July 13th: Bobcaygeon

We left Buckhorn at 7:30 am hoping to get a power spot at Bobcaygeon. There are only a few spots and it was Friday, which means many people coming into town for the weekend. The locks open at 9:00 am so we knew people would be coming down from the top side, looking for a spot, shortly after 9:00 am. Our plan worked and once again we were very fortunate. We pulled into the only remaining spot with power at 8:50 am. There is a lot of boat action on the weekends so we stayed two nights, the maximum allowed.

Bigley's Shoes and Clothing

On a main corner of Bobcaygeon, we have watched a small shoe store grow into quite an operation. Bigley Shoes & Clothing has been a family run business since 1911! They were originally in one small shop on the main street. Then they expanded to the shop next door, and then the next. Next they took over the old stone bank building on the corner. Their latest expansion was building the Beach House around the corner. Bobcaygeon is a very small town. I don't know how the Bigleys do it, but they must be marketing geniuses.

The Bigley Beach House

Bigley's features one of the largest selections of shoes (over 40,000 pairs) in Eastern Ontario for men, women, and children. They boast hundreds of brand names in clothing & footwear for both men and women,  jewelry and accessories. They carry over 25,000 swimsuits in their Beach House. 

Steve with Beaver "Parka"

While sitting on our boat we noticed Parka, the Canada Parks Beaver mascot. I of course had to get a picture with the very cooperative beaver!

Bobcaygeon Farmer's Market

Bobcaygeon Chamber of Commerce hosts a very nice farmer's market on Saturdays. Fortunately we were there on a Saturday. There were many tempting breads, cakes and desserts, which I was able to refrain from buying. 

I succumbed, however, to the free dish of soft serve ice cream with fresh strawberries. I also picked up some huge radishes and some great looking red beets. 

A routine stop for us in Bobcaygeon is the Full Cup for breakfast. We have been going there for years. They have the thickest slice of pea meal bacon we've ever seen. Not something I should eat very often, but it was once again, very good.


Next stop is Fenelon Falls.





Last week's blog wildflower - Chicory

Chicory

This taprooted perennial produces a milky juice and may grow to 2 metres in height. The low growing rosette leaves resemble dandelion but are hairy while the blue flowers (which may be pink or white) usually close by midday. The leaves may be used in a salad and roots when dried are often used as a coffee substitute. Early settlers were the first to discover this trick. The plant and flowers are quite coarse and early in its development, before the flowers bloom, the plant appears spindly and ragged. It will grow almost anywhere but favors poorer sandy or rocky soils which are devoid of a lot of moisture. Its success as a plant can best be measured by its ability to adapt to even the most harsh conditions. Splice a gene from this plant and meld it to wheat and it very well might be possible to grow grain crops in semi-arid conditions.

This blog's wildflower