Garden Decor

 

This sculpture was spotted in the front garden of a house in the Little Italy neighbourhood. The white stone section really looks as if it had a previous use but I have no idea what that could be. The metal insert hanging in the middle was quite reflective when it turned but for some reason it didn't show in the camera. Lots of questions with this one.

Little Italy Streetscape

 

These are typical of the buildings found along College St in the Little Italy neighbourhood with commercial usage on the ground floor and residential above. It is such a nice scale.

Corner Store

 

It is always a good thing to see these corner stores that sell fresh flowers, fruits and veggies surviving and the ones along Bloor St in Koreatown seem to quite well. The produce is always fresh.

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

A Sunday Morning

 

This is a typical street in the Little Italy neighbourhood on a Sunday morning when not many people are out and about yet. Even on a hot day those trees make the area feel cooler.

Dancing With A Flag

 

This lovely lady dancing with a large Italian flag was spotted, suitably, on a wall in Little Italy. The artist for this one is SumArtist.

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

Hydrangea

 

I loved the whiteness of these Hydrangeas and couldn't resist taking a shot.

Hiding His Colours

 

This Red-winged Blackbird was poking about looking for food but was keeping his bright red wing patch almost hidden. I was hoping he would flash it a bit but not until he flew up into a tree could you see the large red area. And of course he was then hidden by the leaves in the tree.

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

A Busy City

 

There are so many events going on all over the city that it is hard to keep track of them all. I stumbled upon this one at the Wychwood Barns but have no idea what it was for. Everyone was speaking Spanish but there were no signs saying what it was about. The stalls selling food were very busy!

Reflecting On Hats

 

I loved the reflections on the window of Lilliput Hats and the nice display of summer hats for women. They also have a large assortment of hats for men.

A Place For Hats

 

I've always liked this sign with the woman wearing a fine hat as it advertises the location of Lilliput Hats on College St. It is a shop/studio that features traditional custom millinery but they always have a great selection of ready made hats in the store. One of their beauties lives at our place.

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

A Balcony Garden

 

The flowers on that balcony above the door of this small apartment building on Palmerston Blvd look so lovely. It must be a great place to sit out. And on the left of the pic you can see one of the round street lamps that are found along this street.

Greenery

 

Another utility box, this one found on College St in Little Italy beside a restaurant patio. It blends in quite well with the plants around it. The artist for this one is Hot Snackz.

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

Surprise

 

I first noticed the sleek car and then the surprise was the passenger in the back seat. Mickey rides in style. The car is a Jaquar XK8 and very nice indeed.

So Cute

 

During my walk at James Gardens I saw at least 6 chipmunks scurrying around looking for bits to eat. They are so cute. This one froze when it saw me but eventually disappeared under those leaves.

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

Summer Colour

 

I was wandering around James Gardens last week and this large growth of pink Astilbe caught my eye. There was a big patch of white too but this pink won out.

A Different View

 

I thought that I should show you a different view of the Wychwood library from the one I showed on Tuesday. This one gives a better idea of how the addition is linked to the original building. I do plan on going by for some interior shots.

Fitness Workout

 

I was intrigued by the "Lift Sweat Hiit" sign out front of this personal training place on St Clair Ave W. Turns out that Hiit stands for 'High Intensity Interval Training' which involves short bursts of high intensity exercise followed short intervals of rest. 

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

Library Addition

 

This is the Wychwood Library which was one of 10 libraries in Toronto funded by the Carnegie Foundation. It was built in 1916 and had a round addition built in the 70s ( See HERE). The latter addition has been removed and this modern wing visible on the right was added which more than doubled the floor space in the building. The library was closed for 4 years to undergo construction. I'll have to go in one day for interior shots to check out the new and old features.

Cartwheels

 

The woman painted on this utility box looks to be doing a cartwheel while reading a book. A suitable theme since this box is located right across from a library. The artist for this one is Alisha Lucia Davidson.

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

Pink

 

I love the colour of these Geranium flowers.

Thwarted Again

 

This poor black squirrel was sitting looking at this pole which had a full bird feeder up top but also had 3 barricades along it to stop his ascent. He was sitting looking at it for a while and paid no attention to me.

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

Oasis In The City

 

Not all of the homes in the Wychwood Park neighbourhood are set close to the road that runs through it like the one that I showed yesterday. I always stop to admire this view of the back garden of this home. There are no fences in the neighbourhood so the gardens all flow into each other. It really is an oasis.

Trees Grow

 

I was out for a wander through Wychwood Park and was struck by how much these trees in front of this house have grown. I remember when they were small saplings and the house was totally open to the road. Now they have a bit of privacy. I have always liked this house which feels to be a bit Frank Lloyd Wright like whereas most of the homes in the park are Arts & Crafts style.

The Place

 I was walking along a commercial street and there was one company that had all the windows covered over and no signage except this fabric banner. I couldn't resist a shot. It is very intriguing.

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

At The Market

 

Sunday afternoon and everything was so neat and tidy at this fruit market along St Clair Ave W. I was out for a long walk and it was hot so I resisted buying anything.

Tones Of Grey

 

The artist and an assistant have spent more than a month airbrushing this grey mural on a wall along Dupont St. They have now spent about a week putting white highlights along the edges of the forms starting from the right side as you can see. Many times there is a photographer set up with a tripod to record all the work going on. We will have to wait and see what the final mural will be like. I fear tagging could happen.

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

Happy Canada Day to my fellow Canadians.

Lilies

 

It is lily season here although it feels like it is a bit early to me. These beauties were being blown around by really strong winds but they were tough and survived easily.

Loves The Dill

 

I had two Black Swallowtail caterpillars munching away on my dill for a couple of days and then we had a big storm and they have disappeared. I'm hoping they are hiding out somewhere safe.

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

A Place To Relax

 

I am going to finish my shots from Massey College with this shot of one of the lounge areas in the college. Those chairs are really comfortable and like all of the rest of the furniture and even those shutters in this pic they were designed by the architect of the building, Ron Thom. A place to relax at the end of our tour.

Wisdom Windows

 

These "Wisdom Windows" were found in one of the rooms at Massey College. They were commissioned to honour the outstanding women associated with the college and done by glass artist Sarah Hall in 2009. The scale is quite large and effective.

Sign Of The Times

 

It is a sign of the times that early on a Sunday morning this food delivery guy was dropping off a small bag from a coffee place to this building which is a residence at the University of Trinity College which is part of U of Toronto. People seem to get so many things delivered these days.

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

A Cool Spot

 

This is another pool found in the courtyard of Massey College. It looks and sounds so cool with the plants and fountains especially on a hot day.

"Treaty Of Niagara"

 

This is a section of a mural by indigenous artist Philip Cote found running along a stairway in Massey College. It was impossible to get the whole mural into a shot with all the people wandering about the college during the open house. The mural depicts the proclamation of Treaty Of Niagara in 1763 which was to establish the nation to nation relationship between the Aboriginal people and the Crown. 

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

Round Room At Massey College

 

One of the very formal rooms at Massey College is the Round Room which is indeed round and is the place where people defend their PhDs. The defender sits behind this wonderful desk while the questioners are spaced around the circumference of the room. I was part of a tour with many people so was unable to get a shot showing the whole room which is lit by a large round skylight.

Synchronized

 

This duck couple could try out for the olympics with their synchronized moves. They create so much current in the water when they do these dives.

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

The Library

 

This is part of the library at Massey College which is named after the Canadian author Robertson Davies who was the founding master of the college back in the 60s. It looks like a really comfortable spot to read and do research.

Treasures

 

The Nobel prize that I showed yesterday is displayed in this special locked box containing the treasures that John Polanyi received as part of his award. The certificate of the award is on the right and a personalized letter along with a photo of the award presentation is on the left. It helps if one can read Swedish. 

A Surprise

 

In a private dining room, locked in a display case there was a surprise at Massey College. The Nobel prize presented to John Polanyi  in 1986 for his work in chemistry was there as a sign of the deep feelings he has for the college. There was a lot of reflections but I still wanted to show it.

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

Dining Room At Massey College

 

The dining room at Massey College is a wonderful light-filled space. All of the furnishings were designed by the building's architect Ron Thom, even the lights on the tables. Somehow it reminded me of the dining hall in the Harry Potter films. It is open to the public at lunch with all food made in house using local produce.

You Are Being Watched

 

These fierce looking eyes were found across the road from Massey College acting as a lookout along the street. The signature says 85 but I can't think that these have been there that long.

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

Ongoing Work

 

I've been watching the progress of the construction around what was Bloor St United Church which was sold for condo construction. I last showed it a quite a while ago (HERE). All that is left now is the facade and the towers as work goes on behind it.

Catching Some Warmth

 

On a sunny but coolish day this Green Frog was warming itself up in the sun. Our weather has been up and down but all the creatures know how to deal with it.

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

Clock Tower at Massey College

 

The clock tower with bell at Massey College really shows itself as 1960's architecture. I love it. The architect for the college and all of its furnishings was Roy Thom. The bell chimes three times a day at meal time. I was shooting into really strong sunshine so had to remove a lot of shadow to show the tower.

Pond At Massey College

Massey College is a graduate residential college at the U of Toronto that opened in 1963. Several years ago I thought it would be nice to photograph the courtyard of the college not realizing that it had very strict admittance rules and only authorized people were allowed to enter. This year it was part of Doors Open so I headed down and walked in with my camera. The college presents brick walls to the street with everything opening onto this inner courtyard.  The pond is the main feature of the area and even with crowds of people it was a peaceful place.

Be Kind To The Trees

The smaller trees can get damaged by people locking their bikes around their trunks so the U of T tries to keep them safe. Unfortunately there are not enough places to lock a bike safely in many areas.

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

Film Shoot

 

Even on a Sunday morning you can find people setting up for a film shoot. Toronto is one of the largest sites for film production in North America so it is not unusual to find streets closed off for a shoot. This shoot was taking place in one of the large old homes in the Annex neighbourhood near the university.

Street Planters

 

A section of a nearby road has been closed to vehicle traffic and part of blocking the street has involved installing these planters with the relaxing murals. The artist for these is Marley Allen-Ash.

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

House With A View

 

This house sits directly across from Christie Pits Park and looks right down onto the baseball diamond that I showed a few days ago. I think sitting up on that top balcony and watching a game would be perfect.

Robin

 

There seem to be Robins everywhere right now poking about in gardens but the one that has usually visited my bird bath every evening for the last couple of years seems to have moved on. It must have found a better place for recreation. 

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

Blue

 

I was walking along when suddenly this blue treasure appeared. It is a 1965 Ford Falcon and looked to be in mint condition. Times have certainly changed in vehicle design.