Public art...

One of the great things in big cities is public art.

Art that is put out there for free.

For all to enjoy, critique, lean against.

In the heart of the financial district, where the buildings are usually blocking out the sun...

 ...there is a field of cows.

Big, bronze cows...

This area is called 'The Pasture' and was created by artist Joe Fafard.

Each cow weighs 544 kgs...

It was designed to calm the crazy world of high finance.

Some public art is mobile...

 This strange, crawling thing is taken down to the desert in Nevada for the Burning Man Festival...

A sculptured Canada Geese flock takes flight against the backdrop of the massive glass ceiling in the Eaton's Center.

Here, in front of one of the public libraries on Queen street, sits an owl with a 12 foot wingspan, reminding me of Harry Potter stories.

Of course who could walk downtown without bearing witness to the talent of graffiti artists...

...or the chaotic randomness of this building which seems to have things added to it weekly.

I'm not sure what this building contains but I would tend to lock my windows if I lived there!

So cheers to the people who give us all of these great images to come across when we need something else to look at besides the concrete and glass.

The Beaches...

There's an area in Toronto, some of it along Queen street, known for the parks and boardwalks.

We spent many a summer afternoon around here when I was a girl, picnicking, playing on the beach, swimming in the public pool, (we didn't dare swim in Lake Ontario because of the pollution) and generally running around barefoot...

The day I decided to take a walk down there it was a rainy, blustery day.

In  nicer weather, this place is full of walkers on the boardwalk...

I ventured off the walk and up into the park...

Also known as Kew gardens. This was once a 20 acre farm owned by a man named Joseph Williams.

He graciously began to build this park geared towards a family atmosphere and opposed any noisy rides or liquor in the park.

It was named after the famous park in London, England and officially opened in 1879.

This bandstand  echos of many concerts on humid summer evenings...

It was bulit in the 1870's and still houses many gigs, including The Beaches Jazz Festival.

Joseph also built this gorgeous house which is now home to the parks caretaker...

The park has many squirrels running around...

This scruffy little one was trying to get my attention and maybe a peanut or two...

Unfortunately my pockets were empty so he scurried off to find another candidate...

All in all it was a wonderful walk of rememberance.

Song for Friday...one to meditate on.

This song has been used for many t.v shows and car ads...I've never seen any of them.

I do remember it from the movie 'Away We Go'.

I have been reintroduced to it through my daughter and the playlist she made for me before I left Toronto.

It has been linked to various subjects including war, God, family and love.

When I hear it, I am reminded of a hymn.

Not so much the 'church' kind of hymn...

but one that you turn on while you're driving...

and end up taking the long way home so you can listen to it 3 or 4 times in a row.

It's one of those songs that makes you stop...

in the middle of doing the dishes...

go to the stereo...

turn it way up...

and close your eyes...

and let it take you away...

The Distillery District....

Once upon a time there was a place which was the largest distillery in the whole world.

It produced millions of gallons of whiskey which was shipped abroad.

This was in 1860.

Today, it is home to fancy shops, cafe's, pubs, offices and condos.

It became derilect in the late 1980's, and many of the surrounding buildings were demolished or left in ruin.

Then, along came some smart developer who has saved and revived many of the original structures.

I spent the day wandering, as usual, coming across that kind of history of a place that feeds my soul.

Here's one of the millstones used to grind the grain.

The top of the Cooperage building where the barrels were made.

This neighborhood was next to...

Corktown, where many of the Irish immigrants lived who worked at the distillery. 

(thought Paudie would get a kick out of this one over at endofera! )

A flower shop which used to hold massive tanks of whiskey...

The Stonehouse distillery now houses lawyers and such in posh offices.

One of the original 100 ft smokestacks still in tact...

They have preserved some of the original brick on pavement and storefronts...

So there you have it...a little bit of whiskey history!

Master Carvers...

This is one of my favorite buildings in Toronto.

Looking a little different than she did back in the day...

This is the Gooderham building, also known as the Flatiron building.

It was built in 1892 for George Gooderham who ran the largest distillery in the country at the time.

The detail in the carving is simply amazing and astonishingly all done BY HAND!

Then it is on to one of my other favorites...

This is the courthouse on Queen Street.

Built around the same time with much of the same expert craftsmanship.

These faces are reputedly faces of politicians of the day and amongst them is the face of the head carver for the project.

The best part about this building though, are the gargoyles!

Want a closer look?

I could have spent all day taking pictures of the detailed beauty....

They definitely don't make them like this anymore.

Book review...

I have just finished reading 

'Her Fearful Symmetry'.

I guess I would have to call it a sort of ghost/love story/thriller.

The interesting thing about it was, that I picked it up while in Toronto where

my daughter's apartment is a 5 minute walk to Mount Pleasant cemetery...

A 200 acre Victorian cemetery full of elaborate tombstones and mausoleums.

 The book is set next to Highgate cemetery in London, a similar type of graveyard.

I won't give away too much except to say it is about a woman, who is a twin who dies of cancer and leaves her flat in London to her twin nieces.

Meanwhile she realizes that she is able to haunt the flat...

A series of twists, including old family secrets begin to unravel with strange and sometimes beautiful and horrible consequences.

The author also wrote

'The Time Travelers Wife'.

If you're in the mood for foggy, gray shadowy walks and dark, low lit London flats I would give it a whirl.