A Perfect Day

A few weeks back, I spent the day with my friend, Carol Anne and her daughter Cheryl. Cheryl lives in Toronto, just steps away from Lake Ontario and since her boyfriend, Matt runs one of the water taxis which take folks from the city to Toronto Islands, we decided to spend that very warm summer day exploring.

I took the GO Train (Government of Ontario, in case you were wondering) from Mississauga to Union Station, in the heart of Toronto. I phoned CA upon my arrival, and she and Cheryl walked over to meet me just outside of the train station. While waiting, I amused myself by taking photos of the bicycles which were available for rent.

Cheryl's apartment was a short walk from the station and before long we arrived to the sounds of chirps and tweets. Darned if I can remember the names of the lovebirds but I'm pretty sure one of them was appropriately named Birdface. I'm going to guess that this one was that bird. A beautiful little critter, isn't it?

Looking down, Birdface and his people have a pretty decent city view from their apartment window. Lots of activity below.

Looking out toward the lake, there's an even better view. Various boats of all shapes and sizes entertain birds and house guests alike.

After a yummy lunch, the three of us headed down to the harbour front where Matt treated us to a trip over to the islands. This was taken from inside the water taxi, just before departure. The commute lasts about five or ten minutes.

Matt continued his workday back and forthing between the islands and the mainland while Carol Anne, Cheryl and I wandered around Toronto Islands. The Toronto skyline proudly displays the C.N. Tower.

Toronto Islands are primarily made up of Hanlan's Point, Centre Island and Wards Island and each are connected and within walking distance of one another. This donations booth suggests you leave useful but unwanted items (as long as they fit on a shelf or a hanger) for those who may have a need.

Please don't tell Birdface but it would appear that a most horrific crime was committed here on Hanlan's Point. Somebody killed Big Bird!

When we were well and truly tired of walking around, Cheryl phoned Matt to see where he might be. As luck would have it, he was just about to dock the taxi right in front of us. He had us back on the mainland before long.

After bidding our goodbyes to Cheryl, Carol Anne and I moved on to her place in Ajax, Ontario, east of the city. Despite our long day of walking, we decided to head out for another stroll along the lakeshore near her condo. There's a public park right by the water where picnicking families were beginning to pack up for the day. I hope they don't forget their clothes which were hung on the line to dry.

The sun began to set as we made our way along the the path. A city sunset can be beautiful when not obstructed by tall buildings.

And when the sun sets, the moon rises. Nature gave us a lovely view at the end of a perfect day.


Tomorrow, we're heading up to the cottage for about a week. I hope to catch up with all of your blogs sometime after I return. Have a lovely week!

Golden Moments

“Every moment is a golden one for him who has the vision to recognize it as such” ~ Henry Miller

On the weekend, I spent some time with a friend in the town of Ajax. It's situated east of Toronto and touches the shores of Lake Ontario. The weather has been crazy for the past couple of weeks, alternating between rain, snow and balmy thaws. We've experienced some of each over the past several days.

On Saturday, it rained rather heavily but as the evening progressed, the temperatures dropped and rainy windows iced over. The golden colour is from the streetlamp in the condo parking lot.

It snowed overnight and temperatures were bitter cold. It was overcast and windy through much of the following day but just as it was coming to a close, the clouds parted just enough for a lovely sunset. We decided to take a walk by the lake. The couple watching the calm waters of Lake Ontario are my friend's daughter and her boyfriend.

As the sun continued its descent, the icy paths were lit with golden sunlight. Had it been a warmer day, those benches might have been more inviting.

If you take a look at the far left of this photo, you can see the C.N. Tower presiding over the chilly waters.

I'll bring you back this way again in a few days. Be sure to bundle up. There's no telling what the weather might be like.