I’m delighted to be hosting the Sunday Stills photography challenge while host Terri Webster Schrandt continues her blogging break.
Thank you to everyone who joined me for the Sunday Stills photography challenge last week. I appreciate your beautiful photography and fun conversations. I’ve compiled the list of In The Garden Bloggers’ Links at the end of this post for easy reference.
This week’s theme: Afloat
What do you think of when you hear the word ‘Afloat’? I think of floating art, aquatic plants, water birds, and boats that I’ve seen this summer. Let me share a few photos with you.
The Peacemaker’s Canoe
This temporary art exhibit is floating in Toronto’s Harbour. It’s a geometric, reflective shape that forms into a mirrored crescent bobbing on the water like a canoe.
Island Life
I love observing aquatic life and floating houses when I’m out paddling within Toronto Islands. There are people living in houses on Ward’s Island and a number of floating homes and houseboats in various marinas.
This floating house has a nice painting on the side and pretty potted flowers at the front ‘porch’ and the upper deck. It also has a red kayak ready to go.
The Waterfront
Toronto’s waterfront has several marinas and piers for all kinds of boats, tall ships, and yachts. The marinas are full in the summer. There are also places where I can rent a kayak or a paddle board and go paddling.
Visitors can book boat tours to sail in Toronto Harbour or take the ferry or water taxis to go to Toronto Islands. In the following photo, see how many things are afloat on the water.
Those are a few interesting things that I saw afloat. I captured all of the above photos with my cell phone. Shared for #CellpicSunday.
I’m looking forward to seeing all your entries for this week’s Sunday Stills photography challenge. I’m hosting Sunday Stills again next week when the theme is ‘Colourful Murals’.
How to participate in the Sunday Still photography challenge
- Please create a new post for the theme.
- Title the post a little differently than mine.
- Enter the link party by clicking on the InLinkz button below and follow the prompt.
- If you’re on WordPress, remember to create a pingback to this post so that other participants can read your post. I also recommend adding your post’s URL into the comments.
- Entries for this theme can be shared all week (not just on a Sunday).
- Use the hashtag #SundayStills for sharing on social media.
In The Garden Bloggers’ Links
Below are the last week’s links from bloggers who shared their gardens or garden visits with their beautiful photos:
- Always Write
- Blog of Hammad Rais
- Cats and Trails and Garden Tales
- Deb’s World
- Denyse Whelan Blogs
- Graham’s Island
- GreenDreams
- KameraPromenader
- Picture-This
- Travel With Me
- Troyers Loving Life
- Wandering Dawgs
- Wind Kisses
- WoollyMuses
- Working On Exploring
Have a great week!
Copyright © 2024 natalietheexplorer.home.blog – All rights reserved.
Natalie the Explorer 
I really like that canoe art piece. so cool! I can imagine it sending out hundreds of rainbows when the light is just right, too. thanks for the virtual cruise-on-the-water! 🙂
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Am glad you like the Peacemaker’s Canoe. It sparkles in the sunlight and the water, and yes, as you imagine, all kinds of rainbows.
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I love those photos Natalie!! The peace canoe is very cool. Thank you for hosting.
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Thank you, Kirstin, for your comment and participation in Sunday Stills. The Peacemaker’s Canoe has a beautiful appearance and message.
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Lovely “floating” images, Natalie. since you know me, you know what I think about when imagining being afloat. Eight years of it in the US, Bahamas, Caribbean, and South Pacific on a 35ft catamaran called “Irie.” 🙂
If anyone is interested in learning about a long-term floating lifestyle with many photos on the water, feel free to check out the older posts on my sailing website http://www.itsirie.com. I didn’t think it was appropriate to link to this website from the Inlinkz party, but I hope it’s okay to post that blog address here…
And, I’m also afloat with our two rescue dogs on the cover of Plunge. 🙂 I still haven’t figured out how to copy and paste a photo in the comment section.
Enjoy your Sunday afternoon!!
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Hi Liesbet, This ‘Afloat’ theme is right up your alley. You can attach an image with your comment when you have your own domain name with WordPress. It’s a feature that’s available to some but not all WP plans. Have a great weekend!
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I love these images, Natalie.
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Thank you, Dan. It’s been a hot August here so anything to do with water looks good to me.
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I understand.
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Those are really excellent photos Natalie! The arty canoe is wonderful (looks like a ‘stealth’ boat). Also, I like the house boat. It looks so inviting!
Here’s my entry for this week, https://oldbloggler.blogspot.com/2021/08/sundaystills-afloat.html
Hope you like!
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Thank you, Paul, for your comment and participation. The arty canoe has a beautiful look and message. Who-ever lives in that houseboat takes really good care of it. You have an excellent collection of ‘Afloat’ photos.
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I echo Paul’s comment about the canoe looking like a stealth boat. It’s great you have so much access to the water in Toronto. Here’s mine this week: https://grahamsisland.com/2021/08/29/the-ins-and-outs-of-outrigger-canoe-racing/
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Graham, I greatly appreciate living close to Lake Ontario. There are all kinds of water sports, including outrigger canoeing, to watch or play from late spring to early fall. Thank you for your contribution to Sunday Stills.
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Great images, Natalie!
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Thank you, Janice. Hope you’re enjoying BC.
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Great images, Natalie. It seems like you covered most things that float!
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Thank you, Joanne. I was going to add an image of floatation safety equipment. Check out other Sunday Stills participants’ photos. They’re amazing.
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Fabulous images 💚 Love the floating house although it would have to be very calm for me 😉
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Thank you, Cathy. The floating houses are in a sheltered cove so the water there is definitely calmer than elsewhere on the islands.
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Looks so lovely and peaceful being afloat 🙂
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I went out on the water on calm or not too windy days and it’s beautiful.
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Gorgeous photos, Natalie! I love the lily pads! Thanks for sharing.
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Thank you, Jill, for your comment. The lily pads had many beautiful blooms in June. Have a great week ahead!
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Natalie, your pictures are varied and quite amazing. I love the boat on the still water and the house boat. Now I could write several more posts, but I’m going to have to be satisfied with what I have. 🙂
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Hehe, you ‘always write’, Marsha. I’m glad you liked my photos. So great that you met up with Terri. Stay safe and well my friend.
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Thanks, Natalie. Thanks again for hosting SS. I love your themes. 🙂
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Thank you for joining me Marsha. One more SS before Terri returns. I look forward to seeing your colourful murals for the next SS.
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That will be fun, PPAC and Sunday Stills at the same time. 🙂
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Wow Natalie, I love the peacemaker’s canoe, how clever! The houseboat and birdlife also took my fancy this week! Thanks for hosting again 🙂
My post is here https://debs-world.com/2021/08/29/ways-to-stay-afloat-sundaystills/
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Thank you for joining me Debbie. The Peacemaker’s Canoe sparkles in the sunlight and it sways with the water movements, very neat to see. I’m glad you like the houseboat and bird life, too.
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All your images are very peaceful, Natalie. I love the ways in which you can share your city with us…from the water itself. Denyse
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Thank you, Denyse. I love seeing Toronto from the water and going to Toronto Islands for tranquility and nature.
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Great images for the “On the Water” challenge. Thanks for including them in the Cellpic Sunday challenge!
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Thank you, John. Am glad to share my photos with Cellpic Sunday.
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Just staying afloat #Sundaystills
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Thank you, Bernie, for sharing your thoughts on Staying afloat and photos. Have a great week!
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Your photos were certainly on the mark and so diverse. Obviously you are very comfortable on the water ways and are finding safe ways to be out and about. Thanks for hosting. Bernie
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Thank you, Bernie, for your comment about my photos. I have great respect for water ways, especially large bodies of water like Lake Ontario. I always check weather conditions, wear my life jacket and follow water safety rules when I’m out on the water.
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It’s definitely better to be safe than sorry. I saw a CBC report that drownings are up this year significantly.
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It’s unfortunate that drownings are up this year. Many cases are preventable if people practice water safety.
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So true which makes it like the recent Covid deaths – preventable.
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Hi Natalie! I have some downtime this week so I thought I should visit my favorite bloggers! Not only is this a great theme, and perfect for end of summer, but your pics are perfect for examples. I’m all about interesting and that peacemaker’s canoe is stunning and reminds me of a disco ball, LOL! I’m sure you saw Marsha’s post where we took a few pics of folks afloat together. At the wedding festivities in Sedona, we met the in-laws who I discovered live near Toronto! Small world! Thank you again for hosting SS and for one more week. This coming weekend looks busy with family and friends visiting!
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Hi Terri, The Peacemaker’s canoe does sparkle like a disco ball when the sunlight hits it. It’s been a hot August here so anything to do with water looks good to me 🙂
I read Marsha’s post and saw your pictures. It’s fantastic that you two met up. I always think when friends who live in different cities meet up, it’s truly special because something like schedules, family commitments, priorities, and ahem…covid-19, always gets in the way unless the friends make an extra effort to meet.
It’s a small world that your in-laws live near Toronto. I have a tiny hope that when you and Hans visit the in-laws, we can arrange a meet-up. Have a wonderful weekend and take lots of photos or better yet, assign a designated photographer 🙂
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You will be on my list of Canadians to visit when we get to the Toronto area, Natalie! I’m actually thinking about my upcoming post for 9/12, and I will PM you soon about it. Thanks again!
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Sounds good, Terri.
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Hi Natalie, this seems to be the perfect theme for you to choose as host, as you have so many lovely water scenes around Toronto 🙂 And that peacemaker’s canoe is great! I’m running a bit behind this week but I have something for you now: https://www.toonsarah-travels.blog/the-thoughts-of-a-very-occasional-cruiser/
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Thank you, Sarah, for joining me. The Afloat theme worked out well for me because Toronto is right by Lake Ontario and August has been hot here so anything to do with water looks good to me 🙂
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I couldn’t resist a second post for this theme: https://www.toonsarah-travels.blog/barely-afloat-the-banjul-ferry/ 😆
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Sarah, I’m glad you couldn’t resist. Your ferry rides and visit to the dentist in a foreign country are what make interesting travel stories and memories. I haven’t been to Gambia or Senegal and love to read your story and see your beautiful photos. Thank you for sharing your second post with Sunday Stills.
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Thank you for hosting #Sunday Stills for us again, Natalie. You and Terri are both awesome hosts. I greatly enjoyed your ‘afloat’ photos — especially The Peacemaker’s Canoe — how cool is that?!
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Thank you, Donna, for your encouragement. Hosting SS is fun as I get to see lots of beautiful photos. I’m glad you enjoyed mine. The Peacemaker’s Canoe is cool and reflective.
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Such a beautiful place. So very nice. Thanks for sharing
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Thank you, Patrick, for your comment and for your contribution to #SundayStills.
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There is something special about being out on the water, afloat. I’m grateful to live close to the ocean, and to be able to go out kayaking. One of my favourite memories is when Rob and I took an eight-day tour on a 75 foot sailboat along the coast of Haida Gwaii a number of years ago.
Jude
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Jude, Sailing along the coast of Haida Gwaii sounds like an amazing trip. I’d love to do that. Do you remember the tour operator name? Living close to the ocean is definitely special, especially Canada’s stunning West Coast. I’m grateful to live close to Lake Ontario. Paddling within Toronto Islands is one of my summer favourites.
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