My favourite month is May.  In the month of May things start coming alive in our City. As we move through the month there are more and more weekend activities and the weather moves from cool to absolutely perfect. Well almost perfect. We Torontonians brave the outdoor cafes and patios in 10 degree weather just cuz we can.  By the end of May we get reliable 20 degree weather which is a bit more comfortable to sit out on a patio and sip a beer or a glass of wine.  None the less - by the 2nd weekend in May all respectable outdoor patios have tables outside open even if they have also a few propane heaters at the ready!

From the May Victoria Day holiday (the 3rd Monday in May) through to the September Labour Day holiday there will be 2 or 3 major street festivals and events every weekend not to mention the regular attractions which run through the same period.   It is hard to decide what to do but for sure there is something for everyone's taste and sensibilities. Go here to the Events Toronto site   or here to the City of Toronto Events site if you would like to check into all the events our city has to offer.

Not only do all the outdoor attractions (including restaurant patios) open in May but people start to go out doors in May.   Everyone is busy dusting off (or like me, buying) their bicycles, going to the garden stores and stocking up on seeds and plants and garden furniture and getting ready to enjoy summer.

One activity I have never managed to time properly in previous years was an outing to High Park to see the Cherry Blossoms. Tuesday night last week I slipped over to the park after work - it is not too far from Liberty Village- and joined the thousands of other Torontonians who like me, had been listening to the CBC Morning Show and were told that there was a spectacular display of blossoms this year and that they were at their peak in the next few days.  Blooms last about a week, but not even that long if there is rain so they would not last until the weekend.  The weather was fabulous even at 7 p.m. when I managed to arrive, but I was disappointed that the sun had given way to clouds.  While I did not have the backdrop of blue to show off the blossoms in their best light, none the less, it was an exquisite sight to see so many trees in full blossom and it was worth the effort to see them. 

Maybe next year, I can manage to sneak away from work early and do a picnic dinner in the park, as many who were already at the park when I arrived had done. 

For my far away friends in the blogsphere, High Park is Toronto's largest public park and it  spans 400 acres (nearly 2 sq km) and features many hiking trails, sports facilities, diverse vegetation, a beautiful lakefront, a small zoo, playgrounds for children, a couple of eateries, greenhouses, and various outdoor venues.  The elevation rises a bit up from the lake shore and the views are spectacular.  It is the place to see Cherry Blossoms or Sakura trees as they are called, in the City of Toronto. The first Japanese Somei-Yoshino Cherry Tree was planted here in 1959 and it was present from the citizens of Tokyo in appreciation of Toronto accepting re-located Japanese-Canadians following the Second World War. The growing collection has been added to over the years thanks to the generosity of more than just a few folks.

The following slide show features the magnificent Sakura Blossoms as well as some of the other spring flowers in bloom at High Park.  I was also able to take some shots from high on the hill overlooking the lake and the large (35 acre)  Grenadier Pond, which is at the western edge of the park.