Barrie Favorites

Favorite thing: With all the green space around Barrie there are lots of wildlife. Some of these are more welcome than others, because of the damage they cause. However, despite that there is something pretty wonderful about being so close to nature and the animals.

Fondest memory: Often there are surprises - on Dec 26th we watched a bald headed eagle trying to catch a fish off the end of my parents' boathouse, fighting against the winds battering it. There has been a family of mink living along the shoreline - lovely to see a mink coat worn as it should be, on the original owners, and funny to watch the mother mink teach her young how to swim. It wasn't so funny for my father to watch his expensive goldfish being caught by the mink, right behind his back!
This past weekend there was a large raccoon (the bandit!) treed by a noisy neighbour's dog. He/she wasn't too thrilled by me going outside to take its picture! By the time I had reached the house it was down and back to whereever home was - probably in the roof of the boathouse!

Favorite thing: August.. the winding down of summer, the beginning of the fall fairs in rural Ontario... well, really rural Canada.
Toronto has the CNE (Canadian National Exhibition, aka The EX) and Barrie has, well... what else... The Barrie Fall Fair! It's mostly a rural thing... with lots of rides and games of chance (fat chance, in my opinion)... there are the animals being judged, the equestrian events, the horses pulling carriages/wagons in competion, the baking, handicrafts and flower arranging competitions.
It is a fun place to be!

Favorite thing: Guided tours are offered at this fine Microbrewery - but if you just want to stop in for a sample, that's okay too. Fresh beer - yum! I'll have to come back sometime for a full tour.

Favorite thing: Almost all Canadian cities have prominent memorials for the World Wars. Barrie's is located right in the middle of the bustling downtown, in a small park that overlooks the harbor.

Favorite thing: Please believe that Canadian Beef cattle is fine and safe to eat. This was one of the competitors in the Bull competition. Would you want to argue with him??????