Getting in and around High Park this long weekend was easy, the cool weather, grey clouds and the lack of cherry blossoms kept the big crowds away, in fact birds, squirrels and chipmunks easily outnumbered the visitors to the large park. A few people had started spring cleaning in the allotment gardens, getting ready for the upcoming growing season. The train was already carrying passengers through the streets in the park.
I wanted to check out and see what nature was up to in person after finding out that the blossoms were a little late. Some green buds have sprouted on bushes, you can see the cherry buds are swollen (
see my photo update here) and some blue flowers are covering the ground in some areas.
Hikers and nature lovers were joined by puppies and dogs in the leash free zone - there was a lot of butt sniffing going on there, let me tell you, but I stopped when people started to get mad. There was a really cute shepherd dog that was wearing special sunglass goggles waiting to play fetch with his orange ball (pictured at top), this dog had been featured in a few newspaper and magazine articles. Caution signs warned of coyotes but I did not see any around, nor did I see any bunnies either, they must have been out delivering chocolate eggs.
Relaxing at the big maple leaf down near the Grenadier Pond
See more dogs and nature after the jump.
A squirrel looks for peanuts in the bird seed
A little Downy Woodpecker
Red Winged Blackbird
A cute Bulldog
The leash free zone gathering place
A snow white ball of mud
