Horror At The Casa

They have a trail of horror set up at Casa Loma that is 2 km long through the gardens and some of the tunnels and spooky places in the casa. I think I will skip it but kids will love it.

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

Reaching Out

 

I was driving along and saw these tentacles sticking out of 2nd storey windows so of course i had to stop for a pic. They looked great in the daylight and I hope that they light up at night. I wonder how they attach to the window?

A Neighbourhood

 

Trains through the mid town area of the city are something that one becomes accustomed to but some of the new condos being built are right beside the tracks and residents must really hear the trains. I liked the style of this mural by Erin McClusky.

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

Arising

 

There are kinds of creatures arising from the depths and wandering the streets these days. This guy must look really scary when lit up at night.

A Park Encounter

 

These are the same Yorkies that I showed last Saturday but a different encounter. This young woman actually had a dog treat in her pocket which was a hit with this old dog. He then posed for her to take a pic.

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

The Tower

 

I moved along a bit from yesterday's post of Christie Pits park and got a different view over the park. I love how you can see the CN Tower from all over the city. Here you can see some of the office towers and condo buildings near it.

The Season's Over

 

This is the main baseball diamond at Christie Pits park and the season is over for the minor league teams that use it so the pitcher's mound and home plate have been covered. There are 2 other diamonds that stay open all year for people to use. It was a fine autumn day when I passed by.

Times Change

 

In the 1950s and 60s 1050 Chum was the place on the radio to hear all of the great music of the time. All of Toronto's young people were tuned into it. Well, times have changed and it is now an all sport and talk station.

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

Dragon

 

It was a windy day when I spotted this dragon as he veered back & forth by this house.  It made him look very fierce. He will be great on Halloween night.

Stargazing

 

This mural which is found just off Bloor St in the Annex was responding to the theme of honouring all the public parks in the surrounding area. Note the raccoon on the right - a normal sight in the area too. The artist for this one is Golden Butter Murals.

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

Changes

 Most of our trees are still green but you still run into a few that have changed like this Maple tree has. We have been having windy days so the leaves are not lasting long.

Walkies

 

I have spoken to this woman a couple of times while she walks her Yorkies and have watched  as she bribes the one on the right to keep walking. That one is 16 years old and would rather take it easy so it follows along behind her while the other dog is young and on a leash to keep her under control. It is fun to watch their strolls through the park.

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

Book Fair

 

I was down on King St W a couple of weeks ago to attend the 38th The Word On The Street annual book festival that features lots of book publishers, book stores and authors. This is just a small section just after opening and later it became quite crowded so was time to leave. I did buy Christmas gifts while there.

Going Up

 

Right beside yesterday's Royal Alexandra Theatre this condo tower is rising. It was designed by Toronto born architect Frank Gehry for the Mirvish family but was sold to another developer in 2017. This is the first of two towers to be built along King St W but the 2nd one is yet to be started. This one is to be 73 storeys and is estimated to be finished in 2028.

The Royal Alex

 

The Royal Alexandra Theatre on King St W was built in 1907 and continues to present theatre productions to this day.  It was purchased by Ed Mirvish (also known as Honest Ed) in1963 and it continues to be run by his son David through Mirvish Productions. The Mirvish family has offered great support to artists of all kinds through the years.

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

Going For A Ride

 

This sculpture by the Australian artists Gillie & Marc is found on King St W and is quite popular with everyone. I had to wait until the back seat was empty of people before getting the shot. The artists' famous dog and rabbit are out for a ride with a big guy. I didn't notice the couple on the left having a big hug until I saw it on the computer.

The Neighbourhood

 

This mural has recently appeared on a utility box along Bloor St. It shows typical houses found in the neighbourhood with even a little corner store fitted in there. The artist for this one is Elicser who has done many murals around town.

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

A Favourite

 

I have always liked this house in the Annex neighbourhood with its spiral staircase leading up to the second floor. The house looks like it had been a pair of semi-detached homes that have been reconfigured with the whole of the second floor becoming one unit while the ground floor is still divided.

Fishy

I spotted this mailbox the other day and was certainly surprised to see it. It was out front of a modern infill house in a neighbourhood of older traditional homes. I loved see it.

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

It's Coming

 

I was surprised when I spotted this front garden all decorated for Halloween when I went by a week ago. It seems early but the stores are full of decorations so I guess the spooky season has begun.

Changing Colour

 

I spotted this lovely tree this week. It seems that the trees which turn to yellow tones are changing first this year although I have seen a few scattered branches of red leaves.

Corner Store

This place on Bloor St is one of my favourite corner stores. It is a great place for buying plants in spring and fruits & veggies the rest of the year.

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

Beauty

 

A friend gifted us with these beautiful flowers. Dahlias are so wonderful.

Cats

 

This Little Library is well decorated with cats on 3 sides and even their eyes around the door. Unfortunate for me but there were no books inside that caught my fancy. 

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

Not Extinct

 

There are actually still pay phones around although I don't know if you can pay with coins. I didn't look carefully. This one was down on the platform of one of our subway stations.

Bath Time

I have this small shallow metal bird bath on the roof deck that the honey bees like to use to get good drinks of water as they sit along the edges. For the last few weeks the house sparrows have been going wild taking baths and totally emptying it even though I fill it up several times a day. Sometimes there can be as many as 4 birds sitting along the edges waiting for a turn.

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

Porch Fountain

 

I happened to notice this fountain on a large front porch of a house in the Annex neighbourhood. I couldn't see it very well through all the plants but I zoomed in and was quite pleased to see how lovely it is. There must be a nice sound of the small trickle of water.

Pink In Autumn

I was surprised to see this large group  of lovely pink flowers a week ago. They all looked so fresh and lively at a time of year when most flowers are fading. I have no idea what they are. They were blowing around a lot in the wind so are a bit out of focus.
 

Along Bloor St

 

There always seems to be some action along Bloor St in Koreatown even before many of the restaurants and stores open. It looks like the local laundromat is getting a front face lift. I was surprised to see that it was still there considering the high rents on a main street.

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

More Laneway Houses

 

Yet more laneway houses that I recently spotted. They seem to be popping up all over the older parts of the city which have laneways. I much prefer the one on the right with the wood facade. The one on the left disappears behind that large shrub.

Hidden Dogs

 

At a first glance this looks like a totally abstract mural but then you notice the little dog down in the bottom left. Looking around you can see a little pink dog just right of the middle. The only artist info is WF25.

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

A Nice Welcome

 

There is something about this house that feels quite welcoming to me. And of course I like the nice balcony upstairs.

Got Any Treats?

 

This cheeky squirrel was just a few feet away fro me as I walked along a path and he was quite determined to get some type of food from me. I had lots of time to pull out my camera and take a few shots while he stared me down.

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

Like A Mirror

 

Earlier this summer this pond in Wychwood Park was covered in duckweed but as the weeds die back the reflections have appeared. As you can tell the pond is totally surrounded by trees.

Autumn Is Here

 

The Goldenrod is flowering which is a sure sign that the seasons are changing. This large patch was growing by a small creek and looked so lush that I had to stop for a pic.

Transit Signs

 

This collection of transit signs was found along the wall in the Wychwood barn which I showed you yesterday. These are major intersections in the city and it is likely that the signs were on display in those spaces. I love the graphic look of them.

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

A Fine Reuse

This is the interior of one of the old streetcar barns at the Wychwood Barns community centre and park. The barns were built as a streetcar maintenance facility in 1913 and have been converted into a multi-use space with theatres, artist studios, event spaces and more. This is barn 2 which is used as a space for a weekend farmers' market as well as various shows and even for wedding receptions. It is a great space with all of those skylights.
 

Happy

 

This happy face was spotted on a utility box outside of a public library which is a good spot for a cheerful child.

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

Careful Walking

 

This another shot of the fountain in Mirvish Village. It is activated by pressing a button over by that wall on the right. I can foresee lots of unsuspecting people getting wet while standing near the fountain when the sidewalk spurts up suddenly around them.

Keeping Warm

 

We had a cool morning a couple of weeks ago and I happened to be at the grocery store where there is a flock of about 20 pigeons who live around the parking lot. It was the first time I have ever seen them all down onto the asphalt trying to keep warm as it had been sunny earlier. There were pigeons hunkered down everywhere.

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

Brunch Anyone?

 

Brunch is a very popular thing here and this was the recent scene at a restaurant as people lined up to get a table. It would have to be very good food before I would wait that long.

It's A Jungle Out There

 

This ivy had grown all the way up a telephone pole and was beginning to cover over the streetlight that I spotted along Palmerston. It all looked quite lush.

A Fun Teacher

 

I saw this sign posted on a pole and thought it was great. Some raccoons are so talented.

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

Ivy House

 

I have always liked this house in the Annex neighbourhood, particularly the details around the porch. The ivy along the side wall looks so lush and it looks like they keep it trimmed.

Neighbourhood Watch

 

The chicken mural that I first showed a couple of weeks ago is finished and those eyes are now keeping watch along their laneway. The artist for this one is roanTO.

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

A Beauty

 

Another beautiful Hibiscus that I spotted at a corner store. I have still resisted buying one even though I love them.

Slow Walk

 

I think this is a cicada which I spotted walking very slowly across the pavement in a laneway. At first I thought that it was dead but when I got closer to it the poor thing started to walk faster. It has the look of an ancient fossil about it.

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

Among The Trees

 

I usually take pics of these turreted homes in the Annex neighbourhood in winter when there are no leaves to block the view but this looked so peaceful as I wandered by. And the young man on the left busy on his phone was just a timely addition.

An Entranceway

 

I like the contrast between this old Annex house and the modern metal planters along the walkway leading to the entrance. And all of the plants look happy.

Party On!

 

I love the name of this bar on St Clair Ave W. It sounds like the perfect place for a party. I had to stand out into traffic for the pic so have cut off the bottom of the place.

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