Marylake Great Barn

Photos by Barry Wallace

As I pass by the Marylake Great Barn while walking along the Oak Ridges Trail, it is hard for me to not take photos of this crumbling King Township landmark, just north of King City, and feel that I must share them with readers of this blogsite.   What's to be done by passing observers, other than feel deep loss and regret, I do not know. Photographically and artistically, numerous images over the decades have captured the essence and scope of this historic landmark.   If you have such images, treasure them, for one day they may be the only records of this monumental, Canadian treasure.

       

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Barry Wallace

Oak Ridges Trail ~ Marylake

Photos by Barry Wallace

 Footfalls lowly  -  notions lofty

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Barry Wallace

Divine intervention may foil litterers

Photo by Barry Wallace

There's no doubt littering is a problem most everywhere, including monasteries it seems.   Marylake Augustinian Monastery, on Keele Street just north of King City, has recently installed three new signs along the tree-lined, tunnel-like driveway, adding some spiritual persuasion to the no littering message.   I, for one, did not see any littering Sunday as I headed for the Oak Ridges Moraine Trail, which crosses the Marylake property.   If this message doesn't do the job, then heaven only knows what it will take.

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Barry Wallace  

Hummingbirds left backyard on September 22 ~ 3rd year in a row on this same date

 Photos by Barry Wallace

First is was the male Ruby-throated Hummingbirds which left our backyard feeders at the end of July/early August, followed by the females who first lingered to make sure the juveniles were going to fatten themselves up for their departure in September.   Some Hummers linger into October but that is quite rare.   In our case on Humber Crescent in King City, it was the third year in a row that these marvelous little creatures headed south on the same day: September 22.   Four years ago, they left a full 10 days ahead of the September 22 date.   This information is highly scant to base any assumptions upon, but there is much evidence in many other places that hummingbirds are arriving sooner in the spring in Canada, and leaving later in the fall. Anecdotal evidence is also growing about Hummers migrating further north each spring.   There are now reported sightings along the lower James Bay coastlines.

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Barry Wallace

Slow to start...new Coppa's now soaring

 Photos by Barry Wallace

The new 50,000 sq. ft. Coppa's Fresh Market is suddenly looming above everything else in the King's Ridge Marketplace, at the north-west corner of King Road and Dufferin Street, in King City. 

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Barry Wallace

McLaren 650S at King City's four corners

 Photos by Barry Wallace

$287,000 (Cdn)...and it's yours

Just when I was thinking that I wasn't seeing as many exotic automobiles near to Hogan's Inn, in the past few months, I was stopped in my tracks on Wednesday when I spotted this 2015 McLaren 650S Coupe.   For the record, this beauty rips from 0-60 mph in 2.9 seconds, reaches 100 mph in 5.7 seconds and does the standing 1/4 mile in 10.5 seconds.   Top speed in the coupe form is 207 mph (333 kph).   There is also a 'Spider' version available at $305,500 (Cdn).  

On the other side of Keele, right in front of Hogan's front door, was a white Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon, tricked out with lots of options.   I'm guessing it's a 2015 and I have no idea what it costs, but it has to be a few bucks less than the McLaren...quite a few, I suppose.   Ignoring prices, both vehicles were great eye candy.   

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BARRY WALLACE

Pottageville posse

Photo by Barry Wallace

I've ridden a horse and I've driven a team of horses but I don't pretend to know a whole lot about such beautiful creatures.   So please correct me here if I don't get these right.   There are five different colours of horse flesh here.   I think they are, from left to right: a chestnut, a palomino, a dapple grey, a pinto and a buckskin.   I have to wonder what the chances are of finding a group of five other similar horses anywhere in King?   Or am I overstating things here?   Try as I may, I could not get any of these beauties, for one moment, to look my way.

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Barry Wallace

   

Schomberg scarecrows start to take over

The 2015 Schomberg Scarecrow Festival starts on October 9th and runs until Oct. 31.   Anyone can put a scarecrow up at any time, but competitors for the official prizes must put up their scarecrow contest entry between Oct. 9 and 19.   Complete details and rules can be seen on the website at www.schombergscarecrows.com.   Winners will be announced on Hallowe'en, Saturday, October 31.   A drive around and about Schomberg during this event is a real treat for the eyes and imaginations.




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Barry Wallace 

Tory election signs break rules

Photo by Barry Wallace

Tory signs up too early on regional roads

Normally I am loathe to comment on things political in this space, but...    Driving up Keele Street, north of King City, on Monday afternoon of this week, I came across King residents, Gordon Craig (pictured above left) and Bill Patterson (above right) putting up signs for federal election Liberal candidate Deb Schulte.   I know both these gentleman and I am also a Shulte supporter (I have one of her signs on my front lawn), so I stopped briefly and chatted with the two campaign workers.   Gordon and Bill both informed me that Monday of this week (Sept. 21) was the first day that election signs could be erected on York Region roads.   I was momentarily puzzled because I had seen Conservative Party Konstantin Toubis signs on regional roads, all over the riding for several weeks. They also told me that the appropriate officials in King Township and York Region had been alerted to the offending Toubis signs but none had been taken down.   I shouldn't have been surprised I suppose.   The Conservatives have become notorious for refusing to respect any law or rule that doesn't suit them and carry on with impunity or constant appeals.   If Mr. Toubis had had one sign placed somewhere by accident, there could be an explanation worthy of our consideration.   But when his signs have been up for weeks on what seems like every York Region road, across the riding, someone's intentions seem to have been completely deliberate.   This is a shame...and not totally unexpected, I suppose, from head huntsman Harper's pack of harriers.

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Barry Wallace

   

Wash day on the King Ridge

Photo by Barry Wallace

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Barry Wallace

Election folk art?

 Photos by Barry Wallace

At the end of August I ran a picture in this space, similar to the one above, which had a large painted green design, but with no identification.   It was hanging in a tree on the south side of the 17th Sideroad, just west of Keele Street.   Yesterday, I passed the same spot, noticed the same large, hanging talisman and then spotted, quite near to it, an election sign for the Green Party of Canada.   It suddenly hit me that the symbol hanging in the tree and the symbol on the election sign were the same.   It's the graphic logo for the Green Party.   Obviously, someone is deeply committed to the Green Party cause and has chosen to lend their artistic support.   This takes election signage to a new and impressive level.  

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Barry Wallace

Great Blue Heron returns to hunt in pond depleted by mink

Photo by Barry Wallace

The Great Blue Heron pictured above is standing in a pond beside Keele Street, north of King City.   The pond is part of the property owned by Carol and Bob Field.   A few months ago, Carol told me that Great Blue Herons has abandoned their pond many months before and she and Bob were convinced it was because resident mink had caught and eaten everything in which the herons might have been interested.   Now things may have changed.   The mink may have moved on and the supply of small creatures as food for herons has been replenished.   This heron was motionless for quite some time and seemed convinced its patience would be rewarded with a frog or some other tasty treat.

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Barry Wallace

Railway underpass art in King City

Photos by Barry Wallace

About a year ago I took several photos of 'tags' that appeared of the walls of the King City railway underpass, in the centre of the village, at King Road and Keele Street.   I was wondering this week if there were any new 'tags' and sure enough there were.   Included here is a limited selection of the newer works.   Most of these art installations are about the size of a 4'x8' sheet of plywood.   I have no idea when these works are being created, but there are GO Trains going through the underpass many times a day, every day, from dawn to dusk.   It must be a rather nerve-racking experience for young track-side taggers.

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Barry Wallace

Laskay Emporium photo from Historypin

Here's an old photo of the Laskay Emporium that I had not seen before.   I was stumbling about on the internet and came across the Historypin website (www.historypin.com).   I entered Laskay Emporium and up came up with the photo you see here.   The photo shows the connected post office on the left, and the connected residence at the rear (on the right).   This is the best depiction I have seen of the attached buildings in one photo.   Below is a cropped and enlarged copy of the photo, to show greater detail.   I must say that the folks in the photo seems to be all dressed up for occasion.   I have no information about when the photo was taken, but according to Elizabeth Gillham's history book, Early Settlements of King Township, the store was built in 1845 and the first village postmaster was appointed nine years later, in 1854, with the post office located in the store.   Some time thereafter the post office was housed separately next door and adjacent to the emporium.   The post office closed in 1926.   34 years later, in 1960, the Laskay Emporium was donated to Black Creek Pioneer Village.

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Barry Wallace

Monster culvert goes in on Bathurst Street

Photo by Barry Wallace

Bathurst widening's mammoth scope

Just when you think you've seen it all on the Bathurst Street widening, north of Miller's Sideroad, there's something new that underlines the massive scope of the road widening that begins at the Miller's Sideroad, heads north up over the King Ridge and then descends down into the Holland Marsh, at the Graham's Sideroad.   Once again Etienne Brule must be spinning in his grave as another trail up and over the Oak Ridges Moraine in King Township is turned into a 4-lane highway in King Township.

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Barry Wallace

Something yummy is on its way...

                                                                                                                Photo by Barry Wallace

Mark your calendar ~ Sat., Oct. 3

Chilly 2015 Schomberg Street Gallery

Photos by Barry Wallace

The scene above greeted me as I arrived at the intersection of Dr. Kay Drive and Main Street in Schomberg on Sunday afternoon, for the 7th Annual Schomberg Street Gallery.   For a moment I thought this was a brightly coloured art installation to greet street gallery visitors.   Of course I quickly realized this machinery had nothing to do with the fine art and craft show but was left in place to resume its street work after the weekend.   The weather was cold, cloudy, a little drizzly and added nothing to the festivities.   Despite the weather, the crowd of people that did show up was probably bigger than a lot of people were expecting and Main Street was fairly busy.   As always, meeting and greeting friends, neighbours, and acquaintances was a popular activity, despite the weather.

Painter Adubi Akinola was kept very busy chatting with art admirers, in  front of a marquee featuring many of his colourful, stylized, large paintings.   His representation of a large tiger (seen above, to his right) was featured on advertising and promotion pieces for this year's show.

Beautiful colours and impressionist renderings by artist Robert McAfee certainly caught my eye and almost chased the cold, damp weather from my thoughts.   Someone standing next to me asked if I was buying.   I replied that now that I am in my mid-seventies and our house is full of art, there is no more room for new works.   I said I was now just an admirer - not a buyer.   Ahhhh, that it were otherwise.

Above, a splendid work by Grazyna Tonkiel, of King City

This gentleman, whose name I failed to get, was to be admired for his efforts to entertain under such cold conditions.   From what I heard, not only was his pickin' very pleasant to listen to, but to my ears he played flawlessly in the cold conditions.   Well done, man.

As usual, there was an entertaining collection of pooches being strolled up and down the main street.   The grand-looking St. Bernard, at right, with the pretty young lady, is just nine months old and was trying very hard to behave.   She was quite successful I think, although at one point, she was so tired (or bored) that she just laid down, on her side, in the middle of street, with even her head laid out flat on the pavement and had a brief nap. I took another picture of her, as she lay motionless, with a circle of people standing around gazing down at her, but decided not to show it here because she looked like road-kill.   What a sweetie!

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Barry Wallace