Pine Farms Orchard ~ King 16th Sideroad

                                                                                        Photo and haiku by Barry Wallace
duck puns are not all
that they are quacked up to be
some are really fowl

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Barry Wallace

Bennet Drive, King City

                                                                                                  Photo by Barry Wallace

Keeping the wolf from the door

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Barry Wallace

Around-the-Bend Farm...at Kettleby

Photo by Barry Wallace

There's nothing baleful about this happy face.

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Barry Wallace

Critters in the backyard...

Photo by Barry Wallace

 "Of course bunnies like bird seed"

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Barry Wallace

Former Nobleton Junior Public School demolished

 Photos by Barry Wallace

The former Nobleton Junior Public School on the south side of the King Road, just east of Hwy. 27, was demolished this week.   The building, dating from 1936, was owned and sold by the York Region School Board to a developer with, I believe, as yet unannounced plans for the site. The Township of King's demolition approval was subject to certain conditions which included the old school's bell tower and bell be salvaged and stored, opportunities and costs be explored for the restoration and display of the bell and tower on township property in Nobleton, commemoration of the school by a story-board or other informational device on township property in Nobleton, and that any proposed redevelopment of the property incorporate materials and /or design elements of the existing structure to reflect its original character.   We shall see what we shall see.

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Barry Wallace

More fall arrivals at the feeders...

 Photos by BarrytheBirder

Evening Grosbeak

(Coccothraustes vespertinus)

Dark-eyed Junco

(Junco Hyemalis)

HOUSE FINCH

(Carpodacus mexicanus)

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Barry Wallace

New municipal offices opening delayed a week

   Photos by Barry Wallace 

The new King Township municipal offices will open at 8.30 am., on Tuesday, November 6, at 2585 King Road.   The move to the new building will begin on Friday, Nov. 2 and finish on Mon., Nov. 5.    All offices will be closed for those two days.   The opening is one week later that originally slated.

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Barry Wallace

On the King Ridge...

Photo and haiku by Barry Wallace

fall is a hued time

skies may be sweet or selfish

each blown leaf unique

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Barry Wallace

Keele Street ~ north of 16th Sideroad

Photos by Barry Wallace

The Kell Farm

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Barry Wallace

Parked in front of Hogan's Inn ~ King City

 Photos by Barry Wallace

'LITTLE MISS GSXR'

This Suzuki motorcycle, named 'Little miss gsxr' caught my eye in front of Hogan's Inn several days ago.   The pink and black colour combo made me immediately assume it belonged to a woman.   The rider wasn't around while I was photographing the bike but I saw the rider, on the bike 10 minutes later, heading up Keele Street.   It was a woman and her helmet had the same pink and black paint job!   Very cool.    

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Barry Wallace

New Oak Ridges Library?

Photos by Barry Wallace

I'm looking a little east of King in this blog ... towards Oak Ridges.   Many King Township residents patronize not only the four library branches in King, but also the Oak Ridges branch of the Richmond Hill Library, on Yonge Street just north of the King Road.   In July of 2016, Richmond Hill awarded a contract for a new library to be built and opened 17 months later, but rain delays and contractual issues forced a completion date a further 5 months, to the end of March, 2018.   Another 1/2 year of delays forced the town to terminate the contractor's work and make a claim against the project's bonding company.   Bottom line?   Still no completion date.   Local readers also have to contend with reduced library facilities in King City (in the Senior's Centre)  due to its new building construction.   Modern-day construction woes?   I think I've read this book before.

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Barry Wallace   

Hummingbirds and warblers have left...

...but others have arrived

 Photos by Barry Wallace

Female and male Purple Finch

Pine Sisken

Red-breasted & White-breasted Nuthatches

White-throated Sparrow

White-crowned Sparrow

... more to come another day

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Barry Wallace

Jane St. ~ top of hill - just south of Hwy. 9

                                                                                               Photo by Barry Wallace

All hallow's eve approaches

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Barry Wallace

Close to Kettleby...

Photo by Barry Wallace

 ' Plague of Grackles ' 

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Barry Wallace

Kettleby then and now...

Photo: Album of Oldies / Elizabeth Gillham

Kettleby photos: 1908 and 2018

Photo by Barry Wallace

The two photos above were taken 110 years apart.   The streetscape may have changed somewhat in appearance, but not much situation-wise.   The top photo is from Elizabeth Gillham McClure's Album of Oldies book, published locally by her 40 years ago.   The building (second from the right in both photos) began as the Kettleby General Store and was erected c.1851.   Today it is known as Dorio's Kettleby Italian Bakery, and has been operating as such for the past 15 years.   While this Kettleby General Store was always a community hub, it also benefitted from housing the Kettleby post office, which meant that at one time or another, everyone in Kettleby likely visited this busy establishment.  Kettleby's first post office was opened 167 years ago on August 6, 1851.   At that time it was called 'Kettleby Mills, Canada West'.   The word 'Mills' disappeared eight years later in 1859.   Presumably, the store/post office operated in parts of three centuries.
Kettleby is a treasure.   It is at the heart of King's origin and history.   It roots us in this small and beautiful part of the world. 
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Barry Wallace  

Autumn in the backyard...

Photos by Barry Wallace

Japanese Maple and False Spiraea

 Dahlias ~ champions of the fall garden

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Barry Wallace

Dufferin Street ~ just north of the railway tracks

Photo by Barry Wallace

1937 CHEVROLET PICKUP FLATBED

This  oldtimer is sitting on the west side of Dufferin Street, just north of the King Ridge Marketplace.   I'm guessing it's a 1937 Chevy, give or take a year ... maybe.   I've no idea about whether it's for sale or not, but it's turning a few heads as they drive by.

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Barry Wallace

King gates and fences...

Photos by Barry Wallace

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Barry Wallace

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Northern Cardinal...

Photo by Barry Wallace

Here's a young Northern Cardinal (left) pestering its parent for food at a feeder in our backyard.   Both its parents are still feeding it, but it can also feed itself if it gets desperate enough.  Cardinals can have two to three, even four broods a year.   I believe this youngster is from a second brood.

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Barry Wallace

Garter snakes about to Hibernate...

Photo by Barry Wallace

Garter snakes are native to North America and go into hibernation in late October.   Hibernation dens can hold hundreds of garter snakes and some will come to the earth's surface on warm, sunny, winter days to bask on rocks for short periods of time.

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Barry Wallace

New King Township Municipal Offices

Photos by Barry Wallace

October 2017

October 2018

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Barry Wallace

Hidden away in Richmond Hill...

Photo by Barry Wallace

Bond Lake ~ Oak Ridges

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Barry Wallace

Apples on the King Ridge...

Photo by Barry Wallace

Ode to Autumn

J. Keats

            SEASON of mists and mellow fruitfulness,

                Close bosom-friend of the maturing sun;

                Conspiring with him how to load and bless

                With fruit the vines that round the thatch-eaves run;

                To bend with apples the moss'd cottage-trees,

                And fill all fruit with ripeness to the core;

                To swell the gourd, and plump the hazel shells

                With a sweet kernel; to set budding more,

                And still more, later flowers for the bees,

                Until they think warm days will never cease;

                For Summer has o'erbrimm'd their clammy cell.

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Barry Wallace

Early October...

Photo by Barry Wallace

(Lake Jonda ~ Eaton Hall Lake ~ Seneca Lake)

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Barry Wallace

Kettleby charmer...

 Painting: Donna Greenstein

CURTIS HOUSE

Photo: Barry Wallace

Unfortunately, the large ancient tree in front of the Curtis House in Kettleby has been cut down.   I do not know why the tree was cut down but it was probably for a legitimate reason.   I'm sure everyone in the Hamlet feels a little sad about losing it.   Such is life.   I just couldn't show a before and after shots. 

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Barry Wallace

You see 'em all in King...

Photo by Barry Wallace

BENTLEY CONVERTIBLE

in front of Hogan's Inn ~ King City

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Barry Wallace

Parked in front of Roost Cafe on Keele Street

Photo by Barry Wallace

I stopped by the the Roost Cafe on Keele Street in King City last Friday for a large cappuccino but my preferred parking spot was taken by what appeared to be a 2018 Ferrari (photo above).   That's my 16-year-old 2002 red Jeep Liberty parked across the street, in front of the All Saints Anglican Church, and all I can add is that I know for sure that my Jeep has gone places the Ferrari never could.
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Barry Wallace