Let's Make Some Art, Dammit

August 31, 2017. It looked more neat and orderly when it was fresh (Andrea has a photo) but I think it's remarkable that we have a volunteer orchid of any type or description in our back yard. Recovering from jet lag today, but still managed to get into the office and do work.

August 30, 2017. I woke up this morning and am going to sleep tonight at home in Casselman. Flight never ceases to amaze me (even if the windows are dirty and it's hard to get a good photo).

August 29, 2017. I took a short train ride to Lodz (pronounced Yooch), which is dominated by a single 5km shopping street. It's a really interesting dynamic.

August 28, 2017. Took the train back to Warsaw this morning and then, in a first fr me, gave a presentation in a planetarium - not just the building, but the actual round room with the projectors. I have video, which I'll share soon.

August 26, 2017. I was back at the conference for the day, did a news interview and listed to a keynote. Then in the evening it was on the train to Krakow. I wandered through the old city in the evening, where I encountered this excellent musician.

August 27, 2017. I had a full Sunday to wander through Krakow, which did. These dancers were spotted on stage in the central square. But I also saw quiet courtyards, old forts, rivers and forests.

August 25, 2017. This is a display from the Copernicus Science Centre, where I gave my presentation today. I also spent time as a 'book' in a living library.

August 23, 2017. Arrived in Warsaw. Stayed up overnight. Took a 7km walk around the city midday to work on jet lag, then to bed by 4pm and slept through.

August 22, 2017. Spent the day flying to Poland. It was a bit tricky and took longer than usual, due to thunderstorms.

August 21, 2017. This is the eclipse at the peak, 2:30, outside M-50 at NRC. No filter. You don't see the eclipse directly, but if you look closely you can see it captured in the lens flare (at the 10 O'Clock position on the Sun).

August 20, 2017. We have a bumper crop of goldenrod around the house, which would be great if it weren't thought of by most people as a weed. Me, though, I like it.

August 18, 2017. I celebrated today's photo of the day by reading Aristophanes . It's interesting that his work bears so much relation between today's debate between Just Discourse and Unjust Discourse. "We always act thus, when we see a man conceive a passion for what is evil; we strike him with some terrible disgrace, so that he may learn to fear the gods."

August 17, 2017. More work on the MOOC Aggregator today, and it's looking pretty good. This is an old brown-eyed susan in the back yard, so old it has red petals.

August 16, 2017. Polishing up the MOOC aggregator. It's looking pretty good now. This is a sparrow eating a grasshopper on our deck (which, yes, needs refinishing). It was interesting watching them - they would hover over the grass and pluck them out of the air, then carry them to the deck.

August 15, 2017. Just a view outside the car window on the way home from the office. Got the aggregator working (mostly) today.

August 14, 2017. Back in the office. Progressed rapdly on the new mooc.ca website. Also gave the car its B12 servicing (at least, that's what the dealership calls it). This is the geranium in the front garden.

August 13, 2017. Quet day today; was planning to cycle but I've pulled a muscle behind my knee. Worked on setting up my new laptop instead. This is a Flat-topped White Aster (Doellingeria umbellata) (formerly Aster umbellatus) in the back yard.

August 14, 2017. Back in the office. Progressed rapdly on the new mooc.ca website. Also gave the car its B12 servicing (at least, that's what the dealership calls it). This is the geranium in the front garden.

August 13, 2017. Quet day today; was planning to cycle but I've pulled a muscle behind my knee. Worked on setting up my new laptop instead. This is a Flat-topped White Aster (Doellingeria umbellata) (formerly Aster umbellatus) in the back yard.

August 12, 2017. We took a day trip to Brockville to see the giant rubber duck and the festival and the rest, but it was the real ducks that put on the show, including this one. But Brockville put on a great festival with ribs, the opening of an old train tunnel, and more.

August 11, 2017. I admit I was sceptical but her sunflowers have been coming along nicely.

August 10, 2017. This is the view of M-55 from my office. This was the home of CISTI, NRC's research library, and now houses a bunch of different functions. I like it because of tghe tree in front, not looking great but hanging in there. Eventually the tree will die and I'll have a postcard-worthy view But I like the tree. I spent the day working on the MOOC aggregator, with success.

August 9, 2017. 20x50 Day 50. I finished my 1000 km cycling project today with a final 52 km along the central part of the Russell Trail. It was another twilight run. This is an old railway bridge at the /4 (and 3/4) mark of the ride.

August 9, 2017. 20x50 Day 19. Cycled the western portion of the Russell Trail in an after-work special. It's all gravel so it's tough cycling, but it's also beautiful.

August 9, 2017. 20x50 Day 50. I finished my 1000 km cycling project today with a final 52 km along the central part of the Russell Trail. It was another twilight run. This is an old railway bridge at the /4 (and 3/4) mark of the ride.

August 7, 2017. Work up early and drove into work only to discover it was a holiday. Drove home and went back to bed. Coded in the afternoon; I was primed to work, so I worked.

August 6, 2017. Most of the brush on the other side of the tracks has been cleared, offering view of Casselman (and the trestle) from this side of the river. Cold, windy, and so I took a break from biking.

August 5, 2017. 20x50 Day 18 53 km to Dunvegan and back. I took a full set of photos of the historical buildings in Dunvegan. I also found a Blackberry on the road (as of the next day, returned to owner). Miserable wind against me the whole way back.

August 4, 2017. 20x50 Day 17 50 km to Avonmore and back. I kept the ride quick and short today to make time for the football game this evening. Yes, the home team lost, but it was a good game and thoroughly enjoyable.

August 3, 2017. 20x50 Day 16. This statue of a veteran overlooks the central square of Morewood, a tiny village about 30 kilometers away from Casselman. It's the first time I've ever been there.

August 2, 2017. I took a day off cycling today, set myself up on the deck out back, listened to the ball game and read philosophy. This is white sweet clover (Melilotus albus) growing at the edge of the deck.

August 1, 2017. 20x50 Day 15. It was interesting because I saw the smoke start as I was taking a break in Avonmore, the half way point of today's 50km ride. This is what it looked like a bit later on the ride back. I wasn't too worried because the smoke was white, which means clean wood or hay or brush - not plastics and oil from a house or building fire that would create thick black smoke. Good fast ride today, marred only by Runkeeper's decision to stop recording for 15 km of my ride.