I have shown you this walkway that leads to Casa Loma in the other 3 seasons and we finally got some snow a couple of weeks ago so that you can see it in winter. The walkway leads you to the stairs that go down to Davenport Rd. You can see the other seasons HERE and follow the links.
Casa Loma is one of my favourite destinations for a walk after a snow fall and it never disappoints. The wall always makes a nice frame for the building.
This is the sign for Urban Bark which is a playcare and grooming facility for dogs which is located in an elegant old bank building on St Clair Ave. Love that sign!
Taking part in Signs 2. Click HERE to see more signs from around the world.
It is always surprising how the camera can pick up enough light on a snowy night to capture an image. I tried this with a flash which was all washed out but with no flash Frank the snowman and the mystery man both look quite mysterious don't you think?
I was headed up a side street off College St and spotted this utility box out of the corner of my eye and immediately pulled over. The artist for this one is Peru. I love the pattern and the colour!
Taking part in Monday Murals. Click HERE to see more murals from around the world.
The day after a snowfall is a wonderful time for a walk. This is the view looking down to Davenport Rd from the top of the stairs leading up to Casa Loma. And you can see down along Spadina Rd leading eventually to Lake Ontario.
It was a busy bird bath the other day with a House Sparrow ready to jump into the water while another Sparrow and a Junco waited their turns. The water is heated!
Taking part in Saturday's Critters. Click HERE to see more creatures from around the world.
Another item in the display about WWI nurses at the Veterans Centre is this framed cover from a French magazine dated August 28 1915. The imagery is so striking don't you think?
There is a small display about nurses from WWI on now at the Veterans Centre at the Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre. They have a photography studio there and there are several men, who were war photographers, in residence in the centre and they work with the staff to digitize and print some of their original pics. I really liked this one.
There always sees to be room for another shoe store along Queen St W and there are still a lot of sales going on as they get ready for the spring/summer styles to come in. These are actually small stores that are overlooked by tall condos behind them.
Taking part in Signs 2. Click HERE to see more signs from around the world.
This house in the Casa Loma neighbourhood was purchased a couple of years ago for a couple of million $ and has been undergoing extensive renovations. It is good to see that all of the original stained glass has been retained. It is hard to see in some of the windows but there is stained glass in them all except those on the top floor. I'll have to go back in the summer to see the progress.
This sushi mural is located on the opposite wall from last week's bowl of noodle soup but the style looks different so it probably isn't the same artist. The food theme is a bit unusual for a mural in a residential area though.
Taking part in Monday Murals. Click HERE to see more murals from around the world.
The balconies on the old homes in the Annex neighbourhood always look welcoming and even in winter that top balcony is probably a toasty spot on a sunny day. I can hardly wait for spring to come and to see all of the flowers and vines on these houses again.
This is yet another through the window pic, this time of a happy squirrel who has found a large number of acorns beneath an oak tree in the gardens at the Veterans Centre at Sunnybrook. It seems that there were so many acorns that this guy took time to eat a few between burying a lot of them.
Taking part in Saturday's Critters. Click HERE to see more creatures from around the world.
My favourite - so even with the wrapping I knew what was in the package! How many guessed correctly?
A last blast from this past Christmas is this present wrapped to hide its contents. But does it? I'll show what was inside tomorrow.
I was wandering along Queen St W when this streetcar passed by with advertising on each panel for Chanel No 5. My mum always wore that perfume so it brought back memories.
Taking part in Signs 2. Click HERE to see more signs from around the world.
A milliner on Bathurst St had small dolls dressed up for the holidays by local clothing designers. Each one was then given a custom fascinator to complete the outfit. Along with that pompom hat and those red earmuffs it makes for a fun window.
There is nothing better on a winter day than a bowl of hot soup. Even in a mural it feels warm.
Taking part in Monday Murals. Click HERE to see more murals from around the world.
Not all of the condos being built in Toronto are tall towers. I really like this mid-rise building just off Queen St W for its twisted levels and the stone used on the first few floors. It would be nice if there were more interesting buildings like this one.
This is another through the window pic, this time I have caught a goldfinch in winter garb as he feasts on the seeds left from a Coneflower blossom. The bird and the flower will look a lot different in summer!
Taking part in Saturday's Critters. Click HERE to see more creatures from around the world.
This is the tower of yesterday's church building and it is part of the unit whose entrance I showed. Apparently they have a library on one floor, a sitting room on another and a bedroom on one too. This is how the other half lives!
A church on College St has been converted into a few exclusive lofts and this is the entrance and front of the largest one. I would love to see the inside. I'll show you a night shot of another part of it tomorrow.
It is that sale time of year and all of the stores along Queen St W are having clearance events. Time to get ready for spring clothes I guess!
Taking part in Signs 2. Click HERE to see more signs from around the world.
This sculpture, "Large Two Forms" by Henry Moore, sat out in front of the AGO (Art Gallery of Ontario) for many years before being moved to Grange Park which abuts the gallery to the rear. Here the sculpture has a fine location with the wonderful blue Frank Gehry designed AGO addition as a backdrop. And this is another view that looks better in the winter with the tracery of the trees visible against the gallery.
I have no idea what the message is in this mural but I liked the bright colours for this time of year and the cacti suggest warmer weather. I'm not sure who the artist is as it may be signed beyond the fence.
Taking part in Monday Murals. Click HERE to see more murals from around the world.
I was struck by the contrast between the front of these three row houses and the corrugated metal on the side along the laneway. Many of the old homes from that era had brick fronts and then some type of faux brick along the sides which usually has to be replaced with something non flammable when renovations are done which may explain the metal. I rather like the contrast.
This Cardinal pic was taken through a window and he is a bit out of focus but he is so red and healthy looking that I felt he needed to be posted. When I saw him there were actually three male Cardinals chasing each other around so they were not staying still for long and thus the lack of focus.
Taking part in Saturday's Critters. Click HERE to see more creatures from around the world.
This is the other side of Queen St W from yesterday's post and you can see the signs of modernity approaching the older buildings. Some of the old ones have disappeared completely such as where the H&M store is. Here's hoping that this doesn't happen to the whole street.
This streetscape on Queen St W has been here since 1888 and is called the Noble Block after the widow Mrs Noble who had it built. All forms of decoration were used to make this a special place. The section to the left was built by another widow who changed the design from the original which was to match the rest. This is still a vibrant area of the city but high rents and property taxes are putting small independent businesses at risk.
The January theme for the City Daily Photo Blog community is "Photo Of The Year" and I chose this one of a Monarch butterfly for a few reasons. One, is that it is such a drab time of year and the bright colours of the Monarch and the flowers are so cheerful. Also, I saw a record number of these guys this summer and fall and I also watched the development of the caterpillar to chrysalis to butterfly for the first time this year. They are such lovely delicate creatures and to think of them heading off on their long journey to Mexico is astounding!
Taking part in the theme, Photo Of The Year. Click HERE to see more great photos from around the world.
