….thanks to Becca Givens for hosting Sunday Trees
Sunday Trees – 313
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More Fun With My Zoom Lens
….at the at Royal Winter Fair
One of my favourite presentations at the fair this year was the mini show put on by the Medieval Times cast. The costumes, the pageantry and the beautiful horses were delightful and a challenge to photograph. I’m not sure why but we chose to sit on the side of the arena with a big pillar in the middle of the barrier surrounding the show area. Despite this obstacle I managed to get some interesting shots. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did taking them.
Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge – Letter L – has to have at least two syllables
Beautiful Vegetables vs Huge Ugly Ones
…..from the Royal Winter Fair
I always enjoy looking at the prize winning produce at the Royal. This year did not disappoint. The giant pumpkins are always a big hit and there was a good variety of oversized root vegetables (some completely unrecognizable). This year there was also a display of perfectly formed vegetables that were grown in a greenhouse.
Large and Ugly
Rutabaga
Parsnips
Uniform and Perfect
New Flower (November 10, 2017) – The Roses Keep Blooming
….at least in Hamilton
After last night’s deep freeze even these beauties may be expiring
WPC – Temporary
….this week’s WordPress Photo Challenge is temporary
Often photos of precious moments or beautiful sunsets, fall colours or fields of wildflowers are fleeting. Bonfires, midways, cloud formations, celebratory sweets and all living things are temporary.
New Flower (November 9, 2017) – Pink Snap Dragons
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Thursday Doors – A Peak into Dundurn’s Questionable Past
…..thanks to Norm for hosting Thursday Doors
Yesterday my granddaughter and I walked over to the park at Dundurn Castle in Hamilton. She no longer calls it the dinosaur park but now uses its actual name ‘Dundurn Castle’.
On the grounds there sits a beautiful small white building with large columns at the entrance. I never gave much thought to what the building was originally used for but when I found out what it might have been potentially used for I was quite shocked. It is referred to as the Cockpit Theatre but according to Wikipedia there is no proof that it was ever used for cockfighting. It is also referred to as a folly, which I had to look up.
fol·ly
[ˈfälē]
NOUN
-
lack of good sense; foolishness:“an act of sheer folly”
-
a foolish act, idea, or practice:“the follies of youth”
synonyms: foolishness · foolhardiness · stupidity · idiocy ·
-
-
a costly ornamental building with no practical purpose, especially a tower or mock-Gothic ruin built in a large garden or park.
-
a theatrical revue, typically with glamorous female performers:“the Ziegfeld Follies”
According the Tourism Hamilton, “The Cockpit Theatre is the small Neo-classical building overlooking Burlington Bay on the edge of the escarpment estate. It was built by Sir Allan MacNab as a place to entertain business and political friends in an era two hundred years before action films and reality television. No archaeological evidence has actually shown that the building was ever used for the activity its name suggests.”
Another source gives this description of its original purpose: One of Dundurn Castle’s favored buildings it is actually a folly as its true purpose will forever remain unknown. Most locals refer to it as housing MacNab’s cockfighting ring as he was an avid participant in this long since banned sport. Local lore has underground tunnels leading from it to the main mansion.
Other uses being designated to it include:
- A Theatre
- A boathouse
- A laundry house
- An Office
- A chapel for his wife
It is confusing to me that all accounts try to deny the use of this beautiful building as a cockfighting pit yet its official name is The Cockpit Theatre and as I peaked inside there were placards describing ‘cockfighting’. In fairness to Dundurn Castle I wasn’t able to read the information through the window so maybe they were debunking the myth. Anyway it makes for an interesting story.
New Flower (November 8, 2017) – Pink Straw Flower
….happy birthday, Taylor
Share Your World – November 6, 2017
….thanks Cee for hosting Share Your World
Would you rather take a 2 week vacation with an organized tour or take a cruise of your choice?
Sometimes I think I would like a two week vacation with an organized tour, especially in an exotic place where I don’t know the language. China and India come to mind. On the other hand, I’m far too spontaneous and I’m somewhat adventurous and I think I’d like to organize some of my itinerary. I see benefits to both ways of travelling.
Did you like swinging as a child? Do you still get excited when you see a swing?
I did like swings but I was wary of going too high. I still get that sick feeling in the pit of my stomach when I see children soar to the max.
What is the most important thing that you ever learned ? (I bet it’s not something you learned in school)
In my 20s I learned that not everyone will like you and often the reasons are not clear. The hardest part is to except it and get on with your life. Focus on those who love you and don’t try to change for people who don’t.
What inspired you or what did you appreciate this past week? Feel free to use a quote, a photo, a story, or even a combination.
Last week I went to a wedding and met up with old friends of the family. When we first came to Canada my parents knew few people but my father’s good friend and his wife, along with their 4 year old son arrived before us. As their family and ours grew we were almost like cousins. Carlo was my godfather and my father was godfather to their third boy. In my family there were three girls and they had four boys. On the weekend the second son’s youngest boy married and we were invited. Everyone still calls my Dad, Onkel Heinz and they were thrilled to be able to finally introduce their children to us. It was so nice to put faces to all the names we’ve heard over the years.
The next day we celebrated my oldest daughter’s birthday. It was actually the day before but because of the wedding we delayed the celebration by a day. We met at Barque’s for brunch and then went back to Andrea’s and Josie’s place for cake.
On Monday my 91 year old father wanted relive some memories of his past by visiting the Royal Winter Fair. As a boy he grew up next to a farm and helped tend to some of the animals. Last year I went there with my youngest daughter, Gaelan and her daughter Winnie who was only one at the time.
It was wonderful seeing the joy my father got out of such a simple excursion. We started off watching the horse jumping competition and then walked through the barns where we saw cattle, sheep and pigs. We strolled amongst the prize winning vegetables and fruits and then we went to the food court and had some lunch.
After a meal of fish and chips we headed towards the President’s Choice Theatre to watch the Super Dogs show. We arrived a bit early so we also took in the Medieval Times presentation. My dad loved both shows and was so impressed that he felt that it should have been televised. I explained to him that the Royal wants you to go there. If it was on TV people wouldn’t need to attend.
