Dateline: 2020 December 31st Toronto, Ontario
This trips travelling map
Just another year, Family,
January - December
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| Just for a change. January. Pre Covid, Distillery with another art exhibit. I could still have a coffee inside back then |
January
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| Sanctuary of sorts in Balzac's, a warm coffee shop Always a fabulous croissant and coffee |
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| Finally, white stuff, January 20th |
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My never ending quest for the best Ramen. This one, eat in on King As wonderful as it was, it didn't cut it |
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| The music garden on the Queens Quay |
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| Distillery Art. Yes, it was anatomically correct if you must know I now have a mission. I'm off to Patagonia So I'm walking to break my trekking shoes and feet in |
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| Aiden & I plan his cat resistant Pot Plant emporium |
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| The end result, as opposed to the final working product |
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Walking whenever my feet allow me, and sometimes don't |
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| Winter, at last |
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| Summer in Patagonia? Sounds really good from here. My feet have accepted their role |
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| Ontario Place, a walk on the wild and ice side |
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| Quite a wind and obviously below freezing |
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| Margaret, like the bunny, just keeps rolling on. 88 this time |
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| Kayla discovering here hidden talents at pot making |
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| David and Brenna celebrate Davids indoctrination into being Canadian. A fabulous grub fest, but Rus always does a great event |
And for those of you a little slow, there's a lot of South America somewhere in here
March 20th - return from Santiago, Chile, JUST!
COVID mutant virus has us all locked down
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| There's 3 fabulous write ups of Patagonia and South America somewhere Here, I'm back and in quarantine, reorganising the families art collection |
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| I wondered were that one got to |
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| I took these to share and get family buy in for placements |
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| I know, but getting my UK supply of toothpaste is important for a successful summer |
Spring and finally summer took over from here. See separate summer entry
October
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| Well, I've been biking and sailing all summer. Late October. The boats out, so I'm at a bit of a loss |
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| This is more like it. I find a new route down the Don Valley |
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| It's a great new adventure |
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| I work out that this new fall bike route is about 60Kms |
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| I discovered this Indian restaurant on Queen in the summer Punjabi By Nature There's something about Indian food. Magnificent stuff |
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| Another casualty of Covid |
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| I know, we lead hum drum lives I replace the hot water heater before I need to |
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| What's not to like? The waterfront trail is always wonderful |
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| Definitely Seasons End. View of Toronto from outer harbour marina |
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| Ron, god bless him, doing his bit for his boat's pre winter storage |
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| A typical product of tarping on the hard |
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| Yes, the Distillery is still a major focus in my life |
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| This is a little more interesting than a walk along the lakeshore |
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| And as the fall sun sinks slowly into winter storms...... |
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| The Toronto that keeps on giving, as long as you are prepared to do something about it that is |
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| One of the last open eat outs of the summer. Long gone with other sail folk Thanks all |
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| Now I have a new set of landmarks |
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| The final cut. National's haulout. Now it's really over |
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| Not sure whether I would just commit suicide if I lost my bike |
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| There's an incredible wind storm across town Some boats didn't withstand it too well |
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| I'm not ready for 4C on my bike wearing summer sneakers These are cold feet, super heated in a shower God! That hurt! |
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| As winter approaches, I practice my black arts for Rus' birthday |
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| Lakeshore is for the birds |
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| But a lot of people don't care, yet Tommy Thompson near lighthouse |
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| Summer's gone, winters comin' on |
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| December and Canada moves in |
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| Some enterprising boat owners pick up the slack to sell Christmas trees. It was bloody cold. A (long) walking day |
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| Well, the homeless need to be somewhere. Not my choice |
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| Urban anger I'd guess. Just around the corner from the camp |
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| My last bike ride. Yep, swimmers, but they do have wet suits Why bother you (and I) ask |
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| Quite the desirable residence with view. I occasionally hear a generator here |
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| What was once my second home. Outer Harbour sans boats |
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| Now I'm back to walking. A real hike to Victoria Park |
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| November, and there's still sailing |
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A sad dejected National Yacht club. It will return even greater than before |
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| The Tommy Thompson park is still passable on my bike, just |
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| The view from here, some years on |
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| The Don Valley path is now very empty, austere is the word | |
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| There's never a shortage of tragedy Even if you are not looking for it |
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| Unfortunately, the complete story |
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| The Don Valle |
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| And of course, the homeless have utilised the empty spaces |
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| The Don Valley bike, now hike path |
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| The tree is up and functioning Good work team K-S |
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| My old mate, Lord Shiva stamping on dwarves of ignorance I'm all for it |
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| Still popular with several folks. Christmas Eve |
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| I know. I was in full downhill gear and chilled. Go figure |
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| Book early to avoid excessive pre Christmas queuing |
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Christmas Day I actually got an "OH WOW!" for this. Full marks Batsmith |
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| White Christmas Day As ever, I'm first up and coffee maker |
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| Over the past 3 weeks, I've been plotting to get my XC skis and bits My winter gift to me, by me |
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| And it works. Now what? |
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| I love this. On a streetcar stop |
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| Now I TTC to Leslie street, Tommy Thompson, then walk to the lighthouse and back home It's a broken bone fest. Solid ice. I get away with it |
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| Oh yes. Solid ice and lots of it |
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| For a very inhospitable day out on the bleak steppe it's actually very busy |
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| I've seen this somewhere before |
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| Two juvenile red foxes. Pretty much ignored me as they pounced on snowdrifts looking for mice |
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| Totally all mine and the foxes. Magic |
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| Lots of alternatives to walking It's really dangerous here |
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| Like a 4 season 3 wheeler I guess |
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| These poor buggers will need to cope with far worse than today, but a steady supply of firewood |
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| This from the Cherry Street Smokehouse. It was much easier to eat in summer |
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| Last shot of the day as the batteries ran out at Ontario Place and I discuss vacations with a friend.... I'm flying tonight |
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| My last trip (on foot) of 2020. Home to Victoria Park and subway back |
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| The farther up I got, the worse the track |
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| You need to be especially something to do this for fun |
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| And it got far worse on the last 3Km. to Victoria Park At least here I could stand and take a photo pix |
And so 2020 ends. In ice, icy mud, and ice covered mud.
Several people died, but I was not the cause, nor did I know any of them, nor was I one of them
This way to 2021 ===>>>
I personally cannot imagine a better year to come
Prove me wrong, Punk.
And that's all he typed Doc
From your correspondent