Loved these rubber duckies

From "The Art Newspaper"

Good on tigers

"According to a recently published study, “the tiger is one of the most charismatic and highly protected wild species in India.” And that philosophy of appreciation and protection for the big cat has led to environmental wins beyond growing the species’ population. The study found that the creation of tiger reserves between 2005 and 2022 led to “significantly” less deforestation in the areas where the reserves are. That, in turn, also reduced the amount of greenhouse gas emissions, preventing over 1 million metric tons of carbon from entering the atmosphere over the past 15 years or so. From an economic perspective, those avoided emissions from tiger conservation efforts corresponded to more than $6 million in savings for India between 2007 and 2020." “Our study provides a comprehensive appraisal of the national tiger conservation policy in India, demonstrating there are important ancillary climate co-benefits of enhanced protection in tiger reserves,” the study reads, continuing, “Our findings offer empirical evidence at a broad geographical scale to support a biodiversity-first approach to climate change mitigation.” http://track.nicenews.com/?xtl=593ulquiac31o92ziq0wtnuji2d5jjpm0w1fce50tl8n4mbmrz7s795saolbuqutsgi3dylqltzfafuo1rjslmpig3jivkf4r2lu5km3jxi4h3ovbmkd60innem14wvhshg0hqtdhap8plef4ahrfltdgd34k3l9sna3l352f3qrgcihgjlsw61wp1tfcacg7c5lsl583qc3sgpgwnrtl7y6jknkktcf7jk&eih=4dlyjkzrn4gmqxi3zs2o9ree5dkztf4q7c67teqx

Love this Lawren Harris

"Another highlight of the early session was Lawren Harris’s Northern Image (1952), which easily topped its high estimate of C$550,000, selling for a hammer price of C$850,000, or just over C$1m with fees ($750,000). According to a Heffel spokesperson, that result set a record for a Harris abstraction at auction. At a 2016 Heffel sale, Harris’s 1926 canvas Mountain Forms set a new Canadian art market standard when it was knocked down at a whopping C$11.2m ($8.3m)."

Wonderful lunch at C-Lovers Saturday

We had their deluxe platter for two....yum. We may not be heading that way again any time soon,though. Traffic tie ups both ways.

Bedtime stories with Alexa

Creating technology for families Kids have long loved listening to stories, and with “Create with Alexa” they can also actively co-create stories of their own." What a great feature! I wonder if it could do what our son loved best. I would make up a line for a story then he would make one up. When he was just learning to talk the lines he made up really didn't follow the story line so I had to incorporate some pretty wild ideas into our "story". I would have loved to see how Alexa would have dealt with this. "Children can say the simple phrase, “Alexa, make a story,” follow a few prompts, and Alexa takes over—generating a unique and original narrative based on the child’s preferences. For each scene, the AI also composes an illustration, background music, and sound effects. The child’s choices of character, setting, and other variables dictate the direction the story goes—and no two stories are the same. For example, once a child has told Alexa they’re ready to create, they select a theme, which could be “space exploration,” “underwater,” or “enchanted forest.” They then choose and name a character—say, an astronaut named Speedy or an alien named Fuzzy—choose a color theme, and pick adjectives like “silly” or “happy” or “mysterious.” With those few inputs, Alexa works behind the scenes to create a five- to 10-line story, told across five unique scenes that are complete with sound and visual effects. Even if the child chooses the same prompts in the future, the story will be different each time. They can then save the story in their personal media gallery to experience it again, and coming soon, share it with their loved ones.

Hot dogs for lunch

We enjoyed our lunch yesterday at the Jericho Sailing Club. Always a nice view over the water.

A lovely evening with old friends

We had dinner last night at the University Golf Club with Linda and Cec and Donna and Earl. So wonderful to see everyone. Thanks for coming our way, Guys!

Advice to graduates from Bill Gates

His thoughts make a lot of sense to me. "This weekend, I delivered a commencement address at Northern Arizona University to the school’s forestry and engineering graduates. (You can read more about what drew me to NAU here.) I wanted to speak to the class of 2023 because they are no ordinary group of graduates. Before most of them completed their first year of college, a once-in-a-generation pandemic came along and changed life—and learning—as everyone knew it. It took resilience, grit, and a whole lot of ingenuity for them to cross this finish line. So I was excited to congratulate them before they begin the next stages of their lives, and share some wisdom I’ve picked up in the decades since I left my own college campus. This is the advice I shared: Your life isn’t a one-act play. You’re never too smart to be confused. Gravitate toward work that solves an important problem. Don’t underestimate the power of friendship. You’re not a slacker if you cut yourself some slack. You can read more about the life experiences that led me to this advice—and my speech in full—on my blog. Thank you for being an Insider."

Good on Greece!

AUTHOR Marika Spitulski Greece is known for its sandy beaches, clear blue waters, and gorgeous islands — from the honeymoon destination of Santorini to the lush oasis of Corfu. Now, more people will be able to experience the country’s coastline with less friction, thanks to a project making hundreds of beaches wheelchair accessible. The focal point of the accessibility project is the Greek-designed Seatrac system, which is, like its name suggests, essentially a movable track to the sea. Think: moving walkway, but instead of the airport, it’s at the beach and comes with a chair.

Another great idea for libraries

'Bus stops in Boston are beginning to double as digital libraries under a new pilot program being rolled out across the city. Riders at 20 bus stops can now dip into free digital content by using a QR code to browse and borrow audiobooks, eBooks, e-newspapers and e-magazines for all ages, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu said Thursday. Library cards are not required and readers don’t need to download an app. The program, which runs through the end of August, features blue slip-proof decals on sidewalks at the bus stops. Wu said the initiative “builds on our efforts to make public transportation more enjoyable, while also connecting our residents to the resources the Boston Public Library already offers.”

Pretty amazing weather

It's been lovely sitting out in the sunshine and having our meals and drinks outside. We must take full advantage as I'm sure rain will come before long. I haven't looked at the forecast.

Mother's Day goodies from Richard

Wonderful Mother's Day gifts from Richard

His wonderful gifts arrived just as the Blue Jay's won to come from behind with a home run. I could hardly believe the timing. I seem to be having problems uploading photos but I was spoiled with a beautiful bouqet of flowers, candy, special teas, and bubble bath. Thank you so much, Richard. You are a wonderful son.

Fascinating stuff about oysters

Makes me yearn for oysters on the half shell. From "Interesting Facts" "Oysters can change sex multiple times during their lives. Within 12 hours of their birth, oysters begin pulling calcium out of the water to create their signature shells. For the first few weeks of their lives, these newborn bivalves zoom around in a current until they eventually settle on some hard substrate, whether it’s a rock, pier, or another oyster. This place of protection is where the oysters will spend the rest of their lives (which can be as long as 20 years). Eventually, usually a year after birth, it’ll be time for the oysters to breed, and that’s where things get interesting. Although born male, oysters have the impressive ability to switch their sex, seemingly at will. Every season, females can release up to 100 million eggs, and the amount of sperm released is so high it’s essentially incalculable. Once the egg and sperm are released, the oysters rely on pure chance for fertilization to take place, as the egg and sperm meet in the open water. Because any resulting larvae are extremely vulnerable to predators (especially filter feeders), oysters have evolutionarily compensated by being one of the most virile and sexually flexible species in the world — meaning that their ability to change sex likely evolved as a matter of survival. This impressive fecundity means that natural oyster reefs can grow to tremendous size; as little as 10 square feet of reef can house up to 500 oysters. Scientists theorize that water temperature could play a role in triggering whatever causes an oyster to change its sex, but many aspects of the process remain a mystery."

How far we have come....

It's hard to imagine that Santa Claus promoted cigarettes. Cigarette Supremacy Before tobacco marketing was legally restricted, cigarette advertising was a big business. Popular brands such as Lucky Strike, Camel, and Chesterfield used visually-compelling imagery and memorable slogans, like "It's toasted," to differentiate themselves. Holidays were even fair game for promotions, with tobacco companies featuring Santa Claus as a smoker and brand ambassador for their products.

A lovely evening

We had a wonderful meal with Donna and Earl at Wildlight restaurant yesterday evening. So nice to see them. And it was a sunny warm evening. Let's hope this great weather continues.

Ah...to see Paris again and these wonderful paintings

But then there would be that horrendous trans Atlantic flight. I'll stick with my memories.

An exhibition of Vincent van Gogh’s final paintings is to be presented in Amsterdam and then Paris. During his astonishingly productive period from May to July 1890, in the village of Auvers-sur-Oise, he completed a picture a day. Then, on 27 July, he shot himself, dying two days later. This will be the first comprehensive show devoted to Van Gogh’s period in Auvers, which lies 30km north-west of Paris. Van Gogh in Auvers: His Final Months sets out to argue that his work there was just as important as his better-known pictures painted in sunny Provence. The Van Gogh Museum and the Musée d’Orsay have succeeded in borrowing 48 of the 74 paintings that he completed in Auvers, along with 25 of the 57 drawings (he also filled a small notebook with rough sketches). Loans of Van Goghs are always very difficult to secure, so this represents an astonishing success.

Fun stuff from the Coronation

I've always been intrigued by mosaics.

"By David Mouriquand • Updated: 06/05/2023 - 07:16 The intricate mosaic floor where King Charles III will be crowned on 6 May will be opened to visitors this summer. Westminster Abbey has announced that following the coronation of King Charles III, the church’s famous Cosmati pavement – an intricate mosaic which lies in the sanctuary in front of the high altar – will be opened up to the public. It will be the first time in living memory that the abbey has invited visitors to walk on the Cosmati pavement, where the Coronation Chair will be placed. While many will relish the idea of being able to stand in the same spot as past and current rulers, there is one caveat: people will have to remove their shoes to step on it, in order to protect its surface."

Cassis

A photo of Cassis, one of my favourite places in the world, greeted me the other day. If I remember correctly this is where I first had raw oysters on the half shell.This was before the days when we did that in Canada.The folks at the neighbouring table were eating them with such gusto I just had to try. Or maybe it was sea urchins. Some wonderful fishy stuff that seemed very exotic at the time.

Whew....so glad Coronation Day went off well

Linda's blog on Coronation Day. Perfect. Linda did have an experience with Queen Elizaeth.She wrote the proper channels and got an invitation to a garden party.It was a pretty thrilling experience for her.

A great article on luxury train travel

I've had some wonderful travel experiences by train and so glad I did. These trips were mainly motivated by economics.It was cheaper to travel by train than to fly. https://robbreport.com/travel/hotels/luxury-trains-old-world-opulence-travel-1234828847/

Lots of baseball yesterday

We watched the Blue Jays then watched a very interesting documentary on the Asahi baseball team. "The Asahi was a Japanese-Canadian baseball team of amateur and semi-professional players that was based in Vancouver from 1914 to 1941. The team won many league championships, particularly in the 1930s. Wikipedia Founded: 1914"

I remember pretty much all of these....guess that shows my age

https://www.boredpanda.com/pics-that-make-you-feel-old/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Newsletter

Another wonderful painter from France

Susan K. introduced me to his work...just love it! "Roger Mühl (1929-2008) was a French painter, sculptor and draughtsman. Born in Strasbourg, an area that had just recently been returned to France after World War One, he studied at the School of Decorative Arts in Strasbourg. A figurative painter, he was passionate about the landscapes of of the South of France. His paintings were characterized by their pastel colours and the way in which he captured the light and shadows in his scenes. He based himself in Mougins, a hilltop town about fifteen minutes drive from Cannes and his partings of Provence and the Luberon region were exhibited all over the world." I can't seem to upload any photos but there is a montage of his work here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fx-MVzwqjck