Doors Open in St. Thomas

Doors Open Ontario 2010 continues to bring together communities across Ontario.

Throughout the province, there is a growing pride in our heritage. Communities boast of their commercial buildings, courthouses, places of worship, gardens, natural heritage and other heritage sites. From April to October each year, communities open the doors to some of our most intriguing and charming heritage sites. Admission is free. And the Ontario Heritage Trust – the province's lead heritage agency – invites you to experience these hidden heritage treasures first-hand.

The above blurb describes how anyone can visit buildings or homes that are not normally open to the public.  It's very interesting to view some of the buildings and see the architect that was put into them.

As for Makenzie, she spent the afternoon enjoying the Little Red Mitten at 86 Talbot Street in St. Thomas. 

http://www.littleredmitten.ca/

The Little Red Mitten is housed in an 1842 building which was constructed following St. Thomas' first disastrous fire on Spetmeber 17, 1841.  The fire burned all buildings on both sides of Talbot Street from Stanley to King.  The original owner was Murdoch McKenzie whose family lived here from 1842-1856.  In 1986 it became the Talbot Trail Tea Room and in 2008 a knitting store.

Makenzie enjoyed the day visiting the people who toured the shop.  However, there was time to have some antics.
 Here at the spinning wheels, it would seem that she's a little too small to be able to spin any fibre into yarn of any kind.

 Here, there was a visit with one of the many inhabitants of the Little Red Mitten.  But it was short lived since Makenzie would prefer nose diving into the nearest stash of yarn.  And it didn't take long to find some to play with either.

Here she is trying to be Superman while playing with the Manos yarn hanging from the wall.  It's hard to believe  that Makenzie could behave if there wasn't nice yarn around.