Winter Holiday time in Elora

There is nothing ordinary about Elora.  This is the view when you take the dog out for a walk.  Even on a gray day, you have to stop and admire the natural beauty of the place... just right for contemplating the year's end and new beginnings.

And shopping for that extra special gift or thank you note?  Elora's Mill and Metcalfe streets with their pretty amazing selection of eclectic shops certainly do an impressive job of filling everyone's wish list.  

(Not to forget gems just outside of the Village, like Wellington Fibres just a little ways out on Middlebrook Road.)

This is Pariscope, with stunning ice arrangements decorating their doorway...  

but who can beat a woolly sheep with boots on?  This sweetie stood outside Yarn Bird, a must-see if you knit!

(All these photos were taken by my sister Doris on our December 24th walk before Santa's arrival.  Thank you, Doris!)

Getting our feet wet

Back in mid-August on a weekday when we stole a few hours for ourselves, Mom, Willow and I explored the Irvine Creek.  We took the stone stairs in Victoria Park and wandered up and down the creek bed, exploring the caves and enjoying the cool water rushing over our feet.  It's a very pleasant way to spend a hot afternoon!

In the water stand two pillars and we wondered what they were for... well, it turns out there used to be a footbridge!  Above is a picture of the David Street bridge today and you can just see it in the background of this 1920s image.

I had come across this photo somewhere but it's too unclear to figure out the specific location...

and then I found this image in the Wellington County History Volume 15, 2002 issue!  Wow!  The text reads "Downstream from Elora's David Street bridge,and until its destruction by Hurricane Hazel in 1954, there was once a footbridge across the floor of the gorge.  The earliest version dated back to the 1880s, when Elora made its first serious attempts to cash in on the tourist trade.  The final version of the footbridge sat on a pair of heavy concrete piers that carried the walkway 12 feet above the floor of the gorge.  Stairs at one time descended both sides of the gorge." (page 62)

Now we can't wait for better weather so we can explore and figure out where the other set of stairs used to be!  

This gorgeous root is near the base of the David Street bridge.

Awaiting Spring...

Before the snow, my sister took these photos, capturing the elegant beauty of Nature before she's covered with a thick, white blanket and getting her beauty sleep. 

And then there's the contrast between Nature and man-made objects, like the Elora Mill, standing currently empty but also awaiting a grand rebirth.

 

And what of the abandoned structures across from the Elora Mill?  Time will tell...

(Thank you for the photos, Doris!)

A sense of place

I found these two books at the public library (libraries are wonder-filled!) and found them both to offer interesting things to say about living along a racing river.  Almost every day I walk along the Irvine River gurgling, whirling and dancing at the bottom of the Gorge and it's always beautiful, and somehow mind-quieting. In "A Living River by the Door", Sylvia Galbraith writes, "The act of looking at flowing water provokes instant revery and remove from one's day.  The river water in perpetual departure exerts a relentless tug on the spirit, and instills a constant, if veiled, awareness that over the horizon on all sides lie the vast freshwater lakes that define this countryside, and the imaginative landscape of all living here."  I only partial agree, but it started me thinking about my relationship to the River.  I think the constant arriving and departing of the water creates a very deep sense of "here" and "right now".  I'm not inspired to think about where the water has been or where it's going, or a need to dream about elsewhere, I feel my feet become very rooted to the spot, not letting the flow take me away from a strong attachment and awareness of where I am.

  

Living in such a natural area is easy on the senses and the soul.  I hope to cultivate this appreciation and never take it for granted!

Missing the ghosts of October

Autumn is gone and winter winds are starting to blow.  Although we had a dumping of snow last week, we're back to regular November weather now...  I took these photos in October, the top two are from the David Street bridge while the ghost leaf's image was captured on the sidewalk by our house. 

 If anyone else wants a recount and a do-over of Hallowe'en, I'm in total agreement!!!! 

Thank you, Mother Nature!

An October weekend of incredible weather is a real gift, so thank you Mother Nature for giving us this opportunity to finally visit the Elora Gorge Conservation Area and the Elora Quarry!  Wow!

So this is the Elora Gorge:  well-maintained, easy to walk trails along the racing gorge, sprinkled with autumn leaves... 

Incredibly beautiful cedar root formations...

Isn't this molten root bizarre!?

And there's something definitely feminine about this root.

The Quarry also had fantastic sights:

If we didn't live here we certainly would enjoy visiting!  These sights are only a 10 minute drive from our B&B.

 And Willow was tuckered out!  Do you like her Nightmare Before Christmas collar?