Light as Thistledown

The Canada thistles are all going to seed.

I love the effect when the early morning sun catches the thistledown.

I know they are a terrible weed, but they are so pretty,

and the goldfinches love the seeds.

Macro Flowers Saturday

I have no idea what this plant is. The flowers, looking like a lobster claw, are about two inches long, and this lovely blue colour.

Cattle at Upper Canada Village

A couple of calves were grazing in the farmyard,

separated from the cows. The workers think the horns were left on the cows to help them if they got into brush, but no one is really sure.

Gardens

This garden is in Manotick, where we stopped for breakfast on the drive to Upper Canada Village.

This is a random photo of a vegetable garden at the Village,

while this is a formal garden in front of the grandest house in the place.

This is the view from another porch we sat on during a heavier period of rain. You can see the St. Lawrence in the distance.

Print Shop

They have used this poster at Upper Canada Village for at least 18 years, since my kids were young, and I used to wonder why. This visit, I saw how much work is involved in making a picture for one of those old presses. Would you want to create a new picture every year?

I forget the statistics for setting a page of type. Something on the order of 2 days to set it and proof it, and another day and a half to tear it apart again.

We have it kind of easy nowadays, don't we?

Amaranth

Amaranth is grown as a food crop in some areas. The seeds are tiny, and each plant produces millions of them.

There are colours other than red, but I have not seen any this summer, but there are the two types of red.

The drooping blossoms are also called love lies bleeding.

Bread Maker

One of the popular buildings at Upper Canada Village is the breadmaker. They use flour ground at the Village to make loaves of plain, hearty bread, which are sold in the shop at the gates. We were there between bakings, so the fire was simply smouldering, waiting.

Skywatch Friday

Culver's Root is another plant that is a wildflower, somewhat south of this climate zone.

This is a lovely large plant at the gardens at the college. It is planted beside the speedwells, to contrast the similar plants.

The flowers are tiny, but there are so many of them that the display is wonderful!

Pioneer Memorial

Beside Upper Canada Village is the Pioneer Memorial.

It, and the Village, were built to preserve some of the history that was about to be flooded.

All the little church graveyards and family plots had to be moved, and these long walls are the result. I do not know if the bones were moved as well, or if they are still at the bottom of the river.

Annie and Jake

The dogs came to Upper Canada Village with us. Jake was confused when I went into a building, and talked to him from a window. He just couldn't figure out where I was.

Annie was afraid of the horses and the cows, but thought the piglet was interesting. He did not reciprocate her interest.

Tansy

Another yellow flower found in waste land is tansy.

I think it used to be used as a dye plant.

I like it for the shape and the colour.

Once you get very close to the flower heads, the individual blossoms are interesting.

Fish at Upper Canada Village

In the park just before the gate to the Village, there is one of those food dispensing machines, so people can feed the fish. Last time I was there, the fish were fed through the back window of the grist mill, not by the public.

In a real village of the time, the fish would likely have been used as food before they got to be this large. All the ones I saw were more than three feet long.

Sheep

Of course, there were sheep at Upper Canada Village.

Their wool was used for so many things in the 1860's.

I like the way this little lady is peeking under the rail fence.

And here is a pile of wool, waiting to be processed at the mill.

Watery Wednesday

This is the porch at Loucks' Farm where we sheltered from a thundershower. Dogs are not allowed in the buildings.

I got lots of photos of raindrops - on hosta flowers,

falling on the hired man's house and the garden,

and on the apple tree.