Petrel Point Adventure

Last week we set off on what became our longest adventure yet.  Our destination was Petrel Point Nature Reserve, owned by Ontario Nature.  I had been here first as a teenager when the property was first acquired, and I had a small hand in the first expansion when I was chair of the volunteer Nature /Reserves Committee, so I knew the property well.

Petrel Point is a coastal fen, a unique type of wetland I'll tell you about in the next three posts.  Ontario Nature is a non-profit conservation group here in Ontario, now I think operating for over 75 years.

The unique thing that attracted us this time was the wheelchair accessible boardwalk through the forest and fen.  Yes those are my toes and the wheelchair control unit at the bottom of the picture.

Right away Mrs. F.G. started pointing out pictures I should take, starting with the interesting texture of the bark of this Cedar (top) and a Spruce (bottom).

She thought this old bit of stump and the fern made an interesting shot.  The fern is Common Bracken.

And this fern is Royal Fern.

Then we spotted a group of Fringed Polygala, such a gorgeous colour!

The twifs of the young Balsam Fir added a bit of bright green, a shot by Mrs. F.G.

A huge old stump from the early logging, perhaps 16" across.

And finally we spotted one of those Yellow Ladyslippers deep among the vegetation.

More Ditch Driving in Search of Yellow Ladyslippers

CAUTION - Too Many Pictures!

A couple of weeks ago we headed out to drive some sideroads we remembered from a decade ago where we thought we'd seen Yellow Ladyslippers, one of Ontario's native orchids.  'we drove slowly down a few roads, and much to our delight we were successful.

Showing off my complete memory blank from back in the day when I used to recognize most of the plants we saw, I struggled to figure out what this nice white flower is.  It wasn't until we got home and I was still wondering that I remembered, the common Canada Anemone.

But soon we saw the first clump of those elusive Yellow Ladyslippers!

They were right in the ditch along the sideroad, but wonderful to see.

This is a terrible close-up, taken from the car with my phone's camera, but I still felt obliged to try.

There were acres of these bright green stems,

And buried among them some of the beautiful blue native Iris.

Ferns were plentiful too.  The top one I couldn't recognize at 50 feet, but the bottom one is Royal Fern.

We crossed one sluggish stream, dotted with yellow Bullhead Lilies.

But it was those Yellow Ladyslippers that were the undoubted highlight.  No telling what you can see in your local ditch!

Back Home Again!

After I get to the library or the harbour, it's an equally interesting ride back home, at least for me.  Sometimes I think I have to be interested in every little thing, since this is the extent of my world these days.  It makes the longer drives we go on so much more important and special.

After passing the town hall and the thrift shop in the old church, we find more interesting old houses.  This is the first one, a unique style architecturally.

And on the next corner there's an old house with a round tower, one of several in town.

I'm skipping a few blocks now, but before I go back up the Collingwood Street hill I pass the local curling club.

And across the street the community centre and arena, home of the Meaford Knights.

Then we're back at that ancient Nipissing shoreline, represented by the abrupt hill I have to drive up, and this forested slope off to the south.

Then it's past that beautiful Magnolia tree, now losing its blossoms.

And then we're home.  Hope you enjoyed seeing a bit of my world!

Part II of my Adenturous Ride Downtown

 Picking up where we left off yesterday, there's a big beautiful Sugar Maple outside that art deco house we stopped at yesterday.  I backed up a little and waited for traffic to pass (there wasn't much), and snapped a photo of the entire tree.

I don't think I go past any other Sugar maples this large.

Across the street is this enormous old house.  The design is remarkable, and it sold 2 or 3 years ago so I presume the new owners have been fixing up the interior.

Down in the next block is the large First Baptist Church, the only larger church in town that is not wheelchair accessible as far as I know.

And finally we reach the library, my most common destination downtown.  I personally think the renovations they did to the old grocery store to create a library were very well planned  This building is totally wheelchair accessible, right down to the washrooms.

After that I reach the harbour, if I'm going that far.  That's the bench I usually stop at to just relax a bit.

Heading back home I ride back up the same street usually, passing this nondescript building beside the old library.  It's the townhall.  I presume they're using the old library for office space.

Across the street is another old stone church, one of the smaller ones, which became the Rotary Club's Thrift Shop, and then they purchased the building and host the local food bank downstairs.  A great use for an older church in my opinion and a good project for our local Rotary Club.

My Adventurous Ride Downtown

Back earlier in the spring I thought it would be interesting to share with you my usual ride downtown, this being the extent of my wild adventures now that I'm in a wheelchair.  With a heavy duty power chair like my own we can't even fly anywhere, so I make the most of where I can explore here in Meaford.

All of these pictures were taken about a month ago, so it's definitely a taste of early spring again rather than today's near-summer weather.  I pull out on my own street and turn left, headed toward downtown.  No sidewalks; almost all of my ride is on streets rather than sidewalks.

Even before the end of my own street I pass over a small stream, deep in its own little valley.  If nothing else this stream serves as a corridor for wildlife.

Around a block or two there's a house with a seriously real flagpole in the front yard.  Good to see.

Then I have to ride down the Collingwood Street hill, as it abruptly drops over the ancient Nipissing post-glacial shoreline.  There's a sidewalk here, but it's so narrow it's unsafe for a wheelchair, with a very uncomfortable bump at the top.  The road is the worst pavement I face, but I wander back and forth trying to avoid as much of the 'alligator pavement' as I can.  As for the overhead wires, I can't do much about those!

After I turn at the bottom of the hills, beside the daycare, I come to another landmark for me.  I's a four-unit group of townhomes, built what looks like 100 years ago.  A far cry from today's townhouses.

Then I cross the busy Nelson Street and pass the large Church of Christ.

I prefer the route down Trowbridge Street, one of the oldest streets in town, with some beautiful big old homes.  This one is an 'art deco' home from the 1930s, which was heavily renovated a few years back.  The renovated home was listed for $1.3 million, and sold quickly.  I'd love to see inside!   And we're now more than halfway down town.

Down by the Harbour

On Saturday last, I went out for a ride, heading down to the harbour.  I stopped at my favourite coffee shop and picked up my usual coffee from my favourite barista, taking it to go.  I went down to the harbour to sit and relax a bit.  There were people and cars everywhere, a dance recital apparently, in Meaford Hall.  It was chaos until I got down there.

I was surprised to see a pair of swans out in the harbour, and as they tipped up in search of food, I realized our harbour must be pretty shallow from all the sediment the Bighead River brings down.  They were a long way away.

After awhile they swam over quite close, as if they could recognize a person who might feed them.  Mute Swans are an introduced species in North America, easily identified by their orange beaks.  They mate for life and in this area, do not migrate.

Sitting there I was hearing music, and looking around I spotted a gentleman sitting on a bench on the far side of the harbour, playing his saxophne!

I was down there again yesterday, and found two municipal staff testing a nearby fire hydrant.

Then I heard a growl coming from down the dock at Richardsons.  Watching I saw their big crane approach their dock carrying a small sailboat. gently lowering it back into the harbour.

And all the time I was down there on Saturday, I was serenaded by a good saxophonist playing some nice jazz!  Always something interesting going on down at the harbour!