Photos A Walk in Nature

Last night I thought that my entries for this last mini adventure were over.
All I had to do today was to get up, enjoy some coffee by the river and then sail or motor about 10 miles to our home port where Diana was to pick me up.

If I had only known what was in store I would not have slept so good inside Serena's belly despite the cold temps 39 F ( 4 C )

So this was my spot last night if you may remember
4NQQpuG.jpg


Last night was cold as a front moved trough and the wind was howling and whistling past Serena's rigging.
As I woke up this morning I noticed Serena's tilting a bit to one side 🤔

When I opened the hatches this sight greeted my sleepy eyes 😲
mAltnce.jpg


Water had receded and Serena was pretty much on dry land 😨
( they lower the levels in the fall and I thought they were done with it ... also the wind may have been a factor )

I wrestled with her, pushing this way and that, turning her around until I felt a slight pull on my back and some pain 😩
GWyJfE7.jpg


I called Diana who happened to be nearby in a small village dropping our daughter at her job as a pianist for a local church.
In no time she arrived and we drove to the main office of the provincial park to see if a ranger could help us out.
A polite girl took my number and promised to call the ranger whom would call me back ... I am still waiting for the call :rolleyes:

We then went back to the island/beach.
It is important to say that at this time of the year that island is closed with no vehicular access.

HOWEVER TODAY it was open and VERY busy with cyclists from all over Ontario and Quebec participating ... from little ones all the way up :thumbsup:
The only hold races at this particular island ONCE a year at most !!!

Diana decided that it was time to ask for help and before I knew it she had 4 volunteers enlisted :thumbsup::)

The five of us could not budge Serena despite our best efforts 😰
All we did was spin her around and push sand.

We then thought of using the Serena's bumpers as "rollers" 💡to help us push her on the sand.
We put them in the bow and push her forward and kept feeding her bumpers.

In no time at all we had her floating again, literally less than 3 min.

THANK YOU !!!
I was able to get their email adresses and just send them gift cards for Tim Horton's coffee shop )
CpXtH4i.jpg

l5NVqrg.jpg

TRySIlB.jpg

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The one hour + ride home was very wet and cold as the wind was head on and had picked up speed considerable.
NN2FBy5.png

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FINALLY HOME PORT, safe and sound :)
There is no place like home :p
eZsnq4T.jpg


I want to thank my incredible wife and partner for all her support and help on all of these adventures which many of them we enjoyed together 😍
From all the essential reminders to bring things I keep forgetting, to help packing, to driving and retrieving me ... THANK YOU my 💘
None of them would have happened without her support.

Now ... I am thinking we'll just go for a walk tomorrow 🚶‍♂️🚶‍♀️ :D
 
CelloDan said:
Last night I thought that my entries for this last mini adventure were over.
All I had to do today was to get up, enjoy some coffee by the river and then sail or motor about 10 miles to our home port where Diana was to pick me up.

If I had only known what was in store I would not have slept so good inside Serena's belly despite the cold temps 39 F ( 4 C )

So this was my spot last night if you may remember
4NQQpuG.jpg


Last night was cold as a front moved trough and the wind was howling and whistling past Serena's rigging.
As I woke up this morning I noticed Serena's tilting a bit to one side 🤔

When I opened the hatches this sight greeted my sleepy eyes 😲
mAltnce.jpg


Water had receded and Serena was pretty much on dry land 😨
( they lower the levels in the fall and I thought they were done with it ... also the wind may have been a factor )

I wrestled with her, pushing this way and that, turning her around until I felt a slight pull on my back and some pain 😩
GWyJfE7.jpg


I called Diana who happened to be nearby in a small village dropping our daughter at her job as a pianist for a local church.
In no time she arrived and we drove to the main office of the provincial park to see if a ranger could help us out.
A polite girl took my number and promised to call the ranger whom would call me back ... I am still waiting for the call :rolleyes:

We then went back to the island/beach.
It is important to say that at this time of the year that island is closed with no vehicular access.

HOWEVER TODAY it was open and VERY busy with cyclists from all over Ontario and Quebec participating ... from little ones all the way up :thumbsup:
The only hold races at this particular island ONCE a year at most !!!

Diana decided that it was time to ask for help and before I knew it she had 4 volunteers enlisted :thumbsup::)

The five of us could not budge Serena despite our best efforts 😰
All we did was spin her around and push sand.

We then thought of using the Serena's bumpers as "rollers" 💡to help us push her on the sand.
We put them in the bow and push her forward and kept feeding her bumpers.

In no time at all we had her floating again, literally less than 3 min.

THANK YOU !!!
I was able to get their email adresses and just send them gift cards for Tim Horton's coffee shop )
CpXtH4i.jpg

l5NVqrg.jpg

TRySIlB.jpg

z4Eow7e.jpg


The one hour + ride home was very wet and cold as the wind was head on and had picked up speed considerable.
NN2FBy5.png

j3585yb.png


FINALLY HOME PORT, safe and sound :)
There is no place like home :p
eZsnq4T.jpg


I want to thank my incredible wife and partner for all her support and help on all of these adventures which many of them we enjoyed together 😍
From all the essential reminders to bring things I keep forgetting, to help packing, to driving and retrieving me ... THANK YOU my 💘
None of them would have happened without her support.

Now ... I am thinking we'll just go for a walk tomorrow 🚶‍♂️🚶‍♀️ :D
Click to expand...

Gave you a memorable end to a good season! Thanks for taking us along on your adventures this summer Dan.
 
CelloDan said:
HOWEVER TODAY it was open and VERY busy with cyclists from all over Ontario and Quebec participating ... from little ones all the way up :thumbsup:
The only hold races at this particular island ONCE a year at most !!!
Click to expand...
It sounds like you picked the perfect day to run aground :D:thumbsup:.

CelloDan said:
Now ... I am thinking we'll just go for a walk tomorrow 🚶‍♂️🚶‍♀️ :D
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Sounds like an excellent plan - maybe follow the walk with coffee and pastries in a warm kitchen, where you can start dreaming of next year’s adventures (assuming your guide and outfitter agrees to continue providing logistical support 🤣).

It is perhaps hackneyed, but this seems like an appropriate place to quote Water Rat from The Wind in the Willows:

”"Nice? It's the only thing," said the Water Rat solemnly as he leant forward for his stroke. "Believe me, my young friend, there is nothing—absolute nothing—half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats. Simply messing," he went on dreamily: "messing—about—in—boats; messing—"

"Look ahead, Rat!" cried the Mole suddenly.

It was too late. The boat struck the bank full tilt. The dreamer, the joyous oarsman, lay on his back at the bottom of the boat, his heels in the air.

"—about in boats—or with boats," the Rat went on composedly, picking himself up with a pleasant laugh. "In or out of 'em, it doesn't matter. Nothing seems really to matter, that's the charm of it. Whether you get away, or whether you don't; whether you arrive at your destination or whether you reach somewhere else, or whether you never get anywhere at all, you're always busy, and you never do anything in particular; and when you've done it there's always something else to do, and you can do it if you like, but you'd much better not. Look here! If you've really nothing else on hand this morning, supposing we drop down the river together, and have a long day of it?"
 
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OH Dan :rolleyes: Do you remember my story of my morning watch mis-adventure with the tides? Glad you came out of it as gracefully as you did. Clever to use the fenders as rollers. That was a great solution that was not obvious.

Very well said J JUST Tom - it was the perfect day to run aground with help just a bit of a wait away. And ... messing about in boats 🥰 a very favorite of mine is Wind in the Willows and this, one of my favorite passages.
 
A close to home woods walk today. Here approaching the trail bridge.

Approaching-the-XCut-Bridge.jpg

These are the rocks I assembled on the south end of my bridge. You can just see the bridge planks on the left.

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Here is the post cap on the north end of my little bridge. The Ebony and nickel silver puukko made by Jelio.

Jelio-on-Post.jpg
 
A different local walk today. Not our usual spruce forest. This was Hemlock country. My photos can't show the elevation - all the steepness in these woods. A great place for 90 minutes of hiking and mushroom hunting.

An easy stretch here ~

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A high up and elusive big Chaga. I have yet to figure out how to harvest this one - BUT - I will. It is a good 25' up on this tall stump.

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Within easier reach - this old RISHI on an older fallen hemlock ~

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AND some nice Turkey Tails ~

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A few bridges to cross over some mostly depleted streams ~

Schmid-Preserve-stream-.jpg

A pleasant excursion. :thumbsup:
 
NYP said:
Curious what do you do with those turkey tail things?
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As with so many "medicinal mushrooms" you will read amazing benefits can be realized. LOTS OF INFO HERE. We can never find TURKEY TAILS in quality or quantity enough to do more than make tea. My impression is that if you can't get keep a steady supply, you won't likely derive any of these vaunted benefits. They do make a tasty light tea if steeped long enough (hours) which is nice as an occasional brew. We don't cook with them.

CHAGA, on the other hand, I have been harvesting, drying and processing for powder or tinctures steadily for 3 years or more. A regular dietary additive. I like the taste very much. Though I can't say I feel healthier for it, I choose to believe that I am. :thumbsup:
 
RayseM said:
CHAGA, on the other hand, I have been harvesting, drying and processing for powder or tinctures steadily for 3 years or more. A regular dietary additive. I like the taste very much. Though I can't say I feel healthier for it, I choose to believe that I am. :thumbsup:
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Slightly (read very) off topic, but speaking of chaga, I found some Chaga Rum that is actually pretty darned good!

o9kbulJ.jpg


And to get back on topic, recycled photo of knives in nature ;)

y3aKMoz.jpg
 
Crazy Canuck Crazy Canuck , I made some CHAGA RYE for a Christmas present 2 years ago. It was very well received. :) Now I have about 800 ml left of some CHAGA double extract with 200 proof alcohol. Added lots of water so its about 1 part alcohol to 6 parts water. I only add about an 1/8 of a cup to 8 oz of coffee or ice water with maple syrup once or twice each week. It's medicine, after all. ;)

I had this knife with me on my walk today.



CelloDan CelloDan - I don't know if I can mail this stuff to Canada but when I score my next big Chaga haul, I'll dry some out, grind it up and send you a big sampler. Your maple syrup will be its friend.
 
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First frost of the year as I headed out on my walk this morning.

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I didn’t go anywhere spectacular, just 6 miles or so through some local parks and woods - I left from my doorstep.

This heron wasn’t going to give up his spot just because I happened by:

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The deer were less bold, and decided not to share the path with me when we met going opposite ways.

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Did they really think I couldn’t see them though, just a few feet off the side of the path as I passed? I guess they are not known for their intelligence…
 
CelloDan said:
Your faithful Okapi is looking great Tom ! :)
So cool you can leave from your doorstep and be within walking distance of trails and wildlife :thumbsup::cool:
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I live in a pretty developed area, but the City, County, and a regional parks commission have done a good job setting aside and maintaining parkland. Pretty much everything inside the yellow line you see here is park land, most of it in a more or less natural state:

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The figure I drew also connects to a paved trail which takes you to the heart of DC some 15 miles away, most of that through park land. I am also within biking distance of the Potomac river, which is protected from development on the Maryland bank by the C&O canal national park.

As for the deer, they have become so numerous in recent years that they are becoming serious pests. They wander around my neighborhood all the time, and will eat practically anything that grows. I had to fence my little vegetable garden, and they neatly trimmed anything that grew over the top of the fence.
 
MT. FUJI - I can see it from my house. :)

Looky - made some Turkey Tail tea yesterday ~ chopping here and then several hours of simmering. Make a nice light tea with added appeal using a bit of honey.
Got about a quart with this batch.
 
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