…yesterday I went to a huge amusement park north of the city with our granddaughter, Winnie and her parents
I think the last time I went to Canada’s Wonderland was over 40 years ago when the kids were very young. I remember loving the water rides and I went on two of them and was absolutely soaked after the Timberwolf Falls ride. Of course I didn’t bring a change of clothes so I walked around in a very wet shirt and cotton pants. Luckily it was a very warm and sunny day.
Over the years the place has been built up and there are many water features, gardens and fountains that are new to me.
Falls at the Fundy Bay TrailSherbrooke, QuebecFountain in Tours, FranceLoire River, FranceRapids on the Loire RiverFalls in Hamilton, ONNiagara Falls on the Canadian sideNiagara Falls on the American side
Last week after we walked through Grimsby Beach Village we got back in the car and drove for a short distance up the Niagara Escarpment to the Beamer Memorial Conservation Area.
The trail from the parking lot led us to a section of the Bruce Trail which brought us to the edge of the escarpment. From there we had a great view of the town of Grimsby, the highway and Lake Ontario.
We continued hiking west to find the Beamer Waterfall. This area was similar to other parts of the Bruce Trail that we’ve been on. After awhile we could hear the falls but we had to literally walk out onto a road and go around the barriers to see it properly. Luckily the area was dry and we didn’t have to worry about slipping.
Another beautiful day for a hike and when we find a waterfall it’s alway a bonus.
“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.
After our adventure to Tiffany Falls last week we were hoping to find another falls close by but for some reason our GPS kept taking us to someone’s private address. We knew we were close to the Ancaster Mill so we went there instead. It’s beautiful in the summer. Unfortunately or luckily (it’s pretty expensive) the restaurant is closed because of the pandemic but we were able to take in the falls that flows past the mill.
On our way home we decided to find one more waterfall. Kevin had forgotten that we had actually seen Albion Falls last October but he never got out of the car that day so this sighting was new for him. I must say that most falls take on a different appearance when the seasons change and I was pleased to see it again.
This is as close as one can get to the falls and there is no access to the base of the falls this time of year.
I found it quite difficult to change moving water photos from colour to black and white. For some reason the amount of light in some of the photos that looked fantastic in colour were a complete washout in black and white. I tried to make some adjustments but it didn’t always work.
Mama Cormier 