This is the Byzantine Cathedral of the Nativity Of The Mother Of God Catholic church found on Shaw St. I have never found it open but have the feeling that the interior is probably beautiful judging by the ornate doors.
This black squirrel looks a bit guilty but she is actually on what is left of a cob of corn which was put out for the squirrels. The kernels have all been eaten but she was having a good time chewing away on this inner core!
Taking part in Saturday's Critters. Click HERE to see more creatures from around the world.
The stone walls surrounding Casa Loma were adorned with beautiful Forsythia when I walked by along Davenport Rd a week ago. A sure sign that spring is here!
I spotted this Gothic Revival cottage in the Weston neighbourhood on a lovely sunny day. Isn't it a beauty with the wonderful brick patterning?
I saw this sign and at first thought it was an ad for an art show but it seems to be for some sort of selfie photo contest. Strange looking image don't you think?
Taking part in Signs, Signs. Click HERE to see more signs from around the world.
I haven't been past the city limits for a long time but a couple of weeks ago went to visit a friend just north of the city's border. You can still find a few scattered farms around that haven't been bought up and turned into subdivisions but this barn looks like it has seen better days which makes you wonder how long until houses appear on this plot! And there was still a bit of snow around.
This mural on a garage door was just completed a couple of weeks ago when we were still in the dull monochrome days of winter so it was so nice to see such bright colours appearing in a laneway. It is signed Rio so I'm not sure if that is the artist's name or it is referring to the subject which is obviously Rio. I really like this one! The 888 is the address of the house in front of this garage.
Taking part in Monday Murals. Click HERE to see more murals from around the world.
The Daffodils have finally started to bloom here especially in south facing spots. It is always so nice to see colour after a monochromatic winter!
I saw my first butterfly of the spring this week and she was a beauty. I googled and identified her as an American Lady. They don't winter over up here so she had just arrived from down south and was enjoying the Scilla flowers.
Taking part in Saturday's Critters. Click HERE to see more creatures from around the world.
I was out walking in the sunshine when all of a sudden dark grey clouds rolled down from the north and I was preparing to get soaked but luckily they passed by and the rain came down farther east. The clouds certainly gave a dramatic background to Casa Loma though.
This is a drive-by shot taken from the highway just north of the city showing one of the roller coasters at Canada's Wonderland, a huge amusement park. The park doesn't open until April 30 but it looks like this ride is ready to go. It is called the Behemoth and looks pretty scary to me - the first drop is 230 feet!
Roots are famous for their great leather bags & jackets but also for casual clothing which you will find on people all over the country. They have done the clothing for several of our Olympic teams and seem to be real Canadian ambassadors despite the fact that the company was started by 2 American guys who went to summer camp in Ontario and loved the country so much that they came back and are still here many years later.
Taking part in Signs, Signs. Click HERE to see more signs from around the world.
This bike ring from Bloor St W is a mystery to me. It rather looks like there are 2 UFOs with a bike joining them but I'm not sure. This is another of the bike rings designed by the students from Bloor Collegiate.
I spotted this painted utility box on the street near an off leash dog park and though it was quite suitable for the location. It was signed Marley Allen Ash and done in 2016. I love the fat little pug at the top!
Taking part in Monday Murals. Click HERE to see more murals from around the world.
I thought this version of the Pieta was suitable for the weekend. Obviously a summer shot, it is found beside The Nativity Of The Mother Of God Catholic Church near Trinity Bellwoods park.
Happy Easter to all who celebrate it!
I've been trying to get a pic of a White-breasted Nuthatch for a while but they tend to move quickly so have had no success until this one decided to land on the ground for a bit. The Red-breasted Nuthatches are even faster and although I've been seeing a lot of them there is no pic yet!
Taking part in Saturday's Critters. Click HERE to see more creatures from around the world.
I had shown you a large building that has had several uses last August (HERE). Today I'm showing the storage building that is found in its parking lot and was said to be used for off-loading from the neighbouring railway tracks. I'm not sure what is in there now but it was a showroom for high end cars for a while.
I found this large home in the Little Italy neighbourhood and love that 2nd floor balcony. These large homes in this area were built as single family dwellings but many have been divided into flats and this one has a couple of units and also you can see down the driveway that there is a coach house out back. There is a trend now to turn them back into very large family homes so as a result rental units disappear - a major problem in the city.
This sign for the Intergalactic Travel Authority was actually for a shop/cafe that was previously at this location on Bloor St W. I thought it was for a travel agency at first glance. Love the assortment of travelers lined up on their sign.
Taking part in Signs, Signs. Click HERE to see more signs from around the world.
It is hard to escape the CN Tower in the city since it is so tall and is located at the shore of Lake Ontario and the city basically goes uphill away from the lake. So when you are on the edge of one of our bigger hills like this one you can see rooftops and the Tower peeking at you from miles away!
I found this friendly artist in a doorway along Bloor St W but neglected to get the artist's name. He is a nice looking Panda Bear don't you think?
Taking part in Monday Murals. Click HERE to see more murals from around the world.
Yesterday's chipmunk was busy feeding under the bird feeders when this ground hog appeared and being at least 20 times larger than chippie it soon had the whole place to its self. I've never seen one around the feeders before.
Last week I saw my first chipmunk this spring so winter must be over if these guys have ventured out of their cozy homes. He was so tiny and cute! Tomorrow I will show you who came along and chased him away!
Taking part in Saturday's Critters. Click HERE to see more creatures from around the world.
This house was found just a couple of doors away from yesterday's house and is a good example of what the replacements for the Ranch style homes look like. One can't help but wonder exactly how much space people need in a home.
In the older suburbs that are now part of the city it was once common to find street after street of these wonderful Ranch style homes on large lots, particularly in some areas of Etobicoke. Unfortunately the trend now is for someone to purchase one, tear it down, and build a huge megamansion as I will show you tomorrow. Such a shame to see them disappearing.
This was spotted on the patio of a bar on Queen St W and the small letters below "Please Respect Thy Neighbour" read "or thou shalt be asked to leave". I imagine this is an attempt to keep the noise down out there in the evenings so that local residents don't complain.
Taking part in Signs, Signs. Click HERE to see more signs from around the world.
This is yet another one of the bike rings installed along Bloor St W and designed by the students at Bloor Collegiate. You can see engraved into the top of the ring the word 'Bienvenue', French for 'Welcome' which is a nice touch. Andi it is always good to see a maple leaf as part of the design.
I was driving along and spotted this lovely garden high on the side of an apartment building so of course I went around the block and parked for a pic. It's always nice to see a Monarch butterfly and they have included its favourite Milkweed plant in the pic. I could see no artist name.
Taking part in Monday Murals. Click HERE to see more murals from around the world.
I've always been intrigued by this beautiful detail work that is found surrounding just one of the second floor windows on a nondescript building across from Casa Loma on Davenport Rd. All of the other windows are plain and it makes me think that some sort of modification has been done and that perhaps this had been above what had been an entrance into the building and which is now bricked up. Whatever the reason I love the Deco feel and the lovely carvings.
The April theme for the City Daily Photo Blog community is "Wet" and this pic tells it all. I was sitting in my car waiting for someone and the skies opened up giving me this view through a very wet windshield. I was glad I wasn't out in it!
To see more examples of Wet from around the world, click HERE.
