Possibly the Weirdest Looking Tree in Ontario

This is called a dawn redwood tree. In 2015, it was voted as the most unique tree in the Great Toronto Tree Hunt. Unfortunately this is now 404 on the site and I could not find the photographs of the winning, or nominated trees. This is a very strange looking tree. I hope it is still standing and lasts a very long time.

This type of tree has been around from the ages of dinosaurs and it can grow in zone 5 but likes lots of sun and water. I looked for more photographs of this tree. Not all were as red as this. It might depend on the lighting at the time the photograph was taken, or the conditions may have been just right for it where this tree is planted.

Interested in growing one in Ontario? I found a post about growing dawn redwood,s and a variety called gold rush, for Ontario gardeners at Canada’s Local Gardener magazine: Ontario story – dawn redwood.

Near the Children’s Centre and Teaching Garden sits a massive and rare find – a dawn redwood (aka metasequoia), believed to be one of the oldest deciduous conifers in Toronto. It was a winner in the uniqueness category of LEAF’s Great Toronto Tree Hunt, submitted by author Jason Ramsay-Brown. It’s said to have been planted in 1960 on a plot bathed in early-morning sunlight on June 20 each year – the birthday of the wife of the gardener who planted it.

Source: Hidden Toronto: a growing list of the city’s best-kept secrets

Mad Science with Robots

Have you ever seen fights of engineering with remote controlled robots? There are TV shows like Robot Wars and Battle Bots. Robot Wars talks more about the engineering and construction of the robots.

Understanding how the height, or complete flatness being low to the ground works. Figuring out whether a swinging blade of some kind works to fend off other bots. Or, something to help reset it when it gets tipped over in the fight. How to keep it mobile when other bots slash at its tires.

There is a lot of science in building a robot, especially one designed to fight other robots.

People who build and battle robots in Ontario.

Bot Brawl – Ontario robot fighting league. Planning to have events in 2021.(Old site, Bot Brawl and a Facebook link).

Robot Riots – Toronto based robot fight club, but the site seems abandoned since 2005.

I found this image on a free wallpaper site but I don’t know who the original artist is. Of course, this is not practical for actual robot fighting. This looks fabulous as an image but would not work well against remote controlled robots so carefully and cleverly engineered for combat. Cosmetic, not so well with function.

The Camera as a Divining Rod

I found this description on a site, Worksongs (now 404) by Andrew Emond.

I had just been talking to my nephew yesterday about that feeling of talking photographs without looking at every detail not relevant to the photograph. While I’m photographing, my mind goes into a different place. I’m seeing everything as light, shadow, angles, clear versus blurred, and so on. I don’t catch the words on a gravestone but I see that they will (or won’t) turn out clearly enough to read in the photograph. I walk around to find the angle that catches the mood, without taking the time to decide what the mood actually is. At least not in words.

It is a different connection to your surroundings when you look at everything a little distanced and yet more connected in other ways. I liked the analogy of the camera as a divining rod. So I have reposted Andrew’s description, as a quote. He has another site: Andrew Emond.

Worksongs Photography

Name : Andrew Emond
Location : Toronto / Montreal

Intent : Worksongs is basically the end result of me trying to gain a better, more direct connection with my immediate surroundings. I look at the camera as a sort of divining rod. It helps lead me to things I wouldn’t normally consider examining or give much thought to, like industrial processes or the way communities are evolving. I’m particularly interested in how elements of the old world are fitting in with the modern world, or in some cases aren’t fitting in at all — essentially where our society has come from and the directions we might be headed.

Toronto Fire 1904 Postcard

I have heard about the fire in old Toronto. So long ago (before I was born) that I forget the year. But, this postcard says it was 1904, and this is where the fire started. None of those old buildings will still be standing. The others which survived in 1904 are mostly gone too. The don’t make them like that any more, is certainly true. They were brick and beautiful, crafted. Now they seem utilitarian, plain and functional. Not fair to say they have no style, a different style is still a style. But, they lack the feeling that someone actually built them. Instead they seem to be something that just appeared, already formed.

You can read more about the fire and the history, but you can’t ever see it, just images and news reporting. The old grandmother buildings are gone. That always seems sad to me.

John Gerald Shragge – The Road Scholar

Sorry to see the site only somewhat preserved with the Web Archives Text is there but images are hit and miss. Maybe a lot of the images were from the Toronto Reference Library, or can be found there. John Shragge is deceased so there aren’t going to be updates and it looks like the domain was left to expire. I found the link while working on old submissions to the Curlie (previously known as the Open Directory Project) web directory. Now and then I find a treasure there, like this site.

The Road Scholar – A site (originally by John G. Shragge) dedicated to Ontario’s historical trails, roads, byways and highways, horseless carriages and related stuff.

Unknown Toronto Before Dead Links

These were really great links but now they are abandoned and missing. Disappointing.

Unknown Toronto “Sarah’s journal of secret Toronto facts and mysteries: TTC lore, hidden spaces, history, art, urban wildlife, film shoots and great Toronto food, clubs, bars, galleries, museums and shopping.” http://torontobefore.blogspot.com/ Historical photos of Toronto alongside of current photos from the same area.