Day 9 on the Oak Rdges Moraine Trail

Well Skylar and I walked into our favourite county so far..... Hamilton Township. No relation. I have wanted to get to this section for some time and I am excited to do so.. however not on the hottest day of the year so far. Thirty nine on the humidex is a little too hot but in for a penny and in for a pound. Maybe the dog pound.

 

Skylar excited to get started as always.

 

 

A great view and miles to go.

 

 

Birds and bird songs everywhere.

 

 

To the right I thought I was on the set of Teletubbies

 

 

At every turn there was something to notice.... especially for a painter

 

 

 

Red pine and Scotch pine everywhere and blown by the Westwind.

 

 

Rich dark wild Lilacs.

 

 

On February 14, 1791, Hamilton Township was named for Henry Hamilton, who had been lieutenant-governor of Quebec from 1782-85. John Graves Simcoe, lieutenant-governor of Upper Canada, advertised in the Philadelphia papers of 1791 offering 200 acres to each emigrant who would take a loyalty oath to Britain and perform settlement duties. Some of these immigrants were loyalists.

Thanks Henry!

 

 

Start to come along the farm fields and rows of spring plantings that only 200 years ago were forests like the ones I have have already come through.

 

 

Skylar and I continue past more fields and vistas but it just keeps getting hotter for Skylar .. she is panting too much for my liking so at the next road I decide to cut it short for her but not before a few more scenes.

 

 

Another great path that invites you to explore.

 

 

Hedgerows of trees shelter you at times from the heat.

 

 

Skylar is done and we have one last look down the road and head back earlier than expected but it leaves more to see for the future.

 

 

On the way home we come through the little hamlet of Baltimore where this mill sits enchantingly off to the side of the road.. Skylar and I go to investigate.

Ball’s Mill began as a carding mill and sawmill in 1842. It was owned and operated for three generations of the Ball family until it was purchased by the Ganaraska Region Conservation Authority. In 1988 Paul Rapati bought the mill, saving it from being torn down due to a lack of funding for restoration projects. He is currently working on restoring the mill ....

 

“People go to Europe to see the castles. These old mills are our castles. It’s important for communities all over, not just Baltimore, to keep and restore buildings like this. When things are changing all around us, it’s important to have some continuity.” -Paul Rapati

 

Time to head home water Skylar and soothe the Poison Ivy.