Part 1 - Bruce County Walkabout

Up early with a coffee into me, my "Crabby Cabbie" out the door, Checkerboard Aussies attended to, bed made, dishes done up, dressed, hair combed, teeth brushed ....

"... with the girls, Lexus & Missy Mercedes loaded up, as I was off for a bit of a Bruce County Walkabout this day."

"Really?  a "Crabby Cabbie" vehicle at the Southampton Tim Hortons !  Should I be surprised?  I suppose not as I know MY "Crabby Cabbie" does LOVE himself some coffee."

"Here we are at the Southampton Library.  Southampton being my Hometown,  I remember spending many days here reading Nancy Drew books, or working on a school project, as there had been no computers back there, it was all done "by the book".  I left our young Yass, Australia visitor to "hook -up" into the library's Wifi, while I went next door .... "

"... to meet up with a certain young lady at the Tourist Information Center, within the walls of The Southampton Town Hall, also holding many memories for me.  This Town Hall has housed a Police Station, Court House, and dance hall to name only a few over the years long gone by."

"It hadn't been too long before I went back to collect Nathan so we could begin a bit of our Bruce County Walkabout up the street at ... "

"... the Bruce County Museum.  The older part was originally Southampton's school where my oldest Sister, and our brother attended until years later when the newer G.C. Huston Public School had been erected.  The new addition to the original "Old School" Museum is most certainly quite impressive looking on the outside, so inside Nathan and I took ourselves to continue our "walkabout"."

"One of the volunteers was so very kind to show Nathan and I which way we should start our Museum "walkabout" Tour.  Check out the theatre they have outfitted for presentations in the "old" school part.  Next we headed up the stairs .... quietly, of course, past the Principals office !"

"Yeppers at the top of the stairs out in the Hallway was a desk in the corner.  We all remember what that meant, do we not?  In this case, we gave Nathan a "time out", but he was way too cooperative with having one.  Good boy Nathan with no fuss or bother you are quite easy to take along on a Bruce County "Walkabout"."

"Just off the Hallway we were shown into the Archive Room.  Nathan and I were amazed at how much History those binders contained.  This Museum is the "headquarters" for all of Bruce County ... how much more impressive could it possibly get then that?  You can find anything in this room from Marriages, Deaths, Photos, Deeds, By-Laws come and gone.  You name it, and I am pretty sure it could be found here."

"Not far from where the Archive Room was we found a "Tree of Life" with Names of Children on Apples hanging from its branches.  This was used to teach Children about "Family Trees".  A bridge extends over top the new part of the museum taking us back over to the new part of the museum.  Oops a bit of construction was going on at a few spots within the premises promising some pretty fantastic future exhibits."

"What a view .. out over Fairy Lake.  I made many trips walking around this little Lake as a child, with warnings from my Mother still ringing in my ears, "don't go near the water, it is a bottomless lake".  Now that would put the fear of God into anyone thinking if something is "bottomless" you would never get out once going in !   The fear worked on me, as I am certain most of us children way back when .... "

"Nathan and I ventured from the top of the Museum down to the basement where the H.M.S. General Hunter ship was displayed in model form as well as somewhat its "original" size.  This ship had been discovered on the main beach of Southampton in 2004.  Really? how many times did I play in that sand over top that same buried ship?  who would have ever guessed?  Ha !  I went to school with Tom's daughters.  What a nice detailing did Tom Marcotte recreate in his model of the ship."

"A few artifacts displayed that had been also discovered while uncovering such an amazing find."

"How impressive is this mask towering overhead, as much so as the Cannon down below."

Interested in learning more about the War of 1812 Fighting Vessel, The H.M.S. General Hunter Ship?  Please do so by going to the Toronto Star account by *clicking* HERE

There is more to follow of the day Nathan and I spent here, but way too much to post all at once.  Please stay tuned tomorrow for Part 2 - Bruce County Walkabout.

Yeah Monica for joining along with the rest of us 21 ladies on the 52 Week Money Challenge !!!   You have now made us 22 strong for this Challenge !

Holy moly it is after 9:00 pm here.  Uploading over 129 photos and organizing them all had been pretty time consuming, never mind the regular routine I had to attend to when I had arrived back home ... you know those things we "have" to do like make supper, clean up and on and on and on.

I am tired and will be back again tomorrow to carry on where I left off here this evening, "Just North of Wiarton & South of the Checkerboard"

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