There are still beautiful old log structures in many places around the valley but sadly we lose more each year. I have watched buildings “deconstructed” and shipped off to far away places and have seen others simply fall from neglect. We used to spend time wandering around and taking pictures in our local ghost town […]
Railways were a very important part of our valley’s development and until not so long ago you could hear train whistles in most places. I grew up hearing the trains and miss the sound, especially in the evenings. Many of the abandoned lines have been turned into a network of trails and I am fortunate […]
“Farmers Feed Cities”, “Farmers’ roots are deep”….some of the sayings about some of our most important citizens! Schools, churches and bridges are part of the foundation of the valley but without farmers none of them would be here. Farming was the reason many settlers came to the area-even though many of our fields only grew […]
We have lots of bridges in the Ottawa Valley! With so many rivers and streams to cross, it’s hard to imagine early travel in the area. Even now, we still have to sometimes take round about routes to get where we’re going-but oh the interesting places we sometimes discover. While there are many interesting and […]
Schools, like churches, are another cornerstone of Valley history and I was fortunate enough to have a beautiful example of an old stone one-room schoolhouse near my home. SS No 5 Goulbourn (Munster School) was built in 1890 and was in use until 1967. It was replaced by a modern school that is sadly saying […]
St Leonard’s Church in Rockingham, Ontario was built in 1875 when the hamlet was a lively community. The population peaked at about 100 souls in 1899 and then began to drop off as the pine was logged out and farmers left to find more arablfule land. The last regular service was held in 1941, but […]
Country fairs are alive and well in the valley! I have spent many a day wandering through different fair grounds, looking at the exhibits and the animals and eating way too much food! There’s something magical in the evening when the sun goes down and the lights of the midway dazzle your eyes-it’s my favorite […]
Welcome! That’s what doorways have always said to me. They are not only an entrance but an opportunity. This doorway is from the Pinhey’s Point Heritage site on the Ottawa River in Dunrobin. The site is maintained as a heritage site/museum and recreation area by the City of Ottawa and the Pinhey’s Point Foundation. I […]
I have wanted to do a pictorial quilt of our beautiful Ottawa Valley for many years and have spent a lot of time wrestling with what I wanted to share. The landscape? The architecture? The culture? There may be many more “valley” quilts to come, but for now I thought I would try to represent […]
It’s been a crazy May with lots of travels, teaching and meeting quilters all over Ontario. Thought I’d share these great class pics from Wilton Creek Fabrics in Harrowsmith and The Muskoka Quilting Company in Bracebridge. Lots more to come!