Hello and welcome to Weekend Coffee Share #34! I’m glad you’re here. Please come on in, help yourself to a cup of coffee, or tea, hot chocolate, or cold drink at my coffee station and let’s chat.
It was another week of sunny, warm and humid days with a multi-day heat warning. Humidex value reached 44C (111F) on Wednesday. I enjoyed cycling, walking, playing disc golf, paddling, and visiting beaches and gardens. I also had plenty of sun protection and drank a lot of water to stay hydrated.
Laneway Art
Last Friday I wrote about Laneway art projects in Toronto’s Little Italy neighbourhood and posted my first batch of twenty two painted garage doors in the Euclid-Palmerston laneway here. Today I share my second batch of twenty one garage door images. I’ll post the third batch next weekend.
When I was at the laneway, one of the homeowners opened his garage door to let me take photos of the door in ‘Open’ and ‘Closed’ states. Most of the garages in this laneway have remote control door openers. Some still have the traditional door handles and latches, like this one.
I’ve noted the street number, artist’s name and year based on my look-up. Remember to click on any image in the gallery to see it in full view and use the arrow to move to the next image. Shared for #LifeThisWeek, Monday Murals, #ThursdayDoors and #PPAC11.
282P – Avril Wu, 2019 
284P – Gosia Komorski, 2018 
288P – Marina Nazarova, 2018 
288P – Raoul Olou, 2018 
290P -Cindy Scaife, 2018 
292P ? – Unknown 
298P – Daniela Rocha, 2018 
300P – Margaret Cresswell, 2018 
302P – Karen Roberts, 2018 
263E? – Sam Roe 
265E – Erin McCluskey, 2019 
267E – Andrea Rodriguez, 2019 
271E – Cameron Chalmers, 2019 
279E – Pam lostracco, 2019 
283E – Will Gaydos, 2019 
287E – Caerina Abrenica, 2019 
295E – Ghazaleh Rastgar, 2018 
297E – Jieun June Kim, 2018 
301E – Anya Mielniczek, 2018 
309E – Gosia Komorski, 2019 
311E – Wandy Cheng, 2019
Which door(s) in the gallery do you like?
Canoeing Fun
The warm weather was perfect for my solo kayak outing and a tandem canoe trip within Toronto Islands with my friend J. The paddling season is short here and not every summer day has good weather conditions for paddling. So, when I could make two paddling trips in one week, I was thrilled.
Regarding tandem canoeing (two persons paddle one canoe together), when the two canoeists are in sync, it’s fantastic, and when they’re out of sync, it’s frustrating. Fortunately, J and I paddle well together.
We hit the jackpot seeing several young great blue herons and other birds within Toronto Islands.
It was a beautiful and meditative experience: Calm water, green plants, warm day, a mix of sun and clouds, and minimal boat traffic on a weekday. We hope to go canoeing again before the summer ends.
Tell me something good about your week.
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Natalie the Explorer 
I liked 284P because of its resemblance to both nature and mandalas. I am still in shock about that temperature reading Natalie. I sure would not have been venturing outside at all, other to my air conditioned car to drive to an air conditioned shopping centre and then back home to air conditioned house….sounds spoiled? Not really but in Australian summers we can get up to 5 days in a row like that. What’s been good about this week….mmm. Now having completed 9 weeks of lockdown we face by my reckoning another 2-4+ weeks. OK, some good news is that our NSW Education system has a plan for students returning..not for ages but at least getting there & that all teachers and school staff must be vaccinated. Hooray for commonsense. Thanks for the link up. Denyse.
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The artist who did 284P also painted 309E in the gallery. She has her flower/ mandala signature style. I like her art, too.
Normally we have 3-day heat waves that reach high 30Cs but this month we had two consecutive weeks with humidex reached above 40C. We have a reprieve on Friday then the heat and humidity return on the weekend. I go out in the morning when it’s much cooler. I also stay close to places with tree shades and water. Thank you for sharing your good news and linking up with me.
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Thanks for sharing the post for Life This Week. Loved reading yours. Next week’s optional prompt is Self Care Stories. Hope to see you there too. Denyse
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Thank you, Denyse. See you soon.
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Hi Natalie, You remind me about the humid summers Back East. An interesting experience for me. Toronto and area has a great deal to offer and I appreciate how you share many of the unique sites here. I had no idea about the laneway art. Each painted door shares a message. All of the doors are interesting and I am extra curious about 279E and the fireflies. You often hit the jackpot with your sightings and beautiful, fascinating photos. I ‘get it’ on the meditative experience. Thank you for sharing a great post once again. Have a wonderful week, Natalie.
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Hi Erica/ Erika, This laneway is a real gem that hasn’t been advertised much. It has the highest number of garage murals in one location that I know of (75 murals and counting) and they’re done by professional artists. I think I know many gems in downtown Toronto because I’m a longtime resident and I explore the city on foot and by bike. I love exploring Toronto islands by canoe or kayak or SUP, too. I know you’d get what I mean by ‘meditative’ experience. Thank you for stopping by. Have a wonderful weekend!
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I really like these painted doors too Natalie – so many different styles – and how nice that guy was to let you photograph his with the door open so we could see it “in action”. I think 301E is my favourite.
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Hi Leanne, I was at the laneway on a weekday morning and met just that one nice owner who was sweeping his garage. I had the laneway to myself to study the garage murals and photograph. I felt like I was at a wonderful open air art gallery. The artist who painted 301E also painted the O’halito mural with another artist in my first batch. Thank you for sharing your blog and linking up with me. Have a great week!
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I love 263E? because I like owls but all of them are so beautiful. Thanks for sharing. Something good in my week? I am writing more and the husband and I decided to downsize. Not quite sure how yet but we’ll get there. Happy Friday to you and yours and thanks for the #WeekendCoffeeShare 🙂
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Thank you, Liz, for your visit and comment. The 263E? garage was quite big. It would fit four cars. The artist did an excellent job painting the owls. They look alive IRL. Happy weekend to you and yours!
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Thanks and likewise. I find it amazing how some artists can create such huge paintings. I wouldn’t know how to get the dimensions right 😊
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Wow, too hot! We had a a few days like that in NH, but it is cooler here on Cape Cod. The street art is great 🙂 Glad you had a good time kayaking and canoeing. I may not be able to make this week’s coffee share, but we’ll see… Have a great weekend and a wonderful week next week 🙂
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This August has been hot here. We have a brief reprieve today then the heat and humidity return on the weekend. I hope to see your coffee share but I understand if you’re unable to make it. Have a wonderful weekend!
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I love lighthouses so I would choose Cameron Chalmers. My favourite photo isMr Heron striding out for his walk!
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You selected a beautiful mural. I like C. Chalmers’ artwork, too. I think I have another one painted by him in my next batch. Mr. Heron was cute. He took a stroll along the water’s edge and we paddled our canoe along so I could take his photos. Thank you for stopping by. Have a great weekend!
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Loved the virtual canoe tour Natalie. scooting around on calm water in a nice weather day sounds wonderful. I’ve mentioned before that we have herons here too and they are magnificent.
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That canoe trip was fantastic. We lucked out seeing several magnificent herons. Thank you for stopping by Gary. Have a great weekend!
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We’ve been soup city the past week. Our heat and humidity has been high and the long range forecast doesn’t give us much relief. All of the artwork is beautiful, so I can’t decide on one favorite. I’m wrapping up my next three book proposal, so that was the highlight of my week. Enjoy the weekend!
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Congrats, Jill, on completing your next three book proposal! We have a brief reprieve on Friday then the high heat and humidity return on weekend. Thank you for stopping by. Have a wonderful weekend!
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Hi Natalie – the canoe trip and nature times does sound so restrictive and the art you provided was great!
The opening art with the door open was extra fun because the adidas sneakers stood out –
Cool post
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Thank you, Yvette, for your visit and comment. The canoe trip was wonderful. We lucked out seeing several birds on one trip.
I’m glad you like the garage door art. When I was at the laneway, I met just that one homeowner and he offered the photo options without me asking. May I ask how you found my blog?
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Hi / i think I have been to your blog a while back but recently from the Thursday doors tag and it brings post to my reader
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Thanks for letting me know. Have a great day!
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☀️☀️☀️
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I just got out for a nice hour long solo kayak trip this morning and it was fantastic! I am learning to embrace the early morning coolness and still lake for a perfect kayak adventure.
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Your kayak trip sounds great. Do you see much wildlife in your area?
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I love your garage doors, Natalie. I came to them through the back door – Dan’s Thursday Doors. LOL. I didn’t include a coffee share piece on mine this week because it’s already so long. I think I’ll write a coffee share Friday’s every other week, when I’m not hosting PPAC. I hope you’ll forgive me. 🙂 Your doors will fit beautifully with this week’s PPAC #11. https://alwayswrite.blog/2021/08/27/ppac-11-prescott-loo-with-a-view/
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Thank you, Marsha, for stopping by. I linked up my post with PPAC#11. These garage doors are fun to see IRL and they’re all in one laneway. I hope you’re doing well. Feel free to join Weekend Coffee Share whenever you can. Have a great weekend!
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These are beautiful doors and art work to go along with them. 😀
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Thank you, Cee, for your comment. The artists did a great job on the garage doors.
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It’s tough to pick a favorite, but if I must it’s the “It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood.”
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Great choice, Susan. It was a beautiful day in the neighbourhood when I was at that laneway.
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Beautiful. I loved 271E Chalmers, 279E Lostracco (I love fireflies), and 300P cresswell were my faves.
I always love your adventures
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Kirstin, Those three doors are excellent picks. They look beautiful IRL. I think I have another door painted by Chalmers in my next batch. Have a great weekend!
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I like the one with the lighthouse – definitely my favourite. Thanks for this week’s tour and for the coffee share. I’ll be stopping by to join in that later.
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Great choice, Barb. The lighthouse by Chalmers is a beautiful door. I like its bold colours and lighthouses in general. Looking forward to your coffee share.
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Any time on the water is well spent.
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Time on the water is great, especially in the summer.
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Wow! Natalie, there are too many great doors for me to choose a favorite. I will say that the rise and shine door would have to close after I was pointed away, or I’d be on my way to breakfast. I also love the Great Blue Heron!
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Dan, That Rise and Shine door looks real like a diner’s window display. I was quite happy to see several herons on one canoe trip and they were close to our canoe.
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Great art and I still love those cranes. I never get tired of seeing them.
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Same here, Deborah, I never get tired of seeing the herons.
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I like that heron strutting her stuff.Hilariously at first glance I thought the red arrow was a super bright bird.
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Haha, tricked you with my red arrow pointing to a heron on the tree. The other heron kept walking along the shore while we were in our canoe.
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What another great roundup of colourful artworks Natalie. I love them all but the simplistic nature of 311E really appeals to me for some reason. The canoeing looks great fun and great captures of the heron too. I always enjoy visiting your blog as you have amazing sights I wouldn’t normally see, so many thanks for that. Have a great week!
I’m linking in with my latest post about writing out own headlines. https://debs-world.com/2021/08/25/what-are-the-headlines-you-would-write/
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Debbie, 311E is an excellent choice. It looks beautiful IRL with its cheery colours. I’m glad to share sights that you don’t normally see. That’s one of the great things about blogging. We can share and learn from each other. Thank you for linking up. Have a great week!
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The canoeing sounds lovely, Natalie! And, I hear you about the fun versus frustrating aspect of paddling with someone else. I really enjoyed your second gallery of the garage art. Owls are my favorite bird, so I really liked that piece. But I also enjoyed some of the cheery, colorful scenes. Looking forward to part three next week! 🙂
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Great choice, Liesbet. The painted owls look quite alive IRL. The ‘owl’ garage is one of the bigger, 4-car garages in that laneway. I think you’ll like the next batch 🙂
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Ooh, I love your canoeing pix! I miss living near water. And I thought the heron in the first pic was a statue 🙂
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The canoe trip was wonderful. That heron was real 🙂 Herons are patient hunters. They stay still for a while before quickly catch a fish.
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Wow! You have really warm summer weather! Fall is on its way here. It’s been 10-15C/50-55F during the days this week. We’ve had some rainy and very windy days, and some days with a tiny little bit of sun. I like this weather, except the very windy days.
Your canoe adventure looks amazing. I hope you are enjoying a wonderful weekend ❤
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We had a brief reprieve on Friday then it’s hot and humid again this weekend and warm next week. We need rain for the grass. They’ve turned brown from the hot sun and heat in the last two weeks. Very windy days are also my least favourite. I look forward to your coffee share. Have a great weekend!
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I hope you get some rain. Thank you!
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Your canoeing pictures look fun. I was able to get out on my father-in-law’s kayak in August and it was a lot of fun. Thanks for the virtual coffee. Have a great weekend.
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Glad to hear you had a fun kayak outing. It’s nice to be on the water in the summer. Thank you Shari for stopping by. Have a great weekend!
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Wow! I love all of the doors in the gallery – I would especially like to see them in person.
If I had to choose one (very tough call) I would go with the Firefly one. Very, very impressive!
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Hi Donna, This laneway is a gem with about 75 garage doors. I highly recommend to see it when you visit Toronto. I like the Firefly door, too. The combination of midnight blue and yellow fireflies is classic.
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The art is cool! Love the Herons! If I had to choose a door, I’d probably go with the owls. So happy with my new desktop that now I can access my stack of cds packed with photos. Even found some thought lost forever… like our first wedding.
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It’s fantastic that you found your photos. Great choice of garage door art. The owls garage is one of the bigger, 4-door garages in this laneway. The owls on the doors look alive IRL.
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That, they do. Even in the thumbnail their eyes found mine. Eerie!
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I hope it gets cooler for you this week. Great art, I like Karen Roberts art the best. The kayak looks amazing and what a bonus in seeing the herons.
Thanks for hosting and I hope that you have a wonderful week.
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Great choice of door, Patrick! Karen Roberts art is bright and colourful. Have a wonderful week!
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How lovely of 287E to open the garage door for you! A different look and perspective.
I think my favourite mural has to be 282P – i love the blues and the lines and curves.
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Yes, the owner at 287E was very nice. He offered to open the garage door without me asking. You picked a beautiful door at 282P. The blue colour is soothing and the details are amazing to see IRL.
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What a welcoming owner! Given that crowds are still tentative, was it a buzzy vibe in the laneway though?
I am partial to blues, so that one caught me eye right aways!
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I was the only visitor at the laneway and had all the doors to myself to photograph without waiting for anyone to finish taking their photos. It was perfect! I think it was because I was there on a weekday morning and most of the visitors came when the murals were done in 2018 and 2019. I did find a door mural done in 2020 which tells me to come back at least once a year to discover any new art work.
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Again, another one of the perks of pandemic quietness. Are the artworks done by the owners of the homes? Or do muralists apply to work on a door?
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All of the above garage door artworks were done by muralists. The City of Toronto has an annual and formal process for artists to apply. For the Laneway art projects, homeowner’s agreement is part of the process before the approved artist gets to work.
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This is a much larger project than I’d initially imagined… I love it!
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Toronto’s arts scene is vibrant. You’d need a long stay to see what’s on.
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I think so … an extended vacation, I think!
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It’s a long way to come from Singapore. If you can do an extended vacation, it’s worth doing.
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Absolutely!
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Ji Natalie
Today I think my favourite door is 263E – the snowy owls. Also your canoeing adventures look like a lot of fun.
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Great choice of door! 263E is a bigger, 4-door garage. The artist did a terrific job painting the owls. They look alive IRL. Canoeing within Toronto Islands is one of my favourite summer pastimes.
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I’m so very happy your canoeing experience was so tranquil.
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Thank you, Astrid. It was a beautiful experience. I hope to go again soon.
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Gosh that garage art is so impressive Natalie! Love them all! Have a fabulous week! xo
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Min, This laneway is one my favourites for the garage art. Have a wonderful week!
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Love all those garage doors, Was expecting to see Mr. Rogers instead of the bear where there was a beautiful day in the neighborhood.
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A creative change by the artist to draw the bear instead of Mr Rogers. I’m glad you like these garage doors. Thank you for your visit and comment.
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More love garage door art. I like the toucan one!
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I like the toucan, too. It reminds me of my trips to Costa Rica.
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What a wonderful summer you’re having! That art looks amazing!
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It’s been a joyous summer. I’m glad you like the garage door art.
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Some more great garage doors. So nice of the man to open up his garage for you to take photos.
My favourites are – 271, 275, 295 and 300.
Thanks for participating in Monday Murals Natalie.
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Great door choices, Sami. Those doors are beautiful IRL. The homeowner was very nice to me. Thank you for hosting MMs.
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Funny I have the Robert’s white squirrel mural (taken 2019) in a scheduled post for this week.
We haven’t been to the Islands this summer.
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I may have another K. Roberts mural in my next batch. September would be a nice time to go to the islands, especially on weekdays.
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Hi Natalie,
Those murals are amazing and it sounds quite extraordinary that so many houses have murals on their garage doors. I can’t imagine that here. I’m not sure why. We seem to be more low key. However, we do actually had a garage door onto our back laneway and perhaps it could use a spruce up. We’ll be bold. Somehow, I doubt it and we need to repaint our front door before we do anything fancy.
I didn’t know you kayaked. Geoff and I kayak and one of our friends is right into it and does extended night kayaks by head torch. We have about 5 kayaks. Geoff goes out in the fibreglass one but I go out in the yellow bathtub. It’s such a beginner’s kayak but also my comfort zone. Geoff and I have been out on it together and it’s hard to keep a rhythm. I have trouble clapping in time, so am a bit trying in a kayak. We’ve also gone out with the dogs, which has been interesting.
Hope you have a good week.
Best wishes,
Rowena
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Hi Rowena, Toronto has a program that promotes street art. The garages in this laneway are at the back of the houses and are not visible from the streets. There are about 75 murals in one laneway.
I enjoy recreational kayaking, canoeing and stand up paddling. I do it in the summer and usually go paddling within the beautiful Toronto Islands and harbour. Kayaking is a safe activity to do and great stress reliever during lockdown. Thank you for stopping by. Have a great week!
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You’re not wrong about kayaking being a great stress reliever, especially during lock down. It’s just magic getting out thereon the water paddling or just drifting for a bit and feeling swallowed up by the clouds floating on the water. We have phosphorescence in the water here. I think I’ve only seen it once but the kids used to do night kayaks with the sea scouts and the kids were fascinated by it. Do you get it there?
Best wishes and have a great week!
Best wishes,
Rowena
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I haven’t done night kayaking here. I’d be fascinated by phosphorescene, too. I like to go during daytime to see herons, cormorants, egrets, other birds, fish, painted turtles and aquatic plants.
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These are great images. Hoping to return to Toronto from NS to see Little Italy ..again.,
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Thank you, Anita, for your visit and comment. This laneway is a gem with about 75 garage door murals. It’s like an open air art gallery. When you visit Toronto, feel free to contact me for a coffee or tea or gelato in Little Italy 🙂
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My sister lives in Burlington, hoping to return. I am happy I am following your site. I noticed you have been to many places.. I should add the list of the countries where I have travelled.
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I’m glad to find your blog, too. Yes, I’ve got the travel bug early in life.
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I tried kayaking years ago and enjoyed it. (And get confused between canoeing and kayaking…)
As for the laneway art, I actually like the very last one – it’s brightness and vivacity. It feels me with hope.
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Yes, 311E is a beautiful choice. It’s cheerful with spring colours.
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Hi Natalie, I’m very late popping in as we’ve had no internet service for 8 days. We sometimes have drop outs after heavy rain. The joys of living in the Aussie bush! I love these doors. If I had to choose one it would be 301E, but I love them all. Otherwise, your photos look so peaceful. I used to do kayaking and canoeing with my children when they were teenagers. I loved it and should have kept it going when they stopped. I love seeing your kayaking posts
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Hi Jennifer, I’m glad you’re back online after 8 days without internet service. 301E is a beautiful mural. The artist also did another mural in the same laneway (the O’halito that was in my previous batch of photos). I love paddling within Toronto Islands for the tranquility and nature that I experience when I’m there. It’s such a rare treat because I live in a big city and can get to the Toronto Islands in about ten minutes by ferry. If you live close to a body of water, consider resuming kayaking or canoeing as it’s something you love to do. Have a great week!
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Wonderful laneway art, Natalie. They are so colourful, and each one is unique. This is such a great way to beautify the lanes and create public art for all to enjoy.
Jude
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Jude, Although Toronto has many laneways with murals, this laneway has the highest number of art in one location that I know of. When I was there on a weekday morning, I was the only visitor and had all the artwork to myself. It was like walking in an open air and private art gallery. I’ll post the third batch on Sunday September 5.
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