Deer

This is one from my archives and I'm not sure why I never posted it since I really like it. It is such a peaceful scene to greet you when you arrive home. There was no artist signature. 

Taking part in Monday Murals. Click HERE to see more murals from around the world.

Me And My Shadow

A sunny day in winter when there is snow on the ground is wonderful for creating interesting shadows. I like the way the shadows all show as blue in this shot taken during a walkabout around U of T.

A Winter Bath

While I was taking yesterday's shot of the stream at James Gardens I heard some rustling in the bushes to my right and looked over to see two Blue Jays having a bath in the shallow narrower  part of the stream. They were up grooming in the bush while this male Cardinal then moved down and was ready to dive in for a bath too. It was around +8˚C and so I guess the birds were taking advantage of the weather to groom their feathers a bit. I stayed very still and watched them all for a while.

Taking part in Saturday's Critters. Click HERE to see more creatures from around the world.

A Stream Runs Through It

I like wandering through the ungroomed areas of James Gardens where you can head off into the wooded parts away from the pathways that run along the Humber River which borders the park. This small stream is always pretty in every season and on a sunny day with snow on the ground it was very pleasant.

Winter At The Park

We had a day a week ago when the temperature went up to + 9˚C and everyone was smiling. I went to James Gardens for a bit of a walkabout and to visit the ducks. I loved the textures of the grasses and shrubs against the snow. More from the park tomorrow.

Open Again

Restaurants are finally open again after so many months of closing and opening back and forth. This pizza place on Dundas St W has a nice clean and appealing look to it so it is worth trying one day. 

Taking part in Signs 2. Click HERE to see more signs from around the world.

The Casa In Winter

It is always nice to see Casa Loma when the snow is on the stone wall that surrounds it. I never got up there when we had our really deep snow but the cold weather has kept the white stuff around.

A Bit Nervous

Another mural found on a garage and in this one that woman is looking a bit nervous with her surroundings. It can be like that at night along a laneway! I like the style of this one. 

Taking part in Monday Murals. Click HERE to see more murals from around the world.

A February Treat

It seems that every year around this time the Clivia plant puts out a nice bunch of blooms to brighten a cold day. Usually there will be a few of these stems that come up over the next few weeks. Definitely a treat at this time of year.

Just Hanging Around

This grey squirrel looks so relaxed hanging upside down and having a wee snack. It is nice to have a bushy tail like that to wrap over your toes to keep them warm. 

Taking part in Saturday's Critters. Click HERE to see more creatures from around the world.

The Greenhouse

After finding the grounds at Spadina House closed, which I mentioned in yesterday's post, I went back another day and did tour the snowy area. I've always loved this greenhouse which grows a lot of the flowers that are later planted throughout the gardens surrounding the house.

Through The Gate

This is a view through the gate in the stone wall that surrounds the grounds of Spadina House with a view of part of the house. The grounds were closed that day but I could see the tracks of someone who had been cross-country skiing around the perimeter on another day.

Getting Back To Normal

Things are starting to get back a bit to normal here and the theatres are able to open with reduced seating capacity. It has been a difficult 2 years for the theatre crowd so I hope they find that people come out to support them. 

Taking part in Signs 2. Click HERE to see more signs from around the world.

A Happy Bear

 I spotted this happy bear celebrating Valentine's day but his banner kept blowing inside out on him. He was still a cheerful sight to see.

Beauty In A Laneway

The fence may be a bit in need of some work but this mural was a lovely surprise to come upon down a laneway. It reminded me of Chinese brush painting which I had attempted to learn for several years a long time ago. 

Taking part in Monday Murals. Click HERE to see more murals from around the world. 

Happy Valentines Day to everyone.

 

The Diver

 I love a good shadow and this is a great one spotted in a gallery. The piece itself is wonderful and the shadow takes it to another level.

A Black Duck

One day when I was checking out the ducks at the pond in James Gardens there were a few of these Black Ducks sprinkled in among the hundreds of Mallards who live there. They were a little larger than the other ducks but seemed to get along with them nicely. 

Taking part in Saturday's Critters. Click HERE to see more creatures from around the world.

A University Door

 This is one from my archives from when I was wandering around University College at U of Toronto. The cold weather and snow have hampered the wandering a bit so it is into the files for a pic or two now and again. I love the details on this door.

A Snowy Wonderland

Some winter mornings you wake up to find the world is looking beautiful and if there is no wind it will last a while. Add a stream and you have a real winner.

Watch Your Step

When this grocery store was built, probably 20 years ago, a row of trees was planted along the front of it with just a tiny bit of open soil around each of them. They struggled along and finally most of them had died and so recently they were all pulled out and these signs were placed where each tree was to warn people about the tripping hazard. Hopefully new trees appear with a better method of planting them. 

Taking part in Signs 2. Click HERE to see more signs from around the world.

Similar But Not the Same

 These two houses found in the Annex were built in the late 1880s and they have now been wonderfully restored. I like the fact that they are very similar but have different windows etc giving them each their own look. The one on the left was for sale a couple of years ago for several million $.

More Butterflies To Come

 I have found another laneway that has almost every garage door painted with a mural of a butterfly. That seems to be the most popular motif in laneways. This is a pretty one with its rich colours. The artist signature is P.S.

Taking part in Monday Murals. Click HERE to see more murals from around the world.

Magical Sunshine

After many days of grey skies late one afternoon the sun came out and lit up this tree with golden tones. It was so encouraging to see and to hope that there might be more sun to come and melt some of our snow.

Feeding Time At The Park

This man was feeding the ducks at James Gardens on a bitterly cold day. There are signs up saying not to feed the animals but at least he was feeding them seeds and not bread which is what most people seem to do. I'm sure they were thankful for the handout that day.

Taking part in Saturday's Critters. Click HERE to see more creatures from around the world.

More Memories

Yesterday's post of a skating rink brought back memories and so does this one which is a bit difficult to figure out.  What we have in front of these 2 houses is a huge pile of snow which starts on one yard , wraps across the driveway between the houses , and then covers the second yard.  Then the digging began and it has resulted in a network of tunnels which link together and which has multiple entrances like the one which is is sort of visible by that Slow Down sign. I remember so many times how we kids would start digging out a snow fort just to have it collapse on us. This one has been holding up for several days now!

Fun At The Rink

 One nice thing about all the cold weather we have had is that rinks are popping up all over as people flood their back yards and volunteers flatten the snow in parks and then flood the areas. This park in the Annex neighbourhood has a large group of volunteers who organize activities all year and have been maintaining this rink for the kids. It is a large one and at this time when I went by there were 2 hockey games going on as well as a few little girls practicing their figure skating along the sidelines. It sure took me back to my childhood when we spent hours on end skating at the local park.

People Power

 When I was looking for shots of power for yesterday's theme I had considered this one which shows a weight lifting gym and also some of the city's rental bikes. I thought the people power would work so here it is today. There is also a solar power collector there for the bikes.

Taking part in Signs 2. Click HERE to see more signs from around the world.

February Theme: Power

The February theme for the City Daily Photo Blog community is Power and I chose this shot of these power lines that run for miles through the middle of the city.  They run right along side of railway tracks in this area and the towers are frequent hunting look-out spots for hawks who watch for prey along the tracks. 

Taking part in the theme Power. Click HERE to see more shots of power from around the world.