Ready For An Adventure

I spotted this Defender parked out front of a mechanic shop that often works on exotic & unusual vehicles. This one looks like it could take you anywhere you wanted to go and then get you back.

Landscape In The City

 I love this mural which was spotted on the side of a building that faces onto St Clair Ave in the Regal Heights neighbourhood. It is really unfortunate that there is no where else to store all those garbage & recycling bins. I could find no artist name but it may be hidden there somewhere.

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

Elegant Entrance

This is one of the entrances into an old small apartment building in the Annex neighbourhood. It is 4 storeys high and fits nicely in with the houses around it. Much better than the huge condos that are being built most of the times these days.

On The Tightrope

When driving I often see squirrels crossing above the roadways along the overhead wires but never can get a shot. One day I was on a small street and this squirrel was on a long wire (about 50 ft) so I pulled over and managed to catch a shot before it reached the tree. I don't remember squirrels doing this when I was a kid but maybe there were not thick wires around for internet etc in those days.

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

In The Wind

While wandering along a laneway looking for new murals I happened to spot this weather vane just visible over the roof of a garage. It is a nice one and has such a lovely patina.

A February Surprise

Last week we had a day when the temperature went up to 14˚C which is unusual here in February. We have had above normal temps a lot and I went out to check a patch of flowers and found these Winter Aconites flowering. I have seen them a few times in March but never this early. We got a cold spell last weekend and the wee flowers simply folded their petals up and waited for the sun to warm them up again this week.

Getting A Buzz

This is yet another cannabis shop, one of the many that have turned up on our streets. This one really looked like a variety store to me and then I realized that it must be part of a chain since I had showed another similar one back in December. I like the idea of that flat on the top floor which must have a nice big deck that looks out onto Trinity Bellwoods park. 

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

Limestone Column

I spotted this sculpture while wandering around an apartment building complex just off Yonge St. The complex had a lot of sculptures throughout the grounds. This one is carved limestone by the artist Valer Chende. I quite like it.

Playing With Blocks

This large mural was spotted on the side of a house that faces Dundas St. The large figures playing with blocks are by Elicser but there are also credits for Media H, Sight, & Jax.Eve. This location seems to have a rotating mural most of them done by Elicser.

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

A Mystery Building

 I spotted this building on a small dead end street off Davenport Rd. There was no signage, no uncovered windows and no sign of anyone around it at all. It made me curious but I have found no info about it. It remains a mystery.

A Little Crowded

On the same day as the pic from last Saturday of the ducks on the icy pond I went for a walk along one of the trails at James Gardens and spotted this group of Mallards all crowded together in a small section of a stream. They all seemed quite happy together and some were actually sleeping. I counted 8 of them in that spot.

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

Old Carving

This wonderful carving is found on our old city hall which is right beside our new city hall. The old city hall was used by the city council from 1899 to 1966 and is now used for various government things such as some courtrooms. I love the details in this carving.

At The Corner

 There is something about this building that I really like. You can see the the Dog Bowl shop that I posted yesterday is part of it off to the left. It has nice proportions and a nice small courtyard up the side for the tenants to enjoy. I hope it is as well kept inside as it is outside.

The Dog Bowl

This shop on Dundas St W caters to dogs offering them all kinds of cool toys and accessories. It is conveniently located right by Trinity Bellwoods Park which has a large dog park area. I love the vintage glass on the storefront. 

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

There Had Been Snow

We have had little snow this winter so far and it has been warmer than usual. I took this shot just over a week ago showing one of the Dundas St entrances to Trinity Bellwoods Park. It is a large park right downtown and runs from Queen St W up to Dundas. It is well used all year but particularly in the summer when all the people who live in condos gather here. 

Happy Valentine's Day to everyone.

Lady With The Tattoos

 This lovely lady has appeared on the side of a building on Dundas St W. At first glance she seems to be quite conservative until you notice all the tattoos. I like the addition of the streetcar which runs by just feet away from the mural.

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

Bears

 I am back into my archives since it was too cold to wander around for a while until we finally warmed up again this past week. I took this shot a couple of years ago along Bloor St and hope that it is still there as the bears are so nicely done. I could find no info about it.

Ducks On Ice

The pond at James Gardens only rarely freezes totally over as there is always water running down a hill into it. The ducks take advantage of the bit of open water and gather around it. They don't seem to mind the ice. 

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

From The Archives

With leaves on the trees you know this is not a recent photo but rather it is from a few summers ago. The sculpture is yet another by artist Sorel Etrog and is called Grand Odalisque. He did a few castings of this one in the 1960s. You can see more of his work by clicking the Etrog label below.

The Hall

This wonderful structure is the Helliconian Hall that was described in yesterday's sign post. It is so unusual that it is not brick that it catches the eye immediately. Almost all of the older buildings in the city are red brick like the one to its right. The Helliconian Club is still going strong.

Lovely Sign

This is the sign out front of the Helliconian Hall in the Yorkville neighbourhood. I was impressed by all the details in this sign that was presented to the hall by the government of Canada. The hall has been the home of the Helliconian Club for women in the arts & letters since 1923. I will show you the unusual hall tomorrow but liked the sign so much that I thought it deserved its own post. 

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

New Rings & Trees

I showed you a shot last February (HERE) where all the trees had been taken out along the block by a local grocery store because most of them had died. Well construction continued all summer with new sidewalks installed which included large soil pits for new trees. The final step was the recent installation of this long line of bike rings. Ready for some nicer weather.

Red

A few portraits have appeared on the sides of a building on Bathurst St near Bloor St. They are camera shots that have been transferred to the wall as large murals. This one is a portrait of DJ Nino Brown and the artist is Jorian Charlton. The mural on the lower part of the wall has been there for years but the name has been obscured and the mural itself is quite weathered.

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

Snow On The Deck

We got some very fluffy snowfall last Sunday with some flakes the size of a fist. It was quite pretty. Frank, the snowman, likes to hang out on the roof deck until spring before hiding away in a shed during the hot summer days.

Looking For Lunch

These two guys were right at my feet demanding that I feed them but they were out of luck. The guy on the right had a tear in the webbing on his foot. Poor thing, that must have hurt. 

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

Finally Snow

We finally got some snow and also some sunshine so it was a pretty day along one of the trails at James Gardens. The trade off is that it also got really cold.

A Yorkville Oldie

There are some beautiful large homes in the Yorkville neighbourhood but in the oldest section there are some pretty smaller homes like this pair of semi detached ones. It was built around 1875 and was probably brick like its neighbour to the right but I don't mind the stucco at all.

Happy Groundhog Day to everyone!

February Theme: Virtue

The February theme for the City Daily Photo community is Virtue which I found to be a hard one. I chose this shot of the toddler learn to skate session at the skating rink in Christie Pits Park. The little ones are showing courage being out there on slippery ice with thin blades under their feet. Courage is a virtue isn't it? 

Taking part in the theme Virtue. Click HERE to see more examples of virtue from around the world.