I have been roaming the Web and note that food blogs are all the rage these days.  Numerous folks with formidable taste-buds, well-stocked pantries, top-notch thesauruses and  expensive cameras release their food explorations in blog form.  I note that grammar is out and random punctuation is in.  An example:  “Best.  fermented goat cheese.  and wild artichoke terrine. Ever!  served in:   Hollow Gourds! ”

It struck me that the Limestone Ladies are fantastic cooks,  we have highly evolved taste-buds and we could easily ignore grammar and punctuation.  So, the idea of a food blog was. Born.

In order to get to the food though, we still have to do the hike.  So bear with me as I chronicle the stunning scenery of the Peninsula section, and you will be rewarded with pictures of food!

We set out from Wiarton into blustery wind and a smattering of rain.  The grey skies could not mask the lovely setting:

After so many windy, rainy hikes over the past four years, we barely notice the weather! Here we are, starting out from Wiarton’s Bluewater Park.

The trail winds along the waterfront past a very pretty park and playground, heading towards the Wiarton marina.

A rainy day in Wiarton

This blog was to be about hiking and gorgeous food, but it very nearly became a romantic epic.  One of our hikers, having had surgery for a fractured patella only 4 weeks earlier, accompanied us for the first portion of the hike on her crutches.  ‘Twas there she spied the dashing, swashbuckling Wiarton Willie and her heart leaped.  Here was the giant plastic cartoon rodent she had been waiting for all her life!

You never know when nor where true love will strike!

The trail followed the shore of Colpoy’s Bay very closely.  We have not hiked so intimately with Georgian Bay before.  To be right beside the water was a unique feature of this hike.

Such a beautiful setting. This peaceful calm could quickly transform into maritime fury on a wavy day!

The trail soon turned away from the shore and climbed steeply to the top of the escarpment.

Watch your footing!

Thankfully there was a charming iron spiral staircase to aid the climb.

One of the things I love about hiking on an overcast day is that colours are so vivid. The brilliance of these hikers stands out against the subdued palette of the trail.

The Limestone Triplets with Colpoy’s Creek in the background.

Heading towards Colpoy’s Bluff with Colpoy’s Bay in the background

There is no experience on earth that compares with the pleasure of hiking on a crisp fall day.  Brilliant colours all around,  air filled with the invigorating scent of damp leaves, wind swirling and surging with restless energy.  It is impossible not to feel happy!

Immersed in the beauty that is autumn.

This tree has a story to tell…. sometimes ya gotta do something crooked before you can go straight!

Enjoying the beauty of the fall forest.

One hiker tried to force her way into the food blog early.  She thought her chunky cauliflower soup with homemade tea biscuit in a separate, but attached, container might allow her to jump the queue into food blogging fame!  Nice try!

That tea biscuit does look toothsome!

When you’re a new grandmother, it is “de rigueur” to show photos of the new granddaughter.  Here we see the proud grandma sharing photos of sweet baby Nora.

Most beautiful. baby. Ever.

After lunch, the trail continued along the edge of Colpoy’s Bluff, with endless, enticing views across the gleaming waters of Colpoy’s Bay.

The scenery continued to enthrall.

Sometimes you take a photo, quite by accident, that just  captures the spirit of the day.  I love this picture of a vibrant woman in a vibrant landscape.  That’s just exactly how it was.

Admiring the endlessly captivating view.

And here is what the vibrant woman was gazing at:

Note the endlessly shifting wind patterns on the water surface. Can you imagine ever growing tired of this vista? 

The Lovely Limeys stopped to enjoy the view. Thankfully, no one stepped backwards. It’s a very long way down!

Last chance to admire the view before heading to the cars. White Cloud Island is in the background.

After a hardy hike, the Ladies were hungry.  But not for just any old food.  Oh no!  The Limestone Ladies accept no less than artisanal, free-range, artfully presented food.  Anything else would upset our finely tuned digestive systems.  So, we started with an appetizer or two:

Here we see the handcrafted guacamole, constructed from avocados individually picked by descendants of Emperor Montezuma II,  and thoughtfully diced in order to preserve the molecular energy of the avocado. Seasoned with organic heirloom tomatoes , vital lime essence, and lovingly dusted with fleur de sel. Ignore the corn chips in the background. Of course we didn’t eat those!

Next up was a blue pumpkin soup, scented with cumin, ginger and cinnamon and embellished with organic yogurt-lime drizzle.

Hungry hikers enjoying their soup.

An exquisite chicken pot-pie, with hand-carved pearl onions and herbs flown from France on a private jet, to preserve freshness.

A rich and fragrant tourtiere, bursting with hand-raised, pasture-fed meat and pure grass-fed butter crust sculpted by Italian stone-masons.

Can it get any better?  Stay tuned!  This ratatouille goes beyond merely organic. The vegetables embody the plasmic qualities of essential biotic plant orgo-chemistry in order to capture the. Crucial. Piquancy. of the dish.

And you thought it was just a ratatouille!

Bulgur salad prepared with savoury herbage harvested by Druids under the full moon. And assembled in a yurt!

The diners seemed to appreciate the food.

Of course there is no dinner without dessert!

Organic apple upside-down cake made from hand-ground ancient grains and baked in a Paleolithic stone oven.  Sweetened with cold-pressed, fair-trade, eco-farmed sugar-cane nectar.

Delicious! And nutritious!

Now, you may think that all this food blogging is just egocentric, new-age yuppie babble.  So, let me tell you what happened next.   After eating the meal of thoughtfully-prepared organic, wholesome foods, our injured hiker arose from the table, cast off her crutches, and …. danced!  Yes, it was a miracle!  The Limestone Ladies can heal the wounded!  And we have proof!

Here she is! Healed! Boogeying to the Bee Gees!

It was a very full day and after the dancing ended, we made our way to bed.  Tired, happy, bellies full and muscles well-exercised.    We need to be ready for more tomorrow!

And many thanks to our generous hostess.