June 12Lynn has our fresh fruit and croissant french taost ready and waiting when we arrive in the dining room. Again breakfast is delicious. Olivia watches a rabbit nibble icelandic poppies on the other side of the expansive dining room windows. We would very much recommend Cedarholme as a convenient stop for those who are undertaking the end to end hike or just puttering around in the area. There is a trailer park behind the B&B and rustic cabins associated with the B&B but those who are interested in a more pampered experience and unique architecture, should consider the B&B as their best option.
At the meeting point, Olivia and I announce to the group that we will sweep – but Walter takes up the cause instead. Olivia is handed the camera and told to document her experience. Today the sun comes out, the breeze is stiff and cool and again, the hiking is spectacular. We take lunch along the shores of Georgian Bay and eye the crisp water.
We think that it is only a matter of weeks until we break down and plunge into the cool depths, weighing the impact of the frigid water against the oppressive August heat. Olivia is a different person 
with the slower folks. She makes friends with Anna and Michael from Waterloo. Michael is a Professor in Ecology at the University of Waterloo. Anna and Michael stop to discuss trees, flowers and woodland plants. Olivia inspects their samples, follows their observations and laps up every word they say. Now she is bouncing and happy, tells me that she is having a great day and wants to continue hiking. The walk along the cliffs is wonderful and I agree, it is a fabulous day for hiking. Anna, Michael and Betty make for great hike-mates and we are all having a good time. Even when the local timber barons refuse access rights to their lands that would allow us to follow the natural landscape, leaving us hiking for 9 km along the road, Olivia and I have deep talks about people in her class, her teachers and her upcoming music recital. In my heart, I cherish this time and hope that 10 years from now, when she is 22 yrs old, or even when she is 32 yrs old, we will still be having these good walks and talks.
with the slower folks. She makes friends with Anna and Michael from Waterloo. Michael is a Professor in Ecology at the University of Waterloo. Anna and Michael stop to discuss trees, flowers and woodland plants. Olivia inspects their samples, follows their observations and laps up every word they say. Now she is bouncing and happy, tells me that she is having a great day and wants to continue hiking. The walk along the cliffs is wonderful and I agree, it is a fabulous day for hiking. Anna, Michael and Betty make for great hike-mates and we are all having a good time. Even when the local timber barons refuse access rights to their lands that would allow us to follow the natural landscape, leaving us hiking for 9 km along the road, Olivia and I have deep talks about people in her class, her teachers and her upcoming music recital. In my heart, I cherish this time and hope that 10 years from now, when she is 22 yrs old, or even when she is 32 yrs old, we will still be having these good walks and talks.
500 m from the car park, an industrious local has set up an ice cream stand. We pay a visit and lap at our ample servings of Chapman’s Ice Cream. Once at the car, Olivia and I remove our gaiters and boots, zip off our leggings and don on our sandals. Per Lynn’s suggestion, we stop at Northern Confections in Wiarton and Olivia is provided with 5 dollars to select the very finest of candy. On the way home, she grabs the camera and documents her stash. She tells me, with a discerning tone, that this type of candy is not easy to come by.
We stop at Steve’s BBQ in Markdale and have an incredible home cooked feast. This is a family restaurant which works for us as we are sweaty and still have our post hike clothes on. The babies and young families, however, do not seem to mind and we light into our delicious reasonably priced meal with gusto. Traffic is good and we arrive home around 7:30 PM. We empty the car, hit the showers and stagger into bed even though the sun is still low on the horizon.
The next day at work, my new boss comments that I am a bit dozy. I muster my most engaging smile and think, if you only knew…
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