On my daily troll through online news, sports, and entertainment items I often check out Fstoppers.com, an excellent source for photographers of all abilities and interests. A recent blog talked about street photography and how photographers must practice care, discretion, and resilience to get good shots. For some persons appearing in public, the taking of... Continue Reading →
Just for fun, and for a break from the savage political and ecological non-fiction swirling around me right now, I have turned my hand to fiction, and to short stories in particular. Here is my first story. See what you think. Truth disguised Truth be told, sometimes distractions are the main thing. Recently graduated from... Continue Reading →
Final Blue Jays post for a while; I promise! But I can’t resist calling out John Schneider for his management of this year’s team. Still a newbie baseball fan myself I don’t know the great managers of the past. But I have admired John Schneider’s direction of our rags-to-riches Jays this season. “They went about... Continue Reading →
An old bridal tale goes: Something old,something new,something borrowed,something blue . . . In a different tone and context, the good book reminds us: No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old cloak; otherwise, the patch pulls away from it, the new from the old, and a worse tear is made. (Mark... Continue Reading →
“He stood his ground, he knew what was right, he kept his word, and he kept things honest,” says Hamel's widow, Margo Hearne. I first met Peter Hamel at a conference in the Diocese of British Columbia (now “Islands and Inlets”) in 1993. Newly ordained it was an early experience for me of the tempestuous... Continue Reading →
It seems that most people meet online these days, not just in bars or through family connections or through friends. Norma Hill and I met online, not on a dating site as we are both happily married, though not to each other. One early email exchange is dated November 8, 2023 though our relationship feels... Continue Reading →
What do a visit to my podiatrist, photography, and Blue Jays baseball pitchers have in common? I love to visit my podiatrist. Following treatment my feet feel cushioned by angels. Walking becomes pleasurable again. I love walking into the waiting area of Gerber and Associates in Kelowna for a lively visit with a Toronto Blue... Continue Reading →
OK, I admit it; I am jealous of photographers who can travel to majestic, exotic, and breathtakingly beautiful places all over the world to capture amazing images -- Mount Killimanjero, Victoria Falls, the Great Bear Rainforest, New York City. I don’t travel all that well now; I cannot justify the expense given other priorities; I... Continue Reading →
Something totally different today. A test of memory for all my loyal readers, and those who arrive at this page by accident. (Lucky you.) An investigative challenge for those who enjoy the variety of personalities named in the over 680 posts viewed 103,000 times by over 64,000 visitors. This year, 2025, the volume of traffic... Continue Reading →
Bill Cunningham at work (and play) Two photographers, one living, one no longer with us, documenting our world, brilliantly. It has been some time since I have blogged on photography. It has been however one of my priorities since launching takenote.ca. Today however, I return to photography. Two recent news articles highlight the work of... Continue Reading →
Take Note - Reflections on life, music, politics, retirement and more by Ken Gray 