Joanne Sisco

Changing Seasons: Time To Wrap Up June

I can’t believe July is already stomping its feet in the wings waiting for its time on stage … and yet on the other hand, I feel like so much life was crammed into the past 4 weeks.

June was a rush of playing tourist with my Dutch visitors, more family celebrations together, and of course my cycling training which came to a rude and abrupt halt last week.

These are the photos I’ve selected to summarize some of my experiences during the month of June this year.

  1. Another trip to Niagara Falls, this time in warm weather … so different when it isn’t -20C

June 2016 -5

June 2016

2) A day at the Toronto Zoo … and no, neither of these photos were taken with a zoom lens.  Sometimes nature is just accommodating.

June 2016 -6
Cats, both big and small, really know how to pass a warm afternoon

June 2016 -7

3) A lazy boat tour around the Toronto Islands on a warm week day afternoon.

June 2016 -3June 2016 -4

4) The magnificent Rouge Valley on the east end of Toronto officially became Canada’s first Urban National Park in mid-June.  When fully completed, it will be one of the largest protected urban parks of its kind in the world encompassing 79 sq km.

This is one of the new Visitor Welcome Centres now open to provide education and information on this new protected conservation area.

June 2016 -8

The Rouge Beach along Lake Ontario, has long been a local secret.  Even on a hot afternoon in June, the beach was quiet.   I think that will change as news of this new park grows.

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Changing Seasons is a monthly photo feature hosted by Cardinal Guzman.

 

 

69 comments

  1. Lovely post and gorgeous photos. I love those Niagara Falls photos and the one presenting CN Tower. We have visited Toronto trice and once we made a bus tour to Niagara Falls. Thank You for this post. Matti

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  3. Wow, it looks idyllic. We’ve been suffering through extreme heat and then yesterday we got summer storm warnings on the radio. The temperature dropped considerably, high winds, then torrential rain, then hail. And I missed it all as I was inside at work. But we sure got to enjoy the evening. Anyway, I liked your shots, Joanne. We will definitely be visiting one day.

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    • I really enjoy a good storm … although we thankfully don’t get the highly destructive kind that parts of the US tend to get, so I can enjoy them guilt-free.

      Hope you do come up to visit one day. It would definitely give you some different photo opportunities 😉

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  6. Boy, your “life” really was “full” this past month!😉 The photos of Niagra Falls are stunning. It is on my list of places to visit someday. You were lucky at the zoo too. Usually when I go all the big cats are hiding inside or in the shade! Glad you and your friends had such a nice visit.

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  8. Wow…I feel like I went touring through Toronto with your recent company! It’s so pretty in the summer time. You are getting to be quite the photographer, so many great pics. Keep healing. ❤

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  10. Love the photo of the butterfly, Joanne. It’s beautiful! I was at Niagara Falls about 10 or 12 years ago. The falls were breathtaking. I only wish I had gone on the boat to get the full tourist experience.

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    • On this trip I took the boat for only the 2nd time … the first time being over 20 years ago.
      I remembered it as being rather tame – wet, but tame. This time I was shocked at how close we got to the bottom of the falls. HOOOOLYYYYY!!!

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  11. Nature was very accommodating for you in these shots for sure – which is another way of saying that you’re a skilled photographer. Everything seems to look so much nicer in summer than in bleak winter.

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  12. Oh, we need to s.l.o.w the summer down. It is going by way too fast and I want to savour these long hours of daylight. Your photos exude warmth Jo. Lovely clear light and your butterfly is so sharp! Hope the injury is healing well and you are not in too much pain. Gentle hugs to you (( ))
    Jude xx

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  13. I very shocked by how fast June disappeared but it’s been a rough month so welcome July. Summer is not my favorite season – it’s too hot and there are too many wild fires here in California. Happy July to you!

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  14. Those are beautiful photos Joanne. You’re getting me back for that bike post. I’m reading this during my lunch break at work 😦 The falls are stunning. I haven’t been in about a dozen years. Seeing that cat sleep reminds me that I got up too early today (again). Great job sending a message of summer.

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  15. Joanne it has been decades since we have been to Niagara Falls. Looking at those amazing photos of yours I’m thinking a return visit is in order.
    How are you feeling? Hopefully not too much pain? Sending very gentle hugs your way. xoxo

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    • Thanks for the hugs – they’re always appreciated 🙂

      It’s amazing how quickly our bodies bounce back. Already I’m getting some mobility back which is always good … But every once in while I run into something I can’t do on my own … This morning it was tying my shoelaces 😉

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  16. Fabulous pictures, Joanne. Congrats to TO for Canada’s first Urban National Park. Woo hoo.
    I can’t believe school will be out and summer will officially begin for them. Half a year gone already. How did that happen? o_o 😎

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    • Thanks 🙂
      We spent some time talking to the people at the Visitor Centre and this new park seems to be different from anything I’ve seen before.
      Although some spaces are very human friendly with hiking, swimming, canoeing etc, my take on this is that preservation and conservation of wild spaces for birds, frogs etc are a very key component.

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  27. So good to hear that they are now actively protecting the Rouge. It was an area we liked to go to when we lived in Toronto but we were always concerned that it would disappear to make place for housing development…(Suzanne)

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    • I think that was everyone’s concern. I don’t know who the people were behind the drive to get official protection of this space, but they deserve a lot of credit for their determination and hard work.

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