Toronto, Ontario; Fairfield, Iowa; Iowa City, Iowa; Salina, Iowa; Ames, Iowa; Des Moines, Iowa; Sackville, New Brunswick; Parrsboro, Nova Scotia; Amherst, Nova Scotia; Shediac, New Brunswick; Moncton, New Brunswick
Ralph Thornton Centre: Sunday afternoon Break Draft event by @ensemblesession, led by longtime members in the Toronto community. Round-robin event for 4 hours, ending with two tie-breaking faceoffs for cash prize. Welcoming to observing audience, relaxed atmosphere. (Ralph Thornton Centre, Queen Street East, Toronto, Ontario) 20220806Pape Village: Family dinner backyard BBQ extended with adopted uncles, reflecting on the recent wedding. Reminisced of early days hosting the sons when the parents went on vacation to London. Grilled burgers, chicken and vegetables, alongside Japanese curry with rice. (Pape Villiage, Broadview Avenue, East York Ontario) 20220809Riverside neighbourhood: Mobile bike mechanic rolled up to our garage on the back laneway with a trailer carrying a stackable toolbox, collapsed bike stand and some supplies. Requested tuneups for the newer fun Miyata and the older Raleigh beater, both with drivetrain issues. The Miyata is missing one of 6 speeds due to a plastic tooth broken in the shifter, the Raleigh has a chain stretched so far that a replacement might be considered next year. (Riverside neighbourhood, Toronto, Ontario) 20230811Tinuno Downtown: Satisfied a sense of adventure for two experienced globetrotters by dining on kamayan (Filipino boodle fight) with hands in plastic gloves and no serving utensils. Snagged outdoor patio table, that servers covered with banana leaves, spreading garlic rice then topped with squid, shrimp, fish, mussels and pork. Guests had a tiring drive around the lake from Rochester, should have have a good night’s rest before the in-person Systems Thinking Ontario meeting next evening. (Tinuno, Howard Strreet, Toronto, Ontario) 20230813Canadian Tire Woodstock: Westward towards Iowa, more rest stop than charging needed, so suburban plaza is on route. Originally planned internal combustion engine had coolant issue, so alternate vehicle is Mercedes electric vehicle. Learning about user interfaces while in motion. (Canadian Tire, Norwich Avenue, Woodstock, Ontario) 20230816Maharishi International University: Leisurely tour through Fairfield Iowa included stop by the Maharishi Tower of invincibility, and peek into windows of the Maharishi Pantanjali Golden Dome not open to public. Signs in the Argiro Student Center say fall session starts with lecture tomorrow, while the campus was quiet today. Moving slowly after previous day journeyl that took over 20 hours in the maiden long journey of a new electric SUV. (Maharishi International University, Fiarfield, Iowa, 20220817Dairy Bar: Late afternoon pause at local institution for ice cream sundaes and slushies. Sitting at picnic table, casual conversation led to creative possibilities of approaches to conducting workshop to awaken non-rational thinking. Rural pace in the small town enables open mindspace away from urban rush. (Dairy Bar, West Burlington Avenue, Fairfield, Iowa) 20230817
Stanley Museum of Art:: In the lightwell, from the ground floor up to the third floor, Nnenna Okore (2023) Spirit Dance reflects the Nigerian notion that change can be enacted by non-human, humans and spirits. The sculpture is made of wire boning, dress in burlap, cheesecloth and jute in browns, reds and oranges. Just revealed at the beginning of August 2023, the installation is exposed to rain and snow that will weatherhe materials, through its showing into 2024. (Stanley Museum of Art, Burlington Street, Iowa City, Iowa) 20230818
Stanley Museum of Art: In gallery opened in August 2022, Giorgio De Chiirico 1947 Le Muse Inquietanti (The Disquieting Muses) was a verifalsi (true fake) copying his own work in 1916. The original is in a collection of italian futurists in Milan. Allusion to the muses of tragedy and comedy, with industrial buildings in the background. (Staney Museum of Art, Burlington Street, Iowa City, Iowa) 20230818Salina, Iowa: Dynamically planned dinner with ingredients mostly local on hand: dried trumpet chanterelle mushroom from Finland into soymilk for vegan soup; homegrown tomatoes for caprese salad, wild keta salmon with ginger and soy sauce, stir fried eggplant zucchini + peppers, corn on the cob. Discussion on dry summer with current rise of heat, the crops may not survive. Neighbours have become more unfriendly in the past few years, wondering why. (Salina, Iowa) 20230819Main Street, Ames, Iowa: On street corner, Steve Reddell (2022) Riding High sculpture on a hot August day. Opted to enjoy ice cream inside the shop, and visit the bookstore with air conditioning. Drove around the Iowa State University campus, with signs that classes start tomorrow. (Main Street at Douglas Avenue, Ames, Iowa) 20230820Pappajohn Sculpture Park: In foreground, Keith Haring (1989 design, 2009 fabrication) Three Dancing Figures, version C, is number 3 from an edition of 10, inspired by the graffiti in NYC. In background, Jaume Plensa (2007) Nomade first shown in Antibes, then Miami, before current siting, with human figure outlined with individual letters. City centre park is compact with 9 installations, some by familiar famous artists seen in other cities at different scales. (Pappajohn Sculpture Park, Grand Avenue, Des Moines, Iowa) 20230820Pappajohn Sculpture Park: In foreground, Yayoi Kusama (2014 design, 2018 fabrication) Pumpkin (L) represents a form of radiant energy. In background, Tony Smith (started 1962, completed 1981) Marriage originally didn’t have the opening visibile in three-quarter view, so the top box was made 2 feet longer. Late Sunday afternoon, few visitors to the park in rising summer temperatures. (Pappajohn Sculpture Park, Grand Avenue, Des Moines, Iowa) 20230820Cracker Barrel: Recharging stop #3 of 5 homeward bound, not including the false stop in Davenport that wouldn’t connect to vehicle. Optimized routing leads to suburban plazas, where food choices are local to a 30 minute stop when output is 200 kWh, and 60 minutes+ when real rates are less than 100 kWh. Restaurant offering southern cooking hasn’t been at the top of my list, but passable for a vegan falling off to fish. (Cracker Barrel, Commercial Drive, Lansing, Michigan) 20230821Woodstock OnRoute Service Centre: Oasis at 11:30pm Monday night barely has Tim Hortons open, with no other EV drivers lounging. Charging station posted with 150kWh capacity is pushing 45 kWh. This should be stop #5 of 5, we expect to arrive in Toronto after 2am ET, having left Fairfield Iowa at 7:00am CT. (OnRoute Service Centre, Highway 401 eastbound, Woodstock, Ontario) 20230821Edwards Gardens: Annual ritual repeated for the 38th time, we reflected on a busy year packed with family activities. Discreet change of angle on the fountain, to hide the yellow tape around the pit dug behind. Attended by a single son, we appreciate the regular event can get bumped by overbooking. (Edward Gardens, Lawrence Avenue East, Don Mills, Ontario) 20230824Wilson Heights: Convened for relaxed dinner with friends since undergraduate university days, schedule months ahead on busy calendars. Catching up on careers and family changes since our last dinner together, 4 years ago, before the Covid shutdown. Creative dodging of dietary constraints with cedar-planked salmon, broccolini, Portuguese pastry, mochi, non-dairy ice cream, and the first Sauvignon Blanc wine i’ve tasted in many years. (Wilson Heights, North York, Ontario) 20230826Maple Leaf Lounge Domestic: Coordinated meeting for meal before boarding on eastbound flight. Airport seemed chaotic at domestic check in, our taxi slowed by 4-vehicle pileup on highway, their train was faster. Our family usually flies to west coast, is the closer east coast departure more delayed? (Maple Leaf Lounge domestic, Pearson International Airport, Toronto, Ontario) 20230828Pierre Lassonde School of Fine Arts: Collection of sculptures at the front atrium clearly signals entering an art school. Walking tour of Mount Allison University, by a retired staff member, routed us through back doors. Well maintained campus for a top liberal arts university in Canada. (Pierre Lassonde School of Fine Arts, Mount Allison University, Sackville, New Brunswick) 20230829Owens Art Gallery: Triptych mural Alex Colville (1961) Athletes now resides in gallery, after 50 years in the lobby of the Athletic Centre at Mount Allison University. Swimmer is starting, high jumper and javelin thrower are in mid-action, sprinter is crossing the finishing line. Geometric structure across the three parts was planned out after the artist has done renovations on his Sackville house. (Owens Art Gallery, Mount Allison University, Sackville, New Brunswick)Colville House: Studio of Alex Colville recreated on first floor of house where he lived with his wife and four children1949-1973. Original working space was in third floor attic, but climbing through a narrow trapdoor would be too hazardous for visitors. Arranged for tour guide while we were at Owens Art Gallery, she opened the door and turned on the lights for us. (Colville House, York Street, Sackville, New Brunswick) 20230829Minas Channel: Arrived at low tide to see the water marks on the exposed pier, with the lighthouse across the Minas Channel. The Minas Basin has some of the highest tidal ranges recorded, as a sub-basin of the Fundy Basin, an inlet of the Bay of Fundy. Enjoyed local seafood at the restaurant with the Harbour View, named accurately, but without expected elevation. (Minas Channel, Pier Road, Parrsboro, Nova Scotia) 20230829Hawkes Blueberries: Stacks of colourful blueberry transport crates on a rainy day, with windmill electricity generators in the background. Road signs pointed to delivery station with a retail store, but we were too late in the day. In Nova Scotia just by the border with New Brunswick, the region is farms with a few towns, all near salt water. (Hawkes Blueberries, Amherst, Nova Scotia) 20230830Duncan’s Pub: Reunion with past colleague and friend, who moved from Ontario to Nova Scotia escaping pandemic pressures in winter 2020. First time in years that I’ve stayed in a pub past last call, but hours are shorter in a small town. Reawakening socializing together, after work-from-home routine has become too comfortable a habit. (Duncan’s Pub, Victoria Street, Amherst, Nova Scotia) 20230830Le Plus Gros Homard du Monde: Popular tourist stop, with many families visiting even on a cool cloudy day at end of August. Noticed a predominance of Francophones, New Brunswick might be a favorite for monolingual Canadians. Leisurely route from Strait Shores to Moncton, return flight already rescheduled an hour later than original plan. (Le Plus Gros Homard du Monde, Rotary Park, Shediak, New Brunswick) 20230831Galerie d’art Louise-et-Reuben-Cohen: In gallery celebrating Acadian Renaissance, Emily Philips (2021) Hexaptych, Brother’s Brook large oil on canvas. Arrived at university museum 10 minutes before closing, didn’t see cultural history. Flight home further delayed. (Galerie d’art Louise-et-Reuben-Cohen, Universite de Moncton, New Brunswick) 20230831
Transportation Discovery Centre:: Hands-on exhibits not just for kids. Light attendance on late Thursday afternoon, so adults play unimpeded. Grownups may interpret the science differently. (Transportation Discovery Center, Resurgo Place, Moncton, New Brunswick) 20230831
