Since I had done a way, Sherlock Holmes Way, last week I got to wondering what the difference was between a way and a lane, they look the same to me.
Way — A side street off a road. Lane — A narrow road, often in a rural area. The City of Toronto has numerous rear and back lanes that are not legal streets.
WHITE SQUIRREL WAY
Trinity Bellwoods Park, is said to be the home of a white squirrel. White populations of eastern grey squirrels have cropped up here and there across North America, with some towns celebrating their rare animals and making them into tourist attractions.
On one fateful evening in August 2014, a white squirrel was spotted dangling by its teeth from a power line near Trinity Bellwoods Park, tiny paws stiffly outstretched.
A photo began circulating on social media leading many to believe that the legend of the white squirrel had ended in tragedy. We now know that there are more white squirrels in the city, but every time one is spotted (dead or alive) it’s a momentous event.
The special creature is a motif in Trinity Bellwoods' lore, so much so that the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health’s (CAMH) Therapeutic Art Program commissioned a six-foot-tall sculpture of a white squirrel in the new TD Commons at Ossington and Queen.
White Squirrel Cafe, across from Trinity Bellwoods.
Also across from Trinity Bellwoods half a block away from the cafe is this mural which I first posted on Monday Mural in September 2017! This mural appears to pay homage to the Queen and quite possibly the famous white squirrel who lived at Trinity Bellwoods Park, directly in the direction of where his colourful laser vision is pointed. It is on the side of the Queen West Animal Hospital painted by Electric Coffin.
The squirrel's kaleidoscopic eyes keep a watchful eye over the passersby, as it sits on a traditional Lovebot heart. It is at the end of Trinity Bellwoods.
A little further along and you can stop at Squirly's.
Over in Little Italy in Eulcid laneway is this mural with white squirrels by Karen Roberts. I took this in 2019.
Last summer’s global uprisings for Black lives sparked a wave of public awareness and inspired widespread calls for social change. Since then, protests resulting in toppled colonial statues have been commonplace in the headlines (see Ryerson).
While removing these symbols of racism is a step in the right direction, the real question on the horizon is: what should be erected in their wake? Through his important public practice, leading contemporary artist Thomas J Price is answering this question. In July on the corner of Dundas and McCaul Streets, in collaboration with ArtworxTO, the AGO proudly revealed Within the Folds (Dialogue 1) – an original nine-foot bronze cast sculpture made by Price.
With case numbers shooting up in Ontario, Alberta and B.C., health experts worry that Canada could be going into its worst wave (4th) of COVID-19 yet, unless governments act now to stop it. Calculations show that Alberta’s case numbers are doubling roughly every 11 days. So, if that trend continues Alberta could see 1,200 new cases per day in early September, and 2,400 daily cases by the middle of the month.
After an atypically cool, wet and sunless July, Toronto is finally getting hit with some traditional summer weather — and hard. Perhaps a bit harder than some might have wished for. The last two weeks have been a painfully humid, oppressively hot, and record-breaking extreme kind of August in Toronto with temperatures sitting at 32 C as of 4 p.m. on Monday.
Higher than what was initially forecast by Environment Canada, this marks the warmest conditions observed at Toronto's Pearson International Airport on an August 23 since 1949, when temperatures reached 31.7 C. And it's humid, too, with air so soupy and thick meteorologists say it feels closer to 40 C in the city.
As of Thursday we were still under a heat warning. City pools will stay open longer in the evenings and Emergency Cooling Centres will be available for people needing a respite from the heat. Metro Hall on King St. is one.
Thursday afternoon we had some rain that brought in slightly cooler weather although the heat warnings are back in effect for this weekend.
In May I wrote a post about the Foundry. This week the city of Toronto struck a deal with province to save part of the Foundry. Two of the historic site's four buildings will be preserved as part of a redevelopment that will include affordable housing.
We usually spend the weekend at home. That is when we get the usual chores done, laundry, house cleaning, plant caring. We prefer being out and about during the week when there are less crowds. Grocery shopping also get done during the week with no particular schedule.
John golfed earlier in the day due to the heat and I went to College Park and checked out Winners (nothing) and then picked up some fresh vegetables at Farm Boy.
We received our new undercounter kitchen lights, these are not battery operated but are rechargeable via a USB cord.
I received the new queen pillows for the shams to go with our new duvet and cover. I finally broke down and got a duvet. Pic to come.
We took the bus downtown and it was a much quieter experience than our excursion last week. I had spotted some murals as we went along Queen West last week. We got off the bus at Sudbury St. and walked. It didn't feel too not as it was only 10 AM and we stayed on the shady side. My initial thought was to have lunch on Ossington but it was only 11 AM when we got to Ossington so we kept going.
Interesting ice cream place, might be worth a visit. Flavours like mint chocolate chip made with actual mint leaves, Turkish coffee that’s infused with real Turkish coffee, pistachio containing 100 per cent real pistachio puree and dark chocolate made using West African cocoa beans.
John spotted this rather jaunty fellow up high on the side of a building.
Matty’s Patty’s Burger Club originates from RVCAloha in Hawaii and was created by Matty Matheson and Pat Tenore, founder of RVCA. It all began with giving back to the community as they handed out burgers to local youth at a skatepark. The notion evolved into a burger shop in Toronto, inspired by friendships through food.
Gorgeous block of architecture with not a condo in sight, an add sight in Toronto.
John St. and by now we are hungry but it's only 11:30 and nothing is open. We debate and decide to go back to Valens that we discovered last week.
It was SOOO hot out by now that we ordered a white sangria.
I had the same salmon but with a different salad, it was good but much better with the Caesar.
John tried the mussels with the spicy tomato sauce this time. It was delicious but could have been spicier.
Heading back to catch the bus home, we had the best view yet, of this mural by Birdo.
Wednesday John golfed and I picked up groceries. I wanted to pick up another of their BOGO on hamburger.
Thursday I went for a mani-pedi, John took the car in for maintenance and then went to Costco.
Friday John golfed and I went to the AGO, I had tickets for 10:30 and whether I took public transit or our shuttle bus it amounted to the same. So I took the 9 AM bus which game me an hour to kill which is not a problem for me and my camera.
Yet another street closed due to a new building going up.
King St. West
Theatres are slowly reopening.
Not sure why there were buses on King St. instead of the streetcars.
Another parklet.
I stopped into Starbucks, this one has to have the best staff in town. They are so friendly and helpful. Last week the manager wiped down the tables and chairs for us after it rained on the patio (don't laugh, most wouldn't bother). Today a different manager just as friendly, even brought out treats for the dogs waiting for their owners.
A flat white, a habit acquired when we visited Australia.
Contrasts. You can just get a peak of OCAD's funky building in the middle.
We started watching Nine Perfect Strangers, I wasn't sure if John would care for it but he did. We saw the three episodes currently available and agreed we should have waited until the season was over.
We watched the new Jason Momoa movie Sweet Girl. I won't say anything about the odd twist that takes place.
There's almost no conversation more relevant right now than the power of Big Pharma, inaccessible life-saving health care, or corrupt, two-faced politicians.
We really enjoyed Netflix Israeli - American series Hit and Run. Although it has me double checking before I step out onto the street!
I watched AlRawabi School for Girls, Netflix’s latest Arabic original series. AlRawabi School for Girls is a six-episode limited series that follows a group of high school girls in Amman, Jordan as they plot their revenge on a trio of bullies at their school.
I tried to watch Good Girls mainly because Christina Hendricks (Jane of Mad Men) was in it, but to no avail, it wasn't for me.
READING
After a few false starts of other books I finished And When She was Good giving a character study of a madam, fascinating, as she is an astute business woman. There are some great twists and turns although I felt it ended abruptly.
I started reading Cul-de-sac by Joy Fielding. Not an author I usually like, but I needed a quick download on my way out, and it showed up in the 7 day list. It is her usual gossipy kind of story but I am enjoying it as light summer reading.
