Saturday, October 10, 2009

Balls Falls Conservation Area

We love taking a drive out to the Balls Falls Fall Fair every Thanksgiving long weekend. You know that you've arrived when you hear music, smell woodsmoke and the delicious aroma of apple fritters being fried on the spot. I'm more than a bit concerned about these teens sitting around a vat of boiling hot oil though, yikes!
This mill has a giant wheel churning away inside, grinding wheat into flour. The lower level is very dark and has that wonderful aroma of being ages old. There's a display of tools used during the last century as well, it's all very historical and fascinating.
The blacksmith's shop is the place to be if you're cold! Just behind him is the bellows to bring the fire to a raging hot glow, I'd love to have one of those for our fireplace.
Here are the falls from which the conservation area gets its name, very serene but quite a drop!
Who wouldn't have wanted a teepee in your backyard as a child? All those sheets thrown over chairs or clotheslines in the backyard were a pretend version of this.
I've spared you the photo of the large order of chips and gravy that I had for lunch. The sun was shining the brass band was playing and the aroma of chip fat was in the air - what a day! Unfortunately, I was too full to enjoy one of those hot apple fritters made by those poor teens putting their lives at risk to make. I was able to manage a cup of freshly pressed hot apple cider for the drive home though. A lovely drive through some small towns, past homes with porches decorated with pumpkins, corn stalks and pots of Mums. A lovely day indeed!

7 comments:

  1. Have a great Thanksgiving. Sounds like a perfect weekend and what a nice way to spend the day! I think I would be concerned about those kids sitting next to so much boiling oil, too! They seem so lackadaisical about things! I love this time of year--now as long as I get a fall, too! :) (Or else I will have to live vicariously through your photos).

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  2. Hi Darlene,
    I discovered your blog through Nan's wonderful blog and just had to comment as we were at a wedding in Balls' Falls this summer! Some of your photos look very familiar to me! I love the historic scenes! It must have been very crowded/busy as it usually is for this big weekend!
    Looked like a lovely day!
    Happy Thanksgiving!
    Joanne

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  3. I don't think I could have resisted one of those apple fritters! Then again, the hot apple cider sounded pretty yummy, too. So perfectly autumnal! K x

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  4. Yum...apple fritters! It's apple festival weekend here in my neck of the woods. Happy Thanksgiving!

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  5. The Fall Fair sounds amazing not least because autumn is my favourite season and I love celebrating it but the apple fritters sound delicious. Hot apple cider sounds like a perfect treat as well. Us brits should make more of autumn with a Thanksgiving alternative!

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  6. I LOVE apples - I am so envious! We are hoping to go to an Apple Day next weekend - the hot cide sounds fabulous. I wish we got a weekend for Thanksgiving.

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  7. Danielle, This outing is one of my most favourite of the year. We had a slight frost yesterday in the morning but nothing compared to your first snowfall of the season!

    Anonymous, I took a picture of the church as well! Such a charming setting for a wedding. The conservation area was quite busy but the town seemed to be overflowing this year. There are more and more tents along the main road every year. A terrific day out! Happy Thanksgiving!

    Kristina, I really, really wanted some...they are so delicious! We need to squeeze as much 'autumnal' as we can into a short span of time don't we.

    JoAnn, We went to an apple farm last weekend and were so surprised at how expensive everything was...$14 for an apple pie! Instead of being more reasonable because they're 'in season', it seems like we're being charged more because it's 'peak season'.

    Bloomsbury Bell, I agree! It's such a wonderful festive season without all the stress brought on by a commercialized Christmas season. Hot apple cider is wonderful...now if I just had some Winter Pimms to go with it!

    verity, The citizens of England should start a campaign for an Autumn Festival long weekend. I wonder what Boris would think? If you make it to the Apple Festival I'd love to see photos!

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