It's not soft and cuddly, does it purr? Why is pink the preferred colour? I think it would end up in a drawer or lost in the closet after awhile. Still, the idea for robot pets is out there and they aren't as expensive as I thought. Source for image.

A houseplant might still be better for companionship. Unless its a fake plant. I don't have the feeling of something alive from the plastic robot kitten, even though it is kind of cute. Some things can only come from reality. I wonder if robots, artificial intelligence, or whatever comes next will ever be able to build that feeling of connecting with something else alive, living and having real feelings?

I like that its simulating a cat, not trying to be life like. There are life like looking cats too but I'd be really disappointed once the fur starts to get matted, or falling out, or whatever might happen to it over time.

There are cat simulation games. Not the same and yet possibly more convenient. But, if I'm having a desktop, virtual cat, I don't want one that will die if I don't feed it every day. A virtual cat should just be there when I want it, not needing me for anything. It's not real after all.

Is a fake pet convenient for those who don't want to deal with emotional or physical needs of another person, animal, or even a plant? Would a pet rock be just as good? A rock would have endless patience and could be kept warm for whenever you pick it up.

It all depends on what a person is really looking for in a pet? Is it a caring companion, do you want to be it's parent, or do you just want something alive there when you come home?

I found a group online about keeping the old railroads running, not just one in particular but all of them around the world. It wasn't a hugely active site but I agreed with the idea. Not only do we already have (or still have some) of the original tracks but railways aren't just an alternative or romantic way to travel. The modern trains are fast and use less fossil fuels.

Today I found an online magazine about graffiti in Eastern Europe with a campaign #SavetheSteel and images of streetcars on coffee mugs. One reminds me of the streetcars as I remember them in Toronto when I was skipping school to go downtown for the day instead. Traveling by TTC bus, subway and sometimes the streetcars too. There were no streetcars in my area, only when I was right downtown in Toronto. #SavetheSteel from Concrete magazine.

I tried to find the railroad group I remember, but I don't know the exact name any more. I hope its in an old post somewhere. I haven't got all of them back online yet. Meanwhile, I did find a few other links worth keeping. I hope the Canadian group is more active than it looks. I'll send them a note.

• The Canadian Railway Preservation and Restoration Association
• The Canadian National Railways Historical Association
• Heritage Rail Alliance
• Ahead of the Torch

Small acts of nature conservation. A couple of these we already do but others would be new and different to work on this year, in the garden especially. Includes things like not raking up all the leaves in the Autumn. You can rake them off the grass and into the flower beds, good for the plants and the wildlife.

I was asked how I came to volunteer with Ontario Barn Preservation. This is what I wrote.

Ironically, I am allergic to almost everything inside a barn: hay, animals, and mold/fungus. But, I really like history, particularly finding out about how things were done/ made and worked. My Dad was an electrical engineer who always wanted (and tried several times) to be a dairy farmer. But, he did not want to get his hands dirty. Anyway, that's why I mostly grew up in the suburbs, mainly a town called Port Union in the east end of Scarborough, Toronto, now.

I've loved writing and tried drawing since I was a kid. I became a photographer as I grew up, not professionally at all. I took photos of my Mom's garden for her. I took photos of family and my cats and family trips, my own trips. Always interested in old buildings and places too. In college Photography was one of the courses I took as part of Corporate Communications. When I got my first digital camera I was finally able to take all the photos I wanted without thinking about the cost of developing them. At first I only had to make sure I had enough storage and battery power. My first camera didn't have much for storage.

One of the first places I photographed was an abandoned farm house near Bradford. The house was demolished since then. But, that was the start of photographing old farm houses around Ontario. The next camera I bought was an investment with more memory and a memory card for storage. It also had zoom so I could see details of buildings farther away or get a close look at a house I couldn't access. I started a group for rural exploration photographers in Ontario on Flickr. Its still there along with a few others. I met other people through my photo group and got together to meet a few in person too. I was still in my 30's and 40's then.

By my 50's I wasn't doing as much. But, I still like seeing other photos of old places in Ontario. I often search for history related groups/ organizations in Ontario. I keep a list of links from those I find. Most of them I added to the ODP site. I maintain the category for Urban Exploration there. Anyway, from looking for Ontario history this and that I found Ontario Barn Preservation. They were looking for volunteers. I knew I could not be someone who goes into barns, or help with knowing how to fix them up. But, I sent in my name anyway, just to see what would come from it.

That was about 3 years ago I think. I've been checking the emails, replying to them or directing them to the right people here. I write the newsletter every two months (not strictly on schedule), I post blurbs to social media accounts. Also helping out with memberships, posts to the website, running the site, finding possible contractors to add to the list, dozens of this and that as needed. Officially, I'm the administrative assistant.

When I was photographing the old farm houses I didn't really pay much attention to the barns. There were there and I got some photos, but it was the houses, the abandoned gardens, the structure and the weathering that I especially photographed. Since joining OBP I've learned more about barns and have a greater appreciation for them. Sometimes they call them cathedrals of the field and I think its a good name for them.

Ontario Rural Diary Archive

Working with the University of Guelph.

Our archive showcases over 200 Ontario diarists from 1800 to 1960. Discover and Meet the Diarists are good places to get acquainted with these people from the past. Learn how to unlock the riches within their daily entries and escape into the past. You can read and Search through typed nineteenth-century diaries. Help us Transcribe other handwritten ones online to make these valuable sources accessible to all.