Silent Sunday – December 5, 2021
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Category Archives: Field Trips
Sunday Trees – The Guelph Arboretum
….after this trip to the Arboretum I’ll have lots of future posts
Thursday Doors – A Whole Community of Painted Gingerbread Houses
…thanks to Dan for hosting Thursday Doors https://nofacilities.com/2021/04/29/glastonbury-doors/
Grimsby Beach Village is well known for it’s Painted Ladies or Gingerbread Houses. The community was originally a Methodist Bible Camp in the 1800s and when the tents came down they were replaced with modest cottages. In 1909 the camp went bankrupt. It was purchased by a developer who converted the area into an amusement park.
In the 1920s 30 of the cottages burned down and tourists went elsewhere. It was taken over by a Cottagers’ Association but over the years the remaining cottages suffered from disrepair. Fast forward to 1986 when a handyman Ed Giernat, purchased one of the 150-year old homes and decided to add gingerbread and other decorative trim moulding and paint his house orange, green, blue and white. Now dozens of “painted ladies” houses adorn the streets of Grimsby Beach because of Ed’s vision and his willingness to help others fix-up their homes. ( data re history came from Everyday Tourist https://everydaytourist.ca/wandering-canada/southern-ontario-road-trip-grimsby-beachs-painted-ladies)
Pull Up A Seat Photo Challenge – Week 17
…a quick trip to Grimsby where we found great seats to enjoy the view over the lake
Thanks to Xingfu Mama for hosting Pull Up a Seat Photo Challenge https://xingfumama.blog/2021/04/23/pull-up-a-seat-photo-challenge-2021-week-17/
The Bruce Trail – Stage 1
….Andrea and Josie have invited us to walk the Bruce Trail from end to end
A week ago last Monday, the four of us drove down to Queenston Heights in Niagara Falls to start our trek on the Bruce Trail. After doing our hikes for the last 8 weeks I thought I was in good enough shape to tackle the first part of the Bruce Trail. All was well until we hit the ridge. I’m actually fine walking uphill but going downhill is scary for me because of my vertigo.
We started at the Cairn for stage one at Queenston Heights.
The first part of the trail was pretty easy. The trails were relatively wide and well marked.
At about the 3 kilometre marks things started to get a bit tricky. I didn’t mind the uphill climbs and at one point at the top of the ridge we came across a series of abandoned limestone kilns that were behind a chainlink fence and nestled into the side of the ridge. We carefully went around the fence to have a closer look at the old brickwork.
It was soon after this that I became seriously doubtful that I could finish the hike. It was time to descend from the ridge and the path was rocky, twisty and very steep. Luckily my daughter was very supportive and was there with a helping hand and encouraging words. When we got to a lower section the path evened out and the rest of the hike was relatively uneventful. We came across a wooden box where we could record our names, date and our intentions for the rest of the Bruce Trail.
The end of the trail brought us back out to a road by a railroad crossing and close to where we had parked one of the cars. We managed to hike 7.4 kilometres but it seemed like a lot more. We drove back to Queenston Heights to pick up the other car and then we headed back home.
That night and the next day both Kevin and I were feeling a little stiff and sore but it hasn’t deterred us from doing the next section of the Bruce Trail.
Water, Water Everywhere ….#72 …The Etobicoke Creek
….thanks to Jez for hosting Water, Water Everywhere https://jezbraithwaite.blog/2021/04/05/the-tall-ship-water-water-everywhere-72/
Our weekly walk took us on a path along the Etobicoke Creek close to our home. The mouth of the creek opens up to Lake Ontario and we started our walk from there. We drove to Marie Curtis Park and headed up along the paved path. We had no idea how far we were going to go but after 2.7 k we were forced to turn around because the path was closed for repairs.
As you can see from the sign we have a lot more exploring to do when the trail opens up again. Looking forward to a much longer hike next time.
The Greenest Christmas Tree Hunt Ever
….with very little snow on the ground
On Thursday the family who reside in Ontario all travelled to a Spruce Meadows Christmas Trees near Hamilton. It was very mild, sunny and there was little snow left on the ground. When Kevin and I arrived in our car we were the first of the family there and in fact we were the only people there for a short while. Apparently the weekend before the place was so busy that the entire field was filled with cars.
It didn’t take long before the rest of the family arrived, all wearing masks and ready to trek to the tree field. My daughter, Gaelan and her husband, Brendan were looking for a tall tree to fit into their Victorian style dining room while the rest of us were more content with much smaller trees.
After Brendan cut down the tree for their home Winnie was content to find any small patch of snow to play and chase after Olive.
Once we all cut down our chosen trees we headed back to the bundling area, had the trees netted and then loaded onto and into the cars. Normally we would have all gone back to Gaelan’s house for refreshments but this time we all went our separate ways.
Later that evening Winnie put the finishing touch on their tree. I hate to admit it but our tree is still in the back of the car.
Apples, Apples, Apples
…it’s that time of year already and the early varieties of apples are ready for picking
On the weekend the family did one more get together before our granddaughter starts school. As of Tuesday our bubble has been broken and we can no longer do these family outings for awhile.
My daughter and daughter-in-law drove with me (in my new car) to St. George where we met our youngest daughter and her family at the Brantview Apple Orchard.
It was about an hour drive from Toronto but it was a beautiful day and it was great walking through the trees and picking either MacIntosh or Royal Gala apples. Winnie loved filling up everyone’s bag.
After a hard day of picking we headed back over the store and bought some their cider and special apple cider doughnuts. Then we loaded up the cars and headed out for our next destination. To be Continued…….
Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge – Commercial Buildings or Store Fronts
….thanks to Cee for hosting the Fun Foto Challenge, https://ceenphotography.com/2020/09/01/cees-fun-foto-challenge-all-about-buildings-commercial-buildings-or-store-fronts/
Fun Market Finds
…from our trip to the Aberfoyle Antique Market
Mama Cormier 