Dog Walk: Cherry Beach, Toronto Port Lands, ON

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Sunday afternoons are dangerous without at least one ill-thought-out plan.

So I decided I would investigate a few fellow dog owner reports of a dog park at Cherry Beach. I'm fairly attached to the west end of Toronto: I don't travel east of Yonge very often out of convenience, however, I am sucker for the promise of waterfront, sailboats & clean leash-free beaches, no matter how treacherous the journey.

(It was a fine journey with a lovely end result. The dog beach at Cherry Beach was full of friendly folks and friendly dogs and it was exceedingly spacious. I recommend it if you live nearby, or are looking for new digs for your dog to roam in Toronto.)

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Based entirely on a google map of the Port Lands I also attempted to take Bismarck to Tommy Thompson Park located at the end of the Leslie Street Split, but discovered at the gates that we were unwelcome. Note for incoming googlers: there are no dogs allowed at Tommy Thomson Park, for a list of very good reasons that mostly involve scaring waterfowl.

 

 

Dog Walk: Humber Bay Park West, Mimico, ON

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There is hardly ever anyone at the leash free dog park at Humber Bay West, I suspect this is because it is at the furthest end of the furthest peninsula & nobody lives nearby.

So I usually just watch swans & sail boats & play fetch & get inspired & such.

Dog Walk: Stone Beaches, Col. Sam Smith Park, Etobicoke, ON

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Strong wind & blazing sun & thick humid air & cold deep water are pretty much all perfect things, thanks.

Dog Walk: Fog in Bloom

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When I came back from my trip, everything was in bloom. The raw bright greens & multi-coloured blossoms are so vibrant through the grey fog. So that I don't mind at all.

Foggy Spring Rambling

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It has been a damp foggy spring so far. There are thousands of snails hiding out in a field not too far from my apartment, I find them stunning, but I also (unfortunately) find them crushed in the treads of my boots.

Hike: Brick Beach, Longbranch, Etobicoke, ON

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Took a walk along the coast of Lake Ontario (A common occurrence, with frequently suprising results.), and found a beach made almost entirely of red and yellow buff brick, the last remains of demo'd historic homes, dumped, washed, worn and spit out again.

Ice Hike: 4kms out on Lake Erie, ON

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Lake Erie has been frozen for quite a while. My Dad and Uncle have been ice fishing up a storm, apparently it has been a good year. (Over 150 perch so far. What they catch is mostly cleaned, frozen and stored for our yearly family fish fry on Good Friday.)

If there is a place for a long, quiet, undisturbed walk it is out on the ice. Overcast, the temperature hovered around 0*C. Bismarck got to eat whatever minnows he found frozen in the ice. 

Hike: Wainfleet Bog - Port Colborne/Wainfleet, ON

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Went for a hike at the Wainfleet Bog with Bismarck and friends. It snowed the day before, leaving us with 10cm of fresh powder over an icy base. There was some flooding, and we saw at least one beaver dam. The water was the blackest of black, like coffee. (Don't fall in, or that'll be your eternity.)

 

Mid-February Thaw - Etobicoke, ON

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Life lesson: Everything melts.

Fully Ice'd Park

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Between the rain and the waves and the wind and the snow, almost no surface remains exposed. One sunny morning, everything glimmers.

Man I love me a Canadian winter.

Hike: Ball's Falls Conservation Area - Lincoln, ON

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Natural Heritage:

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Built Heritage:

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Cultural Heritage:

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Chocolate:

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The four pillars. Enroute to my hometown, I decided to take a pit stop at one of my favourite places to hike as a kid.

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I also ran into this group of kayakers, the sort who when they see this:

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Think "Let's run the falls."

More on Ball's Falls at Ontario Trails

And at the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority

Up the Etobicoke River

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Today I went for a three hour walk up the Etobicoke River, starting where it empties into Lake Ontario, but without a specific destination. I had never walked that far up the river, always preferring to stay close to the lake, so I wasn't sure what to expect.

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Almost two hours in I found my destination: A designated concrete bowstring bridge, a treat for someone like me. (The heritage register I am responsible for has three such bridges.)

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I've realized I can only be truly comfortable near a large body of water. I guess it comes from growing up on the Great Lakes.

Daylight Savings Time

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Dog Walk: Weatherbombed

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By sun, spray & crisp autumn winds. (Toronto got the long end of the stick, I guess.)

Bean Boots & Bismarck - Thames River, London, ON

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After the Storm

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Oh Canada Wild Rice!

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As per The Plan, I picked up a cotton sack of On Canada Wild Rice to try at the Metro near my work. It is gathered and roasted locally, in Keewatin, Ontario.

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It comes with a small recipe book, including with nutritional info and cooking instructions.

Wild rice is low in fat and high in protein, lysine (an amino acid) and dietary fiber. It is a good source of potassium, phosphorus, thiamine, riboflavin and niacin. And importantly for me it is also gluten free!

It takes longer than traditional rice to cook, about 1 hour in total, but it was well worth the wait.

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Incidently, it is also delicious! I served the wild rice with yellow thai curry and fresh greens. Wild rice is roasted, like coffee, and has a rich, nutty flavor. It's texture is a lot like long grain traditional rice, even though wild rice is biologically not related to traditional rice. Even my extra-picky partner gave wild rice a thumbs up!

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After dinner I took Bismarck out for a walk. We chased this gaggle of Canada Geese out of the road.

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Oh Canada!

Dog Park Sunset

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The sun was just rising when I took Bismarck out this morning at 6:45am, it went down a little after 7pm. Soon I'll be leaving for work & coming home in darkness.

Oh, Canada.

Flying Island

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I spotted Laputa just before the sun went down.

Bridge & Burn: Red Stitch

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In The Mail: Bridge & Burn

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Castle in Khaki

As Tall as Trees

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Climbing Rocks

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The Tree on the Point

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Canada Geese vs. Angry Waves

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