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.

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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.

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View from my snowy window this morning
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My husband clearing the sidewalk in front of our house
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Now that he finished our sidewalk we both moved to the other side of the street to work on our neighbours sidewalks
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I actually like shovelling snow

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.

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.

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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.

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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/

Last Night’s Sunset

….when I saw it through my bedroom window I knew it was special

I quickly threw on my coat, put on my hat and gloves and ran out the door. I wish I had added a scarf but I walked quickly to the park and then headed west to 10th Street. I was trying to capture as many angles of the sunset as I could. I knew that it wouldn’t last long and the brisk walk helped keep me warm. Here is what I managed to capture.

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Sculpture Saturday – Taking in Art at the AGO Before the Lockdown

last Tuesday, Brendan, Sevin and I decided to go to the AGO

When I booked the tickets I knew that Tuesday would be the last day before another lockdown here in Ontario. Frankly I was quite surprised at how many people had the same idea, especially since it was a Tuesday and many people were back to work, mostly remotely, but none the less there was a bit of a line-up to get in even with timed tickets.

I really wanted to see Picasso’s Blue Period but Sevin was not really into this show so we walked through quickly. Hopefully I can go back when the lockdown is lifted.

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One of my favourite areas of the AGO is the Galleria Italia with its floor to ceiling windows and beautiful wooden arched beams. I thought Sevin would enjoy this more and of course she found a seat to sit in right away. Since COVID the cafe in the galleria is closed and the tables have been removed. In its place a number of bronze sculptures are prominently displayed.

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Sunbird II by Soral Etrog, 1962
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Andrieu D’Andres by Auguste Rodin, 1888-89
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Eustache de Saint-Pierre by Auguste Rodin, 1887
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Fisher-boy Dancing the Tarantella by Francisique-Joseph Duret, 1883
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