Anything but ordinary. A great sesaon: 192 days in length – opening two weeks early on November 14, 2009. Over five metres of snow fell in November and a total of 15 metres of snow fell over the season. There was also the winter Olympics, Paralympics and lots of great memories. I skied 176 days, missing days only due to poor weather (rain and high winds) and recovery from the Canadian hockey team gold medal game.
Recorded from November 14, 2009 to May 24, 2010 with a digital camera that took a photo every 30 minutes; the film is comprised of over 8000 images. It was taken from the taco-cam perched on a windowsill above the deck in the house that I live.
First tracks on the Hortsman Glacier on Blackcomb Mountain
That’s how much snow fell in the month of November in the alpine on Whistler and Blackcomb mountains. At one point in November, it snowed everyday for two weeks. The result of it all was 560 cm – 18+ feet of snow! As I described at the start of the season, this was going to be an epic winter. Hopefully this turns out to be true for the rest of the season!
There was full coverage of snow from the first day and rocks were almost all covered. It was mid-season conditions in November. We got a few days of rain in the village, but it mostly turned into snow in the alpine. There was a bit of a fright on the day before US Thanksgiving when it rained up to mid-mountain. Thankfully, the rain stopped there. The high alpine the following day was great – especially on Blackcomb Mountain (as seen above).
Hopefully the snow keeps coming – with some sunny days in between!
Here is a time lapse of the month as seen from the Batcave…
Eartha Kitt, a talented woman who played Catwoman – and the best one at that – in the Batman series in the 1960s passed away yesterday at the age of 81. When I first saw her on Batman she was already a celebrity - like all the other villans on the show. She was also a talented singer, actress and stage performer. However, I will remember her most for her sultry voice.
I wasn’t exactly sure what a hipster was until recently when I visited New York City. I found out through a free newspaper that they live in Williamsburg, an area of Brooklyn just over the river from Manhattan. Apparently they aren’t well liked by some because they over-pay for Goodwill fashion, drive out good-value restaurants, hang at dive bars and drive up housing prices, especially lofts!
Elise Thompson, an editor for the LA blog LAist defines hipsters as people wearing “expensive ‘alternative’ fashion[s]“, going to the “latest, coolest, hippest bar…[and] listen[ing] to the latest, coolest, hippest band.”
People are starting to emulate them in other cities – including Toronto as seen here in gbalogh’s (a flickr contact) photo stream.
Hopefully we won’t need to reinforce our doors to keep them out in Toronto – and hopefully they won’t invade Sneaky Dee’s!
Here’s a funny video of hipsters in action in Brooklyn.
Paul Watson, the founder of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society being interviewed after a screening of the Dan Stone documentary, At the Edge of the World at the Toronto International Film Festival.
The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society enforces international maritime law under the United Nations World Charter for Nature – despite having no official mandate or authorization to enforce any legislation. They target Japanese vessels that continue to hunt whales despite an international ban. The poachers exploit a loophole that allows killing for scientific research, but the whale meat usually ends up in restaurant kitchens. Sea Shepherd’s goal is to stop the slaughter, even if it requires aggressive actions against the whaling pirates.
At the beginning of August I followed through on my promise to attend Slideluck Potshow XII in New York following the event in Toronto in May. SLPS was held in Brooklyn – specifcally Williamsburg a trendy area of Brooklyn – just over the river from Manhattan. It was held NY-style. There were about 1000 attendees, a giant potluck to match, a DJ, festivities, beer and wine vendors and, last but not least, a slide show of photography, video and art on a giant screen.
The wading pool before the show – or maybe this is the show.
The food – lots of it!
The after parties went until dawn…
This was also my first visit to NYC in ten years. It was such a good trip that it spurred me to go back in August – it will be a total of three times by the end of August. The final trip of August – if all goes as planned – will have me doing approximately the same things as ten years ago – a Yankee/Jay game and attending the US Open tennis tournament. I wonder how it will be the second time around.
My flickr set from SLPS XII, click on the larger image to advance to the next one.
In a friend’s short film, Berlin, the main character states that, “adventures are as common as rooftops.” – I definitely like an adventure. Perhaps that’s why I like being on the roof so much. Actually almost anywhere up high where I can get a good view and a different perspective. This includes mountains, airplanes, tall buildings and, of course, the roof of buildings. Mountains and airplanes are more difficult to come by, however, buildings and rooftops can be had almost anywhere.
Toronto and New York rooftops.
Sometimes even the rooftop isn’t high enough.
My rooftop set on Flickr. Click on the larger image to advance to the next one.
When one of the passages in the beginning of the book reads, “Although I have no idea how I shall usefully fill the remainder of my life…”; one knows this is going to be a depressing book. It is about two people that were seemingly well suited for each other – possibly in love – and were subsequently separated for a long period of time. When circumstances change, they correspond and arrange to meet after their long absence. They have an opportunity to continue their relationship at a later point in their lives.
I saw the film, of the same title, several years ago because it features one of my favorite actors, Emma Thompson. Plus I like period pieces which Emma Thompson does well in. However, this isn’t really a period piece because it’s set in a time before world war II and afterwards.
When I saw this book at a Bookcrossing event I had to read it. After reading it, I have to say that both the book and film are equally great. Sometimes the story does not translate, but both are complementary to each other. I will watch the film again in the near future.
When I was reading it and even knowing the ending I was still a bit affected by this book. It may have put me in a bit of a state. I’ll have to read something lighthearted or funny next.
The summer solstice, one point in time was at 11:58pm last night. However, the last three days were the longest days of the year. Sunrise was at 5:35am each day. Today, Stef and I watched it from the western beaches. We woke up just after 4am to do this – a bit mad but worth the lost sleep.
Here’s a time lapse video of the start of the morning.
100 days, Banner Image, Batcave, Environment, Film, Music, Photography, Skiing, Video, Whistler | Garry June 11, 2010 | 
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