Christmas Preparations

Preparation for Christmas in the neighborhood.

Watermain Break

Watermain break near Dantonia Park, East York.

This was a new and totally unexpected thing for me in our area. However, according to the net, the city gets more than a thousand watermain breaks each year. Aging infrastructure and the freeze-thaw cycle of winter are the main reasons in this regard. The city maintains a 'Not Water Map' to provide information and estimated repair times for each situation.

Mushroom Eating Deer

Mushroom eating deer by Jieun June Kim near Canadian Tire store on Danforth Avenue. Kim is a Toronto based, Korean born artist known for her nature-related themes and bold colors.

This new addition to the city 'Outside the Box' program was rendered in September.

Sun's Halo Encore

There was a hint of color in the clouds but it was difficult to discern through the intense glare of the Sun. I took a few snaps to be certain and there it was, a Sun’s halo, clearly radiating through the clouds.

However, I am not sure how much of this is real and what percentage can be attributed to the cell phone’s HDR processing capabilities. Lens flare effect may have also played its part to an extent. This halo is quite different as well from the one that I captured in September. Nevertheless, these images are unedited and were captured through Samsung Galaxy A51’s auto mode around noon in East York.

Frozen in time

These big maple trees in a nearby park look like two old friends or a couple to me. They came into the park strolling, holding each other’s hands, and were reminiscing about the past when the time froze around them.

Murals near Coleman Avenue

In an unnamed alley between Danforth and Coleman Avenues, there are a number of interesting murals. The alley runs from Dawes Road to Barrington Avenue. The art here is a part of the project "Alleyway of Dreams" by Mark Kerwin and Sarosh Anwar. I covered its main attraction in my previous post Humankind and Nature.

Near the end of the alley near Coleman Park, is a collage named "Against All Odds". It was created by East End Arts with the collaboration of Street Art Toronto.

Humankind and Nature

This huge mural is in the alleyway behind 2714 Danforth Avenue. It depicts the relationship between humankind and nature. It was created in 2014 by 'Community Center 55' under the StreetARToronto program by the city.

Outside the Box at Dawes and Danforth

City of Toronto's "Outside the Box" program is turning bland traffic signal boxes into works of art since 2013. Every year, dozens are added to its list. Some are handpainted while others are wrapped in design. This one at the intersection of Dawes Ave and Danforth was rendered by Seyed Mahmood Hosseini. It is part of the  #DestinationDanforth program in partnership with East End Arts.

Creatures of a fantasy world

People like to adorn their front laws with a variety of ornaments. There are bird feeders, little fountains, garden gnomes, animal forms, whirligig, chimes, and myriad other things. But I like little stone animals the most. Here are a few beings from my immediate neighborhood. 

I imagine that in a magical fantasy world, these creatures might get bored by their day jobs of standing still all day long. Within the veil of darkness, they might go around to meet each other, tease grumpy cats on their way and might play hide and seek with raccoons all night long. Then hurry back to their assigned places before the crack of dawn.

Pumpkin Delight

Halloween was nearly a week ago but squirrels can still be seen munching on pumpkin offerings here and there. There was no candy for children this year due to the corona epidemic but such rules don’t apply to these lovely creatures. I wonder if they remember and wait for this feast all year long.

Little Cat by the Puddle

Little cat by the puddle

Sitting silently, gaze fixed afar

I wonder what was your story

I was in hurry and missed a chance to know you.

Perhaps we will meet again someday and will trade stories 

Me about my days on earth, my hopes, and dreams

You about your exploits in the neighborhood 

and a desire to see the world beyond that high wall

We both are creatures of the same world,

We may find that we are not so different after all.