MILLENIUM PARK, THE ARORETUM, AND THE SURPRISE DAZZLEMENT OF BLUE MOUNTAIN VILLAGE

 

 SPOTTED THIS MALE MALLARD DUCK ON NOTTAWASAGA BAY THIS MORNING

It's been nearly half a dozen years since I last slept in bed and not faring so well the night before on a short couch I thought I would give the bed here a try.......well, it didn't go well.  Sometime in the night, I must have rolled over on my left side.  I awakened to a pain in my whole left arm and no matter what I did I could not get my arm to move.  Had to reach over with my right arm and grasp my pajama sleeve to slowly pull my arm over across my chest.  It was only then that the pain backed off.  I have no idea what that is with my arm but I'll be glad to get home where I can once again tilt back in my recliner for a good old pain-free night's sleep.

 PHEEBS AND I WAITING FOR KELLY THIS MORNING

 THIS SWIMMING POOL IS ABOUT 20 SECONDS FROM BEN'S CONDO DOOR

 THIS LAUNDRY ROOM IS 10 SECONDS AWAY

 AND THIS MUSHROOM IS ABOUT 5 SECONDS AWAY FROM BEING TRIPPED OVER

 WE HAD ANOTHER MIGHTY NICE MORNING GOING ON

We were up and out the door again at about the same time as the day before.  Headed into Collingwood and mixed it up with the local drivers as we made our way to the first of a couple scenic stops.  Millenium Park  is right beside the huge dormant Grain Terminals that dominate Collingwood's shoreline and can be seen for miles and miles around.  Because I took way too many photos to fit into the blog again today I'm going to shorten up on the pictures tonight and will post the remaining ones after we get home and I have one of my 'no photo interest' days. 

 THE DEEP BLUE WATERS OF NOTTAWASAGA BAY AT COLLINGWOOD ONTARIO

 BLUE MOUNTAIN SKI RUNS CAN BE SEEN BEHIND THOSE APARTMENTS AND CONDOS

 MORE SKI RUNS 

 THIS OLD GRAIN TERMINAL FROM DAYS GONE BY DOMINATES COLLINGWOOD'S SHORELINE

 LAMP POST ON THE PIER

 I LIKE THIS LARGE IRON EAST-WEST-NORTH-SOUTH DIRECTION POINTER

 A QUIET MORNING IN THE HARBOR

 WE STOPPED TO HAVE A LOOK AT AN INTERESTING-LOOKING BOAT CALLED THE 'GLEN G'

 I THINK THE FURRY GNOME HAS POSTED PHOTOS OF THIS VESSEL BEFORE

 I HOPE THE CAPTAIN IS NOT TOO WIDE OF GIRTH TO FIT THROUGH THAT NARROW DOOR

 AND I ALSO HOPE THE 'WILD IRISH ROSE' DOESN'T LOSE ITS SMALLER BOAT

Our second stop of the morning was at Collingwood's Arboretum also along Georgian Bay's shoreline.  We really liked this area with its walking, hiking, and biking trails as well as a great boardwalk.  And all of it is wheelchair accessible.  A lot of time and effort has gone into this area and especially in the construction of the boardwalk.  

 THIS WIDE TRAIL RUNS RIGHT ALONG THE WATER'S EDGE

 WE WERE SURPRISED TO SEE SWANS ON THE BAY

 THIS WIDE BOARDWALK IS FOR HIKING, BIKING, AND WALKING......WHEELCHAIRS TOO

 WE STOPPED AT A PICNIC TABLE TO EAT OUR TUNA SANDWICHES.....PHEEBS TOO

Kelly's daughter and husband also have a condo here in Collingwood so we decided to let our GPS take us there for a look-see.  I had previously stated that the condo was in downtown Collingwood but I was mistaken.  It's about four miles west of the town and located right next to the Blue Mountain ski hills and not far from Kelly's son Ben's condo where we are currently staying.  And it is only steps away from what I would say was our biggest surprise of the past couple days.  We had heard the term Blue Mountain Village but thought it was just a name for another condo complex.  Wow, were we ever wrong, and imagine our surprise when we drove into and discovered a whole new Disney-like world going on right there at the foot of Blue Mountain.  I took an instant like to this place and that may have started when we parked in front of a sign that said, 'VIP Spot Reserved For Subaru Owners':))  The more we walked around this very picturesque themed little Village the more it grew on me.  To me, it has a kind of European and Latin feel to it.  Sitting outside a little patio coffee shop on this beautiful early Autumn afternoon with Latin music wafting through the air from inside I thought for sure The Girl From Ipanema was going to stroll by any minute.  Yes, I am very impressed with Collingwood's Blue Mountain Village, and yes I do like that Latin music.

 SUBARU SEEMS TO BE WELL REPRESENTED AT THE BLUE MOUNTAIN VILLAGE

SUBARU MUST SPONSOR THIS LIVE MUSIC STAGE

 FOR SOMEONE LIKE MYSELF WHO PREFERS THE QUIET COUNTRYSIDE I FOUND THIS PLACE ENJOYABLY AMAZING

 THOUGHTFUL OF THIS SHOP OWNER TO LEAVE A BOWL OF WATER OUT FOR PASSING DOGGIES

 KELLY ORDERS US UP A COUPLE COFFEES

 AND HERE THEY COME NOW

Today's 70F+ temperatures under warm sunny skies is destined to take a drastic change Thursday with temps dropping 25 degrees by midday followed by a cold rain setting in overnight for Friday.  So, with that dire weather forecast, we have decided to roll out Thursday morning and take advantage of the last nice day by motoring leisurely home along Ontario's scenic back roads.  I'm sure we will be back up this way another time.  I absolutely love the topography of this area and if we didn't live in Bayfield I'm sure we would be up here along the southern shores of Georgian Bay somewhere.  Maybe next time we can check out the Meaford area and pop in on The Furry Gnome.

 NOW HOW'S THAT FOR A HAPPY LITTLE FACE

GROANER'S CORNER:(( I have been unable to sleep since I broke off our engagement.  Won't you forgive and forget? Your absence is breaking my heart.  I was a fool, nobody can take your place. I love you.  All my love,  Belinda. xxxxoooxxxx.  P.S. Congratulations on winning this week's lottery.

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I got really angry with my car navigation today. I even yelled at it and told it to "go to hell."  Twenty minutes later, it brought me to the front of my mother-in-law’s house.

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