Let's Make Some Art, Dammit

April 28, 2015. On board my one-canceled oft-delayed flight today to Moncton, a full day after leaving the hotel in Banff. Very tired after too little sleep and too little food. Let's have a two hour meeting in the afternoon and an early night. From Flickr http://ift.tt/1DU2CQs

April 27, 2015. The Alberta prairie looking out from the airplane window at the airport. A mad dash drive from Banff, a meeting by phone in a parking lot, and then on board my flight (upgraded with reward credits to business class all the way to Halifax, oh happy day). From Flickr http://ift.tt/1DU2CQn

April 26, 2015. Took an 11 km hike through the woods near Banff (rolled my ankle around the 4 km mark so it was a bit painful in the end). Beautiful country, a bit cool and windy, but almosst perfect. From Flickr http://ift.tt/1KlESdo

April 25, 2015. Cold and rain/snow today in Banff so I took a drive up the Ixcefields Parkway and collected a couple dozen postcard photos. Enjoy. From Flickr http://ift.tt/1HGlCaL

April 24, 2015. Anotjher full day of conferencing (this has been a very good conference). This is Firefox CEO Mark Surman giving his keynote address ( sumary here ). From Flickr http://ift.tt/1E4N0wK

April 23, 2015. Another full day in the conference. This is Gilbert Paquette describing work he has been doing on the semantic representation of learning resources. From Flickr http://ift.tt/1IWXBuL

April 21, 2015. Did some work this morning, then rented a bicylcle and puttered around Banff on a beautiful April afternoon. This canoe is on the Vermillion Lakes just off the Bow trail. From Flickr

April 20, 2015. Spent the day flying to Calgary and the evening driving to Banff. I took the highway through Cochrane for the view, and was rewarded with this sunset over the mountains. From

April 22, 2015. Conference day all day today, indoors at Banff Park Lodge, where all visiotors are greeted by this bear. From Flickr http://ift.tt/1HmgnP2

April 19, 2015. This is the old rail bridge over the Saint John River, taken from our room on the 7th floor of the Lord Beaverbrook in Fredericton. Back to Moncton today, a day off relaxing, and then a flight to Calgary tomorrow. From Flickr http://ift.tt/1FYGs0R

April 19, 2015. We spent the day in Fredericton attending the New Brunswick NDP convention. This is leader Dominic Cardy addressing members at the evening dinner. I also participated, giving a short talk on what progressive education looks like. From Flickr http://ift.tt/1DXqsPR

April 18, 2015. The view from the parking lot of the Caisse Populaire on St. George where we do our banking. I'm away to Fredericton tonight and Banff next week so there has been a fair amount of running around. From Flickr http://ift.tt/1JePNEy

April 15, 2015. Went into Codiac Café for my regular morning coffee and was greeted by CBC Morning Radio 's morning host Jonna Brewer and Codia Transpo traffic guy Trevor Robson. They gave me a CBC tote bag and I told them I listen only to CBC radio (which is true). They were very pleasant people and it was a delight to talk with them. From Flickr http://ift.tt/1b4BNmp

April 12, 2015. I really wanted to see some open running water, ducks and trees, so I took a quick walk in Centennial Park at noon. There was one shadow in the whole scene, but the duck wouldn't budge from it. From Flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/stephen_downes/16950873488

April 12, 2015. The highlight wasn't the movie (Insurgent - meh) but rather the large moth that remained on the screen, right in the middle, for the entire movie, even though I told the operators before the previews even started. Way to go Cineplex, you've set a new standard of, um, excellence. From Flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/stephen_downes/16508193423

April 11, 2015. Our local NDP candidate Luc LeBlanc speaks to the small crowd of people at the climate change rally this afternoon. It was hard to get enthusiastic on such a cold and windy day. On the bright site, I think my photo is better than his official photo , and the climate protest in Quebec City today was quite large. From Flickr http://ift.tt/1aU6URC

April 10, 2015. This is the inside of a tree, specifically, inside the maple in front of our house. The opening is about 10-12 inches wide; you can see the bark of the main trunk on the outser edges of the photo. Some time long ago a large limb was cut, and years of birds, insects and weather have eaten deep into the trunk, hollowing it out. I love this maple tree and I hate the very idea of removing one. But the tree is not going to survive this, of course, and will have to be removed sooner rather than later (we've already had some large limbs from the hollowed out tree crash onto the house). From Flickr http://ift.tt/1D57K6U

April 9,. 2015. Just for fun. Chocolate, to fit the Moncton Photography group's weekly theme. I didn't have any, but I did go to the Second Cup for coffee and carrot cake. From Flickr http://ift.tt/1yh4d6R

April 8, 2015. Yes, I'm fixating on watching the snow recede. This is some brush - or maybe a bush, it's hard to tell after the snoplows have been through it - in front of the office (I swear, the sidewalk clearers who work for the university have no sense of direction - any relation between their plowing and the actual location of the sidewalk is accidental (even when the sidewalks are marked with stakes)). Anyhow, that's snow, not a wall, behind the brush. And if you look closely, you can see the first touches of color (and not just the orange ribbon from one of the stakes in back there). From Flickr http://ift.tt/1ChJKLq

April 7, 2015. Another look at the oak in the front yard. As you tell, compared to last time , the snow is down about a foot, and some branches have come free. Still a lot of snow to go, though. From Flickr http://ift.tt/1FD74qD

April 6, 2015. Andrea asked me whether I was celebrating anything today. Yes! I said. It's opening day for the Blue Jays. So she gave me a chocolate cream egg. It's like it's my day or something. :) From Flickr http://ift.tt/1Jgy1S6

April 5, 2015. Another day at home mostly puttering about, enjoying the holiday weekend. It being Easter, I thought I'd share anotjher chicken. This one is also on our kitchen wall. From Flickr http://ift.tt/1HEDUaH

April 4, 2015. Picked up a power bar for my office and paused to take a picture of paint in the local Kents. The rest of the day I spent on my bicycle, playing Civ, and writing a post fro my blog. Nice way to spend a day off. From Flickr http://ift.tt/19Ti5Zp

April 3, 2015. Time flies. This photo was taken a bit late. Not going to beat myself up, just going to take a picture of the clock in our kitchen and call it a good Friday. From Flickr http://ift.tt/1awcbP7

April 2, 2015. A couple of meetings, then some paperwork, and then I couldn't refrain any longer from getting out into the country for some blue skies and forest. This is near the end of Gallagher Ridge Road, which runs west off the main highway to the tracks running north to Rogersville and beyond. It's a long way from anywhere, and yet there's a community living along this mile-or-so long road. From Flickr http://ift.tt/1BSmeDH

April 1, 2015. This is the oak tree on my front lawn; the snow is at about the five foot level, which means itr has dropped a couple of feet since I've been gone. You can see the melting snow pulling the branches down - the tree has to be both strrong and flexible in order to avoid having them snap off. I'm crossing my fingers. From Flickr http://ift.tt/1CyAzIM