Jeff Gaboury

A-Z Challenge 2025 K is for Kingfisher  Alas, I cannot find a better photo than this one. Kingfishers are elusive and shy birds and very challenging to approach.   Still, I'm rather proud of this one, caught in mid-dive.  It was too far away for the level of detail I'd like and this pre-dates my getting a camera that's specifically designed for fast moving subjects - and I was very new to this.  One day I will get a better picture of one of these beautiful and speedy little guys!  

  A-Z Challenge 2025 J is for Jay Blue Jays are the most common of the jays, at least here in Ontario. Their striking colouration makes them very attractive birds and they are quite tolerant of humans, so they are readily seen and photographed.  Note, I missed yesterday's post.  I cannot get into the reason for that yet, but I will at some point.  

  A-Z Challenge 2025 H is for Halifax One of Canada's oldest cities, Halifax is a fascinating place and I'd love to get back to it and explore it in detail.  Rich with history and filled with fascinating buildings and locations, the short visit I had there last April just filled me with more desire to make it back, to take more photos and experience it in detail.  A lovely city! 

  A-Z Challenge, 2025   G is for Great Blue Heron I love Great Blue Heron's.  They're one of my favourite birds to photograph.  They are at once, majestic and strangely awkward in flight, but utterly unique. I captured this one on the Niagara Parkway, in the Fort Erie area.   Great Blue Heron, on the wing

Fort George   A-Z Challenge 2025 F is for Fort.  There are two historic Forts in the Niagara Region, that both date from the War of 1812.   Old Fort George is in Niagara on the Lake, Ontario and Old Fort Erie is in the town of Fort Erie.   Both forts were destroyed in the war, with Fort George being destroyed by artillery fire in a night bombardment from Lewiston NY, early in the war and Fort Erie being blown up by the retreating Americans in 1814.  Both forts were reconstructed as historical sites in the 20th Century and both are open to the public.  There are many events held at both forts during the Summer, with Fort Erie hosting the really big "Siege of Fort Erie" battle re-enactment in August that I featured on Saturday in my "E is for Explosion" post.   Old Fort Erie - Re-enactment   Both forts also feature Ghost Tours at night.  I still haven't been to the one in Fort Erie, which     is something...

  A-Z Challenge 2025   E is for Explosion!!!!  Every year the reenactiment of the Siege of Fort Erie, at Old Fort Erie Ontario, culminates with an pyrotechnic explosion that simulates the real event that ended the siege, during the War of 1812.  They really went ALL OUT for the 2013 event, celebrating the bicentennial of the historical event!  There were other photographers there, so there may be other captures of this even, from a slightly different angle from mine.  I'm VERY PLEASED with this image! This event is held annually and includes Canadian reenactors posing as British infantry and Canadian Militia, with Indigenous reenactors recreating the role of the Indigenous warriors in the battle, with American reenactors playing the part of the American troops, who'd captured the fort.   This event is staged annually (it ceased during COVID for all the obvious reasons) and it's well worth seeing and experiencing.  

  A-Z Challenge 2025  D is for Dog.  Maggie was a yellow lab, my brother Dave's and his wife Janette's dog.  She had so much personality and she was a warm and wonderful companion on our family camping trips.  Maggie's "sister" in my brother's family, was Winnie, or as I called her "My Travel Buddy".  During the camping trip of 2005, (eight years before these photos were taken) when Winnie was still a young dog, I injured my knee rather badly in a hiking accident.   As a result, I was unable to drive myself, so I rode in the back seat of Dave's truck with Winnie on this trip.  She seemed to sense my injured leg and she was very careful to avoid it (everywhere else on my body was "fair game" for her paws, however! LOL).  The bond I formed with her was extremely strong on that trip and I feel a deep pang looking at her pictures now, old and grizzled.  Her and Maggie were best pals.  And back when Birgit and I were married, we had...