DAFFODILS ALONG A MORNING TRAIL
With most early mornings still hovering just above the freezing mark I am still wearing my lined winter pants on our morning walks. It's usually closer to noon before I am able to climb back into my blue jeans for the remainder of the day. It's the disadvantage of living beside a large cold ice infested lake in Spring time.
NO IDEA WHAT VINTAGE THIS OLD RUSTED AWAY VEHICLE IS
TRAIL LEADS THROUGH STANDS OF CEDARS & SUGAR BUSH MAPLES TO THE MAITLAND RIVER
Pheebs & I found us a new trail to hike this morning. Had heard of this trail about 20 minutes from our house & have been by it a dozen or more times but just never stopped to check it out until today. Because I didn’t take a photo of the trail head sign I cannot remember the trails name so am going to guess at the ‘Maitland Trail’.
Even for no leaves on our trees yet this was still a picturesque hike for us. Stands of Cedar trees, open meadows, hills, & a sizeable river being fed by small Spring run-off streams. We didn’t cover the whole trail complex but in the distance we walked there were a few surprises. Came across the site of an old early homesteaders cabin. Only an indentation in the ground where the cabin once stood but at the site was a plaque telling in detail of the pioneering family who once lived there in the wilds of the forest back in an era of early civilization in this area. We have often come across this type of thing in the southwest during our travels but not so much right here in our own area of Southwestern Ontario. I think the reason for that is simply the land has changed so much here with the advent of farming over the past century. Also old buildings & wood structures last much longer in the moderate dry deserts of the Southwest as opposed to the harsh winters & wetter conditions here in our area. Nevertheless it was a nice find this morning & we will definitely be back to this trail as soon as all the trees are leafed out & the weather is warmer.
SETTLERS CABIN STOOD JUST BEHIND & TO THE RIGHT OF THAT PLAQUE WHERE THERE IS AN INDENTATION IN THE GROUND
In the last few years I must admit I have not been doing well in keeping up with all my fellow Blogger’s posts as well as I once did & I realized tonight as I browsed down my ‘Fellow Bloggers’ sidebar I’m forgetting who some of the folks are on my long list. It seems if I don’t keep up with people’s travels on an almost daily basis I lose the advantage of repetition & people drop off my radar. I read a blog title & at times my mind struggles to remember who these people are. I don’t know if other folks have this problem or it’s just my age related deteriorating memory. I might get an email from someone & think to myself, I’ll answer that as soon as I finish what I’m doing here & poof that email never enters my mind again unless I accidentally see it or Kelly reminds me of it. I frustratingly stood by our frog pond this afternoon with the water pump in hand not knowing where to plug it in. My mind would not tell me where the electrical receptacle was on the side of the house & it was only several hours later when hooking up a garden hose that I accidentally spotted the receptacle nearby. I’ve been hooking up this pond pump for about 10 years now every Spring & yet today I couldn’t remember where the electrical outlet was. In the past few weeks on 3 separate occasions while out driving on very familiar stretches of road I had memory lapses of about 10 seconds each not knowing where I was. Do these things happen to anyone else out here?? I am sure not impressed with this aging process thingy & it scares me at times…………………………….
GROANER’S CORNER:(( "What do you love most about me," a husband asked his wife, "my great athletic ability or my quick intellect?" "What I love most about you," responded the wife, "is your enormous sense of humor."
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A mid-west farmer was describing his lifestyle to a touring group of city folks. "One of the benefits of this profession," he explained, "is that we have built-in weather predictions."
"What do you mean by that?" asked one inquisitive visitor. "When the cows are standing," the farmer explained, "it means no rain is likely for the next twenty-four hours. When they're lying down, it means it's going to rain." "On our bus trip," another visitor piped in, "I saw half the herd standing and the other half lying down. What does this mean?" The farmer flashed a smile and answered, "That means half of them are wrong."
Al, i think I am a couple of years older than you. I know exactly what you mean about the memory lapses. A few weeks ago I was driving here in the DFW high traffic area. Came to a stop light that I frequent, & didn't know where I was. Really scary! Took a few seconds for me to get a grip. Sure not a fun experience! I hope neither of us has any more.
ReplyDeleteNice to discover a new trail, now just try to remember where it is. Actually, I think writing blogs is good for our memories, but I still have occasion to forget the weirdest little stuff. You're not alone, and yes it is a little scary.
ReplyDeleteNice trail! I've always enjoyed daffodils. They are so bright and cheery:)
ReplyDeleteOh what a stories those settlers could tell us....
ReplyDeleteYou are not alone with those memory lapses. I have had those off and on for a while. My mind wanders and I have trouble focusing on the task at hand somethings.
ReplyDeleteAl, Google memory loss to get some facts. Memory loss can be the result of several things, including medications. We normally lose some memory as we age and "recent" memory loss in particular. For example, going into a room and forgetting what you came into the room for. Long term memory loss can result from oncoming Alzheimer's.
ReplyDeleteAl, you're certainly not alone! Emails flash by and get forgotten, tools are never where I thought I left them, and things on my mental to do list are constantly forgotten. I'm into the list-making stage of life so I don't forget things I offered to do.
ReplyDeleteWhat I forget most often are words. I have a word on the tip of my tongue, know it as well as I know my own name, but can't remember it. I have a theory that as we age we continually store new information in our brains and they just get plumb full. Then because there is so much info in there it takes a bit longer to access some of it. Like your computer memory gets slower when you are close to it being full.
ReplyDeleteWhat a sweet surprise to find something "new" so close to home! The daffodils are so bright against the stark landscape - so hopeful! I love the little creek meandering through the trees. I used to forget what I was talking/thinking about mid-topic, now I do it mid-sentence. Bill always says "The candle blew out!" As common as it is I often wonder about "older" surgeons!
ReplyDeleteYes we all have some memory loss, and it can be scary. I once read that it is normal to forget where we leave our keys, or forget the word for keys occasionally, but to forget what they keys are for is a sign of a problem. Craig forgets everything, and I get upset about it thinking he does it on purpose. I am coming to acpt it though, and double check a lot of things he does. Then, bam! I forget something too!
ReplyDeleteAl, if you are worried about memory, there are tests to determine what is going on. If it bothers you, get tested. Then you will probably find out it is just an aging process like the rest of us. But, you won't be scared next time it happens. Love your blog!
ReplyDeleteI so understand your memory lapses...Because my grandma had severe Alzheimer's (she didn't know any of us the last 2 years before she died at age 72), I am very concerned when I cannot remember things..I have been known to put things in drawers that don't belong there. I think there are tests they can do to see if we have early onset Alzheimer's...I'm going to ask my GP about it next time I go...
ReplyDeleteNeat to find new areas to walk. I used to worry about my forgetfulnes, but once I stopped worrying and just accepted that certain days are better than others, it seemed to get better.
ReplyDeletethat old car body must be from a 1934 or older car. I think they quit putting "cowl" doors in cars around 1935 or 1936. It was used to direct outside air to cool your feet. Some cars had them on the side walls just in front of the front door. I think a 1936 Studebaker was the last car the family owned with them.
ReplyDelete