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Showing posts with label Ontario. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ontario. Show all posts

Monday, 30 June 2025

Fire Hydrants

A Hydrant In The Flowers
 
Location: Elm Creek, Manitoba, Canada
Address: Gladys Street Fire Department
Date: Oct 2014
Website: https://www.rmofgrey.ca

    You can't park in front of them. Dogs like to pee on them. In case of a fire you hope that one is nearby. We are talking about fire hydrants. Here are some of the most interesting hydrants that we have encountered.
 
Hook & Ladder 8 Fire Truck New York City.

    Now we could do a whole blog just on fire trucks (and maybe we will). When the fire department shows up to fight a fire, it is a hydrant they need to attach their hoses. Only then can they get the water they need to put out the flames.

USA HYDRANTS
 
American Flag Painted Fire Hydrant Queens New York

    On Ditmars Blvd. in Queens, New York we found this hydrant next to Astoria Park. It was all painted like the American flag. It stood out amongst the other plain hydrants. We are uncertain if it was special for any other reasons.
 
A Gold Fire Hydrant At Irvine Spectrum Centre
 
  At the Irvine Spectrum Center in California we spotted this shiny, gold fire hydrant. This must be a special hydrant, but sadly it was not real gold.
 
Hydrants From The World Trade Center.

   The New York State Museum is located in the state capital of Albany, New York. It includes an entire Fire Engine Hall. It also includes items collected from where the World Trade Center towers fell. These are two different types of hydrants (shown above) that survived the disaster.

GREECE HYDRANTS
 
Tortoise And Hydrant In Athens Greece.

 This hydrant was located near the Acropolis in Athens, Greece. It was pretty insignificant except for the tortoise right beside it. We know dogs like to pee on things to mark their territory. We don't know if this tortoise just finished marking the hydrant as his.

CANADA HYDRANTS
 
Hydrant Painted Like A Minion Near Dildo Newfoundland.
 
 On the highway towards Dildo, Newfoundland we spotted this Minion painted hydrant. In the movie Minions there is one scene where Stuart, the one eyed minion, actually hits on a fire hydrant.
 
World's Largest Fire Hydrant Elm Creek Manitoba.

   The world's largest fire hydrant sits next to the Elm Creek Fire Department in Manitoba. There used to be a bigger fire hydrant in South Carolina but it has since been taken down so we redeclare this the world's largest. It is about 29 feet tall and took six months to build. It was unveiled on Canada Day in 2001.

World's Largest Fire Hydrant Elm Creek Manitoba.

 A regular fire hydrant sits next to the giant one. You definitely would not want your fire department or your large fire hydrant to burn down.

Dalmation Fire Hydrant Fire Station 314 Toronto.

 Dalmation dogs were used back when firefighters travelled in horse drawn fire wagons. Since then they have become beloved companions even to modern day fire fighters. At Fire Station 314 in Toronto, this hydrant dalmation keeps an eye on the street out front.
 
Sailor Hydrant Lawson Road Scarborough.
 
 In Scarborough, Ontario there is a sailor hydrant near the Highland Creek Royal Canadian Legion.

A Hydrant In A Field In Milliken Park.

   In Scarborough, Ontario there is another hydrant located in Milliken Park. The only issue here is that the hydrant is all alone in the middle of a field. We are not sure when this hydrant may be called into service. Perhaps a picnic fire?

Exposed Fire Hydrant Berczy Park Toronto

  Near Berczy Park in Toronto we saw this hydrant exposed while some construction work was taking place. You can see by this photo how big the pipes are. This helps keep a water pressure between 50 and 100 psi.

Broken Hydrant Magic Noodle Yonge Street.

    The hydrant in the photo above was sheared off when a car drove over it and into a restaurant on Yonge Street in Toronto. A hydrant could send out as much as 5,500 litres a minute. Umbrellas are a good idea until the fire department can get the water shut off.

No Dog Peeing Sign In Toronto.

  Most places do not want your dog to relieve themselves against their walls etc. We have not noticed any signs near hydrants. It seems the fire fighters are fine sharing the hydrants with their four legged friends.

Dogs March With Hydrants In Toronto Santa Claus Parade.

  In the Toronto Santa Claus Parade every dog carried its own hydrant with them. It seems marking your territory just wasn't enough.

Mr T Sits On This Fire Hydrant in T And T Filmed In Toronto.

  Our final hydrant on this list has a celebrity connection. Mr. T filmed his television show T And T in Toronto. In Season 3 Episode 12 he sits on the hydrant pictured above waiting for a limo to pull up to a hot dog stand. It is at the corner of Queen Street West and James Street. This episode was probably filmed in 1989 or 1990. Is it possible that this is still the same hydrant from 35 years ago? While hydrants can remain in service for up to 50 years, we have to report that the hydrant currently in that spot is a newer design.

Map of Our World
World's Largest Fire Hydrant

Post # 348

Sunday, 30 March 2025

Craven Road

Craven Road Toronto Wall Of Art

Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Address:  Craven Road
Date:  March 2025

  Toronto is home to the Art Gallery of Ontario, as well as many small independant galleries. Only a few people know that they can also take a walk along Craven Road and see a variety of art.

Craven Road Fence Of Art.
 
   One side of Craven Road is full of houses and the other is a wooden fence. There is a wide variety of framed art and strange objects stuck to the fence. The part of the fence above has a mirror, a guitar, some hockey gloves and a painting of a blue person.
 
Craven Road Artwork of Fish and phone on Wall.
Craven Road Artwork Fence.
 
The nice thing about Craven Road is that it is always open. Day or night. Rain or shine.

Craven Road Artwork.

     We don't know who the artists are behind this artwork. Are they paintings from residents of Craven Road? Are they artwork from a local school?  Is everything found art with artists unknown?

Craven Road Fence Of Art.

         There were many paintings of nature and scenery. Perhaps the artists will one day be held in as high regard as the Group of Seven.

Craven Road Artwork Toronto.
 
        As we admired the random collection of art stuck on the fence we also wondered who started it all?  Did someone from the street want to look at something more than an empty fence across from their home.

Craven Road Owl And Art.

    This section of the wall had the front and back of an owl, an upside down Q, a little red man and more.

Craven Road Musical Instruments.

    Another section was filled with instruments and shoes between the works of art.We assumed that the instruments no longer worked and were repurposed as decorations. If they were stuck on the fence in working order, Toronto's weather would have made quick work of them.

Craven Road Guitars On The Pier.

     Another section featured two guitars and a photo of a pier.

Craven Road Dog Painting
Craven Road Cat.

      A few other sections featured animal artwork. These were most likely to remember favourite pets.

Craven Road Art Gallery.

    How did it come to be and who may be the mystery curator of this fence full of art? We may never know. What we do know is that when all the other galleries are closed, you can always take a walk or a drive up Craven Road.


Map of Our World
Craven Road

Post # 345

Thursday, 30 January 2025

Year Of The Snake

Year Of The Snake

  1. Mall Snakes
  2. Snake Path UC San Diego
  3. Massasauga Rattlesnake
  4. Pythonbrug
  5. Dekay's Brown Snake
  6. Reticulated Python
  7. Black Snake in Greece
  8. Movieland Snake
  9. Science North
  10. Snakes & Ladders
  People born in the Year of the Snake are said to be graceful, wise and determined. 2025 is the Year of the Snake according to the Chinese zodiac. To celebrate here are 10 of our favourite snake encounters.

1 ) Mall Snakes
Scarborough Town Centre Snake.

To celebrate the new year, malls around Toronto are decorated for the Year of the Snake. The Scarborough Town Centre went for a family friendly, cartoonish snake. It sits in their centre court watching over everyone. The snake at Yorkdale Mall (below) looked a little more menacing. This year was coming in with a quick, precise strike.

Yorkdale Snake.

2)  Snake Path UC San Diego

Snake Path UC San Diego.

At the University of California San Diego campus there is a snake path that slithers through the garden beside the Geisel Library. You can walk down this snake skin tiled walkway until you reach the snake's head with its forked tongue sticking out.

UC San Diego Snake Path Head.


3)  Massasauga Rattlesnake


The Massasauga Rattlesnake.

The Massasauga rattlesnake is Ontario's only venemous snake. It is also the only Ontario snake to have cat's eyes (vertical pupils). We encountered a Massasauga rattlesnake near Tobermory at Bruce Peninsula National Park. They are endangered so a sighting is rare. The snake we encountered was just hurrying on its way through the leaves on the ground.

4)  Pythonbrug

Python Bridge In Amsterdam

Pythonbrug or Python Bridge is a curvy bridge that spans a canal in Amsterdam. Its real name is High Bridge or Hogebrug. It is only for pedestrians and is quite an interesting walk along a series of steps.

Hoge Brug or Pythonbrug Amsterdam.

5)  Dekay's Brown Snake


DeKay's Brown Snake Found In Ontario.

Another snake we have encountered is the DeKay's brown snake. It is fairly common and can be found from Quebec in Canada all the way down to Honduras in Central America. It likes to eat slugs and worms. We uncovered this little fellow under a flower pot. He didn't move so we took his photo and then placed the flower pot back.

6)  Reticulated Python
Reticulated Python At The Toronto Zoo.

The reticulated python is the longest snake in the world. It grows up to 33 feet in length. That is quite a bit longer than another big snake, the boa constrictor. Boa constrictors only grow to about 13 feet in length. The snake above can be found at the Toronto Zoo.

7)  Black Snake in Greece

Black Whip Snake Mavrovouni Greece

The biggest snake we have seen in the wild was in the small village of Mavrovouni, Greece. We believe it was a black whip snake which can grow to about 6 feet long. It slithered across the road and into some tall grass. Unfortunately, that grass was the exact place we had previously pulled our car into when visiting a nearby cafe. We may have to find a new parking spot in the future.
 

 8)  Movieland Snake

Movieland Museum Snake.

If you have ever visited Clifton Hill in Niagara Falls, Canada you may have walked past this next snake. If you time it right, she may pop out of the wall at the Movieland Wax Museum.

9 ) Science North

Snake Skeleton Science North

Science North in Sudbury, Ontario has many reptile and amphibian residents. This photo above is of a snake skeleton. This gives you a better idea as to what is really going on inside.

10 ) Snakes & Ladders

Storm Crow Snakes & Ladders.

Snakes are an important part of the game Snakes & Ladders. If you land on a ladder you climb up. If you land on a snake you slide down. Storm Crow Manor in Toronto has some outdoor game boards that double as tables so you can enjoy a drink or meal while you play.

Brake For Snakes Leslie Spit.

  That is our list of favourite snakes. Let's see how the new year slithers along. Remember to be aware of and kind to our scaly, legless friends.


Map of Our World
Post # 343