Venturing Down to the Harbour

Yesterday I went downtown to pick up some prescriptions and go to the bank.  Once I was ready I called Mrs. F.G. to let her know I was headed home, but she suggested I stay and go check out the harbour - it's an adventure!  So I rode down to the harbour and this is what I found.

I got to the harbourside at the spot where they replaced a concrete curb with two bollards after I complained last year.  So I drove right through, thanking the town in my mind.

I followed the sidewalk beside the water in the inner harbour and admired the pattern of these bollards and chains.  (Thinking all the time that I'd better be careful!)

Then came our small local museum which is in the historic water pumphouse, built in 1895.  Surprisingly it's wheelchair accessible.

A nice compass barn quilt on the wall,

And a welcoming birdhouse on an old ship's chain.  On its roof it says 'Welcome'.

Then I was beyond to the north outer harbour, past the tiny crowded beach.  This is the view back east toward the inner harbour, a few of the sailboat masts at the marina showing up on the right.

Looking northwest the view is longer, beyond the small point and out to Cape Rich where the old Meaford Tank Range is located (now the 4th Canadian Division Training Centre).

I passed the cannon guarding the approach to Meaford, a relic from an old foundry on the waterfront.

Then I was down to the open part of the waterfront where we have parked to watch the waves.  No waves today!  The bay was very quiet, just a few ripples.

It's a hot one here today; I'll be just staying inside this afternoon.  Hope you're well wherever you are.

Freedom Trail

After our visit with the town crier on Tuesday, we did get for a walk down the trail in Harrison Park.  It's a beautiful walk, partly through the grassy park past the Black History Memorial, and then through the woods all the way to the entrance of the park.  It's paved so it's completely accessible for wheelchairs, though you have to watch out for the sharp edges.

The open part of the trail wanders past the Sydenham River, the waters here forming the upper end of the millpond above a downstream dam.

It's known as the Freedom Trail because of course this is the route that people would walk to get to the memorial from downtown.  In fact the local Black Lives Matter protest did just that a couple of weeks ago.  I expect the Emancipation Picnic will get a lot more attention this year given the current awareness of those protests.

A large group of ducks were floating quietly on the far side of the river.

Just one sat alone on this side; this looks like a female Mallard.

Several open areas of this park are devoted to trees planted in memory of loved ones, with small plaques at the base of the trees acknowledging this.
 

After crossing the bridge we headed in to the woods.  It's a beautiful winding trail, with quite large trees, and cool in the shade.  You can see the sharp drop-off on the right, first a sharp 3-4" drop on the pavement, then a slope downhill.  I have to be careful especially when meeting people, or doing something foolish like backing up while positioning myself for a photo.

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Here at home today was jam day.  Yesterday we picked up a flat of raspberries at Goldsmiths in Thornbury where we had reserved them.  They're nice quality and fresh, from Goldsmith's own farm.  This morning Mrs. F.G. devoted herself to making the jam, a full dozen jars of it.  She's committed to doing this every year, even though we give most of it away.  I love it, and this one is one of my two favourite, even though I don't actually eat a lot of it.

The Picnic Crier

We headed into Owen Sound yesterday to see my orthopedic surgeon one more time.  Between driving and waiting it was nearly 3 hours, but he came in for 30 seconds and said 'the x-rays are good, you're free to go!  No more worrying.

Dropping down over the Niagara Escarpment into Owen Sound.

After seeing the doctor we drove to Harrison Park for lunch and a walk, parking right beside the outdoor artificial rink, used a lot by kids during the summer as an all-purpose biking and basketball court.

The Order of Good Cheer is a remarkable group of couples who have banded together to do things for the community, raising funds to build facilities like this.

We were close to the take-out window of the restaurant, so we waited for lunch - hamburgs big enough we later needed no supper!

As we headed out for a walk toward the Black History Memorial we were surprised by this town crier and his partner in a dignified walk toward the memorial, ringing his bell.  We guessed that maybe there was some filming going on.

They soon walked back for another take, and were happy to pose for me.  Turns out the famous Emancipation Picnic held here will be a virtual event (for the first time in its 158 years), and they were doing a video for the on-line presentation.

This celebrates the first picnic in 1862 for those who followed the Underground Railroad to Owen Sound.  I am well aware that recent protests have underscored the fact that Canada did allow slavery, until 1834, as part of the British Empire.  American slaves used the Underground Railroad, a network of safe houses, until the U.S. abolished slavery in 1865 in the 13th Amendment, so it's this historical period that is referred to.

They marched back and we were able to move up, getting a picture of them at the memorial.

We went on for our walk and returned to see more filming, this time with the town crier reading out a speech.  Listening to his deep booming voice I understood how he got the job.

Then the trees and this cameraman obscured them, but I was glad to hear enough of the speech to realize that it was not just platitudes; it had been updated to refer to George Floyd's death and the ensuing recent Black Lives Matter protests, one of which happened right here in Owen Sound, here at this memorial.

Day Lilies

The first of our Day Lilies are in bloom.  We were only able to bring a few varieties to our new house, but we look forward to their flowering every July.  They're bright colourful and come with an amazing story - as merits their name, each blossom only blooms for one day.

All of these pictures are courtesy of Mrs. F.G. and I still can't get over how well the iphone does close-ups.  Our Day Lilies are all planted down one side of the house, where I can't go unless the ground is really dry.

Each of these is a variety with its own name.  Day Lily breeders are a breed unto themselves!

As you can tell, my appreciation for them has something to do with bright colours I think.

There will be more over the coming weeks, and as soon as it's dry I'll be driving down there to see for myself.  At the moment we have some cooler weather, so I had a nice ride today without sweltering in the sun and heat!

Today

We woke to mercifully cooler weather after two good days of plentiful rain.  It was semi-cloudy but no more rain forecast until later in the afternoon, so I headed out for my ride about mid-morning.  I actually put on a long-sleeved shirt over my T-shirt to keep warm enough and it was the perfect cool temperature out there.

The highlight of the ride was my second Monarch of the season, and the first one to sit still long enough for a good picture.  It's actually on a Tulip leaf in between two patches of Milkweed.

I've noticed this striking large clump of Zebra grass before; today was a good time for a picture under the cloudy skies.

I was also pleased to see my first Queen Anne's Lace.   There are none one day and now they'll be all over the wilder patches in another day or two.  The backyard meadow was white with these at our last home.

Only a couple of flowers around here are 'heliotropic', meaning they open in the morning and turn toward the sun.  By late afternoon they are finished.  And this is the first actual bloom of the yellow Goat's Beard that I've seen this year.  I'm rapidly concluding that there are advantages to going for my ride in the morning.

I can't believe the Chicory coming up in a crack at the edge of the pavement!

It too blooms in the morning and by afternoon is faded; these flowers are fresh and beautiful/

As for that Monarch, as I was approaching a patch of Milkweed that I'm stopping to check every day, it fluttered away behind the plants - but it landed on the Tulip right beside them.  My first sight was through the Tulip leaves. 

I took a few pictures and crept closer, took some more and moved again.  By the time I crept out from behind the last concealing leaf I got a great picture, and it hadn't moved!  I watched it flutter around and disappear below some lower leaves (was it laying eggs?) but it never settled down again.

I was watching the weather all the time and these clouds over our local hospital (3 blocks away)  looked potentially ominous.  But it was moving rapidly away from me and blue sky patches were appearing.  I kept an eye on the sky as I went, but still I cut it too close.  Two minutes after I got in the door the rain started.  I don't want to be out in the rain in an electric wheelchair!

More from the Garden

We've got a lot of flowers in the garden beyond yesterday's Crocosmia.  In fact when I look around at other gardens I end up concluding that we have more interesting types of plants than anyone else.  That's not to say that there aren't other very nice gardens, but Mrs. F.G.'s knowledge of plants has brought us a lot of interesting flowers and a very diverse, eclectic garden!

Our Nasturtiums are finally in bloom, and this one, right beside my morning coffee spot, just glows in the morning sun.  I sit in the shade of the house though; I don't need to glow in the sun!

We have a nice pot of Lavender which I love.  While in England once we came over a hill in the Cotswolds and there in front of us was an entire field of Lavender in full bloom!  One of my favourite photographic memories,

Valerian was one of the best flowers for flies, bees and butterflies in our previous garden, and it's also beautifully fragrant.  Every summer I could count on some good pictures when the Valerian was in bloom.

An example from five years ago, one of the Hairstreak butterflies.

Even our tiny Lemon Thyme is currently in bloom.

The unusual flowers of one of our succulents.

Two of our tall Allium flowerheads are still standing, drying out and forming seeds.

This last series of the three photos below is courtesy of the budding photographer, Mrs. F.G.  She claims it was just the camera, my iphone, but I think these are spectacular.

Which of the three do you prefer?

The sun is shining brightly outside the window now, but we've had two brief thunderstorms in the past couple of hours.  These are just pop-up storms arising out if our excessive heat over the past week.  The rain is VERY welcome!

Hope those of you who go south to avoid our refreshing winters are enjoying this heat!!