Al and Peggy's Corner

Circle This Date, Mark This Hour!

Now that we have sprung our clocks ahead to Daylight Saving Time; circle this date March 27th, 2010, mark this hour 8:30 p.m..  Why you ask? To honour our planet by turning off our lights, reducing our power usage for Earth Hour 2010!  

Join this powerful force of more than 92 countries participating in Earth Hour.  For the second year in a row even casinos in Las Vegas will go dark for that hour.  According to managing director Leslie Aun, when Las Vegas signed on in 2009, it put Earth Hour on the map!

Back home, our Toronto Hydro has brought back it's How Low Can We Go T.O.? contest. You can check it out and enter here. From now until March 27th, 2010 our local newspaper The Toronto Star will be running daily tips to reduce our carbon footprint.

What can we do to preserve this beautiful place called Earth?

It's Time To Spring Ahead

Can you believe it's here already, that time of year when we turn the clocks ahead and jump one hour closer to Spring? Well we are happy about getting closer to Spring, but not about losing on full hour of sleep!  How do we get ahead and lose all at once like that?

Daylight Saving Time, arrives tonight.  There are benefits to the extra hour of 'awake' time, more time to cross things off the to do list, some will now be able to get in a round of golf before work, have more Active Rain time, an extra hour of exercise time, ok, maybe not that much, but there is so much we can achieve with an extra hour.

What will you do? Whatever it is, enjoy and don't forget to set the clocks ahead tonight to avoid confusion tomorrow!

Remember, if you snooze you lose. Oh that's right, we lost already didn't we; we lost that hour of sleep! 

Answer - Name That Photo - Can You Guess What This Is?

Here is the evolution of a "Name That Photo" from the end result back to the beginning.

The End... have you figure out what it is?

That came from this...

Which came from this...

Look Up, Way Up

And It All Started At The Toronto Zoo

Things you always wanted to know about the Giraffe:

The Giraffe is from Africa and is the tallest living land animal and could reach 20 feet and weigh in at as much as 3,960 pounds.

It's population has been reducing since the 1800's by humans hunting them for their meat, tough hides and tail hairs.

Their tongues can exceed 18 inches.

They exceptionally good eyesight, can run up to 35 mph and spend 16-20 hours a day feeding and sleeping for only 5-30 minutes a day.

Thanks for your guesses, Pam McInnes of Peak Realty Ltd. from Waterloo, Ontario nailed it.  We heard she flipped a coin... heads or tails and tails won it.  Way to go Pam.

Name That Photo - Can You Guess What This Is?

It's time to put your thinking cap on!  Have a look, take a guess.  It's a toughie, read the comments and maybe someone will say something that will inspire your best guess.
We have a lot of very smart people here in the Rain, so read their comments, read between the lines and make your best guess.

Good Luck...

Houses For Sale, 32 Smye Court, Brampton, Ontario, L6X 4B2, $399,900, Brampton Real Estate

Welcome To 32 Smye Court, Brampton

As you walk up to the front enclosure and open the front door; you realize you are going to enjoy the unexpected pleasures found in this elegant home.

The formal living room has eye catching stripped hardwood flooring and is enclosed by French doors.

Quality ceramic flooring leads you down the main hall and is featured in the dining room & kitchen for easy clean up.

Richly stained cabinets, ceramic backsplash and stainless steel appliances accent the family ready kitchen.  Many happy mealtimes will be served up in the breakfast area that has a sliding door walkout, perfect for barbequing and outdoor entertaining.

After dinner, curl up with the family and catch up on the day's events in the main floor family room that has a woodburning fireplace and honey hued stripped hardwood flooring. 

A convenient two piece powder room and laundry room with handy interior garage access complete this level.

Upstairs, you find five generous bedrooms all with laminate flooring & colonial doors.  Ready to hold the largest bedroom suite, the master bedroom will quickly become your private retreat.  It offers a walk in closet, wall closet and four piece ensuite.

Your favourite spot for relaxing and informal entertaining is found in the nicely finished basement. It has a large recreation room with wet bar, three piece washroom, a soundproofed recording studio that could double as a perfect bedroom for a shift worker, and a roughed in kitchen. 

Your summer fun will begin in the amazing & pie shaped backyard. Can you imagine puttering around in this appoximately 75 ft. wide yard?

Immaculately kept this beautiful home has been lovingly improved with central air, central vacuum system, security, ceramic flooring in the main hall, kitchen, laundry room & all washrooms, updated windows, new basement windows in '09, re-shingled roof and to make your move easier five appliances included.

This is truly a lovely home that will give you and your family years of enjoyment from the minute you unpack.

To see more photos click here.

Russel Ray post this amazing insight into our wonderful City as a celebration tribute to Toronto Canada's 176th birthday.  Thank you Russel, you did an outstanding job!

We disabled the comments here, please go straight over and give credit to the man who deserves it!

Thank you again Russel

Al and Peggy

Moose Monday - Is This All There Is To Eat

Hello Active Rain Moose Lovers,

Another Moose Monday is upon us.  We didn't want to let Gerry from Red Lodge Montana down, so we took a trip to the Toronto Zoo yesterday in search of Bullwinkle a Moose.  Now you have to know that the Moose headquarters is the farthest from the entrance of the zoo.  At the bottom of a huge hill that was tough even going down, yes we were puffing going back of the hill.

So anyway, here we are trying to get a couple of shots of the Moose , the Blackberry dingalings and would you believe it, it's Gerry making a comment on one of our blogs.  Is that some kind of psycho communication or what.  We had always heard if someone pops into your mind... call them or do a blog to their group Moose Mondays.

We got a picture of this youngster and thought it was a good one to share with you...

A little Moose trivia... the name "Moose" means "eater of twigs" in the Algonkian language and "Elk" is the european name for a Moose.

Facts - Most of Them You Probably Don't Know

First we have to admit we did not compile all this information, matter of fact, we don't even know if it is true.  However, it is interesting.  We received this via email and no author's name was attached.

We are sure you will enjoy the trip...

Alaska

 

More than half of the coastline of the entire United States is in Alaska.

Amazon

The Amazon rainforest produces more than 20%
of the world's oxygen supply. The Amazon River pushes so much water into the Atlantic Ocean that, more than one hundred miles at sea off the mouth of the river, one can dip fresh water out of the ocean.  The volume of water in the Amazon river is greater than the next eight largest rivers in the world combined and three times the flow of all rivers in the United States.

Antarctica

Antarctica is the only land on our planet that is not owned by any country..
Ninety percent of the world's ice covers Antarctica.
This ice also represents seventy percent of all the fresh water in the world.
As strange as it sounds, however, Antarctica is essentially a desert;
the average yearly total precipitation is about two inches.
Although covered with ice (all but 0.4% of it, ice.),
Antarctica is the driest place on the planet,
with an absolute humidity lower than the Gobi desert. 

Brazil

Brazil got its name from the nut, not the other way around.

Canada

Canada has more lakes than the rest of the world combined. Canada is an Indian word meaning 'Big Village'. 

Chicago

Next to Warsaw, Chicago has the largest Polish population
in the world.
 

Detroit

Woodward Avenue in Detroit, Michigan, carries the designation M-1,
so named because it was the first paved road anywhere. 

Damascus, Syria

Damascus, Syria, was flourishing a couple of thousand years
before Rome was founded in 753 BC,
making it the oldest continuously inhabited city in existence. 

Istanbul, Turkey

Istanbul, Turkey, is the only city in the world
located on two continents. 

Los Angeles

Los Angeles' full name is:
El Pueblo de Nuestra Senora la Reina de Los Angeles de Porciuncula
-- and can be abbreviated to 3.63% of its size: L.A. 

New York City

The term 'The Big Apple' was coined
by touring jazz musicians of the 1930s
who used the slang expression 'apple' for any town or city.
Therefore, to play New York City
is to play the big time - The Big Apple.

There are more Irish in New York City
than in Dublin, Ireland;
more Italians in New York City
than in Rome, Italy;
and more Jews in New York City
than in Tel Aviv, Israel.

Ohio

There are no natural lakes in the state of Ohio, every one is manmade. 

Pitcairn Island

The smallest island with country status is Pitcairn
in Polynesia, at just 1.75 sq.. miles/4,53 sq. km..
 

Rome

The first city to reach a population of 1 million people
was Rome, Italy in 133 B.C.
There is a city called Rome on every continent.
 

Siberia

Siberia contains more than 25% of the world's forests. 

S.M.O.M..

The actual smallest sovereign entity in the world
is the Sovereign Military Order of Malta (S.M.O.M).
It is located in the city of Rome, Italy,
has an area of two tennis courts
and, as of 2001, has a population of 80
-- 20 less people than the Vatican.
It is a sovereign entity under international law,
just as the Vatican is.

Sahara Desert

In the Sahara Desert, there is a town named Tidikelt, Algeria,
which did not receive a drop of rain for ten years.
Technically though, the driest place on Earth
is in the valleys of the Antarctic near Ross Island.
There has been no rainfall there for two million years.
 

Spain

Spain literally means 'the land of rabbits'. 

St. Paul, Minnesota

St. Paul, Minnesota, was originally called Pig's Eye
after a man named Pierre 'Pig's Eye' Parrant
who set up the first business there. 

Roads

Chances that a road is unpaved:
in the U.S.A. = 1%;
in Canada = .75% 

Russia

The deepest hole ever drilled by man is the
Kola Superdeep Borehole, in Russia.
It reached a depth of 12,261 meters
(about 40,226 feet or 7.62 miles).
It was drilled for scientific research
and gave up some unexpected discoveries,
one of which was a huge deposit of hydrogen
- so massive that the mud coming from the hole
was boiling with it. 

United States

The Eisenhower interstate system requires
that one mile in every five must be straight.
These straight sections are usable as airstrips
in times of war or other emergencies. 

Waterfalls

The water of Angel Falls (the world's highest) in Venezuela
drops 3,212 feet (979 meters).
They are 15 times higher than Niagara Falls.

I have always said, you should learn something new every day. :-) 

Houses For Sale, 60 Keystone Drive, Brampton, Ontario, L6Y 3K7, $409,900, Brampton Real Estate

Welcome To 60 Keystone Drive, Brampton

Located in an ideal neighbourhood with amenities including the YMCA and Sheridan College all nearby, this spacious family home offers enough room for the extended family!  The home welcomes you with formal living & dining rooms that are both accented with honey hued hardwood floors and filled with natural light from picture windows in both rooms.

The back of the home is reserved for family living.  There is a renovated kitchen with beautiful Maple cabinets that include double pantries, china cupboard & pot & pan drawers. Ceramic backsplash, floors and granite counters accent the cabinets. The spacious breakfast area has a large bay window and a sliding door walkout t the deck, great for barbequing.

Relax with the family catching up on the day's events in the family room that features hardwood flooring, a warming gas fireplace with marble surround and a glass block window that is the focal point in the room.

Down the hall you find a two piece powder room and a convenient laundry room with a window and also garage access.

A flowing spiral staircase accented with oak railing & pickets leads to four generously appointed bedrooms with a walk in closet and a luxury four piece ensuite in the master that is complete with a soothing whirlpool tub, separate shower stall & cultured marble counter.  Two bedrooms have broadloom and the other two feature parquet flooring.

Expanding your living space is the nicely finished recreation room that features a second gas fireplace, pot lighting and easy clean laminate flooring.  Here you also find a three piece washroom with ceramic flooring and a fifth bedroom with walk in closet and a cold room.

Other features of this lovely home include: central air, central vacuum, ceramic flooring in the main hall, washrooms & kitchen, double door front entry, colonial doors & trim, poured concrete front & side walkway and driveway curbs. Built in microwave, dishwasher, washer & dryer included.

Click Here For Photos.

To All Are Canadian Olympians THANK YOU, You Made Canada Proud! Vancouver 2010 Olympics

The 2010 Olympics in Vancouver have come and gone.  Just a memory, but not a
memory that will ever be forgotten.

We just wanted to "take our hats off" to all of the participants, you made Canada proud.

Take a couple of minutes and watch this video.