Toronto Aerial 04

Toronto Aerial 04, originally uploaded by photosapience.

Aw, it looks so tiny and cute.

Rain out my window

Rain out my window, originally uploaded by Melsky.

It started out hot today, then cooled off nicely before the thunderstorm. Now it's so humid and sticky, yuck.

Can we just skip to fall? I don't do so well in humid heat.

It's summer

Purple Flowers, originally uploaded by Melsky.

Today was the first day that I felt really hot this year. I'm going to put the fans in all our windows tomorrow and this weekend we put the air conditioner in our bedroom.

Things are blooming all over. It's so green. This is the time of year in California where everything starts turning brown and the grass dies unless you water it. It doesn't rain much from mid-may until October. That's great if you are planning an outdoor event in the summer but it really doesn't do much for plants and greenery.

But Toronto is really blooming at this time of year.

No Dumping

No Dumping, originally uploaded by Melsky.

In the alley behind the house where we used to live. That "No Dumping" sign sure was effective. (sarcasm!)

Adelaide and Spadina, Toronto

Adelaide and Spadina, Toronto, originally uploaded by Melsky.

The corner of Adelaide and Spadina Streets. The CN Tower is in the background, and at the right hand side the Spadina streetcar. The buildings are condos.

Green Tree and Flower Petals

Green Tree and Flower Petals, originally uploaded by Melsky.

This tree has been painted aqua green, and pale pink flowers have fallen from it after the rainstorm, sticking to the cracked sidewalk.

In Kensington Market, Toronto.

Bike Polo

Bike Polo, originally uploaded by Melsky.

During Kensington Market pedestrian Sunday the streets of the market are blocked off to cars. Here, people are playing polo on bikes!

Spring on Bloor

Spring on Bloor, originally uploaded by Melsky.

Pond Bench

Pond Bench, originally uploaded by Melsky.

When I saw this from a distance I entertained thoughts of having lunch there with my feet in the water. The stagnant smell of reality stopped that thought in it's tracks.

In High Park, the northeast corner near Bloor and Parkside.

Bucolic Bench

Bucolic Bench, originally uploaded by Melsky.

This photo is not quite as bucolic in the uncropped version, seeing as I cut out the road it is sitting by.

Cherry Blossoms

Cherry Blossoms, originally uploaded by Melsky.

May Cherry Blossoms in High Park from a few weeks ago. They are gone now.

Dundas Street Construction

Dundas Street Construction, originally uploaded by Melsky.

This is across the street from Trinity Bellwoods park. Dundas has been closed to streetcars for a while and has only limited car traffic.

The Black Bull

The Black Bull, originally uploaded by Melsky.

This is a restaurant /bar/pub on Queen Street West that I'm kind of curious about. I remember seeing it on my first trip to Toronto about two and a half years ago, and being amazed that there was anyplace still in existence that was built in 1822.

Off Leash

Off Leash, originally uploaded by Melsky.

This is the off leash area at Trinity Bellwoods Park

Fallen Petals

Fallen Petals, originally uploaded by Melsky.

We had a pretty big rainstorm the other night, which knocked a lot of petals off the trees.

Blooming Tree

Blooming Tree, originally uploaded by Melsky.

This is from exactly one year ago today.

I'll be going back to Dufferin Grove Park today, hopefully there's still some nice flowers on the trees. We had a big rainstorm last night so I'm not that optimistic. I was just getting ready to go out and take photos when the storm suddenly came up. My husband had gone out on a walk a little earlier when the sky was very clear and it seemed like the perfect balmy spring day and within an hour it was pouring and lightening and thunder.

Today it's cool with a light rain, could be good walking weather! Lets hope.

"Gentlemen's Club" and Church are co-joined

"Gentlemen's Club" and Church are cojoined, originally uploaded by Melsky.

This is a church and Erotic Entertainment facility that share a wall. I always wonder if the dancers drill holes in the wall to watch the churchgoers pray.

Click on the photo to see it bigger, it's hard to tell from this size.

Mural by Stage

Mural by Stage, originally uploaded by Melsky.

This is another Mural by the Artist Stage. It's in front of the Andy Pool Hall on College Street. It's looking a little worse for wear, with some graffiti and paint chipping. Still, it's a beautiful painting and very appropriate for Little Italy.

You can see another Stage mural here, in much better shape.

High Park Trees

High Park Trees, originally uploaded by Melsky.

Sometimes High Park feels like being off in the wilderness, then you look up and there's a building on the horizon sticking up like a tombstone.

High Park Cherry Blossoms

High Park Cherry Blossoms, originally uploaded by Melsky.

Not many blossoms left, you can see a lot of them on the ground. This was taken on May 7th.

Modern House

Modern House, originally uploaded by Melsky.

Most of the houses I see that I like in Toronto are the old fashioned ones - brick, big front porch, a couple of stories. But I was walking down a side street in Little Italy the other day and I came across this duplex. It reminds me of California, the good style of California that I liked and admired. I was surprised to see it.

But if I had my choice I'd rather live in a brick one. You rarely see brick in California because it doesn't do well in earthquakes.

Do Not Litter

Do not litter, originally uploaded by Melsky.

This was on one of those old metal mesh trash cans in High Park. What an odd looking squirrel.

CN Tower from Trinity Bellwoods Park

CN Tower from Trinity Bellwoods Park, originally uploaded by Melsky.

I used to live near this park and I miss it. For most other stuff I prefer my new neighbourhood. But the park near my new house - Dufferin Grove Park - is on a hill and from it you can see busy Dufferin Street and the lovely Dufferin Mall parking lot. You never get that feeling of being away from the ugly things the way you do at Trinity Bellwoods.

College Street at Spadina, Toronto

College Street at Spadina, Toronto, originally uploaded by Melsky.

This is looking west onto College Street from the corner of College and Spadina.

Molly Bloom's Irish Pub

Molly Bloom's Irish Pub, originally uploaded by Melsky.

One of those pre-fab faux pubs that lurk around the university. This one is a chain.

Hospital District

Hospital District, originally uploaded by Melsky.

This is at University Avenue and College Street, a very academic intersection with a lot of hospitals and medical research facilities and that kind of stuff.

Street Meat Vendor

Street Meat Vendor, originally uploaded by Melsky.

There's not a lot of street food in Toronto. The most common are these guys selling sausages and hot dogs, or "street meat" as people call it. The term street meet kind of creeps me out, it sounds like it's road kill.

Recently I've found out that it's because of Ontario Provincial law that those sausages are the only things they are allowed to sell on the street. People are trying to get the law changed and I hope that they are successful. I'm not much into eating sausages but if they had egg rolls or something I'd like that.

MaRS

MaRS, originally uploaded by Melsky.

It's Medical and Related Sciences. Part of the University of Toronto.

This is a place I like the juxtiposition of old and new buildings.