Posted on April 30, 2019 by Mama Cormier

….the temperatures go up and then they go down but surely Spring is in the air

On the weekend we attended a soccer (football) game. The tickets were gifted to us by our daughter and daughter-in-law who had other plans and couldn’t use them. The forecast wasn’t very promising but we decided to bundle up and bring along a stadium blanket to keep us warm.

The seats are very high up in the stadium but the view is spectacular.

I wish I could say that the game was exciting and that we were victorious but TFC was off its game and we were quite disappointed in how they played. In the second half my husband wasn’t feeling well and just couldn’t get warm. We left when the game was tied 1-1 and made our way to warm restaurant for a meal. There were TV screens all through the place and by the time we got there the game was over and Toronto lost 2-1.

On Sunday, the temperatures were up slightly but the best part was the sun and no wind. I took a walk through Col. Sam Smith Park and took a lot of wonderful shots of the lake, the beach and the trees and plants that are getting ready to erupt with colours of green, pink and yellow. You know when the weather is good because everybody and their dogs are out walking.

What a Difference a Week Makes

Posted on April 29, 2019 by Mama Cormier

….from isolation to a crowd

Last week I posted a story about people who live in a ‘bubble’ in their boats all winter long here in Toronto. This week when I walked by the bubbles were gone and the docks were overflowing with activity.

Last Week

Yesterday

Silent Sunday – April 28, 2019

Image

Living in a Bubble

Posted on April 19, 2019 by Mama Cormier

…..it’s Good Friday and most places of business are closed today

As I sit here I wonder how many people are going to church today. It’s miserable outside, grey and raining. I suppose that’s fitting for Good Friday. It’s suppose to be the most important holiday on the Christian calendar but most people confuse it with Easter bunnies and eggs and forget why they have the day off. Perhaps people are living in a bubble today; happy to have the day off but not really knowing the significance of the day.

My writing this post, however, has nothing to do with Good Friday. Recently on one of my walks I was reminded how a few brave souls literally choose to live inside a ‘bubble’ all winter long. These people are called liveaboards and they actually live on their boats, moored in a marina, all year long. I call it living in a bubble because the boats are literally surrounded with a big bubble of plastic to keep the wind, cold and snow at bay. It requires having a special aerator going 24/7 to keep the ice from forming around the boat and of course they need generators to keep the lights on and heat the place.

I was surprised at the cost of doing this. It isn’t cheap. In fact it costs more in the winter to moor your boat than in the summer. To learn more about living on your boat year round you might find this article by the CBC of interest.

This is what the marina looks like during the winter after all the boats have been put ashore for the season…..

….and here are the brave souls who winter here

Cee’s Black and White Challenge – In or On Water

Posted on April 12, 2019 by Mama Cormier

….thanks to Cee for hosting the Black and White Challenge

In the warmer weather he’d be standing on water when the fountain is working.

Silent Sunday – April 7, 2019

Posted on April 7, 2019 by Mama Cormier

Friendly Friday: Photo Walk

Posted on April 7, 2019 by Mama Cormier

…thanks to Snow from The Snow Melts Somewhere for hosting Friendly Friday

My photo walk takes place on Sunday. Friday and Saturday were exceptionally busy and I didn’t get out for my long walk. Today I made sure to get out before noon.

I left my house and walked toward the park that edges onto the lake.

I continued along Lakeshore Drive and turned onto 4th St. which ends in a dead end but the property on the east side is abandoned so I walked toward the lake again.

I noticed that a large flock of swans were swimming together at the foot of Prince of Wales Park so I continued east.

After taking a dozen or more photos I decided to continue on my walk along the shores of Lake Ontario before the swans decided they had enough of this intruder with her iPhone camera. You can see from one of the following photos that there’s still a little bit of ice hanging onto the shoreline.

As I left the park I continued through the neighbourhood until I reached a tiny parkette on Sand Beach Road.

I then turned north and walked towards the busy street of Lakeshore Blvd. and headed home.

Sunny but Cold

Posted on March 27, 2019 by Mama Cormier

…..six days into spring and it still feels like winter

Despite the cold, the sun makes me want to walk around my neighbourhood. When the wind isn’t blowing it isn’t too bad. Unfortunately the areas that I like walking the best are always near the lake and even the tiniest breeze can be bone chilling cold. For some reason the geese, ducks and swans don’t seem bothered by the cold. It must be all that lovely down next to their bodies.