If you’re interested in checking out the quintessential Southwestern Ontario hiking trail, The Avon Trail is the best place for you to start your exploration. It is a very rural trail located near Stratford, Ontario, so the hiker can expect to see plenty of scenic farmland, gurgling streams, and peaceful back country roads on their…
Author: marialegault
I spend my time hiking in nature and reading great novels.
The Grand Valley Trail – Paris, Ontario
The title of this post is somewhat misleading because the Grand Valley Trail (GVT) – which was initially conceptualized in January 1972 at a public meeting in Kitchener, Ontario – stretches an impressive 275 kilometers from Port Maitland to Alton. The main trail generally follows the Grand River watershed and is divided into four sections:…
Greenway Park – London, Ontario
During my life as a graduate student, I had the pleasure and the privilege of being able to hike quite frequently. It helped that my thesis research involved hiking and trails in urban and rural environments; both landscapes that provide excellent backdrops for the movement of the body through time and space. When I’m hiking…
Stochastic Scheduling for the Sciencey
Once upon a time, in a land far far away – we were all able to schedule our days perfectly and know exactly what was going to happen. We also knew, down to the very minute details, the content and timing of these happenings. Doesn’t this sound like the start of a fairy tale to…
The Day He Leaves
A tumult of jostling emotions, And a passel of charging thoughts, Arrest my attention when we part. Freedom and space, on the one hand, but Idle heart and empty mind are my fears. The day he leaves, The day he leaves. Passionately, I say, I do not need You or any other, I am my own….
Some Life Tips for Unconventional Young Ladies
Warning – this blog post lacks background research and is a purely subjective account from one individual. Tips and recommendations should be approached with this in mind. I grew up shy, lonesome, and mostly ignorant in the ways of the world. My family maintains a certain level of Victorian sensibility; the feminine values of “piety,…
The Rebellion of the (Technological) Tools
Last week, I took my fortuitously large tax return and upgraded from my out-of-date Blackberry Bold to a Samsung Galaxy S4. The tagline for this Samsung phone is, literally, the “Life Companion”, with the text on the website reading as follows: “as a real life companion, the new Samsung Galaxy S4 helps bring us closer…
Happy Victoria Day Holiday!
Victoria Day is celebrated nationally in Canada, and generally marks the end of the winter season for Canadians. I hope that everyone can use this vacation day to relax and rejuvenate their mental, emotional, and physical selves.
Bobbed Hair and Bathtub Gin by Marion Meade
Meade, Marion. (2004). Bobbed Hair and Bathtub Gin: Writers Running Wild in the Twenties. Doubleday; New York. I first sought out the tale when I stumbled (purely by chance) across the work of Edna St. Vincent Millay – particularly her poem “A Few Figs From Thistles” (My candle burns at both ends/It will not last the night/…
The War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells
Wells, Herbert George. (1898, 2013).The War of the Worlds. Wilder Publications; United States. This tale, one of the most commented-on works in the world of science fiction, takes place in what readers typically imagine to be a safe, relaxed setting – Surrey, Essex, and London – with an unnamed protagonist and his brother (Wikipedia article)….
The Power of the Network
When I was initially drafting this post, the first title that came into my head – The Power of the Network – also elicited a funny memory of the ‘I believe in the power of barking’ dog meme. Thankfully, there are some semi-legitimate analogies that I can draw between this image and my topic today,…
Snyder’s Flats – Woolwich, Ontario
I can’t say that Snyder’s Flats is the most ecologically-beautiful trail I’ve ever hiked. In fact, between the floodplain area that is just a little over-watered this year and the grey, barren vistas of the restored gravel pit, it’s a decidedly craggy spot to visit. For families and dog owners, however, it’s a paradise. In…
Maria Legault 