Day Trip - Aubrey Falls

Day Trip to Aubrey Falls - May 28th, 2014

There are some places that we just keep revisiting because they are so beautiful and because we know that we see something new each time. Nothing could have prepared us for what we were going to discover when we returned to Aubrey Falls yesterday. 


Setting off under a cloud-covered sky, but with fairly warm temperatures, we kept our eyes open for wildlife - one of our favourite pastimes. Just as we headed north from Iron Bridge, we spotted an elk crossing the road ahead of us. We've seen them before in this area, usually far off in the surrounding fields in this farmland area, along with wolves, bears and, of course, deer by the dozen. This was the closest we had been to an elk in the wild in Ontario. 


One of the things that Alan misses about the U.K. is the springtime, which is much longer than here in Ontario. That being said, there were many blossoms along the roadside - some of which had a nice fragrance. 

Just south of Aubrey Falls, there is a large area that was destroyed during a forest fire back in 1948. Although the scenery is rife with burnt tree stumps, the resilience of nature is shown by the new growth and upshoots that are abundant on the forest floor. 

Upon arrival at Aubrey Falls, we covered ourselves with insect repellent - based upon our experience from last summer when we had been bitten to pieces!! In fact, there were fewer bugs around than we had expected. 

The walk from the parking lot always reminds me of an aisle in a natural cathedral, with white birch trees on either side of the trail. With the clearing sky, and emerging sunshine, the forest floor was lit up and the contrast between the freshly sprouted leaves on the trees and the pure blue sky was impressive - especially as the puffy clouds kept changing shape to create ever new vistas. 

Having heard the roar of the falls long before reaching them, it still thrills us to step onto the bridge over the gorge and see them for real. (When we had trekked here just over a week ago, the waters were just trickling as the GS had turned them off by the time we had reached there in the late afternoon. This time, we had left early in the morning so that we could get there before this would happen again). We were rewarded by the familiar sight that always enthralls us. There's something about running water that we find mesmerizing - and very calming. 

While standing at our normal viewing spot, Mark noticed a crag on the other side of the gorge which was closer to the actual falls. We wondered if it was accessible, so we investigated in our 'Adventure Mode'. You can imagine the glee in our hearts when were able to navigate the rocks, nooks, and crannies and emerge right there on the crag with a view of the falls which was awesome!!

Alan near the top of the falls 

Never thought Alan would dangle his legs!

...or lie down so close to the edge!

Mark taking it easy at the top of the crag...

Mark - feeling on top of the world!

Thumbs up! Mark on the crag!

After spending about an hour just drinking in the experience, we started our journey back home, marveling how different things looked when the sun was shining. 

Amazing sky on the journey back.

Part of the beautiful Mississagi River

Open Farmland - in contrast to the surrounding hills

Flack Lake from a distance

Rapids on the Little White River

46 pounder - landed in May, 2013 - Flack Lake

On the way back, we dropped in to Laurentian Lodge to meet a couple at whose wedding Alan is going to officiate in June. Mark took a walk up past the waterfalls there to the beautiful Flack Lake where, last year, someone caught a 46lb lake trout. This is now mounted inside the restaurant at the Lodge. 

One of the many lodges at Laurention Lodge Resort

Finally, we took a detour along some local back roads in the hopes of seeing a bear or two. Alas... no luck today (and I suppose we should count ourselves lucky - having seen 4 the day before!!!). However, at the end of the day we had seen an elk, a deer, and two sandhill cranes. We also come across a small lake that we hadn't seen before. Mellon Lake appears to be mostly for fishing... though it did look swimmable and it has placed itself on our 'to do' list for this summer. 

As if to say, "I'm not a bear, but will I do?", this hawk stayed still enough for us so that we could get several shots of him. 

Another wonderful day - with weather and wildlife cooperating!!

For more pics, please click here to see a slideshow. 

Return Journey

Water, Wildlife, and Wonderful Skies!!

Water, Wildlife, and Wonderful Skies!!   - May 15th, 2014

Northern Ontario provides a plethora of opportunities to witness stunning scenery, breath-taking views, and the excitement of close encounters with wildlife in the natural habitat. 

Since moving to Elliot Lake, nearly a year ago, we have had the good fortune of being in the right place at the right time (sometimes by sheer luck, others by design) and some of these occasions have been captured in pics or on short movie clips. 

We've become acutely aware of the transience of these rendezvous moments... burning sunsets that change within the blink of an eye.... wild animals that just won't hang around for a photo-op.... and the ever-changing journey of water as it makes its way in obedience to the law of gravity. 

There have been so many spectacular moments that are consigned to memory - viewings of wolves ... perched bald eagles ...the silent glissade of a garter snake.... all of which were too quick and fleeting to be caught on camera. 

Although photos (and even movies) don't do justice to the reality they represent, we are pleased with the hundreds of pictorial reminders of the wonderful experiences we have had while discovering the local area within driving distance from our home. 

Here are a selection taken from our Samsung Galaxy 4 cellphone/camera - excuse the plug!!

Water

Mark and I have always been drawn to water. This element seems to invoke a variety of emotive states, but predominantly one of peace, tranquility, and awe. Whether it is the stillness of an early morning lake, or the powerful movement over cataracts and rapids, we can't resist stopping and taking in the moment. 

Huron Beach - just 40 minutes away

Bridal Veil Falls - Kagawong, Manitoulin Island

Beaver's Lodge - Sheriff Creek Wildlife Sanctuary

Rapids on White River

Cataract Falls - North of Blind River

Cataract Falls - North of Blind River

Falls at Laurentian Lodge, 30 minutes north of Elliot Lake 

Wildlife

The fascination of animals in the wild has been with us since the very beginning. I remember sitting on the porch in front of our house on the Holland Marsh and watching a spider sitting in the corner of its web, waiting for some unsuspecting insect that would provide its next meal, and being captivated by seeing it move quickly to wrap the insect in a silken spool before returning to its corner to await the arrival of its dessert. 

The abundance of Canadian wildlife that we have in Northern Ontario is astounding. When we drive just outside of Elliot Lake, we do so with a positive expectation that we will see deer, bears, foxes, and the occasional moose and wolf. Always from a safe position, and with a healthy dose of respect for the fact that these creatures ARE wild, we have been able to get up close and personal with some of our friends.

Freddie Fox - last Fall

Barney Bear

Barney Bear taking a peek at his admirers

Two Elk in a distant field

A curious Freddie!

Flutter Grouse

Pileated Woodpecker

Rocky Raccoon

Sandhill Cranes

Seagull about to attack Mark!

After spending 15 minutes peacefully feeding with us being nearby, Barney finally flees in the wake of a passing truck.

Mark captured this scene of a flock of sandhill cranes taking off on Manitoulin Island. 

In this one movie clip, he brought together our love of sunsets, silhouettes, and wildlife.

Skies

Who can look at a sunrise or sunset..... or even an angry-looking sky..... without feeling a sense of awe and inspiration? Each 'sky-moment' is different, temporary, and unrepeatable. That's what makes each experience new and unique. For me, silhouettes of trees against the background of a blazing sky provides a thrill - especially when each branch and twig can be clearly defined after they have been divested of their leaves. Please enjoy this slide show of some of the splendours of the skies that we have been able to capture. Here is the link: Skies and Sunsets. 

We are determined that our love of nature will never be overtaken by a familiarity which could descend into taking things for granted. Our desire is that we will always find in nature the Source in which we all partake - and allow it to resonate deep within us as we get in touch with our inner being. 

We hope that all of you who read this blog will be uplifted and will experience the inner peace that we feel when we spend time in our natural environment. 

Observing Animal Behaviour - Up, Close and Personal!

Observing Animal Behaviour - Up, Close and Personal!

On the way back from Sault Ste. Marie this afternoon, we stopped at a favourite place of ours on the outskirts of Iron Bridge where we have seen so many deer over the winter. In town, there are a couple of homes that have feeding stations in their yards and the deer flock there in herds.

Just on the eastern edge of the town, there is a rock which is known by locals to be the gathering place of one of the local herds. Today, we counted 15 of these creatures and decided that, as this was probably going to be the last time we see them until next winter, it was about time we got up, close and personal with them.



Mark had brought along some oatmeal and almonds in the hopes of coaxing them to feed from his hands (or from a plastic bowl that he also brought along).

Parking the car on the roadside, we ventured into the bush to where they were, approaching slowly and cautiously so as not to frighten them off. There were a couple of tree-stumps for us to sit on, so we placed the bowl about 10 ft away from where we were ensconced.

A few of them ventured close, but kept wary eyes upon us. After about 15 minutes of sitting in stillness and silence, I slowly moved towards the bowl and moved it about 15 ft. from where we were, thinking that by increasing the distance from where we were to where the bowl was now placed, it might entice them by widening their proximity to us. I then returned to my forest seat, and waited.

After what seemed an eternity, one of the deer ventured ever so tentatively towards the bowl and finally put his (her?) nose inside, promptly removing it and walking away from it. We thought that perhaps it was put off by the human scent that had been embedded within the plastic.

Mark suggested that I should empty the contents from the bowl onto the forest floor. So, once again, I guardedly moved towards the bowl, picked it up, and showed the interested animals the contents of the bowl by letting some of the oats fall from my fingers back into the bowl. Some of the deer moved further away when I started to edge towards the bowl; but there were about three of them that stood their ground, looking on with interest to see what I was doing.

I poured the contents into the spot where the bowl had been, and then took the plastic container back to my stump and waited.

Sure enough, after a few minutes, one of the deer delicately tiptoed near to the oats and started to feed from them. Once this had occurred, a few more came forth, all within 15 feet of us. It was quite a magical moment. It would seem that, once one of the creatures started to feed, the others gave themselves permission to overcome their timidity and approach the food - though there was one who wanted to hog it all, and kept the others from their share.

While observing this, we noticed a couple of interesting behaviours. One fairly small member of the herd, came quite close to us, looked directly at us and several times lifted its leg and stomped it on the ground. We watched it do this a number of times - mostly with its right leg, but sometimes with the left. It was as if it was trying to tell us to get lost and leave them free to devour the gift that we had left. A little later, a larger deer exhibited the same behaviour, all the while keeping his (her) eyes upon us.

Click Here to See Deer Stomping. 

Another fascinating behaviour we witnessed was the sound, reminiscent of a snort, or sneeze, would emit from one of the deer, which we took to be a warning to the others not to get too close. A few times after this happened, the whole herd took off, usually in the same direction, leaving only one or two brave animals that stayed fairly close to us - never letting us out of sight. (You can hear the snort, very briefly at 0:16 in the movie above).

Each time this warning was issued, we stayed completely still, and after about five minutes, the others slowly returned to where they had been before.

Mark told me that he had brought all the oatmeal and almonds we had and that they were back in the car. I went to collect them and the deer were all in the same place and did not move until I started to move towards them. A few galloped away, but most of them stayed quite close.

In the interests of fair play and equality for all deer, I poured out five piles, making sure that they could all see what I was doing, once again retreating to my observation place to wait patiently and see what they would do. Sure enough, a few of them came to three of the piles and starting to eat, while keeping a careful watch in our direction.


Although one of the others gave the warning signal, two of the deer ignored it and continued to munch away.

For about an hour we interacted with them in this way - and Mark was in his seventh heaven to be sure!
We decided to leave them and return to the car, feeling a sense of awe at how close they had let us come among them.

As soon as we were back at the car, all of the deer moved in on all of the five piles, obviously relieved that we had departed to leave them to their meal.

It was truly a spellbinding and spiritual experience - one that we won't forget for a very long time.