Maple syrup soon...

Photos by Barry Wallace

Maple syrup making is just around the corner.   Cold nights, which we've had plenty of lately, and warming days, which are in the forecast, are the combination of weather conditions to get sap running.   The photos included here were taken at Cold Creek Conservation Area, northwest of Nobleton, in King Township, a few years ago. March and April are peak months for production.

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Barry Wallace

New Aurora United Church not open yet...

 

The new Aurora United Church, which many hoped would open in 2025, has not opened due to extensive delays from the 2014 fire, including COVID-19, unexpected groundwater issues, complex site redevelopment with the adjoining Amica retirement home, and financial hurdles.

The "Rising from the Ashes" campaign has struggled to reach its $5 million goal.   It had raised only $183,000 back in early 2025.

The congregation continues to hold services at the Trinity Anglican Church in Aurora.

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Barry Wallace

Holland Marsh winters...

 

Photos by Barry Wallace

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Barry Wallace

Rooftop Terrace at Delamanor Aurora...

 
Photo by Barry Wallace

The 6th floor 'Rooftop Terrace' at Aurora's Delamanor Retirement Residence is always a favourite spot for residents to take a stroll...even when there's a -30 wind chill.   The Delmanor maintenance staff always keep a path cleared of snow because several residents take a quick walkabout every day, even in winter!

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Barry Wallace

Barry and Pat get photobombed at Delmanor...

                                                                                  Delmanor photo

Pat and I joined a gang of our fellow Aurora-Delmanor residents at an evening of live music, dancing and singalong earlier this week.   After Pat I had just enjoyed a wee bit of a dance and were sipping some wine, a Delmanor staff photographer took our picture.   A couple of other Delmanor bar staffers seized the moment to photo-bomb us.   A great time was had by all!

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Barry Wallace

God help us all!

 

Planet Earth

or

Planet Trump?

We must decide,

we must choose!

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Barry Wallace

Crooked Little House reunion...

Ted & Lynn Bird

10 members of the Crooked Little House, a club created by me and several of my teenage friends, from the late 1960s, got together for lunch recently at 'The Mandarin' in Newmarket.   My partner Pat and I were among the attendees.

The Crooked Little House was created from an old  concrete block chicken coup, located next to the ancient farmhouse my parents, Emerson and Muriel Wallace had purchased in the early 1960s, just north of King City.   

Back then, my friends and I had guitars, a wash-tub bass, and banjo and sang ourselves silly each night into the early hours of our folk-music early 'twenties'.  A few beers were consumed as well, I must add, as we made the  music.

Ted and Lynn Bird (pictured above), of Schomberg, were on hand for the mini-reunion at The Mandarin. Ted was one of the founding members of the Crooked Little House. 

Now, 65 years later, 10 of us got together for lunch and some reminiscences.   Not all of the original members are still around, but we remember them well.

There was only one outhouse adjoining the Crooked Little House, which the guys used.   The Gals used the washroom in my parents house.   God bless Muriel and 'Em' for their goodwill and patience.   At least my parents knew where I and my friends were most of the time, and not roaring around the backroads of King Township doing God knows what.

By way of a footnote, my younger brother Bob, with two of his high school friends used the Crooked Little House for musicmaking also.   They called themselves The King City Slickers.   Bob's two friends, Russ deCarle and Keith Glass went on to become Canadian music icons as Prairie Oyster! 

Please comment if you wish.

Barry Wallace