A Day Out

My DD picked me up yesterday and took me all over town.  First I got a much-needed haircut.  Then we packed a lunch and headed down to Allen Gardens in downtown Toronto.  I always love going to this park, especially in the winter, when there is nothing blooming outdoors yet.  There are four green houses and a huge domed conservatory, where we like to eat our lunch among the banana plants and palm trees.  I took some pictures of the wonderful flowers that were in bloom.  These are from all over the world.  We are so lucky to be able to see them in our cold climate.

This is a Brugmansia.  I have one just like it in my solarium, just waiting for the weather to heat up and be moved outside where it can produce wonderful flowers like these.

This is a Turquoise Jade Vine.  Breathtaking flowers.  The colour was exquisite.

A Bird of Paradise flower.  I find these so amazing.

This is a species in the Genus Euphorbia.  I am not sure which one it is.  There are so many plants in this Family.

A Phalenopsis Orchid.  I have one of these, but mine is not in bloom right now.

One of the greenhouses contains a pond with lots of goldfish.  I love looking at them.  If I was a goldfish I would like to live at Allen Gardens.

One of the greenhouses is a temperate one, which houses cooler plants.  At this time of the year it is full of bulbs and other spring plants.  I could have taken a million photos, but I decided to restrain myself.  I am waiting for the bulbs in my own garden to bloom.

Tulips

Daffodils

And as if Allen Gardens wasn't enough, we also went to the St. Lawrence Market to buy some fresh fruits and vegetables.  Later in the afternoon we drove out to Whitby, which is just east of Toronto to see the movie, 'Life of Pi'.  We still had an hour before the movie started so we had some delicious fancy coffees at Demetre's.  Then we got ready for the movie.  I had not seen it yet and wanted to have the opportunity to view it on the large screen.  My DD decided that if we went to see it, we just had to see it in 3D, so we did just that.  I loved it!  Everything about it!  The story, the computer generated images, the actors and of course the 3D.  It was a fantastic day and very fitting that we saw 'The Life of Pi', since today is Pi day.  No not Pie Day, although that would be nice.  It is the 14th of the 3rd month - 3.14 as in Pi.  If you are not into mathematics, just ignore this.  I just had to call my DS this morning, to tell him.  He is teaching math at a nearby college today and I thought he would appreciate it.

And here is my latest finished applique block in Eleanor Burn's Applique in a Day quilt.  This one is called Holly Wreath.  Not very springlike, but it does contain a couple of birds.  And on sunny mornings the birds in my backyard are happily chirping away.  Spring is only a few days away, and although the high temperature for today is not very warm, only -1C, the promise of spring is definitely in the air.