….I see these at the cottage all the time but I don’t remember ever seeing one in my neighbourhood in the city
A Toad in the City
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Category Archives: Toronto
One More Three of a Kind
….thanks to Nancy Merrill for hosting A Photo a Week Challenge
A Photo a Week Challenge – Three of a Kind
….Nancy Merrill is challenging us to take three separate photos of the same subject
I love these kind of photo challenges but the biggest challenge for me narrowing down my subject matter. I may have to do more than one of these posts.
Slowly But Surely
….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
….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
Sunday Trees – 389
….hopefully in a week I can share trees with green tops
Thanks to Becca Givens for hosting Sunday Trees
Easter With the Cormiers
….celebrating a day early makes for a nice restful Easter Sunday
On Saturday I got up early to put the turkey in the oven. I made the stuffing the night before so that saved me some time and I hid a few eggs before I retired for the evening. Despite all the advanced prep work I still found myself working right up till the moment the first of my kids arrived but I must admit that it was considerably less stressful than other years. I did manage to get the table set and hide all the Easter eggs.
My daughter and daughter-in-law took over the egg decorating job and my husband started up the BBQ where he cooked all the vegetables.
Our granddaughter and her parents and other grandmother were the last to arrive and little Winnie didn’t waste any time looking for the treats that the Easter Bunny hid around the house.
After dinner most of us decided we needed to get some fresh air and walk off some of the calories that we had consumed. Our son-in-law made us some wonderful cocktails to start the meal, Gaelan prepared a delicious cheesy cauliflower bake and Andrea and Josie made a decadent chocolate panna cotta for dessert. On top of the turkey and the rice stuffing I also made gluten free spring pasta salad. Luckily the rain had stopped so we headed to the park and continued to the playground a few blocks over.
I hope all of you had as wonderful day as I did. Happy Easter everyone!
Sunday Trees – 388
….thanks to Becca Givens for hosting Sunday Trees
Even though it’s Easter weekend our trees still don’t have any foliage or blossoms to speak of. It’s a little depressing to say the least.
Look how green it is in London, England where our son lives.
Living in a Bubble
…..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
Mama Cormier 