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Thursday 20 June 2019

Orlando Power Station Cooling Towers

Orlando Power Station Soweto

Location: Soweto, South Africa
Address: 
Date: Oct 2018
Website: www.gauteng.net

  Two towers stand tall above anything else in the Soweto area of South Africa.  The 33 storey tall Orlando Towers are the last remaining structures of a coal fired power station.  The power station was built in 1935 and closed in 1998.

Soweto Gold Cooling Tower Empowering Education Cooling Tower

  These days the towers are now completely painted with murals.   These murals have changed through the years but when we visited one was sponsored by local brewing company Soweto Gold and the other by telecom company Vodacom.  One tower states "We are in Soweto and Soweto is in us".  The other is for empowering education.

Cooling Towers From Top Of Africa

Other cooling towers that we saw as we travelled stood out against the skyline, but they were just plain looking.

Power Plant Smoke South Africa

Some of these power plants were still in operation.

Orlando Cooling Towers Bungee Jump

  The towers are also famous for being the world's first bungee jump between two cooling towers.  Brave souls can jump from a little bridge that spans the two towers.  Between the artwork and the adventure it is safe to say that these are the most exciting cooling towers in all of South Africa, perhaps the world.

Map of Our World
Orlando Power Station Cooling Towers

Post # 254

Monday 10 June 2019

Bulle & Bar

Bulle & Bar   Bull & Bear Frankfurt Germany

Location: Frankfurt, Germany
Address:  Börsenpl. 49, 60313 Frankfurt am Main
Date: Oct 2018
Website: www.kunst-im-oeffentlichen-raum-frankfurt.de

 On our way to South Africa, we had a layover in Frankfurt, Germany.  We took this opportunity to leave the airport and check out the town.  As we walked along we found ourselves in the middle of a showdwon between a bull and a bear (or a bulle and bär in German).

Frankfurt Stock Exchange.

  In front of the Frankfurt stock exchange stand two sculptures by Reinhard Dachlauer.  They have been there since 1987.  The bronze to make the sculptures was donated by the stock exchange on its 400th anniversary.
 
Bull Sculpture Frankfurt Germany.

  The bull represents a rising stock market where investors are optimistic.

Bear Sculpture Frankfurt Germany

   The bear represents a recession where investors are wary.

Block House Restaurant Frankfurt.

  Behind the bear is the Block House restaurant.  The building has a balcony which appears to be supported by several hunched over figures.

Bear sculpture in Frankfurt.
 Bull sculpture in Frankfurt.

  Both sculptures had a cartoonish quality and lots of personality.  We found them very endearing  regardless of which way the stock market is headed

Bulle & Bear Sculptures Frankfurt.

Map of Our World
Bulle & Bär

Post # 253

Thursday 30 May 2019

Toronto Humane Society

Toronto Humane Society Mural

Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Address:  11 River Street
Date: May 2019
Website: www.torontohumanesociety.com

  The Toronto Humane Society always has its doors open for stray animals.  During Doors Open Toronto it welcomed people to tour behind the scenes.  The Humane Society is always a place of great sadness when a lost or injured animal is brought into the shelter.  It can also be a place of great joy when these animals find a new home.

Cats & Uber 5000's Bird Toronto Humane Society Mural

  The Humane Society building is hard to miss thanks to a bright mural by artist Uber 5000.  The mural fills the entire wall of the building which is located where King Street East meets Queen Street East.  As always in any Uber 5000 artwork there are little yellow birds hiding in the background.

Glenn Gould Dedication Toronto Humane Society

  As we entered the building we noticed a dedication to thank Canadian pianist Glenn Gould for his contributions.  Glenn was alway known for his love of animals as well as his piano playing.

Dogs Uber 500 Mural Toronto Humane Society

  The first animals we visited were the dogs.  As our group gathered, a volunteer brought out a small black dog and worked his way through the crowd.  Behind him followed an older man who said "He's going to be my dog".  A huge smile stretched across his face.  This was not the only dog to be successfully adopted.  As the dogs yipped and barked for our attention we could see from the signage that most would be on their way to new homes soon.

Bunny Door Stop

  After the dogs we visited the special species section.  A bunny door stop held the door open for us.

Bunny At Toronto Humane Society

  Just inside the doors was Carmel the bunny.  Carmel was doing her best to look cute and adoptable.  Getting a pet on impulse is a bad idea without understading the long term cost and comittment.

Hedgehog Care Book Toronto Humane Society.

  There were lots of information packages on caring for different animals.  We know a family who recently took in an African pygmy hedgehog so we picked up a booklet for them.

Red-Eared Slider

  Several pools at the back of the room held red-eared slider turtles.  Red-eared sliders are the most invasive turtle species in Ontario ponds.  Don't release your unwanted turtle into the wild.  Again think before you buy one as a pet.  Wild red-eared sliders are causing our local turtle species to head towards extinction.

A Bearded Dragon at Toronto Humane Society

  At the exit was a bearded dragon who was wearing a cone so he didn't touch or scratch where he shouldn't.  A note next to him stated that he was headed to a sanctuary.

Doug The Dog Toronto Humane Society Mural

  A lot of feral or street animals come into the shelter.  The only way to stop more and more of them from coming is to have them spayed or neutered.  This way they can no longer reproduce.

Spay or Neutering area at Toronto Humane Society

  A sign in the operating area shows how they clip the ears of spayed or neutered cats so they can easily be recognized.  This prevents cats being rounded up for repeat surgery that they don't need.

A Cat With Yarn

  The shelter is also home to many cats.  Cats like yarn and thread which can be a problem.

Toronto Humane Society Cat X-ray.

  We were shown some animal x-rays that showed broken bones and some that showed needles stuck inside a cat.  Cats love the thread but dont realize a needle is tied to the end.  Any metal in an x-ray shows up bright white like bones do.

Toronto Humane Society Donation Box.

  The Toronto Humane Society does a good job looking out for animals in our city.  They also do a good job for people who get the gift of a pet in their life.

Map of Our World
Toronto Humane Society

Post # 252