It's been a while....

... but just because it was quite busy around here.

After the motorcycle show, it seems like winter is no more (when it comes to business).

However, it's still very wintery outside and I've been mostly out, taking photos, trying out stuff and just having fun. Who could blame me? :)

With all that is going on (my car broke down, visa issues, tripod issues, business issues) it's been impossible to take care of everything at once.

Nothing really interesting happened, but I did enjoyed my walks. This year I do have a proper winter jacket (I couldn't ignore the fact that I live in Canada any more) so I finally understand how nice taking a walk can be on -10 :)

We had some snow that melted quickly, but for a few days  everything looked amazing. The lake froze partially, so did the Etobicoke creek I sometimes visit.

In the Humber park there are always birds to see. And even though I have plenty of bird photos, somehow you can never get enough of them. Especially when they're crowded like this, fighting for the food.

Larger geese are constantly attacking little ducks and making their life harder in finding the crumbles. Cruel nature.

There was a lady feeding them. It's incredible how close the brave birds can come when they know there's a bag full of crumbles in the old lady's hands.

The swan immediately came close and was begging (well, demanding) for food, reaching all the way in her plastic bag. Geese are not as tall so they couldn't do the same thing. That just reminded me on the story of a fox and stork.

There was other kind of attacks too. This little guy on the right has no clue what's about to happen.

The beach was empty, of course. No people, no dogs and a big warning there are no lifeguards on duty.

Funny.

But then, I remember last winter guy surfing on the ice, so I guess the sign is here for a reason, after all...

There were little loons swimming in the lake, but I couldn't catch them with my lens.

They were babies, and looked like little penguins, being all black and white. Quite a sight.

I need to get a tele lens.

In the meantime, I'll make lemonade with the lemons I got.

Have a nice week everybody! Enjoy the winter while it's still here! (Did I just say that?)
I'm becoming Canadian.

Xoxo!

Shooting The Spring In Toronto

Finally, it happened. Spring is officially here (no, the dates don't matter). What matters is the number of days in a row with temperatures above 16 degrees C. With sun. Those are my standards.

That's when I start running.
That's when I can wear short sleeves.
That's when I don't feel like eating ice cream anymore.
That's when I know I'll soon be wearing flip flops and be able to sunbathe at the top of my roof.
That's when all the spring joy and positive energy summons.


The trees are getting greener. Now is the time to visit High Park, among all the other beautiful places in the city. The warm breeze and flower scents feels amazing after this long winter. The birds are chirping and playing around, people are taking walks and there are flowers everywhere. It's nice to be outside!

Just took a walk the other day and saw some amazing stuff. Also, learned couple of things. Those black birds with red and yellow on their wings (Red wing blackbirds) are mean. You can see it in their mean birdie faces.

On the other hand, Robins are awesome and great photo models. They're not scared easily and they're willing to pose for you. They are all around the place, playing with other robins and sparrows or just sitting in a tree chirping and browsing around.

It's hard to miss firsts magnolia flowers, they look amazing. They bloomed rapidly in the last couple of days. They're all over the places and yet I can never get enough of them.

Also, the first cherry blossoms just bloomed, and I know they're gonna be even more magnificent in the next couple of weeks. There's something magical about them. Next week I'm on my quest to find some more.







I generally love squirrels, but baby squirrels are awesome! This little guy actually followed a bunch of kids running around and played with them. Wasn't scared at all, and actually, quite enjoyed their attention.

This time of year is always beautiful. Of course, in Croatia, this time of year actually comes sooner, but it's just as amazing. I must admit though, I somehow appreciate it more here, in Toronto. I guess it's because of that badass Canadian winter after all. So, whoever is around, get outside and enjoy!

Toronto Pet Expo April 2015

If you're an animal lover, what better way there is to spend a cold, snowy Sunday than to visit Toronto Pet Expo? I'm sure there's couple of them crossing your mind right now, BUT, if you're somewhat bored, you should give it a try next time.

The International Center Toronto hosted dogs, cats and various exotic pets this weekend. Overall, it's a nice show. You get to enjoy people's faces when their pet does something cute, or kid's joy when they hold a puppy in their hands.

Lot's of "awwww"s, lots of laugh and generally lots of positive energy.


I did, however, expected a larger show, according to what I've seen on their website. But then again, I visited on last day, Sunday, so maybe I've only seen what's left after the first two days. The visitors were able to bring their own pets, which is nice - there were also lots of organizations there, from animal rescues, different protective organizations to training schools and various educational groups for higher awareness of responsibility and good caring for pets.

I'm a cat person, so as soon as I walked in, I headed in that direction. I was a bit puzzled, as there were maybe 30 cats altogether, shut inside small boxes and cages. You could tell that they were exhausted. I actually felt pretty bad for poor animals - cats were frightened and freaked out because of all the commotion, loud speakers and music. They were obviously uncomfortable and scared, which made me rethink the whole purpose of the show.

Bengal

They shouldn't have been placed in the same hall with the traders, dogs, food stands, stage with the speakers and loud and crazy parrots. The mix of sounds made them insane (we have a convenient word for that in Croatian - "unezvijerene"- ones which are in confusion, without presence of mind; bemused, bewildered, amazed, in a panic).

I did see some spectacular samples of mesmerizing Maine Coon's, Rag Dolls and Bengals.

Abyssinian

Rag Doll

Needless to mention, there were some beautiful dogs and puppies, as well as birds, snakes, guinea pigs, hamsters, monkeys, an owl and a kangaroo.

Kangaroo Domesticus

Yes, a kangaroo.



That was kind of cool. That is, until I learned that the company that provided monkeys and a kangaroo was in the rental business, making money on renting the animals for birthday parties, special events and much more.
A touch of inhumanity, but oh well. Who would't want to have a kangaroo on their birthday bash?