The new Lake Wilcox Park

Lakeside promenade and sculpture walk

One of many metal art installations depicting wildlife

Perfect for dog-walkers

Lake Wilcox Park (formerly Sunset Beach Park) is located on the west side of Bayview Avenue, between North Lake Road and Sunset Beach Road.   Much construction remains to be done before the park is completed in the fall of 2015, but it is extremely popular already. 


Photos by Barry Wallace

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Barry Wallace

April angling at Lake Wilcox

Photos by Barry Wallace 

The two ladies pictured above went to great lengths to prepare themselves and their rubber life raft for some serious fishing on Lake Wilcox this past Sunday afternoon. Their preparations took over an hour of fastidious installations and adjustments, including the attachment of a small battery-operated motor.   When everything seem to be to their satisfaction, they climbed into their rubber watercraft and pushed off from the dock.   They had however tethered their ship to the dock with a rope of about 25 metres, but it turned out that it was exactly their plan to do so.   They began their fishing no more than a short cast from the dock (see photo below).   They were successful in no time at all.

Hauling in the first fish  

Looking good

Looks like a pike...about 24"...well done, ladies

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Barry Wallace

Sunset Grill opens for business in King City

sunset grill

Sunset grill's 'Famous All Day Breakfast' has officially opened in the King Ridge Marketplace.   In this case 'all-day' means open 'til 3.30 p.m. between Monday and Friday, and open until 4 p.m. on Saturdays and Sunday.   They open every day at 7 a.m.

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Barry Wallace

Kayaking on Lake Wilcox

 Photos by Barry Wallace

Cold and windy conditions greet kayakers

Kayakers on Lake Wilcox today had to deal with cold temperatures in both the air and water plus stiff chilling breezes today, as they answered the silent call of their double-ended paddles. Most were well-dressed for the weather and had all the requisite gear for April paddling.
     

Getting in

Setting off

A Tilley Hat ~ the kayaker's good friend

Coming ashore for warmer gear

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Barry Wallace

Snow pellets? Soft hail? No...it's GRAUPEL.

Photo by Barry Wallace

Graupel...who knew?

Not me, that's for sure.   In Wednesday's blog (see below), I published the picture above and asked facetiously: "Who ordered this stuff?"   Tonight, as we watched the local CBC television news, the weatherman said Toronto and area had been hit with graupel (a german word).   Not soft ice pellets...not hard snow pellets...but graupel!   For the record, the World Meteorological Organization says graupel is precipitation that forms when super-cooled droplets of water are collected and freeze on a falling snowflake.   It is furthered defined as "small snow pellets encapsulated by ice".   There is much more info online but I won't get into it here.   To me, graupel sounds like some form of apple strudel.   The correct pronunciation, I believe, sounds like 'growl-pull', but for now I'm content just to know how it's spelled.

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Barry Wallace

Tuesday's icy treat

Photo by Barry Wallace

Who ordered this stuff?

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BtheB

Signs for the cottage and other interests

                                                                                       Photos by Barry Wallace

The head gardener of the Wallace Estate and I dropped into Black Forest Garden Centre on Sunday afternoon for some potting soil and a couple of plants.   Something new for Black Forest this year is a huge display of charmingly rustic-looking signs for the cottage (see photos above) and dozens and dozens of several others addressing miscellaneous themes.   Some of the signs are quite large and the materials have a wonderfully natural look to them.   The lettering and messages are a cut above the usual cottage signs and should have great appeal.   At least the Black Forest folks hope they do.   Now if we could just have some real spring weather on a continuous basis.

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Barry Wallace  

Juncos about to leave ~ warblers on their way

 Photos by Barry Wallace

Juncos ~ male (top) female (above) 

Yellow-rumped Warbler (above)

Spring is upon us and a changing of the guard is taking place in the backyard.   Birds like the Juncos (top) and Trees Sparrows and others are about to move north to their breeding grounds, although the weather forecast for the night of April 19th called for rain, temperature around 6C and feeling like 1C.   The winter birds will be soon replaced by warblers however, like the Yellow-rumped Warbler (above) and other songbirds.   The fluctuating flow of feathers is underway...one more reason for spring being my favourite season.

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BtheB

In the spring garden...

Photos

by 

Barry

Wallace

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comment 

if

you

wish

Marsh Marigold - an early April wildflower

Photo by Barry Wallace

It's spring fever

That's what the name of it is.

And when you've got it, 

You want - oh, you don't quite know what it is you want,

But it fairly makes your heart ache, you want it so!

                                                                                                       -- Mark Twain

Pictured above, at Cold Creek Conservation Area, is one of spring's earliest wildflowers: the Marsh Marigold (Caltha palustris).   It often blooms in early April in moist locations, such as the small stream seen above.   The Marsh Marigold (part of the Buttercup family) has many other names, including Kingcup which seems very appropriate to our municipality.   A few words of caution: the beauty of this plant is in the eye of the beholder - not the hand.   In other word, all parts of this pretty plant are toxic to the touch and it is best left unmolested. 

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Barry Wallace

Sunset Grill open in Nobleton ~ King City's next

Photo by Barry Wallace

Signs went up on Wednesday this week at the new Sunset Grill in the King's Ridge Marketplace at King Road and Dufferin Street, in King City.   The grand opening was announced for mid-April, so they should be serving-up breakfast any day now.   Meanwhile the Sunset Grill in Nobleton, on Hwy. 27 next to the Scotiabank, has been open for about three weeks and they seem to be off to very successful start.   The Nobleton restaurant hopes to have an outdoor patio and liquor license this summer.   I noticed a small LLBO sign at the King City restaurant site as I snapped the picture above, so presumably it will open with a liquor licence, making it the first eatery to do so in the new marketplace.
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Barry Wallace

  

King City's Dr. Hans Martin speaks petroglyphs

The King Township Historical Society presents another lecture in its 'Learning from the Past' series, this time featuring King City's Dr. Hans Martin, an authority around the world on petroglyphs.   The lecture will focus on the extraordinary First Nations petroglyphs and rock engravings of Peterborough, Ontario, and other other Canadian sites.   The lecture is free and refreshments will be available.    The date is SUNDAY, MAY 3rd, from 2-4 p.m., at the King Township Museum in Kinghorn, 2920 King Road.

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Barry Wallace

Studio Tour King ~ two weeks away

Painting by Helen Hermanns

Tour the countryside in pursuit of great art

Arts Society King presents its 10th Studio Tour on April 25 & 26 between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m., and features 28 artists in selected media, showcasing paintings, pottery, sculpture, photography, leathercraft, among other disciplines.   Venues to view art include private homes and public facilities such King Township Museum, Schomberg Library, and Kingsbridge Conference Centre.   For more information visit: www.artssocietyking.ca.
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Barry Wallace

New shop has eye on King's Ridge Marketplace

Photo by Barry Wallace

Chic Eyes Optical latest tenant in new plaza

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Barry Wallace

GOTrain at four corners in King City

    Now you see it...

  Now you don't...

Photos by Barry Wallace

Well, this is what it's come to, folks.   With a cast on my foot and my mobility somewhat restricted, I'm having to go back in my photo files to find older photos to which I may be able to give a newer twist.   These photos may look like they were taken out in the countryside, but they were taken right in the middle of King City, from the railway overpass at the Keele Street/King Road intersection.   While I could have got at lift down to the middle of the village to get an up-to-date photo, the scene sure isn't as pretty, at the end of winter, as it was late last fall.   Come on, spring.

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BtheB

Sacred Heart plaque

Photos by Barry Wallace

The history of Sacred Heart Parish is available in a number of places and I have read about it several times over the years.   The plaque above stands in front of the church on Jane Street, just south of the 16th Sideroad.  For me, I learned something new about Sacred Heart, from the plaque, on Easter Monday.   Sacred Heart began as a mission of St. Patrick's, Schomberg, in 1876.   Visiting pastors celebrated mass for the Catholics of King Township in the McCabe family home at Jane Street and the Green Lane (16th Sideroad).   At the time, the Patrick McCabe farm was close to 240 acres on the northwest corner of Jane and the 16th.   His land was located on one of the highest points in King Township.

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Barry Wallace

Toronto doesn't have one, Montreal doesn't have one, nor does Vancouver

Photo by Barry Wallace

MMHoop Street ~ King CityMM

Most everyone in the village of King City thinks there are four corners at the intersection of King Road and Keele Street.   They are correct of course, but there would be five corners if Hoop Street was located about 20 metres to the west.   At very long time ago, their was a building on the north-east corner of the King Road and Keele Street ( or as they called them then, the 4th Concession and the 14th Sideroad).   But by the mid-1950s the site was cleared and then became the parking lot it is today.   If not for the Hoop St. sign, the roadway would look like a driveway to access the rear of the grocery store.   It curves northeast past the store and parallels the GOTrain track for a couple of hundred metres before dead-ending.  Three or four houses and/or buildings were located along the short street, throughout its long history.   Now, the northeast corner of King City's main intersection is proposed for redevelopment,which would add several stores/businesses alongside the King City Matrketplace.   Presumably, Hoop Street would remain.   Surely, however, the long-range planning by King Township would incorporate this redevelopment proposal as part of a larger planning scheme for the centre of the village.   Whatever the outcome, I hope Hoop Street hangs on.   After all, Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver don't have Hoop Streets.   We do.   Bragging rights?   You bet!

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Barry Wallace

Easter kite delight

                                                                                                 Photos by Allison Bailey

Easter kite delight

Getting a new kite up in the air can put a smile on any kid's face.   The kid pictured above, in red, is one of my five grandchildren, flying a tricky, new-fangled kite for the first time, after our Easter luncheon.   Below, Spencer is seen coming to grips with the ages-old vagary of trying to keep a kite in the air.   A bit too close to the trees, my lad.

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BtheB

Spring feasting...

So, cheeky squirrels at the feeders

have no need of patience,

unlike the cowbirds in the cedars.

Photos and verse by BarrytheBirder

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BtheB

Spring...so nice to meet you

Photo by Barry Wallace

Several times over the last few days, I have included in this space various bits and pieces of poetry and prose, by various writers, praising the advent and arrival of spring.   Below is another bit of inspiration, capturing an eternal truth in just nine words.   It is my favourite...

Every spring is the only spring,

          a perpetual astonishment.

                                                    - Ellis Peter

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Barry Wallace

Early spring on Cold Creek boardwalk

Photo by Barry Wallace

The night is mother of the day,

The winter of the spring,

And ever upon old decay

The greenest mosses cling.

John Greenleaf Whittier - 1847

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Barry Wallace

Spread your wings...it's spring!

Photo by Barry Wallace/Linda Wallace

Canada Geese on the townline

King-Vaughan Townline between Dufferin and Bathurst Streets

Water has been flowing in the the East Humber River through King Township for two weeks but standing water in farm field ponds and puddles has been frozen until the last few days. Canada Geese and Mallard Ducks have quickly moved into those new wet spots and the nesting season is imminent.  

Please comment if you wish.

BtheB