There Were Dragons

There were dragons at the St Patrick's Day parade but at least there were no snakes. And the dragons were green.

Mexican Dancers

 This is just a small part of the large group of Mexican dancers that were in the St Patrick's Day parade. It was a cold day so those guys were lucky to have the nice bright serapes to keep them warm.

Remembering Heroes

There was a very large group of Irish who fought with the Mexicans in the Mexican-American War. So many that they formed their own battalion.  And there was a really large group of Mexicans in costume who marched in the St Patrick's Day parade as a tribute and remembrance.

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

Colourful Dancers

To go along with the multi-cultural nature of Toronto the St Patrick's Day parade featured groups from many different nationalities. This was a group of very colourful Japanese dancers. It was a cold and windy day so hopefully the dancing kept them warm.

Blue Hand

 This mural appeared in the Annex last November. The artist is Talie Shalmon who designed the mural and then her drawing was printed on a special vinyl which was then heat-bonded to the brick wall. The hand is gently holding some of the Annex buildings such as Trinity-St Paul's church and typical houses from the area.

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

Dancing Keeps You Warm

 I went to the St Patrick's Day parade last Sunday and it was really cold and windy. The sun came out for little bouts of warmth but I felt bad for all of the marchers and dancers especially the kids. This group of kids from an Irish dance school were full of energy at the start of the parade which is where I was standing to view the activities.

From The Archives

I haven't seen any Song Sparrows since last fall but hopefully soon we will be hearing and seeing them. This little one was poking around and not staying still for long but I finally got a shot in the autumn. Let's hope for spring soon.

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

Closed For The Season

 I was surprised to see that this shop that serves granita & gelato was closed for the whole winter season. They are famous for their granita so I guess they make enough money to pay the rent even when closed. I plan on trying some treats when the weather gets nice. In the meantime they have a rather funky window display.

Out To The Patio

 Looking in the other direction in yesterday's restaurant takes you to a door leading out to a funky little patio which hopefully will be open soon as our weather improves. I love little interesting places like this.

Great Lunch Place

Rapido is a nice little lunch spot with Italian flair located along Bathurst St.  The atmosphere is great and they make a great panino. Another pic tomorrow.

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

Snowy Morning

We haven't had much snow this winter until March came and since then we have had days of snow followed by days of melting. It doesn't feel like spring. This shot was taken last week at Prospect Cemetery.

A National Treasure

What a surprise it was to walk along a laneway and spot a mural of David Suzuki on a garage door. David Suzuki is a world-renowned scientist, broadcaster, and environmental activist. He works tirelessly to protect the natural environment through the David Suzuki Foundation that runs projects all over Canada.

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

An Irish Dog

This wonderful Irish dog was spotted outside a corner store. Today is our St Patrick's Day parade and I will be heading to Bloor St to watch even though it is to be a bit cold out.

What's Your Problem?

This Red-tailed Hawk swooped by my car and then landed in a nearby tree where it then turned and gave me the evil eye. I obviously was not welcome in the area.

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

Happy St Patrick's Day

My parents loved going to New Orleans and they always visited Pat O'Brien's pub. I imagine that it is a busy place today. Enjoy the day!

They're Back

 The little Winter Aconite flowers survived under the 10 inches of snow we had and finally opened up in the sunshine on a coolish day last week. Unfortunately for them it snowed again the next day but they are tough.

A Bright Spot

When walking along St Clair Ave in the Regal Heights neighbourhod I spotted yet another Mexican restaurant that I hadn't seen before. I am going to have to do some food exploration in this area.

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

Elegance

This is yet another interesting entrance to one of the small older apartment buildings that are found in many neighbourhoods around the city. It has an understated elegance to it don't you think? Much nicer than some of the sterile entrances to the new condos. 

Making Friends With Cats

This wonderful cat was found on a utility box in the Oakwood Village neighbourhood. It may be hard to read the writing but it says "You will always be lucky if you know how to make friends with strange cats". The bright colours were great to see on what had been a few snowy days. The artist for this one is L. Davies.

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

A Snowy Deck

 This was the scene last weekend as I looked out onto the roof deck. We got a load of snow on the Friday night and even Frank the plastic snowman was not amused at the amount of snow covering him. The temperature rose a lot and much of it disappeared by Monday but it was not a pretty sight by then with dirty snow piled along the roadways. I can't wait until spring.

The Angry Polesitter

A couple of weeks ago I showed you how the squirrels walk along the utility wires to reach safe places and that is the way these guys get onto my roof deck. I had just chased this one out of a planter where it was tossing dirt around looking for something. It took off along the wires to this pole and then sat there for a long time chattering away at me. 

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

The Tailor

This sculpture with the vintage sewing machine incorporated into it was found out front of a tailor's shop just off St Clair Ave.  It really attracts your attention to what could otherwise be a hidden shop.

Kurbmaster

This plate was found on the front of the old truck which I showed you on Tuesday. I loved all the textures & details so thought it all deserved a close-up. I think the nameplate was a new addition since in small letters above the Kurbmaster it says DeSotos which is the name of the nearby restaurant.

Neon

I spotted this Mexican restaurant on a sunny cool winter day and loved their Atomic 10 sign. I didn't visit this time but will be back when that patio is open in summer. The name for the restaurant is in reference to Neon being the 10th element on the periodic table and they have a large collection of neon signs inside. 

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

Imperial Upholstering

 This old truck was spotted beside a Mexican restaurant just off St Clair Ave. It has faded signage saying it is from the Imperial Upholstering Co in Salem Ohio and has a 4 digit phone number which means that it is quite old. It has new tires on it so I'm thinking it is used during the summer months. I love the look of it.

Let Love Rain Down

I love this door which was spotted at the side entrance to a building on St Clair Ave. The whole wall was covered with those colourful drops of rain but it was also hidden behind many garbage bins and cars. The door itself was the star of the wall. 

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

Dreaming of Green Trees

 This is a shot from last autumn when I spotted this large elegant willow tree in Prospect Cemetery. I am dreaming of sitting out in the warm sunshine this spring and getting rid of winter coats & boots.

13th Blog Birthday

Today is the 13th birthday of this blog and I have loved it all those years. When I first started I thought I would post occasionally and hence my blog name but I soon found that I wanted to post everyday and so here we are years later. I have loved meeting so many blog friends and some of you I have known almost from the start. Thanks for all the great posts you all put up each day & I hope that we all keep at it for many more years. The ducks make many Saturday appearances so I thought a party with a bunch of them would be suitable for the day. 

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

Gone For Now

A week ago I showed you a pic of the yellow Winter Aconite in bloom and this pic shows what they look like now. They are sound asleep under a blanket of snow. Large clumps of them had come out so I am hoping the snow insulates them from the cold we have since had.

Face To Face

This was spotted on the side wall of a gallery building along St Clair Ave, not the usual place to find such a work. I quite like it.

March Theme: Comfort Food

 The March theme for the City Daily Photo Blog community is Comfort Food and I chose this pic of my Pancake Tuesday dinner as my example. Pancakes with maple syrup, veggie sausages, and a nice glass of Chardonnay fits the bill for me.

Taking part in the theme Comfort Food. Click HERE to see more great food from around the world.