Sara the camel has one hump. That makes her a dromedary or Arabian camel. Sara stands in a small Manitoba town called Glenboro. She is about 17 feet tall..
We visited her as we drove from Winnipeg, Manitoba to Regina, Saskatchewan. Sara has been in Glenboro since 1978. A camel was chosen to represent the Spirit Sands sand dunes in nearby Spruce Woods Provincial Park.
You would not expect to find camels or a desert as you drive across Manitoba. You might not be surprised to find this grey haired Romeo (pictured above) at Winnipeg's Assiniboine Park Zoo. The camel in the picture is a Bactrian or two-humped camel.
Next door to Sara is the Spruce Woods Inn. It is named after the provincial park and has soft drinks, fresh coffee and the best hamburgers in town. Between the inn and the camel we had two reasons to pass through Glenboro on our road trip. But only one hump.
As you enter Barrie's waterfront you can't help but notice a large winged sculpture standing between you and Lake Simcoe. This is Spirit Catcher. It was originally created for EXPO 86 in Vancouver but has stood beside the lake in Barrie since 1987.
The rest of the marina area gets packed up for the winter season but Spirit Catcher stands tall year round. Spirit Catcher is made from over 20 tonnes of steel and stands over 20 metres high. The sculpture is made of cor-ten steel which is designed to not flake when it rusts.
The Spirit Catcher was created by Ron Baird and was the first piece to become part of the permanent collection at the Maclaren Art Centre. For over 30 years people have marvelled at the sharp wings and horns of Spirit Catcher.
When we were on the waterfront admiring the sculpture, we noticed someone flying a colourful kite over the beach. A splash of colour that stood out against the grey sky. Even though Spirit Catcher looks like a black silhouette it also stands out and commands your attention. Map of Our World Spirit Catcher
Post # 278
This is a list of things from our travels that remind us of Valentine's Day. Love is in the air and maybe you will get an idea of what to get or do for your special someone this February 14th.
1 )Roses at the Ice Hotel
Roses are a nice touch on Valentine's Day, but why not a wall of roses carved out of ice and lit up above your own private bed. Sure it's below zero celcius in the room but the Hotel de Glace is a beautiful place.
2) LoveBot
Around Toronto we have encountered LoveBot. We have spotted him in several graffiti filled alleys. He is just a little expressionless robot but he is filled with love.
3) Teuscher Valentine Truffles
When it comes to cute truffle boxes, Teuscher is the best. This Valentine's couple is a great gift for anyone who likes cute and chocolate.
4) Luzon Bleeding Heart Dove
A Luzon Bleeding Heart Dove looks as if it has been stabbed in the chest. Don't worry it is alright. What looks like a wound is just part of its plumage used to attract a mate.
5) I Heart...
As campaigns go, the I Love New York campaign has been very successful. The word love has been replaced by a heart.
We also encountered the I Love Regina sign when we were in the capital city of Saskatchewan. You would probably have a hard time finding someone called New York, but if you know someone called Regina then this is where you should take them on Feb 14th.
6) Heart's Content
To do something to your heart's content is to do it until you are completely satisfied. It is also a small town in Newfoundland. Perhaps your heart will be content in Heart's Content.
7) Distillery Heart
As you enter Toronto's historic Distillery District you will see a heart that has sunk into the brick walkway. A very popular spot to take photos with the one you love. In fact, try as we might, we still couldn't take a photo without at least one person being inside the heart.
8) Blue Whale Heart
The blue whale has the biggest heart of any living creature on earth. We have a great love for blue whales. Imagine one of these hearts filled with love.
9) Lovebirds
Some more love comes in the form of lovebirds. These three birds are Lutino Peach Faced Lovebirds at Bird Kingdom in Niagara Falls. Lutino means they are albino so they have different colouring. Being albino has absolutely no affect on their capacity to love.
10) LOVE on the High Line
The High Line is a park created in New York City from old elevated train lines. On one of our visits we found LOVE. We hope that everyone finds love this Valentine's Day.
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada Address: 770 Don Mills Road. Date: Jan 2020 Website:www.ontariosciencecentre.ca
Every winter around Christmas time, the Ontario Science Centre puts their collection of Rowland Emett's machines on display. It is the largest single collection of these mechanical inventions and never ceases to amuse and amaze. Rowland Emett started as a cartoonist for Punch magazine before building these herky-jerky contraptions which always seem to include lampshades and teapots and be driven by thin men with mustaches. Let's take a look at a few of these dream machines.
The Vivivision Machine
This machine is made up of a gramophone and an old sewing machine. Like most of Rowland's creations it has a lot of moving parts but it is hard to figure out the purpose.
It somehow projects an image into the horn of the gramophone which is supposed to be that of a man bull-fighting with a goat. This machine made a brief appearance in the movie Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.
The Humbug Major Sweet Machine
This next contraption had a bigger role in the Dick Van Dyke movie Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. It makes candied apples and more as it whirs and turns.
The machine makes candy but as Truly Scrumptuous says, "The boiling point of your sugar is too high". As a result the candy has holes in it but lets you blow into it to make a whistling sound. Toot Sweets.
Dick Van Dyke's character Caractacus Potts takes his candy to try and sell it to the candy factory. As everyone blows into the candy, the whistle attracts dogs which end up making a mess of everything.
Little Dragon Carpet Cleaner
Also in the movie is the little dragon carpet cleaner which instead of cleaning a carpet sucks up the whole thing. The carpet cleaner on display at the Science Centre had a little brush that looked like a mustache. The Hush-a-Bye Hot Air Rocking Chair
This chair works with a hot air engine to keep it rocking. It also conveniently has slippers sticking out in front so you can put your feet inside. Keep your eyes open and you might notice it also in a certain film.
Clockwork Lullaby Machine
When Caractacus Potts sings Hushabye Mountain to his children he first starts up this contraption which is made up of a conch shell and a wine bottle among other things.
Featherstone Kite Openwork Basketweave Mark Two Gentleman's Flying Machine
This machine is our all time favourite and it also boasts the longest name. It has been at the Ontario Science Centre for decades. It is meant to be a flying machine but as it lurches back and forth we don't think it is ever going to get off the ground. It looks like it has a better chance of making tea.
This machine features one of the thin, mustached men that Rowland seems to like to add to his contraptions. It also has a few furry friends like the dog looking forward at the front of the plane and a little kitten sitting in the rudder.
The Forget Me Not Computer
Memory may hold the door, but elephants never forget. The picture above shows FRED who is part of the Forget Me Not Computer that Rowland made for Honeywell. FRED stands for Frightfully Rapid Evaluator and Dispense.
The next part of the Forget Me Not Computer looks like an elephant. The computer frame is made from a lot of bamboo.
Inside it has something called the Eenie-Meenie-Miney-Mo unit.
Another smaller elephant is called Forget Me Not Junior and works the card punch system. Unforgetable.
Afternoon Tea Train To Wisteria Halt
Rowland Emett's popularity increased after he created a railway for the 1951 Festival of Britain. This next machine is another train creation. It is a tea train headed to Wisteria Halt.
It is made up of several train cars. The last car has a cow being milked in order to provide cream for tea.
The next car has a first class passenger enjoying their tea. The cow has chosen to munch on the ostrich feathers sticking out of her hat.
The whole train is pulled by Nellie the steam engine in a beautiful blue. Nellie also heats up and pours tea as well as preparing a bit of breakfast as she goes.
Exploratory Moon Probe Lunacycle MAUD
The last device on display was designed to be landed on the moon and then pedalled about for exploratory purposes.
The mustachioed man must keep pedalling in order to bring oxygen into his helmet. He looks out through a stained glass dome over his head.
Check out Rowland Emett's machines in action in the video below and find out why they are known as dream machines.
Sara The Camel
Assiniboine Park Zoo
