|
Everywhere we go, it's for delightful rocks
SHEILA QUINN WILSON, MOTHER INSPIRED
At Organics Farm, Markham – Doesn't she look proud of her basket of red?
August 3, 2007 – I am the first to admit, I get great inspiration from this website and it has formed many great friendships over the years. The basis for this entry is inspired by our visit to Markham's Organics Farm and York Regional Forest last weekend, directly a result of
Laura Buckley's and Carolyn Hoar's last articles. After a couple of tough weeks, we just needed to regroup – family time for the four of us – and SayItCornell.com was a great reference point.
At Organics Farm, Markham – The girls enjoy the fresh air. These raspberries were very carefully placed in their awaiting basket.
At Organics Farm, Markham – Want some?
At York Regional Forest, north of Markham – Princess of the Forest with her pouch of well-deserved rocks! She's so proud!
|
|
|
|
We started the day with Raspberry Picking at Organics Farm. It amazed us how beautiful the countryscape truly is – and just minutes from our own backyard! Once we arrived, we were greeted by a pleasant young Passafiume who instructed us to go all the way to the end of the rows, "Nobody goes there and the raspberries are this big!"
We started, in the heat, and halfway down our little one squealed in delight, "A rock! A rock for my election," her voice so crisp in the quiet of the vast field. We had to coerce her to drop the rock because she would need both hands to pick the raspberries. She was reluctant at first, but eventually obliged. We continued on, and once at the end, I showed the girls what to look for – colour, size, etc. – and how to avoid others. After that, every single one of their berries were gloriously presented to me and approval was requested before the raspberries proudly found their home in the basket.
We made to leave after filling the baskets but not before we satisfied our bellies with a whole bunch straight from the pesticide-free bush! Yum!
But picking berries just doesn't take that long so we turned north through Stouffville, passed Ballantrae on Highway 48, and headed for the York Regional Forest for a hike. Our oldest charged ahead, picking wild flowers, and exerted her ample energy to its fullest. Our youngest marvelled at, you may take a light guess... yup, more rocks. She elected them until her little hands couldn't carry any more but she kept spotting more good ones! I helped her hold out the front of her dress like a pouch and she filled it to the brim – until she could walk no more! It was sweet, our Princess of the Forest had to be carried out, her fresh gather neatly tucked on her lap.
Since that day, the girls have asked to go back to the farm and forest. Our next stop will be Eugenia Falls in the Town of Eugenia on Grey County Road 13, just north of Hwy 4. It is a short distance from Flesherton, about 50km southeast of Owen Sound and 100km northwest of the Toronto Area. This is one of the many waterfalls of the Niagara Escarpment – and is one of the more impressive. Aaaaaaaah, back to the forest always brings me home. The kids are excited. In fact, they are packing already!
Article by Sheila Quinn Wilson
Mother Inspired
©2007 All Rights Reserved. |
|
