Thursday, November 29, 2012

Minden Meandering

The lovely town of Minden is just a couple of hours north and a bit east of where Frank lives, and another hour or so from my place. It's one of the towns where we've been looking to find a home on one of its surrounding lakes.

During the summer and into this autumn, there was a lot of construction going on along the main street, so I stuck to walking routes which kept me away from town.


minden gull river
This is the Gull River. It was about a ten minute stroll from our motel, and while we stayed there, I walked along its shores and beyond for about an hour, twice a day.




minden second visit
There's a walking path alongside each bank, and a couple of bridges along the way allow us the opportunity to cross over to the other side.




minden4
Along the walkway, various wood sculptures turn dead trees into art. It's a great way to keep their beautiful spirit alive.




minden3
This whimsical design made me smile.




minden5
Speaking of whimsy, I found this cool bicycle rack sculpture made of recycled springs, pipes and other metal parts.




minden6
Once I was over the bridge, and walking away from town, I discovered this small but charming pioneer village. It seemed to be unattended and yet, most of the buildings were open for exploration.




minden schoolhouse2
There was a blacksmith shop, a post office (which was closed) and this quaint little schoolhouse - The S. S. Stanhope No. 9.




minden church]
I loved all of the beautiful old wood in the little church.



minden labryinth
The Peace Garden Labyrinth beckoned me. I walked it a few times (on various strolls) and sat on that tree stump in the middle. You can read about its significance here.




Wits end drive
The labyrinth might be a calming place for folks who live on this street.




minden sunset
This was the view from one of the Gull River bridges at the end of one of my evening walks.




timmies sunset5
And the next night, with a classic Canadian coffee and donut shop in the forefront, this was what we saw while sitting in front of our motel room.

I hope you enjoyed exploring Minden with me. More photos coming up in a few days.

47 comments:

Linda at To Behold The Beauty said...

That river is beautiful and provides a lovely place for a stroll. By the way...an hour twice a day?...I'm impressed. The pioneer village was a great find, and the photos you got there are so pretty. Love the "Wits End" street sign. I think I could live there. :)

Buttons Thoughts said...

Oh Minden is a place I must visit. It appears there are very creative artists that live there. I love that.
I love your photos the reflections on the water are awesome. There is something about that sunset with the Tim Horton's that is truly Canadian made me smile. B

ADRIAN said...

An interesting town. I enjoyed the sculptures.
A grand visit.

Pierre BOYER said...

It seems to be a very sympatic and quiet little town...
Great sculptures and water reflexions...
Best regards from France,
Enjoy your day !

Pierre

Sueann said...

I enjoyed the trip very much...love the sculptures and the old wooden buildings
Hugs
SueAnn

Dan said...

Small towns in most instances have a special quality that bigger cities lack... charm. The land of Mindy is no exception. Beautiful spot! Your photo's reveal some of that small town charm.

Andy said...

Thanks for the tour. The wood sculptures are amazing.

Brian Miller said...

what a cool place.....i love the sculpture...esp that bike rider....and the one room school house is pretty cool as well...love exploring places like that...

Anonymous said...

What lovely shots of this charming place. Love that pioneer village too.

Hilary said...

It looks like a lovely little town......and you know I have a soft spot for labyrinths.

Leah J. Utas said...

What a loving portrayal of what is clearly a beautiful character town.

Daryl said...

So does Minden seem to be where you'll settle down?

messymimi said...

Since i got to the end of my wits long ago, i need such a labyrinth.

Thanks for the calming influence of your pictures.

DJan said...

I especially love the biker sculpture. But these picture are all radiant with your very unique and special eye, Hilary! Thank you for the journey. :-)

Kerri Farley said...

Oh it looks like a great place! I LOVE those sculptures - and that sky is amazing!

TexWisGirl said...

from what you've shared of this town, it looks like a beautiful, quaint, but fun place, too. :)

Anita said...

I'd go there to get away from it all! :) Thanks for sharing it with us. I'm appreciative that places like Minden exist. Glad you got a chance to enjoy it.

Anvilcloud said...

I think I visited that little church about 40 years ago.

Frank Baron said...

A very pleasant re-visit. :)

Reb said...

What a lovely little town. The sculptures and the sunsets are beautiful.

Lisa Gordon said...

This looks like a wonderful place, Hilary!
I love the sculptures, especially the person on the bicycle.

Thank you for taking us along with you!

Nadezda said...

I see that there are plenty of talented people in Minden, I love the sculptures, the most of swimmer.
Nice pictures of sunset.

Rosaria Williams said...

Stunning vistas! I can tell you really enjoy this visit.

Lynne with an e said...

I didn't mind Minden at all. In fact, I very much enjoyed the tour, and greatly appreciated the shared Timbits at the end of the journey.

Ruth Hiebert said...

That looks like a great place to live. Looks like people take notice of the little things.I like the way they have turned the old trees into sculptures.The sunsets are gorgeous.

Kittie Howard said...

Beautiful photos. Loved the sculptures. Minden seems to be a really nice place to live.

Leave It To Davis said...

Your pictures make me want to come to Canada. Absolutely breath-taking! And I love the old church and school house! Thanks so much for sharing!!!

photowannabe said...

What a delightful place Hilary.
I hope you do find something there.
The wood carved sculptures are terrific. I love the little girl and her goggles.
Gorgeous sunsets too.
Nothing but gray skies here today, with more rain on the way.

Red said...

I certainly did enjoy the tour of Minden. Places with art around them seem to have what it takes. I really like the steel bicycle sculpture. Trails are also well worth while in a community.

Gary's third pottery blog said...

So much of Ontario is SO prosperous. You guys sure do know how to take care of your countryside!

Mental P Mama said...

I love this place! Are there some nice places there???

Cloudia said...

I'd so love to visit - yet "wits End" seems oddly familiar. . .


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Karen (formerly kcinnova) said...

What a lovely town! And really, Wit's End might be the perfect street upon which to live -- for isn't it when we are at our wit's end that SOMETHING new happens, SOMETHING has to change?
Just a thought...

Happy house-hunting! I have no doubt that the perfect place for the two of you is just waiting to be discovered. :)

Gail Dixon said...

Those tree sculptures are awesome! I lingered for a while admiring those. Such a peaceful area to walk around and reflect. I want that street sign for my office. Too cool.

Glo said...

What a lovely meander through picturesque Minden. The tree sculptures are very creative, as are the metal ones. Any homes for sale on Wits End Drive? ;) So funny.

Bob Bushell said...

A beautiful town to see and live in. I think that is a town for you.

Suldog said...

What a lovely little waterway! It looks like a place I'd very much enjoy taking a walk.

Reena said...

Beautiful water reflections and I really like that bike sculpture!

lime said...

what a perfectly charming looking little town. i love the tree sculptures and that bicycle rack is fantastic! i think i would want to live at wit's end since i do anyway ;)

Friko said...

Not a bad place for a wander, not bad at all. It might be fun to live there.

Tammie Lee said...

this looks like a wonderful place, nature arts, fun, playful. I wish you well finding your place.

Barbara said...

What a beautiful, fun little town!! Thanks for taking us along!

Laura said...

looks like a lovely place to hang out and explore Hilary.

Maggie May said...

Loved the fun sculptures and going on that journey with you.
Maggie X

Nuts in May

Zuzana said...

The last image is absolutely breathtaking.;) Beautiful set of photographs as always.;)
Have a lovely week ahead dear Hilary,
xoxo

Holly said...

Beautiful images. I love the reflection shots.

Jo said...

I can't remember the last time I happened upon a pioneer village, you sure know how to find things! Love that schoolhouse, it amazes me how small the world once was.

Such a lovely town, I hope you guys find that just-right home.