This cicada was upside down and near death. I turned it right side up and its legs twitched. I picked it up and put it on a piece of wood, and it screeched a tiny bit. When death is at your door, we all succumb.
Cicada near death, 2017 Sept 15, Toronto, Canada. Photo 1 by Don Tai
Cicada near death, 2017 Sept 15, Toronto, Canada. Photo 2 by Don Tai
Delta 36-510C table saw has a terrible fence. The fence clamps to an inclined front area, resulting in an inefficient clamp, which moves when you use it.
I have had my Delta 36-510C table saw for quite a long time. The saw is inexpensive and I had very little money and needed a saw. Little did I know at the time that the table fence that came with the saw was terrible. I’d set up the fence, lock it down as tight as possible, and half way through a cut the fence would jiggle free and mess up my cut. I would end up with cut wood with dimensions slightly off at the end. After 15 years of suffering I decided to research and build a DIY table fence that works, is accurate and stays put despite the vibration of the saw.
It is no big news that for the majority of the 99% of regular people the last 10 years in North America has been economically tough. Our young have a difficult time finding stable employment. In fact finding stable work has been a challenge for quite a long time. Products from China undercut our domestic manufacturers who have largely gone out of business. Our kids will not have a better life than us. It is clear that larger forces than the Canadian environment are at play here.
Toronto Public Library has 3d printing for a very reasonable price. So innovative!
Yesterday I attended a course at the Toronto Public Library (TPL) called Introduction to 3D Design. The topic is broad, so we did not cover much in the 1.5 hour class. Still, it was a good introduction, enough to get me going on research on the topic.
The TPL has created Digital Innovation Hubs within their libraries, one of which is near my house. These are special rooms within the library that house specialized computers, 3d printers, Arduino units and much more. I was especially interested in the 3D Design & Printing. There are 2 classes to take, one of which I did yesterday, and another which I am booked in late August.
My librarian, it was, that brought the issue to my attention: Your driver’s license needs renewal. This occurs every 5 years, so not very top of mind. But hey, it is 5 years later, and there is a Government of Ontario, Canada, web site that I can use to renew my drivers license, print a temporary one, and the valid license will be mailed to me in 4 to 6 weeks. Unfortunately for me all did not go so well. The Service Ontario server seemed to have some problem, leaving me with no temporary drivers license, and unsure if my credit card transaction actually went through. In the end I had to personally go to the local Service Ontario office in order to get my temporary drivers license. Service Ontario’s web service really does not work.
City of Toronto uses a specialty sewer sucking truck to clean the sewers. Worker uses a pick axe to remove the grate, plunges the crevice tool down the hole, sucks the garbage out. It takes only about 2 minutes max. Toronto, Canada. Photo 1 by Don Tai
What is that high pitched sound on the street? It sounds like a large vacuum cleaner, and it was. The City of Toronto sewers were being cleaned by the sewer cleaning truck.
This rabbit was outside my front door, munching on some weeds. As I prepared my camera its ears were alert to any nearby sound. We are in the suburbs of Toronto, so there is a lot of wildlife around the neighbourhood.
Wild rabbit by my door, 14:00, Toronto, Canada. Photo by Don Tai
Skunk in my front yard, Toronto, Canada. He’s pretty young. Photo 5 by Don Tai
Skunks live in my neighbourhood, Toronto, Canada, though are not a common sight. We usually smell them first. Mostly blind, if they come close, just freeze and wait until they walk away. There’s really nothing to fear from skunks.
Due to their natural aroma, skunks have no natural enemies. They wander around at will, eating insects and plants, minding their own business. There is really no reason to kill one.
Pink crabapple tree in bloom, 2017, Toronto, Canada. Photo by Don Tai
Our male crabapple tree blooms almost every year. It is a somewhat late bloomer, but reliable. The male tree does not produce apples, so the mess is much less. The blooms only last 4 days or so, maybe a week at the most, after which our whole back yard becomes a lake of pink leaves.
The reflection from the tree casts our rear rooms into a lovely shade of pink.
Pink crabapple tree in bloom, macro, 2017, Toronto, Canada. Photo 2 by Don Tai
