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Showing posts from 2026

Daily Photo July 22, 2026 at 06:16AM

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July 21, 2026. Borgarnes. Iceland, Day 27. I picked up a rental car to transfer all my stuff to the airport in time for my morning flight Thursday, retrieved my trailer, then kept heading away from the city for as much time as I had, which got me to Borgarnes and one last beautiful mountain shot. #SDDaily. URL: https://ift.tt/3MdypU6

Daily Photo July 20, 2026 at 03:23PM

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July 20, 2026. Botanical Gardens. Today was a day for getting stuff done as I dropped off the bike to get boxed and did all my laundry. But I also took some time to walk around the botanical gardens in the rain, where I spotted this beauty. #SDDaily. URL: https://ift.tt/UjP1eqI

Daily Photo July 20, 2026 at 06:02AM

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July 19, 2026. Back in Reykjavik. Iceland, day 25. Packed up in the rain and the wind, rode down to the port, caught the ferry, then took two buses in Reykjavik, rode through better weather to the campsite (thus pic at a grocery stop en route), set up, ate, then watched the world cup. Congrats and well deserved Spain. #SDDaily. URL: https://ift.tt/hGM6pFA

Daily Photo July 19, 2026 at 04:03AM

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July 18, 2026. Puffin. Iceland, Day 24. Sure, there are many puffins in the world but what makes this one significant is that I cycled here from the airport and climbed to the cliff to take this photo myself. No artificial tech like cars or buses. I also visited the beluga sanctuary in my second day on Heimaey. #SDDaily. URL: https://ift.tt/WedZHsP

Daily Photo July 18, 2026 at 06:36AM

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July 17, 2026. Bjarnarey. Iceland, Day 22. I sent the day on the main Westmann Island, Heimaey, exploring and relaxing. I also took a boat excursion that gave us a good look at an outer island, Bjarnarey. Currently camping in an old volcano crater. For once, the weather was sunny! #SDDaily. URL: https://ift.tt/5kHbh0c

Daily Photo July 17, 2026 at 05:29AM

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July 16, 2026. Westmann Islands. Iceland, Day 22. I cycled 45 km from Hella to the ferry, happily no rain (except at the island) and not so many hills. The wind, though not really a help, was at least not in my face. It was still cold, though, and I was happy to take breaks where I could. This was probably my last long ride of the trip, which should do wonders for my aching bones. #SDDaily. URL: https://ift.tt/vtHagZR

Daily Photo July 16, 2026 at 11:14AM

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July 15, 2026. Walter Mitty Bridge. Iceland, Day 21. Cycled from Selfoss to Hella today. Lots of traffic and the weather did not clear up as promised - instead I fought wind and rain the whole way. This is my second time seeing the Walter Mitty Bridge, but I've never seen the movie. #SDDaily. URL: https://ift.tt/3Ng8M7Y

Daily Photo July 15, 2026 at 04:31AM

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July 14, 2026. Still in Selfoss. Iceland, day 20. Second zero day. It was well chosen. There was a steady heavy rain all day along with a high wind. I rested indoors, except for a brief outdoor walk where I spotted these creatures under the Selfoss bridge. #SDDaily. URL: https://ift.tt/XDA3amN

Daily Photo July 13, 2026 at 02:35PM

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July 13, 2026. Selfoss. Iceland, Day 19. This is a genuine zero day, complete with a hotel stay (and may I say, the $150 suite I got at Aska Selfoss is the best deal in Iceland). It's pouring rain outside. I've caught up on sleep, dried out, gotten some proper food in me, and am easing my various aches and pains. Seen is the Ölfusá looking downstream just near the bridge. #SDDaily. URL: https://ift.tt/lwOhEfr

Daily Photo July 12, 2026 at 03:43PM

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July 12, 2026. To Selfoss. Iceland, Day 18. This was the scene to my right as I pushed my bike up yet another hill. I had already spent a couple hours cycling slowly through that cloud you see at the top. Rain and wind throughout. It's funny to think that only 22 km would take so much effort on my part, but that is how it is this trip. Better reward and the end, though - a hotel room and pizza. Gotta try to build up my strength. #SDDaily. URL: https://ift.tt/aFBbOf6

Daily Photo July 12, 2026 at 05:51AM

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July 11, 2026. Borg. Iceland, Day 17. Today was brutal. Took down the tent in the wind and rain, rode all day against both, and set it up in a plain field in the windy rainy campsite at Borg. Thank goodness for dry-bags. Huddled in my tent and tried to stay warm in the evening; there are no services here at Borg. #SDDaily. URL: https://ift.tt/c18Yx9A

Daily Photo July 11, 2026 at 07:08AM

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July 9, 2026. Flúðir. Iceland, Day 15. From Reykholt I took a day trip to Flúðir, about 12 km each way. This is the Alda Aldanna statue in the centre of the small town in front of the school. I visited the Secret Lagoon while there and spent maybe an hour soaking in the hot spring water. #SDDaily. URL: https://ift.tt/gOjLTNS

Daily Photo July 9, 2026 at 04:55PM

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July 9, 2926. Horses. Iceland, Day 15. Today was rainy a good part of the day so I did nothing but laundry. I also ate a lot of food. Also got my newsletter working again. Mostly, today was about rest. #SDDaily. URL: https://ift.tt/fjU7Vvt

Daily Photo July 9, 2026 at 05:53AM

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July 8, 2026. Faxafoss. Iceland, Day 14. Cycled about 20 km to Reykholt in a short break in the rain, where I was able to buy real food and find a campground with proper services (except picnic tables). Other than that, it rained, pretty much non-stop. Everything I own is at least a bit damp. There's laundry here, though, thank goodness. When I got here I discovered that the pain in my stomach was hunger. I devoured half a loaf of bread and peanut butter, plus a can of peaches. #SDDaily. URL: https://ift.tt/mcGgJ4k

Daily Photo July 8, 2026 at 05:28AM

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July 7, 2026. Geysir. Iceland, Day 13. Today was a rain day, but in between rain showers I took the opportunity to explore the geyser site and to walk up the small mountain overlooking (beyond which the scenery was gorgeous). #SDDaily. URL: https://ift.tt/8v2cykn

Daily Photo July 6, 2026 at 05:09PM

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July 6, 2026. To Geysir. Iceland, Day 12. A bit longer a ride today (I didn't feel like staying in Laugarvatn) and fewer hills, but cooler and again against the wind. I made it feeling better than the previous day - still not strong but I made good time. I didn't actually go look at the geysers - time for that tomorrow. It's a major tourist draw and - disappointingly - you can't buy food here, only order from the restaurant. #SDDaily. URL: https://ift.tt/2y0glsB

Daily Photo July 6, 2026 at 05:42AM

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July 5, 2026. Laugarvatn. Iceland, Day 11. Cycling on a bright sunny warm day with a lot of uphill and against the wind. Less than 30km but it still took a lot out of me - felt weak entering Laugarvatn so I set up camp then went and ate a pizza. #SDDaily. URL: https://ift.tt/AWYI2Pa

Daily Photo July 5, 2026 at 07:55AM

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July 4, 2026. Exploring Thingviller. Iceland, Day 10? It was a beautiful sunny day at maybe 14 degrees and I got all my errands done and had time to explore the national park. This is Silfra (sp?) where the continental plates are pulling apart. People dive in these crystal clear waters - I watched them. #SDDaily. URL: https://ift.tt/yo3dgRD

Daily Photo July 3, 2026 at 12:30PM

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July 3, 2026. Thingviller. Iceland, Day 9. Today (supposed to be sunny all day) started with a downpour for several hours. Meanwhile, I split my stuff in two and left the heavier stuff - including almost all my electronics - in the trailer, which I left in the care of the campsite. So now I traveling a lot lighter, which made it a lot easier to get over the pass, kind of necessary in my current weaker state. #SDDaily. URL: https://ift.tt/HpadqKV

Daily Photo July 3, 2026 at 06:07AM

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July 2, 2026. Campsite. Iceland, Day 8. I had a nice relaxing day at this beautiful campsite as it rained torrents off and on through the day. Mostly I spent the time reading. As I said to Andrea today, I'm in a good place right now, happy and calm. #SDDaily. URL: https://ift.tt/iyExKcW

Daily Photo July 1, 2026 at 03:23PM

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July 1, 2026. Colossus. Iceland, Day 7. The photo doesn't do justice to the size of my new tent neighbour, which I call Colossus. It's battery powered, air cooled, and holds four (though they had extra help setting it up last night). I'm not going to let it get to me, though it did have me thinking thoughts about how to be more happy and less grouchy. It's not so easy some days. Ah - but this campsite is beautiful, I'm staying extra days. #SDDaily. URL: https://ift.tt/z90s13q

Daily Photo June 30, 2026 at 05:17AM

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June 29, 2026. Iceland, Day 5. Recovery Day. This is a fledgling robin busy molting its baby feathers to reveal it's full colours. Apt. I spent the day at Reykjavik campsite recovering, doing nothing but reading, writing, and eating a lot of food. By the end of the day I felt human again. #SDDaily. URL: https://ift.tt/nrUMs29

Daily Photo June 28, 2026 at 03:17PM

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June 28, 2026. Art Museum. Iceland, Day 4. Spent at least a little time admiring the art while I stopped for an emergency break. A rough day today, and I bailed part way through (but late in the afternoon) and went to Reykjavik campsite. Still ill and tired. I will probably rest here for a day even if I feel good to go. #SDDaily. URL: https://ift.tt/EVTOAgI

Daily Photo June 27, 2026 at 12:05PM

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June 27, 2026. The watch. 1991 by Timo Solis. Stands above the Hafnarfjordur campsite where I've been all day, doing nothing. I'm under the weather and really needed a rest day. This isn't the best place for that, as there are no services, but it will have to do. #SDDaily. URL: https://ift.tt/YQHhgfr

Daily Photo June 26, 2026 at 10:01AM

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June 26, 2026. Iceland, Dar 2. Nardvik to Hafnarfjordur. Cool, but not too rainy, wind at my back. Most of the ride was along the major highway. Caught a cold, naturally. Trying to balance the physical exertion with the various meds I'm on is a trick. #SDDaily. URL: https://ift.tt/mYzI5iy

Daily Photo June 25, 2026 at 01:41PM

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June 25, 2026. I'm in Iceland now, in a tent, and recovering from an Odyssey that took me from below the equator to the edge of the Arctic Circle. #SDDaily. URL: https://ift.tt/KQecFr6

Daily Photo June 23, 2026 at 09:08AM

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June 23, 2026. Union Station. After a bus ride, two flights, and the UP train, I'm at Union Station in Toronto, there to catch a train to Ottawa, from which I'm supposed to drive home (don't bet against me just booking a hotel room and then driving home and thence to Montreal tomorrow. #SDDaily. URL: https://ift.tt/yh7mF6p

Daily Photo June 22, 2026 at 05:19PM

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July 22, 2026. Andes. Took the bus back from Cuenca to the coast and had a much better view of the mountains. It really is spectacular scenery, with steep slopes and narrow winding river valleys. Taking the red-eye to Toronto tonight, then the train home tomorrow. #SDDaily. URL: https://ift.tt/LTUDKx5

Daily Photo June 21, 2026 at 09:03PM

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June 21, 2026. Cuenca. Went for a long slow walk through the city today, taking great care not to injure my knee (don't want a repeat of last year). #SDDaily. URL: https://ift.tt/cM5FeNZ

Daily Photo June 20, 2026 at 07:56PM

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June 20, 2026. Cuenca. I'm in a little pub & restaurant in Ecuador's third largest city watching their team in the World Cup. #SDDaily. URL: https://ift.tt/K4XNSfw

Daily Photo June 19, 2026 at 01:23PM

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June 18, 2026. Guayaquil. Switched hotels today, spending time exploring a different part of the city. Most of the day, though, was focused on preparing my talk #SDDaily. URL: https://ift.tt/P8Y4wte

Daily Photo June 17, 2026 at 04:14PM

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June 17, 2026. Iguana Day. I gave my online talk this morning and then went for a walk in Guayaquil where I spotted this beauty. #SDDaily. URL: https://ift.tt/F9EVt2O

Daily Photo June 16, 2026 at 07:10AM

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June 16, 2026. Plane Day. This is the international concourse at Bogota. I'm on my way to Guayaquil, Ecuador. #SDDaily. URL: https://ift.tt/12lwHni

Daily Photo June 15, 2026 at 05:04PM

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June 15, 2026. Train Day. I spent yesterday getting my bike packing gear ready for Iceland, and today travelling by train to Toronto to catch a flight to Ecuador, where I will be keynoting in a few days. #SDDaily. URL: https://ift.tt/sVUOANv

Daily Photo June 15, 2026 at 11:43AM

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June 13, 2026. Went for a longer bike ride today in the hot sun, including a stop to visit Bernie and the kids. :) The ride left me pretty worn out, and caps about 1,100 kilometers of training rides in preparation for my Iceland trip. #SDDaily. URL: https://ift.tt/HX3kyuf

Daily Photo June 15, 2026 at 11:37AM

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June 10, 2026. Another normal day - writing, coding, cycling. I take big ski photos like this so they look better as backgrounds to my cycling posts. #SDDaily. URL: https://ift.tt/8goSmxC

Personal Learning in the Age of AI

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https://www.youtube.com/watch/UYl3Xpqx8HM

Daily Photo June 7, 2026 at 07:14PM

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June 7, 2026. Moth. Today's walk was back in the familiar forests of the Mer Bleue bog, in Ottawa, where we spotted this moth disguised as a dead leaf. #SDDaily. URL: https://ift.tt/oztjdkZ

Daily Photo June 6, 2026 at 07:10PM

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June 6, 2026. Let's go RedBlacks #SDDaily. URL: https://ift.tt/AHaJMf9

Daily Photo June 5, 2026 at 11:08AM

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June 3, 2026. Scene from the biking trail at Mont Tremblant. We started early in the morning - Andrea went for a hike up the mountain while I cycled to Labelle and back. Then we drove back home. It made for a pretty long day - it's about a 2.5 hour drive each way. As an experiment though it was a success. #SDDaily. URL: https://ift.tt/3H5Gh6R

Daily Photo June 5, 2026 at 10:46AM

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June 1, 2026. A typical day - newsletter, coding, bike ride. This cluster of flowers was by itself on the roadside just north of St. Albert. #SDDaily. URL: https://ift.tt/atQCsK3

Daily Photo June 4, 2026 at 09:33PM

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May 31, 2026. Scarlet Tanager (Piranga olivacea). We went to one of the new trails just opened up near Alexandria and were rewarded with this sighting. It was a nice day for a walk, a little cool, with showers in the distance but nothing but blue sky where we were. #SDDaily. URL: https://ift.tt/ft34pMS

Daily Photo June 2, 2026 at 01:38PM

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May 30, 2026. I went for a nice long ride today, along the Crysler trail (pictured), down to Finch, and then back up along the gravel roads to St.Albert. It was a beautiful day and a great ride. #SDDaily. URL: https://ift.tt/BPEg8Cz

Daily Photo June 2, 2026 at 01:20PM

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May 29, 2026. Football under the cranes. It was a cold evening but we got to enjoy our RedBlacks in a romp over Montreal. I know it's only the preseason, but there's room for hope, right? The cranes, by the way, are building an undersized arena; then our football stands will be replaced with something smaller, uglier, and without a roof. #SDDaily. URL: https://ift.tt/tRh2JCl

Daily Photo June 2, 2026 at 12:34PM

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May 28, 2026. Blue sky and pines. Another new typical sort of day - writing OLDaily, coding CList, going for a bike ride. #SDDaily. URL: https://ift.tt/vo9Ablw

Downes Intro

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https://www.youtube.com/watch/80e5dS2B7C4

Daily Photo May 27, 2026 at 08:31PM

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May 26, 2026. Mountains beyond mountains. The Costco parking lot. Today was errand day; we picked up stuff, we came home. #SDDaily. URL: https://ift.tt/1tHwCAl

Daily Photo May 27, 2026 at 08:26PM

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May 25, 2026. This is a flower from our now very robust front yard apple tree. An ordinary Monday: did the newsletter, codedCList, rode my bike, watched the ball game. #SDDaily. URL: https://ift.tt/UE3nlPs

Looking Down

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May 21, 2026. Back up the mountain. We're along the front side, looking down through some brush at Lac Tremblant and the resort village Really feeling a lack of energy today, so we didn't hike very far. It was cold, but beautiful. Drove home in the afternoon and - yep - it was another nap for me. <a href="https://flic.kr/p/2sezsjF">https://flic.kr/p/2sezsjF</a> May 21, 2026 at 07:56AM

Tremblant

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May 20, 2026. The view from the top of Mont Tremblant. We woke up early and drove to the mountain to pick up our summer gondola passes and have a short visit. Now that I'm retired we don't have all the time constraints, so we can do more frequent shorter trips up and back, spending more time for less money. <a href="https://flic.kr/p/2sexNqG">https://flic.kr/p/2sexNqG</a> May 20, 2026 at 11:42AM

The Road Home

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May 19, 2026. Intersection at the Warwick Forest about 15 km from Casselman. Cycled back home in the morning, then went into the city for a doctor's appointment (follow-up on weight-loss program). Got back home and took a well-deserved nap. <a href="https://flic.kr/p/2sewETc">https://flic.kr/p/2sewETc</a> May 19, 2026 at 06:31AM

Stone Silo

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May 18, 2026. Farm just a bit south and east of Maxville on the road to Warina. It was another beautiful day for cycling - started cold but got quite warm in the afternoon. 50 km day with a full load, a lot slower than I would like (need to address stamina and energy issues). <a href="https://flic.kr/p/2sextZp">https://flic.kr/p/2sextZp</a> May 18, 2026 at 01:17PM