A Taste of the Highlands....

John and I had the pleasure of going out for a wonderful meal Wednesday night - alone! Something we rarely do. We went to one of our favourite spots - Bonnieview Inn on Kashagawigamog Lake. Bonnieview offers a very casual atmosphere with amazing high-end food! We also got a window table so we could enjoy the view of the frozen lake and the lights across the lake - very pretty! Bonnieview is one of our favourites - we have been there many times, and never had a disappointing meal! Escargot for John, Creamy Parmesan Tomatoe Soup for me, then two New York Strip Steaks with an amazing peppercorn sauce! We even had dessert (but don't tell anyone :)

Last month we went to the new location of Rhubarb, in Carnarvon. Rhubarb was originally located near the ski hill in Eagle Lake (Sir Sam's Ski Resort). It was high-end, fine dining, in a fine-dining atmosphere. Late in December the restaurant moved to Carnarvon. It is now high-end, fine dining, but in a more pub-style atmosphere. You no longer have to dress up (but you can!). Come in your snowmobile gear - it's o.k. The food was divine. Love the location - lots of room, lots of parking, and overlooking the lake.

Our next venture?? Heather Lodge has a new Chef and Manager - James Jennings and Maria Micalef. James was a Chef at PineStone Resort and Wig-a-Mog Inn, and I cannot wait to eat there! I'm thinking March - just before I get crazy busy at work again.

We are really lucky in Haiburton Highlands to have some wonderful hidden gems. Check them out....you will not be disappointed! You just need to know where to look :)

Hidden Gems

I love to find hidden treasures in our County - in any format.....geological, physical, people or business/organizations. Last week my business partner and I were hosting an Agent Open House at one of our properties in Irondale. The owner suggested we serve the agents sausage on a bun, and to get the sausages from Highland Meats - a butcher shop located between Gooderham and Irondale, on County Road 503. The Shop has probably been there 2-3 years and I have never stopped in. We picked up two kinds of sausages - cranberry maple and apple. Yum! The flavours are subtle - the cranberry maple was my favourite, but both were delicious. I took the leftovers home and they were an instant hit with the family. Check out this great place!

While I am at it - I have some other favourite hidden gems to mention! Norm's Smoked Meats in Gelert, on Gelert Road - Norm has been there for years and has a very loyal following. All kinds of fresh smoked fish, meats - a treasure of discoveries! Beside him, in the same parking lot is Lambs 'n Ivy Antiques - dissappear in this old barn full of exciting things! The third favourite - The Little Tart Bakery in Donald. Everything is done from scratch, real butter, and real taste! Delicious! You have to turn off Gelert Road onto Koshlong Lake Road (only 5 minutes from Haliburton) - it is well worth the drive! Oh - did I mention Wintergreen Restaurant? Again on Gelert Road - although it is a "pancake house", they go all summer long and offer with amazing pies as they come into season. This place is packed on weekends, so be prepared. A fun place for breakfast!! They have wonderful sauces, jams, etc. also!

Christine and I are off to Algonquin tomorrow for 4 days of kayaking and hiking - can't wait! Hope that fire ban gets lifted!

Hmmmm......

Once again I have been tardy in my blogging. Experts say that you should blog regularly or people will not read what you have to say. Well, I haven't had anything to say! My real estate blog goes steady - it's easy! But my personal life has been incredibly quiet, so family and friends - I apologize!

As empty nesters I thought we would have lots on the go, but it seems my first love is work - is that sad? Our daughters are grown and making their own mark on the world. Shannon will be starting an internship with Amnesty International in Australia on January 16. She is very excited and gets to work with Burmese (or Myanmar - depending on your political stance) refugees, as a processor and case worker. It is exactly what she wants to do as a career - it is too bad internships aren't paid, but that will come.

Christine has spent her first months out of university, in Ottawa on the Ottawa West School District's supply list - but she has not had more than 8 or 9 days work since September! This is not a good scenario and she has been to several interviews for temporary positions, with no success so far. The only thing that has gotten her as many days as she has had is that she is certified to teach French! She has an interview in Huntsville in a few days - so fingers crossed! If she gets that position, she will move back home for a while. If she does, I will have more to blog about again, as we will continue our quest of exploring different areas of the County - she is my partner in crime! We are both explorers at heart so I miss her being away from home! We are still patiently waiting for snow in the Highlands - snowmobilers, cross-country skiiers and snowshoers are getting anxious. We have a bit - but not near enough! At least Sir Sam's Ski Area is open! Ahhh, life in the Highlands - we are always waiting - waiting for snow, then waiting for warmth!

Pool for our County :)

I was in our wonderful Bulk Food Store in Haliburton this morning when I saw a new cookbook available called "Recipes with a Splash". The cookbook is being used as a fundraiser for the County Swimming Pool Initiative (CSPI), with proceeds going towards a market demand feasibility study. The book is available in several locations including the Bulk Food Store, Rails' End Gallery, Wintergreen and Eagle Lake Country Market at a cost of $12.00 each. If you are in the County - please support this VERY worthy cause! The area needs an indoor pool and recreation area. Not only for those who live here now, but for those thinking of settling to the area. It is too easy to get caught up in the now - those with a vision of what Haliburton County should be, and will be in the future know that this pool is needed. If you try to find a community that has an indoor pool that pays for itself, you will be let d0wn. They don't - they are costly and take a great deal of human resources to manage and maintain. The question is, is the cost worth it. In my opinion you cannot go wrong. People's lifestyles are changing - they are more active, eating more healthy, and are more involved in their community. Indoor pools offer a place for exercise programmes, events, therapy, and an outlet for people to "just get out". It affects our physical and mental well-being. As a community, if we are more active, we are a stronger community and a place not only to stay, but to move to. Along with walking and cycling trails, an indoor swimming pool should be part of the "big picture" for our community. It is our future!

Fall Events

The colours are out in full force and all indications are that they will peak about a week before Thanksgiving - but no fear, there will still be some for the long weekend! We had amazing weather for the Hike Haliburton Festival this past weekend - almost tropical! This Saturday (Oct. 1) ColourFest hits the Highlands. This is another fabulous event organized by some extremely hard-working volunteers. Excellent muscial talent will be entertaining in Head Lake Park, an IAMS Pet Contest, Vintage Car Show, Kids' Funfest Zone, Petting Zoo, Kids' Art Attack, OPP Golden Helmets Motorcycle Show, Buskers, Clowns, Barn Dance, Corn Roast, Pancake Breakfast.....oh my I am out of breath (or finger energy)!! And wait until you see all the great scarecrows and decorations around town! Go to www.colourfest.ca for details.

Friends of the Rail Trail also have a couple of events coming soon - Friday, October 14, 2011 there is a dinner being held at Camp Wanakita, with Ed Poropat as a guest speaker. If you do not know Ed, he is a resident biologist who has an up-close and personal knowledge base of the wildlife found throughout the rail trail bed and in our County. He is a great speaker and you always learn something! Tickets are $20.00 per person for the evening and if you are interested, please call me at 705-455-7578 to reserve.

The second Rail Trail event is the same weekend - Saturday and Sunday, October 15 and 16. We are holding an "End to End" walk - 34 km in total. It will be a group walk, but at your own pace. Do a little, do a lot, do it all! We are starting with a small, casual event this year in the hopes of growing it into a large event next year. Everyone welcome, no costs to participate. I will post time and start info soon.

I can't wait to join these events - bump into neighbours, and see many of our seasonal residents and visitors for the last time this year. Come on out and join in!! See you there!

Hiking in Haliburton

Each year I try to squeeze in some walks/hikes throughout the County where I haven't been before and with the annual Hike Haliburton Festival coming up (details further along), I was curious to check out High Falls in the eastern portion of the County, within the borders of Algonquin Park. Yesterday was a beautiful Fall day and so it was decided! Now, having never been there, the question was - is it a large rapids or truly a Falls we were going to get to discover? As we arrived at the starting point, we (my husband John and I) were perplexed. We heard it was a rugged walk requiring really good footwear and were met with a completely level walk through new-growth forest. It was like walking through a farmers' field with young trees in it! This continued for a good 15 minutes - then we turned a corner and the old-growth forest, a hiker's true love, met us. It was still an easy hike at this point but we could hear rushing water ahead. We soon came to the river, a wide area with rapids at the top. The water was very low and most rocks were high and dry. Was this it? We tried to picture it in high water and thought it would be quite pretty. The trail continued.....another pond - more rocks - the rushing water a little more vibrant this time. We rock hopped along the rapids - very easy with that many rocks! Leaving the rock hopping behind, we got back on the path and found it to be getting much more difficult - many roots, rocks, boulders with great crevices everywhere (perfect homes for wildlife), and we noticed for the first time we were travelling higher and higher. There it was - about 40 minutes into the walk - High Falls. Not Niagara Falls by any means, but incredibly picturesque, with great spots to sit and enjoy the sounds and sights. Eventually you go right to the top and if you aren't nervous about hopping (really just stepping) from rock to rock, you can sit at the top - a great level spot, and relax. It was a great day and a lovely walk - 81 photos later!

Now, as promised - Hike Haliburton Festival! This is a great excuse to come to Haliburton County. On September 23, 24 and 25 there are over 30 guided hikes held across the County. They are FREE (donations appreciated), and organizers ask that you pre-register the hikes you wish to go on. The hikes range from short and sweet, to hardy. Something for every age and ability. Pick an area of the County you haven't been to before - get out and explore this gorgeous part of Ontario. For hike info, visit www.haliburtoncounty.ca/tourism/fall/hikehaliburton.asp .

Back at last!

Did anyone miss me? I miss this blog - but if I am not writing it means I am busy, and as a real estate agent, as Martha would say, that is a very good thing! Our social life has been minimized lately due to my hectic schedule, but I wanted to share 2 things with everyone! Last night Christine and I went to the Dusk Dances at Head Lake Park in town - lots of fun! Our local and extraordinarily talented band, Jazz Kitchen, entertained people as they arrived for the first half hour - the weather was perfect and everyone brought their lawn chairs for comfort. This is the fifth year for Dusk Dances and I hadn't been yet (shame on me!) so I wasn't sure what to expect or how things worked. Our local celebrity - comedian and tv show host (now also council woman) Brigitte Gall, hosted the evening in fine character as a ravishing and blood thirsty vampire! She was brilliant! There were 5 performances, each in a different part of the park. The concept was that you watched a performance, then the horn sounded and everyone picked up their chairs and moved to the next performance. Not sure of attendance but there must have been at least 200 people last night and it was quite a feat! But the constant movement of the crowd added to the fun and atmosphere. The performances were great and it was a perfect way to pass a Saturday evening in Haliburton County! There dogs, children, people of all ages. Tonight is the last performance for this year. As I sat watching the performances, I marvelled at what amazing things happen in our great County - a unique experience, yet only one of many unique experiences that happen here throughout the County - how fun!

The second fun thing, I will admit, did not take place in Haliburton County. Two weeks ago Christine and I snuck away for a 3-day camping trip at Bon Echo Provincial Park, south of Denbigh. Reviews from people about the park were mixed, so we were unsure of what to expect. We were told it was right by the highway and that the highway noise was very unappealing. This is a HUGE issue for us as we camp for solitude and peace, but we booked our campsite on line and chose one that we thought would be quite remote, and hoped for the best. One word describes what we found - gorgeous! We went mid-week, our campsite was located in Hardwood Hills, and there was nobody around! We had to park our car and carry our gear into the site, but it wasn't far and we had complete privacy on a huge campsite. It was a 20 minute drive on dirt roads to get from our campground to the beaches and other amenities, where the crowds were, but we didn't mind one bit. My biggest complaint was how far our outhouse was! Located on Mazinaw Lake, the park offers many beautiful trails and sites. The Mazinaw Rock that looms out of the water is amazing - photos cannot capture the height, but look at the photo and pick out the tiny canoe at the bottom to help! Plus, when you are on the water at the base of the rock, the rock goes 300 feet straight down under the water! Indian pictographs line the rock - over 200 of them and you can take a fun boat tour for a meer $6.25 to learn about the rock, the park and the pictographs - well worth it! We also canoed JoPerry Lake while there - a quiet, peaceful lake of good size with "canoe-in" campsites. Oh yes - and the Cliff top trail to the top of Mazinaw Rock - amazing! 180 official steps, 240 if you count misc. steps along the trail, but incredible views from the top - a peregrin falcon flew past our noses while we watched!

Next venture - High Falls which is part of Algonquin Park but located at the east side of Haliburton County - I hear it is a great hike and Christine and I are off to explore!

Cottage Life Show

Well - this year's Toronto Cottage Life Show was a huge success! Best attendance ever! Marilyn and I were at the RE/MAX booth on Sunday. The booth had a new look this year with more space for browsing and lots of people were checking out what Haliburton has to offer. It should be a great season! For the first time ever, Marilyn and I are going to have a booth at the Haliburton Home Show, the first weekend in June. It will be great to see people in this setting - past and current clients, and friends! Look us up if you come to show and say Hi!

First Ramble of the Year

Spring has sprung! Tomorrow (Sunday) is the first Sunday Ramble on the Rail Trail of the season. We ramble every Sunday throughout April and May, while ATV's are not able to use the trail. We vary in size from 10 to 35 people each Sunday that show up, free of charge, to take a stroll. Each week we start from a different point in the trail, so we can see all the trail has to offer. It is a lot of fun for sauntering, walking or speed walking - whatever the pace! Tomorrow we leave from the Rails End Gallery on York Street in Haliburton, at 11am. For those that work up an appetite, several plan to return to McKeck's Restaurant after the walk for lunch. For a schedule of events you can email me at terry@remaxhaliburton.com or check the organization's website - www.friendsoftherailtrail.com . I will post some photos this week of tomorrow's walk!

Office Re-Opening/Commercial Seminar

We are getting excited! Our office is set to re-open on April 13 if everything stays on time! It will be great to be back. In this age of cell phones and email, real estate agents don't really need a central office - it is business as usual, but I miss seeing the public and chatting with people who wander in, curious about the area. On Wednesday I attended a commercial seminar in Huntsville. I got to learn about services the Bank of Montreal offers to people purchasing commercial businesses and to hear from OREA (Ont. Real Estate Assoc.) and what tools they have for commercial realtors. The number of commercial businesses available in the County of Haliburton has been slowly increasing over the years as the County grows and it is important for Realtors to be up on the latest tools and services to help them sell! I attended a commercial seminar last Fall that was sponsored by TD Canada Trust and it was fabulous!! I learned so much.....never stop learning!

Rail Trail Events

Friends of the Rail Trail has big plans this year! We are continuing with our Sunday Rambles along the trail through April and May. Last year we held a luncheon at Camp Wanakita after one of the rambles and at the luncheon we provided a history of the community of Donald - it was it's 101st anniversary. This year we are going to do the same thing but provide a history of the ghost town of Gelert! The date is in April - I will post a complete list of event dates within the next few days! Another VERY exciting event is our first ever End-to-End. In October we shall host an event where people can, over a two-day period, challenge themselves to walk from one end of the trail (Haliburton), to the other end (Kinmount). Now remember, this is a completely level walking trail - ready for participants of all ages and abilities! Take a full two days and do it in stages, or do it one and challenge yourself. Bring the kids, the dogs, make it an annual event! For those travelling to the area to participate, we are in the midst of working with two local providers to provide inexpensive accommodation packages. Another HUGHE project by FoRt is a new trail map for Haliburton County - the first of it's kind. The map will cover trails of all kinds, from short walking trails to major hikes and will cover all corners of the County! It will be a must-have for anyone visiting our beautiful area. It will also cover items such as the locations of museums, parks, mountain biking, the Wolf Centre......the list goes on!

FoRT update

What a wonderful day! Even though it is now November, the grey, brisk, but comfortable weather made for a perfect outing in the bush! Friends of the Rail Trail hosted a lovely walk through the forest just outside of Haliburton. It was not a long walk, but this time of year you can see so far through the bush it is absolutely magical. At one point, one of our members noticed a fungus high in a birch tree (sorry cannot remember the name - starts with sh....), that she collects to make a form of tea. When she attempted to grab a stick to knock it down, one of the 4 dogs that came on the walk, Possum, thought that was his cue to wrestle that stick to the ground! Margaret was unsuccessful in her collection as Possum was not sharing the stick! The dogs ran full speed as if they were children let loose in the coolest playground ever and never wore out, even during our fabulous pot luck lunch afterward. The pot luck was held in a lovingly restored pioneer cabin and there was tonnes of food! The best part is the company - a great cross-section of people, relaxed and enjoying a Sunday afternoon.

When the walk and food were completed, we had an "ad hoc" meeting, asking attendees what they would like to see Friends of the Rail Trail do for 2011 and there were some great ideas. Along with the incredibly popular Sunday rambles along the trail throughout April and May, suggestions included a hike to a beautiful Falls (that I did not know existed!), located between Tory Hill and Gooderham; a hike on the old Hwy. 60 trail in Highlands East; a hike from Wilberforce on the old IB&O railway; another "Dark Skies" event (last year's had 70 attendees!); and the most exciting - an "end to end" event, held over 2 days where people are encouraged to complete the whole County trail from Haliburton to Kinmount. Apparently, other rail trails have held this event, quite successfully, and the concept intrigues me! Lots of great ideas - lots of enthusiasm, now we just need volunteers to help! Any takers?

Hike at Crests of Kennisis Trail

Well, today could not be missed! No rain, beautiful sun but not too hot! John and I took advantage of the day and decided to go for a hike. We headed out to the historic log chute between Hall's Lake and Hawk Lake (see winter photos in a previous blog), and had lunch at a picnic table. The water levels in the area this year are astoundingly low, and the Kennisis River between the lakes - which is usually fast moving, loud and beautiful, was rocks and mud in a lot of places. It was truly quite sad - no kids are tubing into Hall's Lake this year! After lunch we crossed the dam and headed along the "Crests of Kennisis Trail" - a 5km trail (up hill both ways - or so it seemed!) that leads you up and along a ridge high above the Kennisis River. As it was our first hike of the season, and we are not seasoned hikers, we didn't make it all the way, but we did make it to the first viewing point, past the beaver pond. It was spectacular and took about 45 minutes to get there. We then swung our exhausted bodies around and headed back. Lots of mosquitoes, lots of sunshine and an incredibly peaceful, beautiful forest. Sometimes we had to just stop and listen to the silence - an extraordinary day! I wonder what trail we shall try next????

Friends of Rail Trail AGM

This Sunday evening I attended the first ever AGM for Friends of the Rail Trail. It was well-attended and held in our Chairpersons home, Pamela Marsales. Pamela reported on the past year's activities, including Sunday Rambles, education, access, nature and history. One key factor this year is the group's impact on local business. The report listed how many local businesses and organizations were affected by post-walk luncheons, visits by participants to art studios, farms, and non-profit locations. It was an impressive list and membership with FoRT is also growing substantially, with $5.00 per person being the deal of a life time! There are some great upcoming events, including a canoe trip/lunch along the Burnt River (July 13th) - FREE! I will post a complete list of upcoming events within the next few days.

Wild About Nature Gala

Friday, May 28 I got to go to my first ever Gala! The Haliburton Highlands Land Trust held it's annual Gala - a fundraising event to support the Trust, and an opportunity to celebrate Haliburton County's "Enviro-Heroes". The evening was titled "Wild About Nature". Money was raised through silent auctions, raffles and a loonie auction and the Minden Community Centre was packed! There was a fabulous buffet catered by Bonnie View Inn and The Wild Orchid. There were five awards given. Under the section of Business - The Haliburton Highlands Water Trails was recognized for "developing a set of far-reaching education, outreach and stewardship initiatives". Under Education, the Haliburton-Muskoka Children's Water Festival and Friends of Ecological and Environmental Learning were rewarded. In Stewardship, Jerry Walker, a well-known Haliburton County man and business man was noted for his extensive work with Ducks Unlimited and tireless efforts mapping and identifying wetlands in Haliburton County. In the section of Arts, Mary Anne Barkhouse and Michael Belmore, local yet far known multi-disciplinary artists were awarded. Their work has been and is being displayed in museums such as The Macdonald Stewart Art Centre, Toronto Sculpture Garden, University of Western Ontario and The Smithsonian's National Museum of the America Indian. For the division of Health, Sue Shikaze won for her vision and dedication to projects such as Share the Road, and the cycling coalition. Sue's vision for a healthy and active community is pushing us forward!

It was a great evening and I wish I had attended before! Good music, good food - great people! It was very inspiring to get to meet even more of Haliburton County's extraordinary human resources!

Well, a broken finger has slowed down my blogging - it is an akward experience, but a flyer in the mail has inspired me to push through! While I sit with my morning coffee, I notice an adorable little catalogue that was in the Echo newspaper this week called "menu". The full title is The Highlands Menu - so I got really excited. We have some fantastic places to eat, and they are spread out all over the County! The booklet is beautifully produced, great graphics and lovely design, but alas, I was disappointed. It truly is a Haliburton restaurant book, not a Highlands book - the name is very deceiving. The only restaurant highlighted outside of the main town of Haliburton is Rhubarb - we have soooooo much more to offer! There is the Algonquin Cookhouse in Harcourt - a bit of a drive to the eastern townships, but a real treat. There is The Peppermill on Hwy. 35 near Carnarvon, Grill on the Gull - a great bistro in Minden, and the list goes on! How about a fabulous meal at BonnieView Inn on their outdoor patio? Sir Sam's Inn? The Chamber of Commerce has a list of restaurants that visitors can pick up, either at the Information Centre on Hwy. 35 in Minden, or in Haliburton, but so many do not think to stop there. Here is a challenge for someone - create a great brochure of every eatery in the County! Complete with a map - link it with some local parks, rivers, places to see, so people can make a lunch or dinner jaunt! There is so much to explore!

Changes in Tourism

I was quite interested reading an article in The Haliburton County Echo this week regarding how tourism is changing and how the County needs to recognize this. Are we adapting? You bet! We are very lucky that we live in a County that is made for active tourists. The article spoke of tourists wanting activities when at the cottage and how we need to brag more about what we have to offer. Wow - can we brag! Another article on page 32 of The Echo (a short article at the top of the page) notes how Sunday Ramblers have doubled this year from last. As a member of the Friends of the Rail Trail I know exactly why this is happening. It is not one single reason. 1. The committee has some great volunteers determined to get the word out and promote these free Sunday events; 2. We were able to secure some funding and received assistance from a local printer to create great brochures - placed everywhere in the County; 3. People love something free to do; 4. People are simply more active than they used to be! Walking, hiking, cycling, canoeing, kayaking is now for everyone - every age, every fitness level, every level of pocket book. The change in the air is electric and Haliburton County has loads to offer! From organized Outdoor Adventure tours for a bigger challenge to meandering rivers, to lovely trails for the whole family. I LOVE IT. Being a person of "significant size" (code word for overweight) myself, and a lover of nature and the outdoors, I am first-hand proof that everyone wants in to this new life style. I agree with the writeup in The Echo this week - this is a new way of life that people are embracing - not just in tourism, but for residents and The County has an opportunity to put our County in the forefront of a new way of living that is here to stay.

Exciting News!

Wow - I have two announcements today!
1. The Haliburton Highlands Land Trust has received a grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation for $91,500 over 3 years to hire staff who will increase the organization's capacity to carry out its mission to protect the natural heritage of Haliburton County. That is incredible news and well deserved of a very hard working and committed group of volunteers. Congratulations everyone!
2. HCDC (Haliburton County Development Corporation) announced yesterday that they are providing a grant of $1,700 to FoRT (Friends of the Rail Trail) to assist the group in costs associated with promoting their Rambles programs and developing a website. This is a huge boost to a very small group and on behalf of the Executive - thank you so much HCDC!!

For those wondering how Haliburton County is coming with Spring - it has been rolling along at breakneck speed! Buds are just starting to appear but once they start, it doesn't take long for trees to take on that beautiful lime fresh green they have in Spring time. It is so exciting to watch everything come to life again - I never want to go inside! I cannot believe how early boats have been going into the lakes this year! I was out at Boshkung Lake the other day and there was a line up at the boat launch - unheard of in April. If predictions come true, there will be a lot of beach and boat time this summer. We sure deserve it after the cool, wet summer last year! 600 lakes and counting.....no better place to be!

Friends of Rail Trail Update and Head Lake Park

Our second Rambles on Sunday set ANOTHER record! Over 50 people took part in a walk that left from Sedgwick Farm in Gelert. The response to this programme is phenomenol. Today Pamela Marsalles and myself pre-taped an interview with CANOE FM that will be played on April 30. I talked too much and they have to do some editing to fit it in the time slot - imagine that!

On a different note, kudos to Dysart Council for the announcement in last week's paper that they have been successful in receiving a $1.1 million grant for improvements to Downtown Haliburton. Effective almost immediately, work will be done around the Cenetaph area at the West end of Highland Street to open it up and parking, sidewalks, walkways, etc. on York Street (behind Highland Street) will be re-configured giving a more pleasing area around the Rails' End Gallery and 4C's area. The addition of the new library beside the 4C's has been great and these addition changes will definitely be exciting. As a local "walker", there is nothing better than going for a walk around Head Lake in the evening, and anything that makes an already pretty area even better is welcome!

What a fabulous day yesterday for our first Rambles of the season! The weather was perfect. We headed out at 11:30 from Rails' End Gallery and followed the rail trail to Barnum Lake and back. 27 people came out - from children to seniors. The dogs had a great time too! Some people had cameras and although there was no greenery yet or many birds to spot, the walk was simply refreshing after a long winter! Next Sunday (April 11) we head out from Sedgwick Farm in Gelert at 11:00 am. To get there take County Rd. 1 (Gelert Rd.) to the hamlet of Gelert. On the left is Sedgwick Road - follow until you cross the bridge - immediately across the bridge there is a sharp fork to the right and the farm is right at the Y in the road. After, for those who wish, we shall meet at the Wintergreen Pancake Barn in Gelert to enjoy some fabulous food! See you there!