The spring flowers are bursting at the seams here, just tantalizing us with their swelling buds, but not quite blooming. And it hasn't snowed again in five whole days! Spring for me is not just the spring flowers blooming, but the anticipation! And may the snow be finished by now!
Yes I have to record this, but the Daffodils don't seem to mind and recover quickly!Seasons in the Valley + Furry Gnome's Adventures
Monday, April 21, 2025
The Promise of Spring
Saturday, April 19, 2025
Down Nelson West
Nelson West is one of my favourite rides, but one I avoid much of the summer. It's a favourite because of the startling variety of older homes, from big to tiny. And it's one I avoid because there's a 200 yard stretch of pavement that is simply absurd! It's called 'alligator pavement' and it makes riding a wheelchair both painful and difficult.
But the other day I ventured forth, largely to look for any changes. This is a Heather just coming into bloom.Thursday, April 17, 2025
Here at Home
After my ride the other day Mrs. F.G. practically chased me out of the kitchen onto the back deck and patio when I got home. I rode down the ramp and she started moving pots so I could get close to the Crocus for pictures. These are the Crocus I see in the distance from the window. It was fairly warm and the sun was shining so it was a great opportunity to get some quick shots.
We've got a mixture of bright yellow, blue and white Crocus out in the back garden.Monday, April 14, 2025
Around the Block
Got out for my first slightly longer ride on Saturday, and really enjoyed it. Looking for signs of tree buds showing up, but found nothing, just a few spring flowers in a friend's garden. I'll be heading out after I post this again - it's 17°C here! A heatwave for April!
Let me see now. Blogger has loaded these in the reverse order I intended. I wonder if I can write the post backwards. It was a beautiful and warmish day, about 8°, so with my jacket I was fine.
A big Willow I passed, showing off its bright yellow colour.On my return trip I passed the hospital and the line of tall trees marking the top of the ravine - actually the top of that Nipissing shoreline, which in this location is well forested.
A couple more nice maples that turn beautiful orange in the fall. This is one of my favourite rides in the summer, taken when I just feel like a shorter ride.
Friday, April 11, 2025
Back to Regularly Scheduled Programming
While I've been regaling you with stories from the ancient past my favourite spring flower has started blooming, the dwarf Iris in a brilliant royal blue colour. It's right by the front door, on the south side of the house where I watch for it every spring.
Ah, but then winter blew in with a reminder that it's still April!By the next morning though, the snow was gone and we were back to a view that looked like April.
Wednesday, April 9, 2025
Ancient Glacial Shorelines Here in Meaford
The last post I'm going to do in this short series is one I've been thinking of for a long time, and that is the ancient glacial shorelines that run through Meaford, one of them passing just a couple of blocks from where we live. These are just things that fascinate me, hills that I see as we drive or I ride around town that intrigue me.
The first is the Nipissing shoreline, dating from about 4000 years ago, when glacial lake levels rose again following the very low Lake Stanley episode. This shoreline is found around much of Lake Huron and Georgian Bay, if you know what you're looking for. The waves on lakes abutting a gentle hill will cut into that hill, carrying sediment away and leaving a relatively steeper bluff behind.
Slightly to my right was this view, the forested slope across someone's lawn, a corner of the hosital visible at the top.
Partway back out that short street you can look up to where the water tower and helicopter landing pad for the hospital sit. I left the garage in for scale and perspective.
Monday, April 7, 2025
The Indigenous Legends
Now that you know about the discovery of ancient indigenous hunting sites of the Alpena-Amberly Ridge, lets move a little east and look at the stretch of water between Tobermory and Manitoulin Island. Tobermory sits at the northernmost tip of the Saugeen (Bruce) Peninsula, and is known for its offshore islands and shipwrecks (two right inside the harbour). The area is now encompassed by the Fathom Five National Marine Park.
The Niagara Escarpment that creates the eastern shore of the peninsula continues as the east shore of these islands, all the way to Manitoulin. And with divers exploring 24 shipwrecks, scientists have discovered both ancient tree stumps and a gigantic submerged 'waterfall'!
It's not too big a surprise then to read that National Park researchers have encountered stumps in several location in Georgian Bay. This is another of those stumps.
"Chippewa elders of the Cape Croker reserve have long repeated ‘legends’ of their ancestors being able to walk from Tobermory, at the Northern tip of the Bruce Peninsula, to Manitoulin Island, an area that, today, is covered by 90 km of water," I guess it's true!