Wordless Wednesday – January 26, 2022
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Category Archives: Toronto
I’m a Fan of …..Swans
….thanks to Jez for hosting the I’m a fan of….challenge, this week he chose swanshttps://jezbraithwaite.blog/2022/01/24/swans-1-fan-of-142/
I am a fan of swans and have lots of photos of them in the archives but I decided to go for a walk late this afternoon to see if I could find some close to home. I walked east of the house and stayed close to the edge of the parks looking for these beautiful birds. I one area where I usually see up to a dozen or more was inaccessible because the ramp to the lake was piled high with snow from the ploughs.
I continued further east and finally came across a flock of them about a kilometre or more from the house. Here are my swans in winter on the shores of Lake Ontario in Toronto.
Friday Was Squirrel Appreciation Day
….sorry that I’m a day late
It’s no secret that my husband is not a fan of squirrels but he isn’t completely heartless. Back in October of last year he heard this strange noise coming from the outside of the house. It was heart wrenching to hear because it was clearly an animal in distress. He quickly ascertained that the noise was coming from the downspout. Somehow a squirrel had managed to get stuck.
Kevin quickly removed the bend in the spout and lo and behold a tail popped out. There was no doubt that it was a squirrel but even after removing the extra bit of downspout the little fellow was still stuck. I suggested that he get some gloves on and gently pull on the tail. Unfortunately in doing so the tip of the tail came off. We knew that we couldn’t leave him like that so Kevin grabbed the tail higher up and pulled again. This time he was able to free the squirrel. You never saw a squirrel move so fast.
Over the next few months we’ve kept our eyes out for Stubby (Kevin even named this squirrel) and we knew he was okay when we saw him around the bird feeder. I’m glad to report that the tip of the tail is growing back.
In honour of Squirrel Appreciation Day, Kevin has painted a picture of Stubby.
Waves + Freezing Temperatures = Ice Formations
…living on the shores of Lake Ontario, especially in the winter, never disappoints the photographer in me
Welcome to Prince Arthur Street in Toronto
….thanks to Dan from No Facilities for hosting Thursday Doorshttps://nofacilities.com/2022/01/20/old-wethersfield-business/
Prince Arthur Street is a mix of old and new. Not only is it where the Women’s Art Gallery, that I belong, is located but there are numerous businesses and restaurants in some of the older buildings dating back to the late 1800s and early 1900s. In amongst that there are also some mid-century apartment buildings/condos and much newer business towers closer to Avenue Road.
Yay, Yay, it’s a Snow Day
….first massive snowfall in over two decades
When I say first, I mean the first snowfall with 40 to 60 cm accumulation. Snow days in this city are rare and I remember as a kid and even when I was teaching we would dream of snow days. Buses were often cancelled but schools were open and teachers were expected to go to work. Many teachers who lived north of the city frequently couldn’t make it because the snow conditions were usually worse.
The irony, of course, is that today was the first day kids were supposed to go back to in-school learning.
As pretty as it was, the snow continued into the afternoon and major highways around the city were closed due to high winds, drifting snow and accidents. The message from city hall stresses staying home and staying off the roads. The high winds that are expected in the next hour or so will make the problems worse. I’m happy to stay home and glad that I don’t need to go anywhere. Even if I did I wouldn’t be able to get out of my driveway and when the snow ploughs do finally arrive they will probably push more snow in front of the driveway. No point in stressing. Enjoy the snow for the day.
Silent Sunday – January 16, 2022
Monday Mural – January 10, 2022
….Thanks to Sami from A Colourful World for hosting Monday Mural https://sami-colourfulworld.blogspot.com/
From utility boxes to garage doors to store walls, street art is everywhere in Toronto.
Thursday Trios – Trios from a Korean Paper Shop
…..January 13, 2022
Do you have any fun photos of trios? I’d love to see them. Just copy my link and paste it into your own post and I will get a pingback.
Water, Water Everywhere…..To Call or not to Call?
…..I live next to Lake Ontario and on the weekend I saw this
Last weekend I went for a walk along Lakeshore Drive and I noticed that there was a person on the lake on a sail board. It was well below freezing and the wind was quite brisk. When I got to Rotary Peace Park I noticed that the surfer was still on the water but he seemed to be in the water more than on the board. He was clearly having trouble navigating the board to shore.
I started to get anxious because every time he fell he seemed to go further out into the lake. There was no boat near by and there were no supporters on the beach in case he ran into trouble. I watched for a long time, worrying that the longer he spent in the water the greater the risk of hypothermia kicking in. I was seconds away from dialling 911 when all of a sudden the surfer got back on the board and finally navigated his way back to shore.
What would you have done if you saw someone struggling in an icy cold lake in January?
Thanks to Jez for hosting Water, Water Everywhere https://jezbraithwaite.blog/2022/01/10/raindrops-on-a-leaf-water-water-everywhere-109/
Mama Cormier 