[Off Trail] Lawn chair meets lawn mower

So… this guy was flying around this morning.

It really does sound like someone's mowing the sky, then yuo look up and see that.

Also, there were some willow goldfinches at the feeder this morning.

[Off Trail] Spring flowers

I know that the April showers were supposed to bring flowers in May, but, nevertheless, the local flowers are responding well to the April rains.

Double Daffodil

Purple Tulip

Red Tulip

Lily-flowered Tulip

Hmm some sort of fritillary?  Don't know.

More Daffodils, aka Narcissus

Wild Violets

Mica cap? Hrm, mushroom — that's it.

White Tulips

Hyacinth

More Hyacinth

A Bumblebee amid the garden

[Off Trail] Flowers

Warmer down here in Ohio than it is in Ontario (of course), and much more Springly here.  A magnolia around the corner is in a great state of bloom.

And the birdfeeders are active, active, active.

[Off Trail] More at the Hofbrauhaus

Had lunch at the Hofbrauhaus yesterday, a beer hall/biergarten type place.

The back portion used to be a men's club for The Hermits.  After lunch, we roamed a little in the back.  The upstairs halls were very interesting.

The other upstairs room had a fireplace with a large portrait over it.

There are some words there.

Reads: To all the Hermits far and near, I pledge thee in this glass I hold
To those of now and yesteryear, For what ye are and were of old
To those who put the Cowl aside, We've shared the best of all life's span
To those beyond the great divide, True Fellowship of man to man.

A very nice hermit is carved in at one side of the fireplace.

The opposite wall has some murals.

[Off Trail] To Cleveland!

Up early this AM and on a Greyhound to Cleveland.  The sun came up as we were somewhere near Hamilton (I think).

In St. Catherine's, I spotted this.

Sure does sound delicious, no?

And arrived here.

More later when I'm not exhausted.

New Lights, Witches' Hats

I never mentioned it before (I think) but there are new street lights up along the quay:

I think they're pretty, but I'm somewhat skeptical of how they'll hold up over time.

There are also a bunch of traffic cones along the walkway that have been there all week and I can't figure out why.

If you look, you can see they've even dug out the soil around them so they'll sit level.  Mysterious, no?

Bear and woman?, oh, and a cormorant

This one is a close-up of one of the parts of the Little Norway totem pole.

(I call it a totem pole though I'm not completely sure that's what is is; there are no plaques or explanations of it or about who made it that can find.)

At the quay near Dan Leckie, I spotted a pair of cormorants, who quickly dove when I stepped up to the water's edge.  Only one came up where I could get a photo, but it's nice to see them back again.

Memorial plaques and squirrel

Over at the northeastern corner of Coronation Park, several boulders are clustered together with an array of plaques on them.

Reads:  Veterans Week
1995
In memory
of those valiant Canadians
who sacrificed their youth and lives
to bring peace to the world
Canada Remembers

Reads: To commemorate the
75th Anniversary of
the Naval Services Act
4 May 1910
Dedicated in the presence of
the ship's company
HMCS York
5 May 1985
Toronto, Canada

Reads: To commemorate the 50 anniversary of
the founding of the
Canadian Naval Reserve
by
Rear-Admiral Walter Hose, CBE, RCN
Naval Officers' Association of Canada, Toronto Branch
Naval Veterans' Club, Toronto
Navy League of Canada, Ontario Division
Pre-war RCNVR Club, Toronto
RNVR Officer's Association, Toronto
The Ship's Company of HMCS York
WRCNS Association of Toronto
This white oak tree and plaque were dedicated by the
Admiral of the Fleet, Lord Louis Mountbatten of Burma,
KG, PC, GCB, OM, GCSI, GCVO, DSO, FRS, Royal Navy
29 September 1973

Reads: Canadian Navy Centennial
The City of Toronto dedicates this area in
Grateful Recognition of a
Century of Service and Sacrifice
May 4 1910 - May 4 2010
"Ready Aye Ready"

The last one ... well not to be harsh, but you'd think a "century of service and sacrifice" would warrant a bronze plaque at the least.  Nestled among the three older plaques, it doesn't really seem to fit, you know?

There were also many squirrels out today, who were somewhat miffed at being disturbed by stupid monkeys and their stupid dogs.

What are you looking at?

Oh What a Glorious 15C.

Today has been so nice — 15C (that's around 60F), and it feels so warm (but also like it might storm all over us any minute now).

The squirrels were out all over Norway Park today, much to the dog's interest.  They didn't get too close so my close-ups are a little blurry.

Not dead, honest — he ran off a moment later.

Headed directly away from the little (and very interested) dog.

I noticed on the way by that the nearby preschool must have had an egg-and-spoon race in honor of Spring.  The remains are pictured below.