Marilyn's Photos - June 15 2026 - Peregrine Alert

 

The BMO Soccer field had some aerial excitement before the matches started.  A nest of Peregrine Falcons was located above the stands.  There were four hatchlings learning to fly as the crews worked to prepare the stadium.  I wouldn't want to be buzzed by one of those parents.   It was bad enough last year with a Redwing nest beside the driveway, and I had to use an umbrella to get to the car. There have been peregrines nesting at the stadium in the past so this isn't a new experience, just one with difficult timing given the FIFA games.  The birds had fledged before the start of the games so there was no direct game conflict.     Add to that, there's a resident hawk at the BMO Field and it has the job of warding off seagulls attracted to the stadium.  The bird flies in during the pre-game ceremonies and goes to its overlook position before kickoff.  The bird has the lamentable name of Bitchy.   There are a number of North American stadiums that have trained hawks that perform on the day of matches, and there are stadiums that have working falcons and hawks as pest control.  It is those nuisance gulls and geese that need clearing.  In the UK, they have to clear out the local pigeons.

The Spring hawk count happens in Grimsby each year around Easter.  Aren't you shocked by the size of an eagle up close?  Read past POTD's at my Blog: http://blog.marilyncornwell.com Purchase at: FAA - marilyncornwell.com Redbubble - marilyncornwellart.com

Marilyn's Photos - June 14 2026 - Bumpers, Fenders and Grilles

 

I saw an old 1950s T-Bird yesterday and smiled when I saw the front end. The front grille is a big shiny thing with lights that look like they have eyelids. This one seemed to be in between grinning and frowning.  And I thought about it - front grilles in the current models seem to me to be more frowning and threatening than smiling.   I found a grille or two that look smiley.

Much more common are the menacing grilles - this one is called an "American modified shark grille"  What to think about grilles on EV cars?  Some have grille designs, others don't.  And when I looked at pictures, they all have some sort of mouth out front.  Can grilles actually disappear the way shiny bumpers and fenders did?  It seems like we prefer things with faces. We've given this a name - pareidolia.  It is a "deeply embedded neurological process."  An area called the Fusiform Face Area activates at the same level as when looking at actual human faces.   Even the all-time popular car like the VW - with  no grille.   Wouldn't we argue that it has a really big nose?  Every car seems to have a facial profile. Gerry's Porsche doesn't showcase a grille - the front end facial profile is considered a friendly face with a smile and a blunt, rounded nose. Here's he is going around the corner on Sunnylea.   Read past POTD's at my Blog: http://blog.marilyncornwell.com Purchase at: FAA - marilyncornwell.com Redbubble - marilyncornwellart.com

Mairlyn's Photos - June 13 2026 - CN Tower

 

It is Doors Open Weekend and Toronto has included a guided tour of the inside of the CN Tower.  It is sold out, so we won't get to look up into the 300 metre hollow interior in person. We can get the tour in this CBC article HERE. Here's a trailer for the documentary The Tower that Built a City HERE.  And here are pictures from the construction. It was declared one of the Modern World Seven Wonders in 1995. It seems to me the wonders are the feats that have been accomplished.  Stuntman  Dar Robinson jumped off the CN Tower twice - in 1979 and 1980, first using a parachute and second time using a wire decelerator.  Then there was Dan Goodwin who used his hands and feet to climb the outside of the tower twice on the same day. When the glass floor was installed in 1994 we could all have the experience of being 342 metres from the ground. It is great to have it on the horizon across the lake - it is easy to know where Toronto is along the shoreline. Happy views of the CN Tower.

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Marilyn's Photos - June 12 2026 - Losing One's Marbles

 

Louise Arbour became Canada's Governor-General this week.  No one has commented on her age as inappropriate for the role while noting that she is the oldest person appointment to the position. I assume that it might be due to her speech being articulate and inspiring, calling on Canadians to learn from diversity, to be cautious about AI, and to be vigilant to remaining a mature democracy.   I particularly notice her age of 79 and how alert and energetic she is compared to us average mid-olders. There seem to be lots of conversations about losing cognition at our age.  That leads into seeing the recent headline in which one article says "Trump has gone full marble."  That really got my attention.  What a catchy phrase! And what is this expression "losing one's marbles?"  The expression is believed to have originated from the game of marbles, where losing one's marbles would symbolize a loss of mental clarity or sanity.   From the mid 19th century marbles was used to refer to personal effects and goods.  So winning and losing one's marbles in that respect was associated with worldly goods. During the late 19th century, losing one's marbles began to be used to mean getting frustrated or angry.  This translated to losing one's mind evolved and it by the beginning of the 20th century, loss of sanity won out.  Here's one theory that has no proof: It has been suggested that the ‘losing one’s mind’ meaning derives from the Elgin Marbles. These are the collection of sculptures, some from the Parthenon Frieze, which were taken from Athens by Lord Elgin in 1806. The supposition is that the expression derives from the loss of the artworks by the Greeks, or their subsequent loss at sea when the ship that was transporting them sank.  There are 3 explanations of the phrase "to go full marble"  - the first is to cover an entire space in marble stone - that's a home decor expression.  The second is high-stakes - to go for all the marbles.  The third is to go full [X] - a popular linguistic template used to describe plunging 100% into a specific state of mind.   Isn't this a great example of a marbles metaphor.

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Marilyn's Photos - June 11 2026 - How High the Heels

 

Very high heels are popular again.  That is despite guidance on how to calculate your ideal heel height.   1. Measure the total length of your foot from heel to toe in centimetres 2. Divid foot length by 7 cm 3. Get your ideal heel height While the average heel height for women's footwear is 3 inches or 7.6 cm, there's something in the stratosphere called "sky-high" heels.  They are 5+ inches and easily are in the range of 6 to 9 inches.  An image search on Google gives so many pictures to marvel at.  Who would guess some of these are shoes?  If there were no legs showing, we might not know what the item is.  There are versions with high heels and platform souls at the front.  This makes them less steep.    Don't think this is only for women, as men's sky=-high heels have been around for a while.  I guess the difference is that they aren't marketed to regular men, but to rock bands, sports figures and fringe dressers. They are promoted as being a tool for inclusive gender expression.   The proliferation of pictures and videos on social media mean everything's possible.  The number one selling shoe in the world is the Nike Air Force 1 - it actively promotes its sales numbers compared to other brands.  It seems to be a pleasant and comfortable looking shoe.  You can get an Air Force 1 with heels, though. I guess I am thinking of high heels because it is high school graduation time.  I went to a few graduations for Rotary, and got to take pictures of the footwear that the girls wore.  The shoes were the highlight of their outfits.

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