The Phelpston Tract….

Long logs of red pine grace the forest floor

Having lived alongside the Simcoe County Forest for the past 40-plus years, we have had the privilege of watching the forest transform from a purely red pine forest to one with a mixture of tall, straight pine trees and a healthy young deciduous undergrowth.

A beautiful bouquet, gifted to us from a tall straight pine tree.

Years ago, our children and their cousins ran freely through this forest. Their pathes uninterrupted by saplings and undergrowth. Their steps treading lightly upon the thick blanket of pine needles that covered the forest floor.

The pine trees have been in the minority for, at least, the last decade. This week, their numbers have decreased again.

What is the answer? If a tree falls in the forest, does it make a sound? Yes, it does. But not as loud as one might think.

This spring, as the sun shines through the newly formed openings, a new canvas will be created.

Saplings, once struggling to reach the sky, will now bathe in warmth and sunshine.

Leaves unfurling, trunks stretching, and canopies exploding, sheltering the mosses, grasses, fungi, and flowers that now cover the forest floor.

A new canvas is about to be painted.

The Three Sisters Legend

The Three Sisters Legend, as presented at the Three Sisters exhibit at the Sweatwater Harvest Festival, held this past weekend at Sainte-Marie Among the Hurons and the Wye Marsh.

Corn, beans, and squash were always planted together. The Indigenous people believed that their spirits were loving sisters who liked to stay beside one another. When the seeds were planted, the Indigenous people prayed to the Thunder Spirit not to burn the earth and to give the sisters all the water they needed.

Late in the summer, when the crops were ripe, the people celebrated because the sisters had grown up. At the next moon, they danced in honour of the harvest. The life cycle was complete. On that day, the women sang. ‘The three sisters are happy because they are home again from their summer in the fields.

A squash seed, a bean, and a kernel of corn.

T-Bears Maple Syrup Party

The sugar shack….where friends and nieghbours meet.

If you ask any of our children to give an example of a favourite childhood memory, all three of them will tell you about Brown’s annual Sugarbush party. It’s always been near or at the top of their list.

The stream which left our kids soaked but happy. I was often barefoot in my boots, having given one of my children my dry socks.

Celebrating springs arrival with snow, rain, and sleet, and sometimes lots of mud brought with it the freedom to run through the forests and the streams.

They will share how they trampled through the snow with golf clubs in hopes of winning the coveted T-Bear trophy for snow golf.

The warmth of an open fire. These open flames dried many pairs of mittens, socks and snowpants.

Added to the experience were the hotdogs and marshmallows roasted over an open fire.

Our host, being an avid hunter, allowed our children and us to experience the culinary delights of bear, venison, and moose sausage.

Sampling maple sap and maple syrup, sometimes with a spoon, sometimes with a dip in the bucket.

Not everyone wanted to use it, but it was there!

There is store bought maple syrup, and then, there is the real thing.

Can’t wait to bring the grandkids.

Wasaga Beach Sand Dunes

Where the bay, the beach, and the river meet the sky.

I went on a wonderful walk with a great friend today, along the boardwalk at Wasaga Beach, to where the Nottawasaga River enters Georgian Bay.

Native plants help maintain a delicate balance as our feet leave footprints on the sandblown boardwalk.

Coastal sanddunes, one of Canada’s most fragile ecosystems, are being restored along the shores of Georgian Bay.

A large piece of driftwood doing what comes natural.

Stretching 14k, Wasaga Beach is the world’s longest fresh water beach.

Marram grasses swayed with the breeze as a light drizzle began to dampen the air.

Life is everywhere.

Resting spots, room for everyone and everything.

Wasaga Beach, along the shores of Georgian Bay, is just a short drive away from the place I call home.

This beautiful country of ours has so much to offer, so much to explore, and beautiful people to discover it with!

Winter Time, and the Livin’ is Easy

Winter time,
and the wind
it is a blowin'.

Everyime 
you turn around, 
it is a snowin'.

Except for this year, 
with
El nino,
You never know
which way
it is a goin'.

Where the Birds Fly…..

I fly through the sky

With my eyes open wide.

My world has been opened wide.

I’ve held on with all my might

Even the little blue bird

Can’t make it right

I cry with my eye.

With my eye

I cry.

I cry with my eye.

In time

To see the blue bird fly by.

And the leaf floats.

It’s a Funny World….

Tears flow down the window 
as the snow melts upon the roof.

The old cow laughs
as it kicks the fresh manure from its hoof.

'It's a funny world'
I said.
As twilight 
settled on my head.

The world is dark.
It has hit its mark.
'Everything is stark.'
Exclaimed the lark.

This poem is nuts.
It is full of ands and butts.

I pulled a thread. 
My eyes popped right out of my head.
I found them in the morning,
resting quietly, under my bed.

I had rolled my eyes 
right out of my head!


Psychological harassment!

Flowers for Valentine’s

Nothing says ‘I love you’, quite the way a boutique of fresh cut flowers do.

Except for the words themselves. I love you!

A cascade of colour bringing out richness of the red.

Summer, spring, winter, and fall,

Flowers bloom,

I love them dearly.

But you, my love, I love most of all.

That Perfect Cup of Coffee

Your favourite mug
is a must,
It adds a hug
so softly touched.

Pour it dark.
Pour it black.
Add some milk
to bring it back.

Those little beans,
harvested by little hands,
Bundled and brought,
from far away lands.

Who knows what's in them?
We don't care.
Just make it quick
While I stand,
and stare.

Drink it alone, 
or with a friend.

Black coffee
Espresso 
Latte, hot or cold
Americano
Cappiccino
Mocha
Cafe Au Latte
Macchiato
Flat White
Irish coffee
Frappe
Cold brew
Affagato
Red eye.

Or prehaps a large, half-caf,triple-shot,caramel,mochano foam, extra whipped cream, extra hot, upside-down, caramel drizzle, with seven pumps of caramel syrup and seven pumps of mocha syrup, double blended frappaccino.

Just make mine with a large splash of milk.
My mug adds a love that is forever felt!

Pancakes

I ate a pancake

with strawberries and banana,

dripping with whipped cream!