iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

John Schrag @jvschrag.hachyderm.io.ap.brid.gy · 16/10/2026

Today’s sketch is the handsome @ryanhg I wanted to work in a more traditional inking style with cross-hatching (because I need practice). Drawing hair this way takes a long time, but I enjoy it. #inktober #inktober2026

Digital ink sketch — a portrait of a handsome bearded man. He is looking at the viewer with one eyebrow slightly raised.

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John Schrag @jvschrag.hachyderm.io.ap.brid.gy · 12/10/2026

Today’s comic. With apologies to Carole King and the Chiffons. #inktober #inktober2026

Six-panel comic. The comic starts with a lounge singer performing the song “One Fine Day” to a man and his girlfriend. Pointing playfully at the man, she sings “One fine day, you’re going to want me for your girl!”

The man responds by pointing at his girlfriend and joking “Want you for my girl? What would my girl even do with you?” Then he bursts into laughter at his own joke while his girlfriend rolls her eyes. Then the lounge singer kisses the girlfriend, and they (the lounge singer and girlfriend) depart together, saying “byeeeee” to the shocked man.
The comic is signed JVS, with apologies to Carole King.

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John Schrag @jvschrag.hachyderm.io.ap.brid.gy · 10/10/2026

Okay, I have my hotel key but I can’t find my room.

Photo of a hotel key card in a cardboard jacket marked for room 404.

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John Schrag @jvschrag.hachyderm.io.ap.brid.gy · 08/10/2026

A friend of mine told me he wanted to be Superman (I will not share in what context) so I thought I’d try to draw him like that. The foreshortening got away from me a bit. And I kind of gave up on the hands after 15 redraws. But I like the vibe. #inktober #inktober2026

Digital ink drawing of a bearded man seated at a desk, viewed from above. He is wearing glasses, a white shirt, and a red tie. He is looking up at the viewer and pulling off his tie with one hand, revealing a blue costume under the shirt.

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John Schrag @jvschrag.hachyderm.io.ap.brid.gy · 07/10/2026

This afternoon I rode my bike to Biidaasige Park to see the new sculpture by Kent Monkman, one of my favourite Canadian artists. “The Colony” is just a delight. It’s a group of giant beavers all engaged in different activities —playing music, dancing, bringing […] [Original post on hachyderm.io]

Photo of a bronze sculpture featuring a cutaway three-story beaver lodge, full of beavers engaging in creative activities — reading, making food, praying, gossiping, making music and love.

Close-up photo of a detail of a bronze sculpture. Two giant beavers are looking excitedly through a telescope while a beaver Cupid soars above them, bow in hand

Photo of a bronze statue of two giant beavers dancing ballet — one lifting the other in a spin. In the background, plants and the skyline of a city is visible.

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John Schrag @jvschrag.hachyderm.io.ap.brid.gy · 06/10/2026

I really enjoyed playing with the Disney animation style yesterday, and wanted to try it again, but didn’t know what to draw. Then I remembered that my friend who died only a few weeks ago would have turned 40 this weekend, and I knew I had to draw him. I made […] [Original post on hachyderm.io]

A colour digital ink drawing of a handsome muscular man in his thirties. He has short curly black hair and a black beard. He is wearing a red t-shirt and blue pants. There are a number of tattoos on his arms. On the white background are speckled blue and pink stripes, reminiscent of the Transgender flag.

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John Schrag @jvschrag.hachyderm.io.ap.brid.gy · 05/10/2026

A few days ago I was having dinner at The Cluny in the distillery district. I pointed out the waiter to my best friend, and she agreed that he looked like a Disney prince. (I thought it was his profile; she thought it was his floppy hair.) Anyhow, for my art […] [Original post on hachyderm.io]

Coloured digital ink drawing of a waiter from the waist up in Disney’s art style. He is a young white male with black floppy hair parted in the middle. He is wearing a white shirt and holding a credit card terminal, which he is looking at. The drawing is signed JvS and dated 4 Oct 2026.

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John Schrag @jvschrag.hachyderm.io.ap.brid.gy · 03/10/2026

Inktober has inspired me to start drawing comics again, although I plan to put no pressure on myself and ignore any prompts. #inktober #inktober2026

A digital ink drawing of an alien classroom. On the wall is a sign that says “Human Anatomy 101”. There is a screen with a medical diagram of a human back. The trapezius muscle is highlighted in red, with an arrow pointed to it. Four aliens students are seated. One of the aliens is Admiral Akbar from the Star Wars franchise. He is waving his hand. The Alien teacher is saying “Now, who can tell us what this muscle is called? I see Akbar has his hand raised”

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John Schrag @jvschrag.hachyderm.io.ap.brid.gy · 26/09/2026

Third and final play of my visit to the Stratford Festival: “Tao of the World” by Jovanni Sy, based loosely on the 17th-century restoration comedy “The Way of the World”. This one is set in Singapore just after the Covid pandemic. They’re playing Singaporean pop […] [Original post on hachyderm.io]

Photo of a long thrust stage at the Tom Patterson theatre. The set on the stage is a series of benches and an overhanging balcony in a classic Singapore style.

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John Schrag @jvschrag.hachyderm.io.ap.brid.gy · 26/09/2026

Tonight’s show at the Stratford Theatre Festival: Guys and Dolls. #StratfordFestival

Photo of an empty thrust stage in a large theatre, with the audience starting to filter in. The stage is set up like a 1930s New York street, with bright monochromatic signs in art deco styling.

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John Schrag @jvschrag.hachyderm.io.ap.brid.gy · 22/09/2026

Sadly, the entire Olympic canoeing team was lost in the transporter accident. #ForksOfTheDon #Toronto

Photo of a concrete wall, under a bridge. Emerging from the wall are the prows of eight red canoes, embedded in the concrete.

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John Schrag @jvschrag.hachyderm.io.ap.brid.gy · 10/09/2026

Usually when I see an eighteen-wheeler on the highway, I don’t expect all eighteen wheels to be on the same axle.

Photo from the passenger seat of a car. Ahead you see the back of a truck; the truck is towing a wide axle, with 18 wheels tightly against each other, all rolling.

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John Schrag @jvschrag.hachyderm.io.ap.brid.gy · 05/09/2026

Went for a bike ride up the Don Valley this afternoon. The aftermath of Wednesday’s big storm is still visible, with whole fields of low bushes flattened all towards the south. Lots of tree branches down too, of course. We stopped at the future West Don […] [Original post on hachyderm.io]

Photo of a bushy field beside a bike trail. All of the low bushes have been flattened to the ground, pointing to the right. Trees seem unaffected.

Photo of a huge bridge support under construction. Yellow and green cranes stand to its left. Other construction machinery is on the ground in front. The top of the support is covered with a wood structure resembling a pagoda.

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John Schrag @jvschrag.hachyderm.io.ap.brid.gy · 30/08/2026

Denise demonstrates why she runs the strategy meetings. #transphobia #lgbtq #comics

Six-panel black-and-white comic strip.

Panel 1: A person dressed in gender-ambiguous business attire stands at the head of a conference room table, flanked by a seated man and woman. The standing person says “Before we start the staff meeting, I have an announcement. Going forward, I will be using the name ‘Denise’ rather than ‘Dennis’, and she/her pronouns.”

Panel 2: The man and woman are scowling at Denise. The woman says “Sorry, Dennis, I refuse to participate in your delusion!” And the man says “Yeah, Dennis, your mental illness is not my problem.”

Panel 3: A close-up of Denise’s face, looking a bit scared. She says “No, you don’t understand! I’m actually de-transitioning! I was born a woman, then the teachers in my liberal high school sex-changed me into a man!”

Panel 4: Another close-up of Denise, now looking beatific. There is a hint of a halo around her head. She says: “But now I’ve found Jesus, and I just want to be a woman again!” And she sniffles.

Panel 5: The man and the woman, moved by Denise’s speech, are embracing her, saying “Oh, Denise, you poor thing!” “We’re here for you, Denise! How can we help? You’re so brave!”

Panel 6: it is hours later, and Denise, looking happy, is out at a queer bar, chatting with a bearded gay man wearing a t-shirt. He says to her “So wait, they actually believed you?” And she replies: “They’re crowdfunding my top surgery as we speak!”

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John Schrag @jvschrag.hachyderm.io.ap.brid.gy · 29/08/2026

I had a blast today at the Coldwater Steampunk Festival. Coldwater is a tiny town about two hours north of Toronto, but today it was crowded. I loved seeing all the creativity and inventiveness there. People in costumes ranged in age from little kids, right up […] [Original post on hachyderm.io]

Photo of three people in steampunk costumes standing outside in a green park on a beautiful day. Black hats, goggles, body armour, mechanical arm extensions, complex mechanical backpacks, and some body armour feature.

Close-up photo of two people in steampunk costumes standing outside in a green park on a beautiful day. Both wear red hats (one with mechanisms on it), and brass-and-leather gas masks.

Photo of a woman in a steampunk costume standing outside on a street on a beautiful day. Her dress is denim and blue/white lace, and she had frilled denim dragon wings on her back. She's wearing a brown leather harness and various gadgets hang from her belt. She also sports a denim baseball cap with round goggles.

Photo of an old man and woman in steampunk gear in a green park on a beautiful day. The woman is wearing a brown pith helmet with googles, and a brown jacket. She is aiming a complex steampunk ray gun to the right. The man behind her, also aiming his ray gun, has a small dragon perched on his pith helmet. He sports a whip on his belt.

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John Schrag @jvschrag.hachyderm.io.ap.brid.gy · 15/08/2026

[Dragonfly porn] I heard that this was the inspiration for how aircraft refuel while in flight. This is a common sight in the lakes regions north of Toronto, but it’s still impressive. #dragonflies #InsectPorn

Photo of two dragonflies fucking on a branch. The female is gripping the branch with all her legs, while the male is gripping the tail of the female. His body is curved like the letter C right under the female and up into her abdomen.

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John Schrag @jvschrag.hachyderm.io.ap.brid.gy · 03/08/2026

Finally we were down at the Corktown Common, where this trail connects to the Bayview trail en route to the distillery district. There seems to be no way directly through to the Lakeshore trail as there used to be. Here you can see the new train bridge being […] [Original post on hachyderm.io]

Photo of a bike trail, curving to the left. Behind it there is a white train bridge, surrounded by heavy construction equipment. People are walking and jogging on the trail, which is fenced off from the construction zone.

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John Schrag @jvschrag.hachyderm.io.ap.brid.gy · 03/08/2026

However, the brand-spanking-new staircase connecting Dundas Street to the trail is complete and open! 5/n #toronto #biking #LowerDonTrail

Photo of a paved bike trail in a forested valley. In the background a bridge crosses the valley. There is a new staircase connecting the bridge to the bike path in the valley below.

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John Schrag @jvschrag.hachyderm.io.ap.brid.gy · 03/08/2026

Unfortunately, this ramp could not be completed on time because of unstable soil. They expect to finish it in October. I’m sad about this because that ramp would be the easiest access to the trail from my house, giving me an easy route downtown 4/n #toronto #biking #LowerDonTrail

Photo of a ramp going from a high location, then switching back towards the ground in a forested valley. Unfortunately, the ramp stops about two metres above the ground, unfinished, and is blocked off with plywood and warning signs.

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John Schrag @jvschrag.hachyderm.io.ap.brid.gy · 03/08/2026

The bike bridge over the Don River was open again! Behind it you can see the ramp leading from the Lower Don Trail up to the Riverdale Park pedestrian overpass. 3/n #toronto #biking #LowerDonTrail

Photo of a low iron bridge crossing a brown river in a forested valley. In the background you can see a higher bridge, and a ramp from the ground leading up to the higher bridge.

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John Schrag @jvschrag.hachyderm.io.ap.brid.gy · 03/08/2026

Heading south from the sculpture garden we were stopped almost immediately by a big tree that had fallen across the path, probably because of last night’s torrential rain. Annoying when the path was so recently opened! There were a lot of bikers waiting to push […] [Original post on hachyderm.io]

Photo of a paved bike path with dense green foliage on either side of it. The path is completely blocked by a fallen tree. One biker is walking his bike off the path to try to get around the blockage.

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John Schrag @jvschrag.hachyderm.io.ap.brid.gy · 03/08/2026

After too many years of being closed, the Lower Don Bike Trail opened a few days ago… mostly. I decided to check it out today and take a few pictures. I started at Pottery Road, heading south. There was a new pleasant pull-off zone by the river which I failed […] [Original post on hachyderm.io]

Photo facing south of a green, wooded area. In the foreground is a stone or concrete figure of a stylized man lying on his back and appearing to do an ab crunch. In the background is a bridge carrying cars and a subway on the lower deck.

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John Schrag @jvschrag.hachyderm.io.ap.brid.gy · 02/08/2026

Fifty-five years ago in 1971, Toronto had its first Pride event — a “Gay Day Picnic” at Hanlon’s Point Beach on the Toronto Islands. Today the locals celebrated this anniversary by hosting a Queer Beach Party on the pedestrianized part of Church Street. They […] [Original post on hachyderm.io]

A photo of Church Street. In the foreground on the pavement someone has written in pink chalk “QUEER BEACH PICNIC 2-6pm”. In the background there is grass on the ground, brightly coloured muskoka chairs, and a crowd of happy queers standing and sitting and chatting with one another. Some have laid out beach blankets.

A photo of Church Street, facing south. There are huge sandboxes set up on the ground, with people sitting in them and chatting. There are sand buckets and inflatable toys and a little beach shelter.

A photo of a handsome man with curly black hair and a beard playing Giant Jenga on the street. He is gently placing his recently-extracted piece onto the top of the stack.

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John Schrag @jvschrag.hachyderm.io.ap.brid.gy · 27/07/2026

Today I explored the newly-opened sections of Biidaasige Park on Toronto’s waterfront. It completely exceeded my expectations. The new area is full of windy intersecting trails, with various levels for different views, a wide promenade at the mouth of the Don […] [Original post on hachyderm.io]

Photo of a green park with a river meandering towards the camera. There is lush vegetation along the stone-lined riverbanks. In the background are an orange Laker cargo boat, a tall white crane-like structure, and far behind that some industrial buildings.

A photo taken from the top of a hill in Biidaasige Park, looking north and west. In the foreground there are tall rectangular light standards lining a wide promenade of interlocking brick. Beyond that in Toronto Harbour, and on the other side of the harbour are the tall cities of the downtown skyline.

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John Schrag @jvschrag.hachyderm.io.ap.brid.gy · 23/07/2026

I’m visiting the Canadian Museum of History today. It has a magnificent collection of First Nations art. This is the plaster source of the sculpture “The Spirit of Haida Gwaii” by Haida artist Bill Reid. I think I’ve seen the final green marble sculpture in the […] [Original post on hachyderm.io]

Photo of large plaster sculpture showing a group of figures — human, animal, bird — all rowing a canoe and struggling with one another. One calm elder sits in the middle of the boat.

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John Schrag @jvschrag.hachyderm.io.ap.brid.gy · 23/07/2026

Our democracy, like our Parliament buildings, needs constant work. We need to dump our outdated first-past-the-post system and adopt some form of proportional representation! #fairVote #Canada

A photo of the centre block of the Canadian Parliament buildings. Most of the building is covered in scaffolding, and five different cranes surround it as repairs continue.

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John Schrag @jvschrag.hachyderm.io.ap.brid.gy · 23/07/2026

Today in terrifying public transit, this O-Train station in Ottawa uses only one track for both northbound and southbound traffic. The next southbound train is scheduled to arrive one minute after the northbound. It’s like stunt transit. #ottawa #oTrain

Photo of Walkley train station in Ottawa, taken from the north end of the single platform, facing south. There is only a single track, with signs indicating that the trains run in both directions.

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John Schrag @jvschrag.hachyderm.io.ap.brid.gy · 23/07/2026

This morning I rented a bicycle on Sparks Street and did a 20K ride along the banks of the Ottawa River, exploring as I went. Apparently my timing is good — much of the path had been closed for the last two years and only opened two days ago, according to the […] [Original post on hachyderm.io]

Photo looking along length of iron bridge across a wide river. The bridge has a wooden floor for people and bikes.

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John Schrag @jvschrag.hachyderm.io.ap.brid.gy · 21/07/2026

My husband doesn’t understand why I refer to his callaloo plants as “Kang” and “Kodos”. #gardening

Photo of two potted plants sitting on a patio table. Each plant is covered with a tall semitransparent mesh dome to protect it from insects and slugs. The overall effect is reminiscent of recurring alien characters on “The Simpsons”.

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John Schrag @jvschrag.hachyderm.io.ap.brid.gy · 14/07/2026

It took a while to navigate the maze that is Canada Post, but my copy of The Psychology of Software Teams by @grimalkina has finally arrived! I can’t wait to give it a thorough read and report back to y’all. So far I’ve just read the table of contents, and it’s […] [Original post on hachyderm.io]

Close up photo of middle-aged bearded white guy holding up a copy of a textbook so it covers the right side of his face. The textbook is The Psychology of Software Teams by Cat Hicks

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John Schrag @jvschrag.hachyderm.io.ap.brid.gy · 08/07/2026

Yesterday I asked one of my friends in Montréal to suggest a bike route for me, and he suggested I ride along the shore of the St Lawrence to Vague à Guy. So that’s what I did today. The path is beautiful and green. You can hear birds singing all along, and it […] [Original post on hachyderm.io]

Photo of two men standing on surfboards, riding a wave in a river.

Photo of a group of surfers waiting patiently with their surfboards on a rocky riverbank.

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John Schrag @jvschrag.hachyderm.io.ap.brid.gy · 05/07/2026

While we were walking in Montréal yesterday, we were passed by a tiny parade of Hare Krishnas. They had this delightfully ridiculous wagon, which was being pushed by about ten people located underneath and behind it. In the first picture you see it passing under […] [Original post on hachyderm.io]

Photo of a huge wagon rolling down a city street. The four wheels are two metres in diameter, and the wagon is being pushed along by a group of people standing underneath it. On top of the wagon sits a small group of religious men in robes, under a red canopy. It is all decorated in a Hindu fashion.

A photo of the same wagon, now from the back (as it has passed the photographer). The wagon has now almost tripled in height, as a huge red temple-like structure has extended up out through the roof of the wagon, topped with a gold ball above which is a flagpole with a yellow flag.

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John Schrag @jvschrag.hachyderm.io.ap.brid.gy · 01/07/2026

On my way home I stopped by Church Street to check out the new pedestrianized zone. It was pretty late, so there weren’t too many people around. It was nice — they’d set up picnic tables, and restaurant patios were extended onto the street for more seating. But […] [Original post on hachyderm.io]

Nighttime photo of an urban street. There are no cars, just people walking in the street enjoying the evening. Restaurants line the side of the street, with wooden barriers extended out into the street to provide seating. There are also some picnic tables with umbrellas set up.

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John Schrag @jvschrag.hachyderm.io.ap.brid.gy · 29/06/2026

So these signs went up all over downtown Ottawa, and now they are being taken down rapidly. The issue is the second word in the title, which is missing the letter “L”. This highlights the difference between spell checking and proofreading.

A photo of a large pink poster on a street advertising public spaces in French. The title on the top of the poster is “Placette Pubique”, which loosely translates to “Pubic Square”

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John Schrag @jvschrag.hachyderm.io.ap.brid.gy · 29/06/2026

I was providing hugs again this year at Toronto Pride. It’s a bit of a social experiment — I don’t do anything special; I just wear this shirt as I walk around Church Street and see who engages. Sometimes I notice people looking at the shirt as I walk past […] [Original post on hachyderm.io]

Photo of a tall man with greying brown hair and a trim white beard. He is standing on a street, wearing a white t-shirt that says “give daddy a hug” in a monospaced font. The final word is rendered in rainbow colours.

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John Schrag @jvschrag.hachyderm.io.ap.brid.gy · 17/06/2026

I thought I saw an unusual bee in the garden today, but on closer inspection, it was not a bee at all! This is the snowberry clearwing, a moth in bee drag. It’s also called the bumblebee moth, the hummingbird moth, or (my favourite) the flying lobster. I […] [Original post on hachyderm.io]

Photo of a brown furry moth hovering in front of a bloom of tiny white flowers. It is feeding on nectar though a long proboscis. The moth has two brilliant yellow stripes on its abdomen, and a black lobster-like “tail”.

Another photo of a brown furry moth hovering in front of a bloom of tiny white flowers. It is feeding on nectar though a long proboscis. The moth has two brilliant yellow stripes on its abdomen, and a black lobster-like “tail”.

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John Schrag @jvschrag.hachyderm.io.ap.brid.gy · 13/06/2026

This morning I noticed this lovely Promethea Moth napping on our sliding glass door. Promethea is one of the Giant Silk Moths, and this particular one was the size of my palm — and I have really big hands. It’s still there, hours later. #moth #Muskoka

Photo of a huge brown-and-tan moth sitting on a glass door. Reflected in the glass is a porch and a forest beyond.

Photo of a huge brown-and-tan moth sitting on a glass door with wings spread. Reflected in the glass is a porch with rocking chairs, and the leg of the photographer.

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John Schrag @jvschrag.hachyderm.io.ap.brid.gy · 08/06/2026

When it’s really hot out, Cold Cucumber Soup is the perfect starter for a meal. Especially when half the ingredients come fresh from our back garden. It’s basically yogurt and cucumber with herbs (dill, tarragon, parsley, shallot, lemon juice) so effectively […] [Original post on hachyderm.io]

Photo of two bowls of a delicious green soup resting on a black granite countertop. Chopped chives and chive flowers are sprinkled on the surface of the soup.

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John Schrag @jvschrag.hachyderm.io.ap.brid.gy · 07/06/2026

Thirty-five years ago I helped found a queer community choir in Toronto called “Singing Out”, and served as its artistic director for seven or eight years, until my career made it impossible to continue (because of constant travel). While I haven’t been […] [Original post on hachyderm.io]

A photo of a choir standing on a stage. The choir comprises about 120 men, women, and non-binary people. They are dressed in black with a splash of colour (green, blue, or purple). They are being directed in song by a red-haired woman.

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John Schrag @jvschrag.hachyderm.io.ap.brid.gy · 04/06/2026

Yesterday I rode my bike up to the Millwood Bridge, which offers a really nice overlooking view of where Metrolinx is building a new subway bridge over the Don Valley. I wanted to see how the construction was coming along, and take a few pictures of the […] [Original post on hachyderm.io]

A photo overlooking the forested Don Valley. On the left, part of the valley wall has been cleared to build a portal where subway trains will emerge. On the right you see one of the support pillars for the new bridge, half-built, with a lot of rebar sticking out of the top and a blue crane reaching high above. On the horizon you can see the skyline of downtown Toronto in silhouette.

A zoomed-in photo, looking at the top of the half-build support pillar for the new subway bridge. There are two teams of construction workers doing something with the rebar at two different levels, and above them both the crane operator takes a break on her way climbing up the tall crane structure to the operator's booth.

A zoomed-in photo of the top of a half-constructed bridge support pillar. One group of construction workers is walking around the perimeter on a rough wooden temporary walkway. Another pair, standing the bucket of a long cherry-picker arm, is engaged in some other task involving the rebar.

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John Schrag @jvschrag.hachyderm.io.ap.brid.gy · 04/06/2026

I love this mural in my neighbourhood. Somehow it’s managed to last a whole year without some asshole spraying graffiti over it. It’s sort of hidden in an alley. #art #mural #toronto

A panoramic photo of a mural painted on the side of a building. It depicts scenes from the history of Chinese people in Canada. From left to right: an old woman working in the garment industry, railroad workers, a family enjoying a park, and finally restaurant workers.

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John Schrag @jvschrag.hachyderm.io.ap.brid.gy · 03/06/2026

Three years ago a pair of robins built their nest on a little ledge under the window of my home office, giving me an excellent view of their child-rearing. I took these pictures over a 14-day period, ending on this date. I learned a lot - first, that robins […] [Original post on hachyderm.io]

A grid of six photos of a robin’s nest, taken from above. The first shows three bright blue eggs and one pink bald baby bird. In the second, only one egg remains unhatched. In the third you see three chicks, all hairy and grey with their initial feather growth. The remaining three pictures show the chicks getting larger and developing more feathers. In the last picture their mouths are all open, demanding food.

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John Schrag @jvschrag.hachyderm.io.ap.brid.gy · 23/05/2026

The cake flipped on the first try without a struggle, and No Fruit Left Behind. I’m happy with the outcome (pending the taste test later) #EBTSC

Photo of a completed Pineapple Upside Down Cake, sitting on a white plastic serving tray.

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John Schrag @jvschrag.hachyderm.io.ap.brid.gy · 23/05/2026

Thirty-five minutes later, the cake is out of the oven. The toothpick came out clean, so it is officially done! Now waiting for it to cool a bit before I try to flip it out of the skillet. #EBTSC

Photo of a cast iron skillet fillet with golden brown cake. A white man’s hand is inserting a toothpick into the middle of the cake to check if it’s done.

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John Schrag @jvschrag.hachyderm.io.ap.brid.gy · 23/05/2026

First phase done — reduced the pineapple juice, made a brown sugar syrup in the bottom of the pan, then artfully arranged pineapple rings and maraschino cherries into a sort of doleful benzene ring formation. When I poured the batter gently over the pan, the […] [Original post on hachyderm.io]

Photo of a cast iron skillet. Inside the skillet are seven pineapple rings, arranged with one in the middle and six surrounding. Inside each pineapple ring is a. Maraschino cherry. All the fruit are sitting on a dark brown sugary syrup.

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John Schrag @jvschrag.hachyderm.io.ap.brid.gy · 23/05/2026

Okay, starting with the mise en place — as I pull out all the ingredients I realize what I’m missing (which is why I do this first!). No rum, but it’s optional anyway. Will use water. No buttermilk, but I can do my usual substitute for that — putting a teaspoon […] [Original post on hachyderm.io]

Photo of kitchen counter, piled with cake ingredients. Coconut oil, eggs, pineapple, salt, baking powder, cherries, vanilla, flour, sugar (white & brown), milk, and lemon juice.

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