January 2009 Archives

I had to run up to College and University at lunchtime the other day.  On my way there, I was waiting for the northbound Spadina streetcar to come by.  This one, heading southbound, caught my eye.  Those things get filthy on a winter day, don't they?  How'd you like the job of washing them on a regular basis?  Somebody's doing it, because there's no way that, on a day like this, something driving through the muck and slush that's all over those tracks is going to stay THAT clean for long.

... is not in service.  I wonder how long it will take them to get this fixed.  It's not like many people use pay phones any more anyways.  But this was the first time I'd seen a Bell payphone damaged like this.  (This phone was also featured in this picture, btw.)

St. Patrick's Market isn't what it used to be. It used to be full of people, and all the shops were rented.  This picture was taken at 1:25pm, which used to still be a busy time in the market.  Recently, there have been more and more empty places where there used to be busy food stalls. And now I hear that Big Stan's Burgers is going to leave the market.  I love their burgers, and I'm going to miss them when they're gone. 

What the heck is going on here?  To learn more, read this. 

I love the glass foyer on the Four Seasons Center, home of the Canadian Opera Company.  Opera isn't my thing, but this is a beautiful building to look at. 

A winter garden blows in the breeze, waiting for spring to arrive. 

Walking dogs through High Park.

I have no idea who the sculptor is, but we found this on our walk through High Park.  I'd never been to High Park before, and it was wonderful to tramp around through the woods on a warm winter day.  Of course, the very next day, it dropped to -18 Celsius, plus wind chill, and I wanted to spend the whole day indoors.

I took yesterday off of work, and spent a big chunk of the time tramping around High Park.  It was warm, and the snow was "angry" according to my darling fiance, who joined me on my birthday photowalk.  I loved the way that these flowers poked up out of the snow that covered their garden.

The cross processing gives it a very sixties feel, I think.  I had to walk up to St. Patrick Station because of the closure of Osgoode, so I thought I'd try to get a few different views of the city.  This photo was taken from the southeast corner of Univeristy and Dundas. 

I get so much more reading done, now that I'm on the streetcar instead of driving to work.  I'd forgotten, before I started taking the TTC to work again, how much I enjoyed that aspect of the commute.

Fixing a teapot on the sidewalk of John Street, across from my work.  I've been intrigued by welding for a while now, as it seems almost magical - attaching one piece of metal to another, making something new, or fixing something broken. Looks like this guy has a completely pragmatic approach to it, though.  Not a lot of extras involved at all.

Heather's picture watches over a customer in the local Chapters. 

Malcolm, standing and waiting for us to finish our photowalk. 

More decorations from our Christmas tree - new pictures next week, I promise!

Not everyone has taken their Christmas decorations down yet.  Taken through the window of LPK's Culinary Groove - a wonderful bakery at the corner of Queen and Broadview.  They make the most excellent savoury shortbreads there.

Another closeup of the Christmas tree. 

Okay - I know, it's the middle of January already - but don't you miss Christmas already?  I know I do. 

Another shot from the Leslie Street Spit.  The lake was gorgeous that day, and if it hadn't been so cold, it would have been peaceful to stand there contemplating it.  As it was, we kept moving to stay warm. What can I expect from Canada in the winter, eh?

More from the Leslie Street Spit. 

The dome of the MaRS Center at University Ave. and College Street.  I have to start taking more architecture shots around Toronto.  I love the variety of styles and ages around the city, and I need to take more shots.

Another image from the Santa Claus Parade.  Having the Tim Horton's just down the street from us was tremendously handy - until people really started showing up.  Eventually, it was just a mass of lines inside, and a little bit less convenient to use.  But by then, the parade was about to start anyways.

Drip by drip, the water fell from the roof onto the plant.  And layer by layer, the ice built up around it.  I found this on Queen Street, on my way to catch the streetcar.  I stopped to catch this image, instead.

... is not like the other. 

Today, I'm going back through my unprocessed images from the summer - just as a break from the winter around us. I love the contrast between the church and the city.  Every time I see it, I'm struck by how the church seems almost out of place, showing us how much the architecture of the city has changed as time has gone by. 

It was cold, down on the Leslie Street Spit, but it was beautiful, too.  This particular cove is always busy during the warmer months, but it's quiet now. 

Taken with my fiance's 100mm Macro/f2.8 Canon lens.  I have to start borrowing it from her more often - look at that gorgeous bokeh in the background.  Look at the wonderful detail on the rush.  I wonder what else I can take pictures of with it. Stay tuned!

She's thirteen now, and there's so much ahead of her.  Heather pauses to contemplate the lake down on the Leslie Street Spit.  So much potential, so many adventures.

Awesome skull graffiti on the side of a building at Queen Street W and Beverly St. I don't know who did it, but they did great work.  (Apparently, I've lately been noticing skulls on clothign and buildings much more - maybe I'm turning into a closet goth - heh.) I also like the shoes, hanging off the telephone wires.

It was snowing, really hard, and the city was slowed substantially.  I waited twenty minutes for the streetcar, and when it arrived, empty, it filled up with waiting commuters.  And I mean, it REALLY filled up.  I managed to snag a seat, but it stayed like this from Yonge Street all the way across to Broadview, where I escaped. 

It was SUCH a cold day, and yet she was still out there, riding her bike all bundled up.  One of these days, I'll get a bike and join the two wheeled commuter set, but not on cold days like this one.

A lot of people don't like the new addition to the Royal Ontario Museum.  I kinda like it, myself.  It makes the (previously) boring building a little bit different, a bit more unique. 

I saw this guy while I was doing last minute Christmas shopping, on his way somewhere else.  I hope that everyone reading had a wonderful holiday, and a happy New Year. 

Note: There has been an ongoing problem with the comments and entry links here for some time, and that has now been resolved.  Feel free to comment on the photos again - it should be doable now.