Cobblestone Retreat - Grafton Ontario

Rainy day fun in the life of our cat.

It’s a very rare thing to see these beautiful flowers converge at the same time. So pretty this morning. The growing season has allowed for some very lush vegetation (and perhaps the crushed eggs shells I sprinkled into the soil at the end of last season).

A quiet morning with coffee on the front porch. The sounds, the smells, the colours, the shadows. Just perfect. Gratitude.

We believe in having a symbiotic relationship between humans and nature but the terms may have to be negotiated.

Shadow play of a beautiful, large moth. Perhaps someone can help I.D.?

The early shades of green in spring take my breath away.

Our 2025 wedding dates are getting booked up fast and we are now accepting bookings for 2026. Contact our venue coordinator Nina at [email protected] to request a wedding brochure and set up a site tour.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Anja Hertle Whimsical mosaics using recycled china, pottery, stained glass, bottle caps, typewriter keys....show

Here's to many more unforgettable stays and cherished memories ahead! ✨ Tripadvisor

Beyond our mailbox waits the sights and sounds of serenity. Rippling water is so soothing to the ear.

Ironically, all the things we try to offer here at the Cobblestone. My personal favourite being the last one of course when it comes to interacting with guests!

The lady of the woods has made her spring debut. It’s begun….🤸‍♀️

Frozen beauty in the natural space between me and the mailbox tonight. No filters or edits required. The awesome splendour of winter landscapes.

I am grateful I accepted the task of putting out the garbage tonight. I’m even more grateful we live where artificial light cannot intrude. It lasted for such a short time before the clouds cleared. Left me in awe. I wish I had had a Nikon camera or something more worthy.

When being on vacation feels like being at home but in the best kind of ways. 💜 Come visit us at the Cobblestone.

I arrived home from town today just in time to see the sunlight striking the plants in such a way that it caused me to have (what felt like) a profound epiphany about life itself (for me anyways 😊). “Isn’t it magnificent and odd” I thought to myself, “that just before plants succumb to their final death (at least in the state that they are currently known) they somehow pull out all the stops and present themselves to the world in their most glorious and triumphant state, before taking a bow as the curtain goes down. It is like a grand finale and they've saved their best for last. It feels like watching fireworks somehow, but in slow motion.
And then I thought about my own life and about how, I too am aging. And I felt the tug of the question in my mind. “Are you up for the task witnessed in the garden? Do you understand that you get to chose? Will you live with intention and go out with your very best burst of colour? And if so, what does that look like?”
I didn’t have all the answers at the time and still don’t, but I am really grateful the garden asked the question and that I was able to hear.

‘Cause I got a peaceful easy feelin’-
early morning light show at the Cobblestone💜

As summer nears its close, the gardens always become a little wild and I begin to think about where I’ll relocate things next year. Still, there remains an element of unkept magic to it all.

We may have to call law enforcement. We have a peeping Tom tonight. 😁

I have never said it before but I truly believe we have hosted some of the nicest, most interesting travellers around. It is such a delight to meet new people and hear their stories.
Last night was no exception, except that it was. A young couple came through along with their 4 and 7 year old. We don’t often get children and so this was a special treat for me, given that I retired from teaching at the beginning of September and I sometimes miss the interaction with the kids.
The evening and morning ended up being sprinkled with such colourful, and engaging conversation with them both. I love listening to the hearts and minds of children and Liana and Felix did not disappoint. Here, Liana and I are discussing ‘life’ after a hearty breakfast.😊

Good morning new day. Thank you for the gifts you’ve bestowed. Rain on the land, sun in the sky, birds in the trees and a calm spirit.

This “gentleman” (whom I found in our woods) graced our front planter until a number of years ago, when I gifted him to young child in a school where I was working at the time. The child was “at risk” but we used to share our love of natural things on a daily basis. He was overjoyed to become his new owner and it brought me equal joy to bequeath it to him.

Great store with friendly and knowledgeable people behind the counter.

A squirrel unsuccessfully trying to get into the caged tube feeder at Karina's house! Look at photos four and five to see who can fit in the feeder. This feeder (along with all the other feeders in Karina's photos) is available in our store!

A reminder that we have our PICK-A-CHICKdee sale going on, now until Thursday, March 1!
Come in and Pick-a-Chickadee to discover if you get a 10%, 15% or 20% discount off of your purchase!** Wow!
Store hours are Tuesday to Saturday, 9:30-5:00pm, Sundays, noon-4pm and closed on Mondays
(** See in store for complete details)

Snug as a bug in a rug! View from road and west entrance of driveway.

Little Ray's Reptile Zoo

COBOURG - Meet a BABY SLOTH and so much more! - For one weekend only, February 9th, 10th, & 11th, 'Diversity of Living Things' is coming to the Cobourg Community Center!

Little Ray's Reptile Zoo and Nature Centre is bringing our largest and most comprehensive exhibit to date. Featuring a Baby Sloth, Kangaroo, Skunk, Barn Owl, Great Horned Owl, Alligator, Snakes, Tarantulas, Tortoises, and so much more!

This amazing 13,000 square foot interactive, educational exhibit will feature over 30 LIVE ANIMAL EXHIBITS for people to enjoy at their leisure, 2 highly interactive 30-minute educational programs that will rotate 15 minutes apart all day and boat loads of staff with animals out for people to interact with in a family-friendly, hands-on environment.

Give yourself a good 1.5 to 2 hours to see and do everything.

WIN A VIP MEET AND GREET - If you are interested in a VIP meet and greet with our incredible young sloth simply click INTERESTED and 'Share' our event (link below). All shares will be entered into a draw and two families will be selected to come in Sunday morning before we open for an amazing intimate encounter with one of nature's coolest and most mysterious animals.

https://www.facebook.com/events/286253011902000/

DATES:
Friday February 9th 1pm-8pm
Saturday February 10th 10am - 5pm
Sunday February 11th 10am - 5pm

SHOW TIMES:
Weekday:
Little Ray's Reptile Zoo: 1:15/2:45/4:15/5:45/7:15
Animal Ambassadors: 2:00/3:30/5:00/6:30

Weekend:
Little Ray's Reptile Zoo - 10:15/11:45/1:15/2:45/4:15
Animal Ambassadors - 11:00/12:30/2:00/3:30

LOCATION:
Cobourg Community Center
750 D'Arcy St, Cobourg, ON K9A 0G1

GENERAL ADMISSION:
-$14.50 a person
-Children 2 and under are FREE!
-'SHARE' this post and it is only $12.50 a person!
-Family of 4 is $56 or $48 if you 'SHARE' this post.

*** Please take a screen shot or photo of your 'share' and show us at the door to get your discounted rate ***

*** FINANCIAL ACCESSIBILITY $$$ ***
We are certain people appreciate the expense of putting on these events but we do not want to be cost prohibitive. If you know anyone who would like to attend but for one reason or another this is not possible for financial reasons, please email [email protected] and we will gladly arrange entrance that works for them/you ***

*** SPECIAL TIMES FOR SPECIAL NEEDS FAMILIES ***
We recognize that many families have children with special needs who could benefit greatly from these events however, may not be able to attend as they may not do well in crowds. We will be opening at 9:00 am on SATURDAY for special needs families to attend as our guests. This first hour will be for you and of course siblings are welcome.

*** WHERE OUR ANIMALS COME FROM ***
Little Ray's Reptiles Zoo is the largest exotic animal rescue in Canada. We are partners of the SPCA in the care and re homing of seized animals across Canada. We provide sanctuary for hundreds of seized and unwanted pets each year until the best long term solutions can be found. About 80% of the animals in our care are unwanted pets or seized animals. Some of our animals were born at our facility or other zoological facilities. None of the animals at our educational events are wild nor do we generally endorse taking animals from the wild. All animals brought to us that are eligible for release into the wild get released, 100% of the time.

The animals selected for our educational outreach programs are those which have been well socialized throughout their lives and
are completely at ease with people. For 23 years we and our animals have been doing our best to provide thought-provoking educational programs about responsible pet ownership and conservation. We hope you have a chance to see firsthand what we are all about.

For more info on Little Ray's Reptile Zoo please visit:
www.raysreptiles.com

Please shoot us a message if you have any questions! We hope to see you at this event, Little Ray.