ice rain dance

Lohbado did the ice rain dance when he went out for a walk after breakfast and discovered the streets were paved with ice. It takes skill to walk a block or two under such conditions. Fortunately, as the temperature rises, the ice should melt, so that it will be easier to walk around in Montreal.

snow angels

Just before waking, Lohbado dreamed about toy angels walking across an ice covered river. He got up to look out the window and noticed fresh snow falling on Montreal, more winter wonderland.

going for a walk 6 years ago

The cold this morning felt a bit intimidating, so rather than take photos on a cold morning in February, Lohbado looked at pictures from a sunny day six years ago.

Van Horne 6 years ago

Here's a few photos Lohbado took May 2, 2010 on Van Horne near Victoria in Cote des Neiges, Montreal. The Yangsze and furniture store moved. The store fronts have been modernized.

winter driving

Photos taken during a late winter drive into Gaspe about ten years ago, snow covered roads, drive safely. It's strange, the old tradition of bars in small communities along the highway. Drinking and driving is dangerous. Lohbado remembered back in the seventies, working on a farm. One could drive to bars, get drunk and drive home. Sometimes Lohbado was the designated driver. He could have one beer and that was about it. Those remote highways weren't heavily travelled and could seem safe. Once in a while a nasty accident with fatalities occurred.

Moronovian Strawberry Cake Method

eat some cake

a couple eggs can't hurt

the streets are covered in ice and puddles

The Moronovian Method begins the moment the person wakes up. The trick is to not think too much. Eat breakfast. Go for a walk. It's a good idea to wear rubber boots, or carry a small rubber raft to use when crossing large puddles. As Lohbado walked slowly, dark clouds began to dissolve from his mind. Children splashed about, laughing and squealing with delight as they went from the house to the van. They were having a great time in the puddles and in the rain. Crows cackling away in dark wet branches suggested it was a great day to have fun.

lohba vlog 12: wonky winter 2016

Click on picture to watch video... Montreal winter 2016 was marked by dramatic changes in temperature from one day to the next, freezing one moment, heavy snow the next, sudden melting then freezing again. February 2016 weather could be summarized as dump and melt slosh and freeze. It's been a wonky winter. But spring will eventually arrive. It always does. Someone informed me that last year spring didn't really start happening until mid-April. On April 15, 2015 it became warm enough to go outside without a coat.

the joy of going beyond even the concept of going beyond

classic ooze

Well, it's that time of year again, or maybe it's no time of year. Maybe it's all in the mind. Maybe it all varies from one mind to the next, even though each mind shares a basic structure or dependence on the brain and nervous system, not to mention the influence of digestion, hormones, blood circulation and breathing. When Lohbado felt nervous or uneasy, then the best thing would be to put oneself in the proper place, apply oneself to the task at hand and don't wallow in endless mental chatter.

soap candle wine adventure

A lit candle, a burned out candle, sour wine, a comb, soap... is this another Moronovian ritual, some sort of excommunication from the mainstream or sorcery to try and sort things out in his mind? Lohbado took these photos about six years ago and found them while searching through his image library for another photo, which he still can't find. Learning to organize images is an ongoing and seemingly hopeless process. Many get lost. Others are found while looking for lost ones.

over ripe banana composition

Bananas have a distinctive smell and could be quite soft and squishy, depending on degree of ripeness. The distinct black and yellow patterns of the banana peels is what first caught Lohbado's attention. A group of over-ripe bananas on the table was quite impressive. Lohbado spent hours looking at things, as a relief for a mind that tended to get swept away in anxious thoughts or disturbing memories. To appreciate a mundane object requires a letting go of preconceived notions in order to see the beauty. At a first glance, someone might say: bananas... why are you taking pictures of bananas? They're boring...

rotten peach

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Rotten in this case does not mean not good. The word does have unpleasant overtones, so maybe over-ripe peach, or peach in decay would be a better way to describe it. Lohbado found endless fasciation in decay, the texture and colour of mouldy food. It's part of nature. Everything eventually decays or wears out.

lohba vlog 11 what is going on

Lohbado woke up and wondered what is going on. He went to Parc Dante and walked to Rue Saint Hubert and along Bellechasse. Lohbado woke at 4 AM, snow ploughs roaring and rumbling as they cleared the snow. Montreal has an efficient snow removal system. It's impressive to watch the ploughs, snow blowers and huge trucks at work.

Rickety Jack and Marvin

Jack Rickets mixed codeine and alcohol, until one day in the wooden shack in one of the distant fields he attacked Marvin, who fought back in self defence. The rest is taboo. Nobody talks about it. A loose tongue could get a man in a lot of trouble. 

a day of snow, rain, slush and ice in Montreal

Montreal weather on February 16, 2016 began with snow and ended with rain, slush and ice.

it's ok to be happy

Suffering is easy. The big question: do you have the courage to go beyond suffering and to be happy? Is there a virtue to being unhappy? On a practical level, people often become jealous and resentful when a person has good news, but secretly happy when the person has bad news. It's a strange psychological phenomena. So no wonder there's the temptation to conceal one's happiness, since that could open oneself up to attacks from harmful or jealous demons. Not being happy benefits nobody. On the flip side, happiness could be contagious. When a happy person walks in, radiating good vibes, it could cause others to cheer up. Lohbado realized there's no need to feel bad, even though he sometimes got the impression that people preferred to see him feeling bad. It requires a bit of confidence to be cheerful. There's a lot of stormy psychic waves out there. Lohbado decided to be happy, but to proceed quietly so as not to annoy anyone.

Fool's Paradise

sorrow and pain

nurturing lamp

hierarchy of hope and fear

As the weather intensifies, extreme cold, then suddenly warm weather with heavy rain, sleet, ice then ice cold again... it has an effect on body and mind. Any living organism recoils when overwhelmed with unpleasant stimulation. When you poke a worm with a stick, it curls up. Add intellect to the recipe and you have the human condition. Sometimes Lohbado yearned for the bliss that comes with ignorance. Isn't there a way to block out or ignore the troubles of the world? Couldn't one just find a safe place, some stability, where things will stay the same, a place without challenges or change? Ok, that's called Fool's Paradise. Breughel did a painting about it. To reach Fool's Paradise or Cockaigne, one must eat a tunnel through a mountain of porridge. One arrives in paradise, where arms are not necessary. Just lie on your back and cakes will fly into your mouth.

Kangirsuk winter

Here's a few photos taken in Kangirsuk, Nunavik in about 2007 or 2008 during winter.

cold weather

Ungava Bay

December 2007

It wouldn't be winter without at least a week or two of polar temperatures in Montreal.  Lohbado spent five minutes putting on his arctic weather gear for a morning walk. No point being cold. The weather brought back memories of when he worked in the arctic many years ago. 

burning chair

on fire

To stay warm on a cold morning in Montreal, Lohbado remembered a time during the nuclear winter after the Apocalyptic War, as he crossed the Plains of Radiation with friends, they burned whatever was available for heat and comfort.

attempt to describe what happened

cover of small painted book

painted pocket book

What exactly happened? How do you know what happened? What is the basis of knowledge? What is knowledge? Ok, Lohbado was reading Plato's Théetète (in English Theaetetus). The English translation was not available at the Montreal library. Lohbado was happy to read it in French. The discussion is another example of Socrates poking holes in assumptions about reality. In this case, it begins with the assumption that reality is what you perceive. However, senses can be deceiving. When you take a stick and poke it in clear water, it appears bent. Based on sight, it's a bent stick. But one knows the stick is straight. It's an optical illusion. You can't always trust the senses. Plus, the way something appears to one person might appear differently to another person. If knowledge is nothing more than appearances, then how the world appears to a cow would be just as valid as how the world appears to a scientist.

lohba vlog 8 sloshy weather

It's been crazy weather in Montreal, warm one week, cold the next. Last week it snowed in the morning, then it turned to rain. Lohbado also sings part of a song he used to sing ten years ago while crossing the Plains of Radiation before returning to the city.

cold wind

Ice cold gusts of wind in Montreal this morning, Lohbado put on a heavy duty parka and walked about the neighbourhood. A warm coat can make a huge difference. When the ice wind gets strong, put up the hood. Who cares about appearance. Lohbado felt like a deep sea diver as he slowly walked across the frozen snow and icy sidewalks.

morning walk in Cote des Neiges

Sunday morning Lohbado woke up groggy, had breakfast and went out for a walk. There's a lot of fascinating detail, a colourful mural on a brick wall, the independent grocery stores and small businesses. Lohbado did his grocery shopping at small grocery stores along Victoria and Van Horne.

tofu zucchini sandwich

ink on paper

A low budget snack: zucchini sandwich: toast two slices of bread. Two slices of tofu. Fry the tofu with onions, garlic and zucchini in olive oil. Combine like in the picture above. One could also place a sliver of cheddar cheese on the tofu.