Tulip Trees, Turtles, And Turkeys

It's only a 20 minute drive from Port Burwell to Port Bruce Provincial Park. Our intention was to have lunch here and then continue on to John E. Pearce Provincial Park. 

We were expecting to have a picnic lunch. And while there was a large covered picnic area, the park itself was nothing like we had expected it to be.  Instead of sprawling greenery and towering trees, we found a quaint collection of charming cottages, each painted in soft pastels, dotting the landscape like a whimsical village. 

The absence of a dense forest was surprising; instead of the soothing rustle of leaves, we heard the distant chatter of people fishing off the pier and enjoying their day.

We parked our cars over by the dock and got out to look around. 

The waters of Lake Erie were muddy and murky looking. It was almost hard to imagine that there were even any fish in there. And yet, we saw a large one jump right in front of us. So we knew that the fishermen still had a chance to catch something. 

 Nearby, a sign caught our attention, listing various activities that were prohibited that felt out of character for a provincial park, like biking and swimming, suggesting that this space was meant for quiet contemplation rather than active recreation.

The parking lot was across the road from a playground. There were no children playing here today though. For some unknown reason, the playground stood empty, its vibrant colors dulled by the slightly overcast sky overhead.

In the middle of the playground lay a Spray Pad, but its concrete surface remained dry and still. The absence of water rendered it lifeless and dull. But I imagine that when the water is turned on and spraaying all over the place, the kids probably have a blast here.  

 Although this was not what we expected of a provincial park, it did have its own unique charm. Carsten had his heart set on a hot cup of coffee. Our eyes landed on a quaint little yellow café across the road and we made our way towards it. Sadly, before we even got up close to it, we could tell that it was closed.

Next door to the café stood a  blue chip stand, and it was open for business. We were greeted by the tantalizing aroma of fried food wafting through the air. Not only did they serve coffee, but the menu also boasted a delightful selection of pogos, crispy onion rings, golden fries, juicy burgers, and yummy ice cream. 
We decided to ditch our picnic lunch and just eat here. 

We placed our orders at the take out window and then waited while they cooked our food. As we waited, I wandered to the side of the building to survey the outdoor seating options. There were 4 or 5 sets of metal tables and chairs, all of which were empty, so we had our pick.  Each set was perfectly arranged, and the absence of other diners allowed us the luxury of choice. I scanned the area, contemplating which spot would offer the best view while maintaining a cozy atmosphere. One table, caught my eye; it was nestled under a leafy tree that promised a bit of shade. I returned to Carsten and Penny, eager to share my find, confident that our meal would be even more enjoyable in that perfect little nook.

As we waited, a couple other customers began to arrive. I took our drinks over to the table to save our place. Then, I occupied my time by looking closer at the outdoor dining area.  I can best describe it as a tiny little tea garden.  The space was adorned with delicate, black metal tables and chairs

Surrounding the tables, lush greenery swayed gently in the breeze, punctuated by bursts of color from blooming flowers. A small bird bath in the shape of a fish tail sat in the centerof it all. 

 This charming nook felt like a serene escape, perfect for enjoying a moment of respite with a hot lunch and a cup of coffee.

 I noticed a pair of House Sparrows flitting about, accompanied by a solitary Grackle. I marveled at how unafraid they were, landing mere inches from my feet as they surveyed the ground for any fallen morsels. 

 It was clear they had mastered the art of scavenging, their boldness honed through countless encounters with park-goers who occasionally dropped crumbs from their snacks.

Our seats were mere feet away from the path to the beach. The soft sound of waves lapping against the shore beckoned me as I left Carsten and Penny to finish their coffee. I stepped cautiously onto the sandy path, aware of the delicate ecosystem surrounding me. The signs, bright and clear, urged visitors to respect the native vegetation, vital for the restoration efforts of the park. 

As I wandered closer to the shoreline, I took notice of the resilient grasses and wildflowers, their roots anchoring the dunes and preventing erosion.  I admired the Purple Crownvetch, its pastel purple blooms reminding me of clover, dotting the landscape like nature's confetti. They were all doing their part in stabilizing the fragile sand dunes that sheltered the shore.

As I walked along the shoreline, the rhythmic sound of waves lapping against the sand and pebbles created a soothing backdrop to my thoughts.

I noticed a couple nestled in their lawn chairs, their fishing rods propped up beside them, lines cast into the water. They seemed perfectly at ease, wrapped in the warmth of the afternoon sun, sharing hushed conversations punctuated by occasional laughter.  They were focused yet relaxed, and seemed to relish the simple pleasure of the moment. This serene scene painted a vivid picture of companionship, where time felt like it stood still.

I couldn't go too far because I didn't want to keep Carsten and Penny waiting for me for too long. I turned around and headed back down the shore the way I had come, leaving the fishing couple behind me. 

When I got back to the table, Carsten and Penny were still relaxing and enjoying the quiet. I noticed a Sand Chafer, a small beetle, that had chosen Carsten's shirt as its temporary resting place.So, I gently scooped it up and carried it over to a nearby bush for a safe release. 

As I was immersed in this endeavor, Carsten and Penny called out to me to draw my attention to a tiny creature darting through the nearby foliage. 

We all focused our attention on the underbrush, and soon enough, a little brown Vole emerged.  Its round body and twitching nose added a delightful touch to our tranquil afternoon.

There is no park store at Port Bruce, but we had already purchased our Port Bruce sticker for our park passport book when we were at Port Burwell. 

After lunch, we drove another 45 mninutes to John E. Pearce Provincial Park which is another Day Use only park. There were no direcrtion signs to help us find it and we had to rely on the GPS. This was a bit tricky because the signal was not great in this rea. 

When you enter the park you must drive down a long, narrow,  winding, road.  Its a bit unnerving because you don't know where it is going to lead and you don't know if there is any place to turn around. 

​We had been hoping to maybe hike the Wetland 'Storey' Trail. However, not only could we not find the actual trail head for it, but as we drove we also passed by some  "Area Closed" signs that made us wonder if that trail was even open. 

Eventually the road began to loop back around and we came to a place where you could park your car and get out. It was a small parking lot. It could only hold about 3 cars. 

We got out of the car and started to look around. Beside the parking lot was a large circular sculpture that was inscribed with the words "John E Pearce Provincial Park. This forested land represents a most gracious gift from John Edward Pearce to the people of the province of Ontario for their inspiration and enjoyment. It is dedicated to the memory of his ancestors who settled this area in 1809 and who were mainly responsible for the founding in 1827 of St. Peters Anglican Church."

Just on the other side of the small parking lot was a single picnic table along side a double fence.  As we approached the table, we were surprised and delighted to see an eagle take off from a nearby tree. We hadn't noticed it until it had already taken flight. 

Between the two fences was a warning sign that sid "Danger! Unstable cliff erosion occuring. Keep back."
Behind the furthest fence we could see another warning sign that also said "Danger".  Carsten and I figure that at one point there was probably only one fence but that the cliff erosion was getting so bad that they had to eventually erect a second fence to keep people safe. 

We walked down the road a bit in hopes of finding the elusive trail head. However, all we found was a bathroom. 

Not surprisingly, it was just a typical vault style toilet. 

Despite my initial disappointment in not locating the Wetland 'Storey' Trail, the journey along the road was still beautiful. 

Towering trees formed a protective canopy overhead, their leaves whispering softly in the gentle breeze. At the base of their majestic trunks lay a lush carpet of vibrant green foliage.

As I walked, I discovered clusters of delicate purple and pink flowers peeking through the leafy blanket, their colors vibrant against the lush backdrop. 

As we walked back up towards the cars we noticed that a third car had pulled up beside ours. An older couple got out but they only stayed for a fleeting moment before deciding to get back in and drive away again. We watched them drive away, leaving behind a lingering question in the air—what had they hoped to find, and why had they chosen to leave so quickly? We will never know. 

We too had decided it was time to go and we got back into our cars and continued down the road and out of the park. 

We had spotted the trail head sign for the Spice Trail which was just across the road from the park entrance. We had breifly considered hiking that trail instead of the Wetland 'Storey' Trail, however, we were anxious to get to our next stop, Rondeau Provincial Park where we would be staying the night. With another 45 minutes of driving ahead, we knew we had to stay focused. Reluctantly, we turned our backs on the enticing trail, our hearts set on the adventures that lay ahead in Rondeau.

Clearly there is no park store at John E. Pearce either, but once again, we had already purchased our park sticker ahead of time for our passport book when we were at Port Burwell. 

As we journeyed along the winding road between John E. Pearce and Rondeau Provincial Park, the  landscape offered more than just picturesque views; it revealed moments of unexpected wildlife encounters.

The most memorable of these was a family of three deer, spotted in the distance. Instinctively, I slowed to a halt, and Carsten and Penny, trailing behind, mirrored my actions. 

In a fluid motion, one female deer dashed across the road, disappearing into the underbrush, while the second female and her fawn hesitated at the roadside.The mother deer quickly vanished into the tall grass, leaving the fawn in a state of confusion.

This confused the poor fawn and it was bouncing back and forth as it weighed its options.. It didn't know whether to cross the road to where the one deer was or to follow the other one into the tall grass. So it did neither.  Instead, it just bounded up and down along the side of the road. 

It started coming directly towards us. 

I knew we couldn't sit there all day waiting for it to make a decision and I was worried that other cars may come and accidentally hit it. Gradually, I inched my car closer, hoping my movements would guide the fawn away from harm's way.

This seemed to work and the little one took heed and sprinted towards its mother in the long grass.  The mother then peeked out from her hiding spot, reassuring me that they were ok. Their reunion was a heartwarming sight and I was happy as we continued on our journey.

As we traveled down the winding road, the thrill of spotting wildlife filled the air, especially when we caught a fleeting glimpse of a wild turkey and an eagle soaring high above. Unfortunately, they both vanished before we could capture the moment on camera, leaving us with only the excitement of what we had seen. Yet, as if God wanted to compensate for our missed opportunities, a group of turkey vultures appeared in the middle of the road in front of us. 

As I slowed down to a halt, it became clear just what they were doing there. There were scattered bones in the gravel; remnants of some unfortunate creature claimed by the road.

The turkey vultures are nature's diligent cleanup crew. They seemed to momentarily regard us with indifference, engrossed in their feast. They reluctantly moved out of the way as we inched our way slowly past them. 

It was almost 5 pm when we finally arrived at Rondeau Provincial Park. 

When I pulled up to the gatehouse of Rondeau Park, I had to get out of the car and walk up to the window to pay for n additional vehicle pass. As I stood there wwaiting for the debit machine to do its thing, I happened to look up and see a Barn Swallow in its nest under the awning. 

The girls at the gatehouse were wonderful and helpful. They gave us a map and we continued on to look for our site. 

Finding your way around this park is not difficult at all. Except for this one spot, and only if you have never been here before.  At the very first cross roads you have the option to go in 3 different directions. When you are sitting at the stop sign you can see signs for all the campsites, except the group that we were trying to get to. We sat for a moment or two trying to figure it out.

Finally I just decided to pick a direction and cross my fingers and hope I chose right. So I chose to go down the road that is just to the left of the Blue Bins.  Turns out that I had chosen correctly.  The signs for the group of sites that we were looking for was hidden by the trees a little further up the road. 

We had reserved site 157 using the online reservation system. 

The sites were fairly large and well laid out.  But I wasn't paying too much attention to the site because I realized that I couldn't find my debit card anywhere. I had misplaced it somewhere after I had taken it out to pay for the additional vehicle. I didn't panic at first, but I did start to pull everything apart in the car, thinking that it just slid down in betweent he seats or something. 

After looking for quite some time, I figured that maybe I had left it at the gate house. So, I left Carsten and Penny to put up the tents and I got in my car and drove back to the gate house. 

I pulled into the parking lot nearest the gate house and got out to walk over. As I did, I noticed a dark blob in a small patch of grass at the side of the road. It looked like a turtle.  

As I got closer I could see that it was a Northern Map Turtle. You bnever see these where I am from and this species is an At Risk species. So, I felt pretty lucky to see one up close in the wild. 

Then I noticed that she was attempting to dig a hole to lay her eggs. And that is even more rare to see. 

I began to worry about her beause she ws literally inches away from the road. Every time a car drove by she would lift her head in a bit of a panic. 

I went over to the gate house and pointed her out to the girls at the gate. They said that they were aware of her presence and had been keeping n eye on her. They didn't know that she was trying to lay eggs until I told them though. So, they went over to take a look for themselves. Now they would keep an even closer eye on her. 

In the meantime, I asked if anyone had turned in a lost debit card or if i had left it there. They said no one had found it. So, they were kind enough to help me to fill out some paperwork so they would know who it belonged to if it did get turned in. 

I walked back over to the parking lot, and spotted a female Red Winged Blackbird picking up some green leaves off of the pavement. I watched her for a moment from my car. 

I was disappointed that my card wasn't at the gatehouse and a bit concerned that I wasn't going to find it. I had only taken it out once between the gatehouse and the campsite. It couldn't have gone far. I figured I would do a more thorough check of the car once I got back to the site. 

Once I got back to the site, Carsten and Penny had almost finished putting up the tents. We didn't have to worry about how many vehicles were allowed to be on the site at one time because we were literally right across the road from the parking lot. So, we parked both vehicles in the lot. 

 Tan Jumping Spider was already making itself at home on the dining tent. 

And so was a little firefly. I was hoping this meant that we would get to see the flicker of firefly lights later on that night. 

Determined to find my lost debit card, I embarked on a thorough excavation of my car, pulling out every item I could find. I sifted through crumpled receipts, stray socks, and half-empty water bottles, each discovery adding to the chaos that now filled the parking lot. All the while, a curious Red Winged Blackbird was perched on a nearby tree, its beady eyes observing my struggle with what seemed like a mix of amusement and indifference.  My heart sank with every failed attempt until, after what felt like an eternity, my fingers brushed against something smooth and slightly cool. I leaned down, peering under the passenger seat, and there it was—my elusive debit card, wedged tightly against the floor mat as if it had gone on a little adventure of its own. Relieved, I couldn’t help but chuckle at how something so small could cause such a big fuss.

Our site was conveniently situated right across the road from the comfort station. 

The bathroom was clean and well kept. 

Something I had not seen in any other park before was the park name and Ontario Parks logo etched into the backsplash of the bathroom sink. 

Behind the comfort station was a boardwalk bridge that led to the beach.  On it was posted a large blue and white sign warning of the presence of ticks in the area that had the potential to be carrying Lyme disease. 

I had been seeing a whole lot of chatter on social media lately about the increase of tick populations. I had heeded these warnings and had gone out of my way to purchse a can of Cedarwood oil from Amazon because it is said to kill them. You make a spray out of it and spray it on your clothes. 

Here is the link if anyone is interested: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bkOII2KKcPw       

As luck would have it, when I called home I was told that my Amazon package had arrived.... 3 hours after I had already left for this trip. Sigh. Oh well, I guess it will still be good for the next trip. 

One thing we did notice about this park though, was thaat there seemed to be no mosquitoes. Well, next to none anyways. That was a blessing. 

In the parking lot outside the comfort station, a fair sized puddle had formed from the rains the park had experienced the day before. The birds were just loving this puddle and were taking advantge of the opportunity to bathe in it. 

A female Red Winged Blackbird was the first one for a bath. 

Next came a Baltimore Oriole. 

Followed by a Grackle. 

And where there is one Grackle, there are generally more. 

And last but not least was the Robin. 

After the tents were set up, we decided to take a drive to the Park Store. 

We bought our park passport sticker, and I also bought a moose painting and a raven note pad. 

​​Then we bought some ice cream and went outside to eat it. 

There was a picnic shelter nearby, but we just chose  a picnic table right outside the door of the store. 

After eating our icecream, we wandered around for a bit.  I noticed some strange looking fixtures in behind the park store and went to take a closer look. 

They were bird houses. Well, more like bird apartment buildings. They were on a pulley system at the top of a pole. I guess the pulley is so that they can be brought down for easy repair and maintenance, or perhaps for research purposes. 

Looking around, I noticed a yellow sign indicating that this is a Purple Martin Sanctuary. 

And the word had gotten out to all the Purple Martins in the area because there were so many of them. 

According to the information sign, the Purple Martin population has declined by 37 % since 1966 due to habitat loss.  

Our attention moved from the skies to the ground momentarily as we spotted another Northern Map turtle making its way to the lake. 

We came across another informatin sign. This time it was about the Barn Swallows that have a population decline of 25% since 1966. 

As if on cue, a Barn Swallow made an appearance. 

But I would have to say that my favourite of the swallows were the Tree Swallows with their white bellies and their shiny blue heads and backs. 

From the Park Store, we got into the car and made the longh drive down towards the Visitor Center. 

We had a chuckle at the staff parking signs in the Visitor Center parking lot. 

Unfortunately the Visitor Center had closed at 4 pm and it was well after 7 pm by that point.  We made  note of the times and decided to come back again the next day. 

But while we were there, we had a bit of fun with the "Face In A Hole" signs outside the building. 

Since the Visitor Center was closed, we decided to drive to the Dog Beach instead. 

After a bit of a drive, we finally arrived at the Dog Beach, a secluded spot seemingly a world away from the other campers in the park. It was clear they wanted to keep the two areas separate. 

As we approached the entrance, we were greeted by a thoughtful touch: free poop bags for dog owners, a reminder of our responsibilities as pet parents. 

The journey to the shoreline required a short walk down a winding path through a grassy area. 

Upon reaching the beach, we were rewarded with a breathtaking view; the sands stretched endlessly before us, and the soft sound of waves provided a serene soundtrack. 

We had the entire place to ourselves, with only faint paw prints in the sand hinting that dogs had been here before us. 

Looking out across the lake we saw a gaggle of geese.

As we strolled along the shoreline, my attention was caught by movement along the water's edge. At first, the landscape seemed like the ordinary expanse of pebbles and stones. Yet, there, almost camouflaged among the gravel, was a killdeer, its mottled brown and gray feathers merging with the earthy tones of its surroundings. 

It moved along the shore, pecking at the ground with its beak in search of insects and small crustaceans. 

Its alert eyes darted from side to side; always on the look out for danger.

As the sun sank lower in the sky, we headed back to the car. Peering out at us through the tall grass was an Eastern Cottontail rabbit. It stood perfectly still hoping that we hadn't seen him. 

There are a number of cottages within the park and especially along the road to the Visitor Center. Some of these cottages had little book lending libraries out front. We had to stop and take a second look at this one though, because instead of having books inside, it had local crafts inside. The sign below it said "The smallest community art gallery. Take a piece, make a piece, leave a piece."

But that wasn't the only cottage where we had to stop to do a double take.  As we cruised along the road, we slowed down to a crawl, intrigued by an unexpected sight. “Wait! Is that a turkey?” I exclaimed, pointing toward a cottage nestled under some trees. 

Sure enough, there it was—a wild turkey, confidently strutting around the yard as if it owned the place.

We were transfixed in a silent stare-off. The turkey stood its ground, unbothered by our presence, until finally we were the ones to give in. We continued driving down the road, chuckling at the weird encounter. 

When we got back to our campsite we realized that we had forgotten to buy wood for the fire at the park store. The store closed at seven and it was now nine. So, we ended up cooking our supper on a camp stove instead. 

After supper we went to the comfort station and 2 young women were in there washing their dishes in the bathroom sink. We didn't say anything to them about how they should not be doing that. 

Instead, we just minded our own business and went to our dining tent to play some board games by the lamp light. 

Despite being in a screened in tent, we still had a few insects that managed to get in nd join us. One such insect was a Common Square-Gills. It was tiny and looked like a cross between a shadfly and a dragonfly.  It is actually a type of Mayfly. It's completely harmless. 

We played board games until about 11 pm and then headed off to bed. It was quiet and you could hear the wind in the leaves and the crickets chirping.  Quiet that is until about 1:15 a.m.  That is when we were awakened by the sound of the neighbouring campers pumping up their air matress using their car motor and a very loud air pump. And guess who these neighbouring campers were. They were the same two girls who were washing their dishes in the bathroom sink earlier that evening. 

Fortunately it didn't take them too long to blow up their air matress and they were quiet for the rest of the night. 

The next morning we woke up at about 8:45 a.m. It was a beautiful morning. The sun was shining and a Mourning Dove flew in for a visit. 

Perched above us, a Red Winged Blackbird surveyed the scene from the tree, its striking red shoulder patches contrasting vividly against the green foliage.

After breakfast Carsten and I wanted to go for a hike. Penny wanted to stay behind to relax and have some time to herself. So, Carsten and I hopped in the car and drove down to the Tulip Tree Trail. 

When we pulled into the parking lot we saw a school bus and a large group of kids wandering around by the Visitor Center. They must have been on a class trip. We were worried that we would have to hike with noisy children all around us. But fortunately, they were occupied with activities at the Visitor Center and we were free to hike the trail in peace and quiet. 

The Tulip Tree Trail is not an overly long trail. The path is wide and flat and there are a number of board walks and foot bridges. 

Most of what you see over the railings of the bridges are shallow swampy areas. But it waspretty just the same. 

Occasionally one of these bridges would have a bench to sit on. 

Carsten pointed out that many of the trees had large dark vines weaving amongst them. The vines did not have any foliage though. It looked like a jungle scene sometimes. We began to wonder how the vines got there. The absence of foliage on them added to the mystery.  Do they grow without foliage? Or are these what was left of a plant that used to be alive but is now dead? 

While we stood looking up at these vines, a flash of vibrant orange and black caught our attention—a  Baltimore Oriole had alighted on a branch right in front of us.  It seemed to be interested in something in the tree and didn't pay us much attention.  

And as quickly as it has appeared, it flew off again into the tree tops and out of sight. 

We came to another boardwalk with a bench. We spent some time peering over the edge of the railing to see what was below. 

Below us was an odd shaped mound of moss. Off to thge right of this mound of moss was a large hole. The whole thing looked like a place where a gnome might live. So, Carsten and I have dubbed this mound of moss "The Gnome Home". 

The Gnome Home was only one of the interesting things we saw there. We also noticed a very large round ball of moss about the size of a soccer ball. It looked like something from an alien planet. 

Near the base of this moss ball sat a beautiful Emerald Spreadwing damselfly.

Adding to the alien feel were some strange shaped trees. 

A little black squirrel was watching us from the tree above. He looked at us as though we were tresspassing in his little kingdom. Which, I suppose,  we were. 

Aswe rounded a bend, I spotted a single orange flower all by itself in the middle of the woods. It was a Wood Lily. It was growing in the only patch of sunlight in the entire shady woods. It was as though someone were shining a spot light on it. That made it even more beautiful. 

We were getting nearer to the end of th trail and by now Carsten and I realized that we had not seen any Tulip Trees. We were beginning to get disappointed.  A sign at the beginning of the trail had said that they bloom in June. Since it was mid-June, we were fully expecting to see them. But we hadn't seen a single one. 

Then, Carsten noticed some petals on the ground. They looked like they had been there awhile but they were orange and yellow and could very well be the petals from a Tulip Tree. So we started to look with new eyes. 

We looked up. We looked way up. Sure enough, if you squinted and were standing at just the right angle under the tree, you could see the Tulip Tree blooms way up in the canopy of the trees. 

This whole time we had been looking for something a kin to a flowering shrub when, in fact, the blooms were at the tops of the trees. We had been walking past many small Tulip Trees. Their leaves looked like deformed shamrocks. But the small ones did not have any blooms on them. Only the very tall ones did. 

Now that we were really looking, we started to notice other leaves as well. These ones were similar to the Tulip Tree leaves, but rounder. These were Sassafrass trees, 

We passed by some white Canada Anemone flowers as we left the trail and we headed back to the Visitor Center. 

Back at the Visitor Center we decided to go inside and take a look around. Most of the children had left and there were only a handful of kids with a tour guide now.  

The Visitor Center had all sorts of things like furs, and horns, and turtle shells on a table readily available to pick up and examine. 

Behind the glass of various terrariums and aquariums were some live critters for people to see. 

A Garter Snake came out to take a look at all the people going by. 

There were a number of different kinds of turtles. 

There was also an impressive resin diarama of a large fish swimming up under a stuffed duck, ready to make a meal out of it. 

There was a large collection of butterflies and moths. 

There was a store in the Visitor Center, but it wasn't open. However, peeking through the glass you could see some of the things that they had for sale. One of which was the ugliest stuffy I have ever seen. It is supposed to be a moisquito I think. I wonder if they ever sell any of these. 

It was about 12:30 pm by now and time to get back to camp. So, we drove back and met up with Penny.

I was helping Penny open the screen door on the dining tent.  I bent down to get the zipper when I noticed something in my hair. I could not tell what it was and I coudmnot get it out of my hair. I said to Penny "What is it?" to which she replied "Oh, that's not good". She started to back away but she didn't tell me what it was. 

I asked Carsten to get whatever it was out of my hair. It was a tick! An American Dog Tick. It hadn't bitten me but needless to say, I had the heebie jeebies for hours after that.  (**As an aside and an addition to this story.... I didn't get another tick on me for the rest of the trip. However, the day after I got home from this trip I was doing yardwork in my own yard and I did get bit by a tick that day. Figures! I promptly took myself to the local pharmacy where I got some antibiotics to prevent Lyme disease**). 

We began to take down the tents and pack up. We were getting ready to go to the next park, Point Peelee,  which was only an hour away. 

As we were taking down the tents we saw a couple of White-marked Tussock caterpillars. I removed them with  stick because you don't want to touch them. Their hairs can cause skin irritation and a burning sensation. 

I wanted to do one last visit to the beach before we left. So I headed to the one that was walking distance from our campsite. 

The sand on the path to the beach beckoned to me. 

I stood for a few minutes on the sandy shore, listening to the waves and feeling the cool breeze coming off the lake.  It was so peaceful. 

It was such a gorgeous day and I didn't want to leave. But at the same time, I was really looking forward to camping at Point Peelee. So, I headed back to the car where Carsten and Penny were waiting for me. 

Just before getitng into the car, a Red Spotted Purple butterfly (yes, that's its name) stopped in to say good bye.

​I am going to miss this park and all the beautiful things that are here. What a wonderful trip this has been so far.