Big and Bright Wolf Full Moon Brightens Town of Aurora

I hope you enjoyed last night's full moon (Jan 29th, 2010) as much as I did. 350 pictures later, I finally figured out why I couldn't get the sharpness I used to achieve. The digital stabilizer on my Canon lens was causing me issues - a point to remember. However, even with a naked eye the moon was just spectacular and illuminated our street beautifully, too bad for the light posts being on.

The January Full Moon is called the Wolf Moon, as it also reminded me Michael Jackson's Thriller. Those good old scary memories of mine. The name Wolf Moon originated 100 years ago, from a legend about hungry wolf packs howling at the bright ball moon near the Native American villages. I tell you this is not much of a story too me, but hey the name had to come from somewhere.

The 2010 yesterday Wolf Moon appeared 14% wider and 30% brighter than a typical full moon. I actually watched the moon rising on the horizon, and it did look a bit disproportional, that is wider, still beautiful. I also watched my backyard for shadows on the snow, it was bright. The moon's orbit around the earth is 29.5 days and is an ellipse. One side of the orbit is always closer than the other because of the ellipse. During such orbit the moon reaches closest point to us that is called perigee. Once or twice a year the perigee coincides with a full moon and that's what happened yesterday that made the Wolf Moon brighter than any other full moon this year - it was closer to the Earth. Not to mention the sky was very cooperative, that is clear. Some clouds zoomed by at some point around 7 pm, and their brightness made them look rustic in color. Another nice moment to observe.

If you took your eyes from the full moon you probably noticed a shiny red star to the left of the moon. That wasn't just a star, it was Mars lined up with the full moon making its closest pass to the Earth this year.

Read more...

Who Knocked Out The 40 km/h Sign? - Safety On The Streets Of Aurora

I was coming back from my usual walk from the McKenzie Marsh and ran into this sign. Personally it wasn't me who knocked it like that, just literally I saw it and I took a few pictures of this damaged 40 km/h sign. The inspiration of posting this photo came from all the 14 fetal pedestrian accidents this month alone, yes in a month alone, in Toronto area. In addition it saddens me that 28 year old mother of a baby was also killed.

Many times I asked myself the following questions - Are our sidewalks safe? Are they too close to the road? Why driver's speed around intersections or crosswalks? Why drivers do not stop on the stop signs (a story for another day)? Lets take for an example the McKenzie Marshland boardwalk and sidewalk combined on the St. John's sideroad. I think, and this is my opinion about the boardwalk/sidewalk stretching from Bayview to Young, is either for pedestrians or drivers. Now, we have for both. It is a busy road for both, as drivers enjoy the nice fast bypass (good thing we have police from time to time setting up speed traps), and pedestrians enjoy the boardwalk on both sides. The sidewalks in some parts are just too close to the road - not safe. Us people we are not any better, we are like ducks, we will try to cross the road - not safe. Not to point out that the sign around the train track says, watch out for Crossing Seniors, and marked crosswalks for passing seniors are no where to be found. My guess is no crossing is allowed, and the sign is for caution only. However, don't you think its kind of stupid that you have to walk all the way up to Young Street to get to the other side of the marsh boardwalk. In the case of this St. John's sideroad it isn't stupid, because the road has hills and it is hard to see upcoming cars from both ways.

The concept is great for the McKenzie Marsh, but I still think that many things were overlooked for humans yet build perfect for nature. Saying perfect for nature, but never know too. Once I saw mother Canada goose laying eggs on the side between sidewalk and the busy road; and Trumpeter Swan running back and forth on the boardwalk because didn't know how to come back to the water.

Speaking all that. We will never be able to build something perfect and safe, and there always will be someone not satisfied. Therefore, please be aware of your surroundings around busy streets whether they are safe or not when you are pedestrian, and watch out for pedestrians if you are a driver. Be safe on the streets of Aurora.

Read more...

Sky Watch Over Aurora - Who Is Flying Over Us?

Happy New Year 2010. I think I am still allowed to send wishes to everyone since this is my first post in 2010. Days been without sunlight lately. Kind of cold - nothing unusual for this time of year.

Lets look what I have in archives since I have not gone out to explore places in Aurora. Seen lot of sky watch photos over other bloggers lately, but this one I have is unusual. How many times do you get to see those thrust lines over the sky crossing like this. They usually dissipate in a matter of few minutes, so that means that in a matter of few minutes there were four airplanes flying over the Aurora.

I had to check date of the photo to make sure it wasn't from September. We all know that in September there is Air Show on the exhibition, and sometimes we get to see strange airplanes flying over. Speaking of the air show. Unfortunately I was one of many thousands of viewers to see the crash of the Nimrod in 1995. You can check out my true story over my writing blog Story Blob - A Plane Crash I Will Never Forget. Going back to my photo date, no that picture was taken last year at the beginning of February.

Anything else interesting about skies over the Aurora. Yes, I have one more. In 2002 we had third papal visit by John Paul II. He was then frail pontiff who attended World Youth Day in Toronto. Despite his weakened health, John Paul II walked down the steps from his chartered jet rather than using provided lift. I went to visit him at Downsview, but the most I could see was his top of the head driving by, and I did line up at 2:00 am to see him. But then the blessing came from the skies. I remember running to the sliding door with my camera and crashing my big toe, and then photo shooting the helicopters. Yes, John Pope II flew over the St. Andrew's Golf Course, over the Aurora, Ontario. Even better - over my house.

May be one day I will post those photos, however, they are real archives since they were done using my film camera. Time definitely flies, and yet it still feels like this happened yesterday.

Read more...

Beautiful Playgrounds & Parks In Aurora

Having children is a real fun, in addition to loving them so much, hugging, and kissing them, we get to play with them and their toys. How many times someone will buy you a toy when you about 39 years old? Not many times. But when you have children, toys - must have them. Now with almost a 20 month old son, we know all the newest toys on the market, all the popular characters, songs, tunes, books.

However, we must not forget that children like to play outside. My heart melted when first time I put my Matthew on the swing. He had so much fun - the smile on his face was priceless. Since then we took him to over four different playgrounds in Aurora, yet to notice that all of them are different and unique. The newer the playground, the better it was.

Most of the time I visit playground closest to us, the Hamilton Playground on the Pinnacle Trail. Since then I have met many parents and grandparents bringing their children to play, and nannies of course. I also noticed that some came from our neighboring town, the Newmarket. It is really nice to see that parents actually take their children around to different places.

Knowing how much my child enjoys going to playgrounds, I have decided that in the new year I will explore them all, and provide some information about each of them in here. We got over 33 playgrounds in total, so I better start working soon. Stay tuned for playground reviews in Aurora.

Above photo: Chapman Park, Aurora

Read more...

Happy Holidays Aurorans

I am wishing you lots of happiness, joy, love and good health. Happy Holidays and Happy New Year 2010. I know it is difficult time of the year for some of us, but don't forget that Christmas is all about families sticking together, celebrating together - a best gift one can get. Wishing you all that.

And now I want to share some Charles Dickens's Christmas quotes.

'I have always thought of Christmas time, when it has come round, as a good time; a kind, forgiving, charitable time; the only time I know of, in the long calendar of the year, when men and women seem by one consent to open their shut-up hearts freely, and to think of people below them as if they really were fellow passengers to the grave, and not another race of creatures bound on other journeys.' ~ by Charles Dickens

'Happy, happy Christmas, that can win us back to the delusions of our childish days; that can recall to the old man the pleasures of his youth; that can transport the sailor and the traveller, thousands of miles away, back to his own fire-side and his quiet home!' ~ by Charles Dickens, The Pickwick Papers, 1836

'I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year.' ~ by Charles Dickens

Read more...