……thanks to Cee for hosting the Which Way Photo Challenge
Now that spring is finally here, I’m back out for my walks. I headed towards the parks west of my house to see what kind of damage the recent wind storm had caused. Fortunately most of the debris and downed trees had already been cleared away.
As I continued toward the pond I was treated to a wonderful gift.
….after yesterday’s windstorm it was very unlikely that today life would return as a normal spring day so quickly
The forecast was for more wind but not as severe as yesterday but with all the damage that the storm did I thought it would take a few days for things to return to normal. Even though today is a Saturday, people are already having repairs done to their roofs, the streets have been cleared of debris and tree branches and entire trees and couples and families are out walking and enjoying the sun. You can see from the photos that the water is still pretty choppy but it’s not keeping people from sitting at the shore to take in some rays or for some brave souls (or foolhardy) to get into their boats today.
I know that the damage that you see here may not seem like much, especially if you compare it to the damage that a hurricane or tornado can do but two people did die during this storm from falling trees and 100 000 people were without power.
….15 day ago we experienced a severe storm with freezing temperatures, high winds, ice pellets and freezing rain
It’s almost incomprehensible to imagine that less than 15 days ago we were witnessing a severe winter storm here in southern Ontario. Today all traces of snow have disappeared, the sun was shining and the temperatures soared to 20 degrees celsius.
On Sunday, April 15th, Lake Ontario looked liked an angry sea with strong crashing waves and many areas that were level with the lake took on water. Luckily where I live most homes and parks are situated high above the lake but the waves were so high and powerful for three days that a lot of debris from the bottom of the lake was washed ashore and sand, gravel and large rocks and boulders were tossed further inland.
Today I took a walk to Col. Samuel Smith Park where there was considerable damage to the man-made beaches on the eastern side of the reclaimed peninsula. I had seen photos of the area soon after the storm and it was evident that the Parks department had already been by and cleared away a lot of the garbage and gathered up the tree trunks, branches and large pieces of rebar and construction materials used to build this park in the first place. Much of the grassy areas are still covered in stones, gravel, bricks, asphalt and concrete remnants.
Yesterday on our walk along the Waterfront Trail in Hamilton, my camera was working overtime. It was such a lovely day.
…..not as late as last week’s Challenge
Thanks Cee for hosting the Which Way Photo Challenge. Your challenges always challenge me to look for the unusual and sometimes mundane subjects. Here are a few shots that I took on my walk a few days ago.
….I know I’m a bit late on this one but today seemed a good day to post photos from last week
Thanks to Cee for hosting the Which Way Photo Challenge. It’s been dreary and wet all day today and what a better time to post my sunny photos from last week when my husband, daughter and I took Olive for a walk to High Park. We walked along Bloor Street, past fruit markets, through tunnels and down a descending sidewalk towards the park entrance.
Once in the park we headed towards the off leash area where we could let Olive run free. She loved it. I love the off leash area in High Park because it is made up of fenced in trails and if you’re a walker it’s a great way to get in some steps and fresh air.
It was a great day. On the way back we walked down hill, then up hill, back through the tunnel and then we took a short cut up a flight of stairs which took us up the the rail path. All in all I clocked over 15 000 steps that day.
….thanks to Becky B for hosting March Square
It’s amazing how a medallion like this can dress up the dreariest of fences. It certainly caught my eye as I was walking home from the library. 
….even though it’s still March and spring is officially here I say this with some trepidation
The sun is high in the sky, people are catching some rays on park benches, a few brave souls are playing tennis and we’ve started cooking outdoors again.
…..spring like conditions continue in the Northern Hemisphere
The sun has come out and the temperatures have climbed well above freezing for more than a week now and it looks like will continue for another week or more. On Sunday my husband and I drove to High Park and took a nice long walk in the off leash area where dogs and their owners can walk, run and play. Earlier in the day I walked in the neighbourhood, where I also came across some dogs and lots of swans.
In High Park there were a lot more people and dogs and the walk was quite challenging due to the steep hill at the end of the walk. When you start downhill you know that at some point you have to go up again.
…..don’t get your hopes up
This past weekend we’ve seen warmer temperatures, thawing snow, rain and grey skies. Certainly signs that spring can’t be too far off but I’m sure winter is not finished with us just yet. Here are a few photos that might give you hope that spring is just around the corner.
Mama Cormier 