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03
Apr
2023
Muddy Hike on a Sunny, Spring Day At Short Hills

Muddy Hike on a Sunny, Spring Day At Short Hills

Hiking Short Hills Provincial Park

Was a bit cloudy when we started out hiking and we expected mud because it has been raining so much lately.  And it was muddy!  We've hiked Short Hills many times and we tried to stay higher up and it helped a bit.  Almost no one at the provincial park today, I think we saw three others hiking.  Only a couple of cars in the parking lot.  Pretty much had the place to ourselves.  Way over dressed, though.  Had to take off jacket and sweater after the first 10-15 minutes in the woods.  Sun was shining and almost no wind.  Was a stunning day.  There are several spots to enter the park - three main parking lots.  We parked at the Wiley Rd lot.  Hiked in on the big muddy path for a couple hundred metres going south and then a couple hundred metres in, headed in on a path through the fields and woods.  Again, we hiked along the peaks of the hills as much as we could. Went by a small waterfall and hung around the bigger one for a while at the south part of this loop. That one is pictured below.  Loads of paths through South Hills park, it's about 1600 acres.  And at least a couple of rivers running through.  We've snowshoed in the Winter, Hiked through most seasons.  I prefer without the bugs though, if I can help it.

And some video on Instagram @martysroadtrip1

 

 

Niagara Falls - Horseshoe Falls

And don't miss the real falls: Horshoe Falls

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20
Mar
2023
Famous Cake Donuts at Tyrone Mills

Famous Cake Donuts at Tyrone Mills

Cake Donuts

Anytime we are anywhere east of Toronto we head out to Tyrone Mills for cake donuts. Tyrone Mills is an old Mill in the town of Tyrone, Ontario.  A little less than an hour east of Toronto on Highway 401 and about 10 minutes north.  We spent a lot of time in those rolling hills when we were much younger.

They have a variety of treats, tarts, jams, jellies and syrups.  And a great variety of flour. Wheat, spelt, whole, white, etc. 

Byam's General Store

In the 1960s, if we could tear ourselves away from the creek and woods and barns of the farm, we'd make the kilometre trek to Byam's general store in Tyrone.  We'd get ourselves a soda and candy and sit on the porch sipping and eating and resting for the trek back.  Usually, safer and quicker to hoof it back through the woods. 

Now we drive.  Best cake donuts anywhere.  Variety of tarts, mince, butter, lemon...  Here are a few photos of the interior of the Mill and one of the front of Byam's General Store.  The store has now been converted to an apartment.  The new owner has kept the original face and tries to update seasonally.

 

 

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04
Dec
2022
Thanksgiving Etc 2022

Thanksgiving Etc 2022

Galleries of grandkids and others.  Click on a photo in a gallery to get a slide show.

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26
Sep
2022
Kayaking Kahshe Lake Area Muskoka

Kayaking Kahshe Lake Area Muskoka

Muskoka Life - Cottage Life

Spent a few days at the cottage last week.  Lots of rainy weather but also lots of sunshine in-between.  Two rivers coming off the small lake we are on.  Well, three if you count the one attached to Kahshe Lake. 

There were and are lots of trees down crossing the one.  I cleared a path through earlier this summer.  Only one spot where you now still have to exit the kayak to get over a couple of trees.  Pretty easy though.  We’ve been up to the falls at the end of this river three times this year which is the first time we’ve been able to get all the way in about three years or more.  It is a little over two kilometres from cottage to the falls this way.  We’ve seen deer, blue heron, foxes, beaver and some kind of cat along here at different times.  More wilderness than the other river.

The other river also end in a waterfall.  It goes under bridges of about 3 road.  Farms and cottages alongside.  Two beaver dams that you have to climb over.  Not that difficult.  The video below is the falls at this end.  About six kilometres total there and back depending on how direct one goes.  I'm trying out the 'cinematic' feature on my iPhone camera.

 

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25
Sep
2022
Egret Taking Flight on the Welland River

Egret Taking Flight on the Welland River

Kayaking, trailers and care of my back

We had racks on the on the SUV for the kayaks but it was killing my back.  And you can’t drive around with them on the car all the time.  So, we bought a small trailer. 

Some two by fours and some wood screws, I rigged a couple of cross bars.  Placed our kayak racks there and loaded the kayaks. Now they can stay on the trailer. 

Takes me a couple of minutes to get ready hooking the trailer to my vehicle.  My wife laughs at how easy it is now for us to load and unload. 

We’ve been out a couple of times this way and it makes the whole event so much more  pleasurable.

There are lots of lazy rivers around the Niagara Region for us.  Lots within 20-45 minutes drive.

This day we put in at George Bukator Park. It’s never terribly busy there and pretty easy to get in and out with a trailer.  And in and out of the water with the kayaks. 

We headed west on the Welland River.  There are a couple of Egrets along that way.  We’ve seen them before.  There is a short video below I took with my phone.  One of these days, I’ll take my Nikon and get some close up shots.  The Egrets are not nearly as people shy as the Herons we see from time to time.

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