eARTh!

Today was equal parts duty and delight. Let's start with the fun stuff.

Following our Saturday morning waffle ritual, we packed a picnic lunch and (after brief stops at the Dollar Store and Library) glided over to the Royal Botanical Gardens to take in the latest instalment of the eARTh art exhibition.

If you're unfamiliar with this series, allow me to explain. Over the last few years, the RBG has commissioned a number of internationally renowned artists to visit and create special installations, typically made from natural materials, that compliment different sections of the gardens.

Finding and enjoying the pieces can make for a really fun scavenger hunt. The results are always spectacular.

This year, eight works of art are on display as well as a number of pieces from earlier incarnations of the show. Limited as we were by a toddler's attention span, we still made a really good go of things.

ORIGINES - Pilar Ovalle

Organic Refuge - Alfio Bonanno

On the boy's insistence, we actually unpacked the picnic inside a piece from a few years ago built for just such a purpose. We sat down to a portable feast of smoked fish, sheep's milk cheese, hummus, bread and peaches and waved as passers-by peered inside. Delicious!

The gardens are in rare form and I encourage you to visit while the exhibit is open. You can find out more here: http://www.rbg.ca/earthart-2014.

Reflecting pond inspector hard at work

CWHM bomber circling overhead

Upon returning home, I made my way over to the Dundas Lions Community Centre to participate in the first regional forum of the People's Platform (I've talked about this initiative in an earlier post here: http://marcrisdale.blogspot.ca/2014/07/power-to-people.html).

Well, if you wanted a great preview of the all-candidates debate coming this October, you couldn't have stumbled upon a better venue. By my count, 5 of 6 candidates for Council from Ward 13 were there as well as our lone candidate for Public Trustee. Wow!

Of course, it is against the rules to "campaign" while we are there but it was really heartening to see everyone participate. All of us are on great terms with one another and it was all very collegial. When running for public office, one should never miss an opportunity to engage with residents who are clearly motivated to make their votes count.

As with the kick-off event, I found the forum to be very enlightening. There was a very nice diversity of backgrounds and opinions represented and I was quite pleased to moderate the discussion on the economy and environment. 

I'm really looking forward to the next forum.

Unfortunately, this all left me with very little time to cook this afternoon so watch for my Killer Mac N' Cheese recipe tomorrow!