A pink sky at night is supposed to be a predictor of good weather the next day and that has certainly been the case here for the last couple of weeks. I showed you this Ginkgo Biloba tree a couple of weeks ago with a Robin sitting in it singing away. As you can see the leaves have finally opened.
Doesn't this face appear to be floating off the brick wall? I found this one down a lane that I just stumbled upon during one of my wanderings. There were more pieces that I will show at a later date.
Taking part in Monday Murals. Click HERE to see more murals from around the world.
This is an archive shot looking towards downtown from the top of the steps at Casa Loma. This week Toronto entered stage 2 of the openings since covid hit us which means people can get their hair cut and go to restaurant patios. I'm going to stay isolated for a little longer!
This cute female Downy Woodpecker was keeping an eye on me as she rummaged around on this tree trunk. She finally found something good to eat and forgot about me.
Taking part in Saturday's Critters. Click HERE to see more creatures from around the world.
The houses in yesterday's pic were on the west side of Yonge St and if you continue east to the other side of Yonge St you enter the Rosedale neighbourhood, one of the most expensive neighbourhoods in the country. This is where the 'old' money lives. This yellow house is not one of the large ones found there but it is unusual in that it isn't red brick. The yellow looks refreshing on a warm summer day.
Continuing the brick houses that I showed you a week ago, a short walk up Yonge St brings us to Macpherson Ave which is lined with these lovely Victorian homes all of which have been renovated and restored. These are the same era as the workers homes I had shown but a little more upscale.
Another one from my archives, this is the Tiffany's store on Bloor St W in the Yorkville neighbourhood. They have changed the facade a bit since this pic with white Ts being added onto the that famous blue. I prefer this clean look.
Taking part in Signs 2. Click HERE to see more signs from around the world.
This is yet another demolition that I spotted although this time the front facade and sides of this old municipal building are being retained and incorporated into a small condo building which is going to attach to the back. I'll have to go back and check this one out too.
I went by the location where I had spotted all of the wonderful pigeon murals a while ago and found another one that I had missed. This guy was on the side of an outbuilding and seems to be peeking out at us from inside. The artist still remains unknown.
Taking part in Monday Murals. Click HERE to see more murals from around the world.
This is another pic from my archives from a day I was wandering around on University Ave. I headed down the back of these two buildings which actually face Queen St W at University and loved the contrast. The tall tower was designed by KPMB Architects and was built in 2006 and houses the Federal Court of Canada as well as a few other federal agencies. Its smaller brick neighbour is Campbell House which is a heritage house and museum built in 1822 and moved to this location in 1972.
I always like watching the antics of the White-breasted Nuthatch as they climb around up and down tree trunks with their strong little legs. This one was having a grand time on this tree!
Taking part in Saturday's Critters. Click HERE to see more creatures from around the world.
These houses are found just down the block from yesterday's homes and were built around the same time, in the 1890s. These were built for bricklayers which probably accounts for the fancier brick work. They now have heritage protection and I doubt that anyone would be allowed to paint the exterior today.
This row of houses is found on Belmont St just off Yonge St. Built in the 1890s for labourers these homes now have heritage protection and are snapped up quickly when one comes up for sale. They back onto a park with tennis courts & a hockey rink.
I showed you a house that was being demolished last Friday and I went by a couple of days ago and discovered that they were in the midst of tearing down the house next door too. These two homes faced a side street running off Dupont St so now the developer is left with a long stretch of land along Dupont which they intend to fill with six townhouses. One of the signs out front says they are for sale starting at $2 million! There seems to be a lot of profit to be made if they sell.
Taking part in Signs 2. Click HERE to see more signs from around the world.
I've seen several of these bushes around town and they all seemed to be covered with lacy white flowers the look like delicate Lilacs. They may be a type of Lilac with smaller leaves and flowers than the norm. There didn't seem to be any scent to them.
I spotted this mural recently on the side of a food mart along Bloor St W and although it was painted before the virus hit us all it is so suitable for the times. Everyone is self-isolated in their own window. The artists for this one are Ellen May Rose, who is known for her raccoons, and Haenahhh.
Taking part in Monday Murals. Click HERE to see more murals from around the world.
This is another shot from my archives taken In Edward's Gardens park a few years ago at this same time of year. I haven't really ventured to any parks since they have been closed here because of the Covid 19. This kind of scene makes me think that I will have to see if some of them have opened. This is part of the Don River which runs through the park on its way to Lake Ontario.
It was around 8 pm when I could hear a Robin singing his heart out somewhere in the neighbourhood. I spotted him up in a Ginkgo Biloba tree several houses away from me. I took a few shot while zooming in on him and then all of a sudden he turned and seemed to be looking directly at me. The Ginkgo trees are the last of our trees to leaf out and I think he liked the bare branches.
Taking part in Saturday's Critters. Click HERE to see more creatures from around the world.
There was a house on this lot the day before but they managed to knock the whole thing down in one day. There is a sign saying there are 6 townhouses going in on the lot so I wonder if they are taking over the house that is standing in the background too.
I emerged from a sudden downpour and spotted this sleek Mercedes station wagon. I hadn't seen one before and was impressed even when it was totally wet. A model E400, I'm sure it is totally out of my price range.
I spotted this sign in a local park which has off leash hours so it is a popular place to walk a dog. Such a suitable sign!
Taking part in Signs 2. Click HERE to see more signs from around the world.
When our nurseries were all closed and it seemed impossible to get tomato plants I decided to try a trick that my friend in England uses and I put some slices of tomato in a window box and put a bit of soil on top. It took longer than I expected but this is how they looked a few days ago. The 3 bunches on the right are from a large tomato of some kind and the smaller ones are from grape tomatoes with a few basil seedlings coming up on the left. I'm going to separate them this week even though it is quite late and will see what happens. I have since purchased larger tomatoes at a nursery after lining up for quite a while but there is still a shortage of basil plants here.
I spotted this nostalgic country scene while wandering along a laneway trying to avoid crowded sidewalks. The mural is done in a very painterly style but there seems to be no artist signature. I like the addition of the basketball net which is becoming a common sight in laneways as they are nicely paved and there is usually little traffic.
Taking part in Monday Murals. Click HERE to see more murals from around the world.
It has been a difficult spring for finding nursery plants. Our stores and outlets were all closed and when they did start to open there were huge lineups and a shortage of plants. It was impossible to find tomato plants and basil until about a week ago. Finally I hit a place with no lineup when I arrived and managed to get most of the things that I wanted. And so the little garden on the roof is ready for summer. That rosemary on the left is about 6 years old - it comes inside for winter. There are a lot more planters with herbs and snow peas, etc.
These two Canada Geese took turns dropping their heads underwater as if they had lost something. Just looking for food I'm sure.
Taking part in Saturday's Critters. Click HERE to see more creatures from around the world.
One of my favourite sculptures in the city is Teddy who lives on the grounds of a large home in the Wychwood Park neighbourhood. I took this pic at the beginning of May when the daffodils were out and you can see a few more shots of him if you click the McEwen label below and also see some other pieces by the artist John McEwen. Teddy's colours seem to be developing nicely through the years.
My Dad turns 99 today! Happy Birthday to him.
I was walking down Yonge St (our main street) and spotted this installation on the side of a building which houses an Italian cafe. I have no idea what it is meant to represent. Those streamers are coated metal so it is fairly permanent. The young guy looking at his phone never looked up at all as I took several pics - this was about 6 weeks ago when it was still cold which explains his heavy coat.
I was wandering around after giving up on the lineup to get into the local plant nursery and spotted this wonderful quilted sign that someone has made and tacked up onto their fence. It was so nicely done that it cheered me up after the unsuccessful plant journey.
Taking part in Signs 2. Click HERE to see more signs from around the world.
This is a small bit of the Toronto Botanical Gardens which are found at Edward's Gardens that I showed yesterday. The pic is from my summertime archives so is much more lush than it would appear today. That is a water feature running through the middle of the pic.
The June theme for the City Daily Photo Blog community is Park. I haven't really been through any parks since the virus began so am using a photo from my archives. This is a pic taken in Edward's Gardens which is in the northeast part of the city and is connected to a chain of parks which run along the ravines of the Don River right down to Lake Ontario which is about 10 km away. The Toronto Botanical Gardens are also found at Edward's Gardens.
Taking part in the theme, Park. Click HERE to see more parks from around the world.
