Tag Archives: park

Life

Fall Colours

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Went out for a walk today, and saw the very colourful leaves. They’re mostly yellow, but there are some red and orange, and some are still green. Here are a few pictures.

The weather is great today, and no wind. The leaves won’t last long, though. And there’s usually a bit of snow in October, so I’m expecting some within the next month.

I’m actually not a big fan of this season. To me, it means winter is coming, and that’s cold. I don’t like feeling cold. Give me summer or tropical weather all year. I could definitely live in a tropical place.

How’s your fall (or spring for those of you in the southern hemisphere)?

Science, Weather and Climate

Edmonton Storm Update: Flooding!

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Not far from where I live, there’s a storm water facility that doubles as a habitat for water birds and is also a pretty pleasant park. Well, because of the heavy rain (see my other post about it here), it flooded. And I took a video!

It was quite the scene when I went down there. But this is the purpose of the pond. It provides a place for storm water to go, and prevents flooding at street level in the neighbourhood. Many of the newer neighbourhoods have this kind of planning. Smart idea, isn’t it?

Botany, Geology, Science

City Workers Don’t Know How to Cut Grass

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In Japan, grass isn’t a very common thing in yards. There are parks with grass, but most of them are covered in dirt and concrete with flower beds. Any grass tends to either be left to grow very tall or cut down too short.

Take this picture, for example.

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This is next to the park near our home. It was once covered with grass, but now seems to be bare soil. The city workers cut the grass so short that they were cutting into the soil. It’s as if they were intending to kill the grass. But you can see the effects easily. Clumps of soil have fallen out and the slope is beginning to collapse. At the top is a playground. If they destabilise the ground even more, a heavy rain storm could cause a minor landslide. All because they cut the grass so much that it’s nearly all gone. Don’t they know anything about the stabilising effects of grass roots?

Unfortunately, I see this all over the place. These workers are not landscapers or gardeners, that’s for sure. They have no clue what to do with grass.

Culture, Life

Merry Christmas from Japan

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It’s already December 26th, but it’s still Christmas for everyone in North America, and especially my family. I’ve already posted about my Christmas, and what I described pretty much went as planned.

My daughter got her present in the morning, then I took her to a Christmas party at her daycare/nursery. I then recorded a video at a big park and former site of Oba Castle. And I picked up my daughter, where she got a present from three Santas. That’s right, three. We had a kind of Christmas lunch with roast chicken and pizza, and later had roast beef and salad. But the one thing I wanted to share with you in this post is the video. So, please enjoy!

If you have any comments or questions, please leave them in the comments section below. Merry Christmas!

Books

A Few Minutes to Spare and Relax

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I’d arrived quite early for work, so I went to the nearby park to sit and read for a few minutes. This is what I was treated to at the park.

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Beautiful, isn’t it? The colours were so vivid, and the weather is amazing. Sunny and warm in the middle of November.

As I sat and read, I realised how easily I could get into the book. It was so relaxing, and despite the colourful sight, I could immerse myself into the book. The time passed so quickly, I couldn’t believe how twenty minutes could have gone just like that. I need to do this more often.

Where do you go to read? Is there somewhere you can relax and get lost in a book? Let me know in the comments below.

Instagram

Choose My Best Instagram Photos – Round 1, Group 21

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Lots of park photos this time. Mostly the same park, though there is one not in the park. I hope you enjoy these photos.

The rules are simple. I post 10 of my Instagram photos every few days, and you get to vote on your favourites. It’s multiple choice, so please vote for 2 to 4 photos (3 is ideal). Leave a comment saying why you voted the way you did. The poll comes after the photos.

Here are the photos.

 

Please vote for your favourite photos (ideally 3, but anywhere between 2 and 4):

Instagram

Choose My Best Instagram Photos – Round 1, Group 20

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Now we’re getting somewhere. I think this is around when the quality of my photos started becoming much better. More beach photos, and some photos I like from a park near I work. I think you’ll like this group.

The rules are simple. I post 10 of my Instagram photos every few days, and you get to vote on your favourites. It’s multiple choice, so please vote for 2 to 4 photos (3 is ideal). Leave a comment saying why you voted the way you did. The poll comes after the photos.

Here are the photos:

 

Please vote for your favourite photos (ideally 3, but anywhere between 2 and 4):