Black and white Shade and sun Cold,cold rocks And lots of fun!
Exploring new trails
An amazing trail of root paved paths, winding through the forest. A forest full, of rocks, of caves, and of crevasses.
Shades of white and green
White birch bark Streams of sunshine Texture and colour Birds in rhyme.
Cool and dark
The temperature change, deep in the caves and crevasses, was a welcome cooling, on a warm September day.
Down in….
A wonderful, young couple helped us navigate our way through the maze of crevasses, and rock. They were in the early days of their relationship, and I enjoyed the privilege of taking their first ‘as a couple’ photos; other than the selfies that they themselves had taken.
Reaching the top
Rays of sunshine Old,old rocks Good foot wear and dry socks.
Exploring
We met lots of wonderful people today. Most moving twice as fast as we were. But, we were twice as old as they were. So we called it even.
Beautiful rocks
Dark green moss Cool, dark rocks. Well marked trails No hand rails.
A view from the top.
Through the trees, Behind the leaves, Lies the beautiful Georgian Bay!
Edmonton, home to cold nights and hot days. Beautiful skies, and few horizons. Snow any month of the year, and home to a most, amazing little family.
Happy birthday to our beautiful, little granddaughter on her seventh birthday. Rainbow pancakes, tye-dyed t-shirts, and the best mom and dad ever.
I love being Grandma to this precocious and precious seven year old. Words and phrases like; hilarious, that’s adorable, that’s amazing, show me your crying voice, that’s just how life works, I love you so much, and ‘ why are some people vegans?’ ring in my ear.
Memories of shadow puppets, signing my life away; Stuffies, Stuffies and more Stuffies, fill my brain.
Practicing grade 2 readiness skills
Writing a letter to Mr A-Game.
First day of Grade 2!
So excited for Grade 2! With a Vice-Principal ever ready to take that perfect family picture.
St. Albert’s Farmers Market
St. Albert’s Farmers Market. With the sights and sounds of late summer. Lots of fruits and vegetables, music, and, arts and crafts. And a wonderful seven year old who filled so many buckets, complementing everyone from vendors with their colourful cauliflower, to Rabunzel and Anna on their beautiful gowns.
Salsa day!
When the workday is done, it’s time for adult fun. We spent a relaxing afternoon turning, fresh from the market; ripe roma tomatoes, sweet and hot peppers, and local onions and garlic, into delicious pints of salsa.
A dill pickle kind of day
Another afternoon of canning. Cucumbers, dill, and garlic, from St. Albert’s Farmers Market.
There were a couple of sad faces when two people discovered that they would have to wait until Thanksgiving Day before opening the first jar.
Tree art!
From the tree, that earlier this year adorned the front yard, these beautiful works of art were born. These three pieces were created by a seven year old, her mommy, and her grandma. With supervision provided by grandpa.
We loved our time together in Edmonton. Leaving made easier by knowing that, before to long we will all be together again! For another Catan marathon!
Sooke River, a cool spot, for rest and relaxation, on a warm summer’s day.
We knew it was going to be a perfect day when we stopped by a little Cafe, and a chorus of Bye Bye Miss American Pie, broke out amongst the staff and patrons.
So inviting.
Sooke River, a series of deep, naturally carved and polished rock pools.
Glacial action carved a pathway into the natural bedrock. Huge boulders carried along by rushing waters, carved the infamous potholes of Sooke Potholes Provincial Park.
The beauty of nature.
A narrow staircase was left behind by a developer who decided that a Provincial Park would be more beneficial than a resort.
A perfect place for a summer swim.
A wonderful place for a picnic lunch, hiking, relaxation, and finding that perfect rock.
A fear of heights, lost, after ascending one of the highest spots on Salt Lake Island. A view of the cliff peak, and drop, from the ferry. A view from the top of Baynes Peak, in Mount Maxwell Provincial Park, on Salt Spring Island.
Old Growth Forests
Mount Maxwell Provincial Park, home to old growth Douglas Firs, and Garry Oak meadows, is one of the Gulf Islands largest, contiguous protected areas.
Overlooking Vancover Island.Nature, and life, at it’s finest. Enjoying nature, and altitude changes.Salt Spring Wild Cider House
Enjoying Cheese, and Charcuterie, and a Full Tasting Flight of Special Blend Ciders, at a wonderful spot overlooking orchards of apples and pears. Enjoying the Ciders made from the fruits shaken from the boughs of the gnarly old fruit trees native to this area.
The town of Ganges
Feeling like we are in the late 1960’s, early 1970’s, as we explore this lovely little town’s afternoon market.
‘Sitting on the dock of the bay’
Waiting for the ferry, to take us back to Vancouver Island, and the beautiful city of Victoria.
‘A society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in.’ Greek Proverb
In 1904, Jennie Butchart had the idea to beautify the worked-out limestone quarry which had supplied her husband, Robert Pim Butchart’s, nearby cement plant.
As we walked through the gardens, we reminisced about our flower beds back home. Reflecting on the plants gifted and traded for, from friends, and from relatives. I thought about all of the Soul Sister creations, and other pieces of art that adorn the gardens, pathways, and forest, of our little piece of Eden, a five hour flight away.
Each day Requires us to receive Linger long Under waterfalls of grace Get saturated,satiated. Author Unknown
Flowers are the music Of the ground From earth's lips Spoken without sound. Edwin Curran
Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do you see? Bill Martin Jr/Eric Carle
Advice From a Tree. Stand tall and proud Sink your roots into the earth Be content With your natural beauty Go out on a limb Drink plenty of water Remember your roots. Enjoy the view. Created by your true nature.com
Roses are red, my love Violets are blue. Sugar is sweet, my love But not as sweet as you! Bobby Vinton
A flower does not think of competing with the flower next to it. It just blooms. Zen Shin
‘You must be absolutely honest and true in the depicting of a totem for meaning is attached to every line. You must be particular about detail and proportion. ‘ Emily Carr
Be silent my dear, and enjoy the scene As we walk in this Japanese Garden serene. The sun is shining in the afternoon sky, And treeline bamboo catches the eye. Joyce Hensley
'I think that I shall never see, a poem, as lovely as a tree.' Kilmer 1913
This wonderfully, creative set of stairs takes us from the Historical Fort Willow site to the Ganaraska Trail.
Love the different staircases.
Historic Fort Willow, one of Springwater Township’s oldest historical sites, was a supply depot at the halfway point between Kempenfelt Bay and the Nottawasaga River.
Old footprints 👣
The location of the former buildings have been located, and their outlines restored.
Every September, before the arrival of Covid19, the Festival of Fort Willow was held. The Festival brings to life the daily activities of the Indigenous people living in Simcoe County in 1812, British soldiers, and camp followers.
Garden life!
A garden, at the centre of the fort, features the Three Sisters. Corn, beans and squash.
Where all trails seem to meet.
Great walking trails, the Ganaraska, the North Simcoe Rail trail, and the Trans Canada trail surround this historical site.
Canadian artist, and sculptor, Peter Camani, created Screaming Heads on his property, Midlothian Castle, near Burk’s Falls, Ontario.
The beginning of the end.
The Screaming Heads, which remind me of a painting by Edvard Munch, with the feel of works by Salvador Dali, creat an outdoor masterpiece that needs to be explored more than once.
Castles, ponds, and memorials.
It’s a wonderous, 310 acres, that Camani has transformed into a land of forests, ponds, wild flowers, and gigantic works of art.
From the forest to the sky.
Every path has it’s own direction.
Beautiful hands.
Prehaps the hands mean for us to stop. To be mindful. To reflect. To ponder. To examine. To stop, and to smell the wild flowers.
A giant, spider less, spiderweb.
Oh what a web, a spider can weave.
Words
Some of the puzzle pieces that make you want to explore some more.
The home of a Canadian artist and sculptor.
Midlothian Castle, just outside of Burk’s Falls.
Standing guard.
Something around every corner.
Love these guys.
Found these guys atop the walls surrounding the castle.
Screaming Heads
The person who came up with the phrase, ‘Ontario, yours to discover!’ was right on the mark. We have so many great places, and great people, to discover. Right in our own backyard!
We thoroughly enjoyed our day here! Definitely on our list of places to explore again!
A part of the wolf pack at Wolf Lodge, in the forests of beautiful Haliburton.
Housed in a 15 acre enclosure, these very photogenic wolves rested, and played, and lazily responded to the click of my camera.
Such a big mouth!
I remember when, as a young girl, my father calling us to gather at the kitchen window. Together we stood, and watched, as a pack of wolves bounded across a field of hay.
My father referred to them as Timber Wolves. We witnessed wild life at it’s finest on that day. I, sadly, haven’t seen a wolf in the wild since that time.
Still shedding winter coats.
Free to roam 15 acres of natural forest, we were very happy to find the wolves very close by.
So beautiful!
The wolf pack that ran through our fields so many years ago, were viewed through the glass of an old kitchen window.
The wolves of Wolf Lodge were viewed through thick panes of glass.
The Alpha wolf watchs over her pack.
We watched as this wonderful wolf gently encouraged the wolf cubs to move out of the sun, and into the shade of the enclosure’s beautiful trees.
Perfect picnics tables to close a back to nature kind of day!
Exploring the geological features of the Nottawasaga Bluffs, reminded me of the adventures we would have when our relatives would visit from Holland.
It brought back memories of visiting the Scenic Caves, near Collingwood. Us all lining up, the Tanta’s in their dresses, and the Oma’s in their white shirts and dress pants, to squeeze through what was then called ‘Fat Man’s Misery. ‘ A narrow opening between two gigantic rocks, that were icy cold to touch even in the heat of summer.
Exploring new Caves. Making new family memories.
Like my chiropractor keeps telling me, ‘Motion is Lotion.’ I’m thinking that I might now be of similar age to what my Oma’s and Tanta’s were away back when.
Spelunking – the exploration of caves, especially as a hobby.
