Pests - but funny!

The raccoons seem very prevalent this year. I've seen up to four at a time out in our little backyard!

The other day, I caught these two. At first one was playing with our solar light - like a kitten with a toy.
Then both were playfully wrestling each other.

Ah, that's not really a play toy, kiddo !!

Toronto Symphony Orchestra

My wife (Gay) and I had a wonderful trip to Toronto to see the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. 

Roy Thomson Hall was incredible and the music couldn't have been better.  The entire orchestra was excellent, but Yuja Wang was astounding on the piano. 


We toured the city a bit while there.  As usual, we found everyone very friendly (okay, there is always one who seems a bit bitter to be working) and accommodating. 

Interior of the hotel lobby

Rachmaninoff & Debussy
Roy Thomson Hall
Peter Oundjian, conductor
Yuja Wang, piano

Rachmaninoff: The Sea and the Seagulls
Debussy: La Mer
Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto No. 3 in D Minor

Spelling

I've talked about the importance of spelling before.  I think it is still an important component that leads to better reading comprehension and far better writing skills that go beyond the mere technical component of spelling.       

Using a spell checker on your word processor will help - but only if you have a reasonable knowledge of spelling in the first place.  Even then, as you could tell from one of my previous posts, the spell checking misses a lot of errors.
Also, just as using a calculator for math doesn't help teach you very much about math, using spell check doesn't teach you very much about how to spell!  

Here is an interesting article about spelling:

Reading Rockets - Spellinghttp://www.readingrockets.org/article/8845

Wild violets

Well, our yard is green and there are loads of wild violets coming up.    I know that essentially they are weeds, but they look nice and are easy enough to pluck up later!
Soon the forget-me-nots will be in flower and I see lots of lily of the valley starting to peek through!

Voting Time !!

Hi everyone !

Don't forget to get out and vote tomorrow - May 2nd.   In Guelph, we have 8 possible choices including the Liberal, Conservatives, NDP, Green, Libertarian, Marijuana Party, Animal Alliance, and Communist Party.

Although this election started off as a bit of a snore-fest, it has livened up a bit in the last week.  With all the new - and sometimes strange moves in the final week, it should motivate people to get out there! 

Try this !

Copy the poem below into your word processor and see how many errors your spellchecker will find!

Owed to a Spell Checker

Eye halve a spelling checker

It came with my pea sea

It plainly marks four my revue

Miss steaks eye kin knot sea.

Eye strike a key and type a word

And weight for it two say

Weather eye is wrong oar write

It shows me strait a weigh.

As soon as mists ache is maid

It nose bee fore two long

And eye can put the error rite

It’s rare lea ever wrong.

Eye has run this poem threw it

I am shore your pleased two no

Its letter perfect awl the weigh

My checker tolled me sew.

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