things we saw in High Park

Faute De Mieux

Travel, trouble, music, art,
A kiss, a frock, a rhyme-
I never said they feed my heart,
But still they pass my time

-Dorothy Parker

Hallowe'en 2010

As I mentioned last year, this neighbourhood considers Hallowe'en the biggest event of the year, as far as I can tell. It is easier to capture the lights than the little monsters, so here are some of the best yards we walked by. I made some costumes for a couple of parties we were invited to: bats, complete with mask with the spectacular nostrils and ears, and wings made from broken umbrellas, so the spokes served as the bones in the wings. The wings were popular.



This was my favorite house again. I love that they use the architecture to full effect, with archway as gaping maw and red glowing eyes. "Isn't it fabulous?" one man asked. "No," his neighbour replied sarcastically, "it makes the rest of the street look bad." They were also amazing with their use of pumpkins and jack-o-lanterns. Not only was there the genius pumpkin-snowman, and expertly carved jack-o-lanterns along the walk, but they created this pumpkin-alligator:




One of my favorite costumes was the young woman in white with a trasparent umbrella hung with strands of bubblewrap - the jellyfish! I noticed a fair number of old school superheroes (Batman, Spiderman, the old-fashioned Wolverine), a large number dressed as Ironman, the usual assortment of fairies and princesses, various animals (my favorites being the giraffe, unicorn, toddler-spider and infant ladybug) - but the clearly handmade costumes are always my favorites. There were a few cardboard boxes as dice, a present and a remote control. Three girls were dressed as the three little pigs. A group of five adolescents were dressed as a train (an old steam locomotive)!



This house placed their decor strategically; having the zombie barely visible to those who approched from the east was very effective.



The KISS jack-o-lantern was great. The house with the specter suspended from the 2nd floor had live creepy organ music, competing with the X-files theme playing across the street.

the 'hood

Birch and Marigold

On Roncesvalles, don't forget to look up.

graffiti faces

I like to think this graffiti was made by a child, saddened by the end of his yoga class.



All the mailboxes and most of the newspaper boxes in the neighbourhood are now graced with theses black and white faces.

High Park

Pictures from High Park, yesterday.










We had a visiting student from Victoria last week. Yesterday, we wandered around High Park all morning, then out west along the beach, past the butterfly sanctuary to Reconciliation Beach, and back. Then I made the group stop for brunch before continuing east along Queen W. By Gladstone I bailed, being somewhat exhausted. I happened upon Reynardin on my way home, which never happens. So, she invited me for dinner. :)

the 'hood

"You can trust me," he said, "I'm a street-performer."

Despite the polka band, most of the music, currently playing live on Roncesvalles, is classic rock-and-roll, sometimes with Andean pan-flutes, or East Coast Celtic with Newfie sea shanties. There are Chinese as well as Polish folk dancers at the Polish Festival. There are Jamaican rotis with the pierogies and African handicrafts, of course.

High Park