Waterloo Region Nature Outing to Long Point, Norfolk County, ON

      It is getting hard to remember a time when COVID didn't affect almost every decision we make. In the wake of the rapid spread of the Omicron variant new provincial restrictions on assembly have been imposed on a weary populace, and there is now a limit of ten people on an outdoor gathering.

     At the last moment one participant's family contracted COVID and another had difficulty getting a caregiver for a younger family member, so we were eight that made a visit to the the Long Point area, along the northern shore of lake Erie.

     It was a cold day, but suitably dressed, we sallied forth in high spirits and with great expectations. 

     Once again, we proved the point that you can clothe yourself properly and deal with cold, yet oppressive heat is impossible to escape, especially when accompanied by high humidity.

     And by midday the temperature soared to a heady minus 9.5 degrees! No one had to worry about the mayo on a sandwich curdling in the hot sun!

     

Leader: David M. Gascoigne

Members: Miriam Bauman, Lisa Den Besten, Tina Den Besten, Bob Fraser, Angie Koch, Wendy Shaw, Zach Summerhayes.

Angie, Bob, David, Tina, Lisa, Wendy, Zach

A Waterloo Region Nature Winter Outing

     It has been highly therapeutic for Miriam and me, and no doubt for the participants on our outings, to have been able to undertake a whole series of nature walks as an antidote to COVID-19 and all its malevolent variants.

19 December 2021

       On a bright sunny day, a quintessentially beautiful Ontario winter's day in fact, a group of eager naturalists gathered to enjoy a fine day of birding and friendship. When we all met as a group to head to our first destination it was minus seven degrees and minus one by mid-afternoon when we broke up, with bright sun most of the time and no wind to speak of. It really doesn't get much better.

Leader: David M. Gascoigne

Members: Miriam Bauman, Jennifer Clary-Lemon, Lisa Den Besten, Victoria Ho, Lucas Liu, Greg Michalenko, Marcel O'Gorman, Roger Suffling, Selwyn Tomkun, Kathy Waybrant

Guests: Rapunzel Clary-Lemon, Tina Den Besten, Annie Li, Mark Waybrant

     

Greg, Mark, Kathy, Rog, Victoria, Lisa, Tina, Selwyn, David, Jennifer, Marcel, Rapunzel, Annie, Lucas

      

     It was a good-sized group and it was very encouraging to see three young people out with us. Up until almost the last moment we had seven others registered for the walk; two cancelled due to Omicron concerns, two fearing poor driving conditions, and three went to help a family member who had slipped on ice and broken an ankle.