A Bird in the hand.....

We drove to Lake Ontario today.  Not Downtown Toronto but somewhere a little closer to home.  I can't tell you where because it was so nice and peaceful and it appears to a be a little secret.  Not many people were there.  Maybe because they don't want to to take the walk to it or maybe because they don't know about it.  We are keeping it a secret for now so we can go back again and again and enjoy the peacefulness of it.  Sorry.

Just out of the car park.  Not the lake just a bit of water, slightly frozen

Aunty A - you will definitely love it here.

Small found a den

It was quite a trek for the boys so we decided to take their scooters as they seem to be able go much further on them than when they are just walking.  However, the surface wasn't fabulous for scooting, so there was a bit of scooting, a bit of walking, a bit of sliding and jumping.

Moo and the boys

Oh look more trees - you gotta love 'em

This little Tit sat there while I took a photo - we think they may be fed here as they came so close and they weren't scared at all.  He even followed us around a bit.

Gorgeous seed heads

I caught Small doing a jump onto the ice.  He looks a little like a Canadian Goose!

Round a corner and we could spot the lake in the distance

A bit more walking.......

Here it is (lots of Canadian Geese sitting in the water)

Red dog wood with a solitary silver birch - and the colour of that sky!

The long walk was worth it though.......

It was quite a shock to see the lake looking like this.  Downtown Toronto is more of a harbour, concrete, buildings, boats etc.  but this was like a beach.  It was amazing.

The lake looked beautiful in the sunshine.

We found a friend who liked people and rocks.  We weren't sure whether to throw the rocks into the water or along the beach.  He didn't communicate brilliantly with us!

It was -3 but it felt much warmer.  Out of the wind, sitting by the lake, a beach at the end of the walk.

This is my 360* picture. Can't tell how big or fabulous it looked from here but it maybe gives you some idea.

Another little Tit came and sat on my hand twice.  It felt really weird.  It wrapped it's little claws around my finger to hold on.  We fed it some seed that was left on a bench nearby that Small found.

the boys skimming stones

Proper sand

When it was time for "a little something", we took off our coats, sat on them and had baguette and Christmas chocolate.  We had a lot of interest from the Geese.  We tried to ignore them.  They came close, we ignored them, they swam away, then they came back, we ignored them some more and they swam away.

This is Smallest pretending that he isn't eating something that the Geese might want!

It honestly got so warm that Huffle sat in his tee shirt - He would like to note to the Burlington's that you don't need to go to Mexico to enjoy sun and sand!!

Me and the boys and the lake.

The water was sooooo clear

Huffle found a seat

I walked along the lake looking at trees (of course) and watching the water when I heard a Tap, tap, tap.  I looked behind me and there was a woodpecker

Peck, peck, pecking away at a hole.  At one point he went inside - look at that blue sky - is it really January?

This was a tree root by the water, warming in the sun but still cold enough to have icicles.

You can just see the others through the tree?

Unfortunately we had to leave but Smallest decided he couldn't walk all the way back so I had to give him a shoulder ride.  He kept pulling my hat over my eyes.

He was making me giggle

It was a lovely place and I think we will keep going back there.  Maybe through the seasons to see how it changes although at the moment this has to be my favourite place at this time of the year!

We had visitors for tea tonight.  KP & A were coming for pizza.  The boys decided to make it.  They cut all the ingredients up and prepared the sauce.

smallest cutting up mushrooms with scissors?

Whilst they sorted the Pizzas I made a quick batch of Cupcakes, this time using a Canadian Recipe and Canadian measurements.  I stuck to the Recipe even though I wasn't sure it looked completely right, put them in the oven for the correct amount of time on the correct temperature.  

.......and they worked.  Not exactly as I wold have liked.  A bit sugary and a bit crunchy on top.  But nice and passable and I made nine and this is how many are left.........

JUST THE ONE - can't be so bad eh?may just have another few goes to see if I can perfect them.

Very enjoyable evening with perfect company.  I think we have made some good friends there.