I showed you the sign from Honest Ed's a couple of weeks ago and today I am showing the tribute that the city has done to the iconic store for its upcoming closing. Ed's was known for the handprinted signs that were always used in the windows of the store and the city had replicas of these signs made and decorated the nearby Bathurst subway station with them. The store had saved all of the original signs and there have been several sales of them with some going for hundreds of dollars as collector items.
Taking part in Signs, Signs. Click HERE to see more signs from around the world.
I took this pic a couple of weeks ago in James Gardens when there were still some leaves on the trees. There is a small creek that runs down the hill in the park and it feeds several ponds along the way including the duck pond which I've shown you several times. I particularly like this serene spot with the cute little bridge.
I spotted this mural in a laneway and was impressed with the idea of having a rainy day reflection in it. It shows one of our trademark red streetcars with passengers waiting to get on and out of the rain. Nicely done don't you think?
Taking part in Monday Murals. Click HERE to see more murals from around the world.
The walkway which I showed you on Friday continued up the side of the ravine and when I reached the top this is what I found - another park. At least I think it is a park. If so it is in the middle of a very exclusive neighborhood and I've never seen any sign out on the roadway saying there was a park here but I didn't have time to go much further so I will leave it for another day to explore the street looking for a park entrance. I was a little nervous that I was in someone's private space!
I took this pic through a window so it isn't really sharp but I loved how these three creatures went about their business paying little attention to each other. The chipmunk in the middle has stuffed his cheeks with seeds and took off to store them right after this pic while the Cardinal & the squirrel stayed behind eating their fill!
Taking part in Saturday's Critters. Click HERE to see more creatures from around the world.
I actually went back to explore the walkway I showed you yesterday and after climbing almost to the top of the side of the ravine I came upon this. I was thinking how odd it was to end the path at a big tree but when I looked closer there were some small stone steps going around the roots of the tree and leading to some more steps which took me up to the top. I'll show what was up there on Sunday!
Just along the hill from the stone wall I showed you on Tuesday there is a walkway that looks like it heads up to the top of the ravine. I didn't have time to explore it when I was the were so will head back another day to see where it ends up. There will probably be no leaves left on the trees by then.
Taking part in Good Fences. Click HERE to see more fences from around the world.
Somehow I forgot to post this pic which I took on November 11, Remembrance Day in Canada. It was taken at James Gardens and shows a small grove of Rose of Sharon bushes which have been decorated with flags and red ribbons. The tribute was done by the Rose of Sharon Association as a remembrance of the over 26,000 Canadians who had fought in the Korean War and the 516 of them who were killed there. There are 516 red ribbons tied to the Rose of Sharon bushes - this is the national flower of Korea. It was very moving to just happen upon this display.
Taking part in Signs, Signs. Click HERE to see more signs from around the world.
I spotted these lovely stone retaining walls when walking through one of the ravines along the Humber River. The river is a great source of stones like this so I'm sure they were all locally sourced many years ago when a house stood in this part of the ravine.
I like the sharp graphics that were used to paint this mural on a garage that I discovered just by wandering down a lane way I hadn't explored in a long time. It looks like the artist for this one is Andrea M - she did a good job!
Taking part in Monday Murals. Click HERE to see more murals from around the world.
This building on Bathurst St was built in 1888 as a Methodist church and continued as one until the 1950s when parts of the building were rented out for concerts and events as the congregation was shrinking. In 1985 the whole structure became a permanent theatre which is now called the Randolph Theatre. There is one main space as well as smaller ones used for practice studios and smaller productions. The Gothic Revival building has heritage protection so the exterior will remain as is.
Taking part in Inspired Sunday. Click HERE to see more religious buildings from around the world.
Two of these little Sparrows spotted the camera but the rest of them were busy eating. It seems that all the birds are in flocks these days, even the ones not heading south for the winter. I've seen huge groups of Starlings in the last couple of weeks!
Taking part in Saturday's Critters. Click HERE to see more creatures from around the world.
For some reason this weathervane looks like a pirate ship to me although I'm sure it is not meant to be. It's always a treat to find a new vane!
Another ravine shot to show how pretty autumn can be. There will soon be no leaves left at all and then the dreaded snow will come!
Taking part in Good Fences. Click HERE to see more fences from around the world.
Honest Ed's is an iconic discount store that was opened in 1948 by Ed Mirvish at the corner of Bathurst & Bloor. It is huge and covers a whole city block and is covered by these wonderful signs which have over 23,000 lights on them. I know I have posted a night shot before but can't find it so will go back for a night shot soon as the store will close on December 31. Ed Mirvish died in 2007 and the store and the surrounding buildings which he owned have been sold and new development will take place in the whole area.
Taking part in Signs, Signs. Click HERE to see more signs from around the world.
We are back in the Weston neighborhood for this one which was a tiny little house with a turret when first built many years ago. But if you look over the shoulders of the roof you can see that there has been a large addition to the back of the house. I would like to see that room with the turret!
I spotted another mural by Elicser this week but there was a huge truck parked beside at least 3/4 of it so I will have to go back to see what the rest is. It is on the side of a restaurant on Bloor St W and judging by the mural they must serve a nice big milkshake. I like how the pipe has been painted to look like a straw coming out of the shake!
Taking part in Monday Murals. Click HERE to see more murals from around the world.
The oak trees seem to be putting on a great show of golden yellows this year. I took this pic about a week ago and then a few days later the leaves were losing the glow and turning brown.
These girls seem to be not too interested in heading into the water even though it was a sunny day.
Taking part in Saturday's Critters. Click HERE to see more creatures from around the world.
I saw this Jack-O-Lantern just this week and it reminded me so much of the Tin Man from the Wizard of OZ! I love it! My last Halloween pic.
I showed you a pic of the entrance to one of our ravines that I took a few weeks ago (HERE) and went back this week for an updated pic where you can see the colour that has developed. Soon there will be no leaves at all!
Taking part in Good Fences. Click HERE to see more fences from around the world.
In order to draw attention to the city's indigenous heritage a group has been installing signs that have the street name as well as the name on which it it is based. Spadina is based on the Ojibwe word Ishpadinaa which means "a place on a hill", suitable for this location at the base of the hill where Casa Loma is located.
Taking part in Signs, Signs. Click HERE to see more signs from around the world.
I took this pic a few weeks ago in the Wychwood Park neighbourhood and thought I'd head back for a pic when the leaves have all fallen. This house is a beauty and had been the home of Marshall McLuhan, the media guru who was known for his "the medium is the message" statement.
I found this mural on the wall of a storage building in a playground off Dundas St W. Not sure who the artist is but I bet the kids like it and it probably stops a lot of tagging.
Taking part in Monday Murals. Click HERE to see more murals from around the world.
This is another of the big old houses in the Weston neighbourhood of Toronto. Many of them have these wonderful large porches that look perfect for sitting out watching the world go by. And they all seem to be in good condition despite their age.
This is the park where the signs from Wednesday were posted giving the off-leash hours and rules. Well, this playful creature and its human were outside the legal hours but they were having a lot of fun. And what a view of the CN Tower.
Taking part in Saturday's Critters. Click HERE to see more creatures from around the world.
There are scattered Maple trees around town that have changed colour but as this pic that I took a few days ago shows many of our trees are still green. It hasn't been a really colourful fall here this year.
I took this pic 3 weeks ago in the apple orchard at Spadina House. None of these trees had started to turn colour yet but I haven't been back since so it may be different today. I just liked the view under the trees!
There are so many dogs in Toronto now that the city has put up many signs showing the rules for park usage although they are not always obeyed. It is interesting that this park does not allow commercial dog walkers who seem to be everywhere during the week work hours here.
Taking part in Signs, Signs. Click HERE to see more signs from around the world.
Taking part in Good Fences. Click HERE to see more fences from around the world.
The theme for November for the City Daily Photo Blog community is "Out Of Focus" and I offer this pic taken on a foggy afternoon in the Forest Hill neighbourhood as my entry. I like the way the brake lights of the cars ahead came on at just the right time.
Taking part in the theme day. Click HERE to see more samples out of focus.
