I woke up at nine and just lay there in my sleeping bag for about a half an hour, listening to the birds and the squirrels and the sounds of the other campers walking by. 

​It had been another good night and I had slept well. It was a bit cold in the wee hours of the morning but I just put up the hood on the hoodie I was wearing and then I was fine. 

I noticed that there were ants in my tent. I thought there were only 3 of them. However, as I started to remove them from my tent I discovered many more. There were 26 in total by the time I was done clearing them out. I must have set up on top of a nest or something. I wouldn't have known it in the rain. But now that it was sunny and things were much drier, they were making themselves known. 

​I managed to fight with my orange tent and get it set up so that it would dry out before I had to pack everything up the next day. 

Then I turned my attention to the insects that I had to shoo out of the dining tent.  There were a couple of wasps that had gotten stuck and were happy to be released. 

And a number of Hickory Tussock caterpillars that were wandering around on the screen. 

The weather is gorgeous and it feels like a warm day in July instead of a day in September. I decided to take advantage of this beautiful day and go for a hike on the Heritage Trail. 

Nonetheless, I managed to be quiet enough to not scare off a Nuthatch that was looking for a meal in the bark of a nearby tree. 

I wandered across another PhotoMon station.  Number 2. 

This was the photo I took of PhotoMon 2 to send in to the research people. 

I took my time and stopped often to take pictures of birds, trees, and wildlife. 

At the far end of the trail there is a dock that goes out to the Old Ausable Channel. 

From here you can look out across the water and the marsh grasses to see if you can spot anything hiding there. 

Off in the distance, through the jungle of grasses I could just barely make out the shape of a turtle sunning itself on a log. 

A Green Frog was also hiding in the grasses. 

While a Two-Striped Grasshopper was sunning itself right out in the open. 

The bright yellow blooms of the Nodding Beggarticks resembled miniature suns. 

I finished hiking the Heritage trail at about 3 pm but I was still wanting to enjoy more of the beautiful sunshine. Since the Group sites were not far up the road, I figured I would drop by them and check them out. 

The group campsites were lovely. There were plenty of picnic tables and lots of space under the trees. 

There was a fire pit with a number of benches circling it. 

The water faucet seemed a bit low to the ground and there was a sign on it asking people not to wash their dishes here. 

There was a small bathroom with sinks for washing your hands at the side of the building. 

Inside was clean and in good repair. It was complete with a composting toilet. 

There were more little Moth Fly visitors in this bathroom too. 

Nearby was a large sheltered picnic area.

And a BBQ pit next to a picnic table. 

After leaving the Group site I thought I would head down to the Burley campsites to explore. However, that section of the park was closed. 

Since I needed some ice for my cooler, I got into my car and started to drive to the Park Store.  On the way there, I noticed some stairs at the bridge on the side of the road. 

I made a detour and parked my car in the parking lot of the Visitor Centre. 

Then I walked along the walkway at the side of the road back down to where the stairway was. 

As I descended down the stairs I could already see plenty of turtles hanging out on logs in the middle of the channel, sunning themselves. The stairs led down to a large wooden dock. 

There was no one here but me and the turtles. I tried to be as quiet as I could. I tiptoed when I felt I had to move but much of the time I just stood there quietly enjoying the peacefulness.   I was hoping to see some Wood Ducks again but they were no where to be found. 

But there were plenty of turtles. I probably saw a good 7 or 8 of them in all different sizes.  Some of them slipped quickly into the water when they saw me moving. 

​But some were more brave and just sat there, unmoving while I slipped by to a second set of stairs at the other end of the dock. 

At the far end of the dock was a set of white plastic pipes with a recycling symbol on them. It was a place where you could recycle your old fishing tackle so that it won't harm the fish, birds, and turtles. 

There was a warning sign asking people to not go fishing if they see a turtle. Judging by the number of turtles I saw today, I would imagine that would mean it would be a little tricky to go fishing here much of the time. Especially on warm sunny days. 

I peered into the water over the edge of the dock to see if I could even see any fish.  I did see a fair number of little Blue Gill Sunfish. 

But they weren't really the kind of fish that a fisherman would be after. Besides, most of them were pretty small. 

I climbed back up the stairs and crossed the road to the other side of the bridge over the Old Ausable Channel.  On the other side was the canoe rental place and another little dock where some kids were fishing. (No turtles were spotted on this side of the bridge). 

This is also where I found PhotoMon station 4. 

This is the photo I took at PhotoMon 4. 

​After getting some ice for my cooler at the park store, I drove back to camp and took down the orange tent that I had drying out. It was completely covered in ants. I had to shake it out and pick them all off. 

It was getting close to dinner time so I contacted Bende and Allan and we arranged to have dinner at the Big Kahuna Riverbar and Grill in the nearby town of Grand Bend. It is a cozy little Hawaiian restaurant & bar with a bunch of vintage toys and posters on display.  It has a really fun atmosphere to it. It wasn't long before we were eating good food, chatting with interesting people and just generally having a great time. 

​As we walked to the parking lot to say good bye, there was a beautiful big orange moon hanging in the clear night sky.  It was such a beautiful night for my last night at Pinery.  I had really enjoyed my time with Bende and Allan and I felt blessed to have been able to spend some time with them. 

It was only about a ten minute drive back to Pinery. As I pulled into my campsite, I saw the little raccoon again in the headlights of my car. It didn't like to be in the spot light so it quickly took off into the safety of the darkness of the woods. 

When I got out of the car I realized that our once quiet little campground with only about 3 campers had now come alive with a myriad of people.  It was Friday night. The beginning of the weekend.  The place was no longer quiet. But this didn't bother me at all. Quite the contrary. The gentle rustling of leaves and distant chirping of crickets had been replaced by a symphony of joyful chaos. Families arrived, their laughter mingling with the sweet sounds of guitar strumming and impromptu sing-alongs. Children darted between tents, their voices bubbling with excitement as they shared stories and roasted marshmallows over flickering flames. The air was thick with the rich aroma of grilled food, laughter, and camaraderie, creating an atmosphere of unrestrained joy. Rather than feeling overwhelmed by the newfound bustle, I felt a sense of belonging and warmth, as if the campground had transformed into a vibrant community, inviting all to revel in the magic of the weekend.

I decided to go for a walk in the dark to the beach and just envelope myself in the happiness that I could hear all around me.  I set off down the road with a flashlight in my pocket just in case. But for most of the time I didn't even turn it on.  This walk was nostalgic for me in that it reminded me of the times I used to walk with my Farmor (grandmother) down her old gravel road at night with no flashlight on. I miss those days. 

At first I thought I must be crazy walking in the dark to the beach by myself. But then I crossed paths with a family on their way back up from the beach.  So I felt better knowing I wasn't the only one with a walk in the dark in mind.  

I had my flashlight turned off as much as possible but I made sure to turn it on when I got to the stairs. I could just picture myself breaking a leg or something and having to spend a cold night at the bottom of the stairs or something.  

Once I reached the beach though, the light was turned back off.  Across the water I could see the red and white  glowing and ebbing lights along the coastline.  Most likely they were form the town of Grand Bend. 

The beach was beautiful. The waves were lapping against the pebbles on the shore. There was a slight wind coming in off the lake. I stayed for awhile until I noticed that it looked like some rain clouds may be rolling in.  So I figured it was time to head back. 

As I reached the top of the stairs and continued down the boardwalk, I crossed paths with a group of 4 young guys who were on their way to the beach. They were having a great time and one of them was carrying a plate of Doritos.  As they passed by he stopped and asked me if I wanted one. I chuckled and politely declined. 

I smiled in the darkness as I walked back to my campsite past all the other campsites. The gentle whisper of the night enveloped me, punctuated by the crackling sounds of nearby campfires. The rich aroma of burning wood and toasted marshmallows wafted through the cool evening air. I did not intend to make a fire of my own tonight. I was tired and I wanted to save the last of my wood for tomorrow night. 

I had a great night at Bende and Allan's house. I woke up at about 8:30 and went downstairs to a lovely breakfast. While we were eating, Allan pointed out a Grey Comma butterfly that was sitting on the porch outside. It's amazing how much these butterflies look like the bark from a tree. 

At about 11:30 I headed back to the park. I was anxious to walk the dunes and explore this very large park. I began my exploration by walking the boardwalks of the Cedar Trail. 

You have to stay on the paths and the boardwalks so as not to do any damage to the fragile ecosystem of the Sand Dunes. The Sand Dunes are one of the rarest ecosystems in Ontario. 

I found myself walking on the weathered wooden bridge that spanned the crest of the sand dunes near the beach. ​

I noticed a solitary wasp darting energetically among the grains of sand. ​

This is where I discovered the first of the PhotoMon stations that are spread throughout the park. 

It is a place where everyone can place their camera or phone and take a picture of the landscape in front of them. Then you submit your pictures to the email address provided on the sign.  They collect the pictures sent in to them and they monitor the changes in the landscape throughout the year. 

This is the picture that I took at PhotoMon 16. 

Very close by was another PhotoMon station.  PhotoMon 15. 

This is the picture that I took at PhotoMon 15. 

​You can see all the PhotoMon  photos at this website:
​  www.pinerypark.on.ca/research-projects/photomontage

The beach was so expansive that it felt as though I had the entire coastline to myself. Yet, in the distance, I spotted a trio of figures, reminding me that I wasn't entirely alone.  Scattered along the beach were remnants of previous wanderers—little teepees constructed from weathered logs and driftwood. They looked like someone was prepping for a giant bonfire. 

With this in mind I decided to head back the way I had come. I wanted to explore more of the park before I got rained out. 

Back at the road I found the sign for the Cedar Trail Extension Trailhead. It had a little map on it to show where I was and where it led. I noticed that the park Visitor Centre was at the end of this trail. So, I decided to make it my destination. 

Across the road I came to a set of stairs which were part of the Cedar Trail Extension. 

It was here that I saw the first of the Tussock caterpillars.  A yellow Banded Tussock caterpillar came meandering up the wooden railing of the stairs that I was going down. 

As I watched the one Banded Tussock caterpillar, along came a second one from the opposite direction. 

One of the things that surprised me about this park was that here we were in the middle of September when all the the leaves should be turning bright red, yellow and orange and all the leaves here were green. The only thing that came even remotely close to leaves changing colours was the deep purple red of the  Maple leaf Viburnum. 

At one point on the trail, I came to a spot that forked into two different directions. I was unclear whether I was supposed to go to the right which was up a hill, or to the left which remained on the flat terrain. 

I began to climb the rather steep hill. But it wasn't long before I realized that this was probably the wrong direction. 

The trail seemed to disappear at the top. Everywhere I looked there were vines and overgrowth. 

I got back down the hill and followed the rest of the trail on flat, solid ground. 

From time to time they supplied us with a bench to sit on so that we could enjoy the sights and sounds. 

There were a few interesting informational signs scattered throughout the trail.  This one told of how they have an ongoing project to pull out stands of pine trees that were mistakenly planted in the 1950's so that the original Oak Savannas can grow without being crowded out. 

And there were signs about the projects for controlled burns to keep the forest healthy and prevent wild fires. 

I could see the holes in the trees long before I spotted the bird that made them. 

The winding board walk took me to the edges of the Old Ausable Channel. I would have liked to have stayed here longer, but there was a guy sitting on a bench reading a book. I felt like an intruder just hovering around. 

So, I only stayed for a moment or two to look out across the channel. 

I was able to catch a quick glance at a couple of Wood Ducks. 

They were pretty far off and they blended very well with the ripples in the water and the lily pads.  I almost didn't see them at all. 

I also almost didn't see the turtle sunning itself on a log in the middle of the channel. 

It was on this boardwalk that I saw yet another Tussock Caterpillar. This time it was a Hickory Tussock caterpillar. 

The Hickory Tussock is white compared to the yellow of the Banded Tussock. 

Soon I realized that I was seeing Tussock caterpillars everywhere.  I even saw 5 in a single bush. I had never seen so many of these caterpillars in such a short amount of time. They were all over the park. They were on people's tents, on cars, on trees, on everything.   They were not as populated as the tent caterpillars are during the years that they become over populated. But they were definitely very numerous. 

I came upon a cage on the top of a post. I do not know what it is for. I never did find out. 

I saw another one of the Scavenger Hunt lock boxes attched to a fence. 

As I got closer to it, I read the sign on the other side of the fence. It described another scientific research project that they are running in the park. They have 6 enclosures where deer ar not allowed in to graze and they are comparing them to 6 other areas where deer are allowed to graze. This way they can see what kind of impact the deer have on the plant life in those areas. 

I finally came to the end of the Cedar Trail and the to the parking lot of the Visitor Centre. 

This is where I found another one of those shoe brushes, This time it had a sign on it saying "Poison Ivy".  So, now I finally understood what the shoe brushes were for.  Apparently the park has just as much poison ivy as it does Tussock caterpillars. You have to be very careful about where you step. 

I walked up to the Visitor Centre. It was a large building with a green roof and big glass windows. 

Inside were all sorts of displays and things to read about. 

I found the fossil display particularly interesting because it reminded me of my childhood when my siblings and I would go out fossil hunting with our Farmor (grandmother). 

Hiding away in a large aquarium was a turtle trying to disguise himself as a rock. 

In the display about forest fires hung a familiar face from my childhood. It was Smokey the Bear! 

There were also displays of taxidermy animals. 

I had no idea that there were so any different types of Oak trees.  I figured mybe 2 or 3. I would never have guessed eleven! 

Turtles was a big theme at the Visitor Centre. There was a sculpture with handmade turtles climbing all over it. I liked it a lot. 

There were other live turtles as well, including a Spotted Turtle. 

As well as a Painted Turtle. 

Outside was a bird feeder station. 

And a Monarch Butterfly Waystation. 

From the Visitor Centre I decided to take the Savanna Trail back to my campsite. 

This trail was wide and well maintained with small gravel. It is used by both bikers and hikers. 

And it is also used by squirrels.

The park's amphitheater is along this trail. 

I noticed that there were a couple different bat houses here. 

Interestingly, one was near a solar panel. I wasn't sure if the solar panel had anything to do with the bats or if it was just to power the amphitheater.  It was right beside the biggest bat house I had ever seen. 

A near by sign explained that this was more than just a regular bat house. It was a bat condominium.  A lot of work went into building this project. 

An Autumn Meadowhawk dragonfly landed on the sign beside me as I read all about the bats.  bats and dragonflies. I love things that eat the mosquitoes! 

A cluster of Hairy White Oldfield Asters decorated the side of the trail. 

And once again, I saw bunches of Hickory Tussock caterpillars. 

I arrived back to camp with the plan of driving over to the  Park Store to see if they had anything interesting there for lunch. 

As I was about to get into my car I noticed a stick on my front light. Upon a closer look I realized that the stick was not attached to anything, but was still managing to stay on the light. What kind of wizardry is this I wondered? 

Then it dawned on me that this stick is alive!  This was a Walking Stick Insect. The only time I had ever seen one was at The Sudbury Science Center many years ago. I had never seen one out in the wild. I was fascinated.

I knew that I couldn't leave it on my car or it would run the risk of dying if it fell off while I drove around. So, I took a napkin in order to transport it and to try to get a better photo against a white back ground. 

I carefully placed it on the branches of a near by tree. 

And just like that, within seconds of taking the napkin away, I could no longer see him. It blended in with the branches extremely well. It was amazing! 

I was worried that it might rain while I was gone so before I hopped into the car, I covered the fire pit with a tarp so that it would still be dry when I went to make a fire for supper later on in the evening.  I hadn't had a fire in the fire pit the whole time I had been here yet so I knew there was no fear of the tarp melting or catching on fire or anything like that. 

I drove over to the park store and bought some bread to go with supper later, and some candy for a snack. By this point it was about 4 pm.  There were still a few more hours of daylight left. So, I  decided to see if I could get a couple more hiking trails done before sunset. 

​I hopped in the car and drove over to the Riverside Trail. 

On the edge of  the parking lot a Mourning Dove was looking for insects in the grass. 

There were not many people on this trail. I could hear one young couple up ahead and that was it. i walked slow to let them get far ahead of me so that I could listen and watch for the birds uninterrupted. 

The first little bit of the riverside Trail was in the woods. But then the trail came out onto a deck that over looked the channel. 

That deck was attached to a long boardwalk that ran directly beside the water. It was so peaceful here and it is a great place to look for birds. 

Standing there in the quiet, I could hear one really distinctive sound. It sounded like a cat meowing. First it came from one tree. Then I saw a flash of wings and then I heard it from another tree. I never did see the bird that was making the sound very clearly, but I assume it was a catbird. 

There was a wee bit of sun trying to peek through the clouds now. Not enough for me, but enough to make the turtles in the channel want to come out and sunbathe. This log was a popular spot apparently, because it held 3 turtles at the same time. 

On the ground at th end of the trail was a wooden box with some fencing over top of it. 

The sign on it indicated that it was a turtle nest protector. 

I also came across a log on a post. At first I thought it may be a bird house of some sort. 

It was about 5 pm now and there was still time to squeeze in one more trail. I got in the car and drove down the one-way gravel road to the next one on the map. As I slowly drove, looking for the trail head,  a number of cyclists passed by. This is a popular road for the cyclists and the park has taken steps to make it a great place for cyclists. Near the next trail I spotted a bicycle repair station. It had tools like wrenches and screwdrivers hanging from chains that people can use to fix their bike if they run into any issues. 

At the next trail head I spotted a bathroom and made a quick pit stop before starting off on my nest hike. 

Inside this bathroom were probably about a hundred Bathroom Moth Flies. These little guys are just tiny and like their name implies, they look like teeny weeny little moths. Kind of cute really. They don't bite or anything. They just hang out. 

The next trail I was ready to hike was the Hickory Trail. 

Through the tree branches I glimpsed another Pileated Woodpecker. It clung expertly to the trunk of an old tree, as it searched for hidden insects beneath the bark. 

On this trail I discovered the PhotoMon 1 station. 

This is the picture that I took at PhotoMon 1. 

The Hickory Trail also has a little deck that looks out over the water. 

From here you can see across the channel and occasionally you can see cyclists through the trees on the other side as they travel down the road. 

A big Green Frog was hiding in the grass near the water's edge. 

One of the things that I like about this particular trail is how many of the branches grow and entwine themselves above your head to make something of a canopy. It feels like you are going through tunnels of trees in many places. 

A little red squirrel got curious when he saw me and came a little closer to take a look. But not for long. In short order it yelled at me and took off through the trees. 

By the time I came off the Hickory trail it was about 6 pm. Only another hour or so before sunset. Since I was still on the one-way road, I had no choice but to keep going forward. So I kept going until I reached the Dog Beach. The dog beach is just an extension of the people beach, so it is a wonderful spot for the dogs. I spotted a lady with her 2 dogs playing in the sand where the waves crashed playfully against the shore. 

Further on down the one-way road are a number of people beaches. Each one had it's own parking lot and its own access to the lake. 

Once again, the Turkey Vultures circled above my head in close proximity tot he tops of the trees. These birds migrate for the winter so they won't be here for too much longer and will leave before the snow and the cold winds arrive. 

It was only a matter of time now before the sun would set. Such a shame that when the sun did finally decide to show itself today that it was only just fleetingly before it set for the day. But I would take what I could get.  Can't complain really. It may have been overcast all day, but it didn't rain. So I will be grateful for small blessings where ever God chooses to provide them. 

While I waited, I explored and studied the beach. There were fresh footprints from a sea gull or a duck. 

There were interesting lines and patterns that the waves made as the water rushed up onto the sand and then back again. These lines were constantly changing with each new wave that arrived. It was like an ever changing canvas of abstract art. 

I was all alone on this great expanse of a beach and I absolutely loved it. Nothing but the sound of the wind and the waves. Who could ask for anything better? 

Once again I came across man made tee pee like structures. I imagine some kids had a great time constructing these and playing in them. It's something I used to do in my back yard when we were kids. 

Once the sun had completely set, I headed back to camp and made a fire. I kept it simple and cooked hotdogs for supper. 

I sat looking at the stars and watching the fire burn down.  A few hours later, I heard some movement in the bush. I sat still and listened and let my eyes adjust to the darkness as I focused on the dimness just beyond the fire light.  It doesn't get completely dark in this particular site because the light from the comfort station spills in a little bit. But it's not an intrusive light so it doesn't make everything visible.

And then I saw it. A little raccoon climbing down out of the tree that was just on the edge of my campsite. He was just a young thing. Not a baby, but not that old either. Our eyes locked for a moment when he realized that I spotted him. He froze only for a second before deciding that he was already almost to the ground so he may as well make a run for it into the safety of the woods. 

It was a gorgeous night and I reflected on what an amazing day I had had. It was not too cold and the crickets were singing. I could hear the waves, albeit very faintly,  splashing against the shore. This was because there ere hardly any people in this part of the park (The Dunes) at this moment. It was so quiet and peaceful. I got ready for bed and fell asleep happy and ready to have more adventures tomorrow. 

I drove an hour in the rain to get to Pinery Provincial Park.  I had heard good things about this park and I was excited and curious to see if it would live up to the hype. 

I was excited for this part of the trip not only because I had been wanting to see this park for a number of years, but also because my father's cousin, Bende, lives only ten minutes away.  I hadn't seen her and Allan in over 14 years and I was looking forward to visiting and catching up on all the missed years.

Pinery is one of the larger parks so it is a busy place. It's wasn't even the weekend yet so I was imagining it getting even busier later on. There was too much traffic behind me to stop and get a picture of the park sign. I would have to go back and get one later. 

I pulled up to the gate to register at about 2 pm. I am used to getting out of the car and going into an office and having a friendly chat with the staff as I register. But here, you stay in your car and the guy I was speaking to was rather impersonal. Not a bad experience or anything, just not warm and welcoming. He gave me a map but did not give me any directions. There was a line up of cars behind me and no real good place to park to study it. So I just drove, not knowing where I was going. 

To the right of the gate house was a mini gate house but there was no one manning the station. The line up behind me would have been shorter if someone was there too.. 

I decided to just drive until I came to the first place where I could stop and look at the map. That first place was the entrance to the Children's Centre. 

I parked my car in the large parking lot and took a look at the map. I decided that I may as well walk back to the gatehouse and the park sign so that I could get my picture of it. It may be too difficult to get the photo later because my site was quite a distance away from where I was at this point. It was a bit of a walk but I got my photo and got back. . 

​Trying to find my site was a bit tricky because I couldn't read the map and drive at the same time. And there was always traffic behind me. The pressure was on. 

I am used to seeing forest fire meter signs in the park, but I was pleased to see that Pinery has one for wildlife on roadways. The sign warned that the risk level was extreme right now.  

Which is understandable when all the squirrels and chipmunks are out and about looking for food to store for the winter at this time of year.

​The first time driving through here, everything was confusing and I wasn't always sure where I was.  There is a round-about in the middle of the park so I learned to use this as a landmark for future navigation which made things easier the more I learned my way around the park. Eventually, I found it easy to make my way around the park. 

I made one wrong turn but I finally got to my site. Site 208 in the Dune campground. 

My site was a corner site at the intersection of 2 roads. I was worried that this meant I would have to put up with a lot of foot traffic. However, most of the time it was actually pretty quiet here and I was pretty happy with the site. I am sure this is due to the the time of year as well as it being the middle of the week and not a weekend. 

It was still raining and I could see on the ground the places where the pine needles had floated away into little piles. So, I was able to judge where it would be best to set up the tents in order to avoid the floor of my tent getting too wet. 

The dining tent went up pretty easy. Especially since I remembered to fix the broken pole with the duct tape that I had bought at Point Farms. It didn't look pretty but it held. 

The dining tent might have gone up pretty easy, but I wish I could have said the same for the orange sleeping tent.  That was another story entirely. My old faithful orange tent was nothing but trouble. The poles were slippery in the rain and I was already soaked through and getting cold. The poles were contorting and bending in ways that should not be physically possible to do and I just could not get that tent to go up for me. This was the first time, in all the years I had owned it, that  this tent had ever given me any grief. 

After about an hour of fighting with the orange tent and getting nowhere with it, I got fed up and threw it aside in disgust. I started cursing at the orange tent and talking to it as though it were a human. Saying things like "What is wrong with you? Why are you betraying me like this?". 

I brought out my larger red tent that I still had in the car. I had originally planned to have a friend with me on this trip and thought that the bigger red tent would give us some more space. But she was not able to join me and I hadn't taken the red one out of the car. So, I was thankful for that. 

The red tent was a wee bit troublesome too, but at least I managed to get it set up. 

The nice thing about site 208 is that it is right across from the comfort station and not too far away from the water pump and the garbage bins. Everything was a hop skip and a jump away.

The comfort station was very clean and I was impressed by this because it was late in the day on a rainy, muddy day. Despite the mud and dirt outside,  everything inside was immaculately clean. 

Outside the comfort station was a place to put used cigarette butts.

And for those who like to bike around the park, there is a bike rack right outside the comfort station too. 

I decided that the next thing on my list of things to do was to go and check out the park store.  I got into my car and drove down to see it because it was not within walking distance of my site.  The park store is a nice looking building with a restaurant inside. However, the restaurant was closed for the season. There were plenty of picnic tables outside to eat any treats that you might buy at the store though. 

There is also a picnic shelter here. And across the yard I could see an ice cream sign in the distance. 

When I got inside the store I discovered that there was only 10 minutes until it closed (at 4 pm) so I felt a little bit rushed as I tried to browse all the souvenirs and food items that they had.  

I quickly bought the Pinery Park sticker for my parks passport book and left the shop so that the staff could close up. 

As I sat in the parking lot of the park store, the rain drumming softly on my car roof, I picked up my phone to call Bende. The familiar warmth in her voice as we chatted made me feel right at home, and before long, we decided  that it would be nice to get together for dinner. 

I drove over to their house where Bende made a home cooked meal for us.  We shared stories and laughter, flipping through old photographs that sparked cherished memories. Time slipped away unnoticed until the clock reminded us how late it had grown. With the rain intensifying, I opted to stay the night rather than brave the dark, damp road back to my campsite. The thought of a warm bed was irresistible, and I welcomed the chance to recharge. Besides, after a day of wrestling and fighting with stubborn tents, I think my tents and I needed some time apart.  

Tomorrow the weather is supposed to be much nicer and I am looking forward to exploring all the dunes and the trails that Pinery has to offer. 

It only rained once on the way to Point Farms Provincial Park. Then it was sunny with clouds for the rest of the day. I stopped for gas and something to eat along the way. So I arrived at Point Farms at about 2:30 p.m.
There were no signs for directions the entire time until you have arrived so, it's a good thing that the GPS works well here. 

The lady at the gate house was nice and told me that the rangers are only in the park until 4 today but that she would be here until 6 pm if I needed anything. 

The gate house doubles as the park store so, I took a look around. 

The Sitting Gnome Doorstops caught my eye but I didn't buy one. 

At the check out, the lady at the desk gave me a map of the park and showed me the route to my site with a pink highlighter. 

I had reserved the site online in the Huron section of the park. It wasn't right on the lake but access to the lake was nearby. 

As I drove to my site I was happy to remember that I had chosen a radio free section. 

I had chosen site 77 for my campsite.  There are no places to put registration papers on the posts anymore. Just a simple number plaque. 

For a site not directly on the lake, I would have to say that this site is as perfect as they come. It is quite large and is flat and fairly private. 

It even has the water tap right on site.   Once again I fought with the dining tent to get it up. It didn't take me quite as long this time since I had the practice of putting it up once already at the last park. However, I realized that I had forgotten to buy duct tape at the park store to fix the broken pole. But I managed to make it work again.  

And of course my faithful ole orange tent went up within 3 minutes without any issues. 

The other nice thing about this site is that it is pretty close to the comfort station. It was maybe 2 or 3 sites away from me. 

The comfort station was perfectly clean and is great shape They even provided a sharps box for campers that were diabetic or had to use needles for other medical ailments.  It's pretty rare to see that in Ontario comfort stations. 

The children's play structure was situated right outside the comfort station. Now someone was using their thinking cap when they designed that.  Perfect for parents to sit on a bench and watch their kids play. Then if the kids have to go to the bathroom or get washed up, the bathroom is right there. 

I couldn't help but admire a very tall, gorgeous weeping willow tree in one of the nearby sites. I have always had a fondness for weeping willows. 

By 4 pm my site was all set up and I was ready to see what this park had to offer.  Where to start? I checked the map and noticed that the stairs to the beach were right across from my site. I decided that would be where I would start. 

I was just crossing the road to get to the stairs when I stopped short. Right in front of me was a little visitor. An Eastern Cottontail rabbit froze in it's tracks and waited for me to make a move.  It didn't flinch and we both just stood there looking at each other neither one of us daring to make the first move.  The stillness of the moment amplified the delicate tension between us in our silent standoff. 

Finally, I decided that I couldn't stay standing there forever and I made the first move. I took a cautious step forward, breaking the spell.  As expected, the rabbit made dash for the tall grasses and underbrush. 

Across the road, the Knapweeds with their spiky purple blooms reminded me of the wildness of a lion's mane. 

While the New England Asters seemed more like little rays of purple sunshine.

The stairs to the beach were steep and went a long way down. It was good that they were there though because climbing down this bluff to get tot he bottom would have been a nightmare otherwise. 

Once in awhile I stopped on the stairs to look at the view over the lake. It was so peaceful. 

There was even a bench you could sit on if the climb up or down got to be too much for you. 

At the bottom of the stairs there was a blue sign indicating that these were the stairs to the Huron campsites. There are a number of beaches and a number of stairs along the coast line.  Each set of stairs has a sign like this because all the stairs looked pretty much the same. This way, if you walked down the beach you would know roughly where you are.  This particular section of the beach is the dog beach. 

​The beach was made up of the same type of stone that I had seen in Misery Bay. It was alien looking and made me feel like I had stumbled upon a forgotten planet. 

I had my map with me and I decided to follow what I thought was "Below The Bluff" trail. The path started out wide, well worn, and lined with cedar trees. 

I came to a dried up creek bed and quickly and easily hopped over it. 

As I continued the path became narrower and the trees grew closer together. I didn't think much of it. I just figured that it was not a well used trail. 

Eventually I came to a spot where I found a piece of material hanging from the branch of a tree. 

When I got up close to it I found that it was actually the remains of a make shift camp. Someone had laid down some flat stones to make a floor between some old cedar trees. They had rolled some logs to either use as a seat or to act as a bit of a wall. I suppose the bit of material hanging from the tree was left over from the canvas or tarp that they had over this little lean-to.  I wondered if this was made by someone hiking during the winter or if someone perhaps canoed here and just spent the night in the woods. Or maybe neither of those scenarios. Whatever the case, this was an old campsite and long ago abandoned. It seemed odd that someone would build a lean-to directly beside the trail. 

It was getting harder to make out the trail but I could still see it and I had come this far so I didn't want to turn back. I just kept the lake to my left. 

I came to another dried up creek bed that had an uprooted tree in it. This one took a little more effort to cross. 

An then I came to a second lean-to.  This one was made of sticks and leaves and was quite a bit more sheltered than the last one.  But it lacked the nice stone floor on the bottom.  By now I had all but lost the trail. And I was thinking that I must have missed a turn or a sign or something back a ways.  Or maybe this never was the Below The Bluff Trail in the first place. 

Once I discovered the old carcass of a deer, I knew that I was definitely not on the right trail. 

The bones had been picked clean and were not fresh, but they weren't completely old either. Some parts of the bones were starting to turn green with age. The deer wasn't a big one. The skull was about as big as my hand.  I wondered what the story was here. Was this the work of some wolves? Or had someone been living on this trail at some point and had found themselves a meal? I decided that was unlikely and leaned more towards the predatory animal theory.  

By this time there really was no trail left. But I was too stubborn to turn aro9und and go back. So I just kept pushing through the brush until finally I could see a blue sign up ahead. 

I popped out of the woods and onto a proper trail.  I have no idea where exactly I had been but it was a bit of an adventure. 

​ Before me was the sign for the Below The Bluff  trail as well as for the Colborne campsites. 

Once again the trail was wide, well worn, and lined with cedar trees. And this time it stayed that way. 

I followed the Below The Bluff Trail until I came to a parking lot. This was the parking lot to the next beach. 

I had been walking for awhile so I was happy to see a vault toilet by the parking lot. 

It was your usual vault toilet, not a flush one. It was clean and had a relatively fresh coat of white paint on the inside.  Something I had not seen on a vault toilet before was a place to chain your dog. This would have been very handy if I had my dog with me. Especially for those of us who travel alone with our dog sometimes. It would be good to see more of these installed on park toilets. 

The parking lot was fairly large so you know that this beach must be popular during the heat of mid-summer. 

I was no longer on the pet beach anymore if these signs were any indication. But at least dogs were not banned from this beach altogether. 

At the far end of the beach were the stairs to go up the bluff to the Colborne sites. 

Under it was a "You Are Here" sign. Very convenient. I could have used one of those when I was on my little adventure on the mystery trail. 

I decided not to go up the stairs but instead continue to follow the Below The Bluff Trail to it's end. 
​

Eventually I came to the end of the trail. 

You couldn't go any further without crossing through a murky, creek of cloudy water.  

The cloudy water doesn't even reach the lake. It stops short and just seems to seep through under the sand to finish it's journey. 

The trail led back out onto the empty beach. Now I was at the very other end of the park. 

I had reached the boundary of the park. 

And right on the boundary was a dead Canadian Goose. I am not sure what killed it. There was no sign of it being shot and it was not torn apart by animals. 

So where do you go when you have gone as far as you can go? Back I guess. So, I turned around and headed back up the Below The Bluff Trail. 

I came to an intersection where I had the option to climb a set of stairs to get to he Ravine Trail which also goes towards the Group sites. 

I climbed the stairs and noticed the cautionary sign about Poison Ivy growing at the top of this hill. 

I took this opportunity to familiarize myself with the leaves of the Poison Ivy plant at various stages of its colour change in the fall.  If you were to ask me to point out poison ivy I am not sure I would always be able to do it. I do know the rhyme leaves of 3 let it be. And I know it has red stems and I know that it has kind of a mitten shaped leaf. ​However, I also know that it can vary in shape and colour depending on the time of year.  With this patch I was able to see it in green. 

And yellow in yellow

And in red. 

But I didn't get too close to it and instead walked in the opposite direction down the Ravine Trail. 

The trees down this trail made a canopy over the path so that you feel like you are entering a tunnel or a hobbit door. 

There was a picnic table at a place that I think was intended to be a lookout at one time. However, the trees down the ravine have grown so high that there is nothing to look at at the look out anymore. 

This is your view at the lookout. 

So I didn't stay at the lookout and instead continued down some serene and beautiful trails . 

At one point I looked to my right and through an opening in the trees I saw the ravine. This was probably where the lookout should be now. However, even this spot is not the greatest for a lookout. 

Well the lookout might not be something to behold but the purple Asters are. 

And near the very end of the trail there is and apple tree with plenty of green apples growing on it. 

The end of the Ravine Trail comes out onto the main park road.  It was starting to get late so I figured I would follow the road back to my campsite. 

But as I walked down the road I saw a sign pointing to the Stirling Barn. Since I could actually see the barn I figured I would make a quick detour and check it out. Then I noticed that the sign also said the Colborne sites were in that direction too. So I checked the map and figured out that if I just followed this trail it would eventually lead me back to my own campsite. 

​The old barn stood alone and abandoned, its weathered wooden beams creaking softly in the wind, whispering tales of a vibrant past. Only the birds were frequenting this spot now. 

Once bustling with laughter and the energetic chatter of children and adults alike, it served as the Point Farms Activity Center until 2006; a hub for community gatherings, Heritage Days, movie nights, weddings, workshops, and seasonal festivities. ​

I was immensely enjoying the  peace and solitude. I had taken on the challenge of trying to snap a picture of one of the many Northern Flickers that were flitting about all over the place. But the peace was short lived.  I never did get a picture because along came a guy with his dog.  It was not that they were all that noisy or anything. It's just that as I am trying to stand perfectly still to get a picture, they were walking by and scaring the birds off. So I gave up trying. Besides, it was getting to be close to sunset now. 

So, instead I continued on to the trail. The trail actually splits up into two directions at this juncture. I could go down the slightly longer Tortoise Trail or the quick and shorter Hare Trail.  They both end up at the same spot at the other end so it didn't matter too much which one I chose.   The guy and his dog seemed to be heading towards the Tortoise trail so I chose the Hare Trail. 

It was a nice little walk and I could hear the guy and his dog through the bushes on the other side of me. I took my time so that I wouldn't be bumping into him at the other end. I figured if I went slowly they would get far enough ahead that I could go back to trying to get photos of birds. So, I started to walk at a snail's pace. 

I was getting close to the end of the trail when all of a sudden a hare jumped out in front of me. It was probably spooked by the sound of the dog on the neighbouring trail. It stopped only for a brief moment, saw me and then darted back into the bush on the other side of the trail. 

I thought "How fitting!  A hare on The Hare Trail! I wonder if I had taken the Tortoise Trail if I would have seen  tortoise?" And I chuckled to myself. 

Both trails joined up at the edge of a large sports field. Since I had slowed my pace, I was happy to see that hey guy and his dog were now a good distance ahead of me and were disappearing into the tree line on the far side of the field now. 

I was kind of surprised to find this field tucked away in the middle of the park. I had stumbled upon a hidden gem that seemed almost secretive in its charm. The field, nestled discreetly amid the trees, wasn’t indicated on the park map, which only added to its allure. I was struck by its generous size, boasting a well-maintained baseball diamond that beckoned for a friendly game. Nearby, a couple of picnic tables were scattered, perfect for a relaxing lunch or an afternoon gathering with friends. 

I checked the map once more and noticed that the trail would be swinging close by the beach again before heading back to my campsite. I decided that I would try to make it back to the beach one last time for the day in order to try to see the sunset. 

With the map in hand and the sun beginning its slow descent, I felt a surge of excitement at the prospect of witnessing the sunset over the water. The hopes of vibrant oranges and pinks dancing across the horizon propelled me forward, my footsteps quickening along the winding trail. As I focused on the path ahead, I couldn't help but admire the delicate goldenrod flowers peeking through the underbrush. Their bright yellow blooms stood out against the rich greens of the foliage, a reminder of nature's subtle beauty. Each step brought me closer to the beach. The thought of the serene waves reflecting the twilight sky spurred me on, urging me to reach the shore before the day's light faded completely.

I turned my attention towards the horizon and the impending sunset. The sun was behind a dark cloud and I was not sure if it would make an appearance long enough to paint the sky with its vibrant hues. 

But I didn't need to worry. As the sun sunk lower, the clouds floated higher, separating the two. The vibrant hues of orangs spilled across the sky, casting a warm glow over the landscape. 

Far out on the horizon there was a misty cloud formation. It made for a unique looking sunset. The way the clouds covered the sun in haze, reminded me of the book cover that I had made for my dad for his very first ever published book, The Saga Kings. 

In Norse mythology, the wolf Sköll is the entity prophesied to eat the sun during Ragnarök (a foretold series of catastrophic events in Norse mythology that culminate in a great battle between the gods and giants).  I half expected to see the the clouds take on the shape of Sköll just as it is on my dad's book cover.  

But the clouds of Sköll did not swallow up the sun this evening.  Instead, the sun set silently, and I turned to climb up the long set of stairs back up to my campsite. 

At the top of the stairs I paused for a few moments to admire a very large tree silhouetted against the twilight sky. Now I was reminded of my mother who had always had a connection to trees and rocky landscapes.  She used to say that when you sat under a tree you could feel the energy from it. And every tree had a different energy.

Wistfully, I wished she and my dad were both still here on this trip with me. They both would have loved it here. I know that they are here, but it's different now. 

By the time I got back to camp it as just after 7 pm.  My new friend the rabbit was visiting me at my campsite.
​It stuck around for a good long time, even while I was making a fire for my supper. Eventually it left though, before it got too dark.  

When it got dark, something amazing happened. At first I thought it was a group of foxes. They started yipping and barking. They were close. Very close. It sounded like they were a few campsites over, just past the comfort station.

But a few minutes later The yipping turned into long drawn out howls. I knew by the howls and the fact that it sounded like there were so many of them (maybe 8 - 10 of them) that it couldn't be foxes. Foxes don't howl like that and they don't tend to gather in large groups like that. While foxes are generally solitary hunters, they often form small family groups, particularly during the breeding season and when raising young. But this was not breeding season and the group sounded too big. The chorus was different—powerful, resonant. So I figured that they must be wolves instead.

I sat by the fire eating my supper as I listened intently to the haunting symphony of the calls echoing through the trees, their voices weaving a tapestry of wildness that resonated deep within me. It was as if they were serenading the night, their howls rising in a crescendo that filled the silence. Instead of fear, a rush of exhilaration coursed through me. In that moment, I was not just a spectator but a participant in the raw beauty of the world around me. I whispered a prayer of thanks to God for this opportunity to be here in this place, in this moment; experiencing something that not everyone gets to experience. 

A few things ran through my thoughts. I wondered what the other campers were thinking right about now. There weren't very many of us out here at this time of year. There were a couple people on 78 and a couple people much closer to them somewhere around site 65 or 60ish. Were they afraid? It was only about 8pm so they probably weren't asleep yet. They must hear them. But no one seemed to panic or be concerned at all. 

I was also thinking that the deer carcass I found earlier today makes a lot of sense now. And it also made sense that they would be here because the rabbit population was plentiful. But still, wolves do normally come this close to people. So that confused me.  It was that thought that made me hesitate a bit when it was time to go to the comfort station about an hour later. ​

There were multiple thunder storms all night long. Where I live, we usually only have one. It lasts for about  a half an hour and then it is done and it just rains for the rest of the night.  Not here. I learned that by the shores of Lake Huron, it can be thunder storm after thunderstorm; back to back. At 9 am I was in my tent listening to the second storm of the morning since 8 am. There were at least 4 or  5 storms during the night. The tent was holding up pretty good in the rain though. 

I looked at the weather forecast. Rain for the next 2 days for both here and Pinery Provincial Park (which is where I was headed to next). Looks like I will be tearing down and setting up in the rain. I hoped that I could at least find a lull in the rain at some point. 

I can't be at Pinery Provincial Park until 2 pm and it is only one hour away. So I had had to find things to do for a few hours . I made breakfast and took down the tents in between down pours but everything was still soaking wet when I packed it up. 

I found a little Isabella Moth caterpillar (otherwise known s a Wooly Bear) trying to find shelter from the rain. I remembered that it is thought that the harshness of the upcoming winter can be predicted by the stripes on the back of the Wooly Bear. 

According to this Wooly Bear we are in for a harsh beginning to winter but it will end mild. I will have to keep an eye on that this winter and see if there is any truth to this. 

A sign posted in the comfort station told me that we could now get seasonal Day-Use permits for unlimited entry to all Ontario Parks. This could be a great idea for a birthday present for someone. 

The sign also reminded me that I wanted to go to the park store to get duct tape to fix my dining tent. So I headed over there. 

At the Park Office (which is also the park store) I struck up a conversation with the girl at the desk. I told her about the wolves I had heard last night and that I was surprised at ho close they were. At first she just said. "That is interesting" and she was deep in thought for a moment. Then I went on to explain how at first I had thought they were foxes but changed my mind and why. 

What she said next was a big aha moment for me. She said " Could they have been coyotes?" And I stood there for a second while it registered. "Yes! Yes! You are so right!  Now it all fits! It had to have been coyotes and not foxes or wolves!".

Coyotes yip like foxes do, they howl like wolves do, they are known to gather in packs, and they are much more likely to come closer to humans.  All the pieces of the puzzle fell into place.  The predators of Point Farms were coyotes! 

With that nugget of new information, I thanked her and happily got in my car to drive in the rain to the next provincial park on my itinerary. I was on my way to Pinery Provincial Park. 

Oastler Lake was my first stop on a 4 park trip. I reserved my sites a few months in advance for this one week long trip. With so much going on in my life this year, I was looking forward to getting in this trip before the camping season was over. The plan is to go to Oastler Lake for one night, then Point Farms for one night, then Pinery for 3 nights and visit my father's cousin who lives near there, and finally Bronte Creek for one night on the way back home.  I was supposed to bring a friend with me but she got pulled away and couldn't make it. I wasn't bringing my dog with me this time. So, this was a solo trip and I was excited about it. 

I arrived to the park at about 4:45 pm. I had checked the weather before I left and had expected it to be raining when I got here. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the rain had passed and it was now just grey and over cast. The drive here was simple and straight forward and the GPS worked great. 

When I got to the office I found that it was closed. It's one of the drawbacks of camping later in the season. There was a sign in the window that said "proceed directly to your campsite".  The problem with that is I didn't know what campsite was mine. I had booked months in advance and I had 4 different parks I was going to so I hadn't memorized them all. I was in a rush to get out the door so I never wrote them down. And I wondered, "What about those who didn't reserve a site in advance?"  I shrugged. Free camping for them I guess.  

I pulled my car up to a parking spot near the wood and ice shed. (That' another problem with no one at the office.... you can't buy wood or ice). Luckily I had enough of both for the night so I was set. 
I then called home and got my site number. Luckily I had written it on the calendar on the fridge. 

The next problem was to figure out where my site was locate.  The park employees had the foresight to set up a mailbox for just such an occasion.  Right in front of the wood shed was a white plastic mailbox that said "Maps" on it. 

Sure enough, there were a number of park maps located inside.  I took one and was now set to find my way. 

I had chosen site 145 because on the reservation site, it looked like it was close to the water as well as the amenities. 

As I drove down the road, I saw one of the best signs you can ever hope to see in a provincial park.  The "No excessive noise at anytime" sign.  There were not a whole lot of people here since it was not only later in the season but it was also a Monday. 

It didn't take long to find site 145.  As I got out of the car, you could see that everything was still damp from the rain and you can smell the mix of cedar and rain in the air. It smelled heavenly! 

I was very happy with my online reservation pick. It was a beautiful little site.  There as plenty of space for a couple of tents. 

It's only drawback was that there was not enough privacy between my site and the one to my right. From the road it looks completely private but once you got closer to the picnic tables there were no trees between me and the lady and her dog next door. So I tried to just not look in that direction most of the time. They really need to plant a few trees between the 2 sites. 

Oh but the view out across the lake was stunning!  The water was like glass and the clouds were reflecting on the surface.  This site is actually on top of a hill, so you could see out across the lake. 

I noticed a steep trail from my site to the lake below. So before I even began to put up tents or unload the car, I went down the path to explore. 

At the bottom of the trail was a picnic table beside the shore. 

Sitting at the picnic table you get a beautiful view of the lake, and a sloping rock embankment.  There is a majestic oak tree, with branches over laden with acorns that hang over the water.

Every couple minutes some acorns fall and you her them tumbling through the branches until you hear a "plop" as they hit the water.  At first, from the top of the hill,  I had thought it was an animal or fish swimming.  But then I realized that the sound was too consistent, and sitting here now I could see them falling into the water. 

The water was crystal clear. If it were a hot summer day instead of the beginning of fall I might have been inclined to go for a swim here. 

Looking over to my right I could see the park's boat launch across the lake.  As I stood there, the beautiful sound of silence was broken by another sound. Regrettably, there is a very loud train that goes by every once in awhile. (As time went on, I discovered that he train goes by every few hours).  That's when I noticed that I can also hear the nearby highway.  Once you get used to these noises though, they were hardly noticeable. Definitely not anything to ruin my stay, that's for sure. 

After a few minutes I figured I had better get back up the hill and start putting up the tents before it got too late in the day.  I began with my sleeping tent first and I got that up in about 3 minutes. 

On my last camping trip, to Rene Brunelle, I had my dining tent blown down and broken by the wind.  So, I had gone to Canadian Tire and purchased a different one for  this trip.  I purposely bought one that was lighter weight and was hoping it would be easier to put up. It wasn't. 

Not only did it take me about an hour to get the dining tent put up but one of the poles started cracking down the length of it this very first time I set it up. The instructions are wrong in my opinion. It says to put all the poles in at once and then put it up. But after fighting with it I found it was easier to put the red ones up first and then the others. It is definitely designed to be put up by 2 people, not one person. 

It wasn't broken so bad that I couldn't use it, I would just have to be careful with it. I will just have to get some duct tape to hopefully fix it later on.  

I set up the dining tent in a way that it would act somewhat like a privacy barrier between my site and the lady next door. But as you can imagine, tent screening is not the greatest privacy barrier. But it was better than nothing. That's ok. I planned not to be on the site much anyway. I had a lot of exploring to do. 

I stood back and surveyed my domain. I was pretty happy. I would definitely camp here again. And when I do, I will try to get this site again. It is a great site. 

Directly across the road from my site is a little red brick bathroom. 

It's a little run down looking and the faucet drips. Well, actually it runs more than drips, and you can't get it to stop. But it has a flush toilet so you can't complain about that. 

It also has automatic motion sensor lights. As well, the door has a window in it which lets in extra light. 

There was a poster on the wall reminding people not to feed the wildlife.  It talks about the damage the animals can do to people's vehicles, but it didn't mention that it is actually damaging to the animals themselves.   By feeding them you are teaching the animals to come to the campsites for food which means that they will stop foraging for what they would eat naturally. Then, when all the campers are gone for the season, they are no longer able to fend for themselves and could, in fact, starve to death later on down the road. Besides, you may be feeding them something that is not good for them. For example, so many people want to feed bread to birds. But bread is not good for birds. And peanuts are actually too fatty for squirrels and chipmunks (or people feed them salted peanuts which is also bad). 

A water tap was also close by to my site. So everything is a stone's throw away. 

Now that my site was set up, I was ready to explore. I grabbed the map and decided to head towards the point and the walk-in sites. Oastler Lake is a small park. Everything is within walking distance. 

​There are a lot of cute sites that overlook the lake down this road. 

The squirrels and the chipmunks were very plentiful here. You walk 5 feet and one will bound out in front of you only about a foot away. They were all busy getting ready for the winter. There is ots of food for them here. Acorns littered the forest floor everywhere. 

There was a little bathroom nestled in among the trees just before the walk-in sites. This bathroom sems to be shared by the walk-ins as well as some of the regular sites. 

This bathroom was much nicer than the one near my site. Cleaner, larger, newer, and no dripping faucet. 

The walk-in sites are nice and large, but there is literally no privacy.  If you stand at one end of this section, you can pretty much see almost every walk-in site while you are standing in that one spot.

They are situated in a cedar forest so, everything is wide open. Cedar forests are often like that.  It was still very peaceful walking here though. 

I walked through the sites, as far as you can go, and over to the end of the point where the rock slopes down to the water's edge. 

The rock itself was fascinating. It was full of naturally made dark lines and squiggles. 

The stone was like walking through a natural art gallery. 

A White-throated sparrow watched me from a nearby branch as I left the area. 

Next I walked down to the beach.  Apparently the water is somewhat shallow here. 

The long sandy beach was mostly empty except for an older couple who were sitting at a picnic table waiting for the sun to set.  I stopped to talk to the for a bit and found out that they were from Germany. 

There was a long blue mat to allow for wheelchair accessibility to the beach. 

The sun was not quite ready to set yet. It was still shining gold above the tree line and reflecting off the water where the buoy lines floated motionless on the surface of the lake. 

I noticed the sign of beach rules that said No Boats Allowed. 

The sign was interesting considering that the boat rental shed was at the far end of the beach. 

The sign on the boat shed gave directions on how to return your boats. 

They had plenty of canoes and kayaks in racks waiting to be rented out.  

A pricing sign was posted near the boats. You could tell that the prices have gone up in the lst couple years by the new number stickers stuck over top of the old pricing on the sign. 

As I walked back up the road I passed by the bridge that leads to the boat launch at the other side of the park.  Although it was going to get dark soon, I figured I had time to make a quick detour to go and see it. So, I changed course and headed that way. 

The road runs along side a creek filled with brown tannin stained water. 

Both the road and the creek joined up with the lake at the docks.  The docks were not big, but big enough to get a canoe or small boat into the water.  Standing on the end of the dock, I was able to see the bottom of my campsite from here. 

On the other side of the creek was the dog beach. It looked just as nice as the human beach did.  Sylvie would have loved it there if I had brought her on this trip. 

On my walk back to camp I discovered the comfort station. I hadn't realized that it was so close to my camp site. (Another perk of my site). It was only about 3 or 4 sites away in the opposite direction from which I had originally started my walk, which was why I hadn't seen it until now. 

​From here I noticed that it was way up on top of a hill with steps leading up. I wondered how wheelchairs were supposed to get up there. 

But then once I climber the steps I saw that on the other side of the building there was a paved pathway from the road to the comfort station that wheelchairs could easily be maneuvered through. 

Inside, the comfort station was spic and span.  It was clean and well maintained. 

There was a warning sign on one of the mirrors from the Health Unit though.  Those who have to watch their sodium levels, will need to use an alternate drinking water source. 

When I got back to my campsite it was almost dark.  I could hear splashing down at the bottom of my site again. But this splashing did not sound like the acorns falling into the water that I was becoming accustomed to. This was a bigger splashing. 

I quickly made my way down the steep path, being careful not to fall, to try to see what was making the noise. Through the dim light of dusk I could barely make out the shape of a beaver. I might not have been able to see him very well, but he saw me and with a slap of it's tail, it quickly swam away towards the docks. 

I carefully made my way back up the hill and proceeded to get a fire started.  It took me a minute since I was fumbling with the matches in the dark. But I got it going.  At least with the darkness around us, I didn't feel like I was intruding on the neighbours privacy anymore. The lady was joined by her husband now and I could hear them talking softly around their fire. But they were so quiet that I could still hear the crickets and the sound of the acorns plopping into the water. 

Supper was simple. Just some bagels and cream cheese along with some nice hot tomato soup. I just sat by the fire, eating my supper and looking at the stars. This evening isn't too cold so I sat until the fire burnt right down. 

I was happy to her the call of a loon out on the lake as I crawled into bed for the night. 

The next morning I woke up at 8 a.m. to a misty, fog over the lake. I could hear the mewling calls of the beaver out on the lake but I couldn't see them. 

​It wasn't raining yet, but it could start at any minute so I took down the tents fairly quickly.

I had a little chipmunk visitor watch me while I was doing this. 

Today I am on my way to Point Farms Provincial Park. But first I made a pit stop at the office to get some ice for the cooler.  I was happy to find that it was open this morning. 

No only was I able to get my ice but I was able to get my Oastler Lake sticker for my book too. 

By 10 a.m. I was on the road for a 3 and a half hour drive.  What adventures will Point Farms bring me? 
​I can't wait to get there! 

It was a chilly night for August and the morning wasn't much warmer. I had a warm sleeping bag so I had slept good.  The sky was grey and cloudy and the lake looked grey and cold too. It was 8:30 in the morning and the wind was pretty strong coming off the lake. 

A loon was calling me; telling me to get up. The loons are very vocal here. It's beautiful to hear. 

The Hooded Merganser ducks that were out on the lake didn't seem to mind the chilly wind. 

My dog, Sylvie, is used to me taking her for a walk each morning before breakfast. So, we headed out to explore the path behind my site.  We went down the stairs and followed a trail through the woods. According to the map, this trail should hook up to the Waterline Trail and go to Phipps Point beach. 
It wasn't autumn quite yet, but in some places the leaves didn't seem to know that. 

Some of the berries were changing colour too and they matched the colour of the changing maple leaves. It  felt like a painting come to life. 

The Red Baneberries retained their red colour though. A striking reminder that even as the world around us begins to dull, some things retain their brilliance.

The Fireweed flowers were popping with vibrant shades of purple. Each flower stood tall and proud, their colors a striking contrast against the green backdrop of the trees and leaves.

I couldn’t help but notice the beautiful yet bittersweet transformation that autumn brings. At this time of year you get a mix of vibrant colours with the dull browns of the flowers that are slowly dying off for the winter. I spotted a Common Selfheal flower. Once a radiant purple, it was now brown and just a shadow of its former self.

Along the side of the trail were the tall stalks of Broad-leaved Helleborine. It used to have a vibrant display of delicate bloom. But now, it stands there, stripped of its flowers, its once colourful petals replaced by empty leaves that seem to whisper tales of lost beauty. And yet it seemed to have a new beauty of it's own. Maybe not a flashy kind of beauty, but more of a quiet beauty. 

Clusters of purple Asters blooming along the path caught my eye.

A little slug was slowly making his way through the wet moss. ​I thought about how we often rush through our days, chasing after goals and deadlines, forgetting to appreciate the little things. This slug, with its unhurried pace, was a gentle reminder to savor each moment.

Contrasting to the colours along the trail were the clusters of white Yarrow flowers. 

Bunches of Pearly Everlasting flowers were also growing there, subtle and unassuming. I have always thought that their name suits them very well. Many people dry these flowers and use them in flower arrangements. So, they are like little pearls that last forever. 

But this park is just full of birds. If you want a good park for birding, Rene Brunelle is a great place to go. In less than 3 minutes, another bird came on scene. This one was a  Magnolia Warbler. 

We had been walking for a bit and I was thinking that we should be getting to the beach soon. So I was a bit surprised and confused when we came out onto the road.  Somehow I must have made a wrong turn where the trails intersect and I had gone in the complete opposite direction of where I thought I was going.  I still don't know how that happened.  The road would lead to the beach too. So I debated about whether to keep going or turn around and walk the road back to camp. I was starting to get hungry because I hadn't eaten breakfast yet, so I decided on the latter.  I figured I would just drive down to the beach a little later..

On the walk back I saw a lot of crows. This park definitely has its fair share of them. 

It's a good thig that I decided to go back when I did. While we were gone, the wind had really picked up. That was another downfall of my nearly perfect site. I had a great view but there were not a many trees to break the wind. Unfortunately the wind was so strong that it broke my dining tent and it was blowing away. If I hadn't of come back when I did, it would have blown into my car and damaged it.  So I had to take it down, and now I had no dining tent for the rest of this trip. I guess I will have to buy a new one.  Or maybe this one can be fixed. 

The wind was blowing enough to make my hair look a little wild too. 

​I ate breakfast at the picnic table and then loaded Sylvie into the car to drive to the Phipps Point beach. The Vigilance Trailhead is right across the road from this beach so I figured it would be good to visit both at the same time. 

Dogs aren't allowed on this beach so I left Sylvie in the car for about 5 minutes while I explored the beach area real quick. It's a beautiful beach. It reminded me of Bonnechere Park a little bit. 

There was no one there while I was there. Too cold for most people. But the beach area was quite nice. Plenty of picnic tables, and a nice, clean, sandy beach with buoy lines.  

There is a water tap onsite, however, there was a "Boil Water Advisory" sign right beside it. 

Phipps Point Beach has a large covered picnic area structure. 

And it has a volley ball net. 

Not to mention a jungle gym with a climbing structure, swings, and slides for the kids to play on. 

I let the dog out of the car and we started our hike of the Vigilance Trail. 

It's not a very long trail and it is pretty wide and open. It's a very enjoyable walk along the edge of Remi Lake.

I am not sure who was enjoying it more, me or Sylvie.

Along the trail were information signs that told about the history of northern aviation and the history of Remi Lake as a base for floatplanes in the 1920s. The remains of a plane known as "The Vigilance" that crashed nearby are now on display in the National Aviation Museum in Ottawa. 

The lima bean green moss draped the branches of some of the pine trees. It was like a natural tinsel for an outdoor Christmas tree. 

These moss covered pines lined both sides of the trail and gave it a tunnel like feel. 

The next information sign was a tribute to the airplane hangers that no longer stand on an island directly across from this spot. From 1922 to 1944 Remi Lake was an important link in the Ontario Provincial Air Service. From here bush planes flew over the northern areas checking for fires and bringing aid to the distressed.

"Airplane Island can be seen between the two smaller islands directly in front of you". 

We crossed a wooden bridge that was still holding up well, even though it looked a little old. 

The view from the bridge was a bit obstructed by tree branches, but that is what gave it some character. 

Even the trail signs were covered in moss and lichen.

There was a sweet little bench nestled into a corner by the lake. As we approached the bench we walked right under a hawk in a tree. But I didn't see it right away so it flew off before I barely even realized it was there.

 I was hoping that if I sat on the bench really still that it might fly back. Of course I knew that the likelihood of that was next to zero. But it was a good excuse to sit down for a moment and look out across the lake. 

I didn't sit for too long though. It was too cold and damp for that.  This trail loops back around and then you head back the way you came. As we got to the furthest point of the trail, I looked out across the lake and noticed great big areas of grass with signs at the end of them. ​It looked almost like a golf course or something. 

I zoomed in a little with my camera and I could see a picnic table near the water. I took a look at my map to see if this was part of the park or not. As far as I could tell it looked like it might be the Group Site. 

Naturally this had me curious, so I decided that I would go check it out when I was done hiking this trail. It is pretty late in the season and it looked pretty empty. So, I figured, why not take a chance that no one was there and go take a peek.  I headed back, enjoying even more of the lovely Remi Lake as I went. 

I got the dog into the car and we drove off down the road to the other side of the lake. It didn't take long and soon I saw the sign for the Anse Crawfish Cove group site.  And directly under it was a sign saying "Private Area". I hesitated. Do I dare go in to explore? What if there are people there? I don't want to intrude. 

After debating with myself for a half a minute, I finally decide to just do it. Worst thing to happen is there would be people there and I would not get out of the car, turn around and go back.  I drove down the long open lane way to the site. 

There was no one there. Empty and quiet. Perfect for exploring. I was still a bit nervous about intruding though so I decided to make it quick. I didn't even take Sylvie out of the car. She sat in the back seat and waited while I got out. 

I must say this is probably one of the best group sites I have seen in a Provincial Park so far, hands down. It was so big and so spacious and clean. 

The bathroom looked like a brand new build. 

There were large grassy areas where you could put up tents., play sports, sun tan; whatever you wanted to do. 

There was  large volleyball net over in one area. 

I didn't have to walk far to get to the areas that I had seen from the trail across the lake.  Swaths of green grass with a picnic table down by the water. 

I walked to the farthest point first. There were some weeds growing in the water to the side of the lake. A great place for some kids to go look for frogs. 

And then when you reach the water's edge and look towards the picnic table you can see that it is a lovely little beach with lots of grass and just enough sand. It looked like a fabulous place to swim. 

As I made my way back up the hill I noticed a couple of crows had gotten into a bag of garbage that the previous campers had left behind beside the garbage can instead of in it.  Garbage was strewn every where and the crows were happily picking through it.  

It was at just this moment that the park rangers arrived in their white truck. They were a clean-up crew here to clean the bathroom and empty the garbage and what-not.  I held my breath for a moment, expecting them to give me a reprimand about this being a private area.  But it didn't come. They didn't seem to care that I was there. 

So, I told one of the crew that the crows h gotten into the garbage around the corner (they probably wouldn't have noticed it because it was a bit out of sight from where they were working).  They thanked me and then I hurried back to my car and drove off to explore more of the park. 

Next stop was Campers Beach which was way down the opposite side of the park from the group site.  No one here.  Not all that surprising though. On a cold over cast day with lots of wind and not a lot of people in the park to begin with, it only makes sense. 

This beach is not a Day Use beach so it is small, but cute. It is right beside the entrance to the walk-in sites and shares a bathroom with the walk-in sites. 

The bathroom was clean and had a step pedal flush system. So, it didn't smell bad in there. 
​
​There was a sign by the sink that invited all the kids in the park to an early Halloween event.  it took place the day before so I guess I had just missed it by a hair. It would have been cute to see the kids going from lot to lot saying trick-or-treat. However, I didn't have any candy with me so I would have disappointed them if they had come to my site. I suppose I could have driven up to the park store to buy  some treats for the kids if I needed to though.  At any rate, I thought it was a cute idea. 

To one side of the beach there were motor boats, kayaks and canoes that you could rent. 

On the other side of the beach there was a little swing set for the kids to play on. 

The beach was tiny. Only room for 3 picnic tables. But there were buoy lines marking off a safe swim area and there was a small sandy area where the kids could make sand castles. 

Since I had my car with me, I had all my food with me. I tied Sylvie to the picnic table and while she dug a hole and made herself a sun/sand bath, I got out all the fixin's for a sandwich and some lunch. It was at about this time that the sun started to peep out from behind the clouds for just a short little while. 

After refueling with a good lunch, I was ready to do more exploring. I wanted to check out the walk-in sits before I left. But first, I noticed a newer looking building over on the other side of the beach.  It seemed to be a fancy looking outhouse. It has solar, motion sensor lights. All the hinges and hardware looked brand new. But it was locked so I couldn't look inside. 

Behind the fancy out house was a wide path that led to the parks cabin. It looked a bit smaller than the one at Kettle Lakes or Aiguebelle. 

At first I thought someone was renting out the cabin because there was a dining tent set up off to the side of it. But after looking around I could see that the cabin was all locked up and no one was renting it. So, that makes me wonder.... does the dining tent come with it when you rent the cabin? If so, then that is a nice perk. 

There were a set of stairs leading down to the lake.  The sun was gone again by this point and the sky was singing grey again. 

A couple of  Hooded Merganser ducks were swimming by. I wondered if it was the same two that I had seen this morning. 

There were a couple of wide trails that led away from the cabin. But I didn't follow them to see where thy lead. 

Instead I wanted to peek in the windows to see what the inside of the cabin looked like. So I climbed the stairs up to the deck. 

On one side of the deck was a picnic table with an umbrella.

And the other side had a BBQ and two red chairs. 

Peeking through the window, I could see 4 wooden chairs and a wooden table all stacked up and put away for the season. 

It was hard to see much of the inside of the cabin but through the screened window I cold make out a fridge, a mirror, and the end of one bed. 

The cabin appeared to be run on propane. 

Next, we walked over to the Walk-In sites.

Just like at Opemican, there were little wagons provided so that campers could bring their camping gear from their vehicle to their site. 

I chuckled at the sign for the walk-in sites. It looked to me like a guy who was skiing with really long skis on his feet. 

The paths to the walk-in sites were wide and covered in  gravel and pine needles.. 

There was a shared water tap. But this also had a Boil Water advisory sign on it. 

It looked like there were campers on one of the sites further in so I opted to look at the first site, number 92, that was empty. 

It was a very nice walk-in site. It was large and spacious. It was very private. I would be happy to camp at this walk-in site. 

Nothing quite like having your own private little beach area. 

As I walked back to the car, I spotted some Common Selfheal flowers. This time they were adorned in their purple attire instead of the dull browns of the dying flowers that I saw earlier.

It hadn't started to rain yet, but there was still a great possibility that it would at some point. So I decided to squeeze in another hike while the weather was kind of co-operating. So I put Sylvie in the car once more, and drove over to the trail head of the Spruce Lowland Trail. 

The trail map mentioned that there was an old bear's den on the trail somewhere. I was very interested to see that. Yesterday, the lady at the gatehouse had told me that this trail was great for bird watching. Plus, according to the map, there was a bog in here too. So I was excited for all these things. 

The trail starts off woodsy, ​offering a generously wide and well-trodden route for trekkers.

I am sure many people walk by moss without even looking twice at it. Sometimes I do too. But for some reason, today the moss was calling attention to itself.  I found myself admiring moss yet again. A patch of feathery moss beside the rounder leaves of another ground cover plant. The two growing beside each other, for some reason,  made me think that this combination would look great as a center  piece for a table. I had an urge to want to paint it. But I didn't have any paint supplies with me. So, a photograph would have to do in the moment. 

There were a number of board walk bridges on this trail. 

We came to the side trail that the map said lead to the old bear den. 

I was disappointed to find just 2 posts and some rope at a dead end. I thought perhaps the old den was on the other side and that if I looked closely through the branches and under growth that I might see it.  However, there was nothing to be seen. Luckily the side trail was short, so it wasn't like I had traveled a long way to see the 2 posts and some rope. 

I turned around and went back onto the main trail. A splash of red caught my eye and I looked down to find a waxcap mushroom. 

A little brown slug was enjoying the damp moss and the mushrooms even more than I was. 

I came to the section on the map where there was supposed to be a bog. I suppose you could call it one. However, the bog wasn't very boggy at this time of year. It's probably more boggy in the springtime. 

A bench had been built at this part of the trail. I sat for a few minutes in the quiet and listened for the birds. 

I was beginning to think that I had been lied to about being able to see a bunch of birds on this trail. But then, near the end of the trail, they began to appear.  The first one I saw was a Golden-crowned Kinglet.  I stood and watched it for a few moments and then it flew away. 

But then, on the exact same branch, another one landed to take it's place. ​At first I thought it was the same kind of bird, but then I noticed that this one was a brighter yellow on the belly and had more stripes on it's wings, as well as whiter circles around it's eyes. This one was a Magnolia Warbler. 

I saw a grouse walking through the under brush on the forest floor. However, the battery on my camera chose that very minute to die on me. Isn't that just the way? By the time I had got a new battery in it, the grouse had disappeared. 

I saw some Daisies growing along the trail. They were my mom's favourite flower and every time I see them I am reminded of her.  Today I was reminded of all the hikes we had gone on together over the years. I felt her there with me today. 

When I had finished hiking the Spruce Lowland Trail, I hopped into the car and headed back to camp.  But I made a detour first.  I saw the sign for the Fish Cleaning Table and figured I would check it out.  Exploring was better than sitting around the campsite in the cold. At least this way I was moving and keeping warm. 

However, the Fish Cleaning shack was Out Of Order. But that didn't deter me from looking around. 

There was a dock near by and I took Sylvie down to the lake. 

The dock was extremely rickety and moved a lot when you walked across it. It didn't help that the wind was making waves and rocking the dock even more. It was hard to keep balance. I was sure that Sylvie was going to refuse to go out onto it. She was definitely nervous about it, but she was brave and went all the way out to the end. I was very proud of her. 

I only stayed for a brief moment. Just enough to notice the rain clouds coming in. So we turned around nd headed back to shore. ​Sylvie was glad to get her 4 paws back on solid ground again. 

A little bird watched us as we got back to shore. ​

Before heading back to the campsite, I had to use the washroom. luckily the comfort station happened to be near by. 

The children's playground is located right beside it . Very convenient for parents and kids to have the bathroom right there. 

As expected in a comfort station, the toilets were flush toilets. Everything was spotless. 

I was impressed that they even had a sharps box on the wall by the sinks for people who are diabetic or have other illnesses that require needles. It's the little things that make the difference sometimes. 

On the walls were a number of posters showing some of the different flowers, birds, insects, and animals that could be found in the park. 

And another sign about Halloween. Looks like I missed a movie and popcorn yesterday too. 

By the time we got back to camp it was about 2:30 pm and we had done so much walking that we were exhausted. Plus it was just about to rain. So, it was the perfect time to take a nap. 

Sylvie an I slept for 2 hours.  It had been raining and the temperature had dropped. When I wake up, I have a headache so I take an Advil and just lay there for an additional hour listening to the family next door. It made me miss my mom and dad. 
I still remember and can hear my mom puttering around, making a coffee. And she asks dad if he wants anything to eat; always making sure that he is ok. I can still picture dad sitting, reading a book and smoking his cigar. I think how lucky the family next door is to be able to share great moments of laughter. I am willing to bet they don't even realize in this moment that they are making memories that they will cherish later on in life. 

When it stops raining I get out of the tent and take Sylvie for a walk down the Waterline Trail. This time i pay closer attention and I don't go the wrong way.  We come to an old wooden bridge.

It overlooks Remi Lake on one side. 

An a marshy creek on the other side. 

The creek water is very brown with tannins. Unsightly for humans, but good for the fish. 

At first I had thought the trail was called "Waterline Trail" because it ran along the water line of Lake Remi. But then I discovered the real reason for its name.  There were literally water lines running through and poking up all over the place along the length of the trail. 

Time and time again I would see these black hoses coming up out of the ground. I am guessing these hoses feed the water through for the whole park. 

Not the whole trail had the black hoses though. There were some sections that were free of hoses. 

The trail led all the way to Phipps Point beach. Since dogs weren't allowed on Phipps Point beach, we turned around and went back the way we came. 

On the way back we saw a Mallard duck swimming in the creek. 

When we get back to camp it starts to rain again. I debate just packing everything up and going back to see my sister. I could use the comfort of family right about now.  But it is going to be dark soon and there is only one more night here. So, I decide to tough it out. 

Since I no longer have a dining tent, and I can't eat in the sleeping tent, Sylvie and I get into the car to eat supper and watch the rain through fogging windows. . 

It's too wet to have a fire to cook anything, so I just make myself a peanut butter sandwich for supper. 

When it stops raining, I get out of the car and see some Merganser ducks and some Mallards out on the lake.

I can see a long rock out in the middle of the lake that is just full of birds. They are too far away to make out what kind. My guess is sea gulls or cormorants.  I can hear the cry of the loons. 

There is an ever so slight sunset tonight. Nothing big an fancy. Just a subtle glow of yellow breaking through the grey rain clouds.  Sylvie becomes playful and dances all round. She makes me smile and I become happy again. I am good to stay for the rest of the night. 

I will go to bed and read for awhile. Then I will let the sound of the waves lapping against the shore, lull me to sleep.

I woke up at 4 in the morning to the sound of something mechanical sounding flying overhead around the roof of the tent. The best word I can use to describe it is "whirly-gig". To this day I do not know what it was. It definitely sounded mechanical and not like something from nature.  It was too dark and too cold for me to want to go out and check to see what it was. I decided to ignore it. What ever it was, it didn't last long. It would have been gone by the time I had gotten my shoes and jacket on to o check, so I am glad I didn't bother. I went back to sleep and didn't hear it again.

When I woke up again it was 9:30. It was cold and starting to drizzle rain again. I packed up to leave fairly quickly before  I got caught in a down pour. 

Tenacious Little Sparrow was back. It looked even more wet and cold than yesterday. But once I started packing up the tent it seemed pretty happy. It was literally getting in under my tent to find all the bugs that were hiding under there from the rain. So, it was a smart tenacious bird, getting an easy breakfast. It was so busy with finding things under my tent that I was worried I was going to step on him once or twice.

I am gonna miss that little bird. But I won't miss the cold and the rain. It's time for me to go back home and get into some dry clothes and get a hot meal.  Good luck out there little bird! 

It's been a long year and a half. We lost both our parents within 8 months of each other. I was the executor of 2 estates. As anyone who has been an executor before can tell you, it's a lot of work. So, being the executor of two of them, well.... it's exhausting.  Much of my vacation time has been sucked up by appointments with lawyers and banks and accountants and the like.  So, when I finally booked a few days off for myself and some real "me" time, I decided to head for the woods. 

​My parents had always told me how wonderful Rene Brunelle was, so I decided to head there and see it for myself. This trip would be just me and my dog. It would give me some much needed quiet time to rest my heart and mind. 

The turn off to Rene Brunelle is in a little town called Moonbeam. You can't miss it. It's the one with the giant UFO on the side of the road. Most towns have a water tower. But this town has it's very own UFO with it's name on it. 

I pulled up to the gate house and went inside to register. It was a tiny gate house and it doubled as a park store. Outside there were benches and a place to rent bicycles.

With map in hand, I headed towards the Owl's Nest campground. Even the name sounds cozy. 

I had reserved site 88. I chose this site because it was at the very end of the road and I figured it would give me more privacy than other sites might. Plus, I had looked at some of the pictures and it seemed like this one might have a view of the lake. And well... the name. Owl's Nest. Right? 

I was not disappointed with the site. It was quite large and had plenty of privacy. 

And I wasn't wrong about the view of the lake.  It was later in the day when I arrived and I only had about 3 or 4 hours before sunset. 

I am hoping that sunset will be beautiful from here. 

Off to the side of my site was a little set of stairs. It led down to a little platform which then led to a little trail. The trail led to the lake on one side and off into the woods on the other. I didn't have time to explore it right now because I had to get my camp set up.

But the lake was right there, and I did stop for a couple minutes to just enjoy it. 

The next little while  I spent putting up tents. I had my trusty orange tent to sleep in and my big ole dining tent in case of rain. It's nearing the end of August so there are not any bugs. It's one of the things I like most about camping at this time of year. 

As soon as I was all set up, I was able to finally relax a little. It was going to be dark soon, but I could at least take the dog for a walk around the neighbourhood and explore just a tiny bit. 

I headed towards the bathroom. There were only a few other people in the park  and most of them were camping closer to the bathrooms. So, I was able to check out a few of the empty sites along the way. Number 84 seemed to be another good choice for a campsite. 

It was quite large and you would be able to drive an RV right through without having to worry about backing it up. 

The water tap was between my site and the bathroom. There was a "boil water advisory" sign posted beside it. I had brought my water filter system with me. So, I could easily filter some drinking water if I needed it. 

My campsite is almost perfect. The only downside to it, is that it is just a wee bit too far away from the bathrooms if you have to get up and go in the middle of the night.  

But the bathrooms were clean and they had a step peddle flushing system. So, that was a perk. 

Once again there was a boil water advisory at the bathroom sinks. 

There was a bulletin posted at the bathroom telling all about the different events that were going on in the park. Sadly, the two that I would have liked most (Nature In Watercolour and  Wildflower) I missed because I arrived to the park too late to attend them. Perhaps tomorrow I can catch the Gratitude Scavenger Hunt.

These bathrooms were equipped with solar lights so, when it got dark, you didn't have to fumble around with a flashlight while you were trying to wash your hands. 

Back at the campsite I settled into a chair and watched the sun go down. It was so quiet and peaceful. The campers and their kids next to me were quietly talking and enjoying the evening. 

It was wonderful to just sit and listen to the waves lapping up against the shore. It was in harmony with the cricket songs and the sound of the wind in the trees.  At last, I could finally let go of my stresses and troubles and just give my mind a break. 

I stayed by the shore until the sun was gone and it got dark. I didn't make a fire. I was too tired and it was starting to get windy. Instead, I opted to go to bed a bit early and get some rest so that I could get up and explore this beautiful park in the morning. 

Another year has rolled by and it is July again. Time for camping! Time for the annual gathering of the Chicks In The Stix. New location this year though. Since Samuel De Champlain is shut down and we were too late to get into Driftwood, we had to make alternate arrangements. This year we were staying at Marten River Provincial Park. 

There are quite a few of us in this group so we booked two sites; number 59 and 60 in the Chicot section of the park. 

Site sixty is pretty big and spacious. However, the fire pit is in a terrible place. It is directly in front of the trail to the bathroom (which is up on top of a hill). You don't exactly want to be tripping over a fire pit when you wake up in the middle of the night and have to climb a hill in the dark to go pee. 

Like previous trips to Marten River, I chose the site because it was directly across the road from the beach. On a map it looks great.  However, unlike the other site I have chosen in years past, you can't actually see the beach from this site.  There is a wall of trees and you have to go down a short path to get there. Not the worst thing, just unexpected. 

The beach itself was large, clean, and pretty nice. 

Most of our time would be spent on site 59. Half of the girls had their sleeping tents here and this is where we would cook our meals and sit around the fire. 

The first night I made "Walking Tacos".  You brown some ground beef (or ground turkey if you prefer) and add a pouch of taco seasoning. Then you take a snack sized bag of Doritos and crush it up. You open the bag of chips and add some of the cooked taco meat to the bag. Then add whatever taco toppings you want (grated cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, etc) to the bag. Top it off with some sour cream and you are ready to eat.  Just grab a spoon and eat from the bag. Since it is in a bag you can walk around and carry it with you as you eat (hence the name "walking tacos").  Tastes so good!  And it is quick and easy.

One of our new favourite traditions now is to make a Candy Salad. Everyone brings a bag or two of their favourite candy and we dump it into a large Rubbermaid container and shake it all up. 

Then everyone grabs a ladle and scoops some of the candy into a bowl.  The container is pretty heavy with all that candy in it!  

This year we added a new tradition. It is similar to Candy Salad except it involves booze. It is called a Fuckit Bucket.  We were sent the following instructions:

Fuckit Bucket
**Ingredients:**
*(Feel free to customize — it’s chaos in a bucket!)*
* 2 cups vodka (any flavor you love)
* 1 cup coconut rum
* 1 cup peach schnapps
* 1 cup blue curaçao
* 1 can (12 oz) lemon-lime soda
* 1 can (12 oz) pineapple juice
* 1 cup fruit punch or orange juice
* Swedish Fish, gummy worms, or sour candies
* Orange and lime slices
* Maraschino cherries
* Ice (a lot!)
* Mini straws and crazy straws
* 1 clean plastic bucket (1-gallon beach pail works great!)
**Instructions:**
1. **Fill the Bucket:**
Load your bucket halfway with ice and toss in some candy and fruit slices.
2. **Pour It All In:**
Add all the liquors, juices, and soda. Stir gently to combine.
3. **Top It Off:**
Add more candy, fruit, and a handful of cherries. Stick in a bunch of fun straws.
4. **Go Wild:**
Serve immediately and *don’t ask questions*. It's meant to be sipped with friends and zero regrets.. 

Needless to say, we had a fun night sitting around the campfire with a whole lot of sugar and booze coursing through our veins. 

The next day we spent the morning relaxing and trying to identify the various birds that we saw around the camp. This Veery didn't mind having it's photo taken. 

Some of us played board games, and some of us went on a hike.  The hiking trails consist of three loops all attached to one another.  The largest loop is the best one. 

I have been on this trail before but sometimes notice things that you didn't notice before. The big burls on some of the pine trees are something that I never paid attention to before. But one of the other girls noticed them and pointed them out. 

There are some pretty big old growth trees on this trail. Not as big as some of the ones I have seen in British Columbia or some of the other parks. But still pretty big none the less.

It was a bit of an over cast day and not much sunshine, but it was good to just get out and enjoy nature with some friends. 

The best part of the trail is the farthest point where it opens up onto some marsh land. On the map it is labeled as a "look out", although it is not really what most would consider to be the traditional lookout with the high up spot over looking the landscape below. 

We sat on a rock and just soaked up the serenity and beauty of the place.  It was not long after, that three  of girls came to the spot we were at. We could hear one of them say. "This is it? This is the lookout? It's just ugly sewer water. "  Then they quickly kept going down the trail. 

We were surprised by the negative attitude from them.  All around us were beautiful white water lilies, dragonflies, birds and a rolling marsh landscape.  They hadn't even barely stopped to look. They were immediately dismissive of the place. It was sad and I felt sorry that they couldn't see the beauty here. 

When you sit and really look, there is so much to see. Like the frog, hiding in the reeds. 

When we got back to camp we found the girls trying to identify another bird. This time it was a woodpecker. This one had been hanging out around our site quite a bit. They were trying to figure out if it was a Downy Woodpecker or a Hairy Woodpecker. The are both extremely similar in looks. I think when all was said and done, they concluded that it was a Downy Woodpecker. 

We never did get much sunshine all day. But that didn't stop some of the girls from going swimming in the evening just the same. 

But the rain clods were coming in so they didn't go swimming for long. 

We only had one dining tent to keep about 12 of us out of the rain. We came up with the idea of bringing it closer to the fire and draping an extra tarp over one of the cars and stringing it to the dining tent. This worked out quite well and we were able to have everyone sheltered from the rain. 

At about 9 pm the rain stopped and some of us went up to the bathroom while we had a chance before it started raining again.  While we were up there, one of the girls was telling us how she saw on TikTok how to make your shadow into a frog by pulling your shirt up over your head. Intrigued by this, we decided to give it a try.  It wasn't the best rendition of a frog, but it certainly had some resemblance to one.  All of a sudden she yelled  "I'm a F*cking Frog!"  The rest of us just burst out laughing at that. 

When we got back to the campsite we found out that while we were gone, the rangers had come by to say there were complaints that they had been laughing too loud.  We found this a bit odd considering we couldn't hear them laughing from the bathroom and we were probably noisier up there than they had been down here.  But we realize that sound can carry so we tried to be quieter after that. 

The next day, one of the other girls tried the frog thing in the sunlight and it looked so much better. It was definitely more frog like. 

We are always trying new things on our girls weekend camping trips. This time someone decided to try cooking Pilsbury cinnamon rolls over the fire for breakfast. I don't think they cooked all the way through. Probably won't try that one again next year. Unless of course we can find a way to improve upon it. 

After breakfast we started to pack up. Some of us had a long drive home. On site 60, we had pulled a car over from the additional parking area to load our stuff up so that we didn't have to carry it what would have been a pretty long distance. While we were packing up, one of the rangers came by and stopped at our site. He got out of his truck with sun glasses on looking like a cop from an 80's movie. He says to us "you are only allowed to have one vehicle per site". We explained that we were just packing up.  Then he says "this car is not registered to be in this park". The girl that owned it had to go to her front dash and take the registration paper from the front window and show it to him before he was satisfied. Why he couldn't go to the front dash and look for it himself, I don't know.  He was clearly trying to be harassing and difficult. 

Next he went over to site 59 where they were cooking the cinnamon buns over the fire. He says to them " You better make sure that fire is completely out when you are done".  We were baffled by this. It was only 8 in the morning and we had until 2pm before we had to leave. That left hours for the fire to be put out.  We have never been given such a hard time by staff at a park before. There was no reason for it. For some reason he seemed to have taken a disliking to us and was targeting us. Or maybe he acts this way with all the campers.  Regardless, we were less than impressed. 

But we didn't let it deter us from enjoying a few more hours around the fire, before we were finally ready to say our good byes to each other.  It will deter us from coming back here again next year though. 

By early afternoon everyone was all packed up and ready to head home. It will be another whole year before we all get together to do this again.  Most of the girls left, but a couple of us didn't want it to end just yet so we decided to go see the logging museum located in the park at the Day Use area. 

The last time I had visited this logging museum the buildings were closed. Today they were open and you could go inside to really see things. One of the buildings had a staff member there to answer questions and tell you the history of things. 

There were paths that led from the various out-buildings and down to the lake.  The lake was calm and clear and had different purple flowers growing in and around it. There were some Lesser Purple Fringed Orchids.

And there were plenty of Pickerelweed.

But I didn't recognize this plant that was mostly green with just a few red leaves in one spot.

We saw a pretty carpet moth on the wall of one of the buildings. 

Another wonderful weekend with the girls had come and gone. It went by too quick and it feels like forever before we will get together again next year. As Frog said in the Frog and Toad story books "Friends are the family we choose for ourselves".  This little family is looking forward to our next adventures together. 

It's a sad sad day.  Samuel De Champlain Provincial Park is completely and utterly destroyed by a Down Burst that touched down. (Unlike a tornado, which produces a wind funnel from the ground up, a downburst produces strong winds that move downward from a storm.)  The park is not even recognizable anymore. 

The following pictures are not my own. They are just some stories and pictures that I have gathered from all over the internet.  

We had booked our annual girls weekend here this year but as soon as I read this, I had to change our location. 

Thankfully no one was killed, but there were definitely some close calls. 

Even the Ecology Center was hit. 

It wasn't just Samuel De Champlain that was hit. Parts of Algonquin Park were also hit.  One woman and her son were trapped in Algonquin Park. The woman had an emergency phone with her (Not a cell phone. The kind you pay a lot of money for and are designed for just such situations). The son had an injured leg and needed to go to the hospital.  They had to send a rescue party in at night to get them. However, they had to clear a path through fallen trees to do it. 

​Rescue Operation at night. Trying to get to injured people in Algonquin Park (South of Brent area). These are actual pictures (not AI generated). 

Roads and bridges were washed out. 

This is an aerial view of the park after the storm. All roads and campsites are completely gone. The whole place is a disaster area.  There is nothing left of it. 

When will it re-open? Who knows. It will have to be cleared and assessed. Could be years for all anyone knows. For now though, it is closed. 

The next morning was bright and beautiful. We were toasty warm in the cabin that night. Maybe even a bit too warm. I got up a bit earlier than the other girls and decided to go for a walk and spend some quiet time before everyone else got up. It was nice to get out and go down to the lake to do some quiet reflecting. 

A Darner dragonfly joined me on the dock. It's blue and green colouring matched the water and the reeds. 

After awhile I headed through the pine tree lined trail back up to the cabin to see if they were awake yet. 

Along the way I admired the beauty of an Orange Hawkweed flower. 

And a Calamints flower. 

I was wowed by the bright red of the whirly gig seeds of a Mountain maple tree. I had never seen any that were red before. I had only ever seen green ones. 

A little chipmunk was peeking out at me from behind some foliage. It looked to be eating some seed of some sort for breakfast. 

The only other person who seemed to be awake when I got back to the cabin was Julie, and she seemed to have the same idea as me on this beautiful morning. She was enjoying some quiet time. However, she had chosen to read a book. Since I didn't want to disturb her, and the others still weren't awake yet, I decided to continue my walk. 

I walked past the cabin and up the road that leads to the cabin. 

A little Oven Bird sat in a tree at the side of the road watching me. 

And another Grouse came onto the scene. There are so many Grouse in this park! 

When I got back to the cabin the second time, everyone was up and making breakfast. We spent our morning and early afternoon just hanging out and playing a few board games. By the time late afternoon rolled around, we got restless and decided to go and see the other side of the park. So, we hopped into the car and drove over to the main office at the north end of the park.  In hind sight,  this was probably the gate we should have gone to when we first arrived the day before. We could have driven down a different highway and it would have led to this gate house. It would have been much closer to our camp.  But you don't know what you don't know. 

Inside the north gatehouse, there was a small gift shop. The park employee only spoke French. So, Julie did all the talking for us. We had asked about the trails, and the lady suggested we try the suspension bridge trail. We were surprised by this and told her that we had been told at the other gate that it was shut down. But she insisted that it wasn't. We thought that it was strange that the employees at the north gatehouse had specifically told us we should go and check out that trail but the one at the south gate house said it was shut down. Which one was correct?  We never did find out because we decided that we didn't want to make a long drive (would have been about a half hour drive through the park) only to find out that we couldn't go on the trail.  We figured that we would maybe come back another year and try again then.

It was such a hot day out, that we enjoyed the air conditioned shop as we looked around at all the souvenirs for sale. Then we each bought an ice cream bar and headed outside to eat them.  

There was a large area filled with picnic tables by the lake. 

We chose one that provided a bit of shade and we sat down to eat our ice cream treats. 

Near by there was a jungle gym and sandy play area for kids to play at. 

This north gate house is where all the regular campsites were. I wasn't very impressed by them. They were much too wide open with no privacy. You could easily see the next site because there were no trees between them. This meant that there was also no shade. 

I suppose these sites would be ok if you had an RV. But if you were tenting it, these sites were not great. 

After eating our ice cream we needed to wash our hands and use the rest room.  The comfort station was inside the back of the gate house. The large stainless steel outdoor sink was pretty impressive. 

The washrooms were located through a door at the back. 

Once we were back outside, we headed down to the lake. We had all day and we weren't on a time schedule, so we explored at our leisure. 

Down at the lake there were shacks where you could rent canoes and where they stored gas for motor boats. 

There was a dock and all sorts of red and green canoes as well as blue kayaks. 

People could launch their boats from a large gravel area at the lake. 

We walked back up towards the gate house and noticed that there was another camping section down a little side road. I hadn't noticed it at first because it was tucked away behind a wooden garbage can shelter. 

These appeared to be the "ready to camp" and the walk-in sites.  I explored carefully because I didn't want to disturb anyone if there was someone camping there.  

Just like many of the other walk-in sites that I have seen, these ones were provided with carts that you could use to bring your belongings from your vehicle to your camp site. 

​The first site I came to was site number 5. 

It was a "ready to camp" site with a big canvas tent set up on a wooden platform. No one was there but I still didn't stay long.  You couldn't see inside, but on the outside it had chairs, and a dish rack and you could see that there was a propane tank supplied with it. Presumably for a propane cook stove, I would imagine. 

It also had a fire pit with an interesting looking grill on top. The grill seemed to have handles on either side. 

When we had seen all there was to see, we got back into the car and drove back to camp. We wanted to cook supper at the fire pit tonight so we checked the fire danger levels before we left the gate house. It was a little on the "be careful" side, but there was no fire ban, so we were happy about that. 

Back at camp we got the fire started and did a search for sticks that w could use to cook our hot dogs and marshmallows on. 

We noticed that our fire pit also had an adjustable grill with handles on it. This was the first time we had seen grills quite like them. 

We brought out all the fixin's for home made mini pizzas. All you need is some bread and butter (or garlic butter), some pepperoni's, grated cheese and tomato sauce. 

Layer it all together in a frying pan, throw some tin foil over top, and cook it until the cheese melts and the bread toasts. So simple and so good! 

While we waited for the pizzas to cook, we cooked some hot dogs over the coals. 

After supper we sat around the fire until it had burnt out and until the day turned to evening. 

As the day wound down, we made our way back down to the lake to see if we could see the sunset.  

There wasn't much of a sunset but there was enough to be able to catch a little bit of pinks and purples just above the tree line. 

As darkness settled, we went into our cozy cottage and played board games and drank our drinks and laughed and had a great time. Tomorrow would come all to fast. Tomorrow we had to go home. 

And in no time at all, morning came and it was time to go.  Another year of glamping at the cabin was over. We had barely began packing up when we started talking about what we would do next year. 

As we drove down the road we were greeted with a farewell party of Grouse. 

There were five in all and they were in no hurry to get out of the way. We took our time watching them cross because we were in no hurry to get back to the city and to the daily grind either. 

As we watched the last of them disappear into the bush we felt lucky to have had the opportunity to see them and to have had such a great weekend with wonderful friends.