O Holy Night

O Holy Night

played on the Harmonica by Tony Fernandes.

Video features some of the pictures of

Nativity Miniature Scenes

over the years from 1970 to 2013.

To listen, please click onthe link below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PKPk1YpxbmI

A Line in Time

 My New Book

 "A LINE IN TIME"

ISBN  978-0-9735515-1-8 

has recently been published.

It is a collection of line drawings

that are reflections

of all things Goan,

scenes of the U.A.E.,

as well as landscapes of Canada.

The booklet contains

136 pages of illustrations

 and descriptions of drawings

 that were sketched over my lifetime.

This book can be ordered on-line through

www.ednaspickles.com

Edna's Pickles at The Platter Company in Burlington, Ontario, Canada.

Last Full Moon of the Decade - Cold Moon

Last Full Moon of the Decade. December's full moon is marking the end of the decade in a unique way as it also happens to be the 12th day of the 12th month of the year. The full moon each December is sometimes known as the Cold Moon. But then, what is Cold Moon? When the winters set in, and in December there is a Full Moon, that phenomenon is called Cold Moon. It is also called December Cold Moon.

In India, most people are familiar with the Moon being fondly called our uncle - the proverbial 'Chanda Mama'. Mamaji this winter will go full becoming the Cold Moon, also the last Full Moon of the year, and also of the decade. Photos from our backyard by Tony Fernandes, a.k.a. 'TonFerns'. Luck was on my side to be able to photograph it, albeit slightly foggy, but cold night in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada.

Edna's Pickles at the One Of A Kind Winter Show

Names of Personal Assistants of Another Era

Back in the day during the mid-1990’s in our house in Goa that was lovingly called  ‘Denizalia’, we had our very own Siri, Alexa and Google Intelligent Assistants all combined into one. She was called ‘Kamla’ - a super fast and efficient search & work mobile engine, and took commands in Hindi, Konkani and English. It was invented by none other our Mr. Freddy Barboza. He would say “Kamla, baharka light jara off kar lo please” (Kamla, please switch off the outside lights),  “Kamla, TV-ka remote control kahan hai?” (Kamla, where is the TV remote control), “Kamla, mera scooter jara saaf kar lo please” (Kamla, clean my scooter please) and so forth. And everything would get done. In Bombay (Pachim Apts.) we had several of them. Their names were Linda, Jenny, etc., full and part-time. So you see things were simpler then too. We were much ahead of our time by today’s standards. And by the way I still do have my very own dedicated P.A. too. Her name is Edna!   (TonFerns Humour - Life’s like that). 

Daylight Saving Time Dial

Summer Reflections Photo by Tony Fernandes — National Geographic Your Shot

Summer Reflections Photo by Tony Fernandes — National Geographic Your Shot: The Don Valley Brick Works (often referred to as the Evergreen Brick Works) is a former quarry and industrial site located in the Don River Valley in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Don Valley Brick Works operated for nearly 100 years. It provided bricks used to construct many well-known Toronto landmarks, such as Casa Loma, Osgoode Hall, Massey Hall, and the Ontario Legislature. Since the closure of the original factory, the quarry has been converted into a city park which Evergreen Garden.Market

The Fruit of the Cashew Tree Photo by Tony Fernandes — National Geographic Your Shot

The Fruit of the Cashew Tree Photo by Tony Fernandes — National Geographic Your Shot: The Cashew trees of Goa

Happy Diwali

Rustic Homeliness. Photo by Tony Fernandes — National Geographic Your Shot

Rustic Homeliness. Photo by Tony Fernandes — National Geographic Your Shot: Inner courtyard through an arched entrance of a house on a cobbled street in Lisbon. Portugal.

Aspiring to the Skies Photo by Tony Fernandes — National Geographic Your Shot

Aspiring to the Skies Photo by Tony Fernandes — National Geographic Your Shot: Church of Our Lady of Assumption

Hunter's Moon

The Hunter's Moon in the day time. View from my window. Yesterday at 6.44 am. Photos by Tony Fernandes, Mississauga, Ontario. Hunter's Moon in October follows the Harvest Moon, which is the full Moon closest to the autumnal equinox in late September. It gets its name from hunters, stockpiling food for the winter ahead.

Jealous Heart

Jealous Heart

played on the Harmonica

by Tony Fernandes

All photographs by

Tony Fernandes

Five Kilos Please if Sugar is Free!

After 'liking' a picture posted

by a friend on FB,

I couldn't resist making an English version

of the original in phonetic Hindi.

Are you Comin' or Goan

Are You Goan Away

Hey What's Goan On?

Mississauga Pigeon Symphony Orchestra

A LINE IN TIME - A Forthcoming Publication

My forthcoming publication

 "A LINE IN TIME"

is a collection of line drawings

that are reflections

of all things Goan,

scenes of the U.A.E.,

as well as landscapes of Canada.

The booklet contains

136 pages of illustrations

 and descriptions of drawings

 that were sketched over my lifetime.

Aspiring to Glory Photo by Tony Fernandes — National Geographic Your Shot

Aspiring to Glory Photo by Tony Fernandes — National Geographic Your Shot: hrine of Nossa Senhora dos Remédios.From one of the central avenues in Lamego (Avenida Dr. Alfredo de Sousa), climb to the top of the hill up an imposing baroque staircase with 686 steps ending in a shrine built in the rocaille style in the mid-eighteenth century for the worship of Nossa Senhora dos Remédios, although it was not completely finished until 1905. The steepness of the terrain accentuates the grandeur of the church and staircase in their setting, enveloped in the mystical atmosphere.

Alcatraz Island, California, USA Photo by Tony Fernandes

Alcatraz Island, California, USA Photo by Tony Fernandes:

Alcatraz Island is located in California, San Francisco Bay, 1.25 miles (2.01 km) offshore from San Francisco, California, United States. The small island was developed with facilities for a lighthouse, a military fortification, a military prison (1868), and a federal prison from 1934 until 1963. Today, the island's facilities are managed by the National Park Service as part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area; it is open to tours.

Nature's Cantilever. Photo by Tony Fernandes — National Geographic Your Shot

Nature's Cantilever. Photo by Tony Fernandes — National Geographic Your Shot: Nazaré is a town and a municipality in subregion Oeste and Leiria District, in Portugal. It is one of the most popular seaside resorts in the Silver Coast/Costa de Prata, Portugal.

Golden Gate thru sequoia trees. Photo by Tony Fernandes — National Geographic Your Shot

Golden Gate thru sequoia trees. Photo by Tony Fernandes — National Geographic Your Shot: The wonder of the majestic Golden Gate Bridge. San Francisco, California, USA.

Down by the Riverside Photo by Tony Fernandes — National Geographic Your Shot

Down by the Riverside Photo by Tony Fernandes — National Geographic Your Shot: Amherstburg is a Canadian town near the mouth of the Detroit River in Essex County, Ontario. In 1796 Fort Malden was established here, becoming the heart of the settlement. It has been designated as a National Historic Site.

Sing Me a Rainbow Photo by Tony Fernandes — National Geographic Your Shot

Sing Me a Rainbow Photo by Tony Fernandes — National Geographic Your Shot: It's a good thing that when God created the rainbow he didn't consult a decorator or He would still be picking colors. ~ Sam Levenson

A moment of reflection. Photo by Tony Fernandes — National Geographic Your Shot

A moment of reflection. Photo by Tony Fernandes — National Geographic Your Shot: A reflection of the tourist hotels along Baga river, Goa, India, as the sun casts it last rays for the day.

Periwinkles around the perimeter. Photo by Tony Fernandes — National Geographic Your Shot

Periwinkles around the perimeter. Photo by Tony Fernandes — National Geographic Your Shot: The five petal Periwinkle flowers are very common in Goa, blooming in every house garden. Periwinkle Flowers are very common in Goa, blooming in every house garden. The hues of these flowers can range from white and violet, to rose, pink and red.

Harvesting the Moon Photo by Tony Fernandes — National Geographic Your Shot

Harvesting the Moon Photo by Tony Fernandes — National Geographic Your Shot: Last night, 27th September 2015, wasn't an easy night to photograph the rising moon as it seemed to play hide and seek through a sparsely spread array of myriad shaped clouds. Finally after a long wait the moon made its grand appearance, albeit for a short while, rewarded with the onset of an eclipse. However the latter half of the eclipse turned out to be a disappointment as a new band of clouds appeared in sky.

Hotel Santa Isabel, Old Havana, Cuba Photo by Tony Fernandes — National Geographic Your Shot

Hotel Santa Isabel, Old Havana, Cuba Photo by Tony Fernandes — National Geographic Your Shot: Hotel Santa Isabel, Old Havana, Cuba Vieja is quaint and beautiful hotel. Nice architecture in La Habana Vieja. Lining up with pillars and arches along the square, it is a romantic square where tourists lazily wander around. Small kiosks along the narrow lanes opposite the hotel sell used books and pictures/posters. It is in the heart of the old capital but out of the hustle and bustle of noisy and narrow roads.

Lovely Rose of Sharon Photo by Tony Fernandes — National Geographic Your Shot

Lovely Rose of Sharon Photo by Tony Fernandes — National Geographic Your Shot: Rose of Sharon (Hibiscus Syriacus) is a common name that has been applied to several different species of flowering plants that are valued in different parts of the world. It is also a biblical expression.The name 'rose of Sharon' first appears in English in 1611 in the King James Version of the Bible. ~ Wikipedia. Also known as the Korean Rose is the national flower of South Korea.

Church of St. Anne, Talaulim, Goa, India Photo by Tony Fernandes — National Geographic Your Shot

Church of St. Anne, Talaulim, Goa, India Photo by Tony Fernandes — National Geographic Your Shot: Church of St. Anne at Talaulim, Goa, located in the Santana district of Old Goa, India. The 17th century imposing church is one of the major architectural masterpieces of the colonial Portuguese Baroque architecture built in Portuguese India.

Sing Me a Rainbow Photo by Tony Fernandes — National Geographic Your Shot

Sing Me a Rainbow Photo by Tony Fernandes — National Geographic Your Shot: It's a good thing that when God created the rainbow he didn't consult a decorator or He would still be picking colors. ~ Sam Levenson

National Geographic - Your Shot

https://yourshot.nationalgeographic.com/profile/1055567/?fbclid=IwAR12Ml29yZCZfAKXI2MYyvCyOw7I8sIEMaEfzcFUooeb4dzsrJMGz2N0SmU#

St. Anne's Talaulim Goa

Church of St. Anne, Talaulim, Goa, India #goa #goa_churches #church_of_saint_anne
Church of St. Anne at Talaulim, Goa, located in the Santana district of Old Goa, India. The 17th century imposing church is one of the major architectural masterpieces of the colonial Portuguese Baroque architecture built in Portuguese India.

Google Doodle celebrates Punjabi writer Amrita Pritam's 100th birthday

https://www.cnn.com/2019/08/31/asia/amrita-pritam-google-doodle-trnd/index.html?fbclid=IwAR3unNw8fAjiZn_HJQfjt6EZOYYPjTSKaZNUxcrQVp9cVWO6oAEAcFZEDzM

Edna's Pickles - An Unique Blend of Delectable Goan Flavours - A True Taste of Goa.

www. ednaspickles.com

Nossa Senhora dosRemedios Portugal

Sanctuario de Nossa Senhora dos Remedios, Monte de Santo Estevão, Lamego, Portugal. Sanctuary of Our Lady of Remedies, St. Stephen Hill.

Past Pupils - St. Anthony's High School - Monte de Guirim

http://godwin-lobo.tripod.com/pplist.htm

Aladdin Lamp

THE ALADDIN LAMP

Prior to the advent of electricity in the villages, the glass chimney lamp brightened the living rooms. However, the good old kerosene lamp still lit, albeit dimly, the pages of the books of my English, Geography, Science, Physics, Math, History and other subjects for sometime until the famous 'Aladdin Lamp' came on the scene. It brightened the hall with generous luminosity - until electricity came to our quaint and little  village of Cumbiem Morod in Guirim, bordering the villages of Canca and Parra in Bardez, Goa, in the  mid-1960's.This lamp was magical and compared almost to the light of apetromax. It used a round wick and a mantle. We had a Petromax too, but that was used only during special occasions like sung Litanies, parties and  weddings and other celebrations. I watched my Mom and Dad light it when I was young and lighting it was one of the chores for me in my teens at sunset. The Aladdin lamp was easier to light up and looked more elegant on a table. The tall chimney is essential as it controls the amount of fresh air drawn in a controlled manner creating a vacuum below the flame to bring in fresh unburned air. 

Kerosene Lamp

Open Wick

Kerosene Lamp

Creatively made by Goan tinsmiths

from used bottles of all shapes and sizes

and sold especially on Friday Market Day

in Mapusa., Bardez, Goa.

Tulsi

Tulsi
Line Artwork by Tony Fernandes

Tulsi or Tulasi (Holy basil) or Vrinda is a sacred
plant in Hindu belief. Hindus have tulsi plants growing

in front of or near their home, often in special pots

or a special masonry structure known as Tulsi Vrindavan

 as this is related to their culture.
Traditionally, Tulsi is planted in the center 

of the central courtyard of Hindu houses.
Daily Tulsi pooja (worship)
is done by members of a family. 

Sturgeon Full Moon

Meanwhile, in Mississauga, the Sturgeon Moon played hide and seek last night in the clouds just over the S/E horizon. The Full Moon in August is named after North America's largest fish, the lake sturgeon. Other names for this Full Moon include Grain Moon, Green Corn Moon, Fruit Moon, and Barley Moon. Camera: Canon / Setting: Manual / ISO 400 / Aper: 5.6/f:750 (in 35mm)

Marriages are made i heaven

They say marriages are made in Heaven.

But so again, are thunder and lightning.

Photographed from Earth.

This is not trick photography!

 It is a time lapse exposure - 18 lightning bolts on a single frame.

 Kodak film. Camera: Nikon 401X

Lens: Vivitar 2.8/21mm - October 1997.

First published on the First Page of Gulf News.

Carpenter's Tools - Goa

Waxing Gibbous Moon

The waxing gibbous Moon was shining last night along with planet Jupiter (seen lower right in the picture by Tony Fernandes). Date 9 Aug 2019 Time 23.17.52 Hrs

Goan Balcão

The Violin in Goan Culture

The Violin, Music & Goan Culture.

Music has been deeply rooted in Goan culture, be it western or Indian classical. The violin, in particular, has really made a place for itself in every Goan Mando, Dulpod, Deknni or even in modern Konkani folk and pop songs.  Goa is well known for its Mando internationally. Music has been like food of love for every Goan. 

Reflecting on the days gone by, it may be rightly said that we owe this talent to the old Parish schools where learning music was a must. These old catechism schools were attached to the churches, and it was in one of these churches that the first Goa ‘Mestir” was educated and taught music. Besides hymns, children also learnt to serve Mass in Latin, music notation and singing the Gregorian Chant. The art of violin playing reached its highest peak in the 16th century.
Since then, the ‘Mestir’ (Choir Master or Teacher) made his presence felt markedly at all public and private functions, from Solemn High Mass of any feast to the sung Litanies in homes, village chapels and at roadside crosses. The ‘mestir’ in turn strictly trained young musicians in the art of violin playing and singing. It was not unusual at times to see the violin bow landing sharply on the head of some young lads who sang ‘false’ or ‘desafinad’.

Many famous brands of violins made their way into Goa in the 16th century including big names such as Gasparo de Salo, Nicolaus Amatus, Joseph Guarnerius, Jacobus Stainer and Antonio Stradivarius. Violins were subsequently manufactured in Goa by the Rodrigues family of Santa Cruz and Jose Caetano Fernandes and his son Custodio Jose and grandson Antonio Baptista and Antonin Francisco at Varca.

The art of teaching the violin playing has greatly changed since the days of learning at the old local parish churches and of the age of Primeiro Grau’ or ‘Segundo Grau’ at the Escola Primaria level, as music is now taught in high schools as well as in private music schools. May this art be kept going by fostering the love of music and encouraging the talent for playing the violin in the children of the modern generation.

What the Stars foretell

What the Stars foretell 

Some common observations

1.  If you work hard, success is yours.

2.  If you follow you plan, you plan will work.

3.  All held-up money will be in your pocket.

4.  You can out-shine your competition if you proceed in the right direction.

5.  You will get rewarded for all good deeds.

6.  Do good things and all good things things will be done unto you.

7.  There is a chance of shower of wealth - may be through lottery,
     but not through gambling.

8.  Do not forget your relatives as there is a chance
     they might send you money.  So be good to them.

9.  Do not lend or borrow money.

10. Re-arrange your house furniture for good luck.

11. Good karma is on the way for all the good things you have done so far.

      So, if you have not started yet, now is the time to start. It's not too late.

12. Some unknown people, claiming to be you relatives, may contact you
      if win lottery. So be careful.

Black Moon

BLACK MOON

The so-called Black Moon is when a second New Moon occurs in a single calendar month. And it is interesting to note that we had such an occurrence in the last month - 2nd July and 31 July.

According to space.com:

 "At its 'new moon' phase, the moon is always black. It happens at that time of the month when the moon passes through the same part of the sky as the sun and as such, the moon's dark or un-illuminated side faces Earth."

As a black moon only ever occurs when there are two new moons in the same month, the unusual phenomenon only appears every 32 months. Depending on where you live in the world, the black moon can be witnessed at different times of the year. The second definition of black moons is when there's no new moon in February, the only month this can happen.

The Village Blacksmith, the Anvil, the Hammer (& Me)

THE VILLAGE BLACKSMITH,

THE ANVIL, THE HAMMER

(& ME)

Back in the day in the 1950's in Goa - the nostalgic days of my childhood - passing through my village during the day, either on foot or bicycle, in the distance I would hear the distinct sound of a blacksmith beating on a piece of red hot iron with a hammer - the rhythmic staccato beat of the hammer on the anvil. The even and constant rhythm grew louder as I passed by the house of our village iron smith, hammering out the shapes of common household tools, in a hut attached to his house.. This type of forging was interesting to watch - from the first rough-outs to the finished work - the intended tool being given a shape with the hammer and the anvil. The best part was the blower which the hardy smith would kindly sometimes let me turn. It seemed to be the simplest type of forging, but I often wondered whether the blacksmith ever got tired, constantly striking a piece of hot metal to attain the final desired shape to his liking - until finally he would be satisfied with the result, and call a spade a spade! Here are some of my line-art drawings of the tools that I remember - the tools of the trade.

Acoustic Cellphone Sound Amplifier

Acoustic Cellphone Sound Amplifier 

'TonWave' from TonFerns Creatiions.

Weather

A Proof is not proof until it is proven.

A tornado is not a tornado until there's proof of a touch-down or contact with the ground or til EC (Environment Canada)  says so. Only if a funnel cloud touches the ground does it quality to be declared a tornado.

Red Admiral Butterfly

RED ADMIRAL

Brush-footed Butterfly

Don Valley

Toronto

TonFerns on Billboard Top Ten

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVZm5StMEZo&list=PL-rv8k97NJAn0S_OszE9QpcyUKQFj7Nr1&index=7&t=0s

The Goan 'Picaas' (Pick-axe)

The Goan 'Picaas' (Pick-axe)
Line Drawing by Tony Fernandes

A mid-sized implement for a lot of jobs.

Forged by professional local master craftsmen and iron-smiths of yesteryear, the pick-axe is a handy tool used in many village households, and also in the construction and agricultural sector in Goa. Mainly used in stone quarries for cutting out and shaping the initial rough form of commonly used laterite stones. for building houses, schools, churches, temples, bridges, river-side embankments, forts, government and commercial buildings, compound walls, and especially for wedged shapes and circular segments used for arches and round wells by professional masons.

The shape of this tool is generally T-shaped. Its head is typically metal, attached perpendicularly to a longer handle, traditionally made of wood. It has a pointed end on one side of its head and a broad flat blade opposite. A gradual curve characteristically spans the length of the head which gives it the advantage and leverage both for breaking and prying from both ends. The axe is used for hoeing, skimming, and chopping through roots.It is also used in mining and digging in hard rocky terrain and other tough earth surfaces

Flowers at the Evergreen Garden Market, Don Valley, Toronto

 

Domestic and Wild Flowers at the Evergreen Garden Market - Evergreen Brick Works, Don Valley, Toronto.