What a great day out in the woods and on the water! Found some really cool mushroom communities, shared a moment with a big toad that was climbing the side of a tree, was greeted by swans while canoeing on a favorite local lake, and watched a beaver munching on some lily pads. Lots of color everywhere. A perfect September day.
September arrived with the promise of possibility in regards to a strong solar storm. While the magnitude of storm did not materialize, there was a nice multi-colored glow that persisted through the night. I sat in my camp chair for 3 hours soaking in the beauty of the subtle yet beautiful scene, while barred owls hooted intermittently nearby. This is forest bathing at its best.
I know I haven't been posting much this summer, but that doesn't mean I haven't been out having adventures here and there. Most recently I've been exploring some forest roads in Ontario, Canada with my Jeep. There is some pretty amazing scenery just a stone's throw from my home, on both sides of the border. But there's something about the Ontario scenery that just hits a little bit different. Everything seems... more dramatic somehow. At any rate, here are a few photos of some of that dramatic scenery. Oh... and a curious young black bear that paused to take a look at me at as I was heading down the road towards him/her!
It's been pretty warm and humid lately and apparently this snapping turtle thought it was perfect weather for napping on this semi-submerged log (also, note the dragonfly resting on the turtle's back!).
Had a great time out in the canoe today. The weather was absolutely perfect for paddling about 8 miles on the Brule River and Northern Light Lake. I am always hopeful that I will see a moose, but today was not lucky enough to see one. I did see a lot of ducks and one very determined little muskrat that swam straight across the river, bank to bank, right in front of the canoe. Another highlight was coming across several very impressive beaver lodges. I'm always excited when I see one. They are such impressive feats of animal engineering.
A nice post-work drive the other evening with some amazing scenery and a beautiful sunset. I don't think that I will ever feel like I've seen everything there is to see in the area that I live. There is so much to experience, and it's always changing!
