The Watching...

Something's lurking in the garden this Halloween night, and it's watching you, waiting...

Wishing you a terrifyingly Happy Halloween!!

(photos from our recent vacation home)

Late Harvest

A few more hot peppers are still on the vine struggling a bit to ripen up, so this is probably the last major harvest for this year.

The genesis of it all is covered in our previous Balcony Farming post here. We're already looking forward to next year, but meanwhile it looks like it's going to be a spicy winter!

We're Ready to be Copenhagenized!

We are loving this little clip from Copenhagenize! It's a great example of that "delight of discovery" that can occur when you're moving through a place using your own energy. And it's a great example of how small thoughtful additions to the public realm can make everyone's life a little happier.

Copenhagenizing Copenhagen from Copenhagenize on Vimeo.

Copenhagenize is a consulting company founded by ex-pat Canadian Mikael Collville- Andersen (who also runs the popular & trend-setting Copenhagen Cycle Chic blog). The city of Copenhagen has been so sucessful in implementing integrated urban infrastructure, with a massive emphasis on bicycle use (as opposed to "cycling" which is a segregative term), that its citizens are able to provide consulting services to the rest of the world on how to "Copenhagenize" their own cities! Amazing!

Looking Up...urban billboard

near the expressway, Queen's Quay East

Apple Pie--- Sky High!

If you read Monday's post, you'll know that we harvested a ton of apples and pears from the orchard on our vacation property. And what else do you do with a half a ton of apples? Why, of course, you make apple pie!

We probably peeled and cored a few more than necessary, but who doesn't love a Sky High Pie?

And...we just happened to have some creme fraiche left in the fridge from our pumpkin pie of Thanksgiving weekend. Apples, sugar, butter, creme fraiche.....could there be anything more heavenly?!

Mmmmm...that was deliciously familiar!!

The Johnny Appleseeds of Hamilton Township

It's no surprise to those who know us or follow our antics here on the blog, but let us just reiterate that when we take a vacation we love to forage for local food then take it home to prepare and consume it. It's just one of our ways of getting a real feel for where we are. 

This year, since we're staying pretty close to home, we've mostly been getting our "local" fix by patronizing the nearby farm market stores. You know the ones, those little places at the side of the highway with a wagon full of pumpkins out front and a half dozen cars in the side lot, and a big table of pickles, jams and baked goods inside. We've found a good one, Burnham Family Farm Market between Port Hope and Cobourg, and it's provided us with great fresh vegetables and an awesome pumpkin pie!

"Local", though, has taken on a whole new meaning this year; we have an orchard in our backyard. Well, not our back yard, exactly, more a side yard down by the road, but it's here on the property and it's all ours! 

We started our stay by undertaking a modest harvest of apples and pears, just to get us through a few days' worth of breakfasts. But today, sensing that the season was rapidly coming to an end, we went a little crazy! Not only are we stocked for breakfasts for the rest of the week, but we'll be doing a little baking tomorrow! 

Anyone care to drop by for some apple pie?

Hangin' Ten, Cobourg Style

A Saturday morning trip into downtown Cobourg today to visit the Farmers' Market was cool and blustery. After picking up a few things we fortified ourselves with a hot coffee and headed for the beach to have a look-see. It was very reminiscent of the North Sea...past visits to Scotland and Holland sprung immediately to mind. We could see the waves breaking into huge plumes of spray on the end of the wharf and we decided to hop into the car (for protection) and take a closer look.

Imagine our shock and delight to discover this intrepid band of about a dozen wet-suited dudes, oblivious to the cold wind, jumping off the far end of the pier with their surfboards! We were filled with questions...Do they belong to a club?... Or do they just put the call out when that surf's up?... Does this happen often in Cobourg?... Are they crazy??

Whatever the answers, we have to say it made our day!

Seen...Taking One's Self Too Literally

Seen in Chinatown, Lower Manhattan, July 2011

Vacation Time!!

So, it's time for our annual autumnal getaway! Our plans had originally been to visit that little flat land of exquisite modern design and impossibly chic cycling (Denmark, if you need to ask), but life got in the way, plans deferred till next year. Ever the lemonade aficionadi, though, we squeezed the sour little fruit till it gasped repentance, and have managed to find a great renovated farm house for a couple of weeks only a hundred miles or so out of town.

Heard of the "slow" movement? Well, we're opting in! We've committed ourselves to a quiet time away so as to fully recharge the batteries. So...you probably won't hear too much from us until after October 21st.

We've pre-programmed a few posts, and if the mood strikes we may journey into the nearest burg to access the internet, but no promises!

In the meantime, have a wonderful Thanksgiving full of love and abundance, and enjoy the beautiful days of Indian Summer for as long as they may last!

Bee and Jay

friday frequencies- No Sympathy?

Well, it's true- we probably don't deserve any sympathy. After all, we're off on a two week vacation tomorrow! So how 'bout instead we give thanks (on the eve of this Thanksgiving weekend here in Canada) for Metric, a great little band from right here in the T-dot. 

First up, "Help I'm Alive" followed by the infectious "Gimme Sympathy"

Choose who you'd rather be, and enjoy this great long weekend!

An Island Getaway...Toronto Islands, that is!

On a Friday afternoon earlier this summer we hopped on our bike and headed for the ferry docks. Destination? Ward's Island. We had decided it was time to check out The Rectory Café, which happens to be a stone's throw from the Ward's Island terminal. It was also a good chance to visit a place we really hadn't been to in a number of years, and while we were at it, we thought "why not cross that little bridge and check out Algonquin Island for the first time ever?"

Lunch at The Rectory was a delight, (check out our posting here) and it was the perfect way to ease into "island time", meaning that we were more inclined after eating to mosey around exploring the backroads, rather than blasting from one end of the islands to the other.

After lunch we headed over the arching footbridge to Algonquin Island and had a look around. The properties seemed a little more spacious than at Ward's Island, and the feeling was less intimate. But boy, some of them have killer views!

Ward's Island (history here) still had the great character we remembered, even despite the rampant renovations that have gone on. The paths are narrower than at Algonquin and the whole place has a more overgrown and intimate feel. And yes, there are some gems there, too.

With some heavy clouds building on the western horizon, we reluctantly hopped back on the ferry that would take us home to the concrete jungle.

What a great afternoon! We'll be back next year.

The "Real/Sureal" World that is Fashion.

Yes it is that time of year. 

The Ready to Wear/ Prêt à Porter collections have started for Spring 2012.

 We have so far had New York,London,Milano 

and now "La Grande Dame"..Paris is about to wrap up.

As important as we believe these shows to be,it is a reality that most cannot afford or be lucky (some would say unlucky) enough,to work,within the milieu,or be up close and personal with all that is new for this "season" in fashion.

 Much as some would love nothing better than to be A.D.R.

it is a sad reality that most aren't.

That is why we prefer to focus our attention,as we have done in the past, to outside the shows.

The real fun is checking in with the guys.The street fashion photographers who are really the one who are telling all of us what the true trends are.

Here are our top three,that we feel, are indispensable in chronicling the fashion
of the moment outside the shows.

Toronto's own: Tommy Tom 

The Sartorialist himself:

Scott Schuman

and,Phil Oh
....as well as many others,who have the ability of showing us on a daily basis,the true stars of the fashion world.The buyers,editors and models in all their finery coming and going the day of the shows...

 ...or more often than not,simply posing.

 Here are a few images that particularly caught our eyes...

 So let us dream and allow ourselves to be voyeurs into this rarefied,glorious world that is fashion,

outside the shows of Prêt à Porter Spring 2012

 Oh yeah baby...

 Here's looking forward to the Men's Spring 2012 Shows.