The Freshman At Woodbine Centre

Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Address:  500 Rexdale Blvd.
Date: Nov 2014
Website: www.woodbinecentre.ca

  In the movie The Freshman, Matthew Broderick plays Clark Kellog (like the cereal) a college student who ends up working for a local mobster.  Marlon Brando plays almost the exact same role he played in The Godfather, but this time for comedic effect.  The first job for Clark is to pick up a package from the airport.  He brings his roommate (Frank Whaley) to help him out.

  It turns out that the package is actually an endangered komodo dragon.  The komodo dragon is the largest lizard in the world and is known for its strength and saliva.  The dragon in the picture (bottom above) is from the Toronto Zoo.  The other lizard above is a Malayan water monitor also from the Toronto Zoo.  As everything in Hollywood is not as it seems, this is the lizard type that played the role of the komodo dragon.  It is smaller and safer for actors and crew to handle, but according to interviews it was still a handful.  Actually it took several monitors to play the role.

  After securing the lizard in the car, it throws up and the smell is so bad that they decide to stop at a gas station to clean up.  The filming location is a gas station at the corner of the Woodbine Centre parking lot in Toronto.

  The mall is located across the street from Woodbine race track which is a popular location for its casino and horse races.

  The lizard gets out of the car and runs from the gas station and into the parking lot.  Clark and his roommate are in hot pursuit as they look for the lizard under the parked cars.

  The lizard makes its way into the mall and causes a panic.  The mall entrance is easily identifiable by its curved design with circles that still remains today.

The reptile gets itself into the elevator and goes up to the second level.  By this point crowds are running around in a panic.

  Clark and his roommate see the panicked people fleeing the mall and realize where their komodo has gone.  Woodbine Centre has an amusement park inside it called Fantasy Fair.  They enter the mall near the ferris wheel.

  They also run right over the Woodbine Centre logo making it fairly obvious where these scenes were filmed.

  The lizard meanwhile has taken a swim near the bumper boats as terrified parents grab their children.  Clark and his roommate finally recapture the lizard right next to the "Big Chute" sign hanging from the train tracks.  They manage to sneak it back out of the mall and continue with their delivery.
  You can visit Woodbine Centre and Fantasy Fair and have a fun afternoon.  While you are there remember that once upon a time Ferris Bueller ran around the mall with a monitor lizard pretending it was a komodo dragon.

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Map of Our World
Woodbine Centre , Fantasy Fair

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Post # 206

Wiarton Willie

Location: Wiarton, Ontario, Canada
Address:  402 William St.
Date: Aug 2017
Website: www.southbrucepeninsula.com

  On February 2nd there will be a lot of rodents predicting the weather.  One of the best known is Punxsutawney Phil.  Even Bill Murray spent the day over and over again with him in the movie Groundhog Day.  In Ontario, the most famous groundhog is Wiarton Willie.  If the groundhog sees its shadow and retreats back into its den then we will get 6 more weeks of winter.  If the groundhog does not go back into its den then it will be an early spring.

  We visited Wiarton on our way to Tobermory.  We made sure we visited the monuments placed around town as well as the actual Willie.  As you enter the town on Highway 6 you will see the town Welcome sign.

  The sign says Wiarton and has a big, plump, cartoon groundhog standing next to it waving.  Yes the groundhog (above) is white because Willie is an albino.  The part of Wiarton Willie has been played by many groundhogs throughout the years, but to our knowledge they have always been white.

  Another Wiarton Willie statue is located further into town in Bluewater Park next to Georgian Bay.  It is called "Willie Emerges".

This statue is carved out of stone and shows Willie standing up and alert keeping a lookout.

  There is also a memorial to all the Willies that have come and gone.  Sadly, the Willie we visited died the next month at 13 years old.  That is quite old for a groundhog and the town of Wiarton also has younger backup Willies just in case.  Willie's understudies if you will.

  In the park next to the Dockside Willie's restaurant we saw none other than Wiarton Willie himself.  He lives in a special enclosure that was designed with the help of the Toronto Zoo.  He digs holes, eats his vegetables and sunbathes all year until it is time to head inside for winter.  He then emerges to make his special prognostication on February 2nd.  While his predictions may not always be right, we know Willie will be part of a good bit of fun at the beginning of February.

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Map of Our World
Wiarton Welcome Sign , Wiarton Willie Statue
Wiarton Willie

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Post # 205

Lynde Shores Conservation Area

Location: Whitby, Ontario, Canada
Address:  1285 Victoria St W.
Date: Jan 2017
Website: cloca.com

  If you are willing to brave the chilly temperatures, there is a lot of wildlife to be seen during the cold winter months.  That is exactly what we did one January day when we headed to Lynde Shores Conservation Area in Whitby.  The animals did not disappoint.  Even as we drove down the road, a group of white-tailed deer looked up from their grazing to greet us.

  The main attraction was a barred owl that we had heard was in the area and it also did not disappoint.  No sooner had we parked the car when we noticed paparazzi gathered on the edge of the pathway.  On the other side of the path was a beautiful barred owl perched in a tree.  With every move the owl made you could hear the whiz and click of camera shutters.  The owl seemed unperturbed and even flew down once to capture something before returning to its perch.

  Barred owls are a fairly large owl.  They have big black sunken eyes.  We could tell the owl was keeping a close watch on everything going on around it.  We took a few pictures and then left the owl and the scrum of photographers behind us as we explored the trails.

  We didn't have to travel far before we encountered some deer again.  They were all over the trail but quickly hid in the bushes as we approached.  These were white-tailed deer.  Their tails may be brown or have black on them, but they get their name from when they run.  As they flee,  they flip up their tail exposing the all white underneath.

  The trail leads to a lookout over a marshy area.  Today it was frozen solid and we did not see any sign of activity as we scanned the area.

  We headed south towards Lake Ontario.

  As we stood on the shore we could see a large group of geese just floating out on the water.

  Closer inspection revealed that this was a large group of Canada Geese.  They looked like they may have settled in for the night with plans to float and bob until morning.

  Daylight was quickly disappearing as the sun started to set through the clouds.

  We traveled back along the pathway and the owl was still exactly where we had left him.  The group of photographers was still there too, hoping to catch the owl swooping down for its prey.  It is not uncommon for barred owls to be out during the day, but as darkness falls the hunting gets easier.  This was the first owl that we had ever seen and the fact that it was so close and visible was an added bonus.

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Map of Our World
Lynde Shores Conservation Area

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Post # 204

Blue Whale Watching

Location: Les Escoumins, Quebec, Canada
Address:  37 Rue des Pilotes
Date: Aug 2017
Website: www.croisierebaleine.ca

  Since writing a grade school speech about blue whales, one of us has been waiting for a real world encounter with the largest animal on earth.  We planned a trip to Tadoussac, Quebec where the Saguenay River meets the St. Lawrence to try and make this dream come true.  This region is known to attract many of the world's whales, including the blue whale.

  We arrived in Quebec City and drove north to Tadoussac where we were staying at a bed and breakfast.  At the advice of the rental car guy, the next day we drove a bit further north to Les Escoumins.  He said that our chances of a blue whale encounter would be higher in this region.  We booked a zodiac tour with Croisières Escoumins and headed out into the St. Lawrence River to try our luck.

  It wasn't very long at all before we spotted a burst of water rise into the air.  Our guide reported that it was a blue whale.  At last, a dream come true.  Great advice, rental car guy.  Above is our first photo of our first blue whale encounter.  You can see that the whale is more grey than blue and blends in with the waves of the river.  The whale went back under the surface.

  We were thrilled that we had chosen the right place for a blue whale to come and visit us.  Another plume of water and the whale surfaced once again.  We could see its giant blowholes. We were very lucky that because of the way the whale was feeding, that it came to the surface several times during our boat tour.  Blue whales typically dive while feeding for up to 10 minutes but can sometimes be 30 minutes or more.  When the whales surface they could also be quite a distance from where they were last spotted.

  The whale surfaced for us one last time.  This time it was very close.  We were treated to another rare display by this gentle giant.  The blue whale dove again, but on the way down it raised its tail as if to wave goodbye.  Bye-bye Blue.   You have given us an experience we will never forget.

 

 

 

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Map of Our World
Croisières Escoumins

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Post # 195

Feline Frenzy At Toronto Zoo

Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Address:  2000 Meadowvale Road
Date: Sept 2017
Website: www.torontozoo.com

  The Toronto Zoo has seen another baby boom.  This time it is of the furry, feline variety.   There are 9 little cubs from 3 different species.  After a few months of being off display, the cubs now have daily viewing times.  

  The first to arrive were a handful of African cheetah cubs born at the end of April, 2017.  These 5 cubs consist of 3 boys and 2 girls.  Through the years there have been 53 cheetahs born at the Toronto Zoo.
 

  The cubs are always under mother's watchful eye.  Whether they are lazing around together under a tree (top photo of blog) or heading out during feeding time, she is on the alert.

  During feeding time the cubs cautiously headed towards the front of their enclosure.

  A few moments later they became more comfortable and lounged around on the rocks.

 

  A goose flew overhead and almost made the fatal mistake of landing into the enclosure.  Usually the Canada Geese at the zoo walk around like they own the place, but they wouldn't last very long against the fastest land animal on earth.  Especially if outnumbered six to one.

  The next babies to arrive at the zoo were two clouded leopard sisters born in May, 2017.  Their mother was a first time mother and was not caring for the cubs properly so zoo staff had to take over.

 

  The clouded leopards are only on display for a brief playtime each day.  As soon as they get outside they are ready to jump or climb on anything they can.

  Their parents are inside the Malayan Woods Pavilion while the zoo keepers have the task of raising and feeding the babies.  The babies are in the lion-tailed macaque exhibit and the macaques have been temporarily displaced.  We noticed the macaques on a pole while riding the zoomobile through Eurasia.

  Another pair of babies is also located in Eurasia.  A few days after the clouded leopards were born, a trio of snow leopards were also born.  Sadly, one of the cubs did not survive.  

  The remaining brother and sister are on display with their mother.

  They are still a little shy and the brother likes to climb as high as he can and then hide behind the rocks.  In the wild, snow leopards are found at high altitudes on mountain ranges such as the Himalayas.  That shyness will soon disappear as they continue to grow.  Like all wild animals, it won't be long until they are just as big and strong as their parents. Visit them soon if you can.

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Click here to take a virtual tour and see our collection of Toronto Zoo animal photos.

Map of Our World
Toronto Zoo (Cheetahs) , Toronto Zoo (Malayan Woods Pavilion) , Toronto Zoo (Eurasia)

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Post # 194