Elora Gorge and "From Now On I'll Call You Pussy!"

On my second to last day in Canada we went to Elora Gorge, a conservation area outside the city of Guelph, some 72 km north east of Stratford, Ontario. En route we passed the new house Stratford-born singer Justin Bieber had built for his grand parents which is somewhere out of the city limits.
We stopped briefly in the designated parking stop to have a look and were greeted by someone waving at one of the windows. Now I wondered if it was a cardboard cut out with a mechanical waving arm, but my sister confirmed it was actually somebody. She waved back.

While driving, Bruce used Mark's iphone to find out what the weather conditions were as thunderstorms were predicted for later. Mark's new phone had voice recognition and if you spoke to it, it would respond with the information you requested. Bruce asked what the weather forecast was for the afternoon. The phone responded with "Mark, you asked what the weather forecast was for Stratford," Bruce then told the phone, " I am not Mark, I am Bruce, see." We all laughed at Bruce telling the phone he was not Mark. As if the phone would understand that! After a short silence, the polite female voice of Siri on the phone uttered, "From now on I will call you Pussy!" Well we all packed up laughing. I can't remember if we ever got that weather forecast.

On the way to Elora, I wanted to see a small flying microlight school on the outskirts of Fergus. We didn't go in as it was necessary to phone in advance before visiting. As I now know where it is, I will make contact and visit the next time I am in Canada. There is another field near Plattsville which has been the home of the Ultralight Pilots' Association of Canada's annual Convention. I will pay a visit there next time too.

The raging Grand River

Grand River in the Elora Gorge

We stopped for fried fish and chips in Fergus before heading to nearby Elora and the Gorge. We found a picnic table and ate the fish before walking to the edge of the gorge.
This Park is one of many on the Grand River Conservation Area. The Grand River rushes through a gorge with 22 metre high sides, and the park has trails and camp sites. Kayaking and tubing are activities one can do on the river as it cascades over rapids in the gorge, but were banned at the moment due to high water levels. We found the walk along the edge of the gorge very pleasing.

In the Hole

Looking up through the Hole

Grand River

On the way back to Stratford we stopped at the West Montrose Covered Bridge, aka the "Kissing Bridge" which is the last covered bridge in Ontario and was built in 1881. It was covered to protect the wooden road section and sides from the elements. In 1939 this section of road in the area was taken over by the province of Ontario and the floor and sub-structure of the bridge was rebuilt.

From where the picture of the bridge was taken are some old houses on the bank of the Grand river.

Under a tree in front of one house was a cooler box containing cool drink cans and a tin box mounted on a sign asking $1 a can. This is how simple life is in this part of Ontario where the population is made up largely of the Amish, also known as Amish Mennonites who belong to  traditionalist Christian fellowships. The Amish are known for their simple lives, clothes and do not adopt the conveniences of modern technology. They do not use electricity or motor vehicles. They are farmers and travel around in horse drawn buggies.
I wonder if in this modern world of ours, with all those modern convenient technologies, these people have got it right and we've got it all wrong.......

And it's on that note I leave my wonderful family in Canada and return home.

.... with difficulty!