Sunset over Lake Huron

We are taking advantage of the gorgeous weather this weekend and have headed out with the trailer for 3 or 4 days of rest and  relaxation. There was a lovely sunset over the lake tonight, although my iPhone doesn't even begin to capture it. 

We went for a long wall this afternoon through the park. The leaves are just beginning to turn colour.  And now, there is a campfire going and the crickets are singing. Ah bliss.....

Gut Lake Trail...

 We had gorgeous weather again today, and the rain held off until we were finished our hike. This one felt a little more ambitious than the other ones we've done while here. Going by my GPS walking app on my iphone, it was closer to a 5 km hike than 2.5. 

 We saw this group of canoes and kayaks ahile we were walking. I don't think there is anything that says outdoors in Canada as much as this. All of the lake in this area are surrounded by these types of rocks. It never fails to amaze me how a full sized tree can grow seemingly out of the side of a huge rock.

 The tree on the end of this point looks like it would only take the smallest breath to blow it over.

This was taken at the end of the lake where it narrows down into the smallest stream. It opens up again into a marshy wetlands area. Now, I have to say that I love this country and I love this area, and all of the beauty found in it. However...... the bugs...... it wasn't mosquitoes this time that were the issue, but the flies that kept circling around our heads, trying to bite, and flying into our glasses and ears. Highly annoying..... the price one pays for being outdoors, rather than watching it all on a screen. What I often wonder, is how did the initial settlers and explorers manage without bug spray with Deet in it? I did some research before we left to come up here on bug repellants, without using the Deet stuff. I found all kinds of sources that said that mosquitoes hate citronella and basil, and that using those essential oils, and a few other ingredients, you could make a good repellant. Somebody forgot to tell the bugs up here that they don't like those things. They didn't work, and we ended up having to resort to the Deet stuff just to preserve our sanity.

I thought this was an interesting passageway type area we found along the way. This was towards the end of the hike, and I was awfully glad we didn't have to climb up that rocky area. I think this is going to be the last of our hikes this time round. The last one is around a beaver dam, and is listed as longer than all the others. If the pattern continues, it would be double the length that the maps says it is, so it will have to wait for another time.
The rest of this evening is going to be quiet time, with either a book or my knitting, or maybe both.

On my Needles, July 11, 2014

 We're still here at our campsite, but decided that today was a stick around the campsite and campground and not do too much requiring energy day. Yesterday's hike to the falls, found here, really tired us out. If the weather is good tomorrow, we'll do another hike. Every time we come to a campground, we like to do a walk around to scope out any good sites for further reference, so that was the extent of our exercise today. That meant there was lots of time for sitting and knitting. The body and the hood for my Flyaway Hoodie are done. While sitting down by the lake earlier today I did the boring chore of sewing in the ends I've created so far. Then, when we got back to the campsite, I found a patch of sun, and sat out and picked up the stitches for one of the sleeves.

 And in between working on the hoodie, when my hands needed something to do, but my brain didn't, I've been working on these socks. The instep decreases are done, and I'm on the home stretch for the foot.

This is a picture of our lovely campsite. I am standing in the far corner to take this picture. The site is huge! There is a pull through area where the trailer is, and then there is a sitting area off to the side where the fire pit and the picnic table are. It could easily fit a couple more tents or, if we had remembered it, the screened shelter. In our stroll around the campground, we didn't find any sites that were nicer than the ones in this area. All of them are like this, large and very well wooded and private. I am so enjoying our time away. I'm not going to want to go home. I'm linking up to Judy's On the Needles, and then I'm going to see if I can wrap my head around the instructions for the sleeves. I have to do wrap and turns for the top part of the sleeves, as well as remembering to do the right section of the cable that goes down the arm. This has been a fun and challenging knit.

Recollet Falls Hike

 It was a fabulous day out today, sunshine and cool breezes, the perfect day for a hike. We decided to go down the highway a bit and check out part of the French River Provincial Park. There isn't any camping available at this area. It's a protected space in the province, full of history. I've left the photo of the description board full sized so you can enlarge it to read it, if you wish.

 This is Scott, waiting so very patiently for me, as I get my camera and other assorted stuff straightened out and ready to go.

 They weren't kidding when they described it as rugged. There was a fair bit of clambering to do. But we took our time, and didn't find it too hard. There are blue dots on the trees marking the trail. I have a new best friend to help me on these trials...... an old cane that used to belong to Scott's dad, now acts as my walking stick. It is a huge help, far more than I ever thought it would be. When Scott first grabbed it, I thought he was going a bit nuts, but when I tried it out, turns out I'm the one that was nuts not using one for all these years.

 This was the plaque that was in place at the end of the hike, describing some of the history of the place. I've left this one biggie sized too, for easier reading.

And this is what we came to see...... absolutely glorious!! It was worth the walk to get here. The sign at the beginning of the trail said that it was 1.5 km. I think that must have been measured as the crow flies, because my GPS walking tracker said it was 2.5 km, one way. It was a great work out, and now we are both completely tuckered out. Supper was the old campers stand by of weiners and beans. And there just might be a campfire this evening, provided the mosquitoes don't carry us away. LOL!

Design Wall Monday June 20

There is nothing  new on my design wall today. Bear Tracks is still there, and unchanged. I spent last week starting to catch up on my backlog of customer quilts, and working 3-11 at the hospital. And then, we spent the weekend at the campground near to  Noel, Laurie and Avery. We were at the same park as last time, but a different campsite. This one was right on the water. We were able to open up the zipper at the end of the bed, and then lay there, and look out over the water while having our morning coffee in bed. This was part of the view:

While we were there, Noel, Laurie and Avery, and Laurie's parents came out for a campfire, and hamburgers cooked over the fire. Yummy. Avery had a great time............ he slept through almost the whole thing. But Grammy got to have quite a lot of cuddle time, while sitting at the campfire. What could be better?

Noel did the cooking. He doesn't have a great fondness for camping, but he sure does a great job of cooking over an open fire. We had roasted marshmallows, and pecan tarts for dessert, and Avery got to have his dinner inside the trailer. I wonder if we'll make a camper out of him? I can see future years of going up there, and having him come out to visit, and maybe even stay with Grammy and Grampy for a night or 2, or maybe even more. It can be guaranteed that by then, he won't be doing a lot of sleeping, like he does now. But, he sure is adorable.

The rest of this week isn't going to be anywhere near as much fun. I'm off work at the hospital until the weekend, so my goal is to get all my customer quilts finished. I'm well on the way to that goal, since I finished one today. I'll be loading another tomorrow. I want to be able to get them done, so that I can get to quilting the backlog of my own quilts.

Vacation time

Here we are, in the middle of our week's vacation up near our kids. The internet connection at the campground is a bit erratic, so I haven't been able to do as many posts as I would have liked. This evening, however, we are spending some time at Noel and Laurie's, with the baby and the hockey game. The campground we are at is rather nice. Sometime in the past someone planted scores of lilacs. They are all now in bloom, rather later than usual, due to our late spring. When the breeze blows out of a certain direction, the fragrance is absolutely heavenly. The campground itself is small, and not very busy at this time of year. We don't have the place all to ourselves, but it's pretty close to it. We've had one nice day, yesterday, but the rest of it has been pretty chilly

Of course, the main reason for coming up here was to spend time with Noel and Laurie and that precious grandson of ours. Becca and Matt came up on the weekend, and stayed at the campsite with us. Matt wasn't able to get time off when Avery was born, so this was Matt's first chance to meet him. I must say that he looks really good holding a baby. I've been teasing him that Avery needs a cousin. LOL And Becca is thrilled with the baby as well, and wanting one of her own. However, as much as I would love for them to have one of their own, they would be smart to wait a while.

And what would be a post, without a picture of that beautiful boy.

We're home

This is that long road down to the bathroom at the end of it.
Not bad in the daylight, quite pretty, actually. But, beware
the dark of night.

Our lovely little hardtop trailer, that I truly enjoy, except for the major
flaw of no bathroom

Well, I must say that these past 10 days of vacation just flew by. But then, they always do, don't they. We spent 5 days at Sauble Falls Provincial Park, and another 5 days at Earl Rowe Provincial Park. We had never been to either park, and they were both nice, each in their own way. Sauble Falls was quite foresty and wilderness like, and not very close to any major cities. Earl Rowe, on the other hand, was quite close to a city, and far more planned, city park like. Each had their own goods and bads to them, but, on the whole, I preferred the forest to the city park, if only for the quiet alone. When we got to Sauble Falls on the Wednesday, there were only ourselves, and one other couple in the whole campground section we were in, and they were on the far side of it from us. It had to have been the darkest, spookiest 11 o'clock at night walk to the bathroom I have ever done. No moon, and no stars for light, since it was overcast, and had been raining. Just the forest, a small flashlight, and me. I had been softhearted, and left Scott sound asleep in the trailer, not having the heart to wake him up, drag him out of a warm bed, just to walk me down to the bathroom. I thought I was this brave, stout-hearted, modern woman, who could manage the walk by herself. Wrong! I couldn't see anything outside the small circle of my flashlight, but could hear all kinds of rustlings and strange noises. I was halfway there, and totally spooked, but kept going. Needless to say, for the rest of those lonely, late night walks, I woke Scott up, dragged him out of bed, and had him accompany  me down that road. I love my little camper trailer, but I must confess to coveting an upgrade to one with a bathroom in it, just for situations like that.