Mushrooms

A while back, Ralph and I had read an article about a family that grew mushrooms in Owen Sound. We thought that it might be nice to go check this out.  Wouldn't it be fun to grow your own mushrooms?

We made an attempt to call them to see if we could come by but no one answered the phone,  Since they weren't far away and we were in Owen Sound already, we thought we would drive by and see if anyone was there.  To our luck, one of the owners was there.

We introduced ourselves and explained that we were interesting in their mushroom growing operation.  This got us a tour of their facilities.  Wow, did we learn a lot.  So much for our idea of how mushrooms were grown.  Most need light and moisture (humidity).  It was really interesting to learn.

Ralph and I bought a kit to grow Cinnamon Caps at home.  We were also given (both Teresa and Lawrence and Ralph and I) two big bags filled with Shiitake mushrooms. Yummy, I can't wait to try them.

Did you know that mushrooms are best stored in a paper bag.  This was what she gave us to sample.

Chilly day at Cobble

Today we went golfing at Cobble Beach with Lawrence and Teresa.  The weather was forecasted to be around 12 celcius but actually made it to 15 celcius.  There was a frost delay first thing this morning but we were still able to get off at our scheduled time of 10:00 a.m.

The front 9 was actually not to bad although I think the temperature was somewhere between 6-10 celcius. We were dressed for this so it was ok.

Unfortunately there was a delay at the 10th hole and the wind was blowing off the lake making it pretty cold.  All of us found it it chilly. This affected how we played the 2nd 9 which wasn't very good.  We just didn't have that smooth and relaxed swing going.

All in all though we still had a nice day. This was our "birthday rounds" compliments of Cobble Beach.

Three generations

I was  cleaning up some of my pictures tonight and came across this one of my Mom, Laura and our grandchildren.  This was taken during March break.  I think it's a really nice photo.

Out and about

Today I had an appointment downtown so I decided to take my camera with me and do some exploring.  The weather wasn't the best, but it's good for photography when the sun isn't shining brightly.  I started by walking towards Union Station.  I had a noticed this building earlier this morning as Ralph and I were driving up Bay St. and thought it would make an interesting picture.

From here I headed east along Front Street. There are some really interesting buildings along this route.

This is my most favorite building in the downtown area. I make a point of photographing it almost every time I go to the market.  It took several attempts before I got a picture that I liked.  By this point in time I was getting pretty chilly as it was raining and the temperature this morning was quite cool.  I made my way to Starbucks and enjoyed a nice warm drink and read the paper for a while.  I was in good company as there were others doing the same thing.

Once I was warm again, I headed back out and went to the St. Lawrence Market.  I was surprised at how quiet it was.  I expected more activity here but I think that since it was a weekday, the people that were here were mostly locals and tourists.  It was nice to walk around and see what the vendors were selling.  

 I walked both levels and went around the 2nd level a few times.  The fruits and vegetables all looked really good and of course there is such a great selection of cheese, fish and meat.    Too many choices I think as it's always hard to decide what to buy.  Today I opted not to buy anything because I still planned to do more exploring.

Once outside, I couldn't resist photographing my favorite building again.  The weather was improving and the rain had stopped.  I decided that I would walk to the Distillery District.  It has been years since I have been there.

Not really sure which way to go, I started walking east on Front Street.  I figured that |I would meet someone who would help give me direction.  It was really nice to see the flowers in pots in front of the store windows and also in the gardens.  Spring is on it's way.  

I have been doing a lot of reading with respect to photography and "street" photography seems interesting to me.  There is a lot that goes on in the city.  I thought I would test myself and attempt a few pictures of activity on the street while I was out this morning.

After getting directions, I made my way to my destination.  I haven't been here in years.  It's a much different place in the summer with people all outside enjoying the various bars and restaurants.  It was fun to walk around and see how it has changed.

This was really interesting to see.  These are all locks that have been added to the wall which spells out the word LOVE.  Many people walk up to it and look more closely.  I guess it's similar to what is done in Paris on the bridge.

I really enjoyed my day today.  I was pretty tired by the time I met up with Ralph when he finished his day at work.  I definitely got my "steps" in today.