Doors open Toronto

Doors opened to the public in over one hundred buildings around the city last weekend. Unfortunately, I didn't have time to visit all of them but I did make it to the old Fire Station 227 on Queen Street. It was quite interesting to look around. There was also a retired fire fighter on hand who knew much of the history of the building and was more than happy to impart his knowledge to us visitors! 

I entered a few shots in this year's photo competition and this is one of them. If you'd like to see all the shots entered, they are here (mine were entered under the name Halcyon37). I'll be showing some other shots from the Doors Open event this week, so stop by if you're interested!

Framed castle

A look out at Dundurn Castle from the old coach house. It was a rainy day and I didn't actually get to see the castle as I missed the last tour, but I plan to go back!

June theme day: Tranquility

If this isn't the picture of tranquility, I don't know what is! I've also got a bonus tranquil shot for you on my travel blog. And of course, you can see more scenes of tranquility at the CDP site. 

Happy June everyone!!!

Glad!

A look up at the Gladstone Hotel. I've shown you inside a few times, but now here's a look from the outside. Aren't you glad you stopped by to see today?

Sign of art

This "faux" hotel sign is actually considered a piece of art. You'll find it inside the Drake Hotel on Queen Street West. Do you get the joke?

To see more signs, visit Signs, Signs.

Memorial stone

Another look at the Memorial Gardens in Mount Pleasant Cemetery. I really liked this one: it consists of a bed of tulips and a stone mentioning the man who simply wanted to be remembered with a garden of colorful blooms.

If you're a fan of cemeteries, you can see more at Tapophile Tragics.

Cuban factory

This mural is found on the side of a building that houses a cigar factory just off West Queen West downtown. I don't recall the name of the place, but if anyone does, please remind me. I like the way the artist has tried to give you the feeling of being in Cuba - at least that's what I think a Cuban tobacco field would look like! The colors also add a nice touch to what would otherwise be a dull building. For more murals, check out Mural Mondays.

Thanks to Red Pat for adding that this mural adorns the Horvath  Cigar Manufacturers building.

Memorial bridge

This is a look at the fountain that you would see from the bench on my post from Friday. It's part of the Memorial Garden at Mount Pleasant Cemetery. Many people are remembered on the plaques you see and on stones, rocks and benches. I think it's a great idea to remember people this way. The garden is a lovely place to relax and reflect. 

And if you like bridges, visit Sunday Bridges!

More flowers

More flowers from Mount Pleasant. It's a wonderful place for a walk in the springtime!

Under the cherry trees

I missed getting better shots of the cherry trees in High Park, but I didn't miss them at Mount Pleasant! A beautiful place to stop and contemplate for awhile. There is a lovely fountain that you would see if you were sitting on that bench. 

Happy Friday! I'm glad the weekend is here and don't forget to visit Floral Fridays.

Contemporary bench

A sleek, streamlined bench inside the Museum of Contemporary Canadian Art. I was lucky to get a sneak peek at the current photography exhibit before it opened to the public. It's worth a look if you're in the neighborhood, the exhibits change quite frequently and the space is nice and open.

Going underground

The Underground is a well-known venue inside the Drake Hotel on Queen West. It's quite quirky inside and I can imagine it would be fun to see a show there.

I couldn't decide if I liked the sign better in color or black and white, so I decided to post both. I'm sorry for my absence of late, but the new job and the long weekend kept me busier than I imagined. Hopefully I'll get back into a rythm with my blogging soon so there won't be any further lapses.

In the meantime, you can see more signs at Signs, Signs.

Fenced in

A dividing fence between the golf course and a farmer's field. Luckily my husband found a hole a bit further on so he could retrieve some balls that flew out of bounds. 

The weekend is finally here! It's going to be a long one for us here in Canada, so I won't be getting fenced in. If you'd like to see more fences, take a look at Friday Fences.

Barbie on a bench

I recently visited the Royal Botanical Gardens to see the lilacs in bloom. Unfortunately, the trees weren't really fully co-operating, but I did find this bench with a lovely lady on it.

I suspect there is a sad little girl somewhere in Toronto.

Curling signs

I had my second curling lesson a few weeks ago. I was even better this time around and threw the stones that cinched the bonspiel for us! If you'd like to see more signs, visit Signs, Signs.