Back in home reno hell. One of the in-progress jobs is removing the shoddy paint job the previous owner did to the hardwood railing.

This tower is a Kitchener landmark. But, this is where I have to admit that despite having lived here for nearly 30 years, I don't recall having been here before.

This is one of my friends, Heather. She and I met on a co-op work term, near the end of our university careers, and over the years we've stayed in touch, worked together on a few projects, and had many a laugh over MSN and Skype as she moved to France and I stayed in Canada.

We photographed Heather and Luc's civic wedding in Mulhouse France in June, then their church blessing the following day with one heck of a reception. This Saturday was their Canadian wedding (technically a vow renewal), which was, in Canadian fashion, much lower-key and at the cottage.

Best wishes to you both, Heather and Luc. I'm proud to call you friends.

A monkey? (Oh, come one. I'm from Ontario. What did you expect?)

Taken at the Olomouc Zoo, slighly soft focus due to shooting through glass.

DOF is tricky on moving branches. Go figure.

Dusk is when the vampires come out in the graveyard. And by that I mean that I was stupid enough to go into Mount Hope at dusk and got attacked by mosquitos.

I saw this fire hydrant next to a factory while on an early morning walk with a friend. I'm not sure if the paint is peeling from lack of use or over-use.

Again with the castle, because finding this forgotten folder of images is like finding treasure. I promise to leave the house today for something a little more local!

Or, at least, that's what I heard. You see, we went to Kunta Hora, then hopped in the little Smart for what should have been a 20 minute drive to this castle. Except that Google Maps didn't factor in construction. Or Czech detour signs, which are frequently either less than 6" high or only marked in one direction—Murphy's Law, it was always marked on the OTHER direction, meaning it was clear as anything when we turned around out of frustration.

Conclusion: I saw the exterior of a really pretty castle.

There's just something about a warm night on the water here in Ontario. It might not be palm trees or southern skies, but it's still a comfortable place.

I need to spend more time near the water. I feel a lot better about life when looking out over a lake.

Of course I miss it. I think you'd have to be a little dead inside to not miss Prague.

Taken on my last day in Prague, from Prague Orloj.

those bars slam home... that's when you know it's for real. A whole life blown away in the blink of an eye. Nothing left but all the time in the world to think about it. — Red, Shawshank Redemption

The wake from a passing boat hitting the shore.

Taken somewhere near Hamilton, Ontario. I wasn't driving.

And straight on to morning.

This is a retirement home in Galt, right by the river. But it made me think of Peter Pan, for no apparent reason.

Today, I took my new D700 out for the first time. With a borrowed 50mm. I'm still figuring this thing out, but I like what I'm getting.

At shortly after 7am in my kitchen, the light hits the vase on the table and things start to shine. I wish it was south-facing, so I'd get more time in the sun.

A friend showed up at my door tonight, as I was making dinner, and handed me a flower saying, "Happy random day!" Happy day, indeed. Thank you!