Toronto From Across

This is Toronto - on the other side of the Lake.  So where is the best view of Toronto?  The top picture is from Grimsby Beach, the second one from Mike Weir Winery on Locust Lane, and the third one from Flat Rock Cellars on 7 Avenue in Jordan.  The bottom picture shows the Flat Rock Cellars Building from the road leading to it.  The view from Flat Rock is excellent with the vineyards stretching out below it. I was on Locust Lane last week and took pictures from the Mike Weir winery.  They feel they have best view.  I've also heard Vineland Estates consider itself to have the best view. And Peninsula Ridge is very proud of their view. So there are a few more locations to visit. I wanted to find the answer the easy way and did a google search.  But there don't seem to be any blogs or articles on the best scenic views across the lake. The search did retrieve a great view from the Skylon Tower. What the articles tell me is that the density of the air plays an important role. The air temperature and the water temperature are important factors.  Right now the Lake is the warmest it has been for many years but this isn't the condition needed for the towering Toronto image.  The towering Toronto image occurs most often when the water is relatively cold compared to the air temperature.  So I may have to wait until next year for this to happen. I live just under the escarpment where Beamer Park is located - with a great elevated view across the Lake. When I was there last, there were Lake Effects, so there was a "gray" across the Lake with no distinction between Lake and sky. There's a lot of ground to cover so I'll keep you posted on "Toronto From Across".

Niagara and the Lake Effects

"The Lake Effects" - that's the phenomenon that gave Buffalo the terrible snow storm last year.  The one with the snow that came up to house roofs. In Niagara, the Lake Effects are/is credited with 'giving rise to remarkable flavour distinctions between grapes of leakier sub-appellations and those from further inland. " Here's the link that describes more about this: http://www.vqaontario.ca/Library/Appellations/NiagaraPeninsula_Maps.pdf We've been experiencing Lake Effects with the recent rain.  These pictures show the fog effects at Vineland Estates winery.  Fog can role in before or after a rain.  The third picture is Moyer Road - the road that leads to Vineland Estates.  Isn't this a beautiful country road!

Spring Lake Effects

Lake Ontario was a dreamy scene on the weekend.  We could not differentiate between the water and the sky, with clouds blurring the horizon.  The boats all seemed the same size whether far or close - there was no depth of field.  I think of this moisture in the air as a Spring Lake Effect.  What happens is that there is constant circulation of off-shore breezes between Lake Ontario and the Niagara Escarpment.  They moderate seasonal temperatures.  In spring this means they slow down spring warming, holding back the development of fruit buds until the danger of late spring frosts has passed. The VQA site says "these lake effects vary considerably with distance from the lakeshore and topography, giving rise to remarkable flavour distinctions between grapes of lakeshore sub-appellations nd those from further inland."