Toronto, Ontario; Kawartha Lakes, Ontario
Cherry Street at Lakeshore Boulevard: Looking south towards Port Lands, red-and-white Cherry Street North Bridge is in place, thoroughfare to ramps are under construction. Chain link fence with dark shroud temporarily channels bicycle traffic ialong Martin Goodman Trail. Could take up to 3 years before cycle tracks are restored, the alternative could be on Mill Street, north of the CN Rail tracks. (Cherry Street at Lakeshore Boulevard, Toronto, Ontario) 20210801Victoria University: Between Emmanuel College and Northrop Frye Hall, #MaryonKantaroff (1983) Anadyomene sculpture donated by Senator #NancyRuth in honour of the women who walk here. Crabgrass flourishing as university landscaping has been reduced both due to the pandemic and summer break. United Church theological school now federated with the University of Toronto in 1890, and moved to this location in 1892. (Victoria University, Queen’s Park Crescent East, Toronto, Ontario) 20210803Kew Beach: Unexpected elevation on the beach, with dune ecosystem project @TRCA_HQ to curb shoreline erosion and provide a habitat for shoreline waterfowl. Sand south of the boardwalk, fenced mound, and then sand beyond to Lake Ontario. Unaccustomed to seeing girls in bikinis in the urban setting. (Kew Beach, Eastern Waterfront, Toronto, Ontario) 20210805Museum of Contemporary Art Toronto: Scheduled a Friday night date @MoCAToronto, including #MichaelLin (2020) Archipelago painting installation of florals inspired by Taiwanese, Indonesian and Hawaiian textiles. Relaxed couples time in a large venue with timed entries. Upstairs video installations are thought-provoking and entertaining, but too much like staying at home watching big screens. (Museum of Contemporary Art Toronto, Sterling Road). 20210806Sorauren Avenue Park: Off-leash fenced area is larger than than the baseball diamond directly west. Big dogs overjoyed to be bounding across the open space with their brethern. Canines seem to want to cluster around their masters, presumably trained as to who is the alpha. (Sorauren Avenue Park, Parkdale, Toronto, Ontario) 20210812Gardiner Museum: Garniture Remix in the north window facing the next building, an ensemble of porcelain objects in the tradition of 1600s European arrangements of vases. Date night to see the ceramics collection for the first time. Strong focus on provenance, viewed large collection manufactured in Britain 1600s-1700s, influenced by bowls and dinnerware first produced in China 1000 years earlier. (Gardiner Museum, Queen’s Park Crescent, Toronto, Ontairo) 202010813L’Amoreaux neighbourhood: Couldn’t find my chain tool, got a hand to repair a break from a bad shift on the bike I bought in the spring. Research paper deadlines and job change had the wheels hanging n the garage for months. Tuning up the drivechain, couldn’t get the full range of gears, but this ride should be an improvement over my winter bike. (L’Amoreaux neighbourhood, Scarborough, Ontario) 20210815Greenwood Yard: With a capacity for 328 cars, half of the subway trains for the city are stored here overnight. Site is 61 acres on the eastern branch, surrounded by residential houses on three sides, and intercity rail to the south. Curious about the wye triangular junction underground between Donlands station to the northwest, and Greenwood station to the northeast. (TTC Greenwood Yard, Greenwood Avenue, Toronto, Ontario) 20210817Casement Island: Water is warm in Upper Stony Lake. Full day, driving from Toronto to Petroglyphs Provincial Park, cottage on lake for lunch, Trent University campus, Trent-Severn Waterway Lift-Lock 21, conversation in Peterborough as a private garden party, then back home after dark. Not very familiar with the Kawartha Lakes, with a childhood in Muskoka, but the granite geology looks familiar. (Casement Island, Upper Stony Lake, North Kawartha, Ontario) 20210821Edward Gardens: Returned to the fountain for the 36th time, reflecting on our time together since the last visit, and committing for another year. Annual visit is timed well, I can’t remember any rain except for the day of the wedding so many years ago. Seems like fewer people enjoying the park this year. (Edward Gardens, Lawrence Avenue East, Don Mills, Ontario) 20210824Edward Gardens: Following the annual ritual, slow stroll down the hill and over the brook. Fences diverting pedestrians away from the north bank, construction in progress. Plants unfortunately looking a little stressed with the summer heat alert. (Edward Gardens, Lawrence Avenue East, Don Mills, Ontario) 20210824Merchants Wharf: Looking southeast into the inner harbour, the schooner from the east headed for the Eastern channel, as smaller craft sailed west towards yacht clubs on Toronto Island. Water’s edge in the East Bayfront neighbourhood is still under development. Residents from the high-rise towers lounging on the walks and small green spaces as the heat warning abates. (Merchants Wharf, East Bayfront, Toronto, Ontario) 20210829
Gardiner Expressway East: August 31 will be the last day the ramp at Logan Avenue will be open. First opened in July 1966, this spur route was part of plan to connect to the Scarborough Expressway that was never built. In July 2015, Toronto City Council voted to not bring the junction of the Don Valley Parkway and Gardiner Expressway down to grade, in favour of a hybrid option continuing part of the elevated roadway. After 3 years, the drive west will be on Lakeshore Boulevard, for an onramp at Jarvis Street. (Gardiner Expressway East at Logan Avenue, East Harbour, Toronto, Ontario) 20210830
