Kids playing in a jet black sandbox, Reykjavik, 1992

 Reykjavik, 1992 - The sand in Iceland is often jet black volcanic ash. There are black beaches. I did some presentations at some schools in Iceland. I think this was at one of them.

More candy!

Another miniature Halloween haul from a table outside the Martintown Mill which was closed for renovations this year. Something I haven't seen in decades - the Wunderbar - it's another candy with more than one name. Peanut butter, rice crisps, caramel, with a milk chocolate coating. Like a crunchier Snickers bar. In the UK and Ireland it's called Starbar. Not surprisingly it's also called Wunderbar. This memorable 1970s commercial had Vikings who were speaking German... 

 

Krystal the cat's nose

A tale of two candy names.

 I got these when I brought some cat food to the animal shelter (Halloween).  In the States these are called Smarties, but we call them Rockets as the name Smarties is trademarked for a hard coated chocolate treat similar to M&Ms. I only got these when I went out trick or treating. First time I've had them in decades.

Apicirinicic

 Apicirinicic, a small person that lives in the woods, a protector of nature and of people who respect nature. A shapeshifter in the legends of the Atikamekw people of the central region of Quebec. The video says that an oversized wild animal might be an Apicirinicic in disguise.

Still taken from Facebook video from the Centre d'amitié autochtone de Trois-Rivières

Municipal elections

Art didn't win.

Voted in municipal elections today! ! I covered the one in Ottawa in 2000, with Bob Chiarelli vs. Claudette Cain for mayor - I went to CJOH's old studio on Merivale road for the on air debate - it seemed odd for me to be there at all as it was pretty much the same as on TV but I got a bit in on Cain before going live joking about being able to take their show on the road because of all the exposure they'd gotten. Max Keeping looked at me in some surprise but with a smile to see a reporter sitting there. The studio had big displays up commemorating the shows that had been filmed there, like The Amazing Kreskin, The Galloping Gourmet and You Can't Do That On Television featuring a pint-size Alanis Morissette. Less nice was covering election night itself at Chiarelli's campaign HQ- really nasty woman was shouting at me for using my phone to file last minute results.

Bichon frisé at a Café

Bichon frisé at a Café, somewhere in North America, early 1990s

 

Saddleback Harvestman (Mitopus morio) with mites, icelandic moss

Saddleback Harvestman (Mitopus morio), in Icelandic moss, Iceland 1992.The red dots on them are parasitic mites. When I saw the moss full of these spiderlike arachnids, I wondered how they got to Iceland - did they just come over with European settlers or survive a trip on driftwood earlier?