Crookwell to Canada

Niagara's Famous "Maid of the Mist"

2009-05-21T17:19:00.000-07:00

Going to Niagara Falls and NOT taking the trip on the "Maid of the Most" almost deserves corporal punishment! You will never forget your visit to Niagara Falls once you've experienced this boat ride.

There is more than one vessel and they operate from BOTH the Canadian side of the river and the American side. Access to the American side is via a lift that goes down inside that Green Tower which some people have asked me if that is a bridge under construction or part of a demolished bridge! Huh. That tower provides an observation platform to be able to see the American Falls from the USA side. Otherwise they would have to come to the Canadian side (which many do) after crossing the Rainbow Bridge and passing through Customs and Immigration each way.

Whilst walking along the Canadian walkway between the Horseshoe Falls and "Maid of the Mist" access, we came across a Native American in native dress. His son was following behind, also in native dress, playing as he went. One foot on the curb and one foot off etc. It doesn't matter how a child is dressed, they all play and folly in the same way, as young humans. His father was aware of me videoing and didn't mind. In fact, he kind of, acted for the camera with a smile. The photo quality isn't great as they are frames taken from the video.

On the Canadian side, once you purchase your tickets, you have a walk down a winding ramp for a short distance before entering a lift to take you the rest of the way down. The ramp might give you the initial impression that you have to walk all the way down and what would be worse all the way back up! But NO. There is the lift. (Elevators).

We didn't have to wait more than 25 minutes from being the first in line until the "Maid ...." pulled away from the dock.

Skyline on Canadian side and the Rainbow Bridge crossing the Canadian-USA border.

It is a whole new perspective seeing everything, let alone the falls, from down at river level and I hope my photos will help convey that perspective to you. Especially if your intending to visit this fabulous Tourist Destination.

Getting up close to the Horseshoe Falls down here is Exciting, Exhilarating and Wet! (or using the American vernacular, .... Awesome!! ) ;-)

Passing the American Falls

I have now visited Niagara Falls in Winter (Christmas), then Summer (July) and now Spring (May). Now a "Falls" in Fall is required to balance it out, eh! Wouldn't it be nice if it was to show some Aussies the place!

These have been a couple of the major attractions, but there are others I haven't done yet. I would like to spend near a week here to travel to some of the neighbouring attractions like the Old Forts, The Welland Canal, The Whirlpool on the Niagara river etc. Others are the IMAX Theatre and the World's Largest Bird Aviary. In deciding to place a link here, I found one that I will be bookmarking myself!

Info Niagara.

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Come with us behind Niagara Falls!

2009-05-21T05:00:00.000-07:00

Ah yes. I've waited a long time to experience the journey behind the falls. The last time I was here, we were driving home when I started reading about it in a brochure that it was possible to go behind the actual water fall of the the Horseshoe Falls.

There is a long tunnel going approximately parallel with the cliff face with off chutes with open portals at the face where you can see the wall of water pouring down in front of your eyes.

There is an opening leading to a multi level landing that gives you a great, but very wet view of the falls from this unique perspective. It was well worth the charge of around $15 per adult and you can stay as long as you like.

If possible, you should take plenty of tissues to wipe the water from your camera lens. I would be very wary of exposing an expensive camera to the saturated atmosphere here. My camera can be replaced for $100, but if it had died on me, I would have been happy enough with the photos I managed to get at that price. :)

Before you enter the tunnel journey, you and your partner / friends / family are automatically positioned for a digital photo taken of you. When you return from the venture, they show you your two 8x10 inch photographs superimposed onto different backgrounds; one daylight and the other at night at the Falls. They are each mounted in a separate Souvenir Folder at a cost of $20 for the pair if you want them. So if you are without a camera, it is a way to record your venture. We were impressed with the package and purchased ours. So be warned; try to make sure you're smiling when they take it!

Flow: 154 mega litres/min (34 million gals/min) at 65kph (40 mph)

Erosion: Used to be 3 metres (10ft) per year. Now 30 cm (1 foot) every 10 years.

Next: "Maid of the Mist" adventure.

Niagara Falls Up Close

2009-05-21T03:37:00.000-07:00

The Falls are simply mesmerising when you're there in the flesh! I snapped so many photos with only a few that I could suffer deleting. It becomes so difficult which to show on my blog but I figure each can speak for itself when you click and open them to full size. I apologise that they aren't quite as good as the originals but that's what happens when you need to reduce the file sizes (quality) for loading times.

Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada

The "Horseshoe Falls" are to the extreme right.
The "American Falls" are the bulk of the falls straigth across.
The "Bridal Falls" are the small falls just to the right of the "American Falls".

Niagara Falls, New York, USA in background.

Next: Join us on a journey behind the Horeshoe Falls!

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Surrounding Niagara Falls ..... ?

2009-05-21T00:46:00.000-07:00

Our first priority was to check into the Americana Resort a few kilometers from downtown Niagara Falls. Whilst not as palatial as the White Oaks we stayed at previously it was above the level we are accustomed to. Our room had two queen sized beds but one was sufficient.

$14 all day parking. It stretches for a mile.

Niagara Falls has grown even since my last visit. The skyline has changed considerably. It is amazing, but not surprising, that this has to be one of biggest tourist attractions in North America. The parking stretches for a mile and is far more dense than my photo suggests. There are commuter buses that cater for far away parking but that costs $5/head. ouch! We were parked about a 100 metres from the Falls.

There is a nice restaurant in the upper level of this building that is adjacent to the falls. On the lower level there are a number of Take Away food stores but I hesitate to term them as Fast Food outlets as it took us over half an hour in line to purchase just coffees (to everyone else's amazement) from the Tim Horton's store. Within the same building is a Souvenir Store that is always very active.

Rainbow Bridge linking Canada & the USA with customs & immigration checking on either side.

The above photograph shows the entrance to the "Maid of the Mist" attraction. When coming back out via the lift, you are deposited at the back of the Souvenir shop! It is exactly the same at the other location after you have been to the "Behind the Falls" attraction. Marketing at its best!

So next we will look at the Falls themselves. ............

Looking over Hamilton

2009-05-20T20:45:00.000-07:00

After saying another temporary goodbye to Karen, we were heading down the QEW freeway. We will be deviating off it and around the back of the city of Hamilton and up onto the Niagara Escarpment where Megan's brother Ken and his wife Vicki live. In my early posts, I mentioned that it was Vicki that picked me up from the Greyhound Bus on my arrival in Canada.

Hamilton is an old "Steel City" similar Newcastle in NSW although somewhat larger with a population of 500,500 people. Both cities have redundant steel works but still have allied industries and a working harbour.

One thing it has in common with Meaford (where we will settle), is the Niagara Escarpment that passes close by and forms a major part of the landscape of both places. The Niagara Escarpment is a geological feature that runs from Tobermory (further north of Meaford), all the way down to Fort Erie. While that statement is true, the actual escarpment continues well beyond these places in both Canada and the USA. It was formed by glacial action hundreds of millions of years ago.

The pictures taken looking over Hamilton are from on top of the escarpment.

Close to the year 1900, my Grandfather and Grandmother migrated from Glasgow in Scotland to New Zealand. Their children were born in NZ and they moved to Australia in 1921 (by my calculations). In the same period they moved to NZ, I understand that my Grandfather's brother emigrated here to Hamilton in Ontario. He brought his father, (my Great grandfather), with him. Growing up, I used to hear my grandmother talk of the Ontario Clelands and I have a vivid memory of the "par avion" stickers on the envelopes that were sent either way between Sydney and Hamilton.

While my father was in a nursing home and I was visiting one day, I mentioned to him that Megan (then fiance'), was going to visit with her brother for a couple of days in Hamilton. With that he rattled off an address from the top of his head and asked if I could get Megan to look and see what was there these days. I told her the story via email and when she replied she said that the house at that address had been demolished and was now a car park.

Unfortunately, I no longer have that address and my father died soon after. However, I had remembered that my brother-in-law Ken had passed a comment to Megan that if there were Cleland children in the household, then they would probably have attended the school across the road which is the same school that his son attended, George L. Armstrong School, Concession St. Hamilton.

George L. Armstrong School. AD 1930
Concession St. Hamilton , ON.

There are two car parks across from the school. One on each side of Concession St., but one is on the corner of the adjacent street to the school. I'm determined at some stage to track down members of that branch of the family.

After a wonderful chin wag over a couple of cups of coffee with Ken and Vicki and another farewell, Megan and I made our way down off the escarpment and back onto the QEW further south and heading to our accommodation in Niagara Falls. We were late now and Megan had phoned ahead to confirm our booking.

With so much to do this day, it was impossible to make contact with a Facebook friend who lives in St. Catharines not far before Niagara Falls. I've never met him, but he is also a Cleland and a descendant of the James Cleland of Meaford mentioned in earlier posts. (If he is related to me, we would likely be about 4th cousins at best by my calcs). I do hope to see him upon my return.

St. Catharines Skyway and the Lochs on the Welland Canal

At St. Catharines, the QEW elevates to become the St. Catharines Skyway to allow shipping to pass beneath going both to and from the Welland Canal. The Canal is a man made canal to link Lake Ontario with Lake Erie. They are naturally linked via the very large but impossible to navigate, Niagara River. The Canal takes ships up and over the Escarpment by way of Lochs. Some of these can be seen in the photo.

Not too far down the QEW we will soon come to the exit to Niagara Falls. This and other signs indicating Buffalo USA, are an unwelcome reminder that in less than 48 hours from then, I'd be on a flight out of Buffalo Airport. :(

Port Credit & Brueckner Rhododendron Gardens

2009-05-20T15:27:00.000-07:00

The Credit River, with all it's tributaries, flows a total of 1500 km down to Lake Ontario at Port Credit. The river was named by French Fur Traders, because trading goods were supplied to the native Mississaugas in advance (on credit) against furs which would be provided the following spring. A trading post was set up at the mouth of the river, now known as Port Credit, early in the 18th century.
Alongside this marina, we had lunch with Karen at "Helen's Fish And Chips".

It was a trying experience getting here, but hey, that's another story! (I've forgotten already Honey!) Let's say, you've probably seen the scenario before on the TV show, The Amazing Race.

After lunch, I was relegated to the back seat and Karen showed us to one of her pride and joys; the Brueckner Rhododendron Gardens.
Karen is one of the many volunteers that maintain and care for the gardens. She also authors a blog in the name of the gardens, to which I have provided a link at the bottom of this post.

Question: Do those two roses look out of place among the Rhododendrons and Azaleas?

click to enlarge and spot the Bumble Bee

For me there is nothing like a small brook and a bridge to feature in a garden.

The foreshore of Lake Ontario can vary dramatically from season to season. (day to day?). Winter sees it with ice and snow and looking bitter but in the other seasons it is a delight. Being spring offers the chance to see new life in the form of Goslings and maybe Sygnets.

A (notorious) Canada Goose and her new Goslings have adjusted to trusting humans in the space of a couple of weeks. Why notorious? I hear that they are not very toilet trained and en masse they can cause more than en mess!

Google Map:

Brueckner Rhododendron Gardens Blog

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The pain of leaving Meaford

2009-05-20T04:38:00.000-07:00

The day has come too quickly that I have to leave Meaford and begin the trail back to Crookwell. It was weird. The day before, I was saying to myself, this will be the last time I drive this road until I come back; this will be the last time I'll see the sunset in Meaford until I get back, etc. etc.
Then there was the saying goodbye to Marcie and her dogs and cats! I'll miss them all.

Once we left Meaford in the morning, we would travel south and at the end of the day we would be at the Americana Resort in Niagara Falls. It was to be a very full and enjoyable day, even if it meant saying temporary goodbyes along the way. There is too much to cram into one post so it will be divided into separate posts chronologically.

On the way south from Meaford, we had a luncheon appointment with the delectable Karen at Port Credit. Megan drove so I could 'rubber neck' as she calls it, to look at the sights. Taking photos through the window isn't perfect. Some come out and some don't. (The passenger window doesn't open at the moment!) Getting Megan to stop at a given place is like asking the captain of the QEII to pick up a fallen water skier! ;) Actually, I'm sure I'd have more success with the captain!

Meaford is surrounded by Apple Orchards. In the last couple of days, the leaves had begun to appear on them. It would have been a real sight to see them all come into full blossom. The grass is really green now and all the trees are showing new leaves as Spring gets into full swing.

Beaver Valley Ski Resort - Beaver Valley

There is a real "Neatness" about the farms here. One of the things I had wanted to make a photo study of, before leaving, was of the old barns that are falling down. Some being preserved but most decaying, like they are in Australia. The old timber barns giving way to more modern materials sadly. Another study was to show the typical old style "squared or cubed" farmhouse.

In an early post, I showed a glimpse of the wind farm near Shelburne. This time we passed them again. Although Megan agreed to stop for photos, we seemed to overshoot the logical place to stop :- on top of the hill. Oh, well you can't complain about small mercies! ;)

Ontario was looking beautiful with its lush green pastures extending as far as the eye could see until it became a blue vista of Lake Ontario.
We were pretty well on time to meet with Karen at Port Credit which is near Mississauga. Now I'd been to Mississauga on my previous trip, but I didn't recall it having such a dominant skyline!

Just a small sample of Mississauga's skyline.

Mississauga in relation to Toronto and Port Credit.

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Meaford Factory Outlet.

2009-05-20T02:38:00.000-07:00

Meaford can count its blessings to have a large older building that is suitable for use as Factory Outlet. People come great distances to browse and shop for a vast array of goods from trinkets to tools and footware to furniture. All of the goods are new and are sourced from liquidators or manufacturers overruns etc.
During my stay I visited it twice. Neither time did I travel by car as it was just across the street! So close, and yet I missed getting back on my last day to pick up two very small and cheap items I'd considered buying the day before but procrastinated about spending the couple of dollars. Yikes!
The pain of my stupidity!

I've only managed to post a few of the photos I took inside. With the reasonable crowd that was there, I didn't want to use the flash and nor did I want to alert the staff that I was photographing. Consequently, some of the images are blurred due to increased exposure times.

I'd only be guesstimating that the area would be around 60 metres by 60 metres (200ft x 200ft) from memory. It is divided into a number of areas as well as each area divided into sections or departments.

Being a handy man of sorts, I love tool and hardware departments! Not to forget electrical and electronics. The Meaford Factory Outlet (MFO) has a large supply of things in all those departments to keep you browsing for quite some time. If you are accompanied by your wife, let her spend as much time as she likes in the other departments because you'll find the time slip right on by while your around the tool and hardware section.

One of the bargains I'm sorry I didn't buy, was a 15 ft Steel Tape measure. It was rubber cased with 3/4 inch wide steel blade with both Metric and Imperial scales on it and was priced at just $3.50. The same thing in the Super Stores would cost at least $12 or so. Megan had previously purchased one for her own use before I got there. In the electrical section, I bought a microphone for my computer or my portable mini-disc recorder for just 99 cents. I bring home some other very good bargains in the under $5 category.

There is a large range of both indoor and outdoor furniture. Some in the unstained state and sourced from the Mennonite manufacturers. (Mennonites as in the community spoken of in my post about St. Jacobs Market)

As you can see, there is a full gamut of household furniture to suit a variety of tastes. One particular item I spent time looking at was mattresses and bases.

I expect to spend more time (and probably money) here in the future.

New Friends and the Meaford 100 Mile Market

2009-05-20T00:08:00.000-07:00

Time was quickly running out and there was still a lot I'd like to have seen and done in and around Meaford before I looked back on it in the rear vision mirror.

On Sunday evening, we went and visited a family with which we have made friends with in Meaford. I'm tickled pink that these were people that I became acquainted with via their Blogs, before I went to Meaford. So for a change, it was me introducing Megan to new friends in her own community!
We got to know more about each others background over coffee and it was such a delight to meet their mirror identical twin daughters aged about seven. I've always known what identical twins were but was unfamiliar with "Mirror" twins.
It is pretty self explanatory if you think about it, but just visit here for a very quick explanation.
Apart from being identical twins, their individual personalities are gorgeous too.

This friendship had led Megan and I to visit the Hundred Mile Market in Meaford that they have a connection to. It was here that Megan got to meet Natalie and in the process found special produce that agrees with dietary requirements.

When I asked Natalie about the Architectural style of the building, she produced from a nearby shelf, a book which was about all the heritage homes and architectural styles within the County. The cover had a nice coloured picture of this particular building. When I looked inside to see what was said about the cover picture, it said that the picture was of the Cleland / Clarke house.

It was built by James Cleland in the late 1870's and later sold to a Mr. Clarke. James Cleland was a prominent businessman in Meaford and acquired his wealth from Cleland Hardware of Meaford and the first private telephone line into the district in 1884.
James Cleland was born 1839 in Glasgow where all of my Cleland ancestry was from. He was Mayor of Meaford and then became a member of the Provincial Parliament. He had a son that took over the Hardware, another became a surgeon in Toronto, and another which I can't quite recall what business he developed, but I will follow that up.
One of my friends on Facebook is a descendant of his but lives at St. Catharines near Niagara Falls. Unfortunately we didn't get to meet this time around, but we will when I move there.

The Meaford 100 Mile Market is becoming very well known. The produce is sold on consignment with a small fee retained for operating cost of the market.

All the Organic produce, that includes vegetables, fruit, grains, flour substitutes?, meat, fish, dairy and poultry and many other things, is sourced from within a 100 mile radius. You will see the range of products on their website.

Getting up-to-date

2009-05-19T22:58:00.000-07:00

As many of you will be aware, I've arrived back in Australia, but this blog has not been able to keep up-to-date for various reasons. (Time, no computer access and finally Jetlag.)
I will continue to document my trip in the sequence it happened. I'm pleased to be able to share it with you but I know it isn't the same as being there, eh?
Hopefully, when we have settled there, we will have lots of family and friends come and visit and maybe use our home as a base? (We won't charge much! )

St. Jacob's Farmers' Market

2009-05-19T19:34:00.001-07:00

It's a special day out when you visit St. Jacob's Farmers' Market near Waterloo, Ontario. You don't have to spend any money to enjoy it if you are a tourist but I doubt that you will leave without something to remind you of your visit besides photographs. Even if it is one of those Oktoberfest Sausages on a roll like a 'hot dog'.

There is a lot to see and do around St. Jacob's country! Unfortunately, it seems my tour organiser thinks it starts and ends with the Farmer's Market, as that is all we visited. So now it will be a priority to visit all the other attractions when I get back over there!

There are many store holders in the open and more inside of two large pavilions.

As the name suggests, (Farmer's market), you can buy all the fresh produce that comes from farms in the form of vegetables, fruit, meat, fish, nuts, dairy and juice/preserves. Megan was able to buy some special bread that agrees with her dietary requirements.
International tourists are more likely to peruse the many stores of crafts and souvenirs and trinkets. OK, so if you've been to one market then you've seen 'em all, right? Wrong!

St. Jacob's Market is within a community that has a strong "Mennonite" population. You will see many "Old Order Mennonites" as you wander about the market. Most actively selling their produce just like any other store holder. I had quite a few conversations with various Mennonite vendors (nothing to do with their religion or culture) and had I been blind, I'd not have been able to distinguish them from others. Well, maybe I would have sensed I was speaking to a more gentler than average person.

Just before I left Crookwell to visit Megan in Canada, we had four young Mennonite girls visit Crookwell and I spoke with them in the Sock Shop. They were from a Mennonite town south of Calgary in Alberta, Canada. When I got home, I "googled" Mennonites as I had been curious since my last to St. Jacobs 11 years ago.

I don't want to make too many statements about Mennonites or Amish culture or history as it would be too easy for me to get it wrong! All I will say is to make you aware that these religions came to being between 4 and 5 hundred years ago. Initially, the Mennonites broke away from the Roman Catholic Church, and became persecuted. About a hundred years later, the Amish were a breakaway group from the Mennonites. Sometime much later, the Mennonites split somewhat into two groups, with one of those groups becoming known as "The Old Order Mennonites". They are distinguishable by their traditional way of plain dress, and horse and buggy etc. They shun things of the modern world and use horses rather than cars or tractors, candles rather than electricity etc. Exceptions are made for things like manufacturing sheds where Maple Syrup may be produced.

Children attend regular schools and ride on the "Yellow School Bus". In some communities there are special schools provided by their own community. They are renowned for their belief (as imitating Jesus Christ), that they will not respond with any form of violence, and as I guess it could be said that they would turn the other cheek. For that reason, I'm very curious about how the children cope or are protected from bullying both at school or the wider community?
Other's have indicated that people of these orders don't like to be photographed. I'm not sure exactly what the reason is but thinking about it, "I would be too", even as a inconspicuous person in the population! They don't want to be seen as "freaks" and nor would I like them to feel that way.

I stood at a distance to photograph this young mother with her two children without them knowing. They were standing in-line at a take-away food vendor's caravan where I previously had purchased my Oktoberfest Sausage on a roll. I was taken by the neatness of dress, grooming, posture and the gentleness of the three of them. OK, so their dress is different and plain within their community. The rest of the world dresses for fashion to attract attention to themselves. These people don't possess such vanity!

If you are as curious as I have been to learn and become more familiar with the culture and heritage of the Mennonites, Amish or Old Order Mennonites, then googling and reading wikipedia will be a good way to start.

St. Jacob's Country A highly recommended tourist destination!
Where is Market?: here

"Hoots Man!, We're in Fergus"

2009-05-10T10:16:00.000-07:00

Aye. It's a wee bonny town 'tis Fergus. Aye, and when I needed to wee we had a wee problem finding somewhere until we got to Breadalbane. No, not Breadalbane near Crookwell, but the Breadalbane Inn at the end of the main street of Fergus in Ontario.

Breadalbane Inn - Fergus, On

Fergus was founded when Adam Fergusson and partner James Webster bought 7,000 acres in 1833 and brought a group of Scottish settlers to create a community.

Fergus and Elora exhibit the same Scottish themes and traditions. It must have been an exciting time in 2008 when there were major celebrations organised for their 175th Anniversary.
Each year they hold what is claimed to be the leading Truck and family event in North America. They say there are row upon row of shining rigs and stall after stall of merchants selling truck parts and parafanalia. In 2007 the attendance was 60,000 people.

The Grand River flows through the town and on to Elora. It offers many opportunities to photograph it or use it as a secondary feature to your subject. If I take a photo and then later see it on a post card, I sometimes get annoyed that mine has been done a million times before but other times I feel, well I know a good shot when I see one! ;) (nb: I'm a definite amateur with only a $100 camera)

I didn't allow myself to see any post cards of Fergus so I don't know what I might have missed! The photo below chops off the top of the church as it wasn't the subject here. I have a shot of the church as the main subject and river in foreground BUT that appears on the Town's Tourism Book!
Fergus and Elora are only a few kilometers from each other but were founded separately. Elora a year older than Fergus. Although they share the same Tourism book, (sensible), it's one of those books that you flip over and the back cover becomes a front cover. One end is Fergus and the other is Elora. I can't help but wonder how they compete against each other in Highland Games? Who can Put the Shot further, or toss the Kaber, "tug-o-war", Haggis Hurling??? (is there such a sport? If not, there should be!)

Canada Post has a post office in each town. I don't know if it owns the buildings or if it leases them from the town. However, as you will see in the image below, they are very similar but definitely not identical.
Have you ever played the sometimes simple and sometimes difficult "spot the difference" puzzles in newspapers or magazines? I find it a must to do them ...... at any skill level.

I keep looking at these from time to time looking for more differences. Sorry, I'm not posting my answers! I don't know if that's my miserly Scottish or my confronting Irish blood refusing to co-operate with answers! ;)

Publish Post

Loving Elora

2009-05-09T10:56:00.001-07:00

It is such a pleasure to visit the town of Elora that is steeped in heritage. Its geography is responsible for its early development in the mid 19th century.

The Grand River and Irvine River have carved deep gorges predominately during glacial times and these rivers join at Elora.

The Gorge ...... Grand River at Elora

It proved an ideal spot for utilising the fall of water to operate a a Flour Mill and a Timber Mill.

The early Scottish settlers left their legacy of beautifully styled buildings about the town. It is pleasing to see that more modern buildings have been built to reflect the original aesthetics of the town.
Log Cabin styled buildings might be relatively expensive to construct but they certainly do have a special charm and are wonderfully insular against the elements. Log cabin buildings are built off site then reconstructed on site and finished off.
Mill Street runs parallel to the river and contains lots of shops of various artisans. There are steps and a parapet that lead you to shops on a lower level of the main building closer to the river level.

The majestic Elora Mill (flour) is still standing and now is a popular Inn and Restaurant.

You can see that there is a pipeline running around the outer wall of the old mill and this is used for generating electricity by taking in water near the other end of the Mill and supplying it to the turbine at a level near the bottom of the waterfall.
One shop of particular interest was Steve's Sheepskin and Leather Products on Mill St. The range of items and the quality of workmanship was astounding.

Surrounded by Ladies

2009-05-09T05:04:00.000-07:00

There is a major difference in traveling from one place to another in Southern Ontario compared with Australia. That is, there are multiple routes available at virtually the same distance and this provides a variety of scenery to the visitor and can relieve boredom for the regular traveler. For most of our trip to Guelph we were on different roads to when I arrived in Canada approximately 4 weeks prior.
Our main purpose for visiting Guelph was to see family again before I return to Australia. This is where Megan's mom lives and my niece Sam is living with Gran this year while attending nearby Centennial High School, where Megan and her sisters were (supposed to have been) educated. ;)
Megan's sister Beth came for the day to see us and in the evening Beth's other daughter Alex came to spend time. It was really nice seeing them after so long, (11 years), and my nieces have grown from wee 'girls' into beautiful young women.

Sis-in-law Beth

Niece Alex

Niece Sam

We spent two nights there and and spent the days sight seeing at other towns / cities: Waterloo, Kitchener, Fergus and Elora where I've made separate post(s) for that.

Visiting Guelph was all about family and friends. One such lady has been a friend of Megan's family for many years and I finally got to meet with her.

Daisy

What a character. Not afraid of technology what so ever! She is a semi-professional artist I guess you could say and has little trouble finding her way around a computer and the internet. AND there is no truth in thinking that she won me over by serving this delicious afternoon tea.

'twas hard to decline a third helping!

We spent some time with others in their homes and we dined one night with Mom at the Shakespeare Arms.

Megan & her mom Sharon

Collingwood Sparkles

2009-05-08T07:27:00.000-07:00

Collingwood was in full sunshine when I dropped Meegs at work and went for a Sunday drive around Collingwood.
To start I went to the bay-side park, just east of the harbour. Going down a street from "Pretty River Parkway" (a multi-lane by-pass of Collingwood CBD), I spotted a fox running across the road from a front lawn of one house to another. I stopped to get my camera out an just managed to get some video of it as proof. I drove around a couple of streets hoping to catch sight of it again. Arriving at the waterfront where a number of people were fishing, I noticed a group looking and smiling in a direction that made me suspect they could have spotted the fox. Sure enough, there it was jogging along the waterfront from one backyard to the next but too far away to film.

It's a pretty area in this park looking out across the Bay or back toward the harbour and the resorts.

I drove around to the harbour and found a hive of activity. This turned out to be a fantastic day for getting those big yachts back into the water for the warmer seasons. A large mobile crane lifted one after another into the water.In all my searching of images of Collingwood over the past year, I don't think that I'd seen any from the "other side" of the Landmark Grain Silos! I was pleasantly surprised at the beautiful park that is there at the end of Heritage Drive.

A Perfect Spring Day in the Georgian Triangle

2009-05-08T07:00:00.000-07:00

Monday May 4th was the most perfect spring day in and around the Georgian Triangle. What a shame Megan and I couldn't share it fully.
After dropping her at work I went to buy her something she needed from the Bulk Barn in Collingwood. The Bulk Barn is a large chain of stores that carry "lotsa goodies" in bulk at remarkable prices. I was flabbergasted and excited as I walked around the aisles. Not allowed to take photos, I managed to sneak one in just to give an idea for those who aren't familiar with them. (especially Aussies).Most aisles have long rows of 40 litre tubs "full" of a huge range of produce such as grains, flours, pre-made mixtures (cake etc), alllllllllllllllll kinds of chocolate, including monstrous chunks, sweets (lollies) of every known kind, and the list goes on. Droooooling yet? ;)
I made my large purchase ...... a bottle of pills for Megan. How's that for self control?

County Road 7 into Meaford and showing a part of Georgian Bay.

Making use of the perfect weather, I took my time driving back to Meaford via back roads. The scenery was fantastic and I happened to notice something that is not seen all that often I hear. A large Coast Guard vessel was cruising toward Meaford Harbour. I made my way there so I could see it arrive.

It was a beautiful day to be near the water and a delight to walk around the paths on the rock walls that form Meaford Harbour. It gave occasion to chat with a number of local residents of all ages as they also took advantage of the beautiful and still weather.

In the evening Megan and I dined with friends at the "Leeky Canoe" Pub and Eatery in Meaford.

Parking on our Anniversary

2009-05-03T11:56:00.000-07:00

Another memorable day was had on Sat 2nd May.
It began when our eyelids opened to greet the dawn, and the first words uttered were, "Happy Anniversary .............. " :-)
The day got better as it went on. After breakfast we journeyed to Barrie, a medium city of around 130,000 I'd guess. (Photo Gallery) It is about a 1 hour drive north of Toronto but is east of Meaford and takes a little longer to drive because the highway is only one lane either way whereas it is a 6 lane freeway all the way from Toronto.
The plan was to meet up with Ryan at a park in Barrie. Ryan was conveying his two kids and his brother Daryl. From almost opposite directions we pulled into the carpark a mere thirty seconds apart. What organization, eh? ;) Especially allowing for the fact we'd called into Tim's (Tim Horton's Coffee Franchise) for a "coffee to stay" along the way.
Side note: Ordering coffee here is totally different to Australia. With the exception of Starbucks, where you add your own extras, any other outlet you just order by size of cup and quantity of extras. e.g. "a regular double" is a regular size coffee with double cream and no sugar, while a popular choice seems to be " a large double double" which is a large coffee with double cream and double sugar. Ask for a "flat white" and all you'll receive will be a look of bewilderment! ;)

Everyone bailed out of the vehicles and then there was that awkward period of me meeting a 7 yr old grandson for the first time and being careful to allow a "sizing up" period to run it's course. It was somewhat different circumstance for Gramma. The playground at the park is very well equipped for healthy kids activities. In fact, it is the best I've ever seen and "little miss live-wire" was busting to get amongst it.
On the other hand, Adan, who has been to the same park many more times, was merely keen to get onto the rides so he didn't have to be a focal point of discussions as to where I would be fitting into his life. Somehow, he had been under the impression that Megan was soon going back to Australia with me and was really surprised that we were both going to be settling in Canada. When he asked why, I simply said, "to be closer to all you guys!" He seemed pretty accepting of that and played happily. He also seemed to behave better for me when taking photographs than for either Megan or his dad. Hmmm. I got a good feeling about that.
It was a great park and we had a fabulous time with the kids. We went to a Restaurant for a nice lunch, and both of the kids were very entertaining to watch and listen to.

Afterward, I had to say farewell to my new found grandkids until I move here permanently.
Ryan took them home and Megan and I drove Daryl to his home in Bradford.

Wait for me .... Don't grow up too quick!

On the way back to Meaford, Megan and I both felt very content with life. A very nice way to spend our anniversary.

Two Days in TO

2009-05-01T07:08:00.000-07:00

Tuesday morning we struggled out of bed, tired and with backs aching from the "incompatible" bed. To make it worse, we were to be sight seeing around Toronto City with a friend, and it was raining. Toronto is referred to in short as TO. (Toronto Ontario?)
We walked a few hundred meters to catch a bus to Dufferin Subway Station. We changed trains at "St. George" for Union Station downtown. Boarding the bus, it is a flat $2.75 single fare and you ask for a Transfer. That means you can use the same ticket to change trains, buses or trams to go where ever you intend to go within the Metro system. You must do a similar thing for the return journey.
When we arrived at Union Station we were right on time for our 10 am meeting time with Karen. Megan met Karen on her very first flight to Australia and they have been good friends ever since.
We made good use of the underground shopping area to be able to get a few blocks closer to our first destination without suffering the weather. I couldn't believe that we were walking block after block in the rain just to visit a "wool" shop that Megan wanted to see for her knitting supplies.

Here I can be seen pointing out the top of the CN Tower visible above the local skyline.

We had a nice lunch in a Pub and continued on our way. I was able to take a few photos but the rain made some impossible.

Visiting the St. Lawrence Markets was very interesting. 11 years ago, Karen had taken us to the Kensington Markets. There is no way I'd part with $25 to go up the CN Tower like I did back then. It was raining and visibility would have been low. Anyway, I remember the last visit like it was yesterday!
Toronto does have some very attractive "heritage buildings" that will stand for eons I'd imagine. I didn't get to photograph any except for the old Telegraph building that although is dwarfed by larger modern structures, remains a focal point to the visitor on Front Street.

We found ourselves getting closer to Union Station again, and when Karen suggested other places we could visit, I had to say, I'd had enough. We were tired and wet and the hustle and bustle of the city just drains my enthusiasm. I'd be more happy seeing the city between 5 and 9am on a Sunday morning I think.

Karen & Megan inside the Eaton Centre

Getting back to the apartment was a very small mercy.
That night, we got a better sleep than the night before. Only because we were able to have the windows closed.
The weather was brighter the next morning and Megan suggested returning to the city. I could feel the hair stand up on the back of my neck at the suggestion. We decided to visit Yorkdale Mall and have a look at the Apple Computer store there. It is a pretty big mall but it seemed to be over populated with women's fashion stores! The Store Directory Board confirmed just that.
From there we went to visit Megan's aunt Shirley and uncle Ken at their new Condominium in Toronto. It was fantastic to see them again. We had seen them twice in Australia and they had visited our farm at Crookwell.
It is a new complex and very plush in its appointments as you might notice from the photo of Megan sitting in the lobby. They have always lived in this area and the move was only a block or so away from there old home and its where they both grew up as well.
After a beautiful dinner, a couple of drinks and an exchange of updating conversations we made our way back to Meaford. Our trip to Toronto was reduced to two days and nights and we were so pleased to be back to a comfy bed and we slept like babes.

Sleepless in Toronto

2009-04-30T18:15:00.000-07:00

I have already mentioned how the temperature was 30C one day and then 0C the next. So now I can tell you that the next two days followed the same routine! Hot and humid last Monday then cold and bleak the next! The temp on Sat 26th was only a decimal point or two from being the hottest ever April day on record.
Megan worked Monday and I picked her up at 5 pm and we drove down to Toronto where we were going to spend the next few days. My step-son Ryan rents an apartment near the city and was kind enough to let us make use of it while he is away all week working away from home in London, Ontario.
The first night was sooooooo hot in that apartment. We had to leave the windows open and sleep under just a sheet. The bedside clock kept me informed of how much sleep I was being deprived of. It's so difficult coming from a farm where my neighbours are kilometers away and there are very few sounds other than birds, crickets or the babbling of the creek 300 meters away, and then trying to sleep in an environment where there is only Noise and not sounds. The sounds of aircraft approaching the Toronto International Airport could be easily drowned out when a freight train goes by about a kilometer away, Fire Trucks criss-cross the neighbourhood, young "#@$%&#" drive past with "Boom-Boxes" blaring in their cars. When these sources of noise are not all happening at the same moment you don't have to wait long until they are! One might think that it would quieten down around midnight. City people think it actually does. It's just that they are used to it or they are tone deaf to the constant "drone" that a city produces.
Hmmm. As I was saying, my neighbours at home are kilometers away. Here in this old house, converted into apartments, we discover that the people in the "Attic" apartment above us, don't sleep at night!!!! At 1 am someone noisily walks up the staircase to the attic apartment. For the next 2 hours, voices can be heard, footsteps going back and forth across the room above ours and for some reason, boxes were being discussed as they are dragged back and forth across the floor! At 3 am a female's voice can be heard talking back up the stairs to the room as she descends the stairs to leave. Oh, no. Now she stops at the front door to continue the conversation from ground floor to the person at the door of the attic apartment. (3rd floor). At 5am the garbage truck makes its rounds. The petrol engined vehicle revs uncaringly as stops in front of each house.
Daylight breaks and the traffic noise builds. There are numerous "speed bumps" (traffic pacifiers) in the street below and whilst they might slow a vehicle, the vehicle tends to accelerate away from them and make noise.
The bed itself was very uncomfortable too so consequently we were both walking wrecks the next day.

All the houses in this neighbourhood
have been converted into rental Apartments.

My ANZAC DAY

2009-04-27T08:14:00.000-07:00

April 26th every year is revered by Australian and New Zealanders where ever they are around the world on that day - ANZAC DAY. Every Australian and New Zealand City and regional centre holds a Dawn Service and a March to remember all of those men and women of all our combined forces that actively participated in defending our country, our freedom, and freedom of other nations from aggressors.
ANZAC DAY was proclaimed for this date, the anniversary of the landing of the ANZACs at Gallipoli in 1915 and the first commemorations were held in 1916.

I spent my ANZAC DAY quietly at the house listening to ABC radio from Sydney via the Internet. The day was already completed in Australia and so I listened to the ongoing stories on air.
I knew I'd be away from home on this special day and so I brought with me my Australian Flag. I displayed it proudly in the front window all day as I strove to learn more about feats which clearly outnumbered the defeats of our diggers in all wars.
I challenge all Aussies and Kiwis to learn more about the feats of our diggers because we are only learning in recent years that ANZACs achieved far more than what they were given credit for because of the British influence (indirect control) of suppressing history because of (1) blunders by their Military Leaders and (2) major feats by our diggers overshadowing efforts by their own much larger forces and of other larger forces. French historians and villagers (close to the Western Front) reveal that the Battle of the Western front was only won after the efforts of a smallish compliment of Australians. Many a village in that part of France have monuments and adornments on public buildings thanking the Australians for their freedom.
The Australians went on a night raid under the command of an Australian, and kept going!!!! They freed more than a hundred villages, thousands of allied war prisoners and captured 29,000 German soldiers in the process of destroying their strongholds. It is humbling to hear the details but disturbing that this history has been kept quiet. Some of our greatest military feats have gone uncommemorated all these years. Not even our War Memorials record it on their monuments but I believe there are moves afoot to right that wrong.

And from those battlefields of the Western Front comes the poem "From Flanders fields," from a Canadian Soldier, Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, penned in his note book ....

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place: and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

John McCrae (1872–1918)
And of course, we can all recite the following without script. It is the 4th verse of the 7 verse poem "For the Fallen" by Laurence Binyon (1869–1943)
"They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old;
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them."

"Lest we forget"

All about Anzac Day
The Australian War Memorial website

Whether the weather be here or there.

2009-04-27T05:46:00.000-07:00

When you live in rural Australia, the first greeting you have with people you come into contact with is invariably about the weather! So I can't help myself to comment on the weather experience here.
Warm weather crept into the system and the snow has gone from general areas with only remnants visible on the ski slopes. I suspect it is now over until next year but mother nature is known to throw up some curve balls that keeps the conversations going in the townships.
We were having a few days of drizzle rain but as dawn broke on ANZAC day (a day of remembrance for Australians and New Zealanders the world over), we received a shower of large hailstones. Some areas not too far away (Barrie) had golf ball sized hail. It was getting really warm and soon we had lightning strikes quite close by.
The point I wanted to make here was that the temp got up to 27 deg C on Saturday but on Sunday it took until sometime in the afternoon for the temp to climb above the zero mark! When we arose on Monday, it was already 15 deg at 7am and mid afternoon it reached 30 deg. Goodonya Momma Nature!
When I was about 5 years old, growing up at Sans Souci in Sydney, I remember hearing the old neighbour, Mr. Tucker, state "You don't need to light a fire until ANZAC DAY". I've observed over my lifetime that that is pretty accurate. Similarly, in Crookwell it is about 3 weeks earlier. Brrrrrrr, I don't want to think about it!
Speaking of Old Mr. Tucker reminds me.........
When I was young, even in my early twenties, virtually everyone seemed old. Many a time, I've come across photographs of people I used to think of as really old and yet while I was looking at these photos, I was already past the age they were in the photo! Never thinking of myself as "old" I do realise plenty of young people will think of me that way. As long as I can still be considered a friend, regardless of age, then I'll feel comfortable with life.
I often reflect on a line from the anonymous Verse "Desiderada" .......... "gracefully surrender the things of youth" ......

More than one delight.

2009-04-24T10:11:00.000-07:00

I picked up Megan from work at 5pm and we headed down to Bradford. The area Megan lived when I met her. She still has her son Daryl there, many friends and of course our little grand daughter Taylor.
I had been going to tell you earlier that the insurance company wouldn't allow me to drive the car when i first got here. The guy advised Megan and Daryl that I needed an international license to drive it. I wouldn't accept that off hand because I'd already researched that with the licensing laws of Ontario as a guide, a long time ago. So we had to wait until after Easter when the guy was back at work. Megan spoke to him and he again restated his knowledge. I told him to go and check because I reckoned he was wrong. After a 5 min wait on the end of the phone, he came back, apologised, and said I was correct. I could drive. He said they must have changed the laws recently. I told him that it was still the same as it was more than a decade ago and probably since Henry Ford was around.
An international license is only issued in the country you come from and is only applicable here IF you are staying longer than 60 days, and are not becoming a permanent resident. i.e. on a Visa after 90 days.
Anyway, after a short stint at the wheel, Megan took over so I could Rubber Neck at the scenery etc. It was raining lightly, as it did for the next few couple of days we were away in Bradford.
We stayed 2 nights with long time friends, Kym & Brian. (They refer to it as the Bradford B&B). It was great catching up with them although Megan has seen / stayed there many a time since she had become and Aussie.
The next day we took Daryl and his (gorgeous) delightful girfriend Stacey out to lunch at the Mr. Greek restaurant in Newmarket to celebrate his 25 th Birthday.
While in Newmarket we took the opportunity to visit the very large Costco store. It is a store where you need to hold a yearly membership to shop there. Businesses as well as indivduals. Membership can include additional photo ID membership cards for your family. Personal membership is $55 / year per family. You can buy at wholesale prices..... Yea, Yea!
I was astounded at some of the prices for TV's, Computers, Accessories, and the like. I didn't bother looking too much in the food department or the clothing sections. Just call me a IT nerd! Lots of stuff but no, not everything or every brand.
Later in the afternoon, we went to visit our grand daughter Taylor for an hour after school. Oh boy, is she a sweetie or what? Such a live wire at 4-1/2 and she's been that way all of those short years.
Every home we have visited since I arrived in Canada has at least one dog living in the house and all but two have been extra large dogs! Our grand daughter, the smallest person I've met here, has the largest of all dogs! A Newfoundlander. It's name is Mas (something) but Maz for short. Not that he's short at all but at least he's gentle. He is like a Grizzly if you let him jump up on you.

When we left I had to scrape my molten heart off the floor.

Back at Brian & Kym's there was a power outage that covered the whole district and it was out until 8:30 pm. In the meantime, we dined on cold meats and salad. Seeing the kettle wouldn't boil, I had to settle for a cold beer. What sacrifices we have to make at times.

Megan's other friend we intended visiting was not available and so we went "window shopping" as I still call it or Malling the more modern term.
Megan took me to a Cafe' where she often has breakfast with the boys. It is the same kind of deal as "The 5th Wheel" diner near Milton (closer to Toronto). We each had the regular breakfast from the menu. 3 eggs (cooked any fashion), 4 short sausages, tomato, pile of potato fries and 2 slices of toast. That cost $4.99 each. We also had coffee in bottomless cups. i.e. they keep refilling it for you as it gets down. The total came to $15.10. I did not need to eat another thing that day before going to bed and I didn't. (It might have been all the fatty grease? Probably explains the appearance of a high percentage of Canadians. Please note that I didn't say all, nor mean to offend anyone).

We took a different way back to Meaford for the most part.

Where along the Bay?

2009-04-24T09:01:00.000-07:00

Whilst this visit is primarily a reunion it is also a chance to discover together what style, size and location of house we agree on. So we have cast our net a little further afield from Meaford rather than be blinded by what has brought us to like Meaford already.
Fifteen km to the east is a town called Thornbury. Whilst it doesn't have a very large or attractive shopping centre, it does have a very appealing housing sector which also adjoins Clarkesburg. I could probably live there.
There are a few hamlets along the bay between Thornbury and Collingwood as well as many holiday cottages along the shore. The escarpment is only a couple of hundred meters high but it is adorned with ski slopes that are owned by the many resorts or clubs. The highest would be on "Blue Mountain" which shouldn't be confused with "Township of Blue Mountain"(and the Municipality thereof)

With Megan working in Collingwood we bypassed there as we can look there another day. So we ventured further east around the Bay to Wasaga Beach. It stretches a considerable distance but not back from the bay very much. It didn't take us long to decide that it is NOT the place for us. It is more of a "summer holiday" haunt when the population at least quadruples. So it's bye-bye bikini girls :(
I didn't even bother to take any pics in the region.
The other disadvantage of Wasaga Beach is the horendous traffic delays in the holiday season. Especially for those needing to commute to work.
So we have narrowed things down a bit already and that has got to be positive in my mind.

Thornbury & Heathcote

2009-04-23T17:48:00.000-07:00

I'm writing this blog a week or so after the event and I've just discovered a mix-up! It has been confusing when using the dates on the images to group them to a days events. It suddenly hit me now that the dates are based Australian times with the date changing during our Ontarian day. I'm not going to try and change things now and not that it has had any effect until this day. As my brother would say, "Who cares?"
It was actually the day before that we drove into a carwash. Being winter, there weren't any Bikini Babes washing the car for us. Yet the 'lass' that cleaned ours was a smashing sort don't you think?

We had to go to Thornbury for a visit to Megan's doctor. Whilst she was there, I wandered around a little old hardware store. It was amazing. There was such a variety of stock and plenty of it. It would have been 1/3 of the size of one of our Crookwell hardware stores (JDs) but contain every bit as much stock and variety. Not electrical goods though.
We also drove out to friends' farm at Heathcote. At the farm, Lori has a horse arena where she teaches Hunters and Jumpers. She also competes as a Show Jumper herself.

The Arena construction is very common place on farms here I've noticed. They are commonly used for Hay Sheds and Machinery Sheds.

Most horse floats are like the one shown using a gooseneck coupling that pivots on a mounting in the back of a pickup truck. Some a lot bigger.

Between the house and the arena, they have a handy bridge across the stream. I thought I should make sure it was safe to use by telling Megan I wanted to take her photo while she stood in the middle of it! As you can see it proved safe enough for me to use.

Back in Thornbury, we went down to the Harbour, or Marina. All along the Georgian Bay shores are resorts catering to the Skiers in winter and the summer recreational activities of aquatic sports, golf and the like.

Easter Sunday and Monday

2009-04-23T13:44:00.000-07:00

The earlier part of Easter Sunday was quietly spent.
Ryan and Daryl were on there way up for Midday Dinner. Well it was more like mid afternoon once they arrived and we settled into the tucker!

Ryan lives in a rented apartment in Toronto and Daryl has his separate apartment beneath his father's house on the outskirts of Bradford.

I hadn't seen Ryan since he and Daryl were holidaying with us on the farm at Crookwell in March of 2000. Daryl has been back to Crooky a few times since. In the meantime, Ryan has added two members to the family; Adan, now 7 and Taylor 4-1/2.

Last year Daryl had a terrible work related accident in June. He (and we) are very lucky for him to have survived it and recovered to the extent he has. He still has some way to go and attends physio Mon, Wed and Fri each week along with other doctor and specialists appointments that are ongoing but not as frequent. It's the first time I've seen him since.

I'm 5'5" tall and weigh in at 76 kg. (167 lb). Daryl on the other hand weighs in at 118 kg (260 lb). Ryan I can't detail BUT I can show you a photo of a formidable scrum front row combination (Rugby) with me as the "hooker"!

Click to enlarge!

They are both lucky that when I feel they need a fatherly "clip across the earhole", there is never a chair or stool nearby! ;)

We had a wonderful time over the meal and I look forward to many, many more. All too soon, they were on their way home again. So it was big hugs and handshakes and and one more photo.

Daryl Mommy Ryan

On Monday, Megan and I went to Collingwood. She needed to attend a 3 hr Orientation function at her work. So she dropped me in the main street and I wandered up and down Hurontario St. I was told that ALL the shops would be open on Easter Monday as here it is only a holiday for Banks, Government Departments and associated agencies. However, the majority of the smaller businesses were closed!

For many months I regularly visited a website that has a webcam link where the camera focuses on Hurontario St., and also across toward the night ski-ing lights at the Blue Mountain resorts. I had a pretty good idea where it was located and I was spot on! It was not a tiny little webcam like you have on your computer as you can see in this picture.

Soon Megan was picking me up we went to one of her friend's place for lunch. Afterward, we payed a visit to Walmart to see what it was like here in Collingwood in comparison to those I'd visited 11 years ago. We had the opportunity to purchase a hair clipper set which was a leading brand and with a greater assortment of comb attachments than I'd previously seen anywhere. With that investment in a 110 volt appliance, I just have to move here to Canada permanently to use it! The next morning, I was sporting a fresh No. 1-1/2. Just the length I'd like to be keep it cut to every week. (If I learn to manage 'mowing' it myself!).

Easter Fri & Sat.

2009-04-23T12:01:00.000-07:00

Megan worked on Good Friday and Sat. My Friday was similar to the previous day ...... exploring the neighbourhood on foot.
I familiarised myself where some of the services and facilities were located. The hospital on top of the hill with the landmark Water Tower (every town has one with their name on it) and there is also the Heli Pad for the Hospital / Emergency Services.

Just down the hill from there is the Agricultural Society's (showground) Fair Grounds. The society was established in 1855 and a bronze plaque adorns one of the entrance gateposts lays testament to that fact. Being actively involved with the Agricultural Society in Crookwell this was definitely a place of interest with a pang of disappointment.

The facilities on the ground are very modern but there are only a few to talk of.

Megan attended the last fair and had warned me that it is barely comparable to that of the Crookwell Show or most other Ag Shows.
I'd be guessing but I think the larger building in the picture above is conjointly used seasonally by the Ag Society and the Curling Club and hired for other occasions.

Across the road is the Meaford and St. Vincent Community Centre. Whilst it is known as the Arena because it has Ice Hockey and Ice Skating, it also has a sign relating to Dancing. So it is a multi-purpose building.

Walking Meaford

2009-04-22T20:18:00.000-07:00

The first couple of days I was actually in Meaford, Megan had to go to work. So I was able to wonder around the town, take photos, and browse through some of the stores.
I'm an avid user of Google Earth (& maps) and have studied every feature of Meaford that I could over the past months. I was able to know my way around prior to arriving but I also had a chuckle to myself when buildings weren't as I'd "assumed" from the satellite images. Buildings I thought were multistory might now be discovered as being a single story etc. Having said that, it was pretty accurate overall.
An icon in Meaford has to be the recently renovated Meaford Hall or Opera House as another name for it. The renovations cost in the vicinity of $7M. I'm yet to look inside but I have see some beautiful photos of it's interior. The main hall might seat 250 people in proper fixed theatre seating. There are a number of other varying sized rooms for other types of functions and dining. A laneway is all that separates the Meaford Hall from the Old Heritage Listed Fire Hall building. (Fire Hall is the same as what is called a Fire Station in Australia). It is no longer in use as a fire hall.Most Australians are probably like me and initially wonder why the shops don't have awnings like in Australia. I'm yet to have it confirmed, but I suspect it is because the weight of snow buildup being too much for an awning? Obviously people are rather exposed during rain! :( I guess another mini icon of Meaford might be the Big Apple. A tourist information booth strategically placed in front of the car park and next door to the BIG ICON. Meaford is Apple Country and most of the agriculture in the region is Apple, Beef and Hay.
The Big Head River empties into Georgian Bay at Meaford. It is a relatively fast flowing river (unlike Lost River that flows through or farm - a creek or brook by any real term.)The waterfront around the mouth of the river has been developed and a nice harbour formed from rock walls.Fishing is popular all year round but only from the walls or the foreshore during winter months. I've read a lot of references to the Big Head River at Meaford in fishing blogs from the USA. All boats are removed from the water during the "frozen" months. There are lines of leisure boats and expensive pleasure cruisers on land all around the harbour shores.Meaford Municipality has around 11,000 population with around 6,000 in the town itself. Area of Municipality is 588 sqkm. i.e. Pop Density 18.6 people per sqkm. Comparing that to the Upper Lachlan Shire (of which Crookwell is the largest town at around 2,ooo pop), the population is 7,300 and the land area is 7,100 sqkm giving a pop density of One (1) person per sqkm.There is a distinctly different style in houses between Australia and Canada. Or anywhere for that matter. Meaford and the Georgian Bay region have a mix of old and new. The older homes are very distinctive and many have been standing for well over a century. As would be expected, the more modern homes are on the outer edges of town unless there has been a pocket of land not previously used for housing.These first few days in Meaford have been spent soaking up the ambiance of the place.

Niagara to Meaford -Thurs 9th

2009-04-19T18:07:00.000-07:00

After a nice inexpensive breakfast at the in-house Starbuck's outlet, (yeah, real food deserving to be called Breakie) we were heading North to Meaford.
We went via Guelph to call in and see Megan's mum (mom) who would be heading to Florida for a couple of weeks. (Widowed only a few weeks before.)
It was great to see her after 11 years. Megan had visited a number of times over the years. I'm also glad that I had been able to speak to her late husband Jim at Christmas. He sounded so cheerful although he knew his time was approaching quickly. He had been fighting pancreatic cancer for the past 3 years. Although I hadn't spent a great deal of time in his company, and not in the past 11 years, he'd left a lasting impression with me that I cherish.
Staying at the house was one Megan's sisters, Beth. It was a delight catching up with her, and also a couple of Megan's nephews that belong to her other sister Laurie. Both Andy and Mark were young 'squirts' when I saw them last! Not now. But isn't that the way the world is these days? Now kids usually dwarf their parents at a surprisingly early age.
The journey north took us past a kind of familiar sight. I'd never been near Shelburne before, but seeing the Wind Farms was familiar. Crookwell being the first place in Australia to have a wind farm; albeit only 8 of similar size to those in Shelburne. The ones here are on pretty level ground whereas those at Crookwell are on high ridges. I couldn't count how many there are in Shelburne but the new ones being to be built near Crookwell will be much, much larger (2-1/2 times) and more in number I should think. The first approval was for 58, and more projects in the pipeline.

More snow was evident in this region too. As we got closer to Meaford the snow covering was considerable. It was pretty! I really don't understand why Canadians wouldn't want it all year round. (Yeah right! As if..... )

We were heading down a long straight road which is called Grey Rd 7. (Which means Grey County road 7). Ahhhhh I knew where I was now. I was getting excited. I had seen a video of this same section of road in the same snowy conditions on Youtube! Over one crest and then to see another a few kilometers ahead. The blue water of Georgian Bay was becoming increasingly more prominent in the vista.

The first vehicle we came up behind was a Yellow School Bus. The sign on the back states clearly that you must not pass the bus when the lights are flashing. Unlike NSW where it is "40kph max when lights are flashing". I can think of a few Aussie drivers that would be spitting chips if they had to come to a dead stop each time the school bus stopped! Then again, they wouldn't like the 80kph on highways and only 100kph on proper Expressways.

Just a little observation about those speed limits. When I was last in Canada, the traffic observed the speed limits religiously. Megan commented that on a couple of subsequent visits she'd noticed the driving standard had deteriorated and speeding was common. So far I have observed that around the towns the 50 kph is observed pretty well but once you get onto a Hwy, you are being pushed along if you sit on 90 kph (10 over) as most traffic seems to move at around 95, between Owen Sound and Collingwood at least. (The only 60 km of hwy I've driven to date.)
Finally we turned onto Sykes St. (Hwy 26) and were nearing the town center. I'd longed for 8 months to see this vision in reality rather than by photos and maps. I wasn't disappointed. Megan was surprised I knew where some things were that she didn't. The power of the internet. And some people condemn it, eh?

We pulled into a Supermarket to get some groceries before going to the house. We were only there 30 seconds when Megan stopped with the shopping trolley to decide where she needed to go. I said to her, "I know that bloke over there." I can't remember her exact reply, but it was in disbelief that I could know anyone. I said to her, "Well I don't personally know him but I know his name is Chris Fell". "How could you know that?" she demanded to know. "He is the chief journalist for the Meaford Times!"
So here I was in the town that we hoped to settle in.

Next we were at the home where Megan is sharing with her landlady and now good friend, Marcie. Another exciting day.

White Oaks Resort

2009-04-17T17:42:00.000-07:00

After our first night at Hamilton, we traveled back down south to Niagara-on-the-lake. A beautiful little town where the business district has been preserved in a heritage fashion and a lot of the houses have followed suite.

We were booked into the White Oaks Resort which isn't located near the township at all but near the turnoff from the QEW freeway. It's a Five Diamond rated facility in normal times but once we parked our car in the front it fell to a 1 star facility LOL.
Megan booked it through her work at Cranberry Resort in Collingwood as the organisations have reciprocal staff discount agreements. We paid considerably less than the $349/night room but I'd better not publicly spruik about 'our' rate. We were extremely pleased with the room, the facilities, the food and the friendly service shown by all the staff.
Instead of visiting the dining room for dinner, we chose to dine at the adjacent bar and grill where we were able to watch people playing tennis on the courts below through an expansive glass window/wall. Compared with Australia the price of the fare on the menu was cheap.
We were kind of blown away with the appointments in the suite. It was very spacious as was the super king size bed. The mini bar was "choca" but we can do without it thank you very much. Beneath it, is a Safe for the guest's valuables etc.
The Cafe' bar in the room although elaborate, only contained enough coffee/milk/sugar for two individual cups. Most of my friends and relatives would know that is way below my expectation.
The Bathroom was rather special. It gave me ideas for our next house! Strategically placed, low on the wall next to the toilet, is a telephone that you can contact room service, other rooms or stay in touch with any part of the world. It could be annoying if the phone rang at an inopportune time though, because you might be in the middle of watching a crucial part of a movie or sports match on the LCD TV mounted on a swivel wall bracket adjacent to the vanity.

See the reflection of phone in the mirror!

Upon checkout, I was relieved that the car was still there. It hadn't been stolen or towed away by the Resort's management. ;)
So we were back onto the highway and heading North toward Meaford via Guelph. ....... next.

East to West

2009-04-16T06:12:00.000-07:00

The trip began on 5th April when I traveled the 250 km to my brother's place in Sydney to stay overnight. We took my Station Wagon to the airport departures and he then took it back to his place.
The 3 hours I had before my flight went by a lot quicker than expected. Once you go through customs and immigration, there is seemingly an endless amount of duty free shopping available. Buy or not, it is an experience to behold to realise how much Tax and Excise we must be paying day to day!
My first segment took me to San Francisco; a 13 hr flight. Flying toward the east means you fly against time (with the rotation of the earth) and therefore when leaving in the afternoon, it doesn't take long before you are into the dark of night. Once upon a time, they used to advise you to set your watch to the local time of your next destination. They didn't do that, but I had decided to leave it at Sydney time anyway. At 3am Sydney time (and my body clock) it was daylight again. At around 4am we were landing in San Francisco. Now I decided to change my watch to local time which was 11 am Monday. Wait a minute! My god, I only arrived at Sydney airport at 11 am Monday and now it's just ticked over 11 am again! I know, I know. As much as one can understand why it is so, it is different to feel it with the body and the mind.
I managed a whole hour of sleep on that leg but got to see 4 recently released movies and 3 x 30 min episodes of TV shows.
You know you must be getting old when you can think back to your first inter-city or International flight and remember that ALL males had to wear a coat and tie!!! Mmmm. That's the truth. I flew from Sydney to Auckland in 1961 with my father and it was a condition of travel. That was when Turbo-Prop Lockheed Electra aircraft were used for those 4 hr flights. In 1976 I flew to Christchurch NZ in a 747 and the dress code was relaxed. Then in 1997 I remember flying across the pacific to Canada via USA and there were males on the plane wearing board shorts, singlets and bare feet! (Not to mention the B.O. wafting from their armpits!)
Getting back to this trip, I had two segments left. 5 -1/4 hrs to Washington DC and after another 2 hr changeover, onward to Buffalo NY in a much smaller jet taking an hour. I only took this route because it saved me more than $1300 for a normal direct route all the way to Toronto. More than 50% cheaper!
There was a downside; arriving in Buffalo airport at 11 pm. I would need to be at the Bus Terminal in downtown Buffalo at around 6:15 am. It was much safer and warmer to wait at the Airport and get a cab at 6am. It was too uncomfortable to sleep on the type of seating they have there. I met a young lady at around 2 am and we chatted all through the night and had breakfast together and so that passed the time quite pleasantly. There were (almost out of season) snow storms in the Great Lakes area. Many flights had been canceled from different airports. She had to wait until 11 am for her flight. I've since learned that Meaford recorded the largest snowfall in all of Canada that day.
I caught a Greyhound Bus to Burlington in Ontario (2 hrs incl Border inspection) where I was met by my sister-in-law. There was a hitch with the bus schedule as it was different to what was issued on the Internet. The driver was very co-operative and made two out-of-the-way stops for me. One to get a different ticket and another to divert from the freeway into Burlington City Transit Center where I'd be picked up. I had emailed a "copy" of the bus schedule directly from the internet to my sis-in-law a couple of weeks before.

Megan arrived at their place at midday. She'd been delayed because a snow drift had piled up against her front door, and she had to dig the car out. Generally the driving was pretty slow for what is normally about the same trip as Crookwell to Sydney.The snow storm that delayed Megan meeting me.

An afternoon nap was in order as it was now virtually 47 hours since I'd slept. After dinner it was to be an early night for bed................

It was exciting to be together again after nearly eight months apart. It was also exciting to be back here and meeting up with all of Megan's large clan that I haven't seen for 11 years.

Accepting the Good with the Sad

2009-04-14T07:30:00.000-07:00

click to enlarge

The hardest part about moving to Canada was to determine the future of our close companions, Nova and Max. Megan wanted them to come to Canada with us. So that was the plan for quite a while. They both had "shots" for Rabies etc. Max desexed and Microchipped. They would both have needed re vaccinating in August '09. Transporting to Canada was as expensive as for my own travel. A pretty expensive exercise but cost was never a real barrier. It wasn't until I sat down and worked out the logistics involved that I realised it just wouldn't be practical or fair to Nova.

Since Megan moved, the financial crisis hit the world and that has until now at least, put a "stopper" on Farm Sales. So my stay in Australia has been extended. Megan was anxious for me to come and visit, and now here I am. BUT the price of that was not the airfare, but sacrificing the remainder of Nova's life. It was both my opinion and that of the experts that Nova would not be able to adjust to life without me and would fret herself to death. On Friday 3rd April, I took her to the Vet in Crookwell, and it was so quick and peaceful that she was gone before I could even say good-bye. She was such a perceptive and intelligent dog that I had to maintain a 'normal' routine and attitude so that she wouldn't suspect what was happening. She "trusted" me right until the very last moment, and that makes me both sad and relieved.

Meanwhile, Max is temporarily at John Davies Motors Mon-Fri and John takes him home and to his farm for the weekend. Trevor Keyser will be permanently back at his farm at Lost River a couple of weeks after my return. His farm backs onto the back-side of our farm. He will be Max's new master. It will be interesting to see how it will work out with him being so close by his 'old' home. i.e. will he be constantly trying to come back. I "stirred" Megan by saying to her that I'd just beat the crap out of him a few times until he doesn't want to come back.

Sometimes you just have to do what you have to do and it ain't always easy or pleasant.

http://www.anelvisfan2001.com/OldShep.mp3

Max (9 yr Brown Kelpie) Nova (11 yr White & Black Cattle X kelpie??)

Introduction

2009-04-14T06:11:00.000-07:00

The purpose of this Blog is keep our friends and relatives informed as to the progress and transition on moving from Crookwell to Canada. I say Canada so it is generally easier for the Aussie readers initially and we haven't decided exactly where we will settle yet. All I can say is that we are intending to settle somewhere along the southern shore of Georgian Bay in Ontario. Narrowing that down to somewhere between Meaford and Wasaga Beach.
Megan is currently living in Meaford but working in Collingwood, some 30 km away. Megan feels there are more opportunities for us closer to Collingwood. (She isn't keen on Wasaga Beach because of the Bikini girls in summer! - Spoil Sport she is)

So why are we moving to Canada? All I need to say is that it is a Maternal thingy. All you females will understand. Especially if you have kids, be they adult or not, and grandkids. The way airfares have increased since we've been married, it was becoming less affordable to visit them. Even so, they grow up and change way too quickly for mere visits.

Megan is an Aussie citizen and very proud of it and will be until the day she dies. Of course I'll become a Canuck when the time comes (if they'll accept me!)

To be together is the most important thing for both of us, but to have kids and grandkids in Canada is so overpowering. I'm looking forward to this exciting adventure and chapter in my life.