All Entries in the "Donald McClure" Category
Flirting with Spring
It is the second week of March. The west wind is rising and seems to penetrate even into the sanctity of the old house which has seen 132 winters. Inside we are not apprehensive. We have endured it all before. There is an end to it. Outside the moon hangs bright and clear in the […]
Wilderness jewel Valley of the Don
Somewhere in the labyrinth of storage boxes that remain unopened and undiscovered for two decades, is a photograph of me holding a young snowy owl on a stick under a birch tree. The picture was taken by my friend Irwin Ledlie and a few feet above him, looking down, was the mother bird, quite calm […]
On the cutting edge of collections
With the current popularity of television programs like Pawn Shop, American Pickers and Antiques Road Show, interest in collecting stuff is starting to revive. For anyone who has a collecting bug there are limitless opportunities to get involved in any number of cultural or natural elements. You are only limited by your energy, your storage […]
Christmas books for garden buffs
Stuck for a gift idea for a gardening friend? A choice that has lots of approval and long-term staying power is a book. Books for improving your gardening techniques, books for inspiring your recipient with bold new ideas for the coming Spring or books to join the list of people who just like to share […]
Discovering angels unawares
When we opened the doors for the first time on our dear old house in Bloomfield my brother presented us with an embroidered sampler to hang by the back door. It’s simple message– treat everyone who comes to the door as special — and not to pre judge a stranger. It’s a good reminder and […]
Secret of growing great dahlias
It’s past the middle of October. Most of the garden has settled down to sublime sleep. Colour has dramatically faded. Days are getting longer. But over in the dahlia bed the beat goes on. The tubers you planted last spring are still producing colour and bloom. Our dahlias came within a whisker of extinction the […]
Naked ladies bring zip to late summer garden
They are so secretive and so beguiling that they always seem a surprise when they suddenly burst through the hard, dry soil of late summer in their flimsy finery. We call them naked ladies — but their official designation is Colchicum or fall crocus or meadow saffron. Walk out into the diminishing garden and suddenly […]
Of buildings lost and tractors found
The old gentleman was standing by the great Corliss steam engine at the Ameliasburg Museum a few years ago. I struck up a conversation with him and mentioned that it was too bad the 1842 Roblin Mill had been dismantled and carried off to the Black Creek Pioneer Village in Toronto. “Best thing that ever […]
Alberta Ranch Preserved recalls halcyon days
Almost prancing with anticipation the big grey-dappled Percherons responded quickly moving the big wagon onto the road when our driver Russ Fitz snapped his reins. The wheels travelled a short distance and came to a halt on the hill overlooking the 35 buildings and structures that commemorate the incredible days of the big ranches in […]
Brian’s Meadow beckons for quiet contemplation
Are you looking for a quiet place where you can sit for a while in contemplation, free from the sounds and sights of the modern world. There are lots of places like this in the County — but a new one opening up may entice you to come and collect your thoughts in peace and […]
