There are three layers to this pic I took in the Yorkville neighbourhood a few weeks ago. The front building is a heritage designated structure built in 1884 as a home but it is now offices. The glass structure behind it is an addition to the front house, built in the last couple of years. And finally in the background you can see yet another condo building going up on Bloor St. I think the glass addition provides an nice backdrop to the original house which has been beautifully restored.
Not your traditional Friday fish & chips meal but just as good and probably healthier with seasonal tomatoes and zucchini to go with it. And always a bit of red wine too!
I spotted these two playing in a mid-town back garden recently. Made of steel, they are going to be there for a long time!
Taking part in Good Fences. Click HERE to see more fences from around the world.
This pic was taken several weeks ago on Spadina Ave which is where one of our Chinatowns is located - there are several around the city due to the large number of Chinese immigrants here. These Chinese grocery stores are always great places to find really fresh and unusual produce although you sometimes have to fight through some crowds!
Taking part in Signs,Signs. Click HERE to see more signs from around the world.
This pic was taken a week ago and gives you a good idea of how colourful some of our streets are becoming. At the same time there are others where none of the trees have changed yet! That just makes the beauty last longer.
I shot this pic along a very narrow laneway off Queen St W and couldn't get back far enough to avoid reflections from the sky but I really like the lady so am posting it. And I thought the skeleton earrings were suitable for Halloween week! It is another of the good ones by the artist Shalak.
Taking part in Monday Murals. Click HERE to see more murals from around the world.
I took this pic just a bit upstream from yesterday's pic and you can see that a week ago there were just some of the trees turning colour. I will have to go for another trip along the Humber River this week to see what has changed!
I took another trip along the Humber River which runs through the city hoping to see some leaves changing and wasn't disappointed. This was taken last week on a sunny windless day which was probably perfect for this guy out fly-fishing in the river. You have to realize that this is the middle of the city and he could have taken the subway and walked about 5 minutes to get to this spot!
I can never decide which colour of roses I like the best but of this bunch the orange ones at the bottom right seem to be the winners. On Avenue Road there are several flower stores all in a row so you have your choice of exotic blooms from all over the world since the competition makes the shop owners always alert for something unique.
I took this pic about a week ago and you can see that the leaves hadn't really started to change yet but the last few days has seen the yellows and reds start to appear. I've always liked this house up in the Hillcrest neighbourhood but often go by in the morning when it is in the shadows. This day it was mid afternoon and the sun along with the mums made me pull over for a shot!
I was lined up for a film at the TIFF (Toronto International Film Festival) when I spotted the ghost sign for Southam Press up on the side of what had been its headquarters since 1909. They are no longer there and the building has had extensive renovations to provide space for offices and studios in the heart of the Entertainment District.
Taking part in Signs, Signs. Click HERE to see more signs from around the world.
You never know what you may find when wandering down a laneway. While taking the shot I showed yesterday I spotted this quanset hut being used as a carport behind a smallish house. And then I noticed that someone had placed 2 small paintings on the telephone pole beside it. I found a few more little paintings sprinkled along the laneway as I continued my walk.
This is another pair of garage doors from the same laneway as I showed last Monday. I really like the sunset effect they used on this one.
Taking part in Monday Murals. Click HERE to see more murals from around the world.
I was running an errand in the mid-town area of the city and passed by this wonderful stone church on my way so made a point of stopping on the way back. This is St Clement's Anglican Church and the building was finished in 1925 after the congregation had outgrown its original small church. Apparently there are 27 stained glass windows but of course the church was all locked when I was there.
Taking place in Inspired Sunday. Click HERE to see more religious buildings from around the world.
These ducks at James Gardens were catching some zzzs and also a bit of sun. I don't know how they can sleep standing on one leg!
One last shot from the Mickey Mouse Club magazine, this one showing Mousketeers Darlene and Lonnie. I wonder what all the surviving Mousketeers are doing today - they are probably all in their late 60s & early 70s and retired.
I'm back to the Mickey Mouse Club magazine and couldn't resist showing this pic of Annette Funicello who was probably the most popular of the Mousketeers as Jack from Hartford Daily Photo had mentioned. It is sad to think that Annette passed away in 2013.
I showed you a hint of these boots a couple of weeks ago when the sidewalks were crowded with people but I went back and managed to get a pic of the giant red boots outside of the Royal Alexandra Theatre where "Kinky Boots" is playing. It is nearly impossible to get a shot without someone posing in front of the boots!
Taking part in Signs, Signs. Click HERE to see more signs from around the world.
This is another shot of the Humber River which runs through the city. The fellow out in the middle is standing on a rock and fishing while the other people must be part of a hiking group and they are standing on the rocky shore. The Humber is lined with flagstones and you can see them being used in walkways and patios around the surrounding homes. It was a sunny fall day as you can tell from the sparkling water.
I happened upon another laneway where several garages have had murals painted on their doors and I particularly liked this one. There had been problems with tagging in the past but none of the murals have been touched so far which is lucky.
Taking part in Monday Murals. Click HERE to see more murals from around the world.
This is the Humber River, one of two major rivers that run through Toronto and empty into Lake Ontario. The Humber is in the west end and for most of its length through the city it is lined with lovely parks and trails making it a wonderful place to be on a sunny fall day such as this one about a week ago. During Hurricane Hazel in 1954 the Humber became a deadly river sweeping away homes and many people, a situation that has resulted in its wide flood protection area. This is one of many small waterfalls along its path to the lake that help control the water during floods.
The patio of one of my favourite pubs has a small community of sparrows that take care of cleaning up any crumbs that get dropped. On a recent quiet afternoon this little girl wasn't having much luck and seemed to be begging for a scrap of food. Or maybe it was the beer she was after!
Looking over the fence in yesterday's pic you can see lovely gardens and also this walkway leading to a fountain surrounded by Muskoka chairs for relaxing. I think this must be a very nice apartment building to live in judging by the exterior.
I've always liked this apartment building which is one of the more than 250 in Toronto designed by architect Uno Prii and I had shown you the one end of the building before (HERE). When I walked by a week ago it was the blue balconies with the blue autumn sky that grabbed my attention - that and the cool fence they have surrounding the large gardens. I'll give you a shot of part of the gardens tomorrow.
Taking part in Good Fences. Click HERE to see more fences from around the world.
The Chow Keong Hand Laundry is probably the last of the hand laundries in Toronto. It was opened on Avenue Road in 1946 by Chow Keong and is run today by his son Dennis who is in his eighties and Dennis's wife. If you bring your clothes in they are all carefully hand-washed and ironed and ready to be picked up several days later. I took this on a Sunday afternoon and the laundry was closed but I could see Dennis in there working away. And of course there are lovely bonsai plants in the window!
Taking part in Signs, Signs. Click HERE to see more signs from around the world.
Look what I found in my parents' basement! A Walt Disney magazine from October 1957 featuring Musketeers Cheryl and Tommy dancing with Bobby not looking to happy in the background. Those were the days with the Mickey Mouse Club!
This cool blue mural is found on the front of Rush Lane which is a cocktail-focused bar on Queen St West. The mural was painted in 2014 by Brooklyn-based artist Beau Stanton and when that window is closed at night the whole panel is part of the image.
Taking part in Monday Murals. Click HERE to see more murals from around the world.
The light has changed and the trees and plants are starting to lose their bright colours at James Gardens park but it is still a wonderful place to sit and relax. Just on the left side of the bridge you can see a few ducks who were all sleeping, some while standing, but all ready to beg if anyone came along with food for them.
This is a pic of the sculpture by John McEwen which I showed you yesterday in the daylight, taken on a different day and from the opposite direction. All of the little stars light up and are visible to the eye but for some reason the camera doesn't catch then all. The sign in the background is for the Fairmont Royal York Hotel, a grand hotel across the road from Union Station.
I've shown this sculpture titled "Search Light, Star Light, Spot Light" by artist John McEwen before in 2011 (HERE) but from a different angle. I was passing by the Air Canada Centre (ACC) where our beloved Maple Leafs hockey team plays and loved the reflections you can see in the surrounding condos especially framed by the Corten steel columns. I'll show you a night shot tomorrow.
Taking part in Weekend Reflections. Click HERE to see more reflections from around the world.
The October theme for the City Daily Photo Blog community is "Shelter" and I chose these wonderful umbrellas that offer shelter from the sun which we all need even on fall days when it is cool but the sun is really strong. I really liked the fact that these ones say "Toronto's Original" which refers to the Amsterdam Brewing company having opened the first brew pub in Toronto in 1986. They have come a long way since then and you can sample their products at bars and restaurants all over the city.
Taking part in the theme day Shelter. Click HERE to see more shelters from around the world.
Also taking part in Good Fences since that is a very cool fence around this patio. Click HERE to see more fences from around the world.
