Montreal as Seen by Elena

Montreal as Seen by Elena

Here you can see a few pictures of Montreal taken by Elena. You can also go ahead and look for other photos of the city taken by Elena, but you can simply enjoy these ones:

Montreal Archives.

Ancient Train Station Viger.

Montreal's Atrium.

Old Customs building in Old Montreal.

View of Old Montreal.

A backyard in Old Montreal.

Mary, Queen of the World Cathedral in Montreal's Downtown.

Molson and St.Lawrence River.

Ville Mont-Royal.

Montreal's General Hospital, the first hospital ever opened in the city.

Place du Marché de Montréal.

Saint-Joseph Cathedral.

McGill street in Old Montreal.

Quartier chinois (Chinatown).

Rue Saint-Denis.

Dogs with an Attitude

 Dogs with an Attitude You'll Dig

A dog's breed is no guarantee that it will not according to the veterinarian's handbook. Every dog has its own personality. But some breeds are better suited to being jostled by children than others, while the circumstances of other pet lovers may require quite different choices. Here, veterinarians suggest which dogs make good pets for children, owners with active lifestyles, and people who are older and looking for easy pet companionship. These suggestions are based on books about pet care:

Dogs for Children

Golden retriever: Easy-going, active, and alert, golden retrievers have the best temperaments. They love to interact with kids and to play ball, which provides a young child a playmate. It also gives a child a sense of controlling a situation – when the child throws the ball, the dog brings it back. The adult female weighs 50 to 60 pounds, and the adult male 70 to 90 pounds. They need to be groomed and fed, and that teaches kids about being responsible. The golden retriever is the seventh most popular breed of the American Kennel Club (AKC).

Labrador retriever: Black, yellow and chocolate Labs are generally known for being even-tempered and friendly. They are always ready to play, and kids can just lie on them. Adult dogs weigh 60 to 70 pounds. They need grooming, so they also teach kids to be responsible.

Avoid the Chesapeake Bay retriever, which has a curlier coat. It isn't good with kids because it can be a little nasty and unpredictable and will bite more readily than the others. Labrador retrievers are the fifth most popular AKC breed.

Dogs make wonderful companions, but they don't come free, as these cost estimates from the Humane Society of the United States indicate high sums. But anyway, you can choose cats. Cats are great and Push is the greatest cat of all. Photo by Elena.

Collie: These are sweet dogs. They're gentle and predictable and won't bite around your kids. They're easy to train and really want to please. Adult collies weigh about 50 pounds and their long hair requires grooming. The rough-coated collie, which is what Lassie is, is the 9th most popular AKC breed. The smooth-coated collie is the 13th most popular AKC breed.

Standard poodle: A gentle dog that is very intelligent. A standard poodle will let a kid lie on it. You need to groom them, but a fancy hair cut is not necessary. Poodles, including miniature and standard, are the most popular breed in the United States. Because they are so popular, prospective owners have to watch out for puppy-mil degradation. Before choosing one, make sure the dog is well-bred. The larger they are, the less active they are and the more exercise they need. Adult standard poodles weigh 50 to 55 pounds.

Dogs for the Active Person

Greyhound: They are a little aloof, but also very gentle. Most are adopted from the race-track. Greyhounds have a regal personality and don't slobber with affection like a retriever. They are also very athletic, so they're good for active people. Adult greyhounds weigh 70 to 80 pounds. High-strung and easily upset by sudden movements at times, greyhounds are one of the most popular AKC breed.

Boxer: Animated, with outgoing personalities, boxers respond readily to playfulness. They also are one of the most popular AKC breed. Prospective owners looking for a dignified dog, however, should be wary of the boxer: They tend to drool and snore.

Terrier: Terriers start out their morning as if they had eight cups of coffee, so they are good for an active person. We'd recommend the bull terrier, which was bred for pit fighting. They are always ready to frolic and so need firm training, but they are also known for their sweet personalities. The adult bull terrier weighs in at about 50 pounds. It is one of the most popular AKC breds.

English Cocker Spaniel:These are sweet dogs and they haven't been inbred. They're playful and alert at all times and great for children and active people. The English cocker spaniel is a medium-size dog with long hair. An adult usually weighs 23 to 25 pounds, 3 to 11 pounds more that its cousin, the American cocker spaniel. The English cocker is on of the most popular AKC breed.

Dogs for Older People

Chihuahua: If they are from a good breeder, they will have a good personality. Chihuahua have short hair, so they don't need a lot of grooming and so are a good choice for an older person living alone. The Chihuahua is the smallest of all the breeds. The barkless variety was once used by the Aztecs as a sacrificial animal to eradicate the sins of the dead. Chihuahuas can be yappy and clannish at times. An adult Chihuahua weighs about 3 pounds and is also one of the most popular AKC breed.

Miniature Poodle: These poodles are intelligent. And they're good for older people because they're small and don't shed a lot. They love attention. Again, the poodle is the most popular AKC breed, so owners have to make sure the dog is not inbreed. All poodles are considered fast learners compared with other breeds, but generally the smaller they are the faster they learn. The adult miniature poodle weighs in at about 15 pounds.

Toy poodle: These are good dogs for older people. Toy poodles love to be cuddled and are intelligent. They do have to be groomed, but they don't shed, so there's not much hair to clean up. The adult toy poodle weighs less than 10 pounds. It is the brightest of all the toys and will demand its owner's continuous attention. Because of the toy poodle's popularity, inbreeding can be a problem,

Yorkshire terrier: These dogs are small, easy to care for, and can be picked up. They weigh about 7 pounds and are about 7 inches tall, with long silky hair that drapes like a sheet over the body. Their coats require grooming, however, which may not be good for an elderly person who doesn't have the energy, or who has arthritis. The Yorkshire terrier is also one of the most popular ARC breed.

Halloween - Part III

Halloween - Part III

Today's Halloween customs are thought to have been influenced by folk customs and beliefs from the Celtic-speaking countries, some of which are believed to have pagan roots.

 Jack Santino, a folklorist, writes that "there was throughout Ireland an uneasy truce existing between customs and beliefs associated with Christianity and those associated with religions that were Irish before Christianity arrived".

Historian Nicholas Rogers, exploring the origins of Halloween, notes that while "some folklorists have detected its origins in the Roman feast of Pomona, the goddess of fruits and seeds, or in the festival of the dead called Parentalia, it is more typically linked to the Celtic festival of Samhain, which comes from the Old Irish for "summer's end". 

All the pictures have been taken by Elena.

A big Halloween house.

A pink house, color of blood!

A dog or a cat?

A Haloween lamp.

A terrifying tenant.

Spider net.

30 Biscarth Road.

Roxborough street

Glen Road.

Biscarth Road

Scholfield avenue

Glen Road on Halloween.

A cozy yard on Halloween eve.

A witch.

A tiny Rosedale Dragon.

A skull.

Stepping forward.

A monstruous cat.

See you at the next Halloween! Be afraid!!!

Frozen in Time - I

Frozen in Time

The 10th annual Icefest held in Village of Yorkville Park, at Cumberland Street & Bellair Street.

The site was transformed into a showcase of incredible ice sculptures. Live ice carving demonstrations were given for the entire family to enjoy. In 2015, Bloor-Yorkville brought the past back to life in ice with a “Frozen in Time” ancient Egyptian-inspired showcase of striking carvings. From King Tut, to two Pharaohs, an Anubis, an Iris with a Clock and Egyptian Gods, crafted from an astonishing 20,000 lbs. of ice.

This is an all ages, family friendly, free. All people had to do was wear warm clothes, and bring a hearty winter spirit, and don’t forget a camera to capture the moments in ice forever!

Here you can find dozen of images of this Frozen in Time Icefest. Enjoy!

The IceFest represents one among many festivals dedicated the visual art form, namely ice carving. Sizes of carved frozen water range from small decorations to entire fashionable Scandinavian resorts. One such opportunity to transform natural raw material into thought provoking ice art is celebrated during the winters of Groenland, a part go the kingdom of Denmark. Indeed, hotels in Scandinavia have been entirely carved of ice. Along similar lines, Quebec and Ontario below zero temperatures remain conducive to inspire this way of producing art.

Egyptian Ice Figures.

An Ice Camel, Egypt Tourism.

Blachere.

Innoclean.inc.

Starbucks.

Ice Kids.

Sassafraz. The heart of Yorkville.

Incredible India.

A nice horse.

Whole Foods.

Price of Being Purebred

The Price of Being Purebred

Too much inbreeding has left many dogs walking basket cases

Bad genes plague every species, but most harmful traits are naturally selected out instead of being passed from generation to generation. This has not been defined by what looks good, as loosely defined by breed-specific dog clubs and the American Kernel Club. By breeding for external traits or idiosyncrasies, such as long or blunt faces, large or short sloping hips, or an odd eye color, consumers have unwittingly caused a proliferation of genetic disorders and undermined the genetic integrity of the dog species.

The origin of the domesticated dog is the subject of much debate. We do know that early humans kept the pups of wild animals, jackals, coyotes, and wolves as pets. But as these canines were domesticated, it was discovered that some were better than others at guarding, hauling, and herding. Human began breeding selectively for these desirable traits. Only then were “breeds” created. But as dogs of similar genetic compositions were bred over and over again, the gene pool became depleted, leaving behind hundreds of inheritable diseases and disorders: a deadly legacy that could be affecting your favorite canine.

Today, Americans own more than 30 million purebred dogs. As many as one in four of these purebreds are afflicted with genetic disorders that not only cause discomfort for dogs and distress for owners, but at worst can lead to disease and death. Great Danes suffer from heart defects, collies are prone to deafness, toy poodles often experience epilepsy, and Labrador retrievers have a high risk of dwarfism. In all, more than 300 genetic abnormalities have been found in dogs.

Your dog can sit, but can it stand? Bad posture may land a dog in the doghouse in your view.. But in some cases your dog's posture may indicate real problems. A dog that's down in front, for instance, may have a neuromuscular disorder and need to see a vet. Photo by Elena. Monument to a dog in the Central Park, New York.

The problem is that the characteristics judges and clubs have deemed prize-winning are often detrimental to the animals' health. To demand huge heads on bulldogs can require that they be born unnaturally through cesarean section. The wrinkled skin on shar-peis can make them prone to rashes.

To make matters worse, the best way to produce puppies with a specific external quality is to mate two dogs with that quality. Since the closest resemblances are found in families, dogs are often inbred, the mating of fathers and daughters or brothers and sisters being common practice.

Breeders also practice “line breeding”, in which grandparents mate their grandchildren, or cousins with each other. Both inbreeding and line breeding increase the likelihood of reproducing a desirable external trait. They also increase the likelihood of reproducing genetic disease.

The problem intensifies with overbreeding. Often a single desirable male, or even a set of desirable parents will produce many litters. If it is later determined that the male or the parents, have a genetic disease, it will have already been widely dispersed in the offspring. While early humans based the value of a dog on its ability to perform traditional tasks efficiently, today's dogs are evaluated on appearance alone. Because of inbreeding, line breeding, and overbreeding, many dogs can no longer even perform traditional tasks.

Who is to blame? Veterinarians and animal behaviorists with the Human Society say, it in the culture. The culture that regards dogs as commodities and recognizes purebreds as superior to missed breds.