Rambling Date

Since we have gotten into the cooler weather we are booking our adventures one week at a time and will travel as long as the weather permits us. We will be heading to Rondeau Prov. Park for the October 19th-21st week-end. If the weather gods permit we will probably head to the Pinery for the next week-end. I will update our plans next week.
This past week-end was very unusual. We stayed home to help with the 30th birthday celebrations for Brittany. It was very strange to be home but we kept busy with a day of shopping at a few of the stores we haven't been to since the spring and with birthday surprises for Brittany. Friday night we had fondue dinner at there house with her family.  Saturday evening we all went to the Cambridge Mill for her 30th Birthday dinner. After our fun evening there we headed back to there house and had Marbles ice cream birthday cake and she opened her gifts. I am sure it was a week-end she will remember for a long time. Ian, you did a great job with all your planning and I am sure she was more than surprised with it all.

Ian & Brittany at the Cambridge Mill for Birthday dinner

Brittany's surprise dessert of apple, caramel cheese cake with pecan ice cream from the Cambridge Mill

SOMEONE IS TURNING "30"

Happy Birthday to Brittany, 

Happy Birthday to you, 

Happy Birthday dear Brittany, 

Happy 30th Birthday to you!!!

May you have a wonderful day and an even more exciting 30th year ahead.  Getting "OLD" as you have referred to it as, is really lots of fun!.  Enjoy!!!

Brittany's child like expressions in one of our family photo's

You have to be careful how you pose in family pictures as it may come back to bite you......... Gotcha!!!!

Inverhuron Oct. 5-8 2012

Windy & Cold with a Little Rain thrown in for good measure!!!
We have had an amazing year of traveling so it is to be expected that sooner or later the cold north winds were going to blow in and bring the chilly weather along with them. It didn't stop us from having an excellent week-end at Inverhuron Park though.
We arrived to sunny skies and strong winds. The lake was so loud and our site was near the water so we listened to the rough waters most of the week-end. After setting up we headed down the road to pick up campfire wood so we could enjoy time by the fire. We headed to Port Elgin to go to the Hi-Berry Market to pick up our winter supply of squash. After arriving back at camp to enjoyed a dinner of left over turkey with all the trimmings from Drew's birthday celebration on Thursday evening. I honestly believe it tastes better as left overs. Maybe that's because there isn't all the work involved when enjoying it the second or third time around!!! We spent a wonderful evening at the fire and at times it was so hot we had to move back so our legs could cool off.
Saturday was going to be a road tripping day. We headed off to Goderich to visit the local bakery and get some of those ooey gooey donuts that we enjoy so much. We picked up an extra dozen to take with us to Southampton on Sunday. After a few more stops in town we headed down to the lake to see the waves and take in the sights. This would most likely be our last trip to Goderich this season. Our next stop was the railway trail so I could get some photos of the fall colours along the Maitland river. It was so windy that I didn't spend to much time up on the tressel for fear of getting blown off. We then took a tour around and headed north to Pine River for a stop at the cheese factory. Our next stop was the gift store in Tiverton to pick up some of the delicious fudge to go with the donuts we were taking with us on Sunday. After a nap, it was time for dinner and another evening by the fire.
At one point during the night we both woke up and commented on how quiet it had become. The winds were dying down and so was the lake noise.
Sunday we spent great family time at my cousins house in Southampton. It is always nice to get together and have some laughs. We really lucked out and were able to enjoy another dinner of turkey left overs. By the time we headed back to the park the fudge and donuts had pretty well all been devoured. The Clancy's are known for there "sweet tooth's" and they sure proved it!!!
We had put peanuts out on Friday to see who would come and visit and we were not disappointed. Monday morning I spent far to much time outside enjoying there company and getting pictures. But, I knew my time with them was coming to an end. Duncan suggested I put some nuts in my hand and see if the chickadee's would come and take them. Well, they did and the rest is history. I almost had the red squirrel eating out of my hand but I would have needed more time I think. He would come over to me but not take them from my hand. Our last visitor was the blue jay and he was quite the little piggy. He would collect as many as four peanuts out of the shell at a time and then be off before returning for more. We took a trip down to the lake and walked a short hike before headed home. On our way out of the park we came across a porcupine on the road in front of us. I had never seen one up close and personal like that. Duncan stopped and we watched it saunter across the road and into the bushes. It made his day as he had not seen one for many years. He did let me know that I didn't want to follow it into the woods to try and get a better picture as it would not be a pleasant experience if I encountered its quills. Advise taken and we headed for home.

Thanksgiving week-end photo's

We have so much to be thankful for

Mennonite children playing in a school yard. Taken on our trip up

Shaggy Mane Mushrooms (edible)

Old railway station in Goderich

Fall colours along the Maitland River

Red, orange, gold and green

View towards town from the north side of the river

One of the many boards purchased by people to build the walkway over the river. Did Bill do this and not tell anyone??

Some of the many pumpkins at Hi-Berry Market

Gourds for fall decorating

Dinner with family in Southampton.......YUMMY!!!

HI, I'm Charlie!!!   John & Joanne's kitten

Collecting my treats at your campsite

Posing for my picture on a rock!!!

Enjoying a nut that I don't have to shell

Another guest of ours. A Blue Headed Vireo

Waiting his turn in the trees

Looking for peanuts on the ground

I've got a peanut!!    Eating out of my hand

Who ate the last one???

An early visit from a Dark Eyed Junco

Getting as many as I can in one trip........

One at a time is more polite, don't you think?

Blue waters of Lake Huron

Shoreline view through the beach grasses

Bridge on the trail by the beach

View from the bridge

Porcupine!!!  (taken from the safety of the motor home)

Wheatley Sept.28-30 2012

WHAT A WEEK-END!
We had a great time and many pictures were taken. Upon arriving we noticed a huge paper wasps nest in a tree so we planned to head back after setting up. After getting a few pictures of that we went down to the beach  so we could enjoy some time at the water as it was sunny and warm. We watched the cormorants at the marsh area for a while and then headed back to our site to get supper ready and enjoy an evening fire. We had a visitor come but we quickly discouraged it as we were not up to entertaining a raccoon for the night. I did something to my neck of Thursday while at home raking so I was not up to doing anything that I didn't have to do. It was going to be a well medicated week-end for me.
Saturday we headed to Point Pelee for the afternoon. We went down to the Point first and took in the sites of the monarch's and other butterflies migrating south. We were surprised at how far out the point went on this trip. It was obvious just how low Lake Erie was. We then headed to the Marsh Boardwalk and spent a couple of hours there. Half way through our walk we came upon a blue heron doing some fishing so we spent the better part of an hour just watching it. I was in awe of just how they travel through the water and get there food. What a great picture opportunity it turned out to be. It was getting close to supper time so we headed back to camp for a dinner of soup and sandwiches and another evening by the fire. I struggled to stay awake and headed to bed early for what I was hoping would be a good night sleep.
Sunday we spent the morning just relaxing as my neck was still quite sore and Duncan's knee had swelled up from all our walking on Saturday. What a great pair we were!! We enjoyed a delicious late breakfast of eggs, ham, fried potato's and toast. We packed up by 1:30 and headed over to the marsh area at Wheatley to see if there were any of the Blue Herons, Great Egrets, Canada Geese or Painted Turtles hanging around so I could get some pictures. Again I was not disappointed. I spent a few hours on the bridge boardwalk enjoying there presence. Duncan was with me for part of the time and then he went and had a nap before we got on the road for our three hour drive home. It was nice to have such a sunny warm week-end at Wheatley as it is usually cooler and wet when we head that way to take in the sights of the spring and fall migrations.

PHOTOS FROM WHEATLEY

Black squirrel enjoying an acorn

Paper wasp nest

Wasp exiting the nest

Blue dragonfly on the boardwalk

Canada geese floating on the marsh

Look out, run, he's mad as hell!!!

One of the Great Egrets

Great Egret up in the trees

Painter Turtles out sunning themselves all covered in algae

Cormorant just after surfacing with a leaf on its back

I caught a fish!!! One of many we watched it catch

Down the hatch it goes

Blue Heron taking off

Coming to have a visit with another heron

Coming in for a landing

  

 PHOTOS FROM POINT PELEE

The bees were busy collecting pollen

The trail heading down to the point

Duncan standing on the most southern point of Canada

Water line at the shore of the point

One of many feathers on the point

The fall colours are starting to show at the point

Monarch butterfly resting before the big journey across Lake Erie

Butterfly resting on my leg

Turkey Vulture flying overhead

Butterfly collecting necter on the flowers

Keeping his eye out for a snack of fish

Blue Heron in the marsh at Point Pelee

Beach Jewels!  Some little girl lost her head band at the point.

View from the Tower at the Marsh Boardwalk

Fall colours are showing there beauty in the marsh grasses.

OUR DRIVE HOME IS STILL AN OPPORTUNITY TO GET A FEW PHOTOS

Lonely old barn in a corn field

Fall colours from our drive near St. Thomas