Our Mini Vacation Day 2 Continued

Yesterday when I finished my post, we were just getting on the little steam train that ran in the Huntsville area from 1904 to 1959.

As the train rounded the first bend, we saw a beautiful view of the Muskoka River.
And from another point it was just as beautiful.
Then we went up a hill and around a bend and (now Pea, this is especially for you) Fairy Lake. There was also a Fairy Street in Huntsville.

Then the train stopped at a depot and they allowed us about 15 minutes to learn more about the train, watch the brakeman switch the track for the return trip and to take photos.

The conductor's name was Bob and I guess he thought I should have some fun as well. He took off his hat and plunked it on my head. Then he offered to take a photo of the three of us. This will make a nice memory for Brandon.

After we return to the main depot, the little train backed down the track where we got a front view.

Then we drove up a very steep hill to the lookout. Brandon thought these rocks were quite unique.

Brandon and Great-Grandma taking in the scenery. That is Fairy Lake from a higher view.

Brandon and I having a little fun. I was trying to stand on the rock so I would look taller than him and he insisted on standing on the higher side. He is quite proud that he is the tallest in our family. Yes, he is taller than his father.

A man came along and offered to take a photo of the three of us, which was very nice of him.

This is a view of Fairy Lake from the lookout. Notice that little island. That's where I want to live.

This is a closer view. This was just breathtaking and would be at any time of year.

From the lookout. Fairy Lake is in the background. This area was ablaze with color.

Mom thought this little house was very unique sitting amongst the maples and surrounded by color.Another view of Fairy Lake. It is a beautiful place to visit. Pea, you have to take time to stop one of these days.

From the lookout you could see downtown Huntsville. Brandon could pick out Zellers and a lot of other businesses.

While we were enjoying the view, two bluejays swooped and played nearby. I was able to capture one of them.

We left the lookout and headed back downtown to pick up my meds. They weren't quite ready and I had to wait about 15 minutes.

Outside the drugstore at the end of the parking lot was the tree above. Notice the bird's nest. It was huge and shaped like a cornicopia. Brandon said his teacher had described a nest like this and he thought it was a weaver's nest. I'm not sure. If anyone knows, please let me know.

After picking up the meds, we headed to Highway 11 South. We saw this beautiful gateway back into Huntsville.

After getting onto the highway, it only took us about a half hour to get to Gravenhurst. This is a smaller town than Huntsville. We stopped to browse in Stedman's and stretch our legs.

Right next door to Stedman's was the Goofy Moose. The moose is wooden and a lady told us it draws a lot of comments.

Across the street from Stedman's was this small building that was decorated with cornstalks, mum plants and a beautifully colored maple tree right out front. The photo doesn't do it justice.

These cornstalks with the ribbons were at every lamp post. They certainly added to the autumn atmosphere.

We returned to the car, went for a bowl of soup and a sandwich and then found a motel for the night. It was the same price as the night before, but we got an entire suite. One bedroom with two beds and in the living room was a pull-out couch. Brandon and I spent an hour or so fishing off the dock, but didn't catch any fish. However, the scenery was quite nice and it was enjoyable spending time in the great outdoors.

Have a great weekend. Enjoy the sights, sounds and fragrances of Autumn. Tomorrow I will be posting about a surprise I received in the mail. ~Blessings, Mary~

Our Mini Vacation Day 2 Huntsville, Ontario

Well, after a night of tossing and turning for me, Brandon and Mom were up before I was. I heard her tell him that I hadn't had a good night. When I got up and around, Brandon told me that he had the car all packed. Yes, he had taken Mom's and his suitcases out to the car and had it packed nicely. Once I was ready, he took my suitcase out and we were off to Huntsville. We followed Highway # 35 right up. The scenery was breathtaking but the road was windy and the shoulder too narrow to stop for photos.

It took about an hour to get to Huntsville and then we stopped at Tim Horton's for a coffee and some pumpkin doughnuts. Mmm! They were delicious.

Above is the view from the Tim Horton's parking lot. I though it was beautiful. I would love to live there.

Next we went to Shopper's Dr*ug Mart to ask them to have my meds transferred there. They were very cooperative and told me it would take about 3 hours. So we decided to go to the Huntsville and Lake of Bays Railway. This is a historical Railway that ran through the area between 1904 and 1959. It delivered to the logging camps and took passengers and mail to destinations throughout the area.

We had about an hour to wait before the train left, so we decided to take some photos of the area.
The colors were quite nice and it was a pleasant day. The sun was shining and the Muskoka River ran through the area.

Here is a glimpse of the Muskoka River right next to the Railway. Such pretty scenery. We all enjoyed it.Brandon took a few minutes to check out the arena. The Railway and the arena share the parking lot.

There is also a playground there to keep the kids busy while they are waiting for the train.

Brandon asked me if we could sit on the swings while we waited and we did. We had a swing too.

Then he asked Mom to have a swing with him. Mom didn't swing very much, but Brandon enjoyed seeing both his Grandma and his Great-Grandma on the swing. We had a few laughs here.

By this time the brakeman had arrived and opened up the station, so we went in to investigate. The potbellied stove was a beauty. Mom told Brandon that when she was a girl her grandfather had a stove very similar to this.

There was information about the early days of logging in the area and it was quite interesting.

Now the conductor and engineer has arrived. The brakeman is in the jeans and jean jacket. They were all very nice to Brandon. These men are volunteers and I commend them for taking the time to talk to the kids and answer all of their questions. Brandon is a train buff and he had a million questions about the train.

This was an interesting display. Brandon couldn't believe that the women of that era wore these skirts and long-sleeved blouses. He looked at the trunks and the baggage carts. It was all very interesting.

The conductor got Brandon outside and asked him to be Assistant Conductor. Brandon wore the hat for a while and I tried to talk him into doing it but he said, "Grandma, you know I don't like to be the center of attention." I told him if he didn't want to, he didn't have to. I would never force him to do something that would make him feel uncomfortable.

Above is the water tank where they get the water for the little steam engine.

It is quite a beauty and well-maintained and cared for. This is the same train that drew logs, passengers and delivered mail between 1904 and 1959.

This little guy is posing with the conductor. I asked his father for permission to take the photo and most graciously consented. He was a fine Assistant Conductor.

Well, I'd best leave the rest of Day 2 until tomorrow. I didn't realize I had taken so many photos and our day had been so busy.

Enjoy your Friday. Yes, the weekend is here and this weekend it's Canadian Thanksgiving. Saturday dinner will be at Mom's and we are having turkey. Whoohoo!! That will be an opportunity for more photos. ~Blessings, Mary~

Thankful Thursday and Day One of our Mini Vacation

Today is Thankful Thursday. It is a day when we list the things we are thankful for. If you would like to participate, be sure to stop by Sting My Heart and pay Iris a visit. You can find all the information there.

Well, it's Thursday and this week I have a lot to be thankful for. Mom, Brandon and I left Monday morning for a mini vacation to the Muskoka/Haliburton Highlands area of Ontario. This is what I'm thankful for this week:

1. The opportunity to get away with Mom and Brandon.

2. The beautiful scenery that we saw along the way.

3. For kind people who went out of our way to lend us a hand when I forgot all of my meds at home. The hospital staff and the pharmacy staff all went out of their way to ensure I received the meds that I needed. Without them we would have had to start for home Tuesday morning.

4. For a husband who can take care of himself for a few days while I'm absent. We had never been away from each other for this long in our almost 20 years of marriage.

5. For a safe journey and an enjoyable time.

Now for some photos:

The above photo was taken along Highway # 35. We were just entering the area where all the leaves were in the peak of their color.
Along Highway # 35 near Minden, Ontario. There were lots of rocks, trees and lakes. Brandon especially loved the color along the lakes and so did Mom and I.

The above photo was a wetland area, but was very dirty. It was more like a swamp but very pretty. Notice the reflection of the trees in the water.
Another one of the same area. Such a pretty area.

Above is Twelve Mile Lake, just north of Minden, Ontario. Hubby and I stayed in this area in 1992 and it was nice to see it again. It has built up some during the last 16 years, but not as much as I thought it might have.

Another of Twelve Mile Lake from a different area. This is a beautiful area. Brandon and I picked up some bait not far from this spot and we headed to Haliburton to go fishing.

A Mallard was very friendly and not at all afraid of humans. Several couples were strolling or sitting on benches in the area and I imagine that they feed the ducks.

As we sat on the pier fishing, this is the view we had straight ahead.

Another view from the Haliburton pier. This is a beautiful lake and a quaint little town.

We didn't catch anything here. In fact we didn't catch anything at all on our trip but we did have a lot of fun and made many wonderful memories.

Tomorrow I will post day two of our mini vacation. The fall colors are fabulous. ~Blessings, Mary~

Griffyn and Tarryn

On the weekend, Melissa, Griffyn and Tarryn came to visit Michelle and the boys. Barry was working all weekend, so the girls were able to visit and have a bit of fun.

On Sunday morning, Melissa phoned and asked me if I was coming over to see the boys. I was happy to oblige. I love Griffyn and I have only seen Tarryn once before.

When I got there, Griffyn was just having a snack. A Tim Hort*ons timbit - the old fashioned kind with no glaze or sugar. Melissa is very good with him and doesn't allow him to have candy or a lot of sugar.
Griffyn is not only walking, but running and has been for some time. It's amazing how fast they grow. He is cutting teeth and likes to chew on his finger. Notice his tiger on the coffee table. He has several of these animals and loves them all.
Tarryn loves laying on the floor and watching all the things above him. I forget what these are called, but I remember Brandon having one. Both he and Jordan loved it. They are good entertainment for infants. Tarry looks at everything already. He's discovering the world.Well, Tarryn has been fed and is out like a light. I'm not sure how Melissa got so lucky but both of these boys are good kids. Griffyn obeys commands most of the time. He did get a one minute time-out while I was there for opening the drawers on Michelle's desk. Of course he is curious but Melissa doesn't let him away with anything. She is very gentle in her speaking tone and just says no, no. If Griffyn doesn 't obey after being told a couple of times, it's time out and he is learning.

Brandon was very good with the boys. He held and burped Tarryn and read Griffyn several stories over the weekend. On Saturday Griffyn crawled into his lap to listen him read. I wish I had seen that. I bet Brandon was ecstatic, though the on ly indication of this would have been a grin.

Jordan wanted to hold Tarryn and have his picture taken. He had some fun with both boys. Brandon didn't want his picture taken at the time, so I didn't force him. Melissa was teaching him how to do something on the computer.

I enjoyed the visit with all the kids. I held Griffyn and he offered to share his snack and his drink with me. I think Melissa is doing an excellent job with these boys who are only a year and one month apart. It can't be easy taking care of a 15 month old and a 2 month old.

As you read this, I am away with Brandon and Mom. We are going up north to see the autumn colors and Brandon and I are going to do a bit of fishing. I will be back Wednesday, but not sure what time. I have scheduled this to publish at 12:01 AM and hope it works.

Enjoy your week and enjoy the sights, sounds and fragrances of the season. ~Blessings, Mary~