Serendipity to the South

I woke up early enough to beat the usual Saturday morning garage-sale-crowd to the roads. I was pretty certain I wanted to bicycle into Smithville but was somewhat less certain about how I would get there.
My memory did not serve me as my best recollection was an endless series of minor highways littered with heavy truck traffic. Not anyone's ideal riding condition.

I took ridge road east through Grimsby mountain. It's a route I know well enough but knew that I would eventually have to turn south.

To my surprise I found a lovely series of quiet roads and a touch of gravel as well! In fact, they led me all the way to Smithville without so much as a single truck passing.

I couldn't get over the number of airplane exhaust trails. Kind of pretty though.

Once in Smithville I passed up the ubiquitous Tim Horton's Donuts in search of something with a bit more of a local flavour.  Whereas Timmy's dominated the coffee crowd on the east side of the town I found Jackie's Bakery & Cafe on the west side.  Tremendous! Just what I had hoped for: a quiet, local spot, with a large hot tea and a fresh raspberry donut. It was difficult to choose which delicious confection from her large selection so I'll just have to go back again!

Jackie even had a map that I could take. Very helpful because I didn't want to take the same route home but hadn't planned far enough ahead to ensure I'd not get lost using another route.

I have a real aversion to large homes. It's  a long story. But to be fair, I do find some from time to time that are thoughtfully designed and beautifully constructed. Actually, it's not all that rare of a thing. And so I decided I should be sharing more photos of such places (And churches as well. I see a lot of really great churches).

Nice new Tudor. Hard to see from here but it's a beautiful spot.

I'm deeply interested in things like simplicity and sustainable living and don't show that enough on my blog. Here is a photo-worthy house I passed on the way home.

Today's ride held many wonderful surprises. I'll be heading south again. Soon.

Haunted House for Sale

Always looked like something out of the movie "Coraline" to me.  But frankly, I think its a cool looking place too.  32 acres backing onto the Niagara Escarpment, and from there a million dollar view of Lake Ontario.  I'd love to buy this land and build a cabin off the grid but unless the price is lowered by several hundred thousand...

I am quite sure the large home and property are abandoned but I still didn't have the nerve to walk any further up the road.  It just felt like trespassing.  Maybe next time.

Ridge Road is a great ride.  There are lots of homes and properties that tell similar stories and I often stop in front of them and wonder.

If you are interested give Remax agent, Barbara Beers a call :)

A book I keep coming back to

Really good book by Ross Chapin called, "Pocket Neighborhoods."  It's all about physical living arrangements at the neighborhood scale.  I notice the absence of any reference to Michael E. Arth's work on New Pedestrianism - it's at least an oversight and I hope not a slight to him.  Otherwise a pretty comprehensive but readable look at community and the way its being revived and, in some cases, re-thought.