NAFTEL’S CREEK……’THE CABIN IN THE WOODS’

SHADOWY FIGURES IN THE FOREST

With a fine sunny summer’s morn upon us here in Bayfield Ontario Pheebs and I headed out into the day’s refreshingly cool air.  I felt more like walking today rather than driving around so after a quick drive down around Goderich’s harbor Pheebs and I headed south to the Naftel's Creek Conservation Area and luckily there were no cars in the parking lot.  Without further ado we bailed out of the Jeep and headed off into the forest following what has now become a familiar trail.

WE HAD OURSELVES A MIGHTY FINE MORNING GOING ON HERE IN SOUTHWESTERN ONTARIO

CALM LAKE HURON WATERS AFTER LAST WEEK’S STORM TOSSED WAVES BROUGHT A PILE OF DRIFTWOOD ASHORE

‘AHHHH YES’ THOSE WERE THE DAYS EH:))

CORN’S UP ABOUT 3’ IN AREA FIELDS HERE ALONG THE SHORES OF ONTARIO’S WEST COAST

Had heard there was an old cabin by a pond somewhere in the Conservation area so with a vague idea where it might be located we headed off in that general direction and it wasn’t long before we found what we were looking for.

SECONDARY DARK FOREST PATHS SOMETIMES LEAD OFF THE MAIN PATH SO ONE HAS TO PAY ATTENTION TO WHERE THEY ARE AND WHERE THEY ARE GOING

 AT THE FAR END OF THIS LONG BUSH LANE THERE DWELLS AN OLD CABIN IN A CLEARING

 

What a special treat it always is to be walking or hiking alone with only the sounds of nature surrounding oneself.  No human noise, no barking dogs, no group conversations, no chatter.  Only thing we heard this morning were birds in the overhead forest canopy, an occasional frog, and me occasionally whispering softly to Pheebe as we ambled our way along.

OLD CABINS ARE NOT THE ONLY THINGS THAT DWELL IN DEEP DARK FORESTS

Following one of the trail’s northward we came upon a long straight laneway heading east further into the forest.  I had a feeling the cabin was at the other end of that laneway so we turned ourselves to the east and followed the lane.

Right away I began noticing small lantern type lights hanging on trees along the right side of the lane.  Noticed a couple with the remains of candles in them.  How pretty I thought it would be to travel down this lane at night if all the lantern candles were lit.  I’m guessing there were about a dozen of them.  They seemed to be spaced maybe a couple hundred feet or more apart and could easily be reached by hand to light the candles if and when needed.  I thought to myself, ‘now what could a candle lit laneway through a forest lead to and why?  We hadn’t walked far when I began to make out a few horizontal lines through the trees far off straight ahead.  Could that be where the long shadowy lane ends and could that be the cabin I was seeing?  Walking further it soon became apparent it was indeed the cabin we were looking for.

NOTICE THE TREE LANTERN ON THE FAR RIGHT TREE….IT’S THE LAST ONE BEFORE REACHING THE CABIN

SPOTTED THIS LONE CHAIR SITTING HERE ALL BY ITSELF

WITH MY BACK TO THE CABIN THIS IS THE LONG LANEWAY WE WALKED IN ON…..CAN YOU IMAGINE THIS DIMLY LIT BY CANDLELIGHT AT NIGHT

I DON’T THINK IT’S AS MUCH AN ‘OLD CABIN’ AS IT IS AN ‘OLD STYLE CABIN’

WITH MY BACK TO THE CABIN’S DOOR THIS IS THE VIEW FROM THE PORCH TO THE POND

MUST BE A NICE BIG OLD STONE FIREPLACE INSIDE THE CABIN

A UTILITY SHED WITH SOMETHING WRITTEN ABOVE THE DOOR

 

AND THIS I PRESUME IS THE OUTHOUSE

I don’t know anything about this cabin, who owns it, how it came to be here in the first place or how it is used now.  All around I saw evidence of recent activity and someone is obviously looking after things.  Did see a sign saying it was private property but also noticed the property owner has obviously opened up the site to walkers and hikers and I consider that to be a very nice thing to do for folks.  

NICE SPOT TO SIT AROUND A CAMPFIRE

COOKING UTENSILS

 

PHEEBS MAKES HER WAY OVER A LITTLE FOOT BRIDGE WHILE A BABBLING CREEK FLOWS MERRILY ON IT’S WAY UNDERNEATH

WATER IN THE BROOK IS CRYSTAL CLEAR

What a beautiful spot this was with the landscape sloping down from in front of the cabin to a small shallow pond.  Chairs, a fire pit, cooking utensils, firewood and an axe for cutting it.  Noticed a couple small foot bridges over a meandering creek.  The water babbling over the rocks was crystal clear.  Also began noticing some colored glass ornaments hanging in the trees around the pond’s edge.  Could they be solar lights or again they might be candle lights.  This little clearing in the forest certainly conjured up images of pixies and fairies.  A sign over the shed door had called it the magic forest and I had the feeling if one were to come quietly in the night to this place one might truly see the magic here.

WATER FLOWS OUT OF THE POND HERE INTO A SMALL CREEK HEADING WEST

 

I THINK THE MOOSE MUST HAVE LEFT IT’S ANTLERS HERE ON THE BANK WHILE IT WENT FOR A DIP IN THE POND

We walked around the other side of the small shallow pond and noticed a well worn path through the forest heading off in a southerly direction.  I had a feeling I knew where that path would take us so off we went and before long I came upon two large boulders with bronze plaques upon them.  ‘Aha’ I had just been to this very spot about a week or so ago and from here we followed the forest trail back to where we had started out from today. 

A SMALL CREEK ENTERS THE POND HERE ON THE EAST SIDE

How nice it was to walk through the magic forest and find the little cabin in the woods.  How nice to see something and be somewhere I had never seen or been before.  And how especially nice it was to be alone in the forest.  And Pheebs liked it too:))

ON OUR WAY BACK TO THE TRAILHEAD

It’s an easy to make mistake not only for folks new to RVing but also seasoned RV’ers as well.  I know I have done it and heard of others doing it too.  Paul over at R SANITY RV ADVENTURES just did it and if you slip on over to Paul and Marti’s place he’ll tell ya all about it.  It’s got a little something to do with ‘looking up’.

SHADOWS ON A FOREST FLOOR

I didn’t take the photo below but Guelph Ontario’s city Mayor did.  It’s not so much who took the photo to us as it is to ‘who’s in the photo’.  On her Dad Ricardo’s shoulders perches Kelly’s little 4 year old Grand  Daughter Ella as she exuberantly watches a fireworks display for the first time in her young life.  Her right arm is a blur as she excitingly waves at the bursting colors high in the night sky.  Ella’s Mom Rebecca stands just off camera.  Soon as I saw this photo I knew what an absolutely great shot this was.  Thank you from all of us to Guelph’s Mayor for this photo:))

And here’s a few Ella links from last August at our house………..

KELLY AND ELLA plus HOLY SMOKES and CAMPFIRE SMORES

GROANER’S CORNER:((A grizzled old man was eating in a truck stop when three very large, leathered bikers walked in.  The first walked up to the old man, pushed his cigarette into the old man's pie, and then took a seat at the counter.
The second walked up to the old man, spat into the old man's milk, and then he too took a seat at the counter.  The third walked up to the old man, turned over the old man's plate, and then he took a seat at the counter.  Without a word of protest, the old man quietly left the diner.  Shortly thereafter, one of the bikers said to the waitress, "Humph, not much of a man, was he?"  The waitress replied, "Not much of a truck driver either. He just backed his big-rig over three motorcycles parked outside."

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A doctor and a nurse were called to the scene of an accident.  Doctor: We need to get these people to a hospital now!  Nurse: What is it? Doctor: It's a big building with a lot of doctors, but that's not important right now!

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As the lawyer slowly came out of the anesthesia after surgery, he said, “Why are all the blinds drawn, doctor?” “There’s a big fire across the street,” the doctor replied. “We didn’t want you to think the operation was a failure.”

Knock, Knock.
Who’s there?
Leaf!
Leaf who?
Leaf the house, you’re not the owner anymore!