#GreatestHits2020 is rolls right on as my year-end rally to share a little activity and progress during a pandemic.
When the initial lockdown was announced, restaurants, sporting facilities and outdoor areas were effectively closed down. Many took this prompt to stay indoors totally to be extra cautious or opportunistically lazy. So, I say BULLSHIT to all that and present my favourite outdoor activities during a year of pseudo-hibernation.
Ladders
I will eagerly admit that work was not one of my most cherished outdoor activities this year. That being said, being able to keep busy, make a few extra bucks and help people with their suddenly crucial internet was a blessing of sorts.
As usual, I watched the seasons change from atop my ladder. The view seemed a little more surreal, with much less traffic and noise. Almost peaceful is how I would describe it and I remember it as such atop the home of a hospital worker who required some help. Otherwise, many beautiful days in the neighbourhood this year.
Gardening
Being stuck close to home is nothing new to me as I moved to the small town in order to work for myself in a home I could afford. I was going out much less often because everyone else was which left me even more time to expand the garden a little. I spent money I didn't have on a couple yards of triple mix and manure for the raised garden boxes, and added another one of those to initially house strawberries and carrots. You can tell I shirked on the lawn mowing as I spare the dandelions for the early summer insects...at least that is my excuse.
By the end of the long summer, we had quite a yield and a nice organic diversion. Time spent in my garden has become such a nice investment since I decided to take the lead of 
Day Trips and New Adventures
As the summer approached, the authorities relaxed restrictions enough to open the provincial parks and conservation areas. Being summer worshippers, we were quite ready to get out and into the wilderness among the nature and a lot less disease-carrying humans!
Our first adventure was a place we had never been called Morris Tract Provincial Nature Reserve https://www.ontarioparks.com/park/morristract only a short hour drive from home. If it weren't for the restrictions, we would have gone camping somewhere else and perhaps never discovered this place. deep swimming holes, warm sun-heated pools, and the neatest 4-7 foot falls in which to play. One of a few nice day trips that made it such a great year.
Camping!
After the successful day-trip, decreased restrictions, and need for more out-doors, it was time to head out camping. Awenda Park https://www.ontarioparks.com/park/awenda was the destination of choice as we hadn't yet been there, it was only a couple hours drive, and it was close to relative's homes. Embarrassingly enough, the kids abandoned any social distancing within an hour despite numerous warnings. Our friends had a chemist in the family and we were at least comfortable with the precautions and it turned out just fine.
This was a special park because it still had an impressive hardwood forest while so many other provincial parks had been taken over by pine. The hiking and biking were apparently nice but it was the beach we were here for.
The water was so high, there was perhaps half as much available beach. Luckily, there were 75% less people. The north-facing shore was picturesque and made for some fantastic snorkeling. You can almost feel the eons and imagine the glacier scraping the shield clean and depositing the top layers around here. One of the best camping trips yet!
Let There Be APPLES!
Even before moving from the big city, we would take the kids and cousins to the orchard towards the end of summer. This year, it didn't seem too likely as we were policing our own bubbles. We hadn't spent much time in the company of others and it had been a couple weeks since the last time. The cousins had opted for a very small bubble as they lived with their 70+ year old grampa. There were as safe as they could be and we were as well.
Perhaps it was because of the limited people out and about, reduced carbons in the air or cyclical pattern in the growth season, but there appeared to be a bumper crop at the orchard this year. We happily distanced from others but still managed to climb trees, race down the corridors, explore the corn maze, and load up on too many damn apples. Success!
And Then there was GOLF!
Perhaps the greatest out door gift of 2020 came in the form of golf. The season was a little slow in the opening due to delays but it eventually happened. Courses opened with plexiglass dividers on everything, untouchable ball washers and even flags, but it was still golf!
Not only did I golf more this summer than in the 10 previous summers combined, we were able to hold our yearly family tournament. it was a strictly outdoor affair under the limit advised by the provincial government and it rained like hell. Still, a day with family highlighted by a golf game in the pouring rain is about as improbable as you would imagine.
As the sun goes down on 2020, I have to thank it for the bounty of golf, and out-door fun it provided. 2021 is poised to be hopefully as golfy but way more...campingy, gardeny, and I would even go so far as to hope for some competitive sailing?!?
Part of me feels a little bad for celebrating the year that was so destructive to so many across the globe. I am thankful, inspired and empowered knowing that a challenging year overall has yielded such amazing rewards and prospects. As the sun goes down on such a fantastic year, let us be ready for an even better one in TWO days.
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