Friday 7 September 2012

Central Ontario, cabin country

It takes a while through barren rocks to get to fertile valleys in Ontario.  We took the long drive along the top of beautiful Lake Superior (in the green area of Ontario below).  Then we shifted through the yellow and into the blue-coloured lakes country on our way to Canada's capital city, Ottawa.   The Muskoka Lakes and Great Lakes shoreline drive show how much blasting has to be done to open up this area for tourist traffic. 



Finally, after some not so spiffy camping nights, we managed to get to our niece's farm.  Actually it is her husband, Dave's, family homestead.  Dave is a retired geologist and Cheryl has been a dental assistant and esthetician. Cheryl was drying garlic in the old homestead barn.  They also grow heritage grains and harvest and grind them themselves.  The produce is paid for by the customers before they sack it up.  People really want old-fashioned and organic these days. 

Dave found this old grain sorter in the barn and decided not to repaint it.  He figured out how to use it and found info on the Internet.

Then he rigged up his own grain grinder.  He is a clever chap and this is a great hobby for him this year as he retired last year.  He had planned, as many of us do, to do some piecemeal work after retiring, but he is JUST TOO BUSY.   We retired folk understand that dilemma.

6 comments:

  1. I think people are deceived by multinationals and are back to the old fashioned and organic. It's nice to see that old grain sorter still working.

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  2. I am always amazed at the information you can find on the internet. How great that he got the grain sorter working. Enjoy your family time!

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    1. Actually it was an American who read of his request for info and wrote to say he had a copy of the manual for that machine and would copy it and send it to Dave. Serendipity but very kind too.

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  3. Yes, retirement is a full time job as I have found. I don't have enough time for my family tree stuff. There are photos to be uiploaded. I have a two foot high pile of newspapers to read ... and so it goes.

    Great that the grain sorter is being put to good use. I should go and take a look at Heage Windmill nearby. That has been rebuilt in the past few years and they grind corn and you can have a look around inside ... I might even take some photos too.

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  4. You have been blogging up a storm and no system has told me....must find way to get alerted....Bedtime now, but will catch up tomorrow. Looking forward to enjoy your travels.

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  5. I look forward to retirement. But it is too far away yet.

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