Water, Water Everywhere ….#72 …The Etobicoke Creek

Posted on April 5, 2021 by Mama Cormier

….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.

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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

Posted on December 11, 2020 by Mama Cormier

….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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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. 240-C3-A7-F-0515-4152-A47-D-101-E760-F45-CD

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Apples, Apples, Apples

Posted on September 17, 2020 by Mama Cormier

…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.

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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.

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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…….

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Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge – Commercial Buildings or Store Fronts

Posted on September 8, 2020 by Mama Cormier

….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/

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Fun Market Finds

Posted on September 3, 2020 by Mama Cormier

…from our trip to the Aberfoyle Antique Market

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In Search of the Perfect Tree

Posted on December 13, 2019 by Mama Cormier

….an outing with the family

Last weekend my husband and I drove to Hamilton to our daughter’s house where I picked up her family and we drove about 15 minutes north of the city to a Christmas tree farm. It was most definitely a farm with ducks, goats, cows, rabbits and a donkey.

We came fully prepared to cut down our own tree but as we explored the grounds we couldn’t find anything small enough to fit into our homes. My son-on-law always gets the biggest tree because their home has high ceilings but I was instructed to come back with a very small tree that would fit on a table. All the trees were over 10 feet tall and we could see that people had been cutting trees from the top. The only tree that we all liked had signs around it telling people NOT to cut it down.

We enjoyed the walk through the property so not all was lost but we were disappointed in the selection. We got back in our cars and headed up north for a few more kilometres, back to the tree farm we went to last year. We weren’t sure that it would still be open because the owners are into their eighties and told us last year that that would be their last year selling trees. Luckily for us they decided to open for at least one more year. The pickings were great and we all found our perfect tree.

We drove back to Hamilton with our treasures inside and on top of the cars. Back at Gaelan’s house we were treated to a wonderful lunch and afterwards Winnie and I decorated Christmas cookies.

Which Way Photo Challenge – Sept. 6, 2019

Posted on September 6, 2019 by Mama Cormier

…thanks to Son of a Beach for hosting the Which Way Photo Challenge

From the beach to steps in the playground, through a covered bridge, along a walkway, over a bridge, down the stairs, over a gravel path, down the path of the waterfall and biking in the neighbourhood.

Which Way Photo Challenge – Feb. 28, 2019

Posted on March 1, 2019 by Mama Cormier

….thanks to Son of a Beach for continuing the Which Way Photo Challenge

My pathways, roads, stairs and signs are all from the Toronto Zoo that I paid a visit to last week.

Bringing Home the Tree

Posted on December 13, 2018 by Mama Cormier

…..a tradition that happens sporadically

Is it a tradition if you don’t do it every year?

This year we decided as a family to cut down our Christmas trees. We’ve done it in the past and always get a lot of joy out of it. Two years ago there was a ton of snow on the ground and this year there was next to nothing. Nonetheless we had a lot of fun and I discovered a new landmark that I didn’t know existed.

The tree farm we used this year was a smaller place, owned by an older couple. There were no sleigh rides or wagons, hot cocoa or tree balers. It didn’t matter though because we were able to walk through the grounds at our own pace and not worry about hoards of people all eyeing the same tree. The dogs were also allowed to run freely. We just had to make sure that they didn’t wander off because there are coyotes in the area.

I don’t think the place even had a name. We just looked for the signs directing us to ‘Cut Your Own Christmas Tree’. From Toronto we drove westbound along the QEW and Hyw. 403 until we reached Hwy. 6 going north. From there we drove till we hit concession road #6 and went east. Luckily we had our daughter, Gaelan on the phone and she directed us onto the property.

In the next post I’ll describe the surprising landmark that we discovered while out ‘hunting’ for the perfect Christmas tree.

31 Inspirations – Interesting Advertisements

Posted on November 13, 2018 by Mama Cormier

…..thanks to Travelling at Wits End for hosting 31 Inspirations for November

Today’s theme is interesting advertisements. My selection comes from my trips to the cottage, signs on bus shelters and my recent trip to London, England.

Mama Cormier

…. my journey to a healthy life, making new memories and so much more

Category Archives: Field Trips