John Muir

Did you know that John Muir, the famous American conservationist, spent a couple of years here near Meaford in 1864-66?   He was exploring and botanizing, in between working at the Trout Hollow sawmill on the Bighead River.  There's a historic plaque commemorating his time here overlooking the valley in a small park just north of the old Epping church corner.

Muir is widely known as a staunch advocate of protecting wilderness in the western United States and a leader in developing the U.S. National Park system.  He is especially identified with Yosemite National Park.  But actually 3 countries claim him - Scotland where he was born, this tiny region of Canada where he spent a year or two, and the U.S.A.

This is the location of the plaque, overlooking the valley.  Can you see the fence?  Just right of centre at the bottom of the photo are two blue blazes, marking a Bruce Trail Side Trail - they're painted on a fencepost.

The information sign provides one quote written by Muir while he was here in the valley, in late May of 1865:

"We live in a retired and romantic hollow.  

Our tall, tall forest trees are now alive, 

and the mingled ocean of blossom and leaves, 

wave and curl, and rise in rounded swells further and further away.  

Freshness and beauty are everywhere - 

flowers are born every hour - 

living sunlight is poured over all, 

and every thing and every creature is glad - 

our world is indeed a beautiful one..."

You can almost see the dip of Blue Mountain on the left where it drops down to Georgian Bay.

Here's another fence, built by a farmer to keep his cattle in, along the boundary of a Bruce Trail property I had to go out and check.

And this is our own meadow.  The light snowfall two weeks ago outlined the trails I mow quite effectively.  And there's a bit more fence.

Caught this view across the fields a couple of weeks ago too, on one of my drives around the rural roads.

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A second dull, grey, windy rainy day here; hoping to get back to sunshine soon!

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