Grounded in Merritton

A now-abandoned lock of the Second Welland Canal in Merritton, Ontario. The photo shows the previous location of one of the two lock gates. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)


A few weeks ago I mentioned that I had started a new blog

about my hometown Merritton, Ontario

 http://www.slabtowncanada.blogspot.com 

and was hoping to inspire others Merritton people to blog

their stories about  the old town.

 

On one hand I haven't been very successful.  I didn't realize

that blogging is a unique  form of writing to which not all people

can  adapt.

On the other hand the face book group that I set up to go along

with the blog is becoming quite popular.  More and more folks

are connecting with long lost friends and the "do you remember

when ..." conversations are long and always amusing.

 

Old photos are coming out of albums and being posted for

everybody to see. 


People we've lost are being mourned.

 

It has given me a feeling of being grounded. 

Of belonging.

 

I'm still hoping to round up more bloggers but for now

I'm one happy Cave Springs* camper!




* Cave Springs was the name of the camp a

lot of Merritton kids went to in the summer




***

Rising Above

I'm adjusting to life in the city.


There are some perks.



For example,

North Pelham had a feed mill for animals


whereas the city offers a variety


of feed mills for humans.

One such establishment is the

 

Rise Above Bakery & Catering

which is also a vegan restaurant


in downtown St. Catharines.

I was quite impressed by the local artwork on display.

The picture of a  rifle bearing hunter

in a vegan restaurant really got my attention. 

And the food was great.

Potato, beet salad.

Very yum.

The chili was excellent.

I didn't think I'd be able to finish it but

holy cow

oops, I mean

holy red kidney beans

I gobbled it all up in no time!

These men were kind enough to let me take their picture

  but they wouldn't share their soup and sandwiches .

Just goes to show you how cold the concrete jungle can be, eh?

But most vegans just want to have fun.

 

And a lot of their fun seems to centre around dessert.

I had part of a raspberry something.

Totally Orgasmic!

This young waiter is trying to get me interested in the freshly baked bread.

(Like I'm thinking bread when I can see the dessert counter.)

Lunch was less than $10

and it was tasty and filling without being heavy .

So if you live in Niagara

or are just passing through

grab a bite at the

Rise Above Bakery and Catering

120 St. Paul St., St. Catharines, Ont.

289-362-2636.

Tell them Francie sent you. 

They'll wonder who the hell Francie is

but you won't be sorry you stopped in.  

Spiders, Insects, Weeds and Birds - Yikes!

Nature makes the transition to autumn before we do. Here are four sure fire ways you can recognize the changing of the seasons.

The creepy crawlies are trying to get inside to find a cozy home for the winter.

I had to wrestle this garden spider to the ground last night - right in my bedroom! I wasn't about to snuggle up with the big fella till next April. A girl has her standards. He spent the night in this glass jar and in the morning was given a stern lecture and quickly ushered back outside.

The monarchs are congregating in the trees getting ready for the long trip to Mexico. I counted fifteen on this one branch.

I wouldn't mind visiting them in Mexico round about the middle of January, but so far, although I have hosted hundreds, not one return invitation has been issued!

The golden rod behind the barn is as tall as I am. I can't think of a plant that causes more misery.

Okay, okay, I suppose poison ivy and poison oak cause more misery. Oh - and what about that new plant that is now in Ontario, Giant Hog weed? It looks like Queen Anne's Lace, but, and I'm sure I heard this on CBC, it is so evil it sucks your brains out through your nostrils if you try to sniff it.

















And the last sign.

It is a bit of a dire warning.











It happened almost three weeks early this year.

 

The martins are gone.