smokers, chipmunks and Tyler

I just got back from my trip to Hamilton and Toronto. The wedding was nice and spending time with my sister was a rare treat. She's the only member of my family that I can stand to be around and I don't see her often enough.

We spent a couple of days in Toronto, and other than missing getting together with Stan, we had a wonderful time. A few observations:

• I've never seen so many people smoking on the street in all my life! They were even congretated in places that were posted "this is not a designated smoking area". Even in the rain and without umbrellas they were still trying to drive nails into their coffins. It was horrifying to witness the grip the addiction had on these people.
  
  
• At the Toronto Zoo I saw at least a dozen chipmunks. Prior to this I had only seen two or three in my entire life. I was amazed that they were so numerous, and at how brazen they were. Many would sit in the path or on the edge of a food dish until we were just a few feet away.
  
  
• While at the zoo it started raining. It was a light rain but we didn't have umbrellas or ponchos and were concerned about getting our digital camera wet. While sitting under the overhang of the Australia Pavilion a young woman came by with her son, Tyler, who I would guess was about 2. Tyler liked playing in puddles. He would run through them, looking down at his feet as he plowed through the water -- and into other people. He would jump and splash and giggle and clap his hands. His mother was annoyed by his lallygagging, but Tyler didn't care. And I'm glad. Tyler's joyful play made me happy.

Pictures to follow shortly. Sadly, none of Tyler.