Sunday, November 26, 2017

PHEEBS AND I HAD US A GREAT HIKE THIS MORNING AND MY LEGS ARE THANKING FOR THAT

DSC_8292

Saturday night Kelly, Pheebs, and I took us for a wee walk around our Five Seasons Park and were surprised to see as many houses with in and outdoor Christmas lights as we did.  Just goes to show all these Seniors in this 55+ Park can still put on quite a show.  I’ll walk around and take some photos of those lights in a couple weeks.

DSC_8298

Cloudy as usual but Pheebs and I persevered and headed out anyway.  Cheapest place around for a coffee and muffin is McDonald’s in Goderich so once again that is were we gravitated to.  Cold wind sweeping across the lake but we did manage to get out for a few minutes near the water’s edge in Rotary cove.  Imagine my surprise when something in the air above me caught my eye and I saw right away it was a human being about 80 feet off the ground.  What!!!!

DSC_8229

I HAD TO LOOK TWICE WHEN I SAW THIS GUY FLOATING ALONG UP IN THE AIR

DSC_8233

NOTICE THAT HE HAS NO PROPELLING DEVICE LIKE AN ENGINE YET HE WAS STAYING ALOFT SAILING UP AND DOWN THE SHORELINE

DSC_8235

HE GIVES ME A BIG WAVE….KEEP IN MIND THIS IS A TELEPHOTO SHOT AND HE WAS NOWHERE THIS CLOSE

DSC_8230

Now there I was dressed in my semi-Siberia winter attire thinking the best to currently be was in the Jeep with the heater on and there’s a guy floating along under a para-sail using that wind to his advantage and obviously enjoying it.  The bluffs overlooking Lake Huron are about a hundred feet high and as the wind comes in across the lake it sweeps upward when it hits the bluffs.  This very experienced kite flyer was riding that uplift of air just like a seagull or turkey vulture.  He could fly out of the updraft to descend and turn back into it to ascend and he was doing it very well.

DSC_8237

I WAS CURIOUS AS TO THAT LARGE PACK ON HIS BACK, CAN’T BE A PARACHUTE BECAUSE HE ALREADY HAS ONE SO LOGICALLY THINKING I FIGURE HE’S GOT A LARGE BALLOON IN THERE AND IF HE CRASHES TO EARTH HE JUST HAS TO MAKE SURE HE LANDS ON HIS BACK BEFORE COMING TO A BOUNCING , BOUNCING, BOUNCING STOP…..:))

DSC_8236DSC_8231

Only about 15 minutes from our house on the western edge of the little hamlet of Ben Miller is the Falls Reserve Conservation Area.  I drive right by there many times on our morning outings but pay it little attention while the Park is open for the summer.  It’s a popular spot and it’s loaded with people, especially campers, so it’s no place for Pheebs and I in the busy tourist season.  It was in late October or early November of 2005 after the Park was closed for the season that Kelly and I along with our dogs Max, Checkers, and Cora (Motormouse) came here one Sunday and took ourselves for a long walk.  Fast forward to today and it was Pheebs and I who rolled into the deserted Conservation Area.

DSC_8302 - CopyDSC_8291DSC_8300DSC_8239 - CopyDSC_8242 - Copy

CAME ACROSS THIS CURIOUS LOOKING BUILDING SO TOOK A COUPLE PHOTOS THROUGH THE WINDOWS….NOTICE ANYTHING DIFFERENT ABOUT THIS BUILDING??  LOOK CLOSE…………….

DSC_8240 - CopyDSC_8243 - CopyDSC_8244 - Copy

BOTH SIDES OF THIS BUILDING ARE TRAILERS OR SHIPPING CONTAINERS

DSC_8245 - Copy

THIS IS A MAP OF THE PARK….FROM THE ‘YOU ARE HERE’ PHEEBS AND I TOOK THE BLUE TRAIL TO THE RED TRAIL, THEN DOWN TO THE CHIPPEWAW CAMPGRUND THEN HEADED WEST TO THE RIVER….COMING BACK WE WENT THROUGH THE VT AREA, AND ALONG THE ROAD PAST THE THE SYCAMORE AND MENNESETUNG CAMPGROUNDS FINALLY MAKING IT BACK TO THE JEEP AT THE PARK ENTRANCE TOP RIGHT

DSC_8246DSC_8247

WE ARE ON THE BLUE TRAIL

Morning temperatures were hoovering around the freezing mark with a bit of wind to boot but no matter, I knew this to be a great walking place and if we could get into the forest we would be out of the wind.  And that is just what we did.  Because we stayed on the move it did not feel cold and I thought half a dozen times how great it was walking with no oppressive heat and humidity or pesky bugs. 

DSC_8249

PHEEBS WAS HAVING A BLAST JUST RACING AROUND EVERYPLACE

DSC_8250

WINDING ALONG DOWN A STEEP GRADE THROUGH A FOREST ON THE RED TRAIL

DSC_8252 DSC_8248DSC_8254

ALL’S I HAVE TO DO IS FOLLOW THE PHEEBS CAUSE SHE ALWAYS KNOWS THE WAY

DSC_8255

CHIPPEWA CAMPGROUND

DSC_8257

DOWN A STEEP EMBANKMENT HEADING FOR THE RIVER AND THE FALLS

DSC_8287DSC_8289

SPOTTED SOMETHING RUNNING ALONG THE ROAD IN THE FAR DISTANCE SO I QUICKLY AIMED AND FIRED…..WHEN I EDITED THE PHOTOS I SAW THAT IT WAS A FOX

We were the best part of two hours following different  winding trails and roadways within the Park.  We walked on flat pavement and we scrambled down a few steep slopes through forest leaves amid pine, beech, maple, and cedar trees.  We walked on mowed grassy areas, gravel roads, through campgrounds, and alongside the Maitland River.

DSC_8264DSC_8262DSC_8260

THESE ARE THE FALLS THIS PARK IS NAMED AFTER….I REMEMBER BEING HERE ONCE IN THE SUMMER OF 75 OR 76 AND SITTING OUT THERE BUT IN MUCH LOWER WATER LEVELS

DSC_8258

THERE WERE 3 FISHERMEN HERE

DSC_8259

HOPE HE’S GOT WARM BOOTS ON

DSC_8266DSC_8265

WE FOLLOWED THAT ROAD TO THE RIGHT AND DOWN TO WHERE THE RIVER WAS FLOWING QUIETER

DSC_8268

LOOKING DOWNRIVER TO THE FALLS

DSC_8267DSC_8269

LOOKING UP RIVER

DSC_8270DSC_8275

AND ACROSS THE RIVER

Many times while walking with my legs feeling like slabs of lead at times I said out loud to myself, ‘this is the best dam thing for my legs I could be doing and I should be doing this every day’.  My legs were especially barking on the uphill stretches and I thought, ‘damn this feels good’.  And Pheebs was having a blast running around all over the place.  She must have covered 3 times the distance I did.

DSC_8273

‘I THINK WE SHOULD BE HEADING BACK SOON DAD, YOUR LOOKING A LITTLE FLABBER GOOSED’

DSC_8274

‘OKAY PHEEBS, SCOUT US OUT THE SHORTEST ROUTE BACK’

DSC_8277DSC_8278

NICE WINDING ROADS

DSC_8282

MENNESETUNG CAMPGROUND

DSC_8283DSC_8281

GOOD THING WE HAD THIS ARROW POINTING US IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION OR WE COULD HAVE BEEN WANDERING AROUND IN HERE FOR WEEKS

DSC_8284DSC_8286

NOT FAR TO THE PARK ENTRANCE NOW

DSC_8299DSC_8294DSC_8295DSC_8297

We finally made it back to the Jeep around 11:30 and boy did it ever feel good to sit down.  We were home 15 minutes later and 5 minutes after that skies began clearing and we ended up with a sunny afternoon.  Wished it would have cleared a couple hours earlier while Pheebs and I were out walking but no matter, it was the way it was and we totally enjoyed our hike.

DSC_8303

GROANER’S CORNER:(( You know your getting older when...

1. You and your teeth don't sleep together.

2. Your try to straighten out the wrinkles in your socks and discover you aren't wearing any.

3. At the breakfast table you hear snap, crackle, pop and you're not eating cereal.

4. Your back goes out but you stay home.

5. When you wake up looking like your driver's license picture.

6. It takes two tries to get up from the couch.

7. When your idea of a night out is sitting on the patio.

8. When happy hour is a nap.

9. When you're on vacation and your energy runs out before your money does..

10. When you say something to your kids that your mother said to you and you always hated it.

11. When all you want for your birthday is to not be reminded of your age.

12. When you step off a curb and look down one more time to make sure the street is still there.

13. Your idea of weight lifting is standing up.

14. It takes longer to rest than it did to get tired.

15. Your memory is shorter and your complaining lasts longer.

16. Your address book has mostly names that start with Dr.

17. You sit in a rocking chair and can't get it going.

18. The pharmacist has become your new best friend.

19. Getting 'lucky' means you found your car in the parking lot.

20. The twinkle in your eye is merely a reflection from the sun on your bifocals.

21. It takes twice as long - to look half as good.

22. Everything hurts, and what doesn't hurt - doesn't work.

23. You look for your glasses for half an hour and they were on your head the whole time.

24. You sink your teeth into a steak - and they stay there.

25. You give up all your bad habits and still don't feel good.

26. You have more patience, but it is actually that you just don't care anymore.

27. You finally get your head together and your body starts falling apart.

28. You wonder how you could be over the hill when you don't even remember being on top of it.

===================================

11 comments:

  1. Nic to get out and about when the season is over, such a wonderful are to explore, love your pictures today shows what we are missing, not too much though.

    ReplyDelete
  2. It's a wonderful time of year for walking - if you're dressed right and find a good place. And it's good for you!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Al, you find the most fascinating things to photograph and share with us. I really appreciate that. You keep finding new things even when you go places you've been hundreds of times. You give the rest of us incentive to keep our eyes and our minds open. I'm way behind in my blog reading and just came upon one of your posts from a week ago that mentioned me and my new baby blog, travels with towhee. Thank you! So much! Regarding the boat parking and/or RV/trailer parking that you mentioned in that post, I've had lots of guys (no women) ask about or make a comment about (with a genuine smile on their face) .. about my being a woman and asking how is it that I can park a boat so well. My standard answer (with a genuine smile on my face) is that the boat doesn't care what the plumbing is of the operator .. the boat simply does what it's told to do, right or wrong. The guys often look a little blank in response, but the women always get it. :-) Sometimes women are better at this sort of thing since sometimes women can admit that they don't know stuff, and so they spend time and energy learning. Not necessarily always the case, obviously, but sometimes. And sometimes it's just a matter of people who have better spatial ability or hand-eye coordination. We each have different strengths and abilities .. thank heavens for all of us! All of us together make this world a wonderful place and I'm sure glad I get to read your blog. Thank you! Ok, now I gotta go catch up with it. :-)

    ReplyDelete
  4. Love walking through the leaves and listening to them rustling. Looks like a beautiful hike. Good to have Pheebs along to show the way:)

    ReplyDelete
  5. Glad you are able to get out for some Exercise. Not the same as the Southwest but still good.
    Hoping you will be heading back south after Kelly gets the all clear if not this year maybe next.
    Still looking for House Rock and The Eagle Rock. Been reviewing your blogs but haven't found them yet. Thanks for the other tips.
    Be Safe and Enjoy!

    It's about time.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Eagle Rock is in Warner Springs near Borrego Springs California.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Great walk this morning .... I feel invigorated! Thanks for sharing the pics and the walk.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Thanks for the all the photos Al. I know that takes a lot of time with that many photos in a blog post. You live in a beautiful area and a great dog to lead the way on these long walks. Would we turn into couch potatoes if we didn't have dogs to get us up and out of the house? LOL

    ReplyDelete
  9. What a great day out and about! I definitely prefer a chilly hike over a warm one. Great to have that lovely park so close by, and to be there when it's not crowded!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Beautiful hike - thanks for the funnies!!!!

    ReplyDelete