I spotted this little red moose left in the playground of a local park one evening! If I was a kid I would get on that thing and never get off. And the fact that it is red makes it even better!
Taking part in Good Fences. Click here to see more fences.
This sign and its accompanying cartoon of Jane Jacobs can be found on a retaining wall along Christie St not too far from where she lived in the Annex neighbourhood for many years. Jacobs was a noted urbanist who believed in a community-based approach to city living and was quite involved in many such causes in Toronto.
Taking part in Signs, Signs. Click here for more signs from around the world.
This is the finished part of the mural which I showed you yesterday and you can see all the details that Elicser has put into it. I'll show you more of this long mural over the next few weeks as sections get completed.
I spotted a mural that was partly done in a railway underpass on Bathurst St and immediately knew it was another piece by Elicser and so I kept going back to see if I could catch the artist at work. Finally after a few trips, there he was! We talked for a while and then he posed for this pic of him in action. He is continuing work on this mural which is quite long and tomorrow I will show you this part which is now completed.
Taking part in Monday Murals. Click here for more murals.
At this stop on the Porch View Dances tour we were treated to "Summer Days" featuring 6 young girls displaying the fun and play of summer holidays. In front of them you can see some of the audience sitting right on the roadway and behind them is a kiddie swimming pool which played a big part in the dance. There was a lot of water flying around!
Last week was the occasion for the 3rd annual Porch View Dances in the Seaton Village neighbourhood where professional choreographers work with several families to develop dances which are then performed on porches & front gardens over 4 evenings for the public. The event starts at 1 house and then a ringmaster leads the crowd (of about 200 the night I went) along the streets to the various locations. Just by coincidence when we got to this house there was another Little Free Library out front as well as live music to accompany the dance. I'll show you some performers tomorrow.
There is a window gallery on Davenport Road called Roadside attractions that features work of local and international artists and the piece showing now is "Sometimes" by Australian artist Sarah Nolan who is also the founder and director of Branch 3D, a window gallery in Sydney, Australia. The work with the strips and words on them "sums up what a life can be" and "the repetition reinforces the notion of daily routine". You can see the trees of the park across the road in the reflection along with a cyclist and a hint of a photographer.
Taking part in Weekend Reflections. Click here to see more reflections from around the world.
This lovely fence runs along the side of a house on a corner near St Clair Ave and I love the way they have tied it visually to the wood on the addition on the back of the house. It certainly provides privacy!
Taking part in Good Fences. Click here for more fences from around the world.
This is a community garden where everyone works together keeping all the plants healthy and then sharing the results, rather than an allotment garden which is divided up into individual plots. No one was working when I passed by but the beds all looked well-maintained and I think they are going to have a good crop if our weather warms up a bit!
Taking part in Signs, Signs. Click here for more signs.
This bronze sculpture of Winston Churchill by sculptor Oscar Neman has been installed along Queen St in front of City Hall since 1977 but it always seemed lost in the activity of the street. It has recently been moved to a location along the side of City Hall and has had benches installed and trees planted around it. Now it feels like a place to stop and think about one of history's greats.
I was driving along when I spotted part of this mural up on top of a building on Dundas St so I immediately turned the corner and went back to check it out. Unfortunately there is another building blocking the view but it seems like the mural decorates a rooftop deck above a doggie day care. Love it!
Taking part in Monday Murals. Click here for more murals from around the world.
I love that sunflowers were planted beside this mural of sunflowers which is located in a small parkette beside a seniors home. The mural was painted several years ago by volunteers and some of the seniors and when I went by the other day there was a group of seniors sitting out near the flowers enjoying the day.
Continuing along from yesterday's post, these are the supports for the fence running along Queen St inside the grounds of Osgoode Hall. I had shown them in the winter (here) and thought it would be nice to see them in summer. The whole fence is a real beauty!
This is part of the fence where yesterday's gate is found, taken from inside the grounds of Osgoode Hall and giving us a view of a streetcar going by out on Queen St. Inside is peaceful and serene under the shade of huge trees while outside the fence you have the busy traffic of downtown Toronto. I'll show you a bit more of the fence tomorrow.
I showed you one of these gates, that are found around the grounds of Osgoode Hall on Queen St beside City Hall, in a winter shot back in 2011 (see it here). I've always loved them and this time went for a pic taken from inside looking across to our Opera House on the other side of Queen St. This type of gate is known as a cow gate since they are used on farms to control the movement of cattle.
Taking part in Good Fences. Click here for more fences.
I recently happened upon this clothing store in the Junction neighbourhood and was first drawn to their signage and then the clothes with a vintage flair to them. I haven't had time to go in yet but apparently nearly all the clothing is from independent designers many of them local. It must be time for a shopping trip!
Taking part in Signs, Signs. Click here to see more signs from around the world.
This little red door can be found on another of the Little Free Library installations that I stumbled across. I really love the whole concept of these libraries and hope that more pop up around the city. As you can see to the left of this one, the homeowner has built 2 raised garden plots that were full of gorgeous lettuce and tomato plants that were almost as tall as the library. Since this is the front garden of the house, I hope the veggies don't disappear in the night.
After weeks of World Cup matches I'm sure everyone has had enough football/soccer for a while but I couldn't resist this little soccer guy who graces one of the back entrances to a local boys & girls club. It had been the site of a lot of tagging until this mural by the group Under The Radar appeared.
Taking part in Monday Murals. Click here for more murals.
One display at the Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition which I showed you yesterday consisted of a long sentence running along the ground. Unfortunately the piece was made of a mixture of honey and bird seed and as soon as the sun hit it, there was meltdown. The pigeons spent the rest of the weekend enjoying themselves and the message was lost!
Last weekend was the annual Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition which has taken place in the square in front of our City Hall for almost 50 years. A village of white tents containing the displays of the artists pops up for the weekend and fills the whole square. This pic was taken early on last Sunday morning while the artists were just arriving and the hordes of spectators had yet to arrive.
This wonderful Art Deco apartment building, "The Fleetwood", can be found on St Clair Ave just west of Yonge St, Toronto's main street. It was designed by architect Henry Chowan and built in 1939 and has been given heritage protection. Apparently the interior of the apartments are very deco and many have working fireplaces! Love it!
I was back in the tony Rosedale neighbourhood for a wander in the shade when I caught this wonderful gate which leads into the grounds of a huge mansion that has been divided into 4 condos each of them over 5,000 sq feet!
Taking part in Good Fences. Click here for more fences from around the world.
The Bamboo Bazaar business was started over 100 years ago and occupied this building on Davenport Rd for over 60 years before closing last year. It was The place to go to for wicker and rattan furniture but they also had a huge stock of bamboo poles in all different sizes that were marvelous to see. The property is now for sale as a potential development site. More condos on the way?
Taking part in Signs, Signs. Click here for more signs.
This is a door knocker found on one of the doors leading into the lodge room I showed you in yesterday's post of the Masonic temple. Apparently most lodge rooms have double doors to stop eavesdropping and to gain entry one must perform a complex series of knocks which are responded to by a similar knocker on the other side of the doors. The "G" is a prominent Masonic symbol that represents the "Great Architect" or "Grand Geometrician".
During our Doors Open in May, I visited a Masonic temple where this lodge room is located. I knew little about the Masons before the visit and still don't understand what it is about but it was interesting to see behind the usually closed doors. The mural on the ceiling of the lodge room features the zodiac symbols and is there to remind members of a greater presence above them rather than any connection to astrology. The checkered floor is called the "mosaic pavement" which has specific meanings that are explained to members once they have been initiated. Everything in the room seemed to have some deeper meaning, many of them secret.
Taking part in Monday Murals. Click here to see more murals from around the world.
When this church, Bloor Street United, was built in 1890 it was a small Presbyterian church but changed to a United Church after the congregation grew and it was enlarged. But the city decided to widen Bloor St and in 1927 wonderful Gothic portals along the street were demolished leaving little space for a grand entrance. The church is located right beside the U of Toronto campus and serves the university and the surrounding Annex neighbourhood by hosting many community activities.
Taking part in Inspired Sunday. Click here for more religious buildings from around the world.
It's nice to have friends who have a luscious back garden like this one and then invite you over for a tasty al fresco meal on a hot summer evening. Even after losing a few branches to our December ice storm this garden looks fabulous. We kept waiting for the resident Cardinals to have a splash-about in the pond you see on the right but they were too busy feasting on berries on the Serviceberry tree above it. Priceless!
This is the entrance to the underground parking for low rise apartment buildings on Avenue Road called the Mayfair Mansions. There are 3 buildings built between 1931-37 and designed by architect H.C. Roberts in a wonderful Art Deco style. The entrances to the buildings are quite nice but I love all the details in this garage door!
I first posted a pic of this bronze sculpture, "Reclining Figure", in September 2010 and every time I pass by it I stop to admire it. It was done by Toronto artist John Fillion and installed in 1967 in front of an office building on St Clair St. I love it and still think it is one of the best sculptures in the city!
I was taking a pic of this planter in front of a local gallery and realized that I caught the "Stop Stealing Our Plants" sign in the window. There seems to have been a mini epidemic of plant thefts throughout the city this spring from both residential and commercial gardens. Who steals plants from someone else's garden? And do they go out looking for plants or is it spur of the moment? This particular planter had 6 stolen in one night!
Taking part in Signs, Signs. Click here for more signs.
The July theme for the City Daily Photo blogs is 'Celebrating Summer" and I chose this pic of the Toronto skyline with the CNTower and the harbour taken from the Toronto Islands on a warm evening just after sunset. The city comes alive down by the lake in the summer with sailboats racing and people walking on the various beaches and best of all taking the ferry over to the Islands and enjoying the parks and beaches there!
To see more ways to celebrate summer click here.
And Happy Canada Day to all my fellow Canadians!
