As I said the other day, I've also found a great new route for riding that causes me less pain 'cause it's smooth pavement.. I made a conscious decision a few weeks back to try and avoid the painful bits, and went searching. Turns out going downtown is actually quite good, though I'm forced to use the sidewalks down there, and Thompson Street is the other great ride. You can just sail along at full speed and not even worry about it.
Going downtown via Thompson and Trowbridge Streets is quite interesting too. This is a beautiful old stone church that is now used as more of a community centre, although it does still have an active congregation too. The Food Bank is here, as well as a drop-in centre. Notice the raised beds for veggies out front. How many churches have that?
This is another old home at the other end of Trowbridge Street. Note those high peaked gables and the beautiful gingerboard. It's been redone in board and batten siding but is likely brick underneath.
One of you noticed a corner of this intriguing carved wood stump in my photograph of the house in my earlier post, so here is the whole thing. It's the only one like this that I know of in Meaford.
Back closer to home I heard this tree trimming crew working on Noble Street and went to check it out. They've already removed half the big branches of the old Ash tree in the top pictures, but much of the canopy is still there. Take a moment and compare this to the second picture a day later. The two tall spruce trees so obvious in the 2nd picture are almost hidden behind the Ash tree in the first picture.
The noise of a wood chipper has got to be one of the loudest machines that I hear anywhere.
It's also the time of year for us to stop in at Achy Back Acres, our favourite little veggie farm, half-way to Owen Sound. Last week we got a big basket of peas and some new potatoes. We eat the peas as a snack, and the potatoes were delicious. We'll be stopping there regularly for at least the next two months. I highly recommend them.
Last time I visited Europe I noticed many houses with vegetable gardens at the front of the house, having replaced lawns in mani instances.
ReplyDeleteThere is a church here that has a vegetable garden for that purpose.
ReplyDeleteThat is really pretty gingerbread trim. And I'm so glad you can get out and about without so much discomfort. Thanks for the great pictures!
ReplyDeleteGlad you found a good route! Don't think I've ever seen raised garden beds at a church.
ReplyDeleteLove that old house - really like the board and batten.
I love the church with the vegetable patch out front. Wonderful idea and execution.
ReplyDeleteLove the old house with the gables!
ReplyDeleteLovely carved tree stump. If you ever get a chance to see chainsaw carvers in action it's worth seeing, they do some delicate and complex things with such brutal machinery. Glad you're finding some smoother routes to follow, it's a problem here too.
ReplyDeleteYou have some nice buildings, and that carving is awesome.
ReplyDeleteI recognize the gingerbread house. It dates to the early 1870s and was built by Charles H. Jay. Charles married Mary Trout, and operated a real estate loan and insurance business with Mary’s brother James Trout in Meaford for many years.
ReplyDeleteAlso, the home with the stump carving is the John C. Jay home, who was Charles Jay’s son. I am less certain of its age, but I believe it dates to about 1901, when John married Emma May Godfrey. I have a photo of this house that dates to about 1920.
ReplyDeleteThe buildings are lovely, and I think it is a wonderful idea to put garden beds out front. They're not big but I bet they make people happy when they get the fresh produce.
ReplyDeleteOh, I know how loud wood chipper is, the neighbour across the street had two or three trees taken down a week or so ago. It made it impossible to sit outside for most of the day.
IF the blue house with the steep gables did have brick under the siding I wish they would have left it because the house would look even better (IMHO) if it were brick. Please continue posting pictures of old homes. You have so many in the east.
ReplyDeleteThose are quite the 'steep' roof angles on that ginger house. There will be no snow accumulating up there for sure and can you imagine having to shingle a roof like that. Yes, those wood chippers are certainly loud alright. We have one here in the Park and I doubt it even has a muffler on the motor. When you mention streets in your posts I am able to follow your route on Google Maps:))
ReplyDeleteBeautiful church, the house is a dandy too.
ReplyDeleteThe church is wonderful. I like the blue house along the way. Fresh peas would taste good.
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