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 are 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 then 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 maybe 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 to the 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'd 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 were 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.