Life – Page 3 – Natalie the Explorer

Summer Week 8: Gone Canoeing

August 16, 2020August 15, 2020Natalie85 Comments

Hello blog friends! How are things going? I hope all is well with you. Come on in to my blog space and let’s share our news over a cup of tea or coffee.

The weather during Summer week 8, from August 9 to 15 inclusive, was warm and pleasant. The high temperatures ranged from 26C to 32C (79F to 90F). I’ve got all my planned activities done. The highlights? A canoe outing, my siblings’ visit, and several good reads.

Canoe Outing

My friend and I rented a canoe that came with two paddles, two life jackets, and a return trip on a pontoon boat to the islands where the canoes are stored. We spent about six hours paddling on the Toronto islands with a lunch break around mid-day.

The weather on the day of our excursion was perfect with sunny skies, light wind, low humidity, and high temperature around 26C. We paddled in the calm and clear water and had so much fun exploring the wetlands and the islands. Here’s some of my photos:

It was a beautiful day and a wonderful excursion. Nature, sunshine, peace, and friendship…All “addictive” ingredients for a good life. I have high hope to go canoeing again later this month, weather permitting.

Family Visit

My sister and brother came for a visit so I baked a coconut loaf for them. The recipe is a winner because both my siblings liked the loaf.

We sat outside to chat and enjoy a glorious afternoon by the lake. I was happy to see my siblings in person with uninterrupted time to talk and laugh together.

Reading

I’ve eagerly continued my “bookworm” status, reading seven books: two by Jojo Moyes, two by K.A. Tucker, one young adult fiction by Katie Cotugno, one psychological thriller by Gillan Flynn, and one spy fiction by Lauren Wilkinson.

The spy fiction titled American Spy, a debut novel by Lauren Wilkinson, was on Barack Obama’s 2019 Recommended Reading List. The story covers a lot more than spy missions, such as human emotions, relationships, ideology, and social issues.

American Spy prompted me to learn more about Thomas Sankara, his family, and his presidency in Burkina Faso, a country in Africa, before he was assassinated.

It also took me to Martinique, an island located in the eastern Caribbean Sea and a place that I wanted to visit.

This novel led me to more exploring and learning something new. I’d recommend it.

Summer week 8 was excellent. I’m grateful for all the good things that happened. I look forward to making the most of summer week 9.

How did your week go? I’d like to hear your comments.

Linking here.

Summer Week 7: Coronation Park

August 9, 2020August 10, 2020Natalie65 Comments

Hello blog friends! How are things going? Hope all’s well with you. Come on in to my blog space, feel free to have a coffee or tea, hot or cold, and let’s catch up on our news.

Summer week 7, from August 2 to 8 inclusive, means we just passed the half point of summer here. We had heavy rainfall on Sunday, rain on Monday afternoon and Tuesday then sunny weather the rest of the week. The high temperatures ranged from 24C to 29C (75F to 85F).

Cycling

I cycled along the Waterfront trail from one to two hours most mornings this week. One of the parks that I stopped by is Coronation Park. Coronation Park was built in 1937 to commemorate the Coronation of King George VI. It’s located at Lake Shore Blvd West & Fort York Blvd, just east of Ontario Place or Trillium Park.

Coronation Park highlights

Beautiful oak and maple trees: The park design consisted of grouping trees around a central Royal Oak, symbolizing the King. An inner ring of oak trees, known as the “Empire Circle”, represents the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, India, South Africa and the Crown Colonies.

To the north, the Imperial Service triangle of trees represented the Royal Navy, Air Force and Army. On either side of the ring are separate groves of maple trees representing the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th Canadian divisions, Siberian troops, and Corp Troops to the east and west.

Royal Oak in the centre of the Empire Circle of oak trees. — Royal Oak in the centre of the Empire Circle of oak trees

Lake view: The south side of Coronation Park offers stunning views of Lake Ontario and the marina. It is a beautiful spot to sit along the shoreline of Lake Ontario and enjoy a picnic on a warm summer day. Coronation Park also has three softball diamonds on the north side and a nice-sized dog off-leash area on the east side.

Lake view from Coronation Park. — Lake view from Coronation Park

Victory-Peace Monument: It’s a permanent war memorial built in 1995, the 50th anniversary of the end of World War II. There are two sets of bronze walls, arranged like ship prows. Between the walls are maple leaves. One is engraved “Sacrifice” and the other “Hope”. The walls surrounding it has artwork depicting information about Canada’s involvement in World War II.

Victory-Peace Monument designed by artist John McEwan at Coronation Park. — Victory-Peace Monument designed by artist John McEwan at Coronation Park

Reading

Coronation Park is also a perfect spot for reading. There are benches, Muskoka chairs, grassy field, and picnic tables. The lake views, however, may be a distraction. I finished five books this week and really liked the funny dialogues and heart-breaking love story in Me Before You by JoJo Moyes.

Walking

I got to see so many beautiful flowers on my morning walks. Some of them attract more bees and butterflies than others. The colour choices are amazing and they brighten my day. I’m sharing two photos here even though I took many more.

Considering everything, it was a beautiful and enjoyable week.

How did your week go? I’d like to hear your comments.

Linking here.

Summer Week 6: July Smiles

August 2, 2020August 1, 2020Natalie79 Comments

Hello blog friends! How are you? Hope all’s well with you. Come on in to my blog space, make yourself at home with a coffee or tea, hot or iced, and let’s chat.

Summer Week 6

Summer week 6, from July 26 to August 1 inclusive, was sunny and warm. The high temperatures ranged from 28C to 33C (82F to 91F). We had heat warning on Sunday and Monday, brief showers on Wednesday, and the rest of the week was beautiful.

I enjoyed plenty of outdoor time cycling and walking on the waterfront trail or in parks by the lake. The flowers in the gardens continue to be amazing. So many colours, shapes, textures, and lovely fragrance that keep bees and butterflies busy.

My new activity of the week was Stand Up Paddling (SUP). I did SUP for about three hours on Toronto islands with my small ‘social bubble’. We paddled and had so much fun. The water was calm and warm. I saw a great blue heron, dragonflies, Eastern kingbirds, pretty water lilies, idyllic sailboats, and more.

July Smiles

Since we’ve just finished July and are now at the beginning of August, I thought of summarizing my fun in July in simple numbers:

1 stand up paddling trip
2 movies (see titles below)
4 blog posts
6 digital concerts (see performers below)
6 kayaking trips
13 yoga sessions
14 strengthening workouts
15 books (see list below)
24 cycling trips
26 walks
31 online French and Spanish sessions
31 meditation sessions

The two movies were both based on true stories and great performances. I gave each movie 4 stars out of 5:

The Big Short (Christian Bale, Steve Carrell and Ryan Gosling).
The Whole Wide World (Renée Zellweger and Vincent D’Onofrio).

The six concerts were performed beautifully by:

The Ton Beau String Quartet.
Slovenian lutenist Bor Zuljan.
Montreal’s quartet Flûte Alors!.
The Venuti String Quartet.
Three Baroque cellists from Montreal: Mélisande Corriveau, Elinor Frey and Andrea Stewart.
The Swedish a capella quartet Kongero: Lotta Andersson, Emma Björling, Anna Larsson and Anna Wikénius.

On the COVID-19 front, case numbers in Toronto have been on the downward trends so as of July 31, the City allows more businesses to re-open, now including indoor gyms, dine-in restaurants, and movie theatres that meet public health guidelines. Masks are required in indoor public spaces and people are advised to continue social distancing.

July Beach Reads

Glorious books and e-books! I was in the mood for reading and set a new personal best reading record in a month: 15 books. I enjoyed every single one of them, about half were e-books and the other half physical books. I re-read some of the chapters in each of the books. They were that good!

All of the authors were new to me, except Jenny Colgan and John Grisham. Although I read Neil Pasricha‘s articles and listened to him on TED Talks before, this was the first time I read one of his books. I’m glad to discover K.A. Tucker who lives in a small town outside of Toronto.

Most of the 15 books are contemporary romance, with adventures, suspense, or thriller twists. Most, not all, have happy endings. They transported me to faraway places such as Bora Bora, England, Israel, Italy, Scotland, Vietnam, Zimbabwe, and various states in the USA.

I group the books into my Top 5 Picks, Next 5 Picks, and Last 5 Picks, based on how much I liked the story and the writing style. They are in alpha order by author’s last name below.

My Top 5 Picks:

Beach Read by Emily Henry.
Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng.
Where The Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens.
The Happiness Equation: Want Nothing + Do Anything = Have Everything by Neil Pasricha.
The Simple Wild by K. A. Tucker.

My Next 5 Picks:

The Place We Met by Isabelle Broom.
Every Breath by Nicholas Sparks.
Something in the Water by Catherine Steadman.
Burying Water by K. A. Tucker.
Ten Tiny Breaths by K. A. Tucker.

My Last 5 Picks:

The Cafe by The Sea by Jenny Colgan.
Gray Mountain by John Grisham.
The Light We Lost by Jill Santopolo.
Be The Girl by K. A. Tucker.
On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong.

Conclusion

July was an enriching and fabulous month with fitness, family, friends, and fun while social distancing. I look forward to making the most of August.

How was your July? What are you reading? I’d love to hear your comments.

Linking here.

Summer Week 5: A Grand Day Out

July 26, 2020July 26, 2020Natalie72 Comments

Hello blog friends! Glad to see you. Come on in to my blog space, make yourself comfortable with tea or coffee (hot or iced) and let’s have a chat.

Summer week 5, from July 19 to 25 inclusive, was mostly sunny and warm. The high temperatures ranged from 26C to 31C. With humidity, it felt like 30C to 36C (86F to 97F). We had severe thunderstorm and lightning on Sunday afternoon and intermittent showers on Wednesday. The rain water turned the grass in the parks from yellow to green again.

Kayaking to and within Toronto Islands

On a hot and sunny day of the week, I had a grand day out kayaking with my small social bubble. We paddled from the city side towards Hanlan’s Point (lower right on the map) and weaved our kayaks to Trout Pond (top right).

Source: City of Toronto, Toronto Island Park map

We explored the aquatic plants and bird life in and around Trout Pond and Lighthouse Pond. I saw white water lilies, baby turtles, small fish, ducks and ducklings, geese, swans, dragonflies, terns, and many other birds. We kayaked and swam in the ponds for a while as the water was so nice.

Around 1 PM, we left our kayaks by the shore and had a nice picnic lunch on a grassy area under a few big trees. There was a lovely light breeze all afternoon. After lunch, we walked to Gibraltar Point Lighthouse, Gibraltar Point Beach, and Gibraltar Point Sand Dune.

Gibraltar Point Lighthouse

The Gibraltar Point lighthouse, which now stands inland because of shifting land masses, was built in 1808 to protect ships coming into Toronto harbour from washing ashore during storms. It’s the oldest landmark in Toronto, the oldest surviving lighthouse on the Great Lakes, and the second oldest surviving lighthouse in Canada.

It is said that the Gibraltar Point lighthouse is haunted. Its first lighthouse keeper J.P. Radan Muller, was murdered by two soldiers from Fort York. The ghost of of J.P. Radan Muller returns every summer, and on hot summer nights, his howls can be heard from one end of the island to the other.

Gibraltar Point Beach

With a blue sky and a sandy beach, it’s hard to believe we’re only 15 minutes from downtown Toronto. Gibraltar Point Beach is perfect for taking a swim during the hot summer. The City of Toronto has advised people to practice physical distancing at a beach or park (or can receive a $1,000 ticket).

Gibraltar Point Sand Dune

The Toronto Island Sand Dunes are home to several rare plant species and have been classified as an Environmentally Significant Area by the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority. Dunes are fragile so visitors must stay on designated trails and boardwalks, and respect vegetated areas.

Egrets and Herons

Late afternoon, we got back to our kayaks and paddled to Long Pond, then towards Centre Island and Ward’s Island before heading back from Royal Canadian Yacht Club marina to the city side.

I spotted two snowy egrets and two great blue herons in various areas of the islands. Click on the photos below to enlarge them. Can you see the egrets and herons?

Great blue heron on a tree trunk on Toronto Islands

It was tricky to paddle quietly to get as close to the birds as possible, then got my phone out from the pocket of my life jacket, and balanced myself in my kayak to take some photos before they flew away.

The egret and heron sightings filled me with a sense of awe and ended my grand day out with a big smile.

Snow egret on Toronto Islands — Snowy egret on Toronto Islands

Grey heron on Toronto Islands — Great blue heron on Toronto Islands

Conclusion

Summer week 5 was fantastic. I got all my outdoor and indoor activities done. I broke my own ‘personal best’ record of the number of books I read in a month in 2020. Eleven books so far with five days left in July. The weather forecast predicts sunny and warm days for this coming week. I look forward to making the most of summer week 6.

How did your week go? What made you smile? I’d love to hear your comments.

Linking here.

Summer Week 4: Trillium Park

July 19, 2020July 18, 2020Natalie77 Comments

Hello blog friends! Glad to see you. Come on in to my blog space, make yourself comfortable with a coffee or tea, and let’s chat.

Summer Week 4

Summer week 4, from July 12 to 18 inclusive, was warm with the high temperatures ranged from 27C to 32C (80F to 90F). The humidity returned from Tuesday on, making it felt like 32C to 40C (90F to 104F). The rain on Thursday provided some relief from the heat.

Similar to Summer Week 3, I cycled, walked, exercised, went kayaking twice, meditated, practiced yoga, took language lessons, read four novels, listened to online concerts, and watched one movie. Also had picnic lunches by the lake, ate lots of summer fruit, and enjoyed cold drinks.

I visited several beautiful parks and gardens along the lake shore by bike and on foot. On my kayaking trips to Toronto Islands, a few duck families swam right next to my kayak and the cormorants showed off their perfect dives. In the gardens, lovely hydrangeas and lily flowers are dominant this week.

Trillium Park and William G. Davis Trail

Today is the 7th monthly Wellness Weekend link-up. The optional prompt is A Fun Activity. So I choose to walk along the scenic William G. Davis Trail in Trillium Park at Ontario Place as my fun activity. I hope you join me on this virtual walk.

About The Trail

Trail name: William G. Davis Trail, in honour of Bill Davis, who was the Premier when Ontario Place first opened in 1971.
Trail entrance: 955 Lake Shore Boulevard West, in Trillium Park, at Ontario Place East entrance.
Trail length: 1.3 km. It’s in the green area from the top right to bottom right of the map below.
Trail surface: asphalt/ concrete.
Trail rating: Easy.

Trail Highlights

The Ravine walls with Moccasin Identifier: Once we enter Trillium Park, two beautiful stone walls connected by a bridge frame our first glimpse of Lake Ontario. Developed in collaboration with the Mississaugas of the New Credit First Nation, the Ravine walls celebrate First Nations’ heritage and culture with the moccasin identifier engraved into the stone, a visual reminder to recognize and honour the past.

The Lake views from the trail: On one side, the trail hugs the spectacular waterfront. The vistas around the bends are amazing.

View towards Toronto's city centre — View towards Toronto’s city centre

Around the bend on William G. Davis Trail

The Park views on the trail: On the other side, the trail is surrounded by thousands of native trees, plants, flowers and beautiful sedimentary rocks and boulders.

The Bluff, Trillium Park, William G. Davis Trail — **The Bluff,** made up of stacked boulders and rocks, replicates the natural landscape throughout the province, and also offers a long communal sitting area to enjoy the beautiful views out over the lake.

Hough's Glade: This hidden gathering place is a tribute the original Ontario Place landscape architect, Michael Hough. — **Hough’s Glade:** This hidden gathering place is a tribute the original Ontario Place landscape architect, Michael Hough. Four rocks are arranged in a circle and surrounded by medicinal plants, butterfly bushes and a wild flower meadow. It’s a wonderful place to sit and share stories with friends.

There is also a Fire Pit to hold bonfires when permitted, and the Summit located at the southern tip of the park provides gentle slopes and lush rolling hills to sit on and look out to the lake. Vista Eatery is open with outdoor seating for a quick snack or a leisure meal while gazing at sailboats.

Even though the William G. Davis Trail is only 1.3 km long, it’s a trail that invites a few laps. The rest of the Trillium Park is on 7.5 acres of public green space on a spectacular part of Toronto’s waterfront so there’s much more to explore and enjoy.

Conclusion

Summer week 4 was fun and wonderful. I’ve cycled and walked in Trillium Park and on the William G. Davis Trail a few times this summer. I hope you enjoy the virtual walk with me. The weather forecast for week 5 is hot and humid. I look forward to making the most of week 5.

How did your week go? What fun activity did you do? I’d love to hear your comments.

I’m linking up this post to Wellness Weekends 2020 and other link-ups as listed here.

Summer Week 3: The Heat Is On

July 12, 2020July 12, 2020Natalie68 Comments

Hello blog friends! How are things going? I hope all’s well with you. Come on in to my blog space for a chat, make yourself comfortable, and let’s catch up on our news.

From where I am, the heat continued during the third week of summer, from July 5 to 11 inclusive. The high temperatures ranged from 30C to 38C. With humidity, it felt like 36C to 42C (97F to 108F). We had some relief from a flash thunderstorm on Wednesday afternoon and short showers on Saturday.

Similar to my Summer Week 2, I got all my exercises, yoga, meditation, and language lessons done, plus a lot of fun and sun in week 3. I’m sharing a few of my favourite moments from my outdoor activities below.

Cycling

I cycled on the Waterfront trail five mornings this past week. The trail hugs the shoreline of Lake Ontario and passes by many parks so I’m never far from the lake and green space, as well as local landmarks.

One favourite section of the trail is the Humber Bay Arch Bridge, a 130-metre long, pedestrian and bicycle through arch bridge over the mouth of the Humber River. The view from the Sheldon Lookout, steps from the bridge, is amazing.

Humber Bay Arch Bridge built in 1994, 130 metres long (430 feet). — Humber Bay Arch Bridge built in 1994, 130 metres long (430 feet)

Lake view at Sheldon Lookout. — Lake view from Sheldon Lookout

Kayaking

I enjoyed two kayaking trips to Toronto Islands on Tuesday and Thursday. The paddling from the city side to the Toronto Islands was challenging due to boat traffic, i.e. Ferries, water taxis, sailboats, canoes, kayaks, etc. but I made it safely across the harbour and stayed paddling within the islands for about three hours each trip.

The water within the islands was calm. I was happy to see more egrets, cormorants, ducks, birds, and new sightings this week: A beaver and a few very cute baby swans. On my way back, the sunset over Toronto’s skyline created beautiful reflections. These moments made me pause paddling and just take it all in.

A great egret on Toronto Islands. — A great egret on Toronto Islands

Great egret flew away. — And then s/he flew away…

Toronto skyline at sunset. — Toronto skyline at sunset

Walking

I walked every day this past week, except Saturday. It’s wonderful to walk along the waterfront boardwalk while listening to the sound of water touching the edge of the boardwalk, the sound of my steps on the wooden planks, watching the birds take off and land, and viewing the vast body of water spread out as far as the eyes can see.

Aside from the lake, a few favourite sightings in the local gardens were the tall spires of violet delphiniums, black-eyed susans, and purple coneflowers. Their bright colours and happy faces made me smile. I couldn’t resist taking photos.

What Else?

I wrapped up the week with blogging, listening to one online jazz concert, reading four books, and watching two movies. The four books were three romance novels and one book on Happiness. The two movies, The Whole Wide World and The Big Short, were based on true stories. Also enjoyed ice cream, locally-grown peaches and strawberries. Yum!

Conclusion

I was a happy camper in summer week 3. The weather forecast for week 4 is warm with chance of showers on Thursday or Friday. The rain will be very good for the thirsty-looking grass in the parks. I look forward to making the most of week 4.

How did your week go? What were your favourite moments? I’d love to hear your comments.

Linking here.

June Smiles and Summer Week 2

July 5, 2020July 5, 2020Natalie83 Comments

Hello blog friends! How are things going? I hope all is well with you. Come on in to my blog space for a coffee (or tea) chat and catch up on our news.

If we were having coffee (or tea), I would share that Toronto had a full week of sunny and warm days. We said goodbye to June and the first half of 2020. We welcomed July with a Happy birthday to Canada on July 1. Life in Ontario continues to evolve with some good news on the COVID-19 front.

June was a month full of stunning sights and fragrance from flower blooms. Birds continued to be active and they filled my mornings with beautiful sounds. The lake shone like diamonds in the sun. I took many photos and included some samples in this post.

June in Numbers

I feel grateful to wake up every day with a new set of 24 hours to live. We all had 30 full days or 720 hours in June. Of the 720 hours, I spent about 240 hours for Sleep, another 240 hours for Home Life, and 240 hours for Fun.

I kept track some of my fun activities in simple numbers. Every one of the following items made me smile:

1 new baking success: Banana blueberry loaf. Recipe below. I used blueberries instead of cranberries.
2 coffee dates with my sister.
3 bicycle rides.
3 online jazz and piano concerts: Miles Davis jazz at Lincoln Centre, Diana Krall on YouTube, and John Legend’s live streaming from his home studio.
4 blog posts.
4 movies: Election, Margot at the Wedding, Keep the Change, and One Week. All four were good although I liked One Week the most.
6 books: They were included in my Reading Update #2.
13 strengthening workouts.
13 yoga sessions.
26 walks to where I could see beautiful flower plants and fish-themed art.
30 online French and Spanish sessions.
30 meditation sessions.

Some good news on the COVID-19 front, mainly easing of restrictions and re-opening of businesses. Here’s what’s of interest to me:

up to 10 people allowed for social gathering.
up to 10 people allowed in social bubbles.
library curb-side pickup by appointment.
dental clinics, hair salons, farmers’ markets, ferry service to Toronto Islands, malls, and restaurant patios although I’m in no rush to go to these places yet.

Summer Week 2 in Pictures

The second week of summer continued to be sunny and hot with a heat wave that lasted several days. The high temperatures ranged from 27C to 33C (81F to 95F) plus humidity so it felt a few degrees hotter. Not a drop of rain the entire week.

My day went something like this:

Morning: Breakfast, meditation, cycling, walking, and strengthening workouts or yoga. I usually take photos during my walk.
Afternoon: Lunch, checking in with family and friends, home maintenance, and language lessons. Kayaking in the late afternoon if lake is calm.
Evening: Dinner, reading, writing, movie or music, and sleep.

A sample of what filled up my senses one morning last week:

Another sample to show more water, some Canada geese and aquatic plants, with a pop of red colour from my kayak:

On July 1, to do something special on Canada Day, I went kayaking with my best friend within the Toronto Islands for about three hours. It was a beautiful time while being in peaceful company with cormorants, egrets, ducks, fish, swans, turtles, lots of green plants, and fresh water.

Great egret within Toronto Islands. — Great egret within Toronto Islands

Conclusion

I was so happy and grateful for how June turned out for me. Week 2 of summer 2020 was amazing. Words are not adequate to describe the beauty that I see every day. The weather forecast for the coming week is sunny and warm again. I look forward to making the most of it.

How was June for you? How did your week go? I’d love to hear your comments.

Linking here.

Summer Week 1 and 2020 Reading Update #2

June 28, 2020December 26, 2020Natalie72 Comments

Hello blog friends! How are you? I hope your day is going well. Come on in to my blog space so we can share a coffee or tea and catch up on our news.

If we were having coffee, I would share my first week of summer 2020 in pictures and what I’ve been reading in the second quarter of 2020. How have your reading habits been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic? Did you find yourself unable to finish a book or did you read more than usual?

Summer Week 1

The first week of summer brought warm temperatures, mostly sunny, brief periods of rain, heat and humidity. I got all my exercises done (meditation, language lessons, strengthening workouts, yoga) and enjoyed my walks by the lake or in a park.

My sister met me for another coffee date on Friday. We sat outside chatting, sipping coffee, listening to bird songs, smelling the light fragrance of flowers in the air, and relaxing on a beautiful sunny day with some clouds and a light breeze.

Here’s a look at my Summer 2020 Week 1 in pictures:

Gull by Lake Ontario. — *Hello gull! It’s a beautiful day. Don’t let it get away.*

Sailboats, lake view and maple trees. — *Watching the sailboats in the harbour from under shades of maple trees.*

Mother duck and two young ducks. — *Mother duck and two young (teenager) ducks. Did the other 4 to 6 ducklings survive*?

*Beautiful green space, perfect for a picnic by the lake.*

Fragrant rose bushes. — *Fragrant rose bushes attract many bees.* *Watch out for the bees and the thorns.*

*Lake view with clouds and sailboats in the distance.*

*Another beautiful day with white clouds and a light breeze.*

*These pretty peachy roses brighten up any day.*

Library Curb-side Pickup

In my 2020 Reading First Update in March, I mentioned that Toronto library branches have been closed since March 13 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The library has been offering excellent digital services during the lockdown. Fast forward 12 weeks later, starting on June 8, Toronto Public Library re-opened for curb-side pickups by appointment.

My first curb-side pickup appointment went well. I was the only person there. The library staff wore a mask and asked me to place my library card on a table then step back to maintain a safe distance. He verified my account, delivered two brown bags of books to the table and stepped away. I picked up my library card and the book bags to go. All in less than one minute. Nice!

Books Read in 2nd Quarter of 2020

Here’s what I read from April to June 2020 by author’s last name:

The Sisters Brothers by Patrick deWitt.
Lucky Man a memoir by Michael J. Fox.
The Wedding Party by Jasmine Guillory.
An Autopsy of a Boring Wife by Marie-Renée Lavoie, translated by Arielle Aaronson.
Angela’s Ashes a memoir by Frank McCourt.
How To Be A Good Creature: A memoir in thirteen animals by Sy Montgomery, illustrated by Rebecca Green.
Dear Life by Alice Munro.
Say You Still Love Me by K. A. Tucker.
Embers One Ojibway’s Meditations by Richard Wagamese.

Number of books read: 9 books in the second quarter of 2020. This brings my Year-to-date total to 27 books from January to June 2020. My goal for 2020 is 36 books in various genres. I’m getting there.

A book by an Indigenous author: Embers: One Ojibway’s Meditations by Richard Wagamese is an excellent book to celebrate June which marks National Indigenous History Month. The book is full of wisdom packed in 176 pages.

A book that made me laugh: An Autopsy of a Boring Wife by Marie-Renée Lavoie and The Sisters Brothers by Patrick deWitt. Two totally different novels, each with brilliant comedic moments.

A book by a Canadian writer and Nobel Prize winner: Dear Life by Alice Munro who illumines the moment a life is shaped in this collection of short stories.

A book about a real person: Lucky Man a memoir by Michael J. Fox who has been living with Parkinson’s Disease since his diagnosis in 1991, and Angela’s Ashes a memoir by Frank McCourt, a Pulitzer Prize winner.

A book I picked because I liked the cover: How To Be A Good Creature: A memoir in thirteen animals by Sy Montgomery and nice illustrations by Rebecca Green.

A book about romance with strong-willed female lead character: Say You Still Love Me by K. A. Tucker and The Wedding Party by Jasmine Guillory. Both authors are new to me even though they’ve each written several novels.

3 Fun Lists To Share

June 21, 2020July 21, 2020Natalie75 Comments

Hello blog friends! How are you doing? I hope all is well with you. Come on in to my blog space so we can have a coffee or tea and catch up since I last shared my imaginary fishing expedition with you.

If we were having coffee, I’d say that I hope you like lists. I use them to capture key points when they’re still fresh in my mind and I can expand them into more details later. I have three fun lists to share in this post: The Extras, Mind Exercises, and Summer Fun. Feel free to read all three, or skip to the list that may be of interest to you.

The Extras

My first list is the extras that make my ordinary days extra-ordinary. They bring me many smiles this week:

Chats with my family members online.

Chats with my girlfriends by phone.

Chat with my neighbour: in-person, outdoors, and 2 metres apart.

Blue skies and sunshine all week long, high 30C on summer solstice.

Booked and anticipating a kayak outing next week.

Home-baked banana blueberry loaf: My new baking success.

New books from the library.

New sightings of urban wildlife: Birds, toads, and river otter pups.

Outdoor walks in the sunshine.

Scents of lilacs, roses, and blends of other flowers.

I’m grateful that my family and friends are all well. To date, no one in my social circle is sickened by the COVID-19 virus. Summer is officially here and nature continues to show off her seasonal beauty that makes my time outdoors wonderful.

10 Fun Mind Exercises

My second list shows ten fun exercises that I do to keep my brain sharp. The 6th Wellness Weekend link-up of 2020 is on today. The optional prompt for June is Mind Exercises. Please join in on the fun. All links are at the bottom of this post.

When we’re young, most of us are not concerned about our health. As we age, we know we need to do something to stay healthy. I assume that my blog readers all know we need to take care of our mind (the brain), just like any other part of the body.

When it comes to brain health, I refer to the Alzheimer Society Canada web site. It has plenty of helpful information and resources such as: A page on brain health, a printable brochure titled Heads Up for Healthier Brain, and a short video on “What can you do to keep your brain healthy?”.

I do several fun mind exercises on a regular basis and try new things to keep my brain as healthy as possible as I age. I also try to eat healthy, stay socially active, get enough sleep, and go for my regular health check-ups.

Here’s my list of 10 Fun Mind Exercises:

Bake a new recipe: Baking uses a number of senses: smell, touch, sight, and taste, which all involve different parts of the brain.

Do math in my head without the aid of calculator, or pencil and paper.

Do physical exercises that involve switching sides, counting steps, sets, repetitions, and focusing on different muscle groups.

Learn foreign languages: French and Spanish. The listening and hearing involved stimulates the brain, and more efforts required to differentiate the two similar languages.

Learn new skills: Baking, blogging, learning a new 20-minute dance workout with various dance moves, and photography.

Meditate: Of all the mental exercises, meditation may be the most challenging. It takes practice to quiet our mind.

Play with words: Write blog posts, play word games or Scrabble.

Practice yoga: Many yoga poses require focus and good co-ordination of mind and body.

Read widely, study directions, and maps.

Test my recall: Make a list, memorize it, recall it an hour or so later to see how many items I can recall.

My Summer 2020 Fun List

My blogger friend, Leslie at Once Upon A Time Happily Ever After, has invited me and other bloggers to join in her Summer Fun List link-up so the third and last list in this post is my Summer 2020 Fun List.

My Summer 2020 Fun List focuses on summer in the city. It has a number of outdoor activities that take advantage of the warm weather and the natural amenities by Lake Ontario. These activities are inexpensive and require minimal preparation on my part.

Here’s my list of 10 Summer Fun Activities:

Eat a lot of summer fruits.

Enjoy ice cream.

Explore local gardens or parks.

Go cycling on the waterfront trail.

Have a picnic by the lake.

Look for wildlife in the city.

Paddle within Toronto Islands.

Read light novels.

Relax at a lake beach.

Walk on the boardwalk.

I hope to share some of these activities with my family and friends as the government eases restrictions on social gatherings, and to check off all ten items on my summer fun list in the next thirteen weeks, before the first day of Autumn hits.

How did your week go? What fun mind exercises do you do? What’s on your summer fun list? I’d love to hear your comments.

I’m linking up this post to Wellness Weekends 2020, Summer 2020 Fun List, and other link-ups as listed here.

Life and Fish-Themed Art

June 14, 2020December 26, 2020Natalie92 Comments

Hello blog friends! How are you doing? I hope all is well with you. Come on in to my blog space so we can share a coffee or tea and catch up since we last chatted about life with flower plants.

The weather continued to be nice here in the second week of June, with plenty of sunshine, clear blue skies, and even a touch of high heat and humidity. On Tuesday and Wednesday, June 9 and 10, it felt like 32C (100F). The rest of the week was pleasant with high temperatures ranged from 17C to 25C (63F to 77F).

*Floating docks on a beautiful sunny day.*

Sisters’ Coffee Chat

If we were having coffee, I’d share that the first highlight of my week was meeting my sister. While we’ve been in touch by phone, text and virtual meetings, this was our first in-person meeting since March in “COVID-19 caution” style.

We sat outdoors under a tree by the lake front and had a nice chat while sipping hot coffee from our individual thermos and staying two meters apart the whole time. The day was perfect, sunny with a light breeze. It prompted us to talk about our summer plans. We’ll likely spend time exploring parks and conservation areas close to home.

Fish-Themed Art

The second highlight of my week was a photo hunt for fish-themed sculptures. To start my imaginary fishing expedition, I looked for a canoe, like the Red Canoe, designed by Douglas Coupland. This canoe is large enough for people to stand in and see over the Gardiner Expressway to Lake Ontario.

*Red Canoe designed by Douglas Coupland.*

As I started canoeing, a colourful group of large fishing bobbers, also designed by Douglas Coupland, appeared. The lake water level was high and the water was so clear, I could see the reeds swaying under the canoe. We should see schools of fish soon.

*Fishing bobbers designed by Douglas Coupland.*

I spotted the Salmon Run, designed by artist Susan Schelle. This 1991 sculpture fountain depicts schools of salmon in silhouette swimming upstream through a barrier of reeds and jumping over the steps of the fountain. The fountain is a combination of both black and green granite as well as bronze. When the fountain is on, it’s a powerful sight.

*Salmon Run sculpture fountain (1991) by Susan Schelle.*

A bit further along, a school of forty-two bronze fish sculptures designed by local artist Stephen Radmacher ran west along Queens Quay from the foot of York Street. This public art installation on the sidewalk is well known and much loved by locals.

*Four of forty-two bronze fish sculptures by Stephen Radmacher.*

During the Toronto’s waterfront revitalization project, the fish were removed in May 2013 and sent back to Radmacher. He straightened and cleaned them. He also added new stainless steel rods to anchor the fish into the concrete base below the promenade.

The fish were photographed, measured from nose to tail, and labelled so that each one could be returned to its exact location along the new granite promenade in September 2015. If you look closely, the artist’s initials SR are on the fish front gills.

In case you wonder, here’s a list of Toronto’s Waterfront fish that are safe to eat. I saw a few big (real) fish in the harbour this week. They looked like northern pike and bass.

Ducklings

The third highlight of my week was to see a mother duck and her eight ducklings. I saw them twice on two different days. The first time, the ducklings stayed very close to their mama. I could tell they were not confident on their own yet. It was cute to see the last fuzzy duckling hurried to catch up with its mama and siblings. The second time, the ducklings were already able to swim very fast and confidently away from their mama.

All in all, I had a good week with lots of sunshine, a nice meeting with my sister, a fun imaginary fishing expedition, and first sightings of little ducklings this season. These simple pleasures made me smile.

How did your week go? I’d love to hear your comments.

Linking here.

Canoe Outing

Family Visit

Reading

Cycling

Coronation Park highlights

Reading

Walking

Summer Week 6

July Smiles

July Beach Reads

My Top 5 Picks:

My Next 5 Picks:

My Last 5 Picks:

Conclusion

Kayaking to and within Toronto Islands

Gibraltar Point Lighthouse

Gibraltar Point Beach

Gibraltar Point Sand Dune

Egrets and Herons

Conclusion

Summer Week 4

Trillium Park and William G. Davis Trail

About The Trail

Trail Highlights

Conclusion

Cycling

Kayaking

Walking

What Else?

Conclusion

June in Numbers

Summer Week 2 in Pictures

Conclusion

Summer Week 1

Library Curb-side Pickup

Books Read in 2nd Quarter of 2020

Other readings

The Extras

10 Fun Mind Exercises

My Summer 2020 Fun List

Sisters’ Coffee Chat

Fish-Themed Art

Ducklings