Posted on April 21, 2019 by Mama Cormier

….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!

Kammie’s Odd Ball Challenge

Posted on April 15, 2019 by Mama Cormier

….thanks to Kammie for hosting the Odd Ball Challenge

I’m always looking for odd ball subjects to photograph. Here are a few things I’ve come across on my walks lately.

An Evening Walk

Posted on April 13, 2019 by Mama Cormier

…today was a beautifully warm day and before dinner I needed to make up some steps to reach my goal

No wind, the setting sun and temperatures hovering around 10 degrees Celsius were ideal conditions for an evening walk through the neighbourhood. I headed west and entered Col. Sam Smith Park where I opted to walk through the naturalized area and over to the marina. Here are a few of the sites I encountered along the way.

Can you guess what that lump in the pond is?

When I returned home I prepared a simple supper of eggs, avocado and tomatoes.

Wordless Wednesday – April 10, 2019

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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.

Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge – Stairs or Steps

Posted on April 2, 2019 by Mama Cormier

…thanks Cee for hosting Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge

Stairs and steps. We see them everyday and usually take them for granted unless we have to climb up to get where we’re going.

Friendly Friday Photo Challenge – Pathways

Posted on January 18, 2019 by Mama Cormier

…..thanks to Amanda from Something to Ponder About for hosting the Friendly Friday Photo Challenge

The pathways here are from the neighbourhood, at Highgate Cemetery in London, Kensington Gardens in London, an autumn path along the Lakeshore, a path through the garden at Montgomery’s Inn, a path to a neighbour’s house on Hallowe’en and a path through the woods when we were ‘hunting’ for the perfect Christmas tree.

A Green Christmas in Toronto

Posted on December 28, 2018 by Mama Cormier

….no White Christmas this year and no snow in site

For some the prospect of no snow this winter would be heavenly but for others like me it would be disappointing. Others just want snow for Christmas and then it can be snowless for the rest of the winter but for many, winter in Canada wouldn’t be winter without a good snowfall or two or three. Those people include skiers, snow boarders, chalet owners and of course children who dream of a snow day when the schools are closed (a rare occurrence in this neck of the woods).

Christmas Eve and Christmas Day were both clear and cold with no snow in site. On the upside there was no wind and it was very comfortable for walking. I convinced my father to dress warmly and get outside for a walk through the neighbourhood on Christmas morning. We donned our Santa hats until my Dad decided his wasn’t warm enough and we took a leisurely walk along Lakeshore Drive and up Ninth Street, which my father fondly calls Santa Alley.

It was fun greeting other walkers with a Merry Christmas and stopping here and there to take a few shots of peoples’ decorations. Here are some of the sites we shared together that morning.

Right now it’s 4 degrees Celsius (39 degrees Fahrenheit) and the high on Saturday is going up to 9 degrees Celsius (48 degrees Fahrenheit). As for snow there’s none in sight until January 6 and then it is only snow showers.