Santa's All Done

Pictures of Christmas Day from around the world are a revelation of the diversity of our climates -  Australia's beach images are the funniest - there's Santa on the beach, reindeer on the beach, Christmas trees on the beach - it is all about the beach.   Following Santa on the Santa Tracker, he was on his way through Hawaii, having delivered 7,056,276,203 gifts.  Now he's "locked" on Google, and the Norad site has gifts delivered as static information, so maybe he's finished his trip this year.   How much does it cost to be Santa Claus?  The Huffington Post has the answers.  It says something like $24.3 billion to make the toys, plus $683 million to deliver them. Some of the cute facts about Santa include that he was born in 270 AD and it is the magic of Christmas that keeps him alive and well. And it is his Christmas magic that makes the reindeer fly.  So what does Santa do when Christmas is over?  First he takes a short vacation with Mrs. Claus at the North Pole then he gets right back to work.  Preparing his good boys and girls list and his naughty girls and boys list.  He also starts getting toys ready for next Christmas.  So remember to always be good because you never know when Santa’s watching.

Guelph Arboretum

Yesterday's snowstorm over the lake didn't land in Grimsby.  It did land in Guelph.  I was there yesterday for Baxter's dental experience - he broke the canine tooth that had been repaired in 2014 at the same clinic.  This time it had to be removed. Guelph is a centre of veterinary specialists associated with the University veterinary programs. My interest was the Arboretum and the range of yesterday's landscapes was remarkable in the snow.  New-fallen snow outlined the trees and defined the curves of the landscape.  There was perfect light - the sun was shining through a misty haze in the sky - just the faintest of shadows.  Guelph is home to the University of Guelph.  It has an exceptional program in veterinary medicine which is ranked fourth in the world. I drove through that section of the campus - with barns, horse crossings, and horses outside in the paddock. I stopped at the beat-up recycle bins for some abstracts.  One bin was for manure.   Guelph has large agricultural, horticultural and environmental programs. The pretty Victorian conservatory is the icon that testifies to the beginnings of the programs in the late 1800's. The Arboretum, started in 1971,  is surprisingly large.  With the amount of snow -  two feet - it kept filling my boots when I walked through it.  So I toured it mostly in the car.  You can tour it on youtube here and see how remarkable it is.

The Twelve Days Tradition

Our Christmas Traditions - The Twelve Days of Christmas

I find out that the 12 days of Christmas were not the catechism in code taught to Roman Catholics in England during the time they were not permitted to practice their faith openly.

In fact, this was a well-known in nursery rhyme in the 1800's and published in books at the time.  Just the same, they are interesting and creative biblical interpretations.  Here they are: 

* The partridge in a pear tree was Jesus Christ.

* Two turtle doves were the Old and New Testaments

* Three French hens stood for faith, hope and love.

* The four calling birds were the four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke & John.

* The five golden rings recalled the Torah or Law, the first five books of the Old Testament.

* The six geese a-laying stood for the six days of creation.

* Seven swans a-swimming represented the sevenfold gifts of the Holy Spirit - Prophesy, Serving, Teaching, Exhortation, Contribution, Leadership, and Mercy.

* The eight maids a-milking were the eight beatitudes.

* Nine ladies dancing were the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit-Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self Control.

* The ten lords a-leaping were the ten commandments.

* The eleven pipers piping stood for the eleven faithful disciples.

* The twelve drummers drumming symbolized the twelve points of belief in the Apostles' Creed.

Our selected image today comes from the Toronto Botanical Gardens, Wilket Creek in winter 2014.

Niagara's Crab Apple Allee - Spring and Winter

I found some old pictures from 2006.  That was the year I decided to take a picture a day as a project.  By the end of the year, I decided to become a photographer, and within the next year had transitioned from my Management Consulting work, and was taking photography courses at Ryerson and online. It's a few years later, and I am enjoying gardening and photography as my major activities.  I still do some contract consulting work for the income.  

So, I found a 2006 image of the Niagara Crab Apple Allee, and want to show you the spring and winter comparison. It's that such a show when they are in bloom!  

Something I noticed was the difference in where I took the picture from then.  I missed out on capturing the infinity view.  This past winter you can see how extensive the Allee is and how far that view goes.  The giant urns - and they are giant - draw your eye all the way through the garden, and right to the end.  It is a masterful technique that we can consider using in our own little gardens - placing pots at regular intervals to draw the eye through the garden scape.

Ice in the Garden

I loved the crab apple tree next door - with the ice on the apples, they looked like candy apples ready to eat.  Here are a few of the images.

Grimsby Beach Painted Ladies

It's winter time and the gardens may seem to be finished, but I don't think so.  I checked out Grimsby Beach to see how the Painted Ladies look in the snow.  I can report that they are as delightful as in June with the roses blooming on every porch.