July Theme: Bubbles

 

The July theme for the City Daily Photo Blog community is Bubbles and for this one I offer this cold pint of beer with a nice bunch of bubbles up top.

Taking part in the theme Bubbles. Click HERE to see more bubbles from around the world. 

Bike Lanes

 

It was hard to get a shot of them but these concrete structures act as a barrier between the car traffic and bicycle traffic in many locations around the city. These ones along Avenue Rd have all been painted by different artists. It makes for a great effect.

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

A Busy Corner

 

A neighbourhood cafe is a busy place on a warm summer weekend. This cafe is right in the middle of a residential area and was the site of one of the corner stores that were everywhere years ago. Now people are lined up out the door for a good coffee and treat.

A Handsome Creature

 

This male Cardinal has been singing quite loudly around our place for the last week. Mating season again? He certainly is looking to be in his prime.

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

Demolition

 

This is all that remains of a long term care home that has been demolished slowly over the last few months. Unfortunately I think it is being replaced with a condo tower but we shall wait and see. It would be nice if it was a nicer LTC instead.

Fancy Hats

 

You will have to pardon the reflections in this shot but I had to get a shot of that black and white fascinator on the right. Can't you just see a tall elegant woman arriving at a function wearing that? 

Vaping

 

It doesn't feel as if many vape shops are opening but I saw this sign and thought it was a good location for it - beside a magic mushroom shop and 2 doors from a cannabis shop. All handy to each other.

Taking part in Signs2. Click HERE to see more signs from around the world. 

A Favourite

 

This house in the neighborhood near Casa Loma has always been one of my favourites. It is on a street with a lot of trees so this shot was taken in March before the leaves came out. In summer the house has beautiful flower beds throughout the garden. I just love the proportions of the place.  

Under The Sea

 

This mural was found in the laneway behind the shops along Bloor St W in Koreatown. I have no idea what business is out front. The artist for this one is ROAMto.

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

A Sad Story

 

I had posted this pic in mid January along with the sign about this Elm tree being a survivor against the disease that has killed almost all of them in the city. Unfortunately the tree did not leaf out this spring and it was scheduled to be cut down last week. The city forestry department is attempting to recover some seeds or cuttings to retain the DNA of this grand tree.

Puddle Action

 

These pigeons had found a couple of puddles along the driveway into a busy grocery store and nothing was going to stop them from enjoying the water. If a vehicle came by they would walk over a few feet and then return immediately to the puddle. Even a large tractor trailer didn't bother them much.

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

Orchid

 

My orchid has been putting on a grand show since mid March and still has one bud to open up. I love its colour.

Good Catch

 

I spotted this sculpture by artist Patrick Amiot a few weeks ago in the Yorkville neighbourhood. I really like his fun sculptures and you can see more if you click on the Amiot label below. This guy looks so pleased with his catch.

Deserts And More

 

It was the name that attracted my attention at first when I thought it was a shop selling lottery tickets. It turns out that Loteria is a traditional Mexican card game and this is a cafe serving deserts and light meals like sandwiches and salads. Another place to try out - hoping they have Mexican treats.

Taking part in Signs2. Click HERE to see more signs from around the world. 

New Crop

 

Our cool spring has meant a late start for many things like tomatoes but the lettuce seems to be enjoying it. We have been nibbling on fresh lettuce in sandwiches, etc. Very local produce from the deck.

Art At The Subway

 

This long mural by First Nation artist Thomas Sinclair was spotted on the Markham St entrance to the Bathurst St station. Apparently each panel references a different indigenous story. It was a pleasant surprise to see it.

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

Lilacs

 

This group of lilac bushes was so packed with flowers that I just had to stop for a pic. They were so lovely.

In A Blur

 

This was my first bee sighting of the year and I followed this guy for several minutes as he dive bombed a large pot of chives that were flowering. I couldn't catch him  staying still but still liked this shot of the high energy action so here it is.

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

Finally

 

We finally got some warm weather after the coldest May since 1967! The garden centres are all busy and well stocked now.

Renewal

 

This fine looking building is a Toronto Hydro substation that has just undergone an extensive refurbishment that seemed to last  over a year. All of the mortar between the bricks was ground out and replaced and even the stone steps were reset. The building is well over 100 years old and looks ready for the next 100.

Good Vibes

I was on the other side of the street and spotted this new cafe that has opened on Dupont St in the Annex neighbourhood. I didn't have time to check it out but plan to check out the Mexican vibes soon. On-line I found that 2 young women from Mexico own the place and it sounds like quite fun.

Taking part in Signs2. Click HERE to see more signs from around the world.
 

Origami?

 

I spotted this large blue creature in the Yorkville neighbourhood. It looks like origami on a large scale and made of steel rather than paper. There was no info about it but I think it is by the artist Hacer. I like the addition of the bird up top. 

Green

I spotted this mural with all of the pleasant greens on the side of a garage. I don't think there is any message but it is pleasing to the eye. The artist for this one is ROAMto.

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

Wandering

 

I was wandering around the U of Toronto (U of T) downtown campus and ended up in this walkway in one of the newer buildings. I always like this kind of view. There were gardens off to the left so I will have to go back in the summer to check them out.

Treats For Us?

 

This group of Mallards was terribly disappointed when I had no food for them. They have become accustomed to people giving them bread which isn't good for them.

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

Rose-style Windows

 

The sanctuary from Trinity St Paul's church which I showed you yesterday gets a lot of light from these huge rose-style windows that are present on three sides of the church. Unfortunately there was a light fixture hanging in front of each one. They were really lovely even on a cloudy day but I imagine that a sunny day would make them glow.

Inside Trinity St Paul's

 

I showed you the outside of Trinity St Paul's Church back in December (HERE) and went back during our Doors Open event to check out the inside. This pic was taken from the balcony and looks down through the sanctuary showing the large organ and the set-up for a concert by Tafelmusik, a baroque orchestra that operates out of the church. The sanctuary holds around 850 people. I'll show you some of the stained glass tomorrow.

Who You Gonna Call

 

I never noticed that Ghost Bureau sign before on this Bloor St building until the frozen yogurt place on the ground floor closed. It turns out the ghost bureau is a marketing agency on an upper floor. The building could use a new paint job.

Taking part in Signs2. Click HERE to see more signs from around the world.

More Shadows

 

This was a contender for my pic for the theme shot of shadows which I showed on Sunday. Palm shadows feel so tropical when our weather here has been anything but tropical.

Supporting Each Other

 

Another mural celebrating the power of women supporting women. This one was inspired by the 3 Sisters - corn, beans, & squash growing strong together. I like it.

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

June Theme: Shadows

 

The June theme for the City Daily Photo Blog community is Shadows and I offer this shot of a bench with wonderful shadows created by its shape. I like the bench a lot.

Taking part in the theme Shadows. Click HERE to see more shadows from around the world.

Heron In The City

 

I don't get to see too many herons in the city so it was nice to spot this one painted on a utility box. The soft colors seem to suit the scene. 

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

Fire Station 312

 

This is the Yorkville Fire Station which is one of the oldest in the city. The tower was built in 1876 but the other half dates from 1889. The whole structure has been updated and still functions as a very busy fire hall.

Spring Trees

 

One thing about spring rain is that it certainly gets the trees to pop their leaves open. It always seems to be sudden to me.

Pub On Bloor St

 

I had shown a shot of the patio of Paupers Pub back in the winter and thought that I should show you the front of this fine old building which at one time had been a bank. Paupers has been there for many years now and even has a great deck up on the roof.

Taking part in Signs2. Click HERE to see more signs from around the world.

"Table Of Love"

 

I posted this sculpture a long time ago and went back recently for another look. The artists for this are Gillie and Marc and features their Rabbitwoman and Dogman having a romantic meal. I really like it and we have a local law firm to thank for having it installed outside their offices in the Yorkville neighbourhood.

Plant People?

 

I spotted this mural along a laneway and I'm sure there must be a message here but I have no idea what it is. The artist for this one is Andre Lopez. Any message ideas?

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

Sunlight

 

I happened to spot the sun pouring through a skylight at a local gallery and loved the effect so here it is.

A Private Pool

 

We have had some dry spells lately but when we do get rain and puddles form the birds take advantage of the puddles. This Robin was in the middle of a bath in this private puddle but stopped to make sure I was no risk to him.

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

More Tree Blossoms

 

There are so many trees in blossom around the city that I just had to show another. I think this is a Redbud which is becoming more common here as the climate warms. You can also see another of the Canadian flags which are being displayed like never before.

"Full Moon" Revisited

 

I hadn't really gone by this clock called "Full Moon" which is located on Yonge St for a long time and then I remembered that I had posted it  HERE way back in 2010. It was created by Wendell Castle in 1988 and it looks so 80s to me. If you go back and look at my original post you will see that the clock now needs a bit of sprucing up. A polish & clean would help.

Yorkville Library

 

The Yorkville Library is the oldest library in the city. It was built in 1907 and is one of the Carnegie libraries being built with a grant from Andrew Carnegie as one of the many libraries he funded all over the world.

Taking part in Signs2. Click HERE to see more signs from around the world.

Jane's Walk

 

I just happened to come across all of these people assembling for one of the Jane's Walks that took place a couple of weeks ago. There were over 150 walks organized throughout the city in memory of Jane Jacobs the renowned urbanist.  This walk was in the west Annex neighbourhood which just happens to be where Jacobs lived after moving to Toronto from the US many years ago. The walks are organized to gather people together to walk and explore the city.

Sisters

 

I spotted this wonderful mural down a very narrow laneway so it was hard to get the whole thing in. Love the message. The artist is Leslie Phelan.

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

Birds On Bloor

 

All along Bloor St in the Yorkville neighbourhood the large planter boxes have been planted up with flowers which are colour coordinated to match the birds that live in each planter. I liked these colours best.

A Crowd Of Ducks

 

The crowd of ducks in the foreground has attracted the 2 ducks in the upper half of this shot. They were rushing over to see if they were missing out on something. Spotted at James Gardens.

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

More Magnolia Beauty

 

I couldn't resist another pic of a tree in blossom. This deep pink Magnolia was spotted in a small front garden in the Annex neighbourhood. Our weather has been up and down with cool nights and I think that has let the blossoms last a bit longer this year.

Changes

 

I just happened to be going by while they were taking down scaffolding around the lower floor of this new building on Spadina south of Bloor St W. The tall building is a new student residence for U of Toronto while the small older building on the left was the site of a wonderful bookstore for 35 years. The old building is now just a reminder of its construction in 1885 and this part only survived after much resistance from neighbourhood groups to its proposed demolition.

An Unusual Name

 

Good juice box feels like such an unusual name for a vintage clothing store that I think it is worth a visit to check things out. This is another street shot along Bloor St in Korea Town.

Taking part in Signs2. Click HERE to see more signs from around the world.

Blossom Time

 

This large tree in a neighbours back garden puts on a great show each spring. I am not sure but I always think that it must be an apple tree. This is the view from our roof deck.