Rosedale - Part III

Rosedale - Part III

South Rosedale was first settled by Sheriff William Jarvis and his wife, Mary, in 1826 after Jarvis inherited his father's home there two years earlier. Mary Jarvis, the granddaughter of chief justice and loyalist William Drummer Powell frequently walked and rode on horseback around the trails for that formed Rosedale's meandering streets (which are one of the area's trademarks). She named the estate "Rosedale" as a tribute to the abundance of wild roses that graced the hillsides of their estate. The Jarvis estate was subdivided in 1854 and became Toronto's first "garden suburb". The Jarvis Family sold the Rosedale homestead in 1864, which led to the residential development of the area soon after, including the extension of Cluny Drive.

A noteworthy piece of Rosedale's History, is that it was home to Ontario's fourth Government House. The house was called Chorley Park, and it was built for the Lieutenant Governor in 1915.It was demolished in 1960 by the city of Toronto to save money. It is now a public park of the same name.

Park in Rosedale. White, yellow flowers in Rosedale Hot pink flower with yellow middle. White petals, yellow middle flower in background.

Chorley Park Tulips.

Rosedale rues.

Morley Callaghan (22 February 1903 - 25 August 1990). Morley Callaghan wrote 18 novels and over 100 short stories, all about Canadians. Critically acclaimed around the World, he has been compared with Chekhov and Turgenev. He sold his first story while attending Riverdale Collegiate and worked as a reporter for the Toronto Star during his student years at the University of Toronto. In 1928 he published his first novel, Strange Fugitive and in 1929 he married Loretto Dee. They lived in Paris - where they were befriended by Hemingway, Fizgerald and Joyce - then in New York and Pennsylvania until the early thirties, when they returned to Toronto. Callagahan moved to Dale Avenue in 1951. Neighours often saw and talked to him as he crossed this bridge with his wife and dog, Nikki, then with his dog, then alone until he died in 1990.

Rosedale Crescent Road park.

House on Roxborough street in Rosedale.

A big house in red bricks.

A family house in Rosedale.

Light blue flower bush, with other plants. Close ups.

A Green house.

A residential building in Rosedale.

Under the bridge of the Mount Pleasant Highway.

Cat on a Thornwood Road.

House on a Mont Pleasant Road.

Where the Ghouls Are

Where the Ghouls Are

A guide to skeletons in America's closet

International authorities on paranormal phenomena deem these haunted places as being among the most noteworthy in the United States:

Chatham Manor, Fredericksburg, Va.: A love affair was brought to an end here by George Washington. An aristocratic English friend of the owner thought that a trip across the ocean would end his daughter's romance with a commoner. But her suitor followed and the lovers plotted an elopement. Washington, who happened to be staying at Chatham, learned of the romance and the man arrested. The girl returned to England and was married; her ghost came back and today haunts the grounds.

Cheesman Park, Denver, Colorado: Formerly Mount Prospect Graveyard, a cemetery for criminals and epidemic victims. In 1893, the city hired an inept undertaker to remove the 6,000 to 10,000 bodies buried there. Chaos ensued. Corpses were broken into pieces to fit smaller caskets, body parts were mixed up, and many of the graves were looted. The remaining bodies were simply plowed over. The spirits are still upset over that one.

Pike Place Market, Seattle, Washington: The underground ramps of this shopping plaza are haunted by the ghost of an American Indian Kicksomolo, daughter of Chief Seattle. In 1854, the chief prophesied that once his tribe was gone, its spirits would continue to haunt their former homeland.

USF Constellation, Baltimore, Md.: The frigate, built in 1797, was the first commissioned ship in the U.S. Navy. It got off to a bad start. In 1799, a sailor was tied to a gun and blown to bits for falling asleep on his watch. His ghost and that of the captain who ordered the execution haunt the ship today.

Happy Go Lightly. Photo by Elena.

Whaley House, San Diego, California : Recognized as an official haunted house by the state of Californiam, the two-story brick house was built by Thomas Whaley in 1857. Whaley rented part of his house in 1857. Whaley rented part of his house to the town of San Diego to be used as a county courtroom and department of records. It soon becase the center of a power dispute that ended in its being rasacked and the Whaley family terrorized by disgruntled townspeople. Later, Whaley tried in vain to collect damages. Today, Whaley family ghosts account for stranger noises and mysterious lights.

The White House, Washington, D.C.: On its many haunted rooms, the most interesting is the Lincoln bedroom. Lincoln was likely the most mystical of our presidents. He regularly sought advice from deceased world leaders through a medium.

Winchester House, San Jose, California: This 160-room house has 950 doors and was actually built for ghosts by Sarah Winchester. In 1884, her husband and only child died. When Sarah went to a medium to try to contact their spirits, he suggested that she build a house for all the spirits of the people killed by the rifle that bore her husband's name. Much of the building is based on the number 13, and there are many blind passageways to deter evil spirits. Winchester left instructions in her will that ghosts continue to be welcomed.

Gay Pride Parade in Montreal

Gay Pride Parade in Montreal

The Montreal Gay Pride Parade is an LGBTA tradition going strong since it was founded in 1979 when a group of 200 people commemorated New York City's 1969 Stonewall Riots with "Gairilla," the precursor to Montreal's Pride celebrations. This parade is a show of the community's solidarity, strength, and demand for the same respect, dignity, and basic rights as those granted to heterosexuals.

All the pictures have been taken by Elena.

The parade is generally held every mid-August and is preceded by a week of Pride activities and events. 

Pride Montreal recommends you take public transport or walk to the parade.

Annual events include a family-friendly Community Day and the Mega T-Dance, a huge celebration held right after the Pride Parade.

Montreal Pride Week attracts a lot of tourists, and with good reason.

Taking place the week before the Pride Parade, It's one of the international LGBT community's favorite Pride destinations.

Montreal's Gay Village is one of the largest gay villages in North America.

Expect the parade to last two to three hours.

Annual events include a family-friendly Community Day and the Mega T-Dance, a huge celebration held right after the Pride Parade.

The ambiance oozes with European charm and panache. 

Gay Strong men.

Many of the participants are in good physical shape.

One of the most well-knowns heros of the Montreal's Gay Community.

Some of the participants are really nice and amazing.

The Pride Parade is part of a weeklong celebration with art, music, and entertainment.

Festival St-Ambroise group.

The community flag.

Whether to bring children or not is an individual decision.

Cure for Jet Lag

A Cure for Jet Lag at Last?

A non-prescription pill can help you readjust to a different time zone

Recent reports have suggested that travelers can avoid jet lag altogether by taking melatonin, a non-prescription medication. You can consult these recommendations:

What is melatonin and how does it work?

The substance melatonin is actually a natural hormone that all humans carry. In recent years scientists have come to a clearer understanding of how this substance is a crucial regulator of the human body clock. The hormone is released into the bloodstream according to a daily cycle that is determined by your body clock as it is influenced by darkness. During the day, melatonin secretion is suppressed by light; at nightfall, the pineal gland begins to secrete melatonin into the bloodstream.

Jet travel through different time zones interferes with this natural process because the body is left releasing melatonin on its old schedule. The body clock takes anywhere from 1 to 12 days to adjust, depending on the number of time zones a person has traveled (one time zone generally produces one day of jet lag).

When should one take melatonin?

Studies have shown and scientists now believe that a supplemental does of melatonin helps to bring body functions into sync with the day/night rhythm of the new time zone. Timing of the dosage is critical to its success, however. In trails, the best results occurred when subjects took the pill 30 to 90 minutes before bedtime on the day of the arrival and each day of travel thereafter as needed. In other words, travelers who are taking an overnight flight should not take the pill until the evening of the day they arrive.

Where does one buy melatonin?

Melatonin is widely available in a synthetic form that can be purchased as a nutritional supplement at health food stores, but there is no mention of jet lag relief on the bottle.

Expert tips

If you don't care to try the melatonin, here are some other jet lag remedies:

• Begin observing mealtimes of your destination as soon as possible on your day of travel
• Avoid alcohol while traveling
• Avoid caffeine while traveling
• Drink a pint of liquids during flight
• Sleep according to the schedule of your destination.

Fly and enjoy the nature. Photo by Elena.

Law of Supply and Law of Demand

The Law of Supply...

Sure, average air fares have risen steadly since 1990, but they go up and down at the same times year after year, and that makes predicting prices a cinch. Experts put togteher the numbers that show what you always suspected : Fares are lowest during the dspring and summer when the airlines have the most difficulty filling their planes.

... And the Law of Demand

Is this week's fare half of what you paid last week? Here's what to do:

You've already bought your ticket when you see the ad in the newspaper: a lower fare on the same route. Getting your ticket rewritten for the lower fare – and pocketing the savings – is not always possible. First you must meet all the qualifications listed in the ad in the small print: there must be the right numbers of days in advance of your trip: you must have been booked to travel when the fare applies; and there must still be seats available in the cheaper fare category. Even then, you might be charged a fee to have your ticket rewritten.

Don't give up if the first airline person who answers tells you your ticket is non-refundable and non-changeable, though. Insist on speaking with a supervisor. Also, move fast. The number of seats available at the lower fare is probably limited. Even if you meet all the restrictions, you will not be able to claim one of the cheap seats unless they are still unsold when you call.

A travel agent can give you further assistance. Some agents now guarantee you the lowest fare through use of a computer that monitors reservations systems overnight. Your agent may call you when a lower fare pops up. (You certainly won't hear about it from the airline). If the agent is still holding your tickets, he or she could rewrite your ticket at the new price even before you open your morning paper.

Horizons far away. Photo by Elena.