Saturday, October 23, 2010

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2010

I have written a poem entitled Autumn Eve that reflects the mood of this time of year.  I hope you enjoy it.

 Autumn Eve

Under the gaze of a hunter’s moon
On an autumn eve so long ago
We pranced about in a lively swoon
While crimson bales of leaves did blow

As the oaks and elms and maples blew
We tossed them high and we tossed them low
They floated and fluttered and they flew
And their colours sprinkled to and fro

Then came a wind so fiercely biting
It caused us to shake and to quiver
Home never seemed quite so inviting
As we walked by the banks of the river

In silence we sat by the fireside
To take our leave of autumn’s chill
We stoked the flames, we smiled and sighed
The moon was gone and the night was still

- Joanne Madden

As I’ve mentioned before, I am a moon watcher (See my blog entry for September 23, 2010).  Last night, the second best full moon of the year was visible in the Northern Hemisphere.  It's called the Hunter's Moon and it is the first full moon after the Harvest Moon.  Tonight, lunar lovers will be able to view the full moon again.  So, enjoy, fellow moon gazers!


ON THIS DAY

The great Canadian painter Lawren Stewart Harris was born on October 23, 1885 in Brantford, Ontario (Hey, he shares the same birthplace with Wayne Gretzky. That’s two feathers in Brantford’s cap!) Today is the 125th anniversary of the birth of this member of the Group of Seven, a band of artists renowned for their abstract portraits of Canadian landscapes.

The Group of Seven was founded in 1920 as an organization of modern artists. According to the Canadian Encyclopedia, all of its members made their living as commercial artists, except Lawren Harris who was independently wealthy. Harris was the son of Thomas Morgan Harris, the secretary of A. Harris, Son and Co. Ltd., a manufacturer of farm machinery. In 1891, the company amalgamated with Massey to become Massey-Harris Co. Ltd. It now exists as Massey Ferguson, a brand name for one of the world’s major sellers of agricultural equipment.

Lawren Harris moved to British Columbia in 1940 and died in Vancouver on January 29, 1970. He was 84. On November 26, 2009, a Lawren Harris painting entitled The Old Stump Lake Superior sold for $3,510,000.00 at Heffel’s Auction of Fine Canadian Art.  Those of us who are not multi-millionaires can view the paintings of Lawren Harris and the other members of the Group of Seven at the McMichael Canadian Art Collection in Kleinberg, Ontario. If you are in the area and have the opportunity, it’s well worth a visit. I’ve been there and I highly recommend it.

To see a video of the Lawren Harris painting selling at the Heffel auction, click on the link below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AOC7MhzeRW0


TIM HORTONS OF NUNAVUT

I guess it had to happen. Tim Hortons has announced plans to open 3 kiosks in Iqaluit, the capital of Nunavut and one of the last places in Canada where you can’t find a franchise of the popular coffee-and-doughnut shop chain. The kiosks are set to make their debut in December and will be the chain’s northernmost franchises.



Baseball

The New York Yankees are out and the Texas Rangers are headed to the World Series.  The Bronx Bombers were simply outplayed by the Rangers who defeated them 6-1 before a delighted home crowd in Arlington.  Although I am not a Texas fan, I'm quite pleased that the Yankees are not going to win the October Classic yet again this year. I am going to cheer for Philadelphia or San Francisco, as soon as the winner of the National League Championship Series is decided.

I'd be thrilled if the Toronto Blue Jays made it as far as the American League Championship Series in the near future.  I have to admit, however,  that if they got that far, a part of me would be disappointed that they did not go all the way.  Many Yankees fans are not thrilled unless their team plays in the World Series.  Some are not thrilled unless their heroes win the World Series every year.  Not even the Yankees can accomplish that, especially with 30 teams in Major League Baseball.

- Joanne