I’m a Fan of …..Swans

Posted on January 26, 2022 by Mama Cormier

….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.

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Welcome to Prince Arthur Street in Toronto

Posted on January 20, 2022 by Mama Cormier

….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

Posted on January 17, 2022 by Mama Cormier

….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.

59436-F37-228-D-4-B7-D-A7-E9-8-E474-AB6-F6-DF — View from my snowy window this morning

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6-E930-F20-6204-4-BAF-B48-C-6-EDBFB3-DB12-A — My husband clearing the sidewalk in front of our house

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85-F8-A043-A8-D3-4145-A837-12646-A405-E85 — Now that he finished our sidewalk we both moved to the other side of the street to work on our neighbours sidewalks

CB6-C1995-8402-4-D23-A3-A5-57506-BF94-D10 — 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.

Pink Clouds Before the Storm

Posted on January 17, 2022 by Mama Cormier

….we’ve been waiting all day for the snow to start

A major snowstorm is heading our way. In fact it started about three hours ago and is suppose to continue all night and well into the morning. When I went out this evening for a walk I was beginning to wonder if the snow was actually coming because there were very few clouds in the sky. On my way back home, however, I noticed these amazing pink clouds in the western sky as the sun was setting.