Writer’s Quotes Wednesday – Leisure Time

Posted on March 26, 2021 by Mama Cormier

…thanks to Marsha for hosting WQWWC https://tchistorygal.net/2021/03/24/wqwwc-17-leisure/?wref=tp

“Guard well your spare moments. They are like uncut diamonds. Discard them and their value will never be known. Improve them and they will become the brightest gems in a useful life.”
― Ralph Waldo Emerson

I love this quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson. During COVID so many of us have had more time on our hands because commuting was no longer necessary to get to and from work because we were able to work from home but how many of you made use of that extra hour or two to do something for yourself. I’m painfully aware of this after I spend too much of my day binge watching TV.

One of the best things that my husband and I have done since January is to put aside one day a week, in the middle of the week, get into the car and drive somewhere where we can be in nature and go for long hikes and not worry about crowds of people. We’ve had a wonderful time and each week we become a little more organized. This week we even packed a picnic lunch and some weeks we had dinner cooking in the slow cooker so that when we got home dinner was ready.

Here are some of the wonderful places we have visited since January. These are our ‘brightest gems’ in our lives this year.

Ball’s Falls

92-BCDA0-C-2823-4105-8-A24-BE73-E2-E647-DF

37-C7-E883-FBF8-444-E-A15-E-3-DCECC28-B4-AE

Lime House

01-C18-B72-397-D-4-ABD-BEBE-B04601-AD881-B

6484-C1-CD-E20-F-42-C6-A9-F0-F3-EC46743012

Webster’s Falls and Tews Falls

AABE233-F-C4-B8-4-D4-F-BD66-3-ACAA9538-DD5

93912-A96-32-C1-49-BC-8652-3897826-A1722-1-201-a

2392-C8-D7-B25-A-48-A1-BC6-F-94-FE73948-B2-B-1-201-a

Tiffany Falls

3-E737-EFF-3-D76-45-A1-B1-E1-0082051-A82-D5

5-B141019-B6-FF-490-A-B13-D-96-C60-C626591

Niagara Falls and Dufferin Islands

5-A3-C4-E18-4450-4518-B582-72-C03260-CA61

32-C315-AC-3306-43-D0-8-A0-E-0491934-DDB4-C

Crooks Hollow

A44-EC2-FB-7931-4-E2-A-A6-C7-29-BF103-BDBA1

A7291-C40-2016-45-A1-A72-F-AB8962-FD2518-1-201-a

Halton Hills and Hilton Falls

E94-AAF5-A-B30-E-4169-87-E4-52-BC327093-C1-1-201-a

D1392602-1-B56-44-D1-95-F7-7124-A207-C352

113-D897-D-3388-437-E-B271-9-FC26-EB4-D20-B-1-201-a

If you’d like participate in this challenge go to Marsha’s site for the list of upcoming challenges and some tips on how to participate.https://tchistorygal.net/writers-quotes-wednesday-writers-challenge/

Water, Water Everywhere – The King and Queen of Waterfalls

Posted on March 15, 2021 by Mama Cormier

…thanks to Jez for hosting Water, Water Everywhere, https://jezbraithwaite.blog/2021/03/15/a-lonely-bouy-water-water-everywhere-69/

Last week we took another day trip to take in some more waterfalls. We headed toward the Niagara region where the world’s most famous waterfalls reside, the Horseshoe Falls and the American Falls wihich make up Niagara Falls.

The falls are fed by the Niagara River and the force of this powerful river and subsequent falls powers a huge section of Ontario and New York State.

B8-AFCD80-41-D4-4767-85-B3-8-C2557673-C5-D

F1-C9-B538-9622-4827-AEC7-922-B776258-A6

D46-B2961-F7-B2-4297-9353-C0-C1416-B6-BE7

F01-AFF40-1-F88-4-ECF-AB67-C42881-C4-FE99

77-AE6111-84-BC-4-F62-B9-E0-E7-C6-C4-A16359

Niagara Falls is not the tallest falls in North America but the width and volume of water that flows over the edge makes it the largest falls. Worldwide it is only the ninth largest falls but it is probably the most famous of all the falls and the city is considered the honeymoon capital of the world.

96186-F1-D-1643-4-D0-A-87-A8-1-A18792-A8186

655-C5-A70-2-E40-4-C57-8957-34-E41911-DE08-1-201-a

49703748-8499-4350-AD9-D-F377086-CB3-DD-1-201-a

0-E2-E5-DE5-FFDF-486-F-B7-BD-8-D83-B81-F5-ED1

Thursday Doors – In the Town of Dundas, ON

Posted on February 25, 2021 by Mama Cormier

…thanks to No Facilities for hosting Thursday Doors

https://nofacilities.com/2021/02/25/waterbury-doors-thursdaydoors/

Today my husband and I did one of our nature hikes outside of the city but the conditions were less than ideal. Although it was a beautiful, sunny and mild day the melting snow had turned to ice and walking was somewhat treacherous. After visiting a couple of waterfalls near Hamilton we decided to drive into Dundas and walk down the main street and take in the shops. Here are just a few of the interesting doors we observed on our stroll through town.

55400-ACE-B78-B-47-D9-BB04-C6534-F7638-EE

2-C2-D024-F-94-C4-4-ED6-B997-207-F3683-DDD4

1-C0-F2-D15-F455-41-EB-999-D-D40-B45-CCBDA7

21-DC5738-45-B3-4-BBB-9651-2-CB318963-E53

28-B6-BC2-B-F3-C5-459-B-B2-FC-B16-C490-A5859-1-201-a

6350-C70-F-E191-463-D-9-B03-0142-D7-E4262-B-1-201-a

7-E3-CCBEC-6-BFF-41-DE-80-BF-CFFE501-C9681-1-201-a

7-FE6-C8-F1-C1-D9-452-D-9-CAB-14-CC37-F900-F9-1-201-a

Silent Sunday – February 7, 2021

Posted on February 7, 2021 by Mama Cormier

A23-A2-D40-6898-43-D2-B731-057-F70-F9515-D

Thursday Doors – Limehouse Conservation Area

Posted on February 5, 2021 by Mama Cormier

…thanks to Dan of No Facilities for hosting Thursday Doors, https://nofacilities.com/2021/02/04/author-author-thursday-doors/

On Wednesday my husband and I got in the car and headed north west to Halton Hills and the Limestone Conservation Area. The conservation area is an extension of the Niagara Escarpment and three trails run through it. One of the trails is the Bruce Trail. The highlight for us were the Lime Kilns that once produced limestone blocks in the 1800s and ceased production in 1917.

This time of year the trails are not maintained and can be somewhat treacherous because of the ice. This was especially true near the stone arch bridge. A new bridge has been built parallel to it but the steps were very icy and it took me quite some time to safely navigate this slippery slope. I thought that the barrel style structures were a different style of kiln but after doing some research I discovered that these building were the powder houses where the explosives, used to blast out the limestone, were stored. Black Creek is the waterway that surges under the bridge and with the snow and ice I found the setting very picturesque.

49-DF41-E1-9-F24-4557-A677-9-FE6-F02-D55-BF

64-A506-F4-0449-4066-999-C-DC07-DD8-EC866

EAA5-C714-0-CD5-4-E5-E-93-F1-4-FB335-B544-EA

66482-CA4-F278-4-A8-D-8-A08-885016-CDC9-FF

420-F5-FB5-E78-E-4-ECE-B73-A-13-E8358-C291-E

In the town of Limehouse sits an old church which is now the Limehouse Memorial Centre. Limehouse was first settled in 1820. By the 1840’s limestone quarrying and “burning” of limestone in kilns to make lime, had begun. The Grand Trunk Railway built its line through Limehouse in 1856 which required 200 workers and their families to settle in the area.(from Wikipedia)

Today about 800 people live in Limehouse. There are several farms in the area where racing horses and wild boar are raised.

1-A5-D5-A2-E-E549-41-FE-A47-F-C2-F2806-A8-B51

06-C70714-E006-425-D-8-E11-00-C576-C783-B5

BFC1-F42-E-43-B0-4607-A22-D-6-B5-B650-DAA54

F20-DBDA4-C9-BA-494-C-B6-EB-E93-F53701251

7-D739530-A299-4544-8-BA8-3310-F11406-ED

2-CDC6-C5-B-BF7-C-4-C92-9-F26-B6-E0-AFCE8571

C814-CA9-D-CCF2-401-D-92-D8-3-B618179-D171

6807-C966-ACA4-451-C-A5-D6-C4366-E7905-BF-1-201-a

Monday Mural – January 18, 2021

Posted on January 18, 2021 by Mama Cormier

…thanks to Colourful World for hosting Monday Mural https://sami-colourfulworld.blogspot.com/2021/01/monday-mural-rowing-alone.html

I don’t often participate in this challenge but when I come across an interesting mural I think about this challenge.

This mural can be seen when you shop on Roncesvalle in Toronto.

EC7-A412-A-61-F2-4-BD0-8-E5-A-924793692-E42

New Windows in an Old Neighbourhood

Posted on January 18, 2021 by Mama Cormier

….thanks to Ludwig for hosting Monday Windows, https://mondaywindow.wordpress.com/2021/01/18/monday-window-january-18-2021/

Walking through the old neighbourhood close to St. Joe’s Hospital I couldn’t help but notice how many of the old homes had new window put in as well as undergoing some major renovations. Some of the windows were clearly new but had kept the charm of the older house. Others were a complete departure from the older architecture.

FCDBA8-A4-A725-462-F-9165-D95-DC06841-F9

5526-F0-C6-03-E9-49-E7-ADD9-7-D26417721-D4

8-C29-B32-F-98-EA-4668-880-C-590-E262-DD850

801-DCB7-C-64-CB-418-C-8-AE3-49-FECA51269-B

88-FD758-E-8585-4-BD2-AD61-687-B1-F72739-E

A Short Visit to Wine Country

Posted on November 12, 2020 by Mama Cormier

…after the shock of losing my Dad and having to deal with the immediate paperwork we decided we needed a break

We were surprised that some of our favourite places outside the city were booked in the middle of the week, even during COVID. Toronto and the Greater Toronto area has more restrictions in place because of higher positive test cases so I guess people were looking for places, like us, to get away to.

We finally found a great old mill that was converted into an inn in the outskirts of St. Catharines. It was very close to all the places we wanted to visit and it had a fantastic restaurant on the premises. The Stone Mill Inn was located in a once very industrial area and my husband immediately recognized it because one of his father’s favourite drinking establishments was just around the corner. That’s a story for another time.

75843-D2-A-5-B16-4-B9-C-9539-75-D00-CB977-BD

D87-E2-F2-C-9506-46-FF-BECF-12-F790509400

AE3-CC529-3-CA8-4-D4-B-ABE2-C88-DF213-DF5-F

929-ECD34-F3-AB-43-C2-B89-E-1575-EAA269-CD

We had dinner at the Italian restaurant in the Inn that evening and were pleased and relieved that the place was not busy. All the safety protocols were in place and the servers all wore masks. The food was fantastic.

4-A21-FC41-35-DB-4-B83-8-BEF-2-F08-BD95-FF3-A

FAB1256-D-F13-E-42-FE-9407-746-FC84-FC015

We decided to forgo the outlet mall on our first full day of exploring. We headed straight for Niagara-on-the Lake and made our first stop at the Wayne Gretzky Winery. A lot of wineries are now expanding their inventory to include beer and spirits and interestingly enough it was the whiskey here that we preferred. I’m not much of a whisky drinker but I loved the salted caramel whiskey. I guess some people would argue that salted caramel is an abomination to that classic spirit but it was flying off the shelf.

C65-CB2-B8-2-EA5-491-A-9-A51-E3660549551-F

233-A442-F-D8-CF-49-CD-87-C9-81-D9528810-C8

8-E532915-6244-478-C-AE3-D-ACCD6-E07-A002

ECE9780-D-82-B6-4-AE5-A0-CB-773-F436-BEAC5

Our next stop was the old town of Niagara-on-the-Lake. We walked down the main street and browsed through some of the stores and of course we had to stop in the local bakery and pick up my husband’s favourite pastry, eccles cakes.

73-FBDEB0-836-D-4-D99-84-EA-FB7-CC7491-E84

73-B19-AD3-3-B41-4-A8-B-85-B9-9594-DA2-AA788

B3301-CB7-9-D21-47-B0-81-B4-57-AB7-AFB0-F8-C

8474-D743-0-B40-4494-BB48-6352948-AA4-C3

9-AA5022-D-CB85-4-E43-B2-CE-F8-EA6-E021-B68

931-C709-F-BF22-4038-895-D-3696-D88-BAD55

Back to the Inn for another amazing meal and more adventures the next day……..

End of Part 1.

Repurposing an Old Church

Posted on November 7, 2020 by Mama Cormier

….some of the bigger ones in Toronto are being converted into condos

It’s not unusual for old churches that are no longer in use to be sold and converted into something else. Last week when we were in Niagara-on-the-Lake we came across a church that was repurposed into a brew pub. Craft beers have become very popular in the last ten years so it wasn’t surprising to see another one pop up in the heart of wine country.

The Silversmith Brewing Company was founded by two friends who purchased the old church in 2012. St. John’s Anglican church was built in 1894. It stayed that way until 1954 when it was deconsecrated. Trinity Lutheran church used the building from 1955 until about 1965. That would be the last time the building was used for religious service. From 1965 to 2012 it was a private residence and an antique shop (twice).

5-ED99808-80-D4-4417-89-A9-0250-E13-A2-F22

87330059-2-AE6-4-C4-F-A059-0-FEDE2-A7989-C

The pub serves a variety of craft beers but they are specially known for their dark beers. You can order flights of beer so that you can try a variety of them before deciding on your favourite. The food menu is limited but the fried chicken sandwich was outstanding. The next time you’re on your way to Niagara-on-the-Lake stop in Virgil and enjoy a glass of beer with your lunch before heading out to do some serious wine tasting.