Artsy Picture For Today

As we older folks know, the Union Jack was Canada's official flag until 1965. Click to enlarge.

This you may remember is the old general store in Camlachie Ontario. I took some artistic licence and portrayed this  1850's building as it might have appeared in the early 1900's as it operated as Cairns' General Store until 1932. Wendy says I made it a little too grungy for the era, but the building was constructed in 1849 so it was already over 70 years old in 1920. Hey, we may look a little older when we're 71.

Here's the picture I took a couple weeks ago.
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A Restoration of an Arthur (or is it Colin) Hunter Print.

Click the picture to compare.

For many years a framed picture of two boys fishing from a pier (titled "Fishing" by Arthur Hunter, ) hung on the wall at our condo. I guess it was too many years because the print had faded to a dull blue. The picture wasn't expensive or anything, but Wendy liked it because it reminded her of her brothers and it suited the room, so...  I brought it to London, removed it from its frame and went about working my magic. I had earlier found another, smaller print on eBay which I purchased from California. Then I photographed both the old and the new prints and brought them into Photoshop. Enlarging and printing out the new print to fit the old frame, brought the rich colours back into the scene. At the same time I removed and replaced the original, tacky border and added a "faux" mat. Looks good don't you think?

Back in the frame, Dash approves (did somebody say fish?) and the picture is again ready for the condo wall.

You might want to read more about this artist. CLICK HERE.  (and read the comments too)
It seems the the print was wrongly attributed to an "Arthur" Hunter when it should be Colin Hunter (1841-1904). I guess I should re-print it, correcting the error. Maybe I will another day.
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Too Cold For Swimming But Not For Daydreaming.

Click to enlarge.

This is my artsy picture for today. It was inspired by a 1908 post card showing three boys playing on the beach at Lake Huron. It was actually near Kincardine, Ontario but it could be anywhere. It's been a cold and persistent winter but it won't be long before we too can get back to the water. Can't wait!
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A Cat Napping.

Click to enlarge.

My artsy picture for today.
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Spring Is Here!

We took a drive to Aylmer which is about 25 miles southeast of our home in London. The reason for picking this destination was that the Swan Hotline 519-773-SWAN (7926) said that the magnificent Tundra Swans have arrived. 

Each year it’s expected that 10-60 thousand birds will stopover here. Birdwatchers from all over the province come to Aylmer to see this beautiful bird, and wonder of nature that is right here in our backyard! CLICK HERE to read about the viewing location.

Unfortunately wasn't too many swans here today. The geese outnumbered them 5 to 1. The volunteer guide said another week or so and there will be thousands on the pond. You can see that the pond was mostly still frozen.
 

Above is a shot of one of 4 of the the fine observation decks built to observe the big birds on the pond.

Click the picture to enlarge.

 On the way back we stopped at our favorite sugar bush at the Springwater Conservation Area. The maple sap began running last week and the production of maple syrup was well under way.

Click the picture to enlarge.

The weather was so nice and spring-like we took back roads on the return drive to London.

We paused to take some pictures on this pretty old bridge.

The deck of the bridge was a riveted, open steel mesh.

Click to enlarge.

  You can see the muddy creek below my feet.

Wendy and Dash sat out on out patio the rest of the afternoon. It was so warm in the sun, even though there is still snow, Wendy fell asleep out there for over an hour.
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Dirty Dishes? Have You Noticed Yours Lately?

Wendy showed me a drinking glass. It was covered in white spots and had a white, greasy film which was very evident when you held it up to the light. "The dishwasher is broken!" she exclaimed. "I had to hand wash everything and the film was so hard to get off, I had to use a ScotchPad and I think I scratched the glass."

Evidence of an old basting brush was scattered throughout the machine, clogging wash jets.

Being the good husband that I am, I volunteered to watch the dishwasher go through its 85 minute "Light Wash". I couldn't see too much wrong but dove into tearing the machine apart. It wasn't a futile exercise though, because as I removed the wash arms and covers down to the impeller pumps, I was able to remove years of accumulated debris and free up several clogged jets. Unfortunately after reassembling the machine and trying a test run I was rewarded with very little improvement in the quality of the finished dishes.

THE PROBLEM:
Most consumers, including Wendy and I, didn't have a clue about a new (2011) anti-phosphate legislation in the U.S. (and Canada) which banned the use of phosphates in dishwasher detergent.  In response to the ban, big detergent manufacturers removed phosphates from all of their products. As existing supplies ran out, they were replaced by new less effective products. Suddenly everybody noticed that their dishes weren’t nearly as clean. First, they’d blame their machines. Then they’d blame themselves—wondering if they’d failed to pre-scrub those crusty lasagna tins with adequate penitence. Finally, they’d realize that their detergent had been tweaked. It turns out those phosphates were a key cleaning ingredient.

THE CURE:
After spending some time Googling the problem, the answer became obvious. Add the phosphate back into the wash and PROBLEM SOLVED. All you need to do is go to the hardware or paint store and buy a box of powdered TSP (trisodiumphosphate) for under $5. A little goes a long way. Add 1/2 to 1 teaspoon (depending on the size of the load) with your regular powdered dish detergent and WHAMMO! Sparkling clean dishes and glasses again.

You will not believe how well this works, I promise you.
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A Letter To A Friend With "The Bad Cold".

To help prevent passing this cold on to others, seal your used tissues in a plastic bag and discard often.

I hope none of my other readers and friends come down with this bug. Here's a letter, written from experience, to my friend Gary who is in Florida with a terrible cold:

Hi Gary,

You are going to need to slow right down and fight this infection. You might have to cancel some of your plans. Get lots of rest. If you have what we had, this cold is different than anything we've ever had before and not to be taken lightly.  Can germs travel through the telephone lines? I hope you didn't catch it talking with me.

We have never used so many tissues per day in our whole lives. We went to Costco and bought forty (two packs of 20) boxes of Kleenex and we only have 6 boxes left. Keep moisturizing cream on your nose. You don't need a "Rudolph nose" on top of your other discomforts.

Be careful taking cough suppressants. You need to get the fluid out of your lungs. Soup actually works to help loosen the cough and make it more productive. Drink lot's of liquids. You don't want to dehydrate because the mucus and phlegm will be less liquid and difficult to expel. My lung congestion got so bad I actually contemplated getting pure oxygen just to breathe.

A long shower can help sooth your lungs with the steam and make you feel better. Try not to swallow too much phlegm. Spit in a Kleenex or the toilet and seal and discard the Kleenex bag.

Cough or sneeze into a tissue to minimize the spread of germs. Keep the used tissues in a plastic bag and dispose of them often. You don't want to give this to anyone else.

Sleep in separate rooms. You'll sleep better if you don't feel you are keeping Ann awake and spreading the germs. I found a little vodka or rum before bed helped me sleep but it might have actually made it worse around 2-3 AM when it wore off.

I lost my sense of taste and smell but Wendy did not. This made it worse because I could not enjoy the flavour of any snacks or food. (usually one of my more important pass-times). Not that food was highest on my list during my bout with the plague.

This terrible cold lasted at least 2 weeks+ (almost 3 weeks)  for me and a little longer for Wendy although she caught it about 3 days after I did.   We never ran a temperature so I don't think it was the flu. I had the flu shot but Wendy and Tim Jr. did not. Miraculously, Tim Jr. has not caught the cold yet. Wendy lost her voice and only recently recovered from that. She still has a sore throat after more than 4 weeks but we feel/hope we have finally reached the end of the tunnel. 

Wendy and I are thinking about you and wish you have a lesser cold than we had.  We hope the sunny Florida sun will help cure you fast.

Yours

Tim and Wen

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What Do You Buy For A Distracted Driver?

With ever-rising fines for distracted drivers and evidence that texting is more dangerous than drunk driving, I was amazed to see this new device from China. I like gadgets and often order cheap little widgets on the internet but this one wins the prize of the year for "bad idea". Only $3. with free shipping from China. CLICK HERE but if you buy one, text me and let me know when you're in your car so I can stay off the road!

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Happy Paddy's Day!

"May your thoughts be as glad as the shamrocks. May your heart be as light as a song. May each day bring you bright, happy hours. That stay with you all the year long."

Erin Go Bragh. (Ireland Forever)

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A Wintery Visit To A Summer Place.

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We drove to Sarnia on Thursday. The only  real purpose of the visit was to check the mail and make sure everything was OK at the condo. The marina looks a little different in the winter. Click any picture to enlarge it.

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 Several miles off shore, the US Coastguard Icebreaker "Hollyhock" looks like it's stuck in the ice but there was no mention of it in the news.

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Canadian Coastguard boats look a little forlorn in their winter cradles.

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We counted eight freighters waiting out the freeze-up.

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Any excuse for a drive and a chance for some photos is a welcome break. The restored Fort Gratiot Lighthouse viewed from the Canadian side.

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A general store from bygone days stands wearily, abandoned in Camlachie Ontario.

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Across the street the mill now serves as a storage warehouse.

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Not far away, I had to stop to capture this old shed with the trees growing into the roof.

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 I hope you enjoyed looking at my most recent "artsy" pictures of our trip to Sarnia/Point Edward.
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Dash's Marvelous Sunday Drive.

Dash hasn't been in the car for a very long time. When he was a kitten he used to like it so we decided to take him with us today. He was a little apprehensive at first but I chose spots that I figured he'd like and soon he was  caught up with the wondrous views from the car window.

 He's seen deer before in our back yard so the cemetery was a good, quiet spot to deer-watch. When the warmer weather gets here, this could be a great spot to walk Dash because there's a sign that says "No Dogs Allowed". We always worry about meeting a dog on the golf course behind our house.

We visited the best creature watching locations. He soon forgot about his fear of the car.

Down by the old boat club near the river at the intersection of Wonderland and Riverside there are always hundreds of ducks and geese because people feed them there. Dash could hardly contain himself. Wendy thoughtfully brought his coat and leash "just in case".

It didn't take long to tire the little guy out with all the excitement. Enough for one day, Dash?
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To Market, To Market To Buy A Fat Pig...

 Wendy and I love to go to the Food Island Chinese Supermarket at Oxford and Wonderland.

Click picture to enlarge.

You just never know what you will find. Above is my "artsy" picture of the day: "A Cart Ride"

To market, to market, to buy a fat pig,

Home again, home again, jiggety-jig.

To market, to market, to buy a fat hog,

Home again, home again, jiggety-jog.

To market, to market, to buy a plum bun,

Home again, home again, market is done.

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Bitcoin Founder? Not Likely.

 Is this Satoshi Nakamoto, the founder of Bitcoin?

Bitcoin Foundation sees ‘zero conclusive evidence’ of founder’s identity
Published March 07, 2014
FoxNews.com

 The mystery man behind bitcoins remains an enigma, despite a Newsweek cover story “outing” Dorian S. Nakamoto as the inventor of the crypto-currency. Nakamoto, whom the newsweekly identified by his given name, Satoshi Nakamoto, later told the Associated Press he has nothing to do with bitcoin, a digital currency that has no physical form and lacks any ties to a country. And even the programmers at the Bitcoin Foundation, a group of developers and advocates that's as close to an authority as possible for the currency, said it did not believe the 64-year-old Nakamoto was THAT Nakamoto.

“We have seen zero conclusive evidence that the identified person is the designer of bitcoin,” wrote Jeff Garzik, a member of the Bitcoin Core Dev Team. “Those closest to the bitcoin project, the informal team of core developers, have always been unaware of Nakamoto’s true identity, as Nakamoto communicated purely through electronic means.”

“There’s never a dull moment in bitcoin,” he noted wryly.
Bitcoin has become wildly successful in the past year, with everyone from football teams to food shops announcing plans to accept the digital currency. It has also seen massive failures, as prices rose and fell like the plot twists in a potboiler. Yet beyond the name “Satoshi Nakamoto,” the identity of the man who invented it has never been concretely established.

Widely circulated stories have said a genius kid in Tokyo came up with the concept. Not so, wrote Leah McGrath Goodman in a cover story for the recently re-launched Newsweek magazine.

“Far from leading to a Tokyo-based whiz kid using the name ‘Satoshi Nakamoto’ as a cipher or pseudonym (a story repeated by everyone from Bitcoin's rabid fans to The New Yorker), the trail followed by Newsweek led to a 64-year-old Japanese-American man whose name really is Satoshi Nakamoto. He is someone with a penchant for collecting model trains and a career shrouded in secrecy, having done classified work for major corporations and the U.S. military,” Goodman wrote.

Nakamoto, who lives in the foothills of Los Angeles, called the cops on Goodman when she showed up at his door.

"I am no longer involved in that and I cannot discuss it," he said, according to Goodman. "It's been turned over to other people. They are in charge of it now. I no longer have any connection."

But once outed, Nakamoto loudly denied his involvement -- following a bizarre freeway chase by national and international reporters, and a free lunch at a local sushi joint.

In an exclusive two-hour interview with The Associated Press, Nakamoto, 64, denied he had anything to do with it and said he had never heard of bitcoin until his son told him he had been contacted by a Newsweek reporter three weeks ago.

Nakamoto acknowledged that many of the details in Newsweek's report are correct, including that he once worked for a defense contractor, and that his given name at birth was Satoshi. But he strongly disputed the magazine's assertion that he is "the face behind bitcoin."

"I got nothing to do with it," he said, repeatedly.

He also said a key portion of the piece -- where he is quoted telling the reporter on his doorstep before two police officers, "I am no longer involved in that and I cannot discuss it" -- was misunderstood.

"It sounded like I was involved before with bitcoin and looked like I'm not involved now. That's not what I meant. I want to clarify that," he said. "How long is this media hoopla going to last?"

The rollercoaster ride may not be over yet. Mt. Gox, a Japanese company that is the world’s largest exchange of bitcoins, filed for bankruptcy protection at the end of February, announcing a massive theft of several hundred million dollars worth of the digital currency.

The bitcoin market had been tumultuous before that, with exchange rates soaring and collapsing by tens or even hundreds of dollars per day. The stress of the industry may be one reason behind the mysterious death of 28-year-old Autumn Ratke, CEO of U.S.-based bitcoin exchange First Meta.

The explosion in popularity of the coin made early investors like Nakamoto instantly wealthy. Goodman interviewed Bitcoin's chief scientist, the 47-year-old Gavin Andresen. Another early investor, he has done well by bitcoin.

"I made a small investment in bitcoin and it is actually enough that I could now retire if I wanted to," Andresen told Newsweek. "Overall, I've made about $800 per penny I've invested. It's insane."

The Bitcoin Foundation said “Satoshi Nakamoto,” whoever he is, is responsible for the creation of something unique -- whether or not his secret identity is firmly pegged down.

“The bitcoin protocol would not exist without Satoshi, who is without question a brilliant designer. However, bitcoin will endure well past Satoshi, as bitcoin is everyone who uses it, not just one person,” Garzik wrote.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Yours 'Til Niagara Freezes Over.

$79-$99 -- Niagara 4-Star Marriott, incl. March Break

By Jennifer Cranson  |  Source: Marriott Gateway on the Falls

Why we love this deal

90% of Travelzoo subscribers who rated this hotel loved their experience Saves more than $240 when visiting Sundays-Wednesdays through May 4; stays over March Break are $99 (reg. $334) Exclusively includes buffet breakfast for two, a $40 Terrapin Grille credit and VIP tour and tasting passes at three nearby wineries Upgraded rooms with views of the Falls are just $20-$30 more This 4-star hotel features an indoor pool, whirlpool, Fallsview terrace and an observation deck

Yesterday morning Wendy and I declared that we were nearly free of our disgusting colds and decided we'd drive to Niagara Falls (Canadian side) and see first hand the splendor of the Falls in winter. I had seen this newspaper article about the Falls freezing up. CLICK HERE to read the story. We lucked out with a Travelzoo special for $99 for a falls view room with dinner and buffet breakfast included.

The view out our window of the 11th floor of the Marriott Gateway Hotel was truly stunning.

You can see the American side was frozen. I think you could actually walk across!

We noticed that in our Winter sightseeing you could actually see a lot more of every scene as the views weren't obstructed by leaves. They must have received a lot of snow in the last week or so because the roads were still snow packed in places. This is not normal for the Niagara region. It is famous for its wine making and numerous commercial vineyards due to the fact that it normally enjoys moderate temperatures. I wonder if the deep freeze of late will injure the many acres of grape vines in the region?

We drove to all the usual tourist spots (Whirlpool Aerocar above) and up to Niagara-on-the Lake. Our hotel deal included tickets for two to four local wineries.  I could have been the designated driver since I have absolutely NO attraction to wine but Wendy didn't feel like tasting the wine alone so we passed on that adventure. The winery tickets were valued at $80 and they don't expire so if you'd like them... please let me know.

As you can see in the pictures the weather was clear, cold and beautiful, so it was a good couple of days for a wee drive.
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My Rant On Bitcoin Regulation.

If a sector of the world population suddenly decided that a Pokeman Card, Beanie Baby, or any otherwise relatively worthless token had a value of a thousand dollars each, should government spend time and millions our tax dollars trying to regulate them? Of course not. If you are crazy enough to buy them, then you, and only you, should take responsibility for your actions. If you lose your money and they turn out to be worthless, boo-hoo, too bad. If you can find someone else that wants to give you money for them, or you can trade your tokens for something of value, (legal or otherwise) that's your business. Good for you! 

Since no government in the world yet recognizes Bitcoin as currency, governments have no place trying to regulate its trade any more than they should tell you how much to pay for a piece of art or a genuine Pet Rock. Our Canadian government appears to be taking the right approach in barely acknowledging that Bitcoin exists. I believe regulation is needed but not on the coin itself. Any regulation should only be aimed at the private companies like Mt. Gox that set themselves up as banks to store or convert Bitcoins into one or more fiat currencies. Bitcoin is not evil. (you wouldn't blame the Dollar if a bank failed would you?) Crooks are evil and they will always be trying to steal your stuff, whether its from your home, your bank, your credit card or a Bitcoin exchange.

It gripes me when I hear people say in a negative way that Bitcoins are anonymous, transactions irreversible and can be used to buy illegal drugs. Is this something new? Don't they realize they have just described cash, any cash whether it's dollars, yen, pounds or euros? Although Bitcoin has similarities to cash, it is refreshingly unique as a trading medium. It has tremendous advantages over paper cash and gold and was specifically designed to be free from the manipulating hands of the world's greedy governments.

In my opinion that's the way it must stay.

Read more about the maturing of Bitcoin in Forbes. CLICK HERE
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