TURNED OUT TO BE KIND OF A WILDFLOWER DAY

PHEEBS & I FOUND US NICE WALKING AREA THIS MORNING

With a Doctor's (Nurse Practitioner) appointment for 9 Pheebs & I were on the road at 8:30.  Sad to see my NP Sue Leddy retiring so only saw her for a few minutes before meeting my new Nurse Practitioner Patricia Robinson NP-PHC.  Nice lady & I'm sure she will be just fine as long as I don't make a big pest out of myself.  Results of my blood tests were all good & I'm cleared to go for another 6 months.  Sure will miss Sue though, she had the nicest personality & was just the very much most bestest medical person I ever met.

STOPPED BESIDE A NICE PATCH OF WILDFLOWERS ALONG KITCHIGAMI ROAD THIS MORNING

 

 

PHEEBS IS LOVING THE WILDFLOWERS

HEY CRAIG, THIS IS PERIWINKLE

Coffee & carrot muffin to go at Tim Hortons & we headed on down to the south harbor & beach.  Thought we'd stop at the dog walking area but with a cold icy wind coming in off the lake I didn't feel much like doing that.  Off we headed south out of Goderich to Kitchigami Road & hung a left.  Drove 2 concessions over to just past Porter Hill Line stopping at the George G. Newton Nature Reserve area where I knew there would be no wind in the bush.  Kelly & I had walked this trail one time about 10 years ago & with this mornings cold air I knew there wouldn't be any airborne bugs in the sometimes swampy area.

It's a narrow but well marked trail in spots leading through a cedar & pine forest interspersed with large & aging hundred year old Maple trees.  After recent rains it was muddy in spots.  The land is a bit hilly & in some places cedars & pines block out sunlight resulting in little growth of anything on the forest floor below. 

AGE OLD MAPLE TREES ALONG THE TRAIL

 

THAT WHITE MARK ON THE TREE IS A TRAIL MARKER

RUNNING IN THE FOREST

We came across the ruins of what must have been a very large building many years ago.  Only the partial remains of  3 stone walls are left & I’m guessing it was once a barn or a large house on a long ago country homestead.  The ruins sit quietly overgrown in a small forest clearing.  After entering the trail from the road take the right hand fork when you get to it & that will lead you to the old homestead ruins.  The Pine Loop Trail was less than a mile & next time there we'll set off on a second trail forking to the left which if I remember correctly leads to the remains of an old grist mill. 

LOOKING EAST TOWARDS THE FOUNDATION WALL… IT’S CORNERS ARE ABOUT ALL THAT’S LEFT OF AN OLD HOMESTEAD IN THE FOREST

NOT MUCH LEFT OF THE SOUTH WALL

SOUTHEAST CORNER

NORTHEAST CORNER

OH THE STORIES THESE OLD STONES COULD TELL

NORTHEAST CORNER LOOKING SOUTH

Home before noon I spent the rest of the afternoon puttering with a host of small jobs.  Our air is still cold so the few sunny periods we had today were most welcome.  Sure has turned out to be a long cold Spring so far but with a bit of luck we might be up into the high 60's by week's end.

IT ALWAYS SMELLS SO NICE WALKING THROUGH A PINE & CEDAR FOREST

 

ONLY A COUPLE SMALL SWAMPY AREAS ON THE TRAIL….I WENT AROUND IT & DOGGY WENT RIGHT THROUGH IT SPLISH SPLASH….INTERIOR OF THE JEEP NOW LOOKS LIKE SOMEBODY SET OFF A ‘MUD BOMB’ INSIDE

  

LOTS OF BIG OLD CRUMBLING MAPLES NEAR THE END OF THEIR LIFESPAN

I THINK PHEEBS IS CONTEMPLATING A SIT DOWN

In Sunday night’s post I may have incorrectly identified a photo of a blue bird as a Bluebird.  An email from a lady here in the park (Marie) suggested it may indeed be an Indigo Bunting.  Checking my bird book I think she just might be right & in fact a male Indigo Bunting at that.

 

JUST LOVING ALL THIS SPRING GREEN

AERIAL VIEW OF A MAYAPPLE PATCH ON THE FOREST FLOOR

GROANER’S CORNER:(( Most people don’t know that back in 1912, Hellmann’s mayonnaise was manufactured in England . In fact, the Titanic was carrying 120,000 jars of the condiment scheduled for delivery in Vera Cruz, Mexico , which was to be the next port of call for the great ship after its stop in New York . This would have been the largest single shipment of mayonnaise ever delivered to Mexico . But as we know, the great ship did not make it to New York . The ship hit an iceberg and sank.  The people of Mexico , who were crazy about mayonnaise, and were eagerly awaiting its delivery, were disconsolate at the loss. Their anguish was so great, that they declared a National Day of Mourning. The National Day of Mourning occurs each year on May 5th and is known, of course, as – Sinko De Mayo.