day 354 - yellow building

one more time for gino! away from the danforth this time. this is on the corner of queen street east and church street. why was i there, you ask? looking for something different to eat. at gino's pizza? well, no, but i just kept walking and walking and walking until i realized there's really nothing unique or special around here in terms of food. the thing, 'though, is that if you eat anywhere around here and you get a tummy ache, the st. mike's is just around the corner. hooray for gino's yellow building. second time it's been featured in my projects. see my other album at http://365project.org/summerfield/

day 353 - birds

on a cold, cold day, these birds are all huddled together up the hydro wires on main street and danforth. this is just a portion of the wire i took. that wire to the left was also covered with these black birds. the alfred hitchcock movie came to mind. yowsers!

day 352 - the CN tower, again

this time on a winter day, taken from front street east, looking west, on my way to st. lawrence market. it seems like the tower is competing against the tall skyscrapers for attention. of course when you go up the tower, these buildings look like midgets. i like the juxtaposition of the lamp post and the bare branches against the tower's straight line and the structure of the buildings.

day 351 - the view from within

having lunch at the food court, i looked up and this was the view: a round building. this picture is quite interesting in that it has different shapes in its composition: squares, rectangle, triangle, arc, round, why even an oblique rectangle - you know i'm just winging this. i forgot my shapes from grade school, but that is forgivable considering i am nearing my 60th year.

day 350 - sunshine

today, it was cold! minus 21 in the morning with a windchill factor of minus 36. that's celcius. but damn! the sun shone brightly and it was lovely throughout the day. except it was very, very cold. the good news is we are heading into the warm days again, in about four more months!

day 349 - the concrete jungle

this is part of the concrete jungle that is the toronto downtown financial district. the view is from the st. lawrence theatre for the arts looking northwest. note the old style building peeking through between the two white buildings.

day 348 - we are in the deep freeze!

it's cold in toronto today. no, make that cold like hell in toronto today. this is the part of the lake at the island and you can see that the waters are icy/frozen in and around the islands. a big contrast to day 145 , isn't it?

day 347 - what is that?

the ground is covered in snow, the temperature is minus 15, all the trees are bare except for this one tree. what the...a flower or a leaf still? so i take a picture and upon closer inspection it is some plastic flower or maybe even balloons that got caught in the tree at some point during the last several weeks. eh, no, i don't need glasses yet.

day 346 - iced over, sort of

we have seen these trees at the start of fall in day 229 and day 283 . so now here they are with the snow on the ground. i just couldn't have that one chance of taking a picture during the snowstorm or just when the snow is on the branches themselves. hopefully, that would happen before winter ends. the one constant thing though is that car, isn't it?

day 345 - coke on ice (or in this case, IN ice)

someone, obviously a slob, left this can of coke on the edge of the planter in front of the building. then the snows came, on two consecutive weekends, and nobody dared touch it to discard it. i know i won't, even if the germs are all frozen and what not. but then it made photo of the day for me.

day 344 - iced over

i was waiting for partner inside the car and the windshield was covered in ice that had started to melt. what to do? he's taking a long time. ordinarily, i'd just storm out and walk, to hell if i had to walk or take the subway, i'm used to it anyway. i hate waiting. but then i took my camera out of my purse and started using the 'tulip' function of the camera (yeah, i know, it's called macro) et voila! le photo du jour.

day 343 - the shadow is back

the snow and ice on the ground at eastlyn park were so thick that people were just having a grand time toboganning on the slopes with their children. i was hoping for ice on the trees, but with the wind last night, the snow had fallen off the branches and spared the trees from being iced over. but then i noticed the shadow, remember it in post day 274 ? well, it was there, too, so i took a picture of it as it stood on the already trodden snow.

day 342 - mural on the danforth

it snowed again this morning, lots of it. on the way to the sushi restaurant to have lunch, we saw this mural and made a mental note (i know, i'm mental) to take a picture on the way back. and the mental note worked. hahahaha. the problem was taking the whole mural wasn't so good because of the support for the lampost beside the building so i had to stand really close to the mural. a part of the support is still visible on the lower left of the picture. look at the snow at the bottom which is the actual pavement, and the snow had obviously been shovelled off.

see how the window of the building blended in with the painting's background? cool huh?

day 341 - yay, duckies!

i found these duckies at my friend's desk (along with the "klutz" bottle top). so i've decided, the two smaller ones were the girls (because of their lipstick!) of the bigger duck - kinda like the pimp and his whores. gheez, where do i get analogies like this? my mind's in the gutter. they're little duckies, for heaven's sake!

day 340 - snow on track

in posts day 251 and day 293 , we've seen how the tracks looked like in october, when the colours of the leaves were changing, and in late november after the winter season's first snow dusting, respectively. this is how the tracks and the nearby area look like after that big dump of snow on the weekend and yesterday. you will note that the CN tower and the downtown skyscrapers aren't visible in this picture due to heavy clouds. i was hoping for the passing of a GO train but it wasn't possible this time.

day 339 - icing on top

i don't know what kind of tree this is but it's old and humongous as in the summer it really has a wide shade. it looks like an elephant, how you ask? the texture of its bark. i should keep an eye on this tree during the spring and summer. yes, this will be my baby for my next project.

day 338 - klutz!?!

it's 100% klutz! and it's even certified. who's the klutz then? i know i could be clumsy at times, but that doesn't mean i'm a klutz. really, who made this thing?

day 337 - prints on snowy grounds

at eastlyn park, west of woodbine avenue on the danforth, the snow is still good for toboganning. the park ground is white all over. here, a sled leaves its marks as it glides downhill.

day 336 - still there...

we passed by this bicycle yesterday at noon and it was almost covered in snow. this morning it was still there and never been touched at all. so what's the neighbours saying their bikes had been stolen when locked on to this bike rack? this bike doesn't look so bad so why the thieves have ignored it and not thieved it is a tad puzzling. or maybe the owner of this bike is the thief? hmmmm....interesting, isn't it?

day 335 - the next day...

guess, i spoke too soon. so we didn't even expect this snow overnight but we woke up to a heavy snowfall. at 7:00 o'clock this morning, this is how those planters in front of the building looked like (scroll down and compare it to yesterday's, day 334). snow is beautiful, the more of it falls down, the prettier the landscape. but try walking on it in the city or cross the street, you'd find out it's a bitch, especially if you're lugging a large and heavy bag with two young boys in tow.

day 334 - snow

it snowed yesterday and by this morning this was how the planters in front of the building looked like. and it was cold although thank goodness there was no mean wind. i was hoping it'd be slippery coming home from work, but surprisingly, it wasn't, and there's no slushy walk either. well, if winter's going to be like this all the time, i'm a-liking it.

day 333 - mural at brookfield place

a mural found on the wall by the fountain at brookfield place. i don't get it, though. is it an advertisement for men's neckties or something? maybe it's just one of those nouveau art of some very imaginative artist. at least it's not a toilet seat on the figure's head. nice ties!

day 332 - "wanna ride with me, babe?"

what if someone picks you up on a date on this sucker? i think i'd be very delighted. but i figure we'd have to make sure we leave much earlier for anything as this thingamajiggs run like 2 miles per hour? and i suppose, parking would be a problem, especially if my date would have to bring me to one of those places like the yorkdale mall. but i think it's going to be a cool ride nonetheless!

day 331 - an old building on front street

i passed by this building on my way to the lawrence market at lunch today. i was walking on the north side and that was how i noticed this building. i don't know how old this building is as i couldn't see any plaque that indicates when it was built. but it has this period appeal, i'm guessing it was built around the 60's but it could be older.

i like the looks of old buildings, especially when they have historical importance and when they are maintained well. i think they're romantic.

day 330 - "what'dya lookin' at?!"

a statue on the side of the building of the hockey hall of fame - i was trying to take pictures, i looked up and saw this statue which looks like an old man who had just came off the shower with a towel around his body and telling me, "peeper! what are you lookin' at!!!" and growling. whew! my imagination's running wild again.

day 329 - in celebration mode...still

a taro cake to celebrate the new year, my family never gets tired of this. i think in the last six weeks, we had three of this sucker. i only eat the cake part but being lactose intolerant, i can only lick remnants of the icing.

day 328 - ringing in the new year

the spread on my new year's eve dinner table - the round things are very important, but the sumptuous dishes were either in the oven or in the fridge. where i come from, tradition dictates there should be food on the table when the new year rings in so that there will be an abundance of not only food, but money and other aspects of life as well throughout the year and beyond. yes! this means i will have plenty of chocolates during the year. yay!

day 327 - new year's eve

it says it all, doesn't it? well, prosperous 2011 to all who may chance upon here.

day 326 - oh, Christmas tree!

this is the Christmas tree display at the Brookfield place. my little grandson had the impression that they were like UFO's decorated for Christmas. meanwhile, all he was interested in were the coins in the fountain below. hahahaha!

day 325 - snowflakes Christmas tree

walking around in the cold downtown toronto, i chanced by this Christmas display on front street. during the summer this serves as a large fountain among the trees and flower paths. i haven't seen this in the evening, but i would guess it is much beautiful to see as the base would be dark and the crap around it is unseen. if one tries to find the beauty in this city, there is exceptional beauty to be found.

day 324 - wishes do come true

my six-year old grandson was asking to have a wallet and a "credit card". so for Christmas, i bought a wallet at dollarama and gave him a gift card from mcdonald's, his favourite place. grandpa got him a $10 gift card from tim horton's so that now gives the little boy two "credit cards". he's so happy he can't figure out where to keep his wallet so that nobody can see it - until this morning it's on the Christmas tree, at some point he had it inside the linen closet but he said he might forget it there. he's been dying to go to mcdonald to treat me for breakfast.

the only thing that's a pity is he's too small for his age, thus he wears smaller size clothes and his man-sized wallet wouldn't fit in any of his pockets. i think i would have to convince him to just use a 'card wallet'.

day 323 - a Christmas centrepiece

this is our Christmas centrepiece arrangement which i had bought from the florist near my building. interesting story, 'though. i've been passing by this florist for twenty-two some years and last tuesday was the first time i ever went in to order some flowers. i was amazed that their prices were so reasonable that i ended up having two arrangements delivered and also bought two smaller arrangements for my dining table and a gift for a friend. all for the price just under one hundred twenty dollars, much less than that. and the owner even gave me a small arrangement for free for my bedside table!

however, our excitement during our Christmas lunch, or perhaps because it was lunchtime, we forgot to light the candles. well, there's still new year's eve dinner in the meantime.

day 322 - a Christmas birthday cake

we celebrated our Christmas today, boxing day. the grands opened their presents, which were a ton, and helped grandpa blow his belated birthday cake, the ever favourite ube (taro)-macapuno (young coconut) cake, to cap the sumptuous lunch we had (which we forgot to take pictures of!).

day 321 - Merry Christmas!

well, two photographs for today, it being Christmas, would have to be an exception. as you can see, the tree is lit, i managed to grab two sets of 35 at the nearby canadian tire store and the bonus is that they are the colours i wanted - blue and purple. the second bonus is that the colours are interchangeable, the one set from blue to white or vice-versa, and the other from blue to purple, all at the touch of a switch.

and lookie! more presents underneath the tree that i'm actually getting stressed over how to properly clean and vacuum that corner now. i know, it's Christmas day, but the good Lord didn't really tell us not to vacuum on his birthday. as long as i have the spirit in my heart, is all that matters.

merry Christmas to all who may chance upon here.

day 320 - presents

it's the morning before Christmas and there's reasonably plenty of presents under the unlit Christmas tree - unlit because we could not find the lights that we've been using the last several years, as our storage is desperately in need of overhauling and culling. but my son will be coming in the afternoon to bring the presents for the kids so this tree will be brimming with presents before the Christmas bells toll at midnight.

day 319 - a Christmas card

from an old flame...oh, that was so many years ago. but we have remained friends to this day. and he always sends me Christmas cards, with a short note - always wishing that i am happy and healthy. always, "happy" is his wish. i don't know if he's happy, but for sure that is my wish for him, too. and of course, i am happy. broke and poor, but happy, nonetheless. smile! it's Christmas.

day 318 - poinsettia

first opportunity today to take a photograph of the Christmas flower/plant. and this isn't the best i've seen. in fact, these ones are almost dead. however, i'm sure there will be more opportunity in the next few days so you can bet that at least until sunday, the theme will stick to the Christmas season. sweet, ain't it?

day 317 - "1918"

here's an old building on the danforth. the number is not the street address, that's for sure. i would guess that this was the year the structure was built. what i'd like to know is did they know then that they were going to halve the building? 1918. wonder how the electricals are, and the plumbing?

day 316 - bamboo wall

bamboo walls on the bar counter of a japanese restaurant, not at all polished. when i go back next to manila (if, i should say) i will go to the province and find a bamboo house - bamboo floors, bamboo walls, bamboo roof, bamboo stairs - everything made of bamboo. only, it's kind of hard to sleep on the floor, or even on the bamboo bed. yes, no cushions or mattress. but bamboo house, it's like communing with nature.

day 315 - business sign

"hear for life", get it?

snowy day in toronto, not a lot but steady. the nice thing? it's not bitter cold. which is good for a change.

day 314 - door

this door was up for sale at an antique shop on the danforth. whereof would one use it? i reckon (this is the second time i used that word - reckon - in as many days) one would have to custom made their door frame to be able to use this door. i do like the poppy drawing, though it doesn't come with the door. 'sold separately.'

day 313 - a beautiful autumn sky

it was a tad crappy today but at some point there was a golden sunshine that peaked through, which was all too brief and then the winds blew fiercer and the clouds rolled in again. this weekend, the forecast said, will be crappy as hell, rains, and probably sleet. i'm not ready for winter yet. i understand the earth is due for a polar reversal, ain't it happening yet?

day 312 - almost winter wonderland

the snow has stopped this morning but the cold continues, and we reckon it will get colder. why, winter is just around the corner, in a few more days, just before Christmas day comes. there is very little snow and it will be gone before the afternoon ends and the drab greyish hue will once again wrap around us with the sub-zero cold. give me summer already!

day 311 - super market

my friend and i attended a book launch tonight at the "super market" down at kensington market. yes, "super market" was the name of the restaurant/venue. while preparing myself to leave the venue, i noticed that on the wall of the restaurant, there was a half grocery cart hanging on the wall, and i thought, "cool!" and then outside, i saw that the fence of the restaurant was also made up of different 'half carts'. i think it was rather unique. but i wondered which grocery stores lost their carts to this fence?

day 310 - buddha

crappy night tonight and i knew i didn't have any food at home. i passed by the new chinese restaurant so i thought why not try it? if i stick to just one rice item and a veggie item, it won't hurt my pocket too much. so i ordered shrimp fried rice and stir fried bokchoi. and whilst waiting for my order, i was staring at this little buddha they had on the counter, with a little crystal ball that had water spinning inside it. well, it was something to amuse myself and forget my hunger.

day 309 - the york station

we went for our office group Christmas lunch and because it was too cold outside, we walked the underground through the royal york hotel and passed by this bar. nothing exciting, although the lunch (the meal) itself was pretty good.

day 308 - a Christmas centrepiece

here's a Christmas centrepiece being sold at Jerry's supermarket on the danforth. i think the price tag was somewhere along fifty-plus something dollars. it might be worthwhile for some who would prefer the scent of pines and logs and eucalyptus, the odd mints and apples (but that is a lot of scents, isn't it? i'm sure my nostrils will explode from so many scents to deal with), you know, outdoor fresh inside the home. but you can make this out of artificial materials from the dollarama, maybe between eight to ten dollars tops, and an air freshner (air wick or glade) for less than seven dollars with the tax, and voila! you got yourself a merry little Christmas centrepiece for cheap!

day 307 - Christmas on the danforth

there are Christmas trees everywhere on the danforth today. both sides, the whole stretch of danforth to victoria park on the east and after main street to the west. beautiful pine needles decorated with berries and cones. this one is in the front of canadian tire store.

day 306 - the red door

...i see a red door and i want it painted black...that was the song that first came to mind when i saw this door on my way to the subway station. and that is the song that was still playing in my head now that bedtime is nigh.