Outing to The Mill Race Trail, St. Jacobs, ON

     As part of the ongoing series of outings I have been leading for Waterloo Region Nature we made a midweek visit to the Mill Race Trail, followed by a weekend jaunt, as has become our custom.

26 January 2022

     The ladies of WRN are proving once again that they are a cadre of winter warriors second to none.

Leader: David M. Gascoigne

Members: Miriam Bauman, Jim Burrell, Pauline Copleston, Lisa Den Besten, Beth Hobson, Curtiss MacDonald, Wendy Shaw, Kathy Waybrant, Kath Werner.

Lisa, Wendy, Kath, Pauline, Beth, Curtiss, David - and kneeling, Kathy, Jim

     It was especially pleasing to see my good friend, Jim Burrell, come out and join us. Jim has undergone some major surgery in the past couple of years but is on his way to resuming his normal activities.

     Birding was a little sparse, but as that paragon of wisdom, Curtiss, has said before, it's the fact of getting out and enjoying each other's company that counts most.

The Linear Trail and Riverside Park, Cambridge, ON

     Hard on the heels of Ontario's biggest snowfall in many years, a couple of outings were scheduled for Waterloo Region Nature, and, intrepid outdoorspeople that we are, we went ahead undeterred.

19 January 2022

Leader: David M. Gascoigne

Members: Miriam Bauman, Pauline Copleston, Lisa Den Besten, Beth Hobson, Wendy Shaw, Kath Werner

Kath, Beth, David, Wendy, Pauline, Lisa

     There were a couple of last minute cancellations, due perhaps to the weather in one case, and for personal reasons in another. I would be remiss if I did not extend a warm welcome to Kath who was joining us for the first time.

     It seems to me that to share a morning with six attractive, intelligent women is reward enough, and the prospect of good birding only added to the allure.

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