Sandhill Cranes

We headed out for a drive yesterday to see if we could find some Sandhill Cranes.  Until a decade ago they were rarely seen here, but now they seem almost common; you may remember we have seen 1000 or more in a huge migratory flock, feeding on corn left behind after harvest.  That happened in early November two years ago.  This time Mrs. F.G. had seen a Facebook post showing Sandhill Cranes 'near Elsinore'.  So off we went.

When we got to Elsinore (west of Owen Sound on the highway to Southampton) we headed north on a sideroad, and before long discovered this group of four marching across a winter wheat field.  The Cranes separate into pairs and nest in the many wetlands around here during the summer, largely out of sight, then start gathering as family groups in the fall to be ready for migration.

This is a typical stance of the cranes as they walk across a field searching for food.  They basically eat anything, from plants and seeds to invertebrates and small animals or birds.

Although all these shots are cropped down dramatically from shots with my Nikon 200 mm. zoom and are therefore a little blurry, this shot does show the red patch of feathers on their head.

This was my favourite shot of that first group.

We drove back to Highway 21 and took the first south concession road where we saw three more groups, one in the far distance where I counted 19 individuals.  But I enjoyed this group of four walking steadily across another field in the distance.  Compare the background in the shots to see their steady progress.

And these three were in a flock of 8 when they lifted off and headed further away.  They have up to a six foot sing span and look very graceful when flying.  All in all we saw nearly 40 Sandhill Cranes in all, and I got what I think are my best photos of them ever.

The Black History Memorial

 Mrs. F.G. was still busy checking for seeds, so I got time for a quick run down the Freedom Trail to the Black History Cairn.  I've shared this before but I enjoy seeing it at least once a year.

It's another paved trail with some 'forest' at one end, but in the developed part of the park it's quite open.

At the risk of repeating myself we start by passing this gorgeous orange Sugar Maple right at the start.

It's built to look like the ruined corner of a church, with a patio of tiles in front, the river in the background.

There are several information signs, this one providing background on the symbolism of the cairn.  The picture on the left is of the original black church in Owen Sound.

The patio features nine tiles made in the shape of quilt blocks.

And this sign provides information on the meaning of the symbols, used surreptitiously to indicate the route of the 'Underground Railway'.  

The window frames are modelled after those in the original black church in the area.

The Emancipation Day picnic is held here every August 1st, but last year it had to be held virtually.  Just by chance the day we visited was the day they were filming the role of the town crier.  You've seen these three pictures before.

We had a nice chat with the friendly couple in their period costumes before they were called back for more filming.

It was interesting to see how many people they needed for the filming.

Emancipation Day celebrates the day the Slavery Abolition Act came into force in the British Empire, on Aug. 1st, 1834.  With Canada then a British Colony this led to a large influx of black settlers to southern Ontario in the next three decades, until the end of slavery in the U.S. in 1865.  Emancipation Day has been a local festival here in Owen Sound since 1862, but in the wake of the Black Lives Matter movement the federal government made this a national holiday in 2020.  Much like Juneteenth in the U.S., the national designation emerged from local promotions.

One Mile Trail, Harrison Park

 While we were in Harrison Park last week I got another chance to ride the One-Mile Trail.  Now paved, it's a wonderful meditative trail for me, through a forest with a number of really big old trees.

We stopped at the bridge first, to check out the fish.  It seems we have missed the salmon run; we need to be here in later September for that.

We did see one big fish. though it's probably a steelhead rather than a salmon.

There were a number of dead salmon though, probably finished their battle upstream and starting the next generation, so now they're simply done.

There were lots of leaves looking colourful right there at the bridge, but...

Mrs. F.G. saw the flowers and decided that she would deadhead and search for seeds rather than walk in the woods.  I was on my own!

I headed down the wooded trail following these two women.  I saw a lot of people out walking on the trail that afternoon.

Immediately I stopped to get a picture of this giant old Sugar Maple.  It's bigger than it looks in the picture.

And these two a little further down the trail.

Rode under these tall sentinels above me on the steep slope.

And found a few more colourful leaves at the far end of the trail.

I like the views of the trail disappearing around the bend.

Passed right beside the massive trunk of this old Hemlock.

And looked up at some more colourful leaves.  All in all a very memorable half hour for me!

On Being Thankful

It is Thanksgiving after all, and I'm reminded that there are so many things to be thankful for.  As well as these pictures from the past, let me tell you what I'm thankful for.

Sumachs

I'm thankful first of all because I'm alive, after nearly dying three years ago.

Beech Leaves

I'm thankful for my amazing wife, who takes care of me like no-one else could, and has picked up the chores I used to do as well as her own work - on top of caring for me!

I'm thankful for all the PSWs who come to help me get up and get back in bed at the end of the day.  Without them our life would be a lot harder if not impossible.

Sugar Maple

I'm thankful that I can still live an interesting life in spite of being paralyzed, and I'm thankful for our medical system that supports me - at no extra cost.

And finally I'm thankful for my memories of adventures past - camping across Canada with the kids, visiting gardens with Mrs. F.G. and canoeing and hiking with friends.  Without them my life would be so much poorer.

The Beaver Valley from Old Baldy.

Inglis Falls

On our way out of Owen Sound after I saw that colourful tree in Harrison Park, we stopped at Inglis Falls.  I can't get to a position to see the falls, because that requires going down some stairs.  But Mrs. F.G. could, so she got the pictures.  But I have lots of memories, and I could wander a bit above the falls.

Even if you get down the first few steps, you're looking through the trees to get a picture.  I thought Mrs. F.G. did well on this one.

Above the falls is the milldam; there was a mill here for nearly 100 years.  The flat water above the dam contrasted nicely with the torrent below in my mind.

The sluice carrying water to power the mill ran from this side of the dam to the edge of the cliff where it dropped down beside the waterfall to power the mill.  This gate controlled the water in the sluice, presumably closing it off at night when the millpond could store the water for the next day.

Hard to believe this old machinery is still here after decades since the mill burned down.

Every time I see the old millstones on display I am reminded that my great-grandfather brought his grain here to be ground into flour.  

There's a bridge over the river in the short distance between the milldam and the falls, so I got my usual picture of the water disappearing over the edge.

The rest of these pictures come from Mrs. F.G.  I think she did a great job capturing different parts of the waterfall through the trees.

All the way down to the gorge beneath the falls.

I like this illustration of the old mill on the wall of a small remaining building.  It shows the old mill as people would have seen it from the front.  I can just imagine my great-grandfather pulling up here in his horse and wagon with his grain for the mill.  The upper illustration shows the mill from below, for it was built below the cliff, and towered at least 6 stories.

Fall Colour is Here!

We had a great ride around Owen Sound today, doing a few errands and stopping in Harrison Park.  I went for a ride in the woods while Mrs. F.G. went around deadheading in the flowerbeds, looking for Zinnia seeds.  She got quite a few, but she'll undoubtedly order a bunch too over the winter.

Meanwhile I crossed the parking lot and headed down the trail.  Right in front of me was the bright red Sugar Maple I saw the whole time.  enjoy the pictures!

This was all one tree!  More pix from our ride soon.

*************

I've just realized that this is post #2500!!  How have I kept at it for so long!?  And I've just passed 850,000 visits, and almost at 34000 comments.  Thank you all for sticking with me, the faithful visits I get keep me inspired.