Thursday, March 31, 2016

A Grand Home For A Horse

This is part of the stables that belong to Casa Loma. Quite suitable for any horse that may have lived there in its heyday don't you think? The fence needs a bit or repair but the metalwork is wonderful.
Taking part in Good Fences. Click HERE to see more fences from around the world.

Wednesday, March 30, 2016

World Famous

A Nerd's World specializes in website design but also does other design work and photography and that part shows when you look in the window and see the walls lined with old cameras of all varieties. I've never been inside but it looks intriguing.
Taking part in Signs, Signs. Click HERE to see more signs from around the world.

Tuesday, March 29, 2016

High School

York Memorial Collegiate is a high school in the northwest part of the city with a very high academic success rate among its students. This Collegiate Gothic structure was built in 1930 and as you can see it has been well maintained over the years.

Monday, March 28, 2016

A Devil Of A Mural

I spotted this mural just off Bloor St and I think it has replaced an earlier one of Jimi Hendrix but I'm not sure. At first it just looked like a lot of white lines but when you look closely you can see a devil and a lady and even some background patterning. I could find no info on the artists. 
Taking part in Monday Murals. Click HERE to see more murals from around the world.

Sunday, March 27, 2016

Winter Aconite

Winter Aconite is one of the first flowers we see here in the spring, even before the snowdrops. It's nice to see the bright yellow appearing even through heavy layers of leaves.
Happy Easter to everyone who celebrates it!

Saturday, March 26, 2016

For The Birds

The ducks & geese at James Gardens never go hungry but most people bring them bread which apparently isn't good for them. This woman spent about 5 minutes tossing them goodies of some kind.
Taking part in Saturday's Critters. Click HERE to see more creatures from around the world.

Friday, March 25, 2016

An AGO View

This is the view from the top of the Frank Gehry staircase at the AGO ( Art Gallery Of Ontario) looking north through the slightly dirty glass. What you see are a couple of residential streets and then the taller sprawling buildings of U of Toronto. I thought the clouds were quite spectacular the day I was there.

Thursday, March 24, 2016

House On A Ravine

There always seems to be an air of mystery about this house to me. I think possibly because you don't see many homes with gates across their driveway here and also because all summer the house is hidden by lots of trees. The back of this house looks over a very deep treed ravine just north of Casa Loma so you can't see it at all from there. Nice gate isn't it?
Taking part in Good Fences. Click HERE to see more fences from around the world.

Wednesday, March 23, 2016

Evening Ink

It's funny how tattoo parlours seem to be busiest in the evening. This place is always open for some evening ink!
Taking part in Signs, Signs. Click HERE to see more signs from around the world.

Tuesday, March 22, 2016

Blue

I always admire this house when I go by and I think it is the wonderful shade of blue that attracts my attention. It is the perfect complement to the bricks don't you think? It seemed a good idea to get a pic before the leaves come out on those trees and block even more of our view.

Monday, March 21, 2016

"Aspen Grove"

The new Humber River Hospital is very visible from the 401 highway which is the major highway running through the north part of Toronto. Probably the most striking feature of the hospital is this glass mural titled "Aspen Grove". It is meant to represent the connection between the community and the hospital and I think was designed by the architects of the building, HDR Architects.
Taking part in Monday Murals. Click HERE to see more murals from around the world.

Sunday, March 20, 2016

The Other Neighbour

Just a few doors up from yesterday's houses you will find this one. I think I like it best - like the windows and the green roof and love that birch tree out front. What do you think? Which is your favourite?

Saturday, March 19, 2016

Good Neighbours

It is always fascinating to see how identical houses can be treated by neighbours and winter before the leaves come out gives us a better view. I like both of these houses but like some elements of each better than the other so I would probably come in with something of a combo. Tomorrow I will show you another of the same design which is just a couple of doors up the street and then we will decide which works best.

Friday, March 18, 2016

Red Volvo

I spotted this old Volvo 544 in a local parking lot a while ago and was surprised at how good a condition it was in considering how old it must be. They were made from 1947 to 1966 but I don't know the year of this one. Very cool red ride though!

Thursday, March 17, 2016

Elegant Gate

The gate itself is gone but this entranceway looks so elegant especially since it is right across the road from Casa Loma. The drive leads up to a large estate which as far as I can find out is now a convent. I'd love to tour the grounds but it is not open to the public.
Taking part in Good Fences. Click HERE to see more fences from around the world.
Happy St Patrick's Day everyone!

Wednesday, March 16, 2016

Little Red Brick Library

I happened upon yet another of the Little Free Libraries and I love the decoration on this one. They have covered the exterior with a brick-like finish which fits in perfectly in its neighborhood. I've lost count of the number of these little treasures that I have found here.
Taking part in Signs, Signs. Click HERE to see more signs from around the world.

Tuesday, March 15, 2016

Sculptures In The Snow

When we finally got some snow a while ago I went for a wander at the Glendon College campus of York University and stumbled upon these stainless steel pieces in the snow. I quite like them but could find no info about them - it may be buried under the snow. I will head back one day to see how they look in the spring. We have no snow here now!

Monday, March 14, 2016

A Bear On Queen St West

I was running errands last week and happened upon this fellow lurking in a doorway on Queen St West. He looked pretty friendly until I noticed his teeth so I just gave him a big smile and took his pic quickly! He is by the artist Blackburn whose raccoons I have shown before.
Taking part in Monday Murals. Click HERE to see more murals from around the world.

Sunday, March 13, 2016

Inuksuk At Sunnybrook

This stone assemblage is an Inuksuk which is a human-made landmark used by the Inuit to mark trails etc in the Arctic. These ones that have a rather human resemblance have become quite a common Canadian symbol and can be found all over the country. This one is outside the Vets Centre at the Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre. Our snow is all gone now.

Saturday, March 12, 2016

Winter Pond

Just before I took yesterday's pic at James Gardens I had taken this pic of the duck pond in winter. There were hundreds of ducks around and 3 Canada Geese with most of them in the water but some hardy souls sitting on the snow!
Taking part in Saturday's Critters. Click HERE to see more creatures from around the world.

Friday, March 11, 2016

Snowfall

I arrived at James Gardens in the sunshine last week and within 5 minutes the clouds rolled in and the snow started falling. It certainly made for a pretty sight!

Thursday, March 10, 2016

Winter Boardwalk

This is just a short boardwalk that runs across a boggy area in a midtown park and even though everything is frozen most people still stick to the wooden pathway which is under that snow!
Taking part in Good Fences. Click HERE to see more fences from around the world.

Wednesday, March 9, 2016

A Bird Commission

One of the wee birds I've been showing the past couple of days has been busy doing a commission for Above Ground Art Supplies and it looks as if he has done a fine job!
Taking part in Signs, Signs. Click HERE to see more signs from around the world.

Tuesday, March 8, 2016

Artist Details

I do love these wee birds! This is a closer shot of the guys at the right in yesterday's pic. One guy is enjoying a bit of surf while the rest work.

Monday, March 7, 2016

Little Yellow Bird Artists

It has been a while since I posted any of UB5000's little yellow birds so I have pulled this from my archives as you can see by the green leaves in the background. I love all the wee artists at work and I will show you a closer shots of the guys working on the right tomorrow but I liked how the whole thing flows together so am showing this long shot today.
Taking part in Monday Murals. Click HERE to see more murals from around the world.

Sunday, March 6, 2016

Pretty Little Church

This is St David's Anglican Church which is found in the west end of the city. It was probably built in the 1950s judging by its style but it seems that the church is joining with 3 other Anglican churches to build one new church and selling off the old ones to pay for the new one. That means that this little beauty will be disappearing but many churches are having problems with shrinking congregations so it is not surprising.
Taking part in Inspired Sunday. Click HERE to see more religious buildings from around the world.

Saturday, March 5, 2016

Cirque Du Squirrel

I took this shot through the window at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre so it is a bit hazy and this fine acrobat was in mid dismount so it was hard to get any detail. They are such comical creatures when not destroying someone's garden!
Taking part in Saturday's Critters. Click HERE to see more creatures from around the world.

Friday, March 4, 2016

6th Blog Anniversary

Who would have thought that I would still be posting here on Occasional Toronto 6 years after I began what I thought would be an occasional thing. I love it everyday and love all my blog friends and miss the ones we have lost. For the day, I offer this night shot of the venerable Vesta Lunch looking rather Hopperesque to me!

Thursday, March 3, 2016

"It's So Cold Out Here"

This is another pic from a garden at the Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre which I'm sure looks much friendlier in the summer. In the meantime this woman doesn't seem to be handling the cold very well!
Taking part in Good Fences. Click HERE to see more fences from around the world.

Wednesday, March 2, 2016

Ghost Sign

This pic is from my archives - not sure why I never posted it but I recently heard that the sign has been restored and so I am posting it now and will head down to get a pic of the refreshed version. This is yet another building that housed artist studios and offered reasonable rents for them. It and the whole street around it are in the midst of gentrification and so the artists are once more on the move. There are very few places left for cheap studios in the city! The sign is for the T. A Lytle Co Ltd who were purveyors of "Pickles, Catsups, Sauces And Fountain Supplies". That is for soda fountains.
Taking part in Signs, Signs. Click HERE to see more signs from around the world.

Tuesday, March 1, 2016

Theme Day - "Where I Belong"

The March theme for the City Daily Photo community is "Where I Belong" or rather why you want to be in the city where you are. A hard question and even harder to show in a pic. One thing I love about Toronto is the variety of neighbourhoods but how to take a pic of that? So I offer this stylized display of houses found on a gallery wall that says neighborhood or town to me.
To see more answers to this theme question from around the world, click HERE.