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.

Red Horse Chestnut Tree

 There seems to be more and more of these red Horse Chestnut trees around but still not as many as the white ones. This small one in a local park just called out to have its picture taken.

Another Neighbourhood Cafe

 While wandering around I spotted another small neighbourhood cafe in what had one time been a corner store. I have a feeling there are a lot of these little places around. Just open during the morning and afternoon they certainly must be a great addition to the area.

Batter Up!

There is nothing like sitting on the grass on a hill on a warm day watching a baseball game below. Even neighbourhood dogs enjoy it as you can see on the left of my pic. I think it was a match between 2 schools but I didn't have time to stay around and find out. The pitcher picked the runner off 2nd base shortly after this shot.

Laneway Chaos

 

This chaotic scene is in the narrow laneway behind several shops and restaurants along Bloor St W in Koreatown. It certainly brightens the area but is not my favourite type of mural by any means.

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

Welcome In

 This house seems to be offering such a warm welcome. Smaller than the ones around it but the one that tempts you to come by for a visit don't you think?

June Theme: Outdoor Cafes

 The June theme for the City Daily Photo Blog community is "Outdoor Cafes" and I chose to show a small neighbourhood cafe rather than one of the big busy ones along the main streets. This one in the Seaton Village neighbouhood is in what had been a corner store and then a dry cleaners before becoming a cute little cafe just open during the day and used by neighbours for a quick coffee or chat. Or to check their devices.

Taking part in the theme Outdoor Cafes. Click HERE to see more cafes from around the world.