Monthly Archives: February 2021

Lost in Dundas Valley

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Hello my lovelies, ready set go for some more snow? The moral of this blog post is appreciate what you have while you have it ‘cos when it’s gone, bro it’s GONE. Okay that’s a little dramatic all I mean is it’s sunny and warm out now all this snow is goners.

I swear if I ever saw a turtle scale that steep hill to cross this road? My God.

The parking lot of Dundas Valley is/was covered in snow. We were stoked. Haven’t been here in years and will spare you the who gets credit for this super wicked fun idea for a day LOL but obviously me. It would have been nice to add YOU ARE HERE on the map before heading out to the multiple criss-crossing trails of D Valley but mebbe that’s just me. We got a little lost but google maps is shockingly accurate, yay that.

You tell me where you think we are on this map and I’ll give you a quarter.

My Grandfather, Dad’s Dad, his name is JRW, John White, so this was special and saved our asses on the way back also might I add the degree of difficulty for this trek was quite something because of the snow we had to clomp through. We were winded after the first incline and then discovered there would be a fuck ton more hills and kind of went mad. We stuck to Sawmill trail for the most of it then it got wonky and we were going it blind.

It was a beautiful hike that’s for sure. We did not bring enough snacks or beverages/water in case we got lost-lost in hindsight and we laughed about that the entire time. There is nothing worse than getting stuck somewhere and being hungry. All I thought about to mentally motivate myself through the end of this hike was the Thai stir fry I was going to make when we got home. It was delicious.

I’ve gotten new boots since and would love to break them in here! Kicking local snowbanks can only do so much for a girl.

Break one. You get to see the serious walkers out and about when you go for a stroll through the hills yeah and this one guy came through in leather shoes and leather jacket no hat no mitts we were like WTF LOL. Meanwhile a group of serious loud-talking walking ladies that you can hear an entire kilometer away because it’s so silent there completely engulfed in nature if you are currently going bonkers from being indoors too much and want an escape, I recco a hike. You might see deer.

It doesn’t look like much but this incline killed us it’s only half of it as seen from above very humbling we were dying AND we hike all the damn time. The snow helped and hurted us.

Canadian Beer fridge. If ya ain’t givin’er ya ain’t livin’er.

one more scope-out before moseyin’ on I’m tellin’ ya this is called Dundas Valley for a reason. More like, eight finity valleys chrissake.

To you, this is a boring picture of snow but to me it is a momentum downhill advantage that you throw yourself at. You walk down, you walk up, and on and on it goes. We would get to a peak or vista whatever the crap only to see a whole other hill to climb, hence the going mad. Still need to chart the course we took to properly brag about the Kilometers.

Walked through many pine tree clusters and bf says they were too perfectly placed therefore man-planted. I appreesh if that’s the case and you better believe yours truly got nature-splained the whole way.

Gorgeous. Spectacular. Magical. Years ago, I spent a December in Holland and went on a walk on Christmas day just over the border in Germany which resembled Canada so much. Both The Netherlands and Deutschland look like Canada. That’s all. Humble travel-brag.

The silence was also quite striking.

It was like being in a Christmas card.

We did a big hike with friends in Fergus not too long ago and they are habitual long distance hikers they would adore this and would do every single trail. They are also German, speaking of. :)

I uploaded a ton of pictures I am trying to be discerning. Failing.

Ooh la la that’s what I like. We dilly-dallied a little this day and so the majority of people weren’t passing us or out hiking by this time so we were pretty much alone which adds to the excitement in getting lost potential. Ain’t no one comin’ to find ya. I love disaster survival movies, most excellent.

This is all melted by now and muddy. We did a magical snowy forest night walk last year and everything had melted the next morning I took no pictures it was like a dream and never really happened the snow was so fluffy we were climbing hand over foot using head lamps. Bananas. Should probs do one of those naked and afraid reality shows.

Random blobs of snow would rain down on you or in front of you. Coolness.

Sort of dressed like a tree.

Oh look, more incline. Great.

Not dressed like a tree. I was mad at myself for wearing my neon orange Carhartt toque in case deer were around they’d see me a mile off but wait they could be colour blind and I actually don’t know anything about deer except their droppings really smell if a dog rolls through them so do not let that happen! Worse than a skunk.

Oh look more flooferness.

I wanted to be tall enough to punch that snow on the right from below to make it dust all over my bf but am not ten feet tall, unfortunately.

On second thought, ten feet wouldn’t be nearly enough and you don’t get good air from jumping off of snow you just sink further into it haha.

The picture of me in the beginning of the post was taken down this corridor.

If we brought a football would slam it right through that one.

I think you are starting to get the point.

LOL bf just walked by and sarcastically went, “WOW”. Yes I KNOW I hope this ends soon too.

It’s the Narnia escapism for me.

Then a bit of a fork this is probably about the time we started getting confused.

and again in landscape. I couldn’t even measure our course if I wanted to (and, I do!) because I don’t know where we were I kept “recognizing” things and then secretly being like, nope, I don’t think this is the place. I’ll just keep that to myself lol. I need that hike tracking app.

Went off course to another trail to hang on this little bridge by a creek.

I have never been here in the winter before with snow it is harder to catch your bearings ya ya okay you got it.

See a heart though!

A heart kite aww <3. bf said he pre-arranged it for me haha.

Ooh yay signs of life.

Picturesque. This was coming up on the Bruce trail now holy hell intersecting is happenin’.

The sun is trying to appear amidst the Siberian winter sky I’m surprised I even noticed it.

Another crazy incline going in the wrong direction and yes we did it and I lost my purple mitt on the other side of the hill so bf had to run and fetch it we could see it sitting there like an idiot just after huffing it back up the other side of this hill it was a low point for sure but hilarious so win-win.

Gotta get one of these first. That Mandarin bag is probs worth money now that buffets are closed eh jk.

So we turned around cos we could see the road and were on the Bruce trail which would have been a whole other trail from no return it was time to re-route and figure it out.

Running back with my mitt. Luckily I noticed it so quickly. You constantly take your gloves off to take a picture or grab/do whatever then walk a bit before putting them back on again and by that time your glove is long gone and you don’t know exactly when you lost it.

We were getting tireder by this point so any back-tracking was annoying and again this was a mighty incline. One of those days where you just want to go straight home but we still had an errand to do first which felt like HELL on earth.

My hero.

SO PRETTY. Definitely doing this again.

I filmed a music video here in 2009 at least I think it was here. As I said, we were hella lost. The only thing we brought was Scorchin’ Hot CHEEZ ITS! Leftover lasagna from the night before but ate that in the parking lot at the beginning.

doggie booty oh no.

WHERE TF ARE WE I AM OVER THIS

Finally some gotdamn Valley. We saw deer droppings, no deer. rip off.

Ain’t nobody sitting by this point just trying to get it done with actually I used this bench to get something out of my purse.

“His eyes looked like two piss holes in a snow bank.” That’s a bona fide PEIism for ya ahaha I told it to my bf and it’s one of his fav inspirations now needed to give it legs ah suppose.

There are some dangerous walking parts fyi.

Someone was fully in their element.

Hi Grandpa. <3 Miss you.

bf decided to Bart Simpson slide down this that’s the destruction he caused. Forever young.

Sent this to my Dad he said he always tried to put him on the right path lol.

That’s where you drive in and pay thank GOD there’s still one more long haul to go passed another parking lot though this is also a major tobogganing hill we were bummed we didn’t bring one.

Til next time xoxo your pal Raymi!

dollar store thrills

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Hi all. Welcome to another edition of girls toys vs boys toys.

Okay this one is unisex because there’s a boy featured too however, it was hanging up in the girl section AND she doesn’t even get to hold the pan. Typical men taking over our game.

Oh sweet, sewing machines, dirt busters, and irons. How lucky the girls are to get to play make-believe maids and housewives. Why wasn’t this box placed in the boy section? Mystery, that. Digging the girl colours too, good job.

Girls LOVE their Unicorns man we crazy for the unicorn that’s for sure but thanks for driving the point home and chucking this box into our section.

Yup, more kitchen-related junk.

and mermaids. Quite the broad spectrum of options for girls. You cook, you clean, or you fantasize about being a mermaid.

I loved stuffed animal cats and puppies don’t get me wrong but I guess it’s supposed to prepare us for motherhood and having furbabies.

When you grow up you’re going to be a woman of leisure. It’s tea parties and wine o’clock for days, you are a true princess.

Don’t forget your ratchet hairpiece!

How did you know my personal nickname?

You guessed it. Time for the boys toys if that wasn’t blatantly clear yet. It’s a bit true though I look at those robots and my eyes glaze over. BORING. Not for me.

Obvi playing cops is for boys only because girls are too busy ironing uniforms for them.

I’ve actually bought two of those dart guns and I am a girl, so.. I also like how violent the boy section is. Jesus relax.

Nice knife. I’m sure all sorts of healthy imagination-play will spurn from it.

This looks safe.

Ooh cool brass knuckles, teach them young. If you miss on your first swing you can stab them with the Commando knife in your other hand.

These I wanted but I was “not allowed”.

This one looks like it would hurt way more and also is the set that inspired this post (as well as the box of irons and sewing machines).

Gotta love it. Built to last. Thanks for your sexist toys time, friends.

I wrote a post like this from Toys R Us that went viral in 2007, it’s pretty offensive and I am too lazy to edit it so I have decided not to link it. How I wrote 14 years ago was very shock-value and immature anyway, gotta switch gears now ttyl!

Update: here is a picture of sardines in a can that I have never seen sold this way before unless I have been living under a rock

Snow bunnies

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Hey gang what’s up!

Just over here making the best of this Snowmageddon Snowpocalypse, if you will and not go absolutely bat shit insane so let’s do a super post. I’d like to do something with all the pics I take and also am enjoying adding flickr to my phone so I can instant-upload plus there’s fun filters which I use to muck about with AGES ago but not via flickr that didn’t exist yet. I used this janky little photo site to edit and resize photos. I tried to make everything look like hyper-colour hipster party posters oh, don’t get me started.

Everyone adopted this method, my blog and others’ blogs were all populated with these crazy “arty” looks and all these camera dorks popped up out-dorking one another with photos of fire hydrants in shadows, sad-looking chicks with sick fashions, dark, vacant streets, birds, live music shows blown out by stage lighting… man those were the days.

You see my point.

I like how an effect on certain photos offers an instantly old-fashioned effect then you start remembering, feeling nostalgia, feeling things period. This is why we are, this is why we art.

I always found that writing was an escape for me but I stopped doing it and escaped into other things, common things. Netflix. Consuming dose after dose of garbage and cinematic art, input mode with little output. Cooking. Chopping things up into little squares, throwing my passions into that and refining it. I bet I have chopped a thousand onions since the pandemic began.

When I blog here or have before I picture people reading it and then I just keep typing until I start to feel too exposed but all I am talking about it seems like is nature trees leaves dirt and sunsets so why do I get in my head about it. Like, just do and don’t look back.

This November marked the 21st year of me blogging away which is cuckoo bananas to me but also awesome I am paying for my photo account and my server costs so may as well just keep at’er.

We have been living in a snow globe for awhile now it’s starting to feel like a simulation.

I believe it was Friday night, I actually can’t tell the days anymore, we walked down one of these streets in the snowstorm at night and kicked a little green ball I bought, we do what we can to occupy ourselves usually involving something fun and also we are very competitive.

The game was, kick it past that driveway and, call out that that’s how far you were going to kick it. Kick it past the stop sign, the tree, the foot print up ahead ahhaa. My right foot (ankle) is still healing somewhat I guess as its been sore from all this extra horseplay lately.

This is photographic evidence that I made it past the sign post, he didn’t believe me. See that plonk in the snow? Yeah that’s what I thought. Nice try.

It was truly coming down.

Valentine’s Day walk down to the bay, it was completely frozen over.

You can see the moon. Adorbs.

Before the sun went down.

We didn’t walk on it, not that stupid. Mighty tempting tho.

Those are some intense icicles yo.

It was fun having a quick chat with the die-hards ploughing and/or shoveling their driveways as we kicked the ball home. Yeah it’s gonna snow til Thursday skipping Tuesday which judging by the snow falling at present, was incorrect.

There’s just something magical about walking in the snow in the middle of the street there were very few motorists its got dreamy vibes. We saw a fox here too, he looked at us then disappeared beside a house, we forgot about him, then he looked at us again, a warning, then darted off. Maybe it was the same one who tracked me before, specifically ME, and then barked at me. We never heard a fox before, they squawk, it was so strange. He was warning me because I looked like a large threat with my fur hood and coat I am not even kidding it bee-lined right for me from across a parking lot trying to be all tough when normally they flee. Then when he was close enough he did all this bark-squawking, Jesus Christ (bf says more like a yip). I was trying to give him some feed or peanuts whatever I could grab first from in my purse and also wanted to film it at the same time but there was no time. I sure got told he barked and barked and barked at me while walking along this break-fence in the park and then took off. I was trying to be his friend! lol. There are lots of trees surrounding this park which is perfect fox territory so we were pumped to find a new little place to hang out at which the fox did not like.

We’ve had a couple tackling each other in the snow attempts but no snow jobs yet. Well actually I did kick some snow yesterday I can’t remember why but am sure he deserved it.

Okay I am done looking at snow pictures too. There has been a lot of this and the competition is leveling off wait I don’t know what that means I just mean I was smoking him in the beginning and now he’s learned from the best so it’s neck-and-neck in the polls. My Dad got us this other game for xmas we are going to crack open soon so wait to see it.

This was a good buy. Rather intense but perfectly so if you’re in the right mood for it, which we were and then there’s a college station on the radio that played all the same stuff so that was wicked.

I decorated for V Day weekend I am a sucker for a theme and a geek for holidates, all that crap.

Definitely one of the trashiest shirts I own given as a gift from a gf who couldn’t bear to wear it either I don’t think it fit her otherwise this is so up her alley haha.

Been attempting to limit all the things shown in this picture.

Okay I have hit a wall. Gonna have to To Be Continued this one, folks.

Have a good one!

xo Raymi

Iced out

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Bonjour mes amis, comment ça va? Ca va bien?

Another day, another pandemic adventure. Let’s take it from the top.

For those unfamiliars out there, this is the Skyway Bridge and it connects us to the Promised Land: Hamilton. It is windy as Hell when crossing it and can be quite treacherous so now here’s a quick story about that. One time a few years back on a very cold day in Feb, talking minus a lot can’t remember exactly but, it was frigid, and as we were coming back toward Burlington a van driving in the opposite direction’s roof carrier flew right off (because it was empty and the winds were so strong) so we braced ourselves because we knew it was coming right our way and going to land in our lane, specifically hit our windshield. It was mega-scary and there was absolutely nowhere to go. There were cars on either side of us and you could see them wavering a little bit and fully feel the intensity of the moment because everyone saw that thing flying the wind just took it. We didn’t realize yet that it was empty though and thank god it was and because it was so cold once that thing hit the highway it utterly exploded into shards of plastic completely shattering and obliterating it into nothing so all we could do was drive through the shrapnel just fine and dandy. It was hella-terrifying like something out of the Matrix sheer panic to instant-relief. I will never forget it…. like how cheap is a roof rack carrier for your skis and what-not that it shatters like glass upon impact with the road. It was that cold out and in hindsight we were so very lucky that it was I still have visions of it sailing up in the sky and a couple cars were able to dart by it before it was our turn for it to land directly in our path and then all this plastic smacking us in the windshield. Jesus.

We went to the ass-end of the beach for a laugh. I wanted to take post-apocalyptic-looking photos of Wild Waterworks which is obvi closed for 2020 and I hope they open again someday, I guess they were closed all summer. Wow I just realized it’s not even 2020 anymore.

This is a special place, kind of a relic. One summer, I must have been 7 or so, my mom and her friend Kim surprised all us kids by packing up a van and bringing us here. I skidded my bike into our driveway, yelled up to the kitchen window, and was like MOM LETS GO! (to swimming lessons) and mom’s head popped out and she says we’re not going today and I was hella miffed because I lived for that shit I would wake up at like 6am and sit on the couch with cartoons until swimming lessons that level of excitement.

But when I realised we were going here I LOST IT. I don’t even think we knew in the car ride, maybe we did, but once you see those waterslides as a kid your brain goes AHHHHH!!!!!! Total freak out. Their hours are stupid though because one summer we decided to go (as adults) and we killed time at the beach a bit then walked the hot deserted parking lot to WW and the girl at the check-in kiosk was like come back at 4 we’ll be open. FOUR O’CLOCK? Bruh how you gonna stay in business this way?

Wally World sadness vibes.

ya no u won’t. Seems like y’all been closed a long-ass time.

Mmm yum we’ll take all 6 I don’t even know what bottom right is.

Sad.

and now for the magical part.

it me.

Hey guys, how you is? Honkity honk. Does anyone know anybody who has ever eaten a Canadian goose? Just curious…

Walked down there on the snow it was very hard and crunchy, icy. Since I’ve rolled my ankles pretty badly a few too many times I have to be careful doing the dumb things that I like to do.

So the day before we were watching that fruit loop swim in the lake and basically all of that week it was majorly cold and windy resulting in the water hitting the rocks freezing over into Narnia. Ice storms yo.

So scenic tho.

Love the details. My mom has a few photos published in a Toronto Star coffee table book about the ice storm of 2000-whatever in Oakville. I think I was in Holland at the time but anyway she’s got a keen eye and always seems to be in the right place at the right time.

I see you, cute little branches.

We have a trip planned for the weekend which we may likely cancel because of the weather conditions not gonna lie pretty bitter about it am very stir crazy right now and was looking forward to V Day weekend as am a suck hole and “I deserve it” lol goddamn Canadian winters.

Looks like some kind of dessert square edible.

Looks like some kind of dingdong.

Then we took a walk and happened upon this beautiful creation.

Love it love it love it.

The desire to smash icicles is strong but there’s not a chance in hell I’d ruin this beauty. Seasons in nature give us gifts to enjoy not destroy but the Devil in me definitely considered it.

Kissy kissy. NO I’m not fat or pregnant I’m wearing two pairs of pants and sweaters in that coat.

Just love to see it. It was warm in the sun this day but still chilly on your hands when you whip out your phone to take a picture of the fiftieth icicle installation that pops up.

Another fun thing about hiking and taking walkies is the other people who you pass and get to eavesdrop on and I am certain we give them a run for their money but it’s cute to pet their dogs and hear their chats and various dramas. I have always been curious about humans and sizing them up.

“Get a picture of me standing in this hole.”

Just when you think yer done you pass by this ridiculosity.

Okay not saying we invented it (but I kinda am) all these people started following suit when they saw what we were doing so I watched them take turns posing beside it knowing that icicles periodically fall down and make scary glass-breaking collapsing sounds so each photo pose results in a picture of terror and I stood there pretending I was none the wiser.

Beautiful.

A bunch of shit shattered loudly while taking this one I would NOT want to get hit on the head with any of that nonsense hell no. We also fed a squirrel some nuts which was a major highlight GUYS I am going nuts!

Do you understand why I cry about missing summer all the friggin’ time now? We should be drinking Sangria from Barrangas here instead of this stupid winter walk lol.

Santa was motoring it and grooving along nicely.

Now that is some enduring beach grass I have the same picture of this spot but in the summer time.

You know your bf is a hick when he puts his gloves down and you don’t know where they went.

We went for another walk at La Salle afterward but you get the point there are only so many photos of swans I can post or take.

Have a good one y’all TGIF not that it matters anymore!

Here’s a cheeky pic from skating the other day too.

and one more dramatic selfie for the road xoxo Raymbo

Ice world

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I took MANY pictures of this so forgive me if I slightly duplicate-post one (or two).

And, there it is again more closer up. Was trying to get the ice off the rocks which is hard to do if you know anything about photography, back-lit, back-lit, nein nein nein.

And from above. We went for a nice walk the next day much further down the beach and those icicles were next-level which will be my next blog post WHICH will occur much sooner than the expanse of time between the last one and I am not even gonna promise that you can just wait and see it MFs.

Some ding dong, I bet he is Russian. He decided to Polar Bear dip himself in these subzero temps waters. I mean, my hands were badly frigid when I had my mitts off so I can only imagine what Scuba Steve was feeling in there and luckily he was wearing a wet suit replete with the… head part. It was ridiculous. People were concerned and I think he actually made the news the day before because people were so freaked out by it. Like they say cold showers are good for your system, this bro took it to a whole new level.

I’d do it for a cool grand and even then have reservations but this guy is living his best winter life for free. Someone came upon us on the shore and said oh is your friend coming around there? We could see his wavelengths ripples appearing I said no not our friend but what a LUNATIC!

bf got a sheet of ice from one of the rocks we were going to do an IG boomerang of him smashing it but it all crumbled in his hands and fell between the rocks before we could film it hahaha. It was nice to see people copying us as we left, smashing ice and rocks on the ice. Forever young.

We walked on some of this ice beneath the bridge and I obvi got spooked out and abandoned the idea. Love me some hometown graffiti always.

One post at a time but this one just gets me jazzed about the next one I’m gonna do. Can you believe at the height of my blog fame I would post 3 times daily and then make time for discourse in the comments it was like THE place to be.

Try and walk over that.

and the man of the hour… like why not just walk to shore? is the difficulty degree the point of it all? What are you training for?

Just brilliant. Kudos. Anyone not understanding how cold it is in Canada right now and particularly last week it’s kind of a Polar Vortex so the absurdity of getting in this water right now for a wee cheeky swim is is majorly high.

This is James Bond-level shit.

More ice tra-la-la.

We have the same view from our balcony just a little further down a ways. View-splaining.

I am tellin’ ya mate this was a cold time. We did a hike with our friend earlier in the day and were on our way home but decided to do a quickie look-see because you can only stay inside so much. The answer is snow pants or double pants if you’re gonna get thru winter. I hate the cold. HATE IT.

Someone adorable is a smooth glass collector-placer in these parts I found many piles of glass set-up the water is constantly flowing and smoothing over the garbage glass people chuck about and nature does its work and someone makes a class statement about it. Use what you’ve got eh.

One more picture snap for the road.

and one more pic of me with a pink hair filter on for fun.

Plus a dramatic picture of my Nana who just turned 90. Bless her.

xo your pal raymi