I brought my film camera to Vancouver, but didn’t use it. Drat. But I’ve resolved to use it today at the Royal Botanical Gardens in Burlington. It’s spring — time to get the Pentax K-1000 shooting again!

Here are some examples of what the Pentax K-1000 can do. It was my mainstay during my trip to Cuba at the end of 2006, and I still have rolls of that trip that haven’t been uploaded yet. I posted a few yesterday:

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It’s been a whole week since a cat post! What gives?

Since I arrived home from Vancouver a week ago, the cats have been getting a lot of attention from me all day long. They see the open computer as an invitation to swarm it and plonk themselves down close to its purring warmth. I’ve had to keep a duster on hand to ward off the ever-present attraction of cat fur to screen and keyboard.

The rest of the time the Caster kids nestle in the various sun spots around the house, like so:

It’s a cat’s life around here.

[if you're a squeamish sort, it's best to stop reading right about now]

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On September 18, 2006, I’d just had a heavy meeting with the estate attorney and was feeling rather spent and sad. So I drove to Lake Winola, where David had enjoyed many a childhood summer; a place he’d talked about but we hadn’t gotten around to visiting together.

I bought a sandwich to eat by the lake shore and watched two guys prep a speedboat. We talked for a bit, I invited myself along, and for one hot September afternoon I left all the grief behind on land.

You think I’m kidding, right? Like we would make that part up so we can celebrate New Year’s yet again? Well maybe we would, but we didn’t have to:

Wikipedia: Lao New Year - April 13 to 16 (this year it’s April 15)

There are several variations of wishing people on the occasion of the Lao New Year with the most common expression being souksan van peemai or sabidee pimai which in English means “Happy New Year.”

We didn’t even have to look around for a Laotian to make this remotely legitimate, we have one in our midst: Aussie-raised Anf, who was born in Laos and shared his roots with us. He even brought handouts, like we were in a proper language class.

… and, just like in class, there was plenty of goofing off.

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For all the architectural enthusiasts who enjoy the outdoors, this may be for you — a one-room cabin where you can watch the sunset (and nature can sort of watch you, too).

Sunset Cabin, Lake Simcoe, Ontario

The owner couple of this beautiful pre-fabricated cabin on the shores of Lake Simcoe in Ontario, Canada, has been coming to their large recreational property for a quarter-century. But the big property in a great recreational location translated into lots of overnight guests and no privacy for the owners.

They felt they needed a “getaway,” a place at their own property where they could capture the peace and serenity of the surrounding four-season nature without disturbing any of the existing trees or structures. They needed a place that remembers what the Simcoe cottage-country is all about.

Have a look at the photos: does the exterior look a little too transparent? It says the slats are positioned so there’s no direct view in, but hmmm… I’m sure the cabin attracts many a curious animal.

Reykjavík, June 2007

View Larger On Black

So many great photos from Iceland trapped in my hard drive. Time to set them free!

In a not-so-unrelated follow-up to the last post, I bring to you the type of device that just MIGHT get me up in the morning, the Danger Bomb Clock by Geekstuff4u.com:

http://www.geekstuff4u.com/product_info.php?manufacturers_id=&products_id=488

Wake you up every morning with Explosion Sound! To stop the bomb, you have to pull out just one code from three. The safety code is set randomly every morning.
Battery: AAx3 (not included)
Size: 170×120x40mm
Not for children under 15
Limited Edition

Perfect for the morning-allergic like me. Now wouldn’t that be an interesting device to pack in the U.S.-bound luggage?

* rant alert *

I have opined time and time again that U.S. border guards (at both airport and land points of entry) are ill-informed, inconsistent, and have far too much discretionary power.

Here’s another example of what I’m talking about:

U.S. border guards bar skilled Canadian from his job - CBC, March 31, 2008

Technician says increased protectionism at U.S. border is unfair

I still get upset when I’m reminded of how much time, money, and sheer energy David and I spent trying to follow the stated policies of U.S. Immigration to the letter in order to get married and be together. We had an immigration attorney working for over a year on our case (who I only finished paying in December 2006; visa application fees and such are nonrefundable) and did everything he instructed us to do to secure my visa — including being forced to live apart during what we learned later was a critical time in David’s health.

When I think of how much of a difference I could have made by just being there for David, getting him to the hospital and taking care of him in July 2005 when his lymphatic system was under attack and his symptoms were intensifying (night sweats, back pain, etc.), I can’t help but get angry at this system that’s supposed to PROTECT its citizens but is in fact turning them and their families into victims of nearsighted bureaucracy gone mad.

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Alvin (my younger brother) just uploaded his first round of pictures from the Philippines to Flickr, and I spotted this one right away:

— from DJ Moka

Edwin Bugnay is my paternal grandfather who died before I was born. Yes, Edwin is actually my grandfather’s first name, and Bugnay is my father’s family name. My dad and some siblings took the name Edwin, the rest kept Bugnay. Yes, it’s rather confusing, but so is the Spanish naming convention and the Spaniards ruled the Philippines for more than 400 years. We can attribute any cultural confusion to them. The Philippine islands are named after Spain’s King Philip II, which I learnt while travelling because many people asked me about it.

There’s a bit of cruel irony in the fact that the Filipino accent cannot pronounce the “f” sound and instead turns it into a “p” and “Filipino” is spelled with an “f” and not a “Ph” like people expect, from the name. As if it isn’t confusing enough! My geography professor at SFU told everyone the Philippines is consistently the most misspelled of any country.

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I missed out on the good weather in Toronto during the week I was in Vancouver, so today has been the most spring-like I’ve seen it this year.

I met with some lovely people this morning for brunch at Joy Bistro, where I had my requisite Eggs Benedict (Norwegian-style this time, with smoked salmon) and a latte. A fine way to kick off Sunday, because afterwards I walked it all off, spending a few hours shooting around Ashbridge Bay Park at the Eastern Beaches. I don’t get out that way much because it’s on the other side of town from where I live, but I’m missing out on some urban landscapes if I don’t remind myself once in a while to go.

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