Signs of low water levels were everywhere, like this dock that was half a metre too high above water.

Most of my pics are of friends and family and so will not appear here.

This is the first trillium with hints of pink that I have seen.  They might be common but I haven’t been in Canada for many years.Tadpoles were everywhere and I think they might all have hatched at once.  They were staying in brackish ponds that had some access to Georgian Bay water.  I watched some minnows dart in, grab one and depart. This is a Rock Harlequin and there were common on the thin soil on the rocks in the northern half of the island.Beausoleil Island has some connection with Sainte Marie Among the Hurons, I think.  When the Sainte Marie village closed, some local people moved here.  The last burial was in 1927 so someone must still be visiting to care for this grave.There were several other graves and the ages listed showed remarkable variety.  Many had died tragically young – two years or ten months – while others lived incredibly long lives – 101 years is listed on one marker.I don’t know what kind of salamander or newt this is and would love some assistance.When we returned, I was exhausted and just rested.  My son, on  the other hand, went out to do some gardening.

I recently joined a local field naturalist club (not field naturist, these people their clothes on).  I might be the youngest person in the group but everyone seems very knowledgeable, gentle and eager to be involved.  The last two points came to the fore last night when a woman began circulating a petition demanding that the Canadian government stop secretly releasing unknown contaminants via chemtrails and to tell us what is in these chemtrails and the group’s president politely let the signing go on (without once offering support for the position).

Briefly, chemtrails are visible evidence of chemicals being released in high atmosphere from jet aircraft.  These are in addition to (probably) harmless contrails that jets make under the right conditions.

I thought it was a crazy conspiracy theory until I woke up this morning and looked out the window! Now, …

I still think it is a crazy conspiracy theory. Well, there is a broad umbrella of chemtrail conspiracy theories: The chemicals are designed to reflect sunlight back to space to cool the Earth, the chemicals are used to control human behavior, or, my favorite, are used, in connection with electro-magnetic waves, to power and focus high-energy particle weapons.

Each idea is crazy and groundless, as Mythbusters, How Stuff Works, Al Gore and Wikipedia all try to explain.

I found an online version of a petition that looks similar to the one I was offered last night.

WE, the undersigned residents of Canada draw the attention of the House to the following:

THAT high altitude aerial spraying has been observed occurring over Canada; from British Columbia to Newfoundland; for at least the last two years;

THAT this aerial spraying has been carried out by large military type jet aircraft that create white plumes which evidence suggests are chemical-laden (hereinafter “chemtrails”) and often seen in the form of large “X’s”, “O’s” and checkerboard patterns;

THAT this aerial spraying has been carried out without the knowledge or consent of the Canadian electorate;

THAT chemtrails in the atmosphere across Canada can only adversely affect the health of our population, especially children;

THAT Canadians have the inalienable right not to be sprayed with massive amounts of chemicals from the sky for whatever purpose;

Note the absolute confidence that the writer has that these contrails are carrying deliberately-added and dangerous chemicals and that the Canadian government must be aware of, if not behind it all.

One neurologist claims to have evidence of damage from aluminum nanoparticles.  I think he really does show that such particles are dangerous but note in his references he has nothing that ties them to high altitude release via chemtrails.

I tagged this post as ‘hoax’ but is that correct?  ’Innocently wrong’ isn’t specific enough.  The people at the meeting are not generally ignorant in scientific matters so the term doesn’t fit.  ”Insufficiently skeptical” does, as perhaps “overly suspicious”.  Such attitudes are also found in this video where a woman doesn’t think rainbows can happen anywhere but in the sky.

The little guy is in front of more than 12 km of beach.

This sand was so powdery that we just can’t guess what animal made these tracks.  I realize now that I should have put my thumb in the pic for size comparisons.  My thumbnail would fill the gap between the upper and lower marks.  Large bug or small vert? Collingwood still has snow.There is no land to be seen at the horizon.  This might as well be the view from Sokcho.I have seen many of these little depressions in the sand but have never heard what causes them.  Still don’t know.
I took this pic to prove I waded out a little distance.  At ankle depth, the sun-warmed water was pleasant but well before knee depth, it turned icy! Ontario Parks truck making the rounds.

Ontario Parks

Friends of Wasaga Beach

Trip Advisor

Some time ago, I described my situation, moving back to Canada as leaving a job I love to find one that I can tolerate and earn enough to care for the family.  Well, I am lucky to have another job I expect to love but I don’t think it is one to keep the family in rice and kimchi.

My new employer, the Wye Marsh is an outdoor education centre that, well, have a look at the sorts of things I’ll be doing and working with. This beaver was walking across a field near a canoe launch point.

These red wing black bird are everywhere.

For the first time in at least five years, an osprey is using the purpose-built platform for nesting.

These pitcher plants live on nutrition-poor ground and supplement their fertilizer with insects drowned in their pitchers.

This Canada Goose mother is guarding her nest. I was told the names of both flowers – the yellow ones are not dandelions.

This snapping turtle was in such a hurry its legs blurred as it waddled.

I spotted this guy on a branch over a minor road near Waypoint. It was the first porcupine I’d seen in ten years and my son’s first ever.

The ‘beaches’ of Waubaushene Beaches Nature Reserve are ancient and historic, not contemporary.  Looking down from this hill are several ledges which once were margins of an ancient lake with different names depending on the era.  It was Algonquin Lake, Nipissing Lake, Lake Payette and more.  In walking up the hill, it felt like we were passing the remains of land-intensive farm -terracing.

The deer scat was everywhere but we didn’t see any actual deer.  It didn’t help that my son, who loved the walk, also loved yelling and fighting any errant tree branches (and my ankles) with a stick he found.

The park is pocket-sized and the only entrance we found was on Albin Road.  From highway 12, we turned lakeward on Pine St until we were nearly at the lake, then turned left on Albin.

At the Pine and Albin intersection is a Tay Trail access point.  The trail is great for walkers, cyclists or any speed in between and I think it is all as well paved as this photo suggests.
I look at a rock that has been folded like this and finally wonder what geology is all about.

Yesterday, I went to a wonderful store specializing in educational toys for children.  As I paid for my purchase, the cashier asked if I were a grandparent as there was a special.  I told her, no, and that I was a little angry.

Today, this came in the mail:

I must admit, I love the Grey Power commercial where the father is bummed out by his fiftieth birthday and only halfheartedly thanks his son for the new drill. Then, his wife gives him a grey power brochure and he is thrilled…but still pushes his son’s gift away while his son watches.

Anyway, I’m not a grandfather, nor am I fifty.  My first exposure to music was probably Smother Brothers Think Ethnic and the first music I owned was Dumb Ditties -on vinyl (Here is Bridget the Midget by some guy named Ray Stevens).  Actually, The Smothers Brothers were probably being banned around the time I was born, anyone who bought that album would be over fifty.

But not me, darnit!

Both images are from Google Maps.

Ontario Parks

Simcoe Community Reach

MNR Management statement from 1994 (PDF)

Trails and Tamaracks

Wayne Cook’s nearly exhaustive list of cemetery headstone images.

Again, we visited a beach and again, I admired the ice piles.

I could have walked out to them, I think.  The last four metres was of thick-but-broken-and-refrozen ice and where I could see water, something in the clarity wailed cold.  I was still going to do it, but my son was watching and I decided not to demonstrate what foolishness I am capable of.

We found one fin and one deer scapula (?) 

My son likes to be clear on where precisely he is.  When he learned we were just outside of Penetanguishene and in Tiny Township, he decided this line was the border and delighted in hopping in and out of Penetanguishene.

Since I’ve returned, deep views into forest have become fascinating to me but I cannot explain why or take a photo that offers the same pull.

Awenda has a small ampitheatre and stage.  I hope to hear some wildlife talks or the like there.

Lady Evelyn and Sturgeon Lake Parks are near each other and not much else.

Today’s photo of Lady Evelyn comes from OutdoorJay who seems to have covered a lot of ground.  Luckily, he didn’t have the portages a similar distance in Algonquin would have.

Sturgeon River Provincial Park’s image comes from BushcraftUSA, where a trip through the park is described.

Ontario Parks Lady Evelyn Smoothwater

Ontario Parks Sturgeon River

Wikipedia Lady Evelyn

Temagami Vacations and Lady Evelyn

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