This one is a little different. Instead of a monthly review it's a review of the adventures we had in 2025. We always enjoy heading out for an adventure, usually to chase down a specific destination. And this year we accomplished more of these treks than ever before, including the longest, our epic drive up to Tobermory! These are not organized by month, because we generally don't do this during the winter and sometimes in the warmer months (like May!) we go on more than one adventure.
It started this year on the first weekend of May, when we drove up to Big Bay, a place you've seen before, the Stone-skipping Capital of Canada!
Ten days later we headed out for some 'ditch-diving', in this case looking for the first wildflower of the season, the Skunk Cabbage. The bright green leaves are unfolding, while the 'flower' is protected under those purple streaked 'spathes'.
A week later we went and really enjoyed the Tulip fields on the new Sandhill Creek Flower Farm, just west of Hepworth. It was spectacular! These are just as good as the famous Tulip fields of the Skagit Valley in /Washington /State; we've been to both.
At the end of the month there was another episode of ditch-diving, here a White Trillium growing up among the sedges. 'Ditch-diving' for us is driving along the back roads very slowly, looking for interesting plants growing in the ditch.
At the beginning of June for several years we have gone to 'Lilac Lane' at Craigleith, a stretch of the Georgian Trail bordered by Lilac shrubs for 200 yards. Just beautiful!
Later in June another serious episode of ditch-diving brought us several clumps of Yellow Ladyslippers, one of our native orchids. This plant brings back all kinds of great memories for us. My mother was always excited to find these!
Late in June we headed to Petrel Point Nature Reserve so I could ride the boardwalk through the fen. These Pitcher Plants and Sundew are both carnivorous plants; they always fascinate me! I think I was first here over 50 years ago!
On the other hand this is brand new! Our big adventure in July took us down to the big Misty Meadows Market in Conn which I love. Then we stopped at the enormous new Creekbank Sewing Centre. We've watched this grow from quilts displayed in the front room of their home three farms away, through portable classrooms on that farm, to now this! I've been to a lot of sewing stores; this outclasses them all!
In early August we went back to the Tulip farm, but this time to a different field, to see the Sunflowers. Only problem here was the very bumpy trail I had to ride through the field!
In early September we made our almost-annual pilgrimage to Keady Market. It's a huge place that sells all kinds of stuff, but we just go to the veggie section.
In later September we drove up to Big Bay again (see first photo above), but instead of the blue waters of the bay I'll give you this photo of New England Aster, growing right out of the boulders along the pier.
Mid October and we headed north on our biggest adventure yet. I was worried about Mrs. F.G. having to drive all that way and back in one day, but it was her suggestion and she wanted to try it. We spent our time right around the harbour, bringing back wonderful memories. We had a cottage on Manitoulin so we rode the Chi-Cheemaun regularly for ten years when our kids were young. 'Chi-Cheemaun' is an Ojibway word meaning 'big canoe'.
This wasn't taken this year, but we did drive down through the valley to see the fall colour in early November. a month later than normal!
My new wheelchair isn't like our other expeditions, but boy has it been an adventure! Just learning to go through doors with VERY little clearance has been a challenge. And I am standing up in it twice a day, which they say will help my old aging body a lot.
