Engaging With the Flora and Fauna
A few years ago, my mother and I hiked a nature trail from Fergus to the Shand Dam in Belwood and back again. I’m estimating it’s a 10 KM hike.
The sky was slightly overcast when we started out. Breezy. Cool, but not too cold. My kind of weather. We chose to take along our umbrellas, joking that we probably wouldn’t need them.
It’s amazing what you notice, when you allow your senses to open up to what is surrounding you. Bright and bold buttercups. The succulent leaves of sprouting alfalfa. Sweet pink flowers of clover. The serrated leaves of tansy. Dusty blue-gray blades of timothy grass. The nodding seed pods of wild oats. The spicy scent of flowering viburnum shrubs. Elderberry trees about to bloom. Juvenile walnut trees with their bright green leaves and tender stems. A bold red-winged blackbird, chastising us from the air. Chipmunks scurrying across the path. Robins singing out from the trees. The aerial acrobatics of goldfinches. The muted brown and red feathers of a female cardinal. Ostrich ferns, growing tall enough to reach up to my waist. The sound of waves on a beach as the wind passes through a stand of evergreens. Red pine, white pine, jack pine. Cedar and Tamarack. The dark and silent interior of a dense coniferous forest.
At our half way point, we reached the Shand Dam. Belwood Lake on our left, a river valley to our right. A wide expanse of water and countless shades of green.
Once we crossed to the other side, we heard a round of high-pitched screeching. Looking up, a pair of ospreys flew off, leaving the nest they’d built on the top of a hydro pole. Circling around the area, they would not return until they decided we were far enough away.
The rain caught up with us just as we passed over a small bridge. I’d never imagined fishing could be considered graceful until I watched a group of men, down below, standing in the middle of the river, fly-fishing.
The wind picked up and the rain came down. My umbrella turned inside-out!
Soaked, but not cold, we continued walking back to my mother’s house in Fergus, spurred on by the thoughts of a warm dinner.
Fed and in dry clothing, we embarked on a bit of countryside appreciation from the comfortable seats of my car--a detour on the way back from a local restaurant. Blue skies and sunshine on the fields. You’d never know we’d just experienced a downpour. We spotted a white-tailed deer and a pair of wild turkeys.
When I left Fergus, I came across a vulture at the side of the road. I’m certain you can imagine the reason for its stopover.
Upon returning home, I pulled my damp clothes out of the plastic bag. The mixed scent of sunshine and spring rain rose up from the fabric, an appropriate ending to a day spent engaging with the local flora and fauna.
Treasure Hunting in Tidal Pools
A Visit to the Pet Supply Store
An Educational Trip to Toronto
Beachcombing in Bayfield
Engaging With the Flora and Fauna
Iguana Sighting in the Wild
A few years ago, my mother and I hiked a nature trail from Fergus to the Shand Dam in Belwood and back again. I’m estimating it’s a 10 KM hike.
The sky was slightly overcast when we started out. Breezy. Cool, but not too cold. My kind of weather. We chose to take along our umbrellas, joking that we probably wouldn’t need them.
It’s amazing what you notice, when you allow your senses to open up to what is surrounding you. Bright and bold buttercups. The succulent leaves of sprouting alfalfa. Sweet pink flowers of clover. The serrated leaves of tansy. Dusty blue-gray blades of timothy grass. The nodding seed pods of wild oats. The spicy scent of flowering viburnum shrubs. Elderberry trees about to bloom. Juvenile walnut trees with their bright green leaves and tender stems. A bold red-winged blackbird, chastising us from the air. Chipmunks scurrying across the path. Robins singing out from the trees. The aerial acrobatics of goldfinches. The muted brown and red feathers of a female cardinal. Ostrich ferns, growing tall enough to reach up to my waist. The sound of waves on a beach as the wind passes through a stand of evergreens. Red pine, white pine, jack pine. Cedar and Tamarack. The dark and silent interior of a dense coniferous forest.
At our half way point, we reached the Shand Dam. Belwood Lake on our left, a river valley to our right. A wide expanse of water and countless shades of green.
Once we crossed to the other side, we heard a round of high-pitched screeching. Looking up, a pair of ospreys flew off, leaving the nest they’d built on the top of a hydro pole. Circling around the area, they would not return until they decided we were far enough away.
The rain caught up with us just as we passed over a small bridge. I’d never imagined fishing could be considered graceful until I watched a group of men, down below, standing in the middle of the river, fly-fishing.
The wind picked up and the rain came down. My umbrella turned inside-out!
Soaked, but not cold, we continued walking back to my mother’s house in Fergus, spurred on by the thoughts of a warm dinner.
Fed and in dry clothing, we embarked on a bit of countryside appreciation from the comfortable seats of my car--a detour on the way back from a local restaurant. Blue skies and sunshine on the fields. You’d never know we’d just experienced a downpour. We spotted a white-tailed deer and a pair of wild turkeys.
When I left Fergus, I came across a vulture at the side of the road. I’m certain you can imagine the reason for its stopover.
Upon returning home, I pulled my damp clothes out of the plastic bag. The mixed scent of sunshine and spring rain rose up from the fabric, an appropriate ending to a day spent engaging with the local flora and fauna.
Treasure Hunting in Tidal Pools
A Visit to the Pet Supply Store
An Educational Trip to Toronto
Beachcombing in Bayfield
Engaging With the Flora and Fauna
Iguana Sighting in the Wild