Yesterday in rain and cool temperatures, I hiked the Bruce Trail in a favourite area of mine with a very small (two car) group.

We negotiated slippery rocks on the escarpment while thoroughly muddying our boots and pants.

The canopy of trees on most trails provided some relief from raindrops overhead, yet finding a dry spot to enjoy our lunch was no small feat and in fact became an impossible task!

Any leaves which had changed showed muted colours on such a grey day.

With windy conditions the day before some had fallen before their time, making it more difficult for the women hikers to find privacy on the trail.

Despite all of these deterrents, hiking in nature provided me with the oxygen, exercise, endorphins and companionship (both during the trek and afterward in a coffee shop) that I craved yesterday.

Similarly, I enjoyed my adventure the Sunday prior, although a very different experience ensued.

One week ago gave me a brilliant, sunny, summer-like day on a variety of trails, again in one of my most well-liked areas.

Sunshine showcased magnificent crimson leaves on Sumac bushes, and vivid purple and canary grasses in meadow-lands.

A variety of deciduous trees on escarpment trails offered glimpses of colourful change occurring among vibrant green leaves.

Birds chirped as butterflies circled and followed me on the paths I took.

Several hikers travelled together on this day, in a yellow school-bus, in order to get to the area we desired.

City dwellers without vehicles have limited options when escaping into nature!

We finished our enjoyable, fast-paced outing in a lovely, rolling village where we hikers met some bikers who apparently enjoy frequenting this locale as well.

Now, when I say bikers I do not mean cyclists!

Motorbikes of every make and engine noise, carrying leather-clad gents of varied description roared into town as we walked the hilly countryside.

As some of us searched for the local pub, and determined that there is only one inn that offers alcoholic beverages, the black-jacketed bikers sat outside the ice cream shop and coffee store, relishing cones or imbibing coffee!

Not one of them was to be found where we congregated before our journey back to the city.

Perhaps that is one benefit of having a designated bus driver as opposed to manoeuvring a motorcycle in the great outdoors

A friend and I lined up for entrance to a local bar/restaurant we had not experienced before.

As I am inquisitive, I took the initiative to meet a few people who might possibly be able to expedite the two hour process.

As it turns out, they did so, and consequently we were ushered to a coveted spot at the bar where we could not only sample various wines to get just the right one, but also eat the most mouth-watering cuisine imaginable, not to mention enjoy people-watching as we were simultaneously admired by many.

The bartender’s youth did not belie his ability to discern beauty as he told me mine could open doors!

I told him that if the manager, who stopped by and offered us a free drink to linger, gave freebies to every beautiful woman there, they might go out of business and he would be out of a job!

He replied very sincerely that I, unlike the rest, possessed true beauty, the genuine thing!

Now that was “price-less” I must admit

Selecting a mate best suited to travel the journey of life, however far it may take the pair, is often a gamble.

There are a variety of ways individuals choose to look for a partner.

An active search can involve anything from online dating to frequenting clubs or bars to introductions from friends or family.

A more subtle as well as personally favourite way for one who is available and not already in a committed relationship to look, is to remain open in every situation.

Love can find you in an instant of recognition or can evolve from a friendship.

There are limitless possibilities for the one who possesses an open heart.

Cupid’s arrow knows no bounds!

Falling in love can be uplifting indeed!!!

This annual film festival has made Toronto a global hot spot in September .

Celebrity star watching is a favourite pastime of many, who not only line up for hours to catch a glimpse of the famous, but also frequent clubs, restaurants, hotel lobbies, and even the local Yorkville Starbucks with the hope of sighting a star or two   No pun intended!

I, on the other hand, have inadvertently in recent years crossed paths with an actor I admire, while walking the Bloor Street sidewalk after leaving a local health food store.

One never knows where, when or how a star might just be seen!

Last night I experienced another type of stargazing during my first night hike.

As I was looking for something different to do on a Friday night, that would reward me with a pint or two after a moderately fast paced 15 kilometer hike, I decided that a group in north Toronto would provide just the right event.

In fact, with clear skies that cast a bit of cloud to create a heavenly sunset, and a nearly full moon to guide the way, this hike turned out to deliver more than I had anticipated.

Wandering through virgin territory with only a flashlight to illuminate the wooded trail that lay before me during some of this trek, as my gaze turned upward I witnessed what I cannot see in the well lit city night sky.

The stars turned out in stellar quality and quantity, reminding me what true stargazing is all about ;p

At her age I could have said the same thing, and believed it.

Throughout my youth I always dated boys/young men older than me.

In fact, I was barely out of my teens when I married my first husband, who was three years my senior.  It just seemed that with my maturity level this was the natural order of things.

When almost three decades of marriage ended and I re-entered the dating scene, I once again gravitated to men older than me.  Only now I seemed much too young for them!

At this stage of life’s journey, my age expectations are almost non-existent, provided the younger men whose company I find myself enjoying have no problem with my number.

Some believe I am their junior until they determine the reverse to be true, and then cannot handle the possibility of being with ‘an older woman’. 

Others don’t give age a thought.

The men who date women a decade or two, or even three, younger than their own ages, would never refer to themselves as ‘predators’ or ‘dirty old men’, as some women perceive them to be. 

Yet, when these same men view women dating in a similar fashion, some label them ’cougars’, which conjures a negative image of ‘huntresses’ on the prowl for young males.  

Once again the old male-female double standard adage rears its head! 

The first time I was referred to as ‘an older woman’, while my daughter wondered aloud whether a seven year age difference would be problematic for a man she thought might be a good match for me, I looked around the room to see where this ‘older woman’ could be hiding!

Since I feel ageless most days, and genetics have been kind to me, I do keep them guessing, at least for a while.

Then, when I refer to my ‘first’ husband in conversation I usually get a double-take. 

If asked whether I have a second (or third) husband I answer, “Not yet!”

Or, on a shy day/date, I might reply, “I am my former husband’s first wife since he has a second wife, which makes him my first husband”.

In retrospect, he actually might end up to be my ‘starter’ husband

Yesterday marked the 144^th anniversary of the confederation of my birth country.

No better way for me to celebrate that perfect summer’s day than hiking through forests alongside waterfalls, traversing up and down the rocky escarpment in Ontario, my provincial birthplace and home.

When I decide to undertake a 20+km trek on a hot sunny day, I don and tilt my Tilley hat as I begin my adventure.

I’ve mentioned before that I feel a little like Indiana Jones when I gear up this way. 

Since I am not from Indiana nor is my last name Jones . . .  well, you get the picture

By the way, as businesses were closed on this Canadian holiday, I have no idea whether or not my province’s costs increased yesterday!

I do know that Will and Kate, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, graced my nation’s capital city which, for those of you who are unfamiliar with Canada, is also located in Ontario. 

Their royal presence alone ups our value considerably! 

We treasure and appreciate them.

The charming prince and his bride having chosen Canada for their first official overseas visit as a married couple, is indeed a priceless gesture

A very Happy Canada Day to all, belated yet no less sincere!

In actual fact, there are several rainy and cooler ones predicted for the indefinite future . . .

This is one lucky Friday the thirteenth! 

Another reminder to enjoy each minute no matter what the day.  The present moment is the gift.

On the terrace, as I refreshed my base tan, I enjoyed reading a book.

Felt sooo good to absorb the rays while laughing  aloud in sections, tears forming in others.

The sign of a very good read for me is one that can elicit my emotions in a tangible way.  As a writer that is also the goal for my readers.

Last evening, as a precursor to this delightful day, I discovered a little gem of a bistro in the city, thanks to a new friend I met while hiking. 

I will return to this particular spot on another Thursday, as I am told that is the night the locals gather.  It only took me 11 years to learn that! 

An indication that I really am a late bloomer, or maybe my timing is exactly right . . .

Time will tell . . .

Last evening, my youngest daughter surprised me with a special delivery, from both she and her sister, of the most exquisite bouquet of tulips, a sure sign of spring and prelude to Sunday!

Today, I was treated to a sunny sky accompanied by cool breezes from the lake, while enjoying drinks on a patio whetting my appetite for the meal to follow.

Two hours of drinks as a matter of fact! 

The crowded patio thinned, as those not imbibing as they awaited their food left. 

Even a lone mother duck who wandered onto the patio had difficulty finding bread!

We would have been tempted to follow suit had we not been enjoying the liquid ambience in a natural outdoor setting and, more importantly, each other’s company.

The food, when it finally arrived, was substandard for this frequented restaurant, as something mysterious was occurring in the kitchen.

We were either fortunate or not, depending on one’s perspective, as while we were eating we overheard our waiter tell his other customers that the kitchen had closed and only drinks were available.

A  fire had triggered the sprinklers and fire alarm, which thankfully we could not hear outside the building.

Laughter, aided by liquid refreshments, sunshine and the glistening lake, overcame what would have otherwise been a very disappointing celebration.

It is only Sunday which makes me wonder what surprises might arrive Friday, May the 13th

Maybe April showers will  bring May flowers  

London, England is getting the summery weather we usually taste right about now! 

Of course they are preparing for the Royal Wedding Friday and deserve some sunny warmth.

Speaking of heat, I am definitely experiencing ‘spring fever’ in spite of the weather. 

Playfulness is in my step and dancing alone at home just doesn’t cut it!

I have been told to visualize (without putting a face on him) the man I want to enter my life by sensing the feelings that I will experience when he does.

An easy task to be sure! 

The invisible man is someone I can enjoy playing with until the ‘real’ one comes along, although not nearly as much fun for me, being a  ’tactile’ woman ;)

My immune system then becomes compromised, allowing a virus to take hold.

Before Christmas it was a sinus flu whose lingering after-effects took a very long time to dissipate; this past week the stomach flu, whose course is thankfully briefer .

As I have no choice when illness occurs, I give in to it.

During recuperation, as I regain my strength, the investigative tendency to track my own behaviour to determine where, when and how I might have picked up the ‘bug’ kicks in.

I begin by looking at the length of incubation normally required for a certain type of virus to grow.  Then I count backwards from the appearance of my first symptoms.

Based on where I was at that time I ‘guess’ how I was exposed.  Then I try to determine what I can do differently in the future to avoid a re-occurrence.

What can I say, other than I have an ‘analytical’ mind.

This particular time it seems ironic to me that I was with naturalists who were teaching ’tracking’ skills in the snow.

I not only learned that I am continually observing connections in our natural world, I also realized that my investigative mind is always ‘tracking’ my own behaviour, along with the unwanted microscopic organisms that choose to inhabit my being at various times!

Tracks in the snow