Hike by Susan L.

  H and I went over to the Gibson Hills yesterday to enjoy the sunshine, the warmth and a bit of the outdoors. The leafless treetops were adorned with songbirds and my first official spring Robin. The ground was muddy and downright slippery as we struggled to walk down a couple of the steeper hills. Thankfully, neither of us did a face plant or ended up falling. We'd both brought hiking sticks that helped us thwart gravity and treacherous footing.
  Since we won't be going camping this summer, we've taken on the challenge of hiking the entire Bruce Trail. It cuts through our area on the way north so there's plenty of places to pick it up and hike without having to travel too far.
  The trail is 885 kilometers long, starting at the Niagara River and ending in Tobermory. We won't do this in one summer (if ever!) but plan on breaking it down into shorter hikes. We'll take two cars, dropping one off at our ending point then head to the start so there won't be any need for doubling back.
  If we were to tackle it in one fell swoop, we would have to hike eight hours a day for thirty days. That's not happening either!
  Every once in a while, I get amazed at just how big this country is. I know there's places in Europe where having a car is a considered a luxury. Here it's a necessity unless you live in a large, urban setting with public transit. Even if I wanted to visit a city, I still need a car to get to public transit because the only buses feeding them run along the main highway corridors. It's a forty-five minute drive to the nearest bus station.
  As the nicer weather rolls in, I'll have to start walking again. Couch potato winters mean out of shape springs. Keeping the Bruce Trail in mind will hopefully inspire me to regain the fitness level I achieved before heading to Nova Scotia last September.
  Tackling the Bruce Trail and celebrating the beauty of this country seems a great way to celebrate Canada's 150th birthday.
  "The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge." Ps 46:7