Homemade Movies

The Big Tidy

Click here to view The Big Tidy Movie (47 sec.)

Who could have guessed that The Big Tidy would hit the Big Time?

Link to Gord's YouTube

Created by GH @ Adobe Voice

Scotland 2014 Photos: The Lot

Links to photos and some written details re Gord's trip to the UK in October, 2014, from the beginning:

["The King's Arms in Irvine. Formerly owned by the Skinner

family, and fondly remembered in my father's Navy memoirs"] 

1. Scotland 2014 - Step One

2. Scotland 2014 - Step Two

3. Scotland 2014 - Step Three

4. Scotland 2014 - Step Four

5. Scotland 2014 - Step Five

6. Scotland 2014 - Step Six

7. Scotland 2014 - Upgrade, Downgrade

8. Scotland 2014 - First Stop

9. Scotland 2014 - Favourite Photo

10. Scotland 2014 - Second Stop

11. Scotland 2014

12. Scotland 2014 Photos - Piper at Royal Mile

13. Scotland 2014 - October 27

14. Scotland 2014 Photos - Trip to Inveraray

15. Scotland 2014 - Glasgow

16. Scotland 2014 Photos - Glasgow

17. Scotland 2014 - Sorting Out

18. Scotland 2014 Photos - Get Comfortable

19. Scotland 2014: Faint Footsteps - Introduction

20. Scotland 2014 Photos: Faint Footsteps - First Photos

21. Scotland 2014 Photos: Faint Footsteps - October 15

22. Scotland 2014 Photos: Favourites

23. Scotland 2014 Photos: Faint Footsteps - October 16

24. Scotland 2014 Photos: Favourites - October 16

25. Scotland 2014 Photos: Faint Footsteps - October 17

26. Scotland 2014 Video: Irvine, October 17

27. Scotland 2014 Photos: Favourite (w Short Story)

28. Scotland 2014 Photos: Faint Footsteps - October 18

29. Scotland 2014 Photos: Faint Footsteps - October 19

30. Scotland 2014 Photos: Faint Footsteps - October 20

31. Scotland 2014 Photos: Favourites - October 20

32. Scotland 2014 Photos: Faint Footsteps - October 21

33. Scotland 2014 Photos: Favourites - October 21

34. Scotland 2014 Photos: Faint Footsteps - October 22

35. Scotland 2014 Photos: Favourites - October 22

36. Scotland 2014 Photos: Faint Footsteps - Intro to Oct. 23

37. Scotland 2014 Photos: Faint Footsteps - October 23

38. Scotland 2014 Photos: Favourites - October 23

39. Scotland 2014 Photos - Intro to October 24

40. Scotland 2014 Photos: Faint Footsteps - October 24

41. Scotland 2014 Photos: Favourites in BW - Oct. 24

42. Scotland 2014 Photos: Favourites - Oct. 24

43. Scotland 2014 Photos: Favourite - Oct. 24

44. Scotland 2014 Photos: Faint Footsteps - October 25

45. Scotland 2014 Photos: Favourite - October 25

46. Scotland 2014 Photos: Faint Footsteps - Intro Oct. 26

47. Scotland 2014 Photos: Faint Footsteps - October 26

48. Scotland 2014 Photos: Favourites - October 26

49. Scotland 2014 Photos: Faint Footsteps - October 27

50. Photos taken in Glasgow before flight home TBA

The Workshop - M-I-A-L

Scroll Saw Letters

 ["All trimmed up, except for lettering (and a wee bit more)"]

All in a cold day's work.

Link to The Workshop - Trim

Link also to You Tube Video from the workshop: The Workshop - Mailboxes

Photos and Video by GH

Scotland 2014 Video: Irvine, October 17

Why, it's just like being there all over again but for a lot less money.

Click here to view YouTube video entitled Irvine, Scotland - October 17, 2014

Click here as well to view Scotland 2014 Photos: Faint Footsteps

Video by GH on GoPro Hero4

Scotland 2014 Photos: Faint Footsteps

October 17 - Irvine, Scotland

 ["I am minutes from catching the correct bus on High Street, Irvine"]

["I exit bus in quiet countryside. Navy beaches - 1 mile straight ahead"]

On this day I travelled by bus a few miles south of Irvine to walk and view some of the empty fields where, during WW2, young men of various nationalities - e.g., many Canadians, including my father - lived and trained and gained experience (on nearby beaches) upon assault landing craft (and LCMs, landing craft mechanized) used during Allied raids and invasions.

 ["WW2 vintage buildings, far right. Likely Camp (RAF) Dundonald hangars"]

 ["WW2 Navy boys were at Camp Auchengate. I'm on the right trail"]

 ["Hangars also may have housed tanks," says current owner"]

["My dad would have been delighted to see chickens near WW2 camps"]

If the following raids and invasions are known to readers - Dieppe, North Africa, Sicily, Italy, Normandy - then some may wish to explore the wee town of Irvine and the faded remains of nearby military camps (such as RAF Dundonald, Camp Auchengate (Navy), Camp Gailes). Faint footsteps of many soldiers, sailors and airmen can still be seen, though covered now by golf courses and other changes/additions to the landscape made over the last 70-plus years.

 ["At five PM I was back in Irvine and soon made ready for another walk-about"]

 ["I've one hour to walk beaches where men practiced handling landing craft"]

 ["I look south toward now quiet beaches and Troon"]

 [A mysterious dragon guards the western approaches"]

 ["I was inland, far right, earlier in the day"]

[Thousands of young men admired these same views 70 years ago"]

The remnants of any WW2 settings and memories are faint, and few and far between, but still worth looking for in Irvine, and Saltcoats to the north, and Troon to the south. I shall return!

Link to my YouTube video from the farthest point west in Irvine, Scotland. Dated October 17, 2014.

Link to Scotland 2014 Photos: Faint Footsteps

More about another mysterious dragon to follow.

Photos by GH

Gord's Journal: "Spring is coming"

A quick peek into Gord's private life. Very few people are this forth-coming!

from Gord's Manually Operated iPad

More Gord's Journal

Gord's Journal: "the cat was warned"

Earlier in the day, a prowling cat got its first warning.

The first may be the last.

Photos by GH

More Gord's Journal

Gordie Boy: 'Be Prepared' and straighten up

In June, 1959 I was nine going on ten and able to stand still long enough to have my picture taken at a Cub Scout event at the Norwich ball park. I look at the photo now, see my poor posture and hear the words my mother said to me time and time again - "Stand up straight, Gordon. Push your shoulders back."

(I am still a bit of a sloucher but a week doesn't go by without me reminding myself to stand a little taller and push my shoulders back while, for example, walking to a local coffee shop or grocery store.)

I enjoyed being a Cub Scout and can recall some of the weekly meetings, routines and activities. Members sat in a large circle during a typical meeting, for roll call and the collection of dues. Dues (pennies, nickels, dimes) were dropped into a hat in the centre of the circle and boys would indicate the amount by saying, "five bones" or "ten bones".

I also recall when one of my parents put a Cub Scout decal on our front door window. It said 'Be Prepared' and I asked for an explanation of some kind because I was worried about what expectations would be placed upon me.

Though the answer is lost in the fog of my well-spent youth I must say some of the words stuck and on more than one occasion over the years I have been described as 'a bit of a Boy Scout.' I now take that as a compliment even if I'm not sure what the person means!

Sorry, someone's at the door.

Photo by GH

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Were you a Cub or Scout?

Please click here for more Gordie Boy

Gord’s YouTube: Gord's mighty windy day in Port Bruce PT 2

There is nothing finer than a windy day along the north shore of Lake Erie.

Please click here to salute the wind with me. 

[Video by G.Harrison]

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Please click here to view more of Gord’s YouTube

Please click here for more photographs from Port Bruce