Friday My Town Shoot Out--Look Up and Look Down

The highs and the lows from a little dogs point of view.

Look down little doggy--



Way, way down---



And now look up--



Way, way up---



And those are the highs and lows of a dog's life in West Hill.

Exciting eh?

Friday My Home Town Shoot Out--Sounds

The noise that first draws attention, is the sound of heavy machinery at work. Have I turned a wrong corner and ended up in Dubai? Multiple industrial cranes line the horizon..... but the sun coast of Dubai could never be this cold and dreary!



No, we are still in the Toronto suburb of West Hill in January. Here, where the city's easternmost water filtration plant is being dramatically upgraded, the air is chill and the construction noise echoes.



A sudden familiar sound captures our attention! The distant ringing of bells at the gate, warn of the closing railway crossing behind us. The ringing is soon chorused by the clickity-clack of a train full of commuters, rushing into Toronto's bustling Union Station to their workday employment.



In the silent stillness, following the train's passing, the giant extractor fans at a huge chemical factory on Coronation Drive roar to life, sucking fumes out of the plant, while beside them huge power pumps, blow heat into the massively, large building.




Everywhere along the road, trucks can be spotted delivering raw materials to the sight of the filtration plant construction. Other trucks arrive to pick up the chemicals the various plants in the area are producing. Their job will be to deliver these chemicals where ever they are needed across North America. The roar of the great diesel engine inside these trucks can be heard as a distant whine, while their 18 wheel undercarriage reverberates the ripping sound of the tires riding over the frozen winter pavement.



Sometimes, in the heavily laden winter air it isn't the sounds you really hear, but those you imagine that captures your attention and your heart. Not far from the clatter of the Industrial Park is a small green space with a large and very shallow pond. In the winter the local children clean off the ice and set up their goalie nets here. After school, the slap of hockey sticks, the scratch of skate blades slicing the thick ice covering of the pond and the happy cheers of the young voices gathered, will create a new sound. As their hockey game comes to life, the noisy construction and plant workers will close up shop and call it a day.



At this moment, the happy hockey team silently study in local schools and the factory noises have faded away in the distance. The only sounds around me now, are the occasional bark from Lindsay, and the whirring click of my camera shutter.

FRIDAY, MY TOWN SHOOT OUT: FOR THE BIRDS.

A cardinal at our new bird feeder.


A peregrine falcon visits Linda's school.



A flock of sparrows hanging out in Toronto.


A flock of water birds hanging out in Peterborough, waiting for lunch.


A Gull hanging out at Fairy Lake, waiting for lunch.


A pair of Emus at the zoo, having lunch.


"Got Worms?"

FRIDAY, MY TOWN SHOOT OUT: FENCES

The gateway to the fence shootout.


The fence to keep the lake viewers away from the edge of the cliff.


The fence to keep the cougar away from the zoo visitors.


The fence to keep the sculpture, "Searchlight, Starlight, Spotlight - John McEwen, 1999" protected.


The fence to help the horses keep following the trail.


The fence to keep the traffic up on the bridge.


The pretty picket fence to hide the ugly trash containers.


The fence to keep the traffic from running off the roadway.


"Wait a minute! Don't fence ME in!"


Thank you for visiting the shoot out of our town fences. See you next time.