler, ivory, sinew, and baleen (whalebone), and his work often depicts traditional Inuit practices and spirituality.

Narwhal Hunt - Billy Gauthier  ...  anhydrite, serpentine, whalebone, labradorite, antler (caribou), antler (moose)

Here's what Billy Gauthier has to say about Narwhal Hunt:

“This huge sculpture was a piece that I have worked on for many years to bring to this conclusion. It was a piece that I kept on putting aside because I was not sure how to finish it. The sculpture inclusion in the exhibition became the incentive to complete it. Carving the base took a long time and designing the kayaks to balance on the waves required many drawings in the planning stages. Initially, I had intended to have only one kayaker but then to my eye it somehow did not seem balanced and needed a second kayaker. This of course meant more time was required and I had to work long hours to complete this piece in time. There is a lot of detailing in the figures with even their finger nails carved. I have always enjoyed carving faces and hands. I braided all the sinew which was a long tedious job. I am very happy with the result as it captures the power and the drama of the hunt in an exaggerated form. The hunters were finished in pieces of Newfoundland anhydrite gifted to me by (sculptor) Michael Massie when he came to visit my studio this summer.” 

Billy's carvings often address problems experienced by the Northern people in their every day lives as the Inuit communities adjust to life in the modern world, such as food insecurity, substance abuse, impacts of environmental degradation and loss of tradition.

Northern Fridgidaire Diet - Billy Gauthier  ...  serpentine, antler (moose and caribou), horn (muskox), slate base

Billy's comments on Northern Fridgidaire Diet:

"In the past we lived a traditional life of fishing and hunting and only eating wild “country foods.” Now that has all changed as we tend to buy and eat more groceries imported from the south in our northern stores. These junk foods often include high sugar content drinks, canned and processed packaged foods that are low in nutritional value and often high in saturated fats which have all contributed to our unhealthy diet.

This sculpture has an Inuk wrestling with all those demons that are in his fridge. You will see a milk carton, a loaf of bread, Reese’s peanut butter cups and cans of Pepsi — but I have also added a bottle of liquor and cigarettes that have created additional health problems in the north.

We are seeing an increase in diabetes and lactose intolerance due to this poor diet, lack of exercise and decline in consuming “country foods.” Obesity in Nunavut is 88% more than the national average in the rest of Canada over the last ten years. There are also the associated social problems created with addictions to drugs and alcohol. It is a fact that we have a genetic disadvantage to alcohol and it seems everyone in the north smokes. Canadian Government Health statistics state that 58% of Inuit smoke cigarettes with 46% starting to smoke at the age of 14 or younger. The Inuit never had a traditional ceremonial use of tobacco as an excuse like many other aboriginal peoples in the south.

This is a subject that I have always wanted to carve as “food for thought.” These health problems have always worried me and this was an ideal opportunity to voice my concerns. Even though I go fishing and hunting ptarmigan, rabbits, caribou and seal — I still go to the shops and buy too much junk food.

I admit I am guilty of many of these problems."

Northern Voices (Owl/Human Transformation) - Billy Gauthier  ...   serpentine, anhydrite, grouse feathers, ptarmigan feathers

Billy Gauthier's explanation of Northern Voices:

"In Inuit culture it is believed that humans and animals both possess souls, which is why all animals should be treated with equal respect. When viewing this piece you will notice both human and owl forms within the mask, in the center of each eye you’ll find a face, in one an owl and the other a human. This was made to show the equality of the two life forms rather than their obvious differences. The mask appears to be speaking, both through the owl’s beak and through a human face that has been carved at the tip of the tongue; this is to symbolize the equal importance of the cry of man and animal. In this day and age we often take note of the problems we face as humans, and all too often the voices of other forms of life go unheard. We as people are not the only ones inhabiting this earth so we need to listen to and respect all voices."

I was fascinated by Billy's intricate carvings and I spent a lot of time just looking and reading the information about him. At his very first solo exhibition a few years ago, he sold all 25 carvings on display in just 18 minutes.... amazing! You rock, Billy!

Morning Glow

As I sipped my first cup of coffee out on the deck, this was my view on a very misty morning a couple of days ago. The early sun's rays make the mist glow. A magic time of the day. A couple of weeks previously I had seen 4 foxes chasing each other on the grass in the distance. They have no fear of being near the houses.

The Sports Report

Lots of action going on all summer, but sadly the warm weather sports are all coming to an end.

All four grandchildren played house league baseball this summer. The two older ones played hardball, the two younger ones played softball.

Grandie Isaac's team, the Pirates, got into the finals at the end-of-year tournament, but lost the final game 8-7.... but were doing really well catching up. One more innings would have seen them on top, I'm sure!

Isaac spent two weeks at a boys Sports Camp in July, and had a terrific time, and is already planning to go again in 2020. It was sports all day every day, just the sort of life he loves. Now he has to persuade Mum and Dad to pay for it!

In August the family met at the Rogers Centre (used to be called the SkyDome, I still can't get used to the new name) for a Blue Jays game. We got there early enough to watch batting practice for both teams, but even though the boys (both big and little) begged and pleaded, they didn't get any stray balls thrown their way.

We watched the Toronto Blue Jays play Atlanta, but unfortunately, the home team lost, and we left just before the end of the game, to avoid the traffic jams.  Our beloved Jays have not done well this year, lots of lost games, but just wait.... we are going to be a winning team to watch in a couple of years. That's my prediction!!

And with summer coming to an end, winter sport is getting started.  We went to the home opener ice hockey game for the Stouffville Spirit, the local Junior A OJHL team. After watching baseball all summer, a game that's mostly slow and sedate with moments of wild panic, I was surprised by how fast and furious ice hockey can be!  It was a great game, but unfortunately, ended with a loss for the home team.

All the grandies will be getting their hockey gear together ready for the season to start at the end of September... they will all be practicing and playing every weekend so I'll be spending lots of time in the local arenas.

Say a Little Prayer

There was an unexpected guest welcoming me home a couple of days ago. He was resting on the inside of the window frame. He must have sneaked in through the open door, as all the windows have bug screens.

He (or possibly she?) is a green Praying Mantis, a very strange insect indeed. They have triangular heads with bulging compound eyes, three smaller eyes and a pair of antenna supported on flexible necks. They can see in 3D with all those eyes. They can turn their heads almost 180 degrees. Their front legs are enlarged and adapted for catching and gripping prey.

 I gently caught him in a kleenex, carried him outside and put him on the patio table where I could get a good look at him.... wow, what a weird creature.

I transferred him to the potted strawberry plant, and from there to a geranium.  The Praying Mantis is a predator, catching its dinner ambush style, moving fast and furious towards some unsuspecting live insect. It grips the intended food with the spikes on it's front legs. 
A PM this size would go for insects, but they are capable of killing prey 3 times their size. The larger varieties have been known to eat humming birds, frogs and lizards. They like their food sill squirming!

And if you are a male PM, watch out. Your lady friend might bite your head off in the process of making babies. Well, a girl's gotta keep her energy up to look after all those eggs!

The Birthday Girl

Yes.... TessaDog is 12 years old, her birthday was yesterday. She's such a party animal!

Happy Birthday to an old mature lady who thinks she is still a puppy!

Tansy

It grows wild in the hedgerows in the summer and attracts the bees, and I think it's such a lovely splash of sunshiney yellow.
Tansy is a perennial flowering plant in the aster family, native to Europe and Asia. but thrives in North America, probably introduced by the settlers arriving from Europe as long ago as the 1600s. In some places is considered a noxious weed. It's also known as Bitter Buttons, Golden Buttons or Cow Bitter.

It's had many medicinal uses including treating worms, digestive problems, fevers, rheumatism and measles. You can even use a solution of Tansy as a face wash, or bathe in it to ease joint pain.  It has been used as an insect repellent, and it was packed into coffins, wrapped in funeral winding sheets, and Tansy wreaths were laid on the dead.  It can also be used as a dye. A useful herb indeed.

Tradition says that if you plant it by your kitchen door, you will never be troubled by ants in the kitchen.

Music Selection

Happy September!
A visit to Fred's Record Store in St John's..... a selection of local music, including the late and great Ron Hynes. Never heard of him? He was regarded as one of Canada's premier singer-song writers, and many of his songs have become part of the fabric of Newfoundland culture. He was Newfoundland's poet. He passed away in 2015, far too soon.

But if you prefer your music live, a visit to the Rocket Bakery on Water Street on a Tuesday lunchtime.... traditional tunes being played around the table by some of St John's best known musicians.

Shipping News

The Port of St John's is a busy place. There are seagoing vessels of all sizes coming and going at all times in the harbour. In recent years, St John's has become a popular stop for the big cruise boats. The cruise ship usually arrives in the morning and the downtown fills with passengers and their cameras for the day, and then leaves for it's next port of call overnight. Around 30 cruise ship visits to St John's are scheduled in 2019.

 The MS Sea Princess is operated by Princess Cruises and was built in Italy in 1998. She can carry 2000 passengers and 900 crew.

 MSV Botnica is a state-of-the-art multipurpose offshore support vessel and icebreaker built in Finland in 1998 at a cost of $303 million.  Botnica is used as an escort icebreaker in the Baltic Sea during the winter months, but carries out subsea and offshore construction work supplying oil and gas drilling during the open water season.

 PSV Siem Pilot is a diesel electric driven offshore supply vessel and pipe carrier built in Norway in 2010. Siem Pilot is currently based at St John's, but in 2016 was in the Mediterranean, and was instrumental in picking up 2,400 migrants and carrying them to safety. Read about it here.

The St John's Pilot Boat is moored at a berth by Harbourside Park, right on the harbour's edge. All ships going through the Narrows are required to use the services of the Pilot to navigate the narrow entrance to the harbour. I was told that this is the oldest Pilot Boat still working in North America.