Duffins Creek (Waterfront Trail)

After passing by the enormous and high-security Pickering Nuclear Generating Station, you will soon be in the area of Duffins Creek.  As you enter, you will see a welcoming sign, which will give you answers to any questions you have just in case you feel lost!  


Simcoe Point is the point of land that overlooks the mouth of Duffins Creek (Simcoe Point).  I thought the area would be an ideal place for a cottage or a home because of the flat land and beautiful lakefront views.  I did some reading about Simcoe Point, and apparently back in 1912, John Henry Greenlaw had built a house here called the "Simcoe House" and used it for a summer retreat.  Unfortunately, he died soon after it was built, and soon the property was sold to new owners who turned it into a popular destination.  In fact it attracted visitors all Ontario for over 25 years or so.  Simcoe point however declined rapidly after the Great depression and had burned to the ground sometime in 1950's.  There's a plaque which is erected there today, showing the history of the area and the people buried there.

Veterans Point

Duffins creek, was so well known in earlier times to be loaded with salmon, that the french called it ":Riviere au Saumon".  It was a spot for early settlers who built mills, and dams along the creek, preventing salmon from swimming upstream to spawn, this eventually led to their decline.  Today, it has its own character and all kinds of fish, trout, white sucker, carp and bass spawn here.    When you are here, its easy to forget your in an urban location. 

If you are walking the Trail, you will find that the east side of the creek leads to a asphalt path that winds it way directly into Rotary Park in Ajax.  With this feature, Rotary is perfect for bikers, joggers, strollers, in-line skaters, and people in wheelchairs to enjoy the waterfront views.  The Ajax Waterfront Park continues much like the Rotary park with its running trail along the top of the bluffs thorough the park.  There is a nearby locust grove that lines the view to the east.   

Locust Grove

Passed The Veterans Point Garden, which commemorates the Town's history and is dedicated to the HMS Ajax, the Defense Industries Limited  Please read more here:


The trail continues east along the asphalt path to Pickering Beach Road, where the park ends. Although you'll be on-road for about a kilometre, there is usually little traffic around so you can go on the shoulder until you get back onto the trail.  This is called Pickering Beach, beautiful scenery, and many of the original homes built after the war are still there.  The historical features still remain.  There is so much history here.

Hendrie Valley - Burlington

An old Plymouth down in the Valley

If you're looking for a really special trail hike that's fun for everyone, including young kids, you've got to check out Hendrie Valley.  Hendrie Valley slopes downward into Grindstone Creek which starts above the Escarpment in Flamborough.  It's one of the main tributaries that flows into the Hamilton area.

I recognize this place and the familiar 50 hectare marsh and the river mouth where geese and goslings and other fowl lay to rest.  The area has major access point along Plains Road, including the RBG Centre and the Cherry Hill Gate.  There are four sanctuaries (Hendrie Valley, Cootes, Rock Chapel and Berry Tract).  

Geese and Goslings

After doing some reading later about Hendrie, I didn't realize how popular this trail is for bird and animal watching.  Bring lots bird seed if you plan on taking this amazing hike in Burlington, because the chickadees are not shy.  I'll be adding more pics to this entry later.  If you are coming down, enter the Hendrie Valley trail from the end of Valley Inn Road, where there is parking.

You'll notice some bird feeders at the start of trail, and from what I've read, you will see plenty of species of birds along the trail.  Along with other forms of wildlife, including native fish that spawn in a protected area, turtles, chipmunks and muskrats.

Overall, it's to become one of my favorite trails to see in Burlington and I can't wait to get back on it again! Don't forget to bring plenty of seeds and nuts!

A Seagull's Demise

I wanted to add a post to the fishing section here on my blog about something disturbing I saw over the weekend.  It was on a public pier with your standard lighthouse feature at the end.  In an otherwise beautiful day, with perfect blue skies and billowy clouds there was the all too common sight of a seagull snagged on fishing line. 

He was just roosting on top of a sign post with what initially appeared like a broken wing.  As I got much closer, I was horrified to find that not only was there fishing line wrapped about its foot severing it, but also a shiny half-moon shaped object on top on the gulls head, which turned out to be part of a hook.  At first it went undetected, but soon I noticed that one eye was hooked as well.  This is horrible!  I went to a couple of people close by for help, and they didn’t seem too concerned, and actually made a joke like “its like a lip ring” .  I wasn’t laughing…in fact I couldn’t get this poor thing out of my mind.  Maybe it’s just me. I was told that my ‘heart break wasn’t helping the animal”  The truth is, they’re right.  What good did feeling sorry for the bird help it in anyway?  So here’s my tiny contribution …at least I’ll feel better about it, even if this may be the last day of the gull’s life..

  

First of all, if you are a fisherman and you’ve accidentally snagged a bird, here’s how to remove the hook.

 

Instructions

1

Reel the bird in very slowly. If you accidentally caught a bird with your fishing line, you must ensure that no further damage is done. Reeling the bird in quickly causes injuries, such as ripping the skin or frightening the bird, which leads to flailing and injuring itself more. Stop reeling in the bird once it is about 6 feet from the boat or shore.

2

Instruct another person to toss a casting net or hoop into the water near the bird. Throw bait or fish into the casting net or hoop, which coaxes the bird into going near the net.

Pull the net up once the bird is at least three-quarters of the way inside the net. Pull the fishing line up at the same time as the other person pulls up the net. This ensures that the hook is not pulled inside the skin or the bill of the bird.

4

Bring the bird inside the boat or on the shore. Have one person grab the bird's skull. Seagulls have small heads; grab the bird behind the eyes, not at the neck.

5

Place a towel or a cloth over the head while one person is still firmly holding the skull behind the eyes.

6

Hold the wings flat against the body to avoid flapping. Have the person holding the bird's head hold the wings down as well.

7

Locate the hook by looking over the body of the bird or following the fishing line to the hook. If the hook is in the wing, extend that wing while keeping the other wing flat against the body.

8

Push the hook through the skin until the barb of the hook is exposed. Cover the barb to avoid losing it, then cut the barb with wire cutters. Gently remove the hook from the skin.

9

Look over the bird to ensure there are no additional injuries.

One last comment, I am aware that fishermen are responsible for the most part, and DO actually take precautions to avoid injuring any animals and cleaning up the lines if they are snagged.  Saying that though, it just stands to reason that if there are birds around a dock area, don’t cast your line.  Just don’t do it, please.  In fact, take a few minutes to rethink your fishing spots to be completely away from public areas, piers, and marinas where the birds usually like to congregate.   

Honestly I am not crazy about seagulls and I know that nature can be cruel, but birds just shouldn’t have to survive a man-made fishing sport in order to move on to the next generation.  That’s just not natural selection.

Progreston Falls-Carlisle

I don't think you can ever enter the small town of Carlisle for the first time without getting the feeling you are either lost, or made a wrong turn.  I got the feeling that everyone knows everyone as I stepped out of my vehicle to ask for directions to 'Progreston Falls' (not Progesterone as I was pronouncing it).  You may want to take a few minutes practicing how to saying it properly, or maybe that's just me.  After being given direction to turn off of Centre Street onto Progreston Road and go to the end, we were on our way once more.

You will pass a General store, a few homes and an enormous church.  The sun was setting quickly so this would be the last waterfall to view before it tucked away completely out of sight.  At the very end of the street, Progreston turns to the left where you can park on the right hand side.  On ground level you can see some views of the the Falls.  It's 6.6 metres high and 16.5 metre wide 'terraced-curtain waterfall'.  I was actually blown away by the power of this waterfall.  I found out later that this town, now considered a 'ghost town' with a handful of people was once the hub of power for the community in the early 19th century, but by the 1950's progress had made this town almost obsolete to leave just a handful of residents.

Still you can't help but be captivated by its pure beauty.  Climbed on top of the railtracks to take some pictures and to walk along them for awhile to take a look around.  Stubborn as I could be, I insisted on taking a picture of the falls from a different angle, so I approached the hilltop from the corner of Progreston and Green Springs Road and stepped over a guard-rail like barrier and slid down the side of the hill top.  The furthest point I got was next to a very large tree.  I wasn't happy having an obstructed view of the falls, but I knew that one more step was going to be a 90 degree angle drop down into the water.  Even I am not that stubborn.  There is a much easier way to go down on the other side through the path, but I took the shots from a different vantage point and clawed my way back up again.  I won't ever do that again, nor would I ever recommend anyone else to either!  Progreston Falls is on private property, but the owner was not home.  I left it in the same condition I found it, give or take a few footprints in the sand.

Swansea Brew Club

With all the hundreds of brands of beer available at the beer and liquor stores, why would anyone want to put in any time and effort in making and bottling their own? Well, for a start, it's cheaper, purer and tastes better than the beer you buy at a retail store!

Swansea Beer Club is located in Toronto's Swansea village right near the Queensway and the South Kingsway.  Just like other Brewing Clubs, the beer is made on the premises and is all -natural and unpasteurized, so pretty much free of any additives and  preservatives that make you sick! 

It takes about two weeks from your order date for your "batch" to be ready.  There is a one-time investment of reusable plastic bottles and caps, and that is your only other expense.  It takes about an hour to bottle.  But what an hour that is! With the gregarious James keeping you company and discussing the intricacies of beer and wine.  The beer you will end up with tastes better than commercialized, pasteurized beer.  The pasteurization does make the beer keep longer, but it also removes much of the flavor, including the sweet honey aroma of the hop nectar and bready hints of the barley. 
 
Unpasteurized is how draft beer is, and how beer has been for hundreds of years when it was a staple of the European diet (as well as the only safe source of drinking water!) Being pure and free of additives is less likely to give you a hangover, and the cleanliness of the well-maintained premises means you won't be getting one from dirty lines, as one may from the draft from seedy bars.  Oh but I'm not putting down commercialized pubs and taverns, they're a lot of them out there that run a clean establishment and hey it's great to get out for a pint with some friends, but this is a great alternative to the beer fridge at home!  Less cost (actually 2/3 or less than the price of commercial beer) and great taste (naturally carbonated, with no added sugar!)  Now I'm sounding like an ad.


After bottling, just be sure to keep your beer as cool as possible and out of direct sunlight and it will stay fresh. I really think that if more people knew about the superior product of Swansea and other brew-on-premises shops, the commercial breweries wouldn't dominate the market as they do. But anyways, what do I know? 



 Cheers!