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With 2021 behind us - some would say "finally behind us" - we are starting to think about each cold, dreary, snowy day as one day closer to spring when everything comes to new life again. Yay for that!! We hope you all had a safe and healthy Christmas and holiday season.
Our seed catalogues have arrived and we have already purchased some veggie seeds for the garden we will plant this spring. Fingers crossed we'll find a green gage plum tree this year and that the pawpaw seeds we kept from the delectable fruit we bought last fall will germinate and grow. Even at the bitter cold -10°C temperature today, there is some warmth to that sunshine as it came through the kitchen window earlier this afternoon. That's always a positive sign. The cold days do present the perfect opportunities though, for making sourdough breads, waffles, pancakes, muffins and so on as well as creating pots of hearty homemade soups to fill the house with wonderful aromas as well as fuel the tummies. This time of year people are often starting to plan vacations, too. For Ontario residents, an interesting incentive is being offered for anyone planning a getaway within the province in the 2022 tax year under the new "Ontario Staycation Tax Credit" program. You'll find the link for more information here: www.cp24.com/news/ontario-announces-plan-for-staycation-tax-credit-and-here-s-how-it-works-1.5652600 We hope you'll consider a stay here at Bentpath Getaway sometime in 2022! In the meantime, stay safe, stay warm, good health to each of you, and be kind to one another.
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September 2024
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Beyond the Yard
Our goal to enhance, expand and enrich wildlife and pollinator habitat, while creating a natural area of interest for our guests to enjoy, began taking shape in the spring of 2022. Through the collaboration and funding of several agencies, including ALUS, Ontario Nature, OSCIA, and Ducks Unlimited, we retired 10 acres of our crop field. A pond, approximated 1200' (365 m) long, was excavated parallel to the Sydenham River which marks our western property border. In turn, this would provide a wetland area, and prairie meadow where many native wildflowers and grasses were planted.
Nature moved quickly to reclaim the area and provide us with a beautiful, peaceful space where we can experience her wonders first-hand. Insects, birds, fish have almost miraculously inhabited the area, bringing sights and sounds that have, unfortunately, been lost to most people. From brightly coloured butterflies, and dragonflies of several varieties, to an occasional turtle sunning itself, or a Great Blue Heron quietly fishing along the pond edge, to the songs of warblers and honking, quacking and antics of several types of waterfowl, especially during their migrations, we hope guests will find a walk "beyond the yard" to be energizing and relaxing at the same time.
From the house, out to the pond, around it and back again is a walk of about 1.5 km. Through the small woods that shares a boundary with the Shetland Conservation Area, there are some meandering trails that guests are also invited to walk. In the Conservation Area, which offers trailer and camping sites, you will find a dock at the river, some playground equipment, and picnic tables available for public use.
