Murphys Law

Fri. 21 April:  Murphys Law

The best of  Murphys Point Provincial Park

Note: click on pictures for full size view.

Murphys Point Provincial Park never disappoints – that’s the law.  And today was no exception.  Here are some photos from an eleven kilometre looping ramble across most of the park.  With one exception, I had it all to myself, on this windy spring afternoon.   The clouds were flying across the sky and the rough waters of Big Rideau Lake sparkled like liquid gold and silver.  Enjoy the pictures.

Racing clouds above Lally Homestead

A soggy spring meadow

And some wet patches along the trail

At the Loon Lake portage

Campsite phone - an increasingly rare sight

On the Sylvan Trail

Big Rideau Lake from Point Trail 

Two Canada geese in choppy waters

Pleasant trails leading from the campsites

This white tailed deer did not notice me...

...until I came quite close...

...and even then it was in  no hurry to leave

The first spring flowers beside the trail

Back at Lally Homestead after an eleven kilometre loop
around this beautiful Provincial Park - so close to home

Signs of Spring

Sat. 8 April:  Signs of Spring

This nesting osprey took flight so quickly
that I just missed a perfect picture

Note: click on pictures for full size view.

There had been unlikely indications of Spring way back in February – but they were, of course, premature. 

But now, in the second week of April, the signs are unmistakable:  flooded rivers, ospreys nesting, families out on the trails.  And here are a few photos taken yesterday, under sunny skies and temperatures a few degrees above zero.  It felt like a heatwave.

The racing waters of the Tay River at the Beveridges Dam...

..there's a potential footpath there somewhere

This little pony is  hoping to catch up with its family -
we found them further up the trail and alerted them

An empty Tay Canal is just over a month away from a very busy season:
free locking charges to celebrate Canada 150

Dangerous whitewater just downstream from Poonamalie Dam

Another shot of the osprey, a split second later

Teddy Bear's Picnic

2 April:  Teddy Bear’s Picnic

A large back bear just ahead of us somewhere:
and we hadn't even left the town of Perth!
Bear paw vs. my size 14 snow boot.

There were bear tracks all over the place in the freshly fallen snow.  Perhaps it was one active bear, or a whole bunch of them – heading towards and away from the Perth town landfill.  Luckily we didn’t bump into them as we passed along the Rideau Trail on our trail maintenance duties.

Perhaps we should have heeded the words of Henry Hall:

If you go down in the woods today

You better not go alone

It’s lovely down in the woods today

But safer to stay at home!

Enjoy this ancient classic – and especially the way he sings those particular words!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZANKFxrcKU

Bear tracks - on the way to (or from)  a picnic at the town dump