Arista Ramblers: Awenda, May 20-23 2016

I can't believe that the May 24 weekend weather is going to be dry, warm and sunny. Last year we had Emma with us for the long weekend and it was cool and a wee bit wet at times but we enjoyed our first trip with her. She is now saying "Emma go to the beach in motorhome". She will certainly have more fun this year since she is loving her time outside so much. We haven't planned a date yet but we are looking forward to having her join us for an adventure.
We arrived and were set up just after 2p.m. on Friday. We headed out to do some exploring and it was breathtaking to see the beauty of all the trillium's at Awenda. The forest floor was a carpet of trillium's in parts of the park. Down by the beach we spotted a Red-tailed Hawk sitting low on a branch. I was able to get a few photos. The park assistant superintendent said that it has been in the park for a while and that it is unusual for them to live in the forest as they usually live near open fields. We saw it a few times as we traveled the park.We enjoyed a hike before supper and an evening by the campfire,
Saturday morning we had a visitor. One of the many chipmunks that call Awenda home came looking for a treat so I had to share a few nuts with her. She was very protective of her territory and kept the others from any of the goodies. We met up with Mike and Wendy in Midland and went for lunch in Severn Falls and a tour of the area for the afternoon. We had a great afternoon outing and it was nice to get together. When we arrived back at camp we spent some time at Kettle Lake and headed to the beach to get sunset pictures but the clouds moved in so we just enjoyed some time by the water. We had a bite to eat when we arrived back at camp and enjoyed another quiet evening by the fire.
Sunday we spent the day in the park exploring and taking in all the wonderful sights that Awenda has to offer. There were 3 male Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers that were vying for a females attention most of the weekend. It was amusing to watch all there interaction and the calling they did all weekend long. I was able to get some interesting photos of them. We enjoyed a delicious bbq'd dinner and time by the campfire.
Monday was another gorgeous day. We enjoyed the sights and sounds at camp before heading to Kettle Lake for one last view. We had brunch and packed up for our trip home. We always look forward to our time in this park as there is always lots to see and enjoy.
We will be heading off to Inverhuron Park this weekend.