Downtown Toronto Scenes, Driving By

Terry and I spent a day in Toronto on our last trip to southern Ontario.

We hadn't been there for a while... And it seemed so busy! 

I snapped this picture of a mural artist updating her painting:  putting masks on faces... I would have liked to stay to watch her work.

Then, a while later, we were on the verge of entering a downtown expressway (the elevated road in the picture) when a fire engine rushed past. Traffic on the ramp suddenly came to a standstill, so we continued driving on the road below...

Then we noticed smoke! Was there a fire on the highway?! Glad we missed that!

Later Terry read that a car had caught on fire - though, fortunately, nobody was hurt.

Wow! Don't know what I'd do if I encountered something like that when I was driving... 

Big city life - always busy! You never know what will come across next!

Fancy Doughnuts

Food is always an important part of our travels, wherever Terry and I go...

On our recent trip to southern Ontario, we made memorable stops at a coffee shop in Kitchener... 

And a doughnut shop in Galt. 

One of our sons loves doughnuts! We thought of him as we talked about which doughnuts to buy.

We'd have bought him this one - smothered in his favorite peanut butter candy! But they don't taste as good when they're several days old.

Weekly Walks... Before the Snow

Before our most recent snowfall, Terry and I took long walks several times a week, each time knowing that it could be our last walk of the season. 

One of my favorite walks was along the Ottawa River in Gatineau, Quebec.

Each time we came, we dress in warmer clothing. It's always cooler by the water. 

(This is the artists' quai... No artists on the quai at this time of year!)

In spite of the chill, the walks were still lovely!

Air next to the water seems especially fresh and invigorating.

This is the first year we've walked in this part of the city. In summer, the area bustles with boaters...

But now that fall is moving into winter, boaters are long gone. 

Most of the people we encounter are about our age...

Last time we were there, we didn't even see any bikers.

Hopefully we'll be able to come back next spring - if spring floods don't keep us away.

New Favorite Apple Cake Recipe

I recently came across an apple cake recipe that uses ground almonds instead of flour. I've made it several times because it tastes really good - and is very low carb. (Of course, I've modified it a bit!)

Here is the recipe as I make it:

Mix together the following: 

• 2 cups of almond flour (also called ground almonds)
• 1 teaspoon of baking powder
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 tablespoon liquid honey
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 eggs, beaten

When this is mixed, add two washed, chopped apples. (I don't bother peeling them.) The batter will be dry rather than liquid, but the apples will moisten the cake as they cook.

The cake will not rise a lot, so it can be put into a small cake pan that has been lined with parchment paper. 

Smooth down the top. Sprinkle cinnamon. Cut a teaspoon of butter into small chunks and place on top, so that it will melt while the cake is baking. Drizzle about a teaspoon of maple syrup on top of the cake as well.

Bake for 60 minutes at 320 degrees Fahrenheit. 

Test for doneness with a toothpick. 

Let the cake stand for at least half an hour before cutting. 

The photo above is of the first one I made, just out of the oven. I've made it several times since. 

Easy and delicious!

A New Walk in Old Almonte

The weather was colder last week, but we managed to fit in a day trip to Almonte...

We usually walk around the dam - circling around on two paths that intersect near the river...

Let's take a new route this time, Terry said, when we got out of our car...

So off we headed, across the street in a different direction, into an older neighborhood...

Past a beautiful old church...

And an old public building from the 1800s... I wonder if it's still the county registry office...

A look at the river from a different angle...

Now let's go across the river to the fair grounds, Terry suggested.

So we did! 

He always enjoys sitting in old wooden grandstands...

I don't think there was a fair here this year...

Hopefully next year, it will be back!

That was fun! We'll probably continue exploring new streets and neighborhoods from now on!

Daily Changes

The house being built across the street is changing daily...

Sometimes I prefer not to watch! It's too nerve-wracking!

The weather outdoors is also changing. A few days after I took the pictures above, we had our second snowfall. 

Fortunately, the builders had finished the roof and also put in most of the windows...

Our first snow melted quickly - but Terry thinks this snow is here to stay...

I hope he's wrong!

Wedding Anniversary: My Father's Parents

Today is the wedding anniversary of my father's parents.

My father's father, August Gellert, was born on October 20, 1878 in Poland. He died in World War I - a cook in the front lines - in 1915, at the age of 37... So young!

My father's mother, Helene Hartstock, was born on November 24, 1890, also in Poland. They were married on November 24, 1908, which would have been her 18th birthday.

They went on to have three children: my father (Wladyslaw), his sister (Elsie) and another son who died as an infant, whose name I don't recall. I'm not sure if he was older or younger than my father.

Seven years after her husband's death, my grandmother remarried a man named Julius Domke (son of Johann Domke and Wilhelmine Listke). They had at least three children. Two - Walter and Lydia - eventually immigrated to Canada. But the youngest, Emma, remained in Europe. Emma had two sons whom I met, when I visited Germany with my mother, to put a headstone on my father's grave. (My father contracted meningitis and died in 1994 while travelling in Germany and Poland with my mother, on a greatly-anticipated vacation to the village where he was born.)

My father's siblings who lived in Canada were part of my childhood. We visited back and forth, and I got to know their children well.

My father's mother, Helene immigrated to Canada when she was in her early 60's, after the death of her second husband. Most of that time, she lived in Edmonton - but she did spend one year living with my family in Hay Lakes, babysitting my 2-year-old brother while my mother taught in Kingman, returning home only on weekends. My grandmother died when she was in her 80's.

Should any of my children be interested in genealogy, as my mother was, I should add that my father's father, August Gellert, was name after his father, August Gellert (born around 1860). His mother's name was Elizabeth Albrecht.

My father's mother, Helene, was the daughter of Edwardo Hartstock and Othelia Krause.

Rich Non-dairy Chocolate Pudding

I've tried the KETO diet, but consuming whole fat milk and eating lots of meat raised my bad cholesterol...

So these days I'm focusing on vegetable fats - like those found in nuts and avocado.

One of my friends, who is also trying to control her cholesterol, sent me this recipe for (rich) chocolate pudding made by blending together a ripe banana, two avocados, half a cup of cocoa and a tablespoon of honey... Actually she uses a little more honey than that, but I modified the recipe.

It doesn't taste the same as pudding made with milk - but I wondered if I'd enjoy it more if a drop or two of peppermint or almond extract were added.

It does freeze well - and it doesn't lose its thick consistency after freezing. But I wonder how it would taste if I made "ice cream sandwiches" with it before freezing.

I really do enjoy experimenting with recipes!

Cheery Rock Faces

I was surprised to see these cheery (rock) faces smiling up at me when I went to get the mail...

Thanks to all the people in the community who are trying to bring smiles to our faces!

Almonte in Fall

One sunny day in late October, Terry and I headed to Almonte, planning to take a long walk.

We headed down main street...

... peering into store windows. 

We walked beside the river, but not as far as I had hoped to go.

The wind was cold...

The drive in the country to and from Almonte were beautiful...

Are our outdoor walking days coming to an end now as winter approaches?

Normally, at this time of year we would switch to indoor mall walking... But I'm not sure what we'll end up doing this winter as weather gets colder. 

Sad to say, this is definitely not a normal year!

Enjoying Ottawa's Hintonburg Neighborhood

In recent years, Hintonburg has become one of Terry's and my favorite Ottawa neighborhoods to walk in. 

It's an old neighborhood that is becoming popular with many who prefer living closer to downtown. 

Terry and I usually go there to buy sourdough bread at a favorite bakery of his... but if they are out (which is often the case) we keep walking down Wellington  Street West, looking for other bakeries.

Last time we were there, we walked as far as Parkdale outdoor market and then on a little further to buy take-out food at my favorite vegetarian restaurant.

It always surprises me how near our walk takes us to the school I used to teach in.  

Driving to work, during my working days, I didn't usually come this way. There are faster ways to drive. But it would have been interesting to be able to walk home. 

Unfortunately, it was a little too far... 

And in those days, as I remember it, life was always a rush! I was always in a hurry either to get to work or to get home.

There wasn't enough time to "stand and stare."

Grandparents - From a Distance...

Terry and I saw our two grandchildren on our last trip to Toronto. But only from a distance... The weather was warmer two weeks ago when we were there, so we could sit outside. But in the meantime, it's gotten cooler.

Today is this little guy's first birthday.  

So glad for video-chat options, since we can't be there...

His four-year-old sister is more aware of how "different" life is because of the virus... She knows that she needs to wear a mask unless she's eating... But both she and her grandmother (ME!) had a hard time social distancing...

Like magnets, we drew closer and closer, without thinking. 

It was hard to explain to a four-year-old why she couldn't sit on grandma's lap... The grandma also had to be reminded!

I understand how the virus spreads easily at family gatherings.  Being close is so NATURAL!

We have to remind ourselves that these COVID times won't last forever - but, for many grandparents like me, they've lasted way too long already!

Is This Good-bye for the Winter?!

One of my favorite walking parks, Andrew Haydon Park, closes its parking lots in the winter, so the park is officially "closed." 

I'm not sure how many people who live nearby come to walk on the paths if they aren't maintained.

I'm also not sure when the gates are closed. 

Once the snow falls?

The last time I was walking there, a small maintenance vehicle was driving around picking up decoy fox statues used to deter geese from over-running the grounds.

Terry isn't sure the fake "foxes" serve as much of a deterrent - there are still lots of geese and ducks around. 

But I think that there are fewer this year than there have been in recent years when the paths and grass were covered with them.

Sad to see so many trees bare, their leaves on the ground.

I enjoyed my walk, wondering how many more times I'd be back - before next spring.

Interesting Plant Nursery

On our recent trip to Guelph in southern Ontario, we stopped in at a local plant nursery...

They had a lot of indoor plants - but the most amazing, to me, was their large selection of cacti.

They may look good in some places - but I'd be afraid of bumping into one and injuring myself.

Beautiful - but definitely not for me!

Fortunately, they had lots of other plants as well...

Home Office Plus

Like many office workers, our daughter has been working from home since March.

When 9 am comes around, she turns her dining room table into a desk - with two computer monitors ... and sometimes a cat...

Her worst fear is that the cat will accidentally modify an email, then "send"it!

That hasn't happened yet - but the cat sometimes does walk on the keyboard!

Choosing Perennials

At this time of year, very few of the perennials in my flower beds are still blooming. 

Looking through the mess of leaves, I notice that four different flowers that are blooming...

The white anemones that bloomed in spring are blooming again. They are the only flowers I have that bloom twice.

The tiny red Knautia are barely visible, but they're still there. They have been blooming all summer - though, in recent years, I barely notice them as they were blocked by other leaves and flowers. I'm not sure what to do about that.

The blue geranium that starts blooming in early summer has been blooming all season long.

Fall is the time for Sedum to turn red and bloom. Their flowers remain all winter long, unless they are broken off. I notice some coreopsis flowers near the sedum are still blooming too - though they are on their way out. I enjoy seeing their bright color.

If I were to start a perennial garden over again, I would consider flowers with a longer blooming season. 

But that would probably be quite limiting. Another aspect of  perennial gardening, that impacts things, is the fact that not all flowers adapt to every garden space and soil type. I've planted quite a few flowers that haven't done well and eventually died.

Is it the soil? The pine trees overhead? The sunlight? It's hard to know why some plants do well and others die...