I've decided to take a break from the freedom of the trails to get a different perspective. What is the opposite of freedom? Well that depends on who you ask and how you define 'freedom'.
The opposite of freedom can mean freedom from the chains that bind you, captivity, imprisonment, confinement or freedom from fear and constraints.
One can argue that a lot of these animals outside of these bars and chains would never survive for as long as they have here. That they are given food and nourishment and routine check ups. They are loved and cared for by their keepers better than anything that can be found in the wild. But that brings me back to the word freedom.
The Toronto Zoo opened in 1974 and is situated in the Rouge River Valley. Encompassing over 287 hectares (714 acres), it is the biggest zoo in Canada.
There are over 5,000 animals (including invertebrates and fish) representing over 450 species.
When I looked at the animals I sometimes felt their loneliness, and in some cases their loss of freedom.
We started coming in to the park and came upon a long line up before getting our admission and maybe for a split second we were going to turn around and hit the trails instead (Rouge Valley Conversation Trail), but we decided to pay the animals a visit, literally.
After entering the park, you are almost immediately barricaded by the traditional tourist taunts. Like colourful, shiny and mirrored horses on a merry-go-round; A square-paned glass gift shop called "The Green-House" ; an enchanting arched bridge which carried you into the entrance of the animals.
First up Red River Hogs from South Africa, Wild Boars from the South America and Tapir from Southeast India. I found the Tapir very interesting. It has a nose that it can use to pick up small objects.
It can also breath underwater through their nose by using the same method as we do with the snorkel! They are fairly gentle animals and their defenses are pretty much their keen sense of smell, and their ability to use camoflague effectively. The babies curl up with their black and white outer shell making them look like tiny watermelons, doing undetected.
The adults will lay still in the shade of the forest in the night like a large rock that is bathing in moonlight. They also have a thick skin at the back of their necks also important to their survival.
The zoo is divided into seven geographical regions: the Indo-Malaya, where you experience the humidity of the rain forest, and witness butterflies flying about your head and Orangutans hanging off of tree limbs.
India, where you'll see the Rhinoceros and the Long-tailed Macaque. Africa, where you'll see the white lion, speedy cheetahs, the long elephant, the hippos, the antelopes, meerkats, giraffes and baboons.
The Canadian Domain has raccoons, cougars, a bald eagle, grizzlies, meese (mooses?), bison and of course the ferocious chipmunk.
The birds were everywhere in all parts of the zoo. Found in the rain-forested walk-through which was surrounded by lovely water falls and dense forestry, such as the South American Blue Jay, the Macaws and the Pink Flamingos of the Americas.
Throughout the day, I was constantly reminded of all of the great times my husband and I had taking the kids to the zoo when they were young. It's funny but as soon as it is close to 6:00 in the afternoon, all the kids starts getting restless, tired and cranky as do the parents by this time.
It comes to mind that perhaps freedom to any of these animals is like nothing left to lose. I mean they have been chosen in a sense, and though it may have been against their will or their best interest, I really don't see the harm in saving an animal from extinction or from the wild.
The Zoological society of Toronto has a commitment to saving those species that are injured or in danger like 3 polar bears from the wild in 2011 and over 120 animals in 2012.
All in all visiting these critters, both large and small gave a new hope to having boundaries that are safe. Being safe is just as important as possessing total freedom in an unsafe planet. This place is like an animals paradise.
If there's anything that can heal me it's a good long walk through the woods or a soul-search over the fields of wildflowers, day-old hay and the sounds of a distant locomotive.
How could I have known that my life has been easy and blessed until this year, which I will always remember as one of the worst? It is true that tragedy brings forth pain and challenges, and if you can rise to it, you will be stronger.
While I long for the simpler days again, never realizing that simple is good and not to complain, it is in the wake of these challenges that I appreciate the buzzing of the bees and the flight of the birds overhead and the birth of regrowth that shows me life is going on all around me. I'd love to walk here alone, but I can't. I have to share myself with others that need me and maybe I might need them too.
I'm not done with this as there are still many obstacles ahead, but why not walk here undaunted, if not for answers, but for peace alone. So I did.
My camera isn't working as well as it used to. I focus into something small and close, but it doesn't want to sharpen the view. It's time for a new camera, but I still love taking pictures. I have plenty I haven't cataloged yet, and some posts have been put off until now. I have decided to balance worry with wisdom, heartache with hope.
This is another series of trails in the lovely Rouge Valley Conservation Area. This one is called Cedar Trail. It's all off-road; no vehicles allowed here, so no point in looking back, but I will say one thing, the trail ends at a very inconvenient place in the middle of nowhere really. So if you are on foot, you are looking at about an 8-10 km trek back to the city of Toronto, unless you want to turn around and go back the way you came. I personally don't like to hike that way, and quite a few others are the same. Moving forward without backtracking is pretty common. But these trails aren't designed for that as they are in the middle of a conservation area which is a non-profit charitable organization that offers hikes and educational tours. It is designed to have you come back to them, so that you can donate, share, assist, learn and restore.
The Rouge River flows through it from near McCowan Road to 19th Avenue. It begins in the Oak Ridges Moraine in Richmond Hill and goes by Markham northwest, central to south and into a few other smaller conservation areas. It flows like chocolate milk as it picks up mud and debris traveling south.
Cedar Trail is one of 5 trails in the conservation area. This particular one is 2.2 km through old growth forest. Even while it was sweltering out and the sun was hot and humid, the lush valley was cool by comparison. There are some steep grades on the trail and several wooden staircases taking you down into the forest floor, which is yet another reason, I personally don't wish to go back up where I came from. I had no idea that what lay ahead was 2 hours of walking to get back into the suburban core. It's rural country out here, next to the Metropolitan Toronto Zoo, which shares land space. Passing several hectares of unripened corn crops and long two-laned highways it was quite the hike. The Rouge Valley Conservation area is not for biking either.
So, come here to escape, belong to nature again and watch out for the coyotes (warning posters have been in every trail from Hamilton to Eastern Ontario). When you go into the valley, expect to come right back up in this place, otherwise expect a 2-3 hour journey along Beare Rd up to Steeles almost as far as Markham Road.
Was it worth it? Yes. You can expect to see small streams that flow into the Little Rouge Creek. You will see all kinds of wetland and meadow species near southern sections of the trail and forest species in the north.
If you haven't had a chance to challenge yourself in a while, I suggest starting with a place where you can't look back.
First up Red River Hogs from South Africa, Wild Boars from the South America and Tapir from Southeast India. I found the Tapir very interesting. It has a nose that it can use to pick up small objects. 
The birds were everywhere in all parts of the zoo. Found in the rain-forested walk-through which was surrounded by lovely water falls and dense forestry, such as the South American Blue Jay, the Macaws and the Pink Flamingos of the Americas. 
Throughout the day, I was constantly reminded of all of the great times my husband and I had taking the kids to the zoo when they were young. It's funny but as soon as it is close to 6:00 in the afternoon, all the kids starts getting restless, tired and cranky as do the parents by this time. 
It comes to mind that perhaps freedom to any of these animals is like nothing left to lose. I mean they have been chosen in a sense, and though it may have been against their will or their best interest, I really don't see the harm in saving an animal from extinction or from the wild. 
The Zoological society of Toronto has a commitment to saving those species that are injured or in danger like 3 polar bears from the wild in 2011 and over 120 animals in 2012.
All in all visiting these critters, both large and small gave a new hope to having boundaries that are safe. Being safe is just as important as possessing total freedom in an unsafe planet. This place is like an animals paradise.
