The Brown Knowser

For me, 2012 was inspiring. My love of photography was renewed to a point where I now carry my camera bag practically wherever I go. And when I don't have my D-SLR, I have my iPhone. And judging by the number of photos that I chose as my favourite of the year, the iPhone ruled in 2012. Eight of the following photos were shot with my iPhone 4: can you tell which ones they are? I took thousands of photos this year. I led and attended three photo walks, and I joined a photographers' meetup group that allowed me to gain some experience in a studio, working with models. It's been great. As we wrap up 2012, I thought I'd share a few of my favourite photos with you. It was no small feat, as I had to look at them all and take a deep breath as I said yes to some, no to others. Here's what I came up with: On a snowy day in January, I found myself in Smiths Falls. And looking down this street, I could have sworn that I was transported in time. This bridge is ...

Well, I've survived my first week of Christmas vacation. The presents are opened, the belly is full, and company has been shared (I hope to share more company in the coming week). Today, we are expecting yet again more snow. Having shovelled about 15 cm or so more than a week ago and another 30 cm a couple of days ago, I think that Mother Nature has already made her point: it's winter. So while we wait for another 5 cm to fall today, why not take a moment to catch up on the past week of The Brown Knowser : Operation: Christmas —I like the retelling of this Christmas tale. And judging by the responses I received, you did too. Wordless Wednesday: White Out —the day after our first big storm, the wind blew the snow around and caused havoc on the roads in my neighbourhood. After driving this road many times, driving my girls back and fourth between dance practices, I finally stopped and pulled out my camera. I only wish I had a hat and gloves... brrr! Time Off —because Tues...

One of the things I love about a snow storm is how the wind seems to press the snow against trees, the cold locks it on. Five days after the last snow storm (and yes, we just got over another one yesterday... thank you, Mother Nature), I was able to shoot this photo. Because the temperature hadn't dropped, the sun was not able to shake the snow from the boughs. It's truly a winter wonderland in the 'hood. I'm sure I'll have lots to shoot this season. Happy Friday!

As the year winds down, I find that I get very lazy at this time of year. My stomach filled with all kinds of cooking and baking, I like to put my feet up and mellow out. And my brain goes to mush. I worked on Monday and started my Christmas shopping about mid-afternoon, before the stores closed their doors for the day. Luckily, my wife does the bulk of the shopping for the kids and family members; I shop for her and for the last-minute items that we came up with at the eleventh hour. Our Christmas routine has become a ritual: I finish my shopping and head home. I help clean up around the house and keep the girls occupied while Lori prepares dinner. Afterwards, we'll watch a couple of Christmas specials on TV before we set up goodies for Santa. This year, S wrote a note to leave for Santa. She didn't write to him earlier, so she just wanted to say 'Hi' and tell him that she didn't want much, that she thought her parents pretty much had her covered.  Lori...

I first posted this story last year. I'm hoping to make it my holiday tradition. If you haven't read it before, I hope you enjoy it. If you have read it before, I'm hoping that you make it your holiday tradition in doing so again. Merry Christmas, and all the best over the holiday season! At first, we did it out of excitement, unable to wait. Later, it became a game about how far we could go, how much risk we were willing to take. In time, it became a ritual. The first time we crept downstairs, anxious to see what Santa left us, my younger sister, Jen, and I faced an obstacle: each other. "Go to bed," I whispered, not wanting her to make any noise, thereby arousing the attention of our parents, who had only a half hour or less gone to bed after placing our wrapped gifts under the tree. Our older sister, Holly, was sound asleep, able to contain her excitement and curiosity. The first time that Jen and I met on the stairs, we got our parents' attention...

So, the Mayans were wrong: the world didn't come to an end yesterday. I guess I had better put our Christmas tree up. Watching the snow storm blow into Ottawa, it was easy to believe we were watching the beginning of the apocalypse, that we were entering a long deep freeze. After shovelling the 20cm or more of snow in my driveway, I felt as though my world was going to come to an end. But all is well. We survived and can face another day. We can put our feet up and relax, now that the holidays are upon us. Although, I have to start my Christmas shopping. Anyway, take a moment and check out this week's posts on The Brown Knowser : Beer O'Clock: My Favourite Beers of 2012 —I tried so many beers this year, it's hard to pick favourites. But I narrowed down my top 10 of the year. It'll Happen Again —there needs to be a cultural shift in America. Twenty-seven stolen lives demand it. Wordless Wednesday: Festive Lights —the downtown lights are always a favourit...

We haven't decorated our house for Christmas, and judging by the lateness of the month and the weather, we won't be putting lights out this year. Looking around my street, the festive spirit seems a little subdued: there are a few houses that have decorations, but not many. By far, this is the most-festive house in our neighbourhood, that I affectionately refer to on Foursquare as The Kingdom of South Nepean . I hope that you enjoy this festive season, whether you're brightly lit or not. Happy Friday.

This blog post is a repeat but is  timeless for the holidays. If you haven't read this post before, enjoy. If you have, suck it up I hope you enjoy reading it again. I'll have another traditional holiday post on Monday. Last year, my kids called me a "Christmas-hater" and the name stung. But only a little. * On some level, I'm not a fan of Christmas. Not of the decorating, nor of the card giving (actually, the Brownfoots have pretty much given up on that front), nor, especially, of the shopping. I hate going near the malls and department stores at this time of year: fighting crowds, standing in lines, searching for that ever-elusive parking space. Not being religious, the spiritual side of Christmas is lost on a cynic like me. My participation in the festivities this year included some shopping, getting our tree, standing it in the house, and helping my wife with the lights and flashy gold garland. I actually left the room and let the three girls...

As sickened as the world is over the horror that took place last Friday in Newtown, Connecticut, as much as we grieve and cry out that enough is enough, that we call on the American president to take action, nothing will change. Not in our lifetime. The gun owners, who have their hardons over owning powerful weapons, built only to kill people, will stand firm that the Second Amendment is more important than the safety of children in schools, will continue to stock up on their armour-piercing bullets so that, should anyone try to take their weapons away, will ensure that it only happens over their dead bodies. No one needs an assault rifle. No one needs an automatic weapon that holds dozens of rounds. No one, save the military (and only in combat situations). This week, America is not known for its art or its humanity. This week, America is known for its guns, for its violence. This most-recent massacre is not the last one. As long as anyone can purchase weapons, as long as anyone ...

Because we're getting to the end of the year and I already have posts lined up for the next two Mondays, I decided that this will be my last beer post of 2012. Possibly, the last beer post on The Brown Knowser . I may keep all of my beer posts on my Beer O'Clock blog. Stay tuned. I don't have an addiction. And this isn't a beer review. Not really. It's about beer and it's a review, but I'm not reviewing a new beer. Over the past few weeks, I've been looking at this year and I've thought: I've consumed quite a few different ales, stouts, and lagers in 2012. Some of them have been outstanding and have made it to my regular repertoire of beverages. Some have been special releases or beers that I can't easily access, and they are near and dear to my heart. And some have been less than appealing, but worth trying nevertheless. Here is a list of my favourite reviews, in no particular order (actually, that's not true: they're...

It's been one of those days, and that's why this post is late. This weekend marks my girls' dance open house at their studio, and so last night we were out late, and then with the terrible news of yesterday we decided to spend some quality time with the kids and play a game of Scrabble . And then, this morning, it was back to the dance studio for more open-house participation. But here's what I was up to through the week on The Brown Knowser : Beer O'Clock: Is This What Hobbits Drink? —we're going to try to see the movie this weekend; if you do too, make sure you try this beer from New Zealand. Peter Jackson will be pleased. My 2013 Reading List —it's time for my annual ritual of gathering books for the coming year. I appreciate the recommendations. Two Videos, One Message — Wordless Wednesday was put on hold because of two videos I saw that shook me awake. Alarmed —more creative writing. Photo Friday: Favourite Views —just one of the places in ...

I have to say, I love the Museum of Nature . It's the castle in our city full of countless treasures. And when I was a kid, it was known to me as "The Dinosaur Museum." It's a name that I've passed on to my kids. On Wednesday, thanks to the teachers' one-day strike (insert sarcasm here), I took the day off and took my girls to the museum, and we went through every hall, took in every exhibit, and saw a 3-D movie about hurricane hunters. It was a great day. Every time I go to the museum, I bring my camera and never get bored of taking photos, even though I find myself shooting the same things over and over. Like this. What's not to like about looking through a stone-framed window past stylish, modern stairs, to a suspended inflated blue whale, encased in glass, looking towards Centretown? Happy Friday! Posted with Blogsy

He couldn't have been more surprised had someone slapped him hard across the face after, only seconds earlier, said, "Aw, gee, you're so nice." And then, bam ! At this moment, he was but one person in a crowd, lost in a sea of people, flocking to the same destination. But he knew what was going on, knew why everyone was in such unison in exiting the building. It was all his doing. Down the hall in an orderly fashion. Two lines, down the stairs, each person holding the hand rail, not rushing, but not dallying. Out the door, leaving the building at a safe distance. And then waiting. He didn't believe them. It seemed too simple. It was like being at a county fair, trying his luck at pounding down the hammer, ringing the bell. Only this challenge wasn't weighted in the gamemaster's favour. Winning was all too easy. Just jump up and hit it, he was told. See what happens. He was told what might happen, but he thought it was something that would happe...

Yesterday, on Facebook, I saw two videos that were posted by a couple of my friends. Neither of these friends knows each other and the videos that they shared are very different. Absolute opposites, you might say. But having watched one right after seeing the other, I saw a common message between the two: live life to the fullest. Do what makes you happy. Pursue your dreams. Because you never know what curve life's going to throw you. Watch this inspiring video: And now watch this one ( caution: viewer discretion advised, as this video is disturbing ): I really need to think about what I'm doing with my life.

It's that time of year. But let's make things absolutely clear: I've been a lazy ass in 2012. Every December, I compile a list of books that I intend to read for the coming year. And for the past three years, I have asked you to give me your recommendations. What should I read in 2013? I typically make a list of a dozen or so books, and I generally read anywhere from 12 to 15 books. If I run out of books, I add more to my list; if I don't get through the list, I add the unread books to next year's list. For 2012, I created a modest list of 10 books. But I didn't do a lot of reading this year. In fact, I only read five-and-a-half books. I got into the sixth book but then I ran out of steam and put it down. And then I got busy. And then I stopped taking the bus to work. I'm going to add the final four books from my 2012 list and add them to my 2013 list. And then I'm going to add another eight books to the list: one book for each month. If you h...

Just nipping out for a pint. For me, it's the most-anticipated movie since the first installment of The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Even then, in 2001, when The Fellowship of the Ring came out, I thought that it would be nice if someone like Peter Jackson would make a decent movie out of J.R.R. Tolkien's first middle-Earth novel, The Hobbit . When Jackson chose his home of New Zealand for the setting of Middle Earth, I thought it was perfect. The landscape lent itself well to the Misty Mountains—one can imagine travelling there now (to New Zealand) and running into a hobbit or two. And if one ran into a hobbit in twenty-first-century New Zealand, what would a hobbit be drinking?  As we all know, hobbits like their food and drink. They like their tea and cake, but they also like a good ale. And liking good ale, I'm sure that they'd like stout. It's a good thing that New Zealand has a good stout. Craftsman Chocolate Oatmeal Stout Renaissance Brewing Com...

With the first week of December gone, I'm starting to finally feel the spirit of the holiday season pulling at my heart strings (it started pulling on my purse strings weeks ago!). It is time for my family and me to start searching for a Christmas tree and for me to string up the outdoor lights. Luckily, tomorrow's weather should be good for both. This week on The Brown Knowser , I got into the holiday spirit with one festive photo shoot. Here's what I was up to: Where In Ottawa: The December Edition —solved in less than two minutes, this month's challenge wasn't a challenge after all. I think I'll have to start 2013 with a real stumper. Beer O'Clock: Going Beyond the Pale —Ottawa's newest brewery received a lot of attention this week, having appeared in other blogs and in the papers. I give my opinion of three of their inaugural offerings. Wordless Wednesday: Building 21 —the location of Where In Ottawa is revealled in pictures. This Agricultur...

The other night, I attended another photo meetup in a studio, where I was able to practice working with a model and, of course, studio lighting. The biggest challenge was getting the lighting to work with a Christmas tree without leaving a shadow on the white backdrop or on our model. And sometimes, a light would fail to go off. Oh yeah, and I'm really new and amateurish at this. But it was fun and I want to do more. What do you think? Happy Friday!

I was four, maybe five. But I remember. His name was Jeremy. A young explorer. An adverturer. He lived a few doors down from me in the town-house community— garden homes , they were called—on Bowhill Avenue, behind the K-Mart and Dominion plaza. Our homes were separated from the shopping centre, which also was host to a TD Bank, Living Lighting, Gow's Chinese Food, Gilio's Barbers, and Brewer's Retail, by a field that had a small wooded grove where the teens in the neighbourhood hung out: Hippie Hideout . A creek ran the length of the plaza, from Meadowlands to Viewmount, and beyond, past Merivale High School. That was our territory. Jeremy and I would explore Hippie Hideout during the day, when the teens were at school. Broken bottles of 50, Blue, and Ex, obtained illegally from the beer store by someone who was willing to buy for underaged drinkers. Cigarette butts. pieces of burnt wood. A plastic milk case or two, obviously swiped from the back of the Dominion groce...

Where In Ottawa: The December Edition location—Agriculture Canada Building 21, Experimental Farm (congratulations to Ben Wood!)