Reindeer and Christmas Tree

Every year the Eaton Centre outdoes itself with beautiful decorations. This year is no exception.
Enjoy.

Fall is still here

I thought Fall was over but went for a short drive and found the most beautiful colours. I am inspired to quote "To Autumn" by John Keats:

SEASON of mists and mellow fruitfulness!
Close bosom-friend of the maturing sun;
Conspiring with him how to load and bless
With fruit the vines that round the thatch-eaves run;
To bend with apples the moss'd cottage-trees,	5
And fill all fruit with ripeness to the core;
To swell the gourd, and plump the hazel shells
With a sweet kernel; to set budding more,
And still more, later flowers for the bees,
Until they think warm days will never cease,	10
For Summer has o'er-brimm'd their clammy cells.

Returning from a fall mini vacation!

Photo from the 401 as we drove back from Pigeon Lake. The rain soon cleared and the temperature dipped.

The Word on the Street

Yesterday The Word on the Street - National Book and Magazine Festival happened at Queen's Park. It was a beautiful sunny and warm day. The park was filled with children, families, singles,couples who crowded the tents. The trees are beginning to drop their leaves and people were sitting on benches under large colourful umbrellas. Some of the outstanding tents I went to were: The Toronto Public Library where I signed their Project Rescue to save libraries in Toronto from the City's proposed budget cuts. The Remarkable Reads tent; Toronto Book Awards Tent; Great Books Marquee. Book Club in a Box - Discussion  "Guides to get your book club buzzing". Wiley's "Dummies 20th Anniversary Tent". I also visited the tents where the authors were reading from their books - these tents were so crowded I didn't get to hear the readings but did stand on the edges just to watch. A great experience and lots of fun. We ended up in Yorkville and had what may be our last ice cream of the summer sitting on a bench watching the world go by. FOR PHOTOS SEE SLIDE SHOW ON LEFT OF SCREEN. (Enlarging the slide show photos will take you to Picasa - to return to Blog, click the lefthand arrow in the upper lefthand of the website browser).

Fall is here

Today is the last day of summer. I had planned to say goodbye to summer with a poem but all the poems about the end of summer are sad. I know Keats "Ode to Autumn" by heart, but it is a bit too heavy for my blog. I'll just say, I LOVE THE FALL.  And to prove this, here is a photo I took last fall which should put us all in the mood for a mellow, moody and golden autumn.

Hot Off the Presses

My friend Rod Andrews has just published his first book "Ten Bridges Seven Churches No Stop Light". Rod lives with his wife at their B&B in Pigeon Lake which they literally built from the ground up. In his "spare time" late at night Rod wrote this book. It is country strong, crisp and evocative language, true small town Ontario and a delight to read.  I heartily recommend it. You will laugh and cry and shake your head at the stories that Rod tells so well.  I thoroughly recommend this book. It is available on Amazon at http://www.amazon.ca  Buy it - you won't be sorry.
Also you can check Rod's website at www.sawmillbooks.ca  Please also view the Video Bar on the righthand side of this blog - you will see Rod's Press Release Video featuring the Windshield Wiper. story.

Couldn't resist this "Pole Art"

This is Toronto - take it or leave it. The City often sends out people to remove posters from telephone poles and other standing objects.  Is it legal to post on a pole? I don't know but it's fun to see these - there should be a competition for the most creative pole in town.

Quiet Acres Farm

We always stop here for fresh vegetables. Today was no different. The peaches are large and beautiful, the small black grapes are sweet and fresh and the Roma field tomatoes are delicious. What a lovely thing to do on a Saturday afternoon. A drive in the country. An ice-cream in Niagara-on-the-Lake and then on to Quiet Acres Farm to pick up some fresh fruit and vegetables and drive back home. Isn't summer great!

Toronto International Film Festival - where's George?

Today is a beautiful summer day in Toronto. I went downtown to see what was happening at the Toronto International Film Festival. Here are some pictures I took.  I didn't see George or Brad but there was a reference to George on one of the menu boards outside a restaurant.

Billy Elliot

We went to see this amazing musical and were blown away. Our seats were perfect and we enjoyed the show immensely.  It's worth going to see - I believe it closes soon.

Toronto is being torn up!

My lovely city is being torn up street by street. Here is a picture of what I saw today from my front door. It's all in a good cause - to replace old gas pipes. The workers are are very friendly and helpful and understand our frustration trying to find parking spots on other streets.  I'll be glad when its all over.

Jane Fonda in Town

I happened to be at Indigo's at ManuLife last week and Jane Fonda was there too. She was signing her new book "Prime Time". The book covers "...sex, love, food, fitness, self-understanding, spiritual and social growth, and your brain".  Sounds like a lot, but it might be interesting to read. Jane was very animated, pleasant and seemed to enjoy her time in Toronto.  She looked fabulous.

The Busker Festival - Toronto August 2011

I happened to be in the St. Lawrence Market area and noticed that part of Front Street was cordoned off. Happily I had my camera with me and was able to take a few photos of the amazing acts in the slide show on this page and the "Giant Ants' and "Master of the Ants" as the unusual scene "stilted" across the street delighting kids, adults and me.