This was sent to me by a friend this evening; I didn't do so well, couldn't get past level 4. Try your luck...or your knowlege! It is pretty hard to click on the exact place.

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Twenty-one-year-old Sapper Etienne Gonthier died during a road-clearing operation in Afghanistan. Two others were injured in the blast. Gonthier, a combat engineer born in Quebec City, was based in Valcartier, Que., with the 5ieme Regiement du Genie de Combat. He is the 78th Canadian soldier to die in Afghanistan since the Canadian mission began in 2002.

For those who don't know, the "Highway of Heroes" is the stretch of Highway 401 from CFB Trenton to Toronto (172 Kilometres). It earned its name because it is the route fallen troops take to the Centre for Forensic Sciences before they are returned to their families.

Since 2002 thousands have stood on overpasses wearing red and holding signs or flags, waiting for the the motorcade to pass. It lets the families of the fallen know that we're thinking of them and hopefully it means something to them. For the crowd, they feel connected to the family for a few seconds.

I stood in the crowd this afternoon at Whites Road overpass as Etienne Gonthier's body followed behind his family and officials, to downtown Toronto.

Fire workers and policemen were at every overpass in the final stretch, signalling to traffic the cavalcade is about to pass. I pulled up and parked behind the fire truck leaving my flashers on. There was a handful of people when I arrived but the crowd grew steadily; there were about one hundred on the overpass within minutes. We waited in sad silence as cars and trucks below flashed their lights or waved or sounded their horns in tribute to our young hero. Then the procession passed. The firemen removed their hats. I welled up with tears as I am sure the others did. Then we left quietly.

I park behind the firetruck on Whites Road overpass

The cavalcade will pass here

People begin to gather on the overpass to pay their respects to Etienne Gonthier and connect for a moment with his family.

Trucks and cars flash lights, wave or sound horns to acknowlege a fallen soldier

In the distance, people arriving on foot. Making time in their Sunday afternoon to pay respects to Etienne Gonthier.

People begin to assemble at Whites Road overpass. A man asks the fireman how soon the cavalcade is expected.

Police cars appear in the collector lanes...the cavalcade begins

Police cars head the procession, family and officials behind, then the body of Etienne Gonthier

Toronto Courthouse (Old City Hall) with clock tower and gargoyles. This beautiful old building is a landmark situated in the hub of Toronto, one block from the Eaton Center at Queen and Bay Streets. I took this photo last summer when I spent a Saturday morning downtown.

I know I am supposed to post only one picture but ...I need to show you another so you get the flavour of the area...this street musician was playing such beautiful music outside the Eaton Center, adding warmth and enjoyment to a busy morning in a big bustling city...a typical scene in downtown Toronto.

I think this post is too late to enter in Picture Perfect but I do have a love / hate relationship with this city and just wanted to share the photos anyway.

Where do you blog from? Sometimes I sneak a post at the office. If I am not too busy, I prepare it first then quickly open Multiply and paste it and quickly sneak away...but mostly I blog from my home office because I am not wireless yet. When I get my new laptop I look forward to posting while watching television. I don't feel comfortable sitting in front of the television doing nothing while I watch. I suppose I prefer to do nothing in duplicate.

Please answer the question and I will chart the results.

Where is your favourite place to blog from?

I have added this blog for my own reference since I have downloaded Gimp but not achieved much with it. I need a new laptop before I can install Photoshop because the cd device no longer recognizes cds, therefore I can't install. While going through some of the tutorials, I noticed they were using a different version of Gimp so I have now updated my version. As far as I can see, there are not too many changes but they have added some new tools and filters. Come hell or highwater, I am going to figure this program out. If anyone wants to download Gimp, go to http://www.gimp.org/ You can download the user manual at this page also.

I know, the weather these days shouldn't have me thinking about sailing. I have been following the building of Spirit of Canada and anything I can find on its skipper, Derek Hatfield. Was able to find a few of his videos for this playlist--the others are just great shots of sailing. He is an inspiring keynote speaker when he is not sailing--funds go towards financing the race. His single-handed race around the world will be this year. I have been to visit the building site, about a 45 minute drive from my home.

I saw it first on Laurel's blog then went searching for a way to do it. I often to check out the videos at YouTube but have not spent much time on the home page...where I found the Custom Player information.

. . . so now you know!

Boy oh boy...it just keeps getting worse, doesn't it. They sink to new and deeper depths every season.

It is unbelievable how they spend so much time on talentless people, just for the sake of ridicule. Ridicule is entertainment?

Pass me the TV Guide, what else is on?

A friend at work gave me this suet feeder for Christmas. I was excited about attracting a few birds to my patio for the winter but so far, they haven't arrived.

It is bright enough, I am sure they can see it and there is a huge pine tree on the other side of the fence, so my suet feeder is not too far from where they live.








When the first one notices it, he will tell all his family and friends, so I am waiting hopefully and patiently.

I check it every day for evidence of a visit but as of today, there is not a bite out of the suet.

My mom has had her hair cut in the hospital...it was long and matted the last time I saw her.

She is now wanting to return to her home; she asked for her clothes yesterday saying they were going to discharge her. Of course, my sister went to the hospital right away to find out if this could be true...it wasn't. Mom was feeling just well enough to be missing her home.

She was very depressed, then angry yesterday and hung up on me when I called, twice.

She is less depressed today and we were able to talk this evening. We talked about her home -- I assured her it is all ready for her when she is healthy enough to return...but reminded her that she is very sick and it will be a long time before she is ready to return. She seemed comforted that her home is waiting for her, and is being checked on every few days--my sister drops in on her way to the hospital. My mom understands that she will be moved to another nursing facility for long term care...but she still hopes to return home. I think this keeps her calm.

Over a year ago, my aunt became very agitated and aggressive when faced with the possibility of not returning to her home, had to be restrained in her bed and she took a massive stroke and died. I do not want the same thing to happen to my mother. She is having a lot of small vascular strokes, almost daily. In time it won't matter to her where she is. It is important that she has hope and remains calm, enjoying whatever is possible for her to enjoy.

I am so tired I can hardly move; my back and neck hurts, my feet are sore. I spent the day cleaning carpets--the living room and two staircases. Did laundry and made chicken soup too. Then. . .

I collapsed on the sofa and called my mother just now and she sounds better, her lungs are clear but she is still very weak. She never asked when she could go home. She did ask where my aunt went off to.

I gently reminded her she died over a year ago...she asked about her other brothers and sisters and I reminded her they are all gone also. She said, "then I don't have to worry about them, do I." We agreed on that. They are all fine.

She has been moved to a geriatrics floor where she is warm and clean and eating 3 meals a day. She isn't interested in watching television but is content to sleep and read the same book over and over.

She hasn't asked to come home.

It will be a quick post...my son dropped over this evening. What do you do with a son who is writing a PhD thesis and needs emotional support. You listen. You try to encourage...but most of it will bounce off. He is having a tough time and is also running out of time. Send up a prayer for him and some good thoughts.

It has been a long day, I need to sleep.

Well this takes the cake! Available at washawayyoursins.com for $8.00, which is a bit much for a cake of soap, but if it does what it says it does, what the heck! They have a lipbalm and some other products too. Good for the guilt ridden I suppose.

What next!

This is my furnace, it is a year old Carrier high efficiency. The house should be warm. It is -8C outside. The furnace isn't working. It comes on for 1 minute then shuts off before the fans even start.

I called Sears home service and the lady wanted the serial number. Can you see the serial number here??

I asked her where I should look for it and she said near the burner. Do you see the burner? I don't.

It took some convincing to get her to send a service man here without the serial number even though she had the make and model number.

Someone will come, sometime today. Why do these things happen on a cold day in January?