Work in Progress
Tuesday, April 04, 2006


I find the way this house has undergone painting changes, interesting. I don't think I'd repaint it that way but then I'm not the owner of that house.

At the moment I'm undergoing some renovations myself. I'm swimming nearly every day in a nearby Pan-Am-Game-sized pool (perhaps it is even Olympic-sized but Manitoba has never had the Olympics). And I met a weight-lifting instructor while doing that and asked if a puny person like me could consider a weight-lifting class and she said of course.

And so I'm doing that too. The first couple of classes I had to use these really light weights (2 lb. jobs -- pink in colour). Which screamed out to everyone that I was a weakling. But now after one month of doing this I have graduated to a more generic look of dumbbell (a funny phrase to write :-) and am even doing such manoeuvers as "skull crushers". You know, for years I wanted to do this but I have these really weak/loose joints and the doctors always said I shouldn't do anything like weight-lifting. So I am quite contrary these days :-))

And circumstances with my father's vision have caused me to quickly re-acquire my driver's licence. I drove for 25 years but then for various reasons didn't very much in the last 10 or so. And so I recently did the written test and now I drive nearly every day armed with my learner's licence and my Dad. An interesting experience and mostly fun. Today we tackled parallel-parking and I seem to manage getting this big truck parked 3 out of 5 times. Yes, a truck. A 2000 Ford 150 extended cab long box big huge bloody thing. I mean it's comforting to drive something so large but rather daunting to whip it around through traffic and park neatly in some puny parking space.



I drove over this bridge on Sunday. Not my picture, but rather a government photo from when the area last flooded. Seems floods are on their way again, heading up from the Mississipi River into the Winnipeg area. Winnipeg is protected by a floodway and there is a control under that bridge that stops the river from entering the city and diverts the water to a man-made runoff area.

So that's that for the moment. Thanks for visiting and commenting. I really appreciate that you do that.

posted by Prairie Girl at 9:54 PM 8 comments [+/-]
8 comments:

*
On April 05, 2006 12:52 AM, KPK said…
Hi PG,

What beautiful vivid colors in your house shot!
I wish you much luck and success for re-acquiring the driver license.
Interesting to see you writing about flood and what measures were done to protect your city. As you may know, snowmelt and rain led to a flood of the river Elbe here in Germany and again cities like Dresden and Meissen are affected again. The "historical" flood in 2002 led to enormous damage in these (and many more) cities.

*
On April 05, 2006 7:56 AM, Ginnie said…
It's clear you are keeping yourself quite busy in a life so very different from where you just came, PG! It's like the first photo--you're repainting your life! The weight-lifting is good for us "older" women, they say :) As long as we go about it slowly and properly, which it appears you have done. And yes, you can be very proud of yourself for maneuvering that truck around!

I'm interested in what KPK says about the Elbe. I wonder if there has been flooding in Hamburg?? Has anyone heard?

*
On April 05, 2006 3:31 PM, Expat Traveler said…
yeah for exercising. I can't seem to get myself back into a pool. It's probably because I swam in the same one most of my swim career. And yes the pool would be a 50 meter size, possibly 25 m wide too.

And the house photo, so lovely and vibrant. Great colors which you don't see all too often.

*
On April 05, 2006 4:17 PM, christina said…
Beautiful photo, PG!

And weight lifting - excellent! I'm sure you're giving those generic dumbells a run for their money. :-) I was just reading in a news magazine that even people in their 80's and 90's can build up muscle mass by lifting light weights.

*
On April 05, 2006 6:51 PM, Lea said…
I love your photos!!

*
On April 06, 2006 9:25 AM, merlinprincesse said…
I'm so glad you are a bee better! Love your stories! Is this your father's house? And guess what! I bought miself a new car! A Toyota Corolla. I was used to a smaller car... Now I have to learn how to drive on automatic... No more clutch! WOW! And I still have some reflexes...Like changing the speed! I admire you for driving a TRUCK! LOL. Seeya and take care, young lady!

*
On April 06, 2006 7:19 PM, jkirlin said…
Yeah, I like that paint job. The gargoyle is a bit much but the paint is sweet.

*
On April 08, 2006 5:55 AM, Mei Shile said…
Very coloured. I am not sure I like the mix. I prefer softer tones.

Post a Comment Hide Comments
Lunch Time
Tuesday, March 28, 2006


My Mom always said it was rude to stare so usually I don't. But the voyeuristic side to photography where one can stare away into the the faces in the photo for as long as one likes has always appealed to me.

Who are these people? Don't you sometimes daydream while looking at these kinds of photos?

posted by Prairie Girl at 9:38 PM 9 comments [+/-]
9 comments:

*
On March 29, 2006 6:38 AM, KPK said…
Interesting view from above. So you can be quite sure not to be discovered by the people who are your subjects of interest. I took a shot with a similar view to a group of toboggan drivers on Madeira. I found it very interesting to be able to watch the group without disturbing the privateness of the people by taking photos. I'll post the shot later this afternoon :-)

*
On March 29, 2006 7:57 AM, Gary J. Wood said…
PG: Whenever I see someone using a cellphone in a clearly public place, I want to join their conversation. Especially if they're loud and silly: "So, I'm like..., and he's like..."

Or sometimes I just take their picture.

*
On March 29, 2006 6:03 PM, Mr. Fabulous said…
I like to look at this photo and imagine a backstory for each one of these people...

*
On March 29, 2006 8:49 PM, Prairie Girl said…
Yes! Me too Mr. Fab. I like to imagine that kind of stuff. And Gary, I love that photo of yours and today I heard that the magic of a ride in a gondola in Venice is being tainted by the fact that the gondoliers now communicate by cell phone. Drats, eh?

*
On March 30, 2006 8:26 AM, Kari said…
I'm a people watcher...although I usually try not to stare. But I love photos like this. It's fun to wonder what people's lives are like.

*
On March 31, 2006 1:21 AM, traveller one said…
I love this!

*
On April 04, 2006 10:53 AM, merlinprincesse said…
Mmmm I fell like a "voyeur"! Very very nice. The lady with a cellphone makes the pic really more interresting. You ARE good! Go on girl!

*
On April 04, 2006 5:51 PM, Tim Rice said…
When I'm in auditoriums, cafeterias, and crowds in general, I often like to people watch -- not stare but just generally observe. It can be amazing what one can learn and imagine through that exercise.

*
On April 05, 2006 11:39 AM, TaraDharma said…
nice shot, great composition and interesting to watch the assemblage. Yes, I like to stare, but I try not to be obvious. Aren't people fascinating?

Got here via Rambling...Tim Rice.

Nice blog!

Post a Comment Hide Comments
Still Winter
Tuesday, March 21, 2006


and I'm still scattered. I'm disorganized and totally out of sync with where I live and who I live with (my Dad). I awake too early and wander around aimlessly. I cannot seem to focus on individual projects but rather spend some minutes here and there on different things (and nothing seems to get completed).

But I am not so unhappy in my scatteredness. I still walk a lot and spend evenings joining my Dad in his TV game show viewings. And later in the evening I find myself swept away by my own choices in TV: 24 and Crossing Jordan and a new series called House. And Vicki Gabereau, a Canadian morning talkshow lady (whom I remember from years ago). I never spent much time with TV before but now I find it quite fascinating (well except for the bloody endlessly interrupting commercials).

Anyway, I apologize for causing you to continually pop back in here to see if there's something new only to find out that there isn't. Perhaps this will change, perhaps I'll figure out how to get in step with the rhythm of living back here (in my old room).

I hope so, I kinda miss that blog-rhythm of earlier days.

posted by Prairie Girl at 9:04 PM 9 comments [+/-]
9 comments:

*
On March 22, 2006 5:26 AM, christina said…
Never mind. It's your blog, you just do whatever you like. Sounds like you've still got a case of jet lag, or life lag or something like that. Lots of adjusting to do. Give it time. You're where you need to be right now.

Vickie Gabereu is fabulous! I don't know if she still lives in Vancouver, but my mun used to see her all the time at the supermarket she shops at in West Van.

And I love this photo.

*
On March 22, 2006 7:05 AM, KPK said…
Winter seems to be long and hard everywhere. Here in Germany we are still longing for spring temperatures and even on the island of Madeira where I had a two weeks vacation weather was quite cold and unfriendly.

*
On March 22, 2006 5:36 PM, traveller one said…
I agree with Christina :) Take your time... but honestly, this morning as I was sitting in the backseat with my dad driving us 'into town', I was thinking about you and your blog and wondering where you were and what was up. Isn't it amazing that we connect thru our blogs with certain people and they add value to our lives. Please don't stop posting and sharing your life with us.

*
On March 22, 2006 7:30 PM, Mr. Fabulous said…
Hey, a part time Prairie Girl is much better than no Prairie Girl at all!

*
On March 22, 2006 10:26 PM, merlinprincesse said…
Take your time girl! You have the chance to be in a nice place with your dad! In time... everything will be fine again! But for now, Carpe Diem!

*
On March 23, 2006 3:04 PM, Mei Shile said…
Still winter here too. Take your time. We have a proverb in French: After the rain, the sun shines. So, after hard winter, there will be soft spring

*
On March 24, 2006 2:55 PM, l'home dibuixat said…
Hi PG !!
How long time !!
That's a cool shot !!! :-DDD
bye for now
jm
pd.: do you know something from Rojo??

*
On March 24, 2006 3:48 PM, Expat Traveler said…
Your life sounds a bit like mine right now. I seem to be doing the same thing... And hoping to do better. But I love your photo! Amazing...

Why did you end up coming back here anyhow? I found it so hard adjusting and only wanting to be back in Europe...

*
On April 06, 2006 7:21 PM, jkirlin said…
I am totally photographically motivated by the taunt of the staring "take a picture it lasts longer." Hey! Yer riiiiiiiiight!

Post a Comment Hide Comments
Aeolian Harp
Friday, March 17, 2006

(for Photofriday's Challenge: Technology)

This Aeolian Harp (Windharp) is part of a sighting armature used for "naked eye astronomy". From Mohican Windharps:

Named after Aeolus, the Greek god of wind in Greek mythology, the harp transforms the energy of the wind into musical sounds or "sings". It is one of the oldest known musical instruments. The first Aeolian harps were made by the ancient Greeks, and according to legend, King David hung his harp in a open window to hear it being played by the wind.

They gained popularity later during the 17th and 18th centuries in England and Germany where they were placed in castle window openings and caves. In 1785 Italian scientists attempted to use the Aeolian harps for the scientific purpose of weather prediction.

Most recently Aeolian tones can be heard from power and telephone lines and are referred to by the modern term “Windharp”.


I found this pretty thing at a place called the "Oodena Celebration Circle" a newly created meeting point at a landmark location in Winnipeg called The Forks.

This whole area is really interesting and I'm positive more photos will follow :-)

posted by Prairie Girl at 1:40 PM 5 comments [+/-]
5 comments:

*
On March 18, 2006 1:00 PM, Joy said…
That's a ginormous harp! Does it still work?

*
On March 19, 2006 4:07 PM, your lowly and humble photographic servant said…
I thought it was a detail of a carnival ride. But then that's just me. :)

*
On March 19, 2006 4:08 PM, your lowly and humble photographic servant said…
oops...I forgot about the silly name - jkirlin

*
On March 20, 2006 8:18 PM, merlinprincesse said…
Very nice ! The pic AND the harp!!!! I would really like to see this place... Maybe I will :o)!

*
On March 24, 2006 3:48 PM, Genevieve said…
It has a Viking air to it, don't you think?

Post a Comment Hide Comments
The Library
Tuesday, March 14, 2006


This is the new "terraced reading room" of the main branch of the Winnipeg Public Library. The architects won an award for this $14 million dollar renovation which they described as:

An ingenious renovation and addition to this Winnipeg library opens it up to the community and facilitates its evolution as a cultural and wholly democratic venue.


Cool, eh? A "wholly democratic venue." What the hell does that mean? Who writes this crap anyway? Nevermind, I love the library no matter its political persuasion :-)

And I am proud of this photo, not for its photographic essence (which is pretty bland) but rather for the point of view which was high and open and a pretty scarey place for this one-time-really-afraid-of-heights person. I nearly dropped to the ground when I reached that railing but then somehow rallied (perhaps it was the group of kids that seemed so nonchalant with regard to the height).

posted by Prairie Girl at 9:08 PM 7 comments [+/-]
7 comments:

*
On March 14, 2006 11:00 PM, Mr. Fabulous said…
As another person not too fond of heights, I applaud your determination :)

*
On March 15, 2006 8:43 AM, Kari said…
I love libraries, too. Good job getting up there & taking the picture. :o)

*
On March 16, 2006 6:46 AM, christina said…
Well thank you for facing your fear of heights to give us that great photo, PG. I would have probably toppled over, especially if I had had a camera in front of my face. Good balance isn't one of my specialties.

*
On March 16, 2006 1:41 PM, traveller one said…
I love shots like this one which force my brain to figure it all out!

*
On March 17, 2006 9:11 AM, Gary J. Wood said…
Rhetorical question: If it's wholly democratic, can you still find a copy of Plato's "Republic"?

*
On March 17, 2006 3:02 PM, Prairie Girl said…
Too funny, Gary. Nope the "Republic's" gone and as well everything to do with the CCF Party :-)

*
On March 18, 2006 6:39 PM, tetsu said…
Wow!
Long stair!

Post a Comment Hide Comments
Dark
Sunday, March 12, 2006


Macroday's on the lookout for "Dark". So please do not focus on the candle but rather on the surrounding darkness, 'kay? :-)

posted by Prairie Girl at 10:14 PM 3 comments [+/-]
3 comments:

*
On March 13, 2006 6:50 PM, Joy said…
Oh my! How did you ever do that?

*
On March 13, 2006 7:43 PM, Mr. Fabulous said…
That is so cool! I love it!

*
On March 14, 2006 9:40 AM, Lisa said…
You shoulda took a picture of my mood this last snowy week. This one still rocks, though. :)

Post a Comment Hide Comments
Winnipeg at Midnight


The view from my bedroom window -- it had been warmer and all the snow had really started to melt away but then new snow came, covered all the dirty bits, and made everything soft and white again.


The black/white shot came direct from my camera (haven't done that before but quite like how this one looks).

The trees shown are elms (the most common tree in Winnipeg). From the 2003 Prairie Garden Annual:

Winnipeg is known for its vast number of (over 200,000) surviving American elms (Ulmus americana). This elm inventory is not surpassed by any other city in North America.



Btw, the "entertainment" setup is completed. Amazingly everything seems to work (even the "component cables between the dvd and tv). My Dad and I are really enjoying the LCD tv.

posted by Prairie Girl at 5:23 PM 8 comments [+/-]
8 comments:

*
On March 13, 2006 8:23 PM, merlinprincesse said…
I love those pics, PG. Winter IS nice, even at the end... That's so strange... It really looks like some places in Quebec City. And you have a very nice vew from your bedroom window! I love the softness of those images...Quiet. Yes I love that...

*
On March 14, 2006 9:41 AM, Lisa said…
Love it. Looks like the city is glowing.

*
On March 18, 2006 10:23 PM, Tim Rice said…
I love snowy night time photos.

*
On March 21, 2006 1:06 PM, Expat Traveler said…
These are such good shots. Wow I'd love to take something that delightful. I guess I still need to practice or something... And unfortunately the small cam just isn't good enough to show that type of resolution.

*
On March 24, 2006 3:50 PM, Genevieve said…
The B&W photo has a lovely old fashioned air, almost like something from the 40's or 50's (except for the late-model automobiles.)

*
On March 25, 2006 3:29 PM, zoomvienna said…
Love the lighting here...makes it almost feel like a toy shot...cool.

Nice work on your pages. Regards from Vienna,

-T

*
On March 31, 2006 6:33 PM, Amy said…
Love these photos! How beautiful the snow falls there. So glad to read and see your blog again! :) All my best!

Amy

*
On April 07, 2006 7:57 AM, wendi said…
awesome pictures!

Post a Comment Hide Comments
A Lotta Chrome
Friday, March 10, 2006

(for Lensday's Challenge: Chrome)

Couldn't resist one more challenge entry. Yeah, yeah I'm procrastinating on the new "entertainment-system" deployment :-)

posted by Prairie Girl at 9:51 AM 2 comments [+/-]
2 comments:

*
On March 10, 2006 5:41 PM, traveller one said…
Love the sparkle!

*
On March 12, 2006 6:21 AM, Dean S said…
Great image, have you tried it in black and white? Would be interested to see...

Post a Comment Hide Comments
Red Chair

(for Photofriday's Challenge: Red)

A photo from long ago that always interested me. I mean why IS the chair facing that door?

On another topic: Pops bought a new TV and DVD player yesterday and now wishes that I hook up those things to his existing satellite dish and VCR. He has much more confidence in my abilities than I do -- just what the hell IS "component video" and why are there 10 plug-things to attach somewhere? :-)