Aug 17 2022 - Walk in the Park

 

Just up the street from me is the Niagara Escarpment and it is home to the Bruce Trail.  While the Bruce Trail is listed as one of the ten top trails to walk, it is not a walk in the park.   That's something that's easy to do.  There are some famous walks in the park.  On my list are two: Central Park, New York I consider this one the most recognizable as a great urban park.  Frederick Law Olmsted is associated with it, and his landscape creations are all wonderful.  It takes about three hours to take the self-guided walking tour.   Hyde Park, London The English know how to regard their historic places.  They give them classifications and Hyde Park is a Grade 1-listed major park in Central London.  There are four Royal Parks that go from the entrance of Kensington Palace through Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park, via Hyde Park Corner and Green Park past the main entrance to Buckingham Palace. The park is divided by the Serpentine and the Long Water lakes.  The walk around Hyde Park varies given it has so many parts to it, but an outer circular walk is considered an average of 1 hour and a half.  How many parks have the name Hyde Park?  There are 25 places listed as Hyde Park.  How many Central Parks are there? The same website lists 7 places in the world named Central Park.  But that's a fabrication rather than a count as there are two Central Parks near Grimsby alone. What is Central Park's value considered to be?  Over 39 trillion US dollars.  What is the value of Hyde Park?  It is considered to be almost 19 billion pounds.  It looks like two different calculation methods here. As to the real estate with the grassy view of parks?  You can imagine that a property with a view of London's Hyde Park would be considered a "trophy asset."  That's the case for Central Park, of course. At 111 West 57th Street, NY, residents live perfected centred overlooking Central Park.   A walk in the park?  So we can take a few hours each for two great urban parks of the world.  For the Bruce Trail at 550 miles or 890 kilometres, it will take 30 days (or several years, depending on how you approach it).

Here's the Bruce Trail ntrance on 21st Street in Vineland.  Look at those Fall Maples! The signs at the left are markers for the park. Read more daily posts here: marilyncornwellblog.com Purchase works here: Fine Art America- marilyncornwellart.com Redbubble - marilyncornwellart.ca

March 31 2021 - Niagara's Blossom Trail - Apricots

 

It is time for me to track Spring in Niagara for those who want to follow the Blossom Trail. Our calendar photo today comes from May with Magnolias blooming mid-month.  But the Blossom Trail has already started with the Witch hazel and Daphne blooming now.  Lovely little Snow Drops are finishing, typically blooming in March.   Our first orchard blossoms are Apricots, and there is a lovely row of them on Jordan Road in Jordan Station/Jordan.  Just exit the QEW highway and drive up Jordan Road towards the escarpment, and they are on the west side.  I took a picture of the location last year - Pineview Orchards - (pinevieworchards.ca)  just beyond Bayview Greenhouses and before Chestnut Street.  My GPS information from the picture says the trees are between Pearl Morissette restaurant and the Jordan Arena, so just before Fourth Avenue.  I will be at that very spot on Friday - at Pearl Morissette.  Why is that?   Brian (my brother) and I are having lunch at Pearl Morissette on Friday.  It is one of Canada's most innovative restaurants.  We are amazed we are able to get seats for their first opening since Christmas time.  We were able to get in before the lockdown - a big tent had been set up for outdoor dining.  We knew it couldn't withstand winter winds in Niagara, but then the Christmas 'shutdown' happened, and everything closed. The diptych below is what you will see along Jordan Road as the Apricots bloom mid-April.  They are a delicate pinkish-white and these trees seem to be quite young, so will be bearing fruit for quite a few years.   On Jordan Road, and closer to the QEW is the Upper Canada Cheese Company, so stop in.  I am told the Guernsey Girl cows are particularly well-cared for (I am concerned about industrial milk production methods as being inhumane).  Cheese-making happens on site and you can watch through the glass wall. Of course, you can taste cheese.  Restaurants often use their Niagara Gold cheese. This area is full of outstandingly-cared for orchards.  I drive along Honsberger Avenue regularly in any season to see the farms.  Maybe it is Blossom Bakery at 2323 Honsberger Ave - the barn behind the house is the converted bakery and their creative flat bread "pizzas" are highly prized - there is always a fruit version. I am now wondering where more apricot orchards are located.  I see Cherry Avenue Farm listed - they are in Vineland, so their orchards likely stretch between Jordan and Vineland.  There are lots more that retrieve with this search, so I'll do some research for an Apricot Route. This is our last day of March, so time to turn the page and enjoy a foolish day tomorrow!   Our April Calendar image of the Apricots is followed by a diptych of the 13th Street Winery in 2012, and blossoms in the grass. 13th Street has transformed into a modernist palace - white barn and open patio that are beautiful.  What a comparison with the old-style greenhouse behind the ancient Magnolia.   Purchase at: FAA - marilyncornwellart.com Redbubble - marilyncornwellart.ca

March 15 2020 - Blossom Festivals

Cherry Blossoms...in Japan.  The start times are expected to be: Tokyo on March 19 through to Sendai March 25th.  The peak day is predicted to be March 27th.  This is an early year - last year the blossom period was in April. But this year is different: Japan cherry blossom festivals cancelled Vancouver cherry blossom festival cancelled California cherry blossom festival cancelled What about California's Almond Blossom festival?  It is finished - February 20th - 23rd is typical - that was in Ripon, south of Sacramento, inland from San Francisco.  The Fresno bloom period has finished. It is more like Niagara - a blossom trail that you drive.  Here's the overview from Fresno: "How to recognize the Blossoms you see... Almond Blossoms have white petals. Two or more varieties may be planted in the same orchard for cross pollination by bees. Harvesting, usually done mechanically, runs from late Aug. to early Oct. Plum Blossoms are white. At least two varieties will be planted in an orchard for cross pollination. Over 200 varieties are grown commercially. Harvested in June to late September. Apricot Blossoms have pink petals. Fewer than 12 varieties are grown commercially. Harvest season lasts two to three weeks during mid to late May. Peach and Nectarine Blossoms feature pink to red petals and bloom at the same time. Over 100 varieties are grown commercially. Harvest runs mid-May to October. Apple Blossoms have white petals. Up to six varieties are grown commercially in Fresno County. Harvest is Aug. to Nov. Citrus Blossoms are white with a most aromatic fragrance. Navel and Valencia oranges, Mandarins, and lemons, are the most common citrus grown locally. Mandarin trees are frequently covered with a fine mesh to prevent bees from pollinating the flowers, which would cause the fruit to form seeds." Scrolling through pictures of almond orchards in California shows all of the above - white and pink.  And lots of "Almond Orchard Engagement Session" results.  That would be the engagement pictures to cherish. It is a more than a few weeks before our blossom trail is ready.  Here's a collage of what to expect in Niagara.

Read past POTD's at my Blog: http://www.blog.marilyncornwell.com Purchase at: FAA - marilyncornwellart.com Redbubble - marilyncornwellart.ca

Weather Alert - The Gardiner is a Skating Rink

The Gardiner Expressway is a definitive part of Toronto. It is an elevated highway meant to give cars the dominance in getting to the downtown.  It runs along the Lake, then above the city streets.  To build it,  small communities were demolished.  And it wasn't meant to take our weather conditions, so has deteriorated significantly over the years.  I've walked under the Gardiner, and there are huge chunks of cement on the ground, and great amounts of rust and decay up above.  And it is a true wasteland in the centre of the city - a very moody experience. There has been turmoil over the Gardiner and what to do about its repair and maintenance.  It was a 'gift' from the province - downloaded so that the City is entirely responsible for its maintenance.  There have been repairs and more discussions over the years. There certainly have been times when the Gardiner has been a skating rink with ice, slowing traffic to a crawl. Now the Beltway has opened - and it is a skating rink.  The underside between Strachan and Spading is a public ice skating trail.  It is named after the main supports - bents.  This now is a high-density urban condo area.  The skate trail opened on the weekend with 'ice breaking' a Toronto hybrid of skating, ice dancing and breakdancing, with the Mayor's Skate Party, and with musical acts. There will be weekly DJ skate parties. blogTO covers it here.  Here's the Toronto City Hall downtown model with the Gardiner curving through the shoreline section.