Buffalo Central Terminal

Rather than repeat everything which appears on BuffaloCentralTerminal.org, I'll just say that anybody who enjoys art deco architecture, beautiful ruins, railway heritage, or just needs something to do after they realize that prices at Walden Galleria aren't nearly as good as they used to be, should pay a visit to the former Buffalo home of the New York Central Railway.

Photos taken early on December 14, 2011 beside and above Curtiss Street in Buffalo, New York

Northumberland County

 

Various views of Northumberland County, Ontario including Port Hope, Cobourg and Hamilton Township on Saturday, December 10, 2011.

Crystal Beach in Autumn

Despite being a very grey day, colours abound in the lakeside community of Crystal Beach, in probably one of the most underrated corners of the province. Although bustling in summer, yesterday's stroll was very quiet, but for the occasional car or rush of wind through the trees.

Photos taken at various locations in Crystal Beach (Fort Erie), Ontario on October 29, 2011.

Glen Road

 

 

 

 

 

If you were ever to take the Glen Road exit from Sherbourne Subway Station, and decided to stray south, you would be presented with a lovely row of early 20th century houses which line both sides of this shady (in good and perhaps less-so ways) street which is used by thousands of residents of the adjacent St. James Town highrises. As you can see, all of the houses but for the one at the intersection of Howard Street are slated for razing with a series of other highrises, condos this time, to take their place. It's perhaps a glimpse into the blockbusting which occurred in the 1950s and 60s which allowed for property owners (in that case the City) to rid the area of straggling, struggling tenants who refused to leave so that the massive St. James Town Project, to use an Americanism, could be built. 2 Glen Road will be the only house standing once the wrecking ball finishes its bashing, with shiny new towers feeding 1840 more commuters into the subway system.

Photos taken on August 25, 2011 on Glen Road and Redrocket Lane, Toronto, Ontario.

Glen Campbell

Tonight was a bittersweet night. I went to see someone who meant a lot to me back in 1975, but not a whole lot since: Glen Campbell. My earliest recollection of a 'favourite song' would have to be Rhinestone Cowboy, from the album of the same name. Tonight, I got to see the singer of said song, under slightly sad circumstances. Glen recently announced that he was in the early stages of Alzheimer's Disease, and that he was going to release one new record and have one final tour, of which tonight's show was the opener. He played a ton of hits (Galveston, Try A Little Kindness, Wichita Lineman, Country Boy, Southern Nights, the aforementioned Cowboy) and had 4 of his children along in his touring band. Hopefully they got to see how much dad meant to the crowd of, well, mostly-older-than-me's, and hopefully dad did, too. Given the ominous reasoning for the tour, what one could excuse as "senior moments" seemed more sinister tonight. Even still, the man sure can play his gee-tar and gave the crowd what they were looking for, including, for me, Rhinestone Cowboy.

Photos taken on August 31, 2011 at the CNE Bandshell, Exhibition Place in Toronto, Ontario.

Jack

R.I.P.

Photos taken in the rotunda of Toronto City Hall on August 26, 2011 and at the base of the CN Tower on August 27, 2011

Moon Over Crystal Beach

Photos taken at Erie Beach, in Fort Erie, Ontario on August 9 and 13, 2011.

Indianapolis Motor Speedway

On a nearly-100-degree-Fred day, my grand plans to wander the stands at Indianapolis Motor Speedway during this year's running of the Brickyard 400 were replaced by the consumption of large quantities of water (and the occasional pork tenderloin). This being my first NASCAR race, I wanted to absorb as much of the atmosphere as possible, and judging from the smell of asphalt and (Goodyear) rubber which remained with me long after the race was over, I think I managed to absorb a fair bit. Paul Menard won the race, but Tony Stewart, who was who we were there to see, managed a respectable 6th.

Photos taken near the corner of Georgetown and West 25th Street, Speedway, Indiana on July 31, 2011

Leslieville Baby Hawk

One of two baby hawks high in the sky above Woodfield Road in the Leslieville neighbourhood of Toronto, Ontario on July 7, 2011