Scenes From the City

It has been interesting to wander around Toronto in more walkable spring weather...

Here are a few scenes of the city - before it started to rain...

Sidewalks near Lake Ontario... full of cyclists and runners.

Bikes for rent...

Drake's sports training facility. Basketball, I assume.

Workers repairing the trolley car lines... 

(How many Canadian cities still have trolleys?!)

Outdoor art under the Gardiner Expressway...

Misty clouds hiding the tops of skyscrapers - even the CN Tower!

Lots of interesting things to notice every day!

Toronto's Trillium Park

On our recent trip to Toronto, my daughter took me to Trillium Park, on Lake Ontario, an easy walk from her home.

The weather was cool and damp - but we missed the heaviest rain.

The park is a peninsula, of sorts, that juts into the water.

Encircled by water, there are lots of lovely views.

The winds made the lake choppy.

On a warmer day, the park would doubtless have been bustling.

But I was glad for the quiet.

A peaceful - if wet and windy - walk.

Perfect for Seniors!

There's so much to see from a highrise window - especially if there are cranes working nearby...

A highway within close proximity... with emergency sirens from time to time - and flashing lights...

Trains regularly speeding by...

It's easy to fritter away a whole day, my daughter commented as we enjoyed our coffee - while looking out the window.

(In other words - an interesting place for seniors. No need for a TV!!)

No Birds?!!

On warm days, if I wake up early, I like to open windows to let fresh air into the house. (I close them all again at 8 AM, to keep the cool air in.)

The one problem I often encounter is the early morning chirping of the birds. Anyone in the house who's asleep wakes up! It can be loud - especially when the "chirping" birds are crows!

Yesterday I opened the windows to let in fresh air... but there were NO BIRDS CHIRPING!! Outdoors, everything was very quiet.

So unusual! I wonder why! What do the birds sense, that we don't ?! (Or do they occasionally take a day of rest?!)

Visiting Guelph Again...

When we were visiting our daughter in Toronto last week, we took a day trip to Guelph, where she lived for four years.

It was fun to be back - to walk near the river, where she used to go jogging.

It ended up being a walk down memory lane, as Terry and I revisited our favorite dessert shops... "Lady Glaze" doughnuts, Eric the (French) Baker. And the place with the BEST lemon squares - "With the Grain" Bakery.

(For some unknown reason, I took no pictures of any of the desserts!)

And of course, we had to buy something from each one. We'll be eating made-in-Guelph desserts for days!

New Restaurant!

One of the joys of travelling is trying new restaurants.

In Toronto recently, we found this one thanks to online reviews.

The restaurant was packed! 

Another time, I'd try their soup and more flavours of perogies. The food was all delicious - but I loved the perogies best.

Greening Season

Terry and I recently drove to Toronto to visit our daughter.

The trees were turning green again...

All along the highway.- then driving down the Don Valley Parkway, I marvelled at the pale, pure green of spring's new growth!

Toronto has so much greenery - even amid the skyscrapers and cars!

The Blooming Season Begins!

Our first two waves of spring perennials have come and gone - the hellebores, scillas and star-shaped tulip tarda (below)...

Then came the tulips, which are now fading...

Currently the euphorbia are blooming. I love these tidy yellow mounds of flowers.

In fact, the whole garden has an air of tidiness, as bunches of leaves push out of the earth - like thr hostas (above) amid lily of the valley.

Soon they will emit their fragrance.

One by one, from April to October, different flowers make their brief appearance, then fade away. What will bloom next...?

It's always a surprise!

Imagining Camping...

Terry was shopping for a new barbecue cover - so we headed over to one of those large sporting goods stores, to browse.

While he searched the barbecue section, I stood - transfixed - near these portable outdoor shelters...

Our yard could surely use this - to protect us from mosquitoes while we sat outdoors. 

And what about this cute little tent? Terry and I have never gone camping - but maybe the grandkids and I could sleep in our backyard sometime... Wouldn't that be fun?!

(Though with all the animals that roam at night in our neighborhood, maybe we'd need to get a guard dog first!)

At Grandma's House

I always love our grandchildren's visits to Grandma's and Grandpa's house. 

It's not long before Ivy wants to play "school" - with me as her student. She likes to give me math assignments to do... And she's happy if I make a few mistakes that she can mark wrong!

Jericho wants to join us - though he's not inclined to sit still and do math.  

But "music" is important, too! Maybe we could start a marching band!

Seasonal Adjustments!

One of my biggest seasonal chores - which consumes a few days every spring and fall - is to bring out lighter (or heavier) clothing, depending on the season, and put away out of season clothing. I do have a lot of clothing - and not as much closet space as I need. Thankfully, we have big plastic storage bins.

Terry doesn't understand this undertaking - because he keeps his wardrobe simple. He wears jeans or jean shorts, tshirts or sweatshirts any season of the year, mixing them up daily to suit the weather of the day.

His seasonal undertaking - a large task - is "organizing the sheds" - moving snow shovels and snowblower to the back of the shed in spring, bringing out the lawnmower and gardening tools - and vice versa in fall.

Neither of us looks forward to these seasonal chores! But they have to be done when you live in a place with four seasons.

Budding Artist!

Nice to see this budding artist's latest creative effort - a card with a vase of flowers on it for Mom on Mother's Day!

I always loved to receive cards like this, made at school - and to see kids' creativity grow!

Well done!

Flowering Trees

We have no flowering trees in our yard. We do have a lilac bush which is beginning to bloom. We used to have several honeysuckle bushes - but they were dig up when we added our addition to the house. I do miss them.

Flowering trees and bushes are so beautiful!

I saw these along Prince of Wales Drive at the central experimental farm a few days ago. 

They were a reminder that I have never walked along the paths in the arboretum. Must add that to my "to-do" list!

Lots to Celebrate

Last Sunday was Mother's Day. It was also Terry's birthday! So life got busy!

On top of that, it was our granddaughter's final acro-dance competition of the year!

Serendipitously, this final competition took place in an auditorium at the nearby college - so we just walked over. 

Watching our young acro-dancer stretch before heading over reminded me that her acrobatic skills don't come without effort!

She has to practice...

We had a fun time hanging out with everyone and watching her dance. Then we headed back to our home for lunch.

Fun! It was a very special day!