Winter Sky and Squirrel Nests

On one of the few cold days we have had I went out for a late afternoon wander and found an empty playground at our local park - not even a squirrel to be found. But high in all the trees in the park you could see squirrel nests waving back and forth in the wind - each probably with a little creature keeping warm. I wonder why they always seem to build out towards the ends of the branches?

Mural at P.A.T. Central B

This is the other (left side) half of yesterday's mural and this one shows bits of Korean culture as opposed to the food. It is unfortunate that skids have been piled against it but as is often the case once the mural has been there for awhile many people don't even look at it or notice it anymore. Hopefully it will get tidied up in the spring. That box towards the middle is actually a planter so it will have flowers next summer we hope!

Mural at P.A.T. Central

The side of yesterday's building leading to the parking lot has this wonderful mural painted on it. The whole mural is 7' high by 70' long and so I was able to capture only half of it in this pic - will show you the other half tomorrow. By artist Attila Szanyi whose studio is just down the street, the mural was painted in 2007 and still looks fresh today showing the delicious bowl of Korean food and its ingredients!

P.A.T. Central

This sign always catches my eye for obvious reasons but it also marks the location of a full-sized Korean grocery store in the middle of Koreatown on Bloor St. It has a treasure trove of Korean groceries and also a large selection of Japanese goodies especially candies and treats. I wander the aisles not knowing what much of the things are but fascinated by the huge selection of noodles, sauces, etc. The take-out food has always been good too. I have to learn more about Korean cuisine!

Taking part in Signs,Signs. For more signs click here.

It's So Cold That .....

It's so cold here today that even some of the little steel creatures atop a fence surrounding a local house are wearing scarves! There are over a dozen of these wee things (cats, coyotes, elephants, etc) scattered along the fence but only the dog & mouse are dressed for the weather. It is -15˚C with a windchill of -26˚C just after noon - going up to -13˚C this afternoon!

Super Infill House

The neighbourhood north of Lawrence between Bathurst St & Avenue Rd has been totally overrun by often horrible mega-houses which have replaced block after block of cute little bungalows. This house occupies a largish corner lot (with little backyard stream) that had one of those bungalows but instead of a contractor-designed replacement, an architect was hired and the home was designed to the owners specs. I have been inside this one and it is spectacular - indoor squash court, interior catwalks, moveable walls, great art etc! Love it! I took this pic in Nov when we still had a few leaves & flowers.

New Year Squirrel

I am not sure why but when I saw this cute felt squirrel in a craft shop window on Friday I thought it could work as my new year's post. He seems rather hopeful and clean as is the year! I took the pic through the glass so he is a bit softened but oh well.

I hope you all have a wonderful New Year. I enjoy all your posts and love all your comments and think of you as friends to visit every day. Happy New Year everyone!